Tsitsipas off to a smooth start at Wimbledon

One of the experienced names at Wimbledon, Stefanos Tsitsipas, took care of business in straight sets in the first round. The Greek produced a controlled performance on grass against his French opponent Hugo Gaston, winning the match 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 to book his place in the second round of the main draw. The contest lasted 1 hour and 32 minutes.

The first set was the most closely contested part of the match. With Gaston resisting, the two went to a tie-break; Tsitsipas stepped up at the key moments of the breaker to take it 7-4 and lead 1-0. Easing further into his game after winning that set, the Greek held the break of serve he found in the second to double his advantage with a 6-4 scoreline.

In the third, Tsitsipas found his rhythm completely and gradually asserted himself with his strong serve and forehand. Testing his opponent's service games more than once in the set, the Greek took it 6-2 to close the match out in straight sets. The statistics show Tsitsipas's serving efficiency and the pressure he created on return shaped the course of the match; his effectiveness at breaking his opponent's serve stood out in particular.

For a player whose form has been up and down of late, this win was an encouraging start on grass. Getting through the early rounds of a Grand Slam smoothly matters for the rest of the season too; the Greek will aim to raise the bar in the second round. Continuing on his path at the tournament, Tsitsipas wants to lift his form during the grass-court season.

By the numbers (Gaston-Tsitsipas): Score 6-7(4), 4-6, 2-6 · Winners 26-37 · Unforced errors 12-12 · Break points won 0/0 - 5/15 · 1st serve points won 68%-88% · 2nd serve points won 41%-63% · Time 1:32

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