Fourth seed Ben Shelton crashed out in the first round of Wimbledon after Finland’s Otto Virtanen produced the biggest win of his career in a gripping five-set thriller on Tuesday. The American ran out of steam in the closing stages as the world No. 140 edged a tense deciding-set tiebreak to seal a memorable 4-6, 6-3, 7(10)-6(8), 2-6, 7-6(11-9) victory.
Meanwhile, defending champion Iga Swiatek survived a major scare to keep her title defence alive, battling past American Taylor Townsend 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 to book her place in the second round.
Wimbledon 202, Day 2: Updates
Virtanen matched Shelton shot for shot throughout a high-quality contest and looked the fresher player as the match wore on. The Finn dictated play with aggressive baseline hitting, particularly in the fourth set, while Shelton struggled to maintain his intensity. Even after a costly double fault, Virtanen responded strongly to hold serve and stayed composed in a tense fifth-set tiebreak that seesawed with mini-breaks.
Shelton moved to 8-5 after a backhand winner and a Virtanen error, but the Finn fought back to level at 8-8 after a series of sharp volleys and forced errors. Shelton then earned match point after a long rally, but consecutive errors at the decisive moment allowed Virtanen to complete the comeback and seal a major upset.
The emotional 24-year-old could barely believe what he had achieved after knocking out the world No. 5. “I don’t know if I have a heart anymore. It probably bounced out of my body, but I’m here. I played till the last moment because of you all,” Virtanen said during his on-court interview.
Asked where such a performance had come from, the Finn credited his recent form on grass. “I had a great month before this one. I played a lot of grass matches and I’ve always enjoyed playing here. Last year I unfortunately missed it due to injury, but two years ago I had a great time here. It feels so good to be back.”
SWIATEK STRUGGLES HER WAY INTO ROUND 2
While Virtanen celebrated a career-defining victory, Swiatek was forced to overcome one of her toughest opening-round tests in recent years.
The six-time Grand Slam champion looked in complete control after racing through the opening set, breaking Townsend’s serve twice and sealing it with a crisp forehand winner. But the momentum shifted dramatically in the second set as Swiatek’s usually reliable forehand deserted her. Townsend, ranked No. 79, capitalised brilliantly, breaking serve twice before levelling the contest with a superb backhand drop volley followed by an ace.
The deciding set threatened to unravel for Swiatek as she produced three double faults in a marathon opening service game that lasted 21 minutes and featured 10 deuces. However, she survived the scare, a moment that proved to be the turning point of the match.
“Sometimes just serving the ball in might be a tough ask, so this game for sure was about believing that I could do it because it was long and there were many break points,” Swiatek said. “At the end I’m happy I kept my composure. I know I needed to be solid, not look for winners or serves that would give me a free point, and play more safely to give myself a chance in the rallies.”
With renewed confidence, Swiatek gradually cut down the errors and, after both players traded breaks, the Pole sealed victory with an ace before covering her face with a towel as she fought back tears.
“I’m happy I could get through a match like that because I got quite tense in the second set and I was able to come back to my game,” she said. “When there are ups and downs, that’s the time to see how much you can change things around. With my game, I feel pretty well—it’s just a matter of consistency.”
OTHER RESULTS
Elsewhere, 2022 champion Elena Rybakina defeated France’s Lois Boisson 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the second round, while fifth seed Alex de Minaur eased past Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-0. Last year’s runner-up Amanda Anisimova also advanced comfortably with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over North Macedonia’s Lina Gjorcheska.
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