Carlos Alcaraz flirted with rankings calamity amid worrying Wimbledon opener

It was billed as a comfortable opener for defending champion Carlos Alcaraz as he stepped out on Centre Court to take on Fabio Fognini.

That was at 1.30pm on a scorching London afternoon and as the clock ticked by 6.15pn, Alcaraz was still out there in a contest that did not go the way he expected.

Fognini deserves all the credit for producing a performance that must have been one of his best on grass, as this great entertainer served up a diet of unpredictable tennis that Alcaraz did not consume with any relish.

Alcaraz stood in the middle of Centre Court and applauded his opponent at his 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 win and while that was entirely justified, it was also an attempt to cover up the flaw that had been exposed in the two-time Wimbledon champion in an severe examination.

Fognini’s magical performance came along with a flat and worrying performance from Alcaraz, with his body language giving a hint that he didn’t want to be out there for long periods.

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The third set was especially bizarre as it appeared Alcaraz was either suffering with illness or injury as he struggled to shake off his veteran opponent.

Only in the fifth set did he find his best form, with Fognini fading as the tournament favourite finally started to show his class.

If Alcaraz had lost this match, he would have been in danger of losing his world No 2 ranking, so he didn’t try to disguise his relief as he spoke to the fans on Centre Court.

“First of all, I don’t know why it is Fabio Fognini’s last Wimbledon because the level he has shown shows he can still play for three or four more years,” said Alcaraz.

“I have to give him the credit for such a great match. He has shown the level and talent he has throughout his whole career and he has shown that once again today, so I’m just a bit sad that this is probably his last Wimbledon. I’m happy to have shared the court and locker room many times with him. We got to enjoy the last of him.

“Playing on Centre Court for the first match of any tournament is never easy. I’ve been practising pretty well and playing on grass really well, but Wimbledon is special and different. I could feel the difference between Wimbledon and the other tournaments.

“I just tried to play my best but I would say that I could play better. I have to improve in the next round. In general, I still think it was a great match.”

Alcaraz’s relief was clear, but he must also be worried about the performance he served up to start Wimbledon.

This had flashbacks of his defeat against Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open last year, when he again looked uninspired and lacking in energy.

Questions of his preparation for Wimbledon were raised again when it emerged he spent a large chunk of the day before this match against Fognini playing golf with former champion Andy Murray.

Alcaraz may feel that is the best way to relax, but it was unconventional to say the least and he looked like a player who was not fully tuned in for the battle that was thrown at him by Fognini.

“Carlos Alcaraz found a way and there is a huge sigh of relief from him,” said former British No 1 Tim Henman on the BBC>

“It will probably be an important day on the practice court tomorrow to iron out a few of those kinks. He really struggled in all aspects of his game.

“There were so many uncharacteristic unforced errors from the back of the court, but he found a way to get the win and he will be back on Wednesday.”

Alcaraz will now face British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in round two and while he will be a big favourite to win that match, he will need to improve on this display if he is to win a third successive Wimbledon title two weeks from now.

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