Mpetshi Perricard Finally Overturned by Fritz in Wimbledon First Round

The conclusion of the duel between Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Taylor Fritz was eagerly awaited on Tuesday afternoon. After their intense and lively match was interrupted on Monday evening before the start of the fifth set, the two players returned to Court 1 determined to finish the job.

Mpetshi Perricard, who had led two sets to zero, came close to sealing the deal in the fourth-set tiebreak before Fritz fought back. The American, currently ranked fifth in the world, has had a strong grass-court season, winning two titles in three tournaments (Stuttgart and Eastbourne), and remained composed, relying on his solid serve.

Without conceding a single break point from start to finish, Fritz ultimately turned the match around (6-7, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 in 3 hours and 32 minutes) in a contest spread over two days. The recent US Open finalist broke at the perfect moment, at 5-4, to close out the match and advance to the second round, where he will face Gabriel Diallo.

Despite firing 86 winners, including 37 aces, the Frenchman couldn’t finish the job against one of the tour’s most reliable players and suffered his second five-set Grand Slam defeat of the season without earning a single break point. A similar misfortune had befallen him earlier this year at the Australian Open against Gaël Monfils.

A quarterfinalist last year, Mpetshi Perricard couldn’t replicate that performance. Ranked 36th in the ATP standings this week, he will drop out of the top 40 after the tournament, having won just one match on grass this season.