London: So much for the idea that Stan Wawrinka might be able to complete a career Grand Slam at Wimbledon this year. Didn’t even make it out of the first round.
An owner of one championship from each of the other three major tournaments, and the French Open runner-up just three weeks ago, Wawrinka was bothered by his left knee and lost 6- 4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to Daniil Medvedev at Centre Court in the first round at the All England Club on Monday night.
Wawrinka was seeded No. 5 and ranked No. 3. He iced his knee during changeovers and never was able to summon his best tennis.
“Apparently grass is not the best surface for my knee,” Wawrinka said with a grin. “I need to figure it out exactly, what’s the problem now, what I’m going to do, and come back on the tennis court when I (can play) without any pain.”
He said his knee has been a problem off and on this season, including at the Australian Open in January, when he made a run to the semifinals.
Wawrinka said he was a bit hesitant about even playing at Wimbledon, but he thought the knee seemed better during recent practices.
He had no answers when asked what comes next, including how much time he might need to take off.
“What’s sure is that I’m going to take the time I need to feel ready again physically,” the 32-year-old from Switzerland said.
Wawrinka won the Australian Open in 2014, the French Open in 2015 and the US Open in 2016. But he never has been able to excel at the All England Club, where his best showing is getting to the quarterfinals and his career record is now 18- 13.
This was Wawrinka’s sixth defeat in the first round at Wimbledon.
Meanwhile, world number one Angelique Kerber kicked off her bid to return to the Wimbledon final with a 6- 4, 6-4 win over Irina Falconi, while Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic prepared to start their All England Club campaigns.
With defending champion Serena Williams sidelined while she prepares to give birth to her first child, the race to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish is the most wide open in a generation.
Kerber, the 2016 Australian and US Open winner, is among the favourites after reaching last year’s final.
The German has failed to maintain that form this season and her poor run culminated in an embarrassing French Open first round loss to Ekaterina Makarova last month.
But top seeded Kerber showed glimpses of her best form as she saw off American qualifier Falconi in 87 minutes on Centre Court.
The 29-year-old faces Belgian world number 88 Kirsten Flipkens for a place in the last 32.
“All the memories came back. It was amazing what happened last year,” Kerber said.
“I’m happy to be back, but this year is completely different for me. I’m just happy I’m through the first round.”
As the United States celebrated Independence Day, American 24th seed Coco Vandeweghe, the grand-daughter of a former Miss America, beat Mona Barthel 7-5, 6-2.
Australian qualifier Arina Rodionova, ranked 166th, saved seven match points before defeating Russian 16th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 9-7.
Kiki Bertens, the Dutch 23rd seed, was beaten 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 by Romanian world number 63 Sorana Cirstea.
In the men’s draw, French 22nd seed Richard Gasquet slumped to a 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 loss against Spain’s David Ferrer.
It was the first time Gasquet, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist, had lost in the first round since 2006.
Meanwhile, Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro, a Wimbledon semi- finalist in 2013, defeated Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 as the 29th seed moved towards a potential third round classic against Djokovic.
Rising British star Kyle Edmund won for the first time at Wimbledon after four successive opening round losses.
Edmund, 22, beat compatriot Alex Ward, ranked 869th, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.
Later on Tuesday, Federer, chasing a record eighth Wimbledon title, starts his 19th All England Club campaign against Ukrainian world number 84 Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Having unexpectedly won the Australian Open in January before taking the clay-court season off to rest, Federer can lay down a marker to his title rivals by claiming a record 85th match win at Wimbledon.
That would take the 35-year-old past Jimmy Connors into sole possession of the first place on the day he makes his 70th Grand Slam appearance, equalling Fabrice Santoro’s Open era record.
Three-time champion Djokovic opens his bid to regain the All England Club crown against world number 47 Martin Klizan of Slovakia.
Djokovic crashed out in the third round at Wimbledon last year and has endured the worst run of his career in 2017, the 12-time major winner losing in the second round in Melbourne and the quarter-finals in Paris.
As one of only two men to have beaten Roger Federer this year, Tommy Haas might have been hoping that his Wimbledon swansong would have a fairytale ending. It was not to be.
The 39-year-old German, awarded a wildcard for his 16th and final appearance at the All England Club, had to accept his body was “not cooperating anymore” as he slumped to a 6-2 3-6 6-3 7-5 first-round defeat by Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmans. (Agencies)
