Wimbledon 2024: Alcaraz sees off spirited Lajal to reach second round

Carlos Alcaraz rejoices as he wins the final point against Mark Lajal at Wimbledon. | Image Source: Getty Images

Carlos Alcaraz rejoices at winning the match against Mark Lajal at Wimbledon. | Photo credit: Getty Images

Third-ranked player Carlos Alcaraz faced a tough match at the beginning of his Wimbledon title defense, but the Spanish player defeated Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal 7-6(3), 7-5, 6-2 to advance to the second round on Monday.

The 21-year-old player, hoping to win his fourth Grand Slam title after winning his first French Open last month, lost a game in the middle of the first set but fought back to win it in a tiebreak.

Lajal successfully broke Alcaraz's serve at the beginning of the following set, but despite this advantage, the world number 269 was unable to maintain his lead. His opponent quickly broke back without losing a single point, and then secured another break in the 11th game.

Check out: Wimbledon 2024 - Medvedev, the fifth seed, smoothly progresses to the second round.

As the game continued, Alcaraz gained more and more points, eventually taking a two-set lead. He then stepped up his performance even more in the third set, breaking his opponent with an impressive backhand shot and maintaining his lead until the end to secure the win.

Stan Wawrinka, who is 39 years old, triumphed in his first match at Wimbledon. He defeated British player Charles Broom in three sets.

The Swiss player, who has won three Grand Slam titles, and is the oldest competitor in the tournament, managed to hit 38 impressive shots to secure a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 win on No. 2 Court.

Derived from the information provided by AFP