Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz avoided a seismic shock against Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the Wimbledon first round to set up a meeting with British qualifier Oliver Tarvet.
Alcaraz dug deep to win 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 2-6 6-1 as he opened the Centre Court play on a sweltering first day of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
The 22-year-old Spaniard quickly secured victory when an entertaining contest resumed after a 15-minute pause in the deciding set.
A spectator sat in the sun was taken ill, with Alcaraz going over with a bottle of cold water to help their recovery.
Alcaraz, who is the second seed behind Italian rival Jannik Sinner, struggled on serve and made uncharacteristic errors off the ground throughout a four-and-a-half-hour contest in temperatures topping 32C.
In what is set to be his final Wimbledon appearance before retirement, 38-year-old Fognini twice fought back to force the decider but Alcaraz regained control to extend his winning streak to 19 matches.
Alcaraz roared in relief when he finally ended Fognini’s resistance, breaking into a broad smile and sharing a friendly embrace with his opponent.
Alcaraz claimed his fifth Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this month – beating Sinner in an all-time classic final – before lifting the Queen’s trophy on his return to the British grass.
Next he will face 21-year-old Tarvet, who gets a shot at one of sport’s superstars after beating Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi on his Wimbledon debut.
