Alexander Zverev cruised past Roberto Carballes Baena 6-2 6-4 6-2 in 1 hour and 53 minutes under the closed roof of Court one to reach the second round for the seventh time in his eight appearances at Wimbledon. Zverev hit 46 winners, including 18 aces.
Carballes Baena saved three break points in the first game of the match to hold serve. Zverev broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead, when Carballes Baena sent a backhand long. Zverev broke for the second time in the seventh game before closing out the first set in in little more than 30 minutes.
Zverev broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Carballes Baena saved two set points, as he was serving to stay in the match. Zverev served out the second set on his first set point.
Zverev broke in the first game of the third set. The German player saved three break points to hold serve in the second game. The 2021 Olympic champion broke for the second time in the seventh game and saved out the win on his first match point after saving a set point.
Zverev has improved his record to 12-2 in Grand Slam matches this season after reaching the semifinal at Roland Garros and the final at Roland Garros.
Zverev set up a second round match against either Marcos Giron and Henry Searle.
“I have struggled over the years on these beautiful courts, but I feel different this year, somehow much more into it and more alive on these courts. Hopefully I can show that in the next few matches. For some reason, very early in my career I decided that I hate grass courts, then for some reason I decided that I love them”, said Zverev.
Argentine Francisco Comesana upset Andrey Rublev 6-4 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in just his second grass court match.
Comesana broke serve in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead and served out the first set on his fourth set point. Rublev converted his third break point in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Comesana broke back in the fifth game and held serve in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. The Argentine player saved three set points in the 10th game. Rublev converted his third break point in the 12th game to win the second set 7-5.
Comesana broke twice in the third and fifth games to open up a 5-1 lead and served out the third set with a hold at 30.
The fourth set went on serve en route to the tie-break. Comesana earned a mini-break to take a 3-2 lead. Rublev pulled back on serve to draw level to 5-5. Comesana served out the win with his second mini-break.
Comesana set up a second round match against Australia’s Adam Walton, who beat Federico Coria 6-3 6-3 7-5.