Zverev, Tsitsipas Shocked At Wimbledon, Djokovic Strong; Federer, Nadal Tues.

Two of the stars of the NextGen crashed out of Wimbledon on opening day. Alexander Zverev took the opening set then collapsed against the qualifier and one-Top 40 Jiri Vesely 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.

“It’s a huge win for me actually on Court 1, where I haven’t lost yet. It’s a nice stat. I hope this win will get me going, and to get some more results,” Vesely said.

Zverev, who made the third round at Wimbledon last year, blew multiple chances to get things back on his terms, but was 0-3 on break points in each of the last two sets.

“I’m not very high on confidence right now. When I get to the important moments, I had, what, five, six break points in the fourth set alone? Can’t take any of those. I had a 0/40, a 15/40. I’m down one break point myself and he takes it immediately, where I miss an easy volley,” Zverev said. “I didn’t lose this match on tennis. It’s just my confidence is below zero right now.”

Zverev’s running mate Stefanos Tsitsipas also tumbled going down to the man he beat a year ago at Wimbledon, Thomas Fabbiano. But this time, the 30-year-old Italian found the mark handing Tsitsipas his second straight 5-set loss at a Slam winning the last four games for a the 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3.

“I was so frustrated knowing already how things are going to be, based on my feelings on the court, how I felt. I was very mad with myself yesterday,” Tsitsipas said. “I already felt that I was actually not playing very well yesterday in practice, so I was kind of curious to see how this is going to change today. But it didn’t.

“It felt like I was lost, going for too much or going for nothing,” Tsitsipas added. “There was no balance in what I was doing.

“It was very, very difficult to overcome that match. I was really disappointed. I am disappointed now. People expected things from me. I didn’t deliver. When you get so much support, so much energy, so much positivity from everyone, just ruin everything by yourself, it’s devastating,” Tsitsipas said. “I should be the one creating. I should be the one just playing my game. I can’t seem to find a way to do that.”

Tsitsipas saved two match points in the fourth set breaker, but failed to convert early break chances in the fourth and Fabbiano, who upset Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon last year, took advantage late.

Wawrinka did get through looking sharp in an easy win over Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmens.

2018 finalist Kevin Anderson made a terrific return to Grand Slam play dominating a tough Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Novak Djokovic opened Centre Court for a fifth time and despite getting broken right off the bat, he cruised for the most part to a 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 over Philipp Kohlschreiber who had beaten the Serb at Indian Wells.

“The break in the first game wasn’t the start that I was looking for. But I think I came with the right intensity. I answered back really well,” Djokovic said. “Then from that moment onwards, I played a pretty good match, I thought. It was a good quality. I held my serve well.”

It’s quite a difference from a year ago when Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon in turmoil.

“Every time I step on the court, I reflect on what has happened the previous year, especially if you come as the defending champion,” Djokovic said. “I did kind of go through the feelings, rewind those memories, the last championship point against Anderson last year in the finals. Yeah, it was quite a different situation or quite different circumstances 12 months ago and now.”

Kyle Edmund also won on Centre Court with an impressive straight set win over Jaume Munar.

Young Frenchmen had a nice day with two 0-2 comebacks. Ugo Humbert got through over Gael Monfils after Monfils retired down 3-0 in the fifth due a lower left leg injury. Humbert had lost the first two sets.

Grigor Dimitrov served for the match in the third but the Bulgarian gagged away a 2-set lead as Corentin Moutet took it in five sets.

Moutet will now meet the 18-year-old phenom Felix Auger-Aliassime. The Canadian won an all countryman battle against Vasek Pospisil 5-7, 7-2, 6-4, 6-3.

Auger-Aliassime win his first career Slam match and becomes the first man born in the 2000s to get a victory at a Slam.

“For any player to get his first Grand Slam win is a big relief, and it’s a good achievement for me. At the same time with the level I’m playing now and my ambitions, I look forward and I look to go even further than that,” Auger-Aliassime said.

Big men Ivo Karlovic and Reilly Opelka also won. Karlovic is now 40, he’ll take on Fabbiano on Wednesday.

Tuesday sees the return of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who resume their GOAT race. Federer will face South Africa Lloyd Harris who has never won a match on grass before, much unlike his countryman, Anderson, who beat the Swiss last year.

Nadal goes up against Japan’s Yuichi Sugita.

TUESDAY WIMBLEDON ORDER OF PLAY
CENTRE COURT – SHOW COURT – 13:00 START
Tatjana Maria (GER) vs Angelique Kerber (GER) [5]
Lloyd Harris (RSA) vs Roger Federer (SUI) [2]
Serena Williams (USA) [11] vs Giulia Gatto-Monticone (ITA)

No.1 COURT – SHOW COURT – 13:00 START
Ashleigh Barty (AUS) [1] vs Saisai Zheng (CHN)
Ana Bogdan (ROU) vs Johanna Konta (GBR) [19]
Yuichi Sugita (JPN) vs Rafael Nadal (ESP) [3]