Last year's quarter-finalist, Felix Auger-Aliassime of Quebec, did not make it past the first round at Wimbledon.
After a marathon match lasting more than four hours, the ninth-ranked player in the world and sixth seed at the tournament lost 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (9), 7-6 (5) to American Maxime Cressy.
The two players did not give an inch to their opponents on serve, exchanging a total of only five break point opportunities in this match, four of which were provided by Auger-Aliassime.
Cressy was only able to convert one of them, a big one, in the second set.
For the 25-year-old American, who was playing on grass at the All England Club for the first time, it was his first win in five matches against top-10 players. It was also the first time the two men have faced each other.
Auger-Aliassime gave up his first match point on an over-hit forehand in the fourth set tiebreak. On his second service point, Cressy opted for a serve-and-volley, sending the ball away from Auger-Aliassime to his right.
The 21-year-old Quebecer was unable to reach it before it made a second jump, confirming the American's victory.
Although he dominated with 28 aces and 64 winners (vs. 18 and 59), Auger-Aliassime had a little less success on the first serve than his opponent 60 vs. 63 per cent. But it was on the second serve that the difference was most pronounced: Cressy won 635 of the balls played on such occasions, compared to only 50 per cent for Auger-Aliassime, who also committed eight double faults and 27 unforced errors.
-- This report by the Canadian Press was first published in French on June 28, 2022.
