raz (she/her) 🎾

📸 ATP official website

Despite Gonzalo's best efforts to sustain his range, Thiago's aggressive play questioned the former's baseline game in general, which overwhelmed the Argentinean judging from the pressure it created. From here, even though both players created 4 break opportunities, Thiago converted 75% of them, while Gonzalo was unable to create or convert his opportunities.

Besides, Thiago also appeared more solid throughout this match. Scoring 9 aces than Gonzalo's 1, the third seed dominated his first serves by winning 90% of his first serve points, which he followed up through accurately aggressive groundstrokes. On the other hand, despite double-faulting 6 times, Thiago still won 62% of his second serve points, 22% higher than the Argentinean, which left the latter's second serves more vulnerable under pressure.

📸 🎥 ATP official website

Despite Gonzalo's hold to 1-0, Thiago foiled an earlier game point with a forehand down-the-line winner at that game. Both players held until as far as 2-1, with the Argentinean having a rare break point thanks to his jumping backhand finish (to 2-1* 30-40), but a failed slice saved it before the third seed massively held to 2-2. This might have set the tone for what happened in the next game, which began with Gonzalo's forehand error, followed by his backhand error 3 points into that game (to 2-2* 15-30) before Thiago's volley pass set up his break point right after. The latter's preceding backhand then outhit Gonzalo's forehand that converted his break point to 3-2.

📸 ATP official website

Trigger warning: Thiago Seyboth Wild was previously accused of domestic violence, from which he received a restraining order.

The Piracicaba Challenger final then closed the finals from the other week, where Gonzalo Villanueva, who knocked out Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the semifinals, faced third seed Thiago Seyboth Wild, who runner-upped the Itajai Challenger before defeating third seed Juan Manuel La Serna 6-3, 6-3 in the previous round. Game-wise, whether or not it was related to the former's physicality, the latter appeared too good, with his aggressive play overwhelming the Argentinean in most occasions.

Despite surviving a forehand error several points in, Gonzalo still held to 1-0 with a forehand volley. The Argentinean also survived another double-fault 2 pounts in before holding to 2-1, followed by Thiago's backhand down-the-line winner before holding to 2-2. At the start of the next vame, Gonzalo was unable to find his forehand line at the second point (to 2-2* 15-15), Thiago fired a return to Gonzalo's +1 error at the next point. Even though Gonzalo survived the deficit, his double-fault saved his initial game point before missing his final forehand as he tried to respond to Thiago's redirection. The said shot created the Brazilian third seed's break point, which was converted to 3-2.

📸 ATP official website

Sandro tried his best to maintain his range despite his best efforts to raise his level, but Inaki hit more consistently despite the third-set rollercoaster, with some key shot winners ultimately contributing to his match point saves. Through this aggression, Inaki optimized his chances by converting 80% of his 5 break points across the three sets, while Sandro appeared more proactive by creating 9 break opportunities, but only converted 5 of them in this match.

The said approach from the Spaniard was linked to the distinct service game strengths between both. The Austrian seventh seed scored an ace, having the slight edge on his first serves by 5%, winning 66% of his first serve points as he tried to maintain his level across both sets. However, despite double-faulting 9 times, Inaki still won 6% higher second serve points at 51%, which asked the necessary questions to Sandro under pressure.

📸 🎥 ATP official website

After holding to 1-0, Sandro's initial game point was saved due to a let-cord drop-shot winner from Inaki, followed by the former's double-fault thay saved his latest game point. Not long after, Inaki's drop-shot setting up his latest break point before the Austrian's backhand error converted the fifth seed's break point to 2-0. The Spaniard then strengthened his position with a hold to 3-0.

Several games later, Sandro took advantage of his lead with a forehand winner to set up his break-back point, which was converted to 3-2. The Austrian seventh seed then leveled the play with a hold to 3-3, initially setting up his break point with a forehand winner in the next game. Even though the Spanish fifth seee's volley saved an earlier break point, another forehand from the Austrian and a double-fault from Inaki converted it to 4-3, only to be broken back to 4-4 thanks to Inaki's pass after Sandro's forehand error, followed by another volley error before consolidating to 5-4.

In the eleventh game, Sandro started with a successful pass, setting up his break point due to Inaki's backhand error. The Spaniard then bounced back to massively hold 6-5, but the tie-breaker several games later was still necessary to settle the championship. Sandro initially mini-broke to 1-0 thanks to his forehand pass, holding to 2-0 right after, but it was negated due to his forehand error, followed by his backhand to hold to 2-2. A +1 backhand error then returned the favor before Sandro held to 4-2.

📸 ATP official website

After the second set began with 3 consecutive holds to 2-1, Sandro's backhand down-the-line winner at the third point (to 2-1* 15-30) paved the way for his break chances, which was followed by Inaki's forehand errors that created and converted his break chances to 3-1. The Austrian seventh seed then started the next game with a deep forehand winner, strengthening his position with a hold to 4-1.

📸 ATP official website

Meanwhile, in Plovdiv...

A thriller emerged in the singles final match of the Plovdiv Challenger, where fifth seed and University of Virginia alumnus Inaki Montes-de la Torre, who reached his maiden Challenger singles final after defeating his fellow Hoo Andres Santamarta Roig 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals, faced the previous week's M25 Klosters (Jun 15) champion Sandro Kopp, who knocked out home favorite Petr Nesterov 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the previous round. Considering their maiden Challenger singles title at stake, this rollercoaster was determined by a few points, most of which came from how they handled the pressing moments during the tie-breaker.

The first 5 games ended with service game holds before an unforced error from Sandro set up Inaki's break point, which was converted due to the Austrian's backhand error to 4-2. However, the seventh seed's successful drop-shot to the fifth seed's forehand error set up the former's break-back point, which was somehow converted to 4-3. Despite the Spaniard's best efforts to recover the 2-point deficit in the ninth game, Sandro still broke to 5-4 due to Inaki's forehand error.

📸 ATP/WTA joint app

Felix tried his best to raise his game in the second set, but Sumit found his groundstrokes once again, digging deeper by going after the former's forehands under pressure. Considering the French qualifier's risky approach at times, this made the Indian appear more aggressive, optimizing his chances by converting 71% of his 7 break points compared to Felix's 11% break point conversion rate out of his 18 break chances.

Interestingly, both players had distinct service game strength throughout this match. Even though Felix scored 2 aces, Sumit landed 80% of his first serves, winning 62% of his first serve points to stay in control of this match. However, his 4 double-faults faded his second serve winning percentage to 41%, 6% lower than Felix's 47%, which helped his attempt to make the difference in the second set.

📸 🎥 ATP official website

Sumit survived several break points that included his unforced errors, as well as Felix's forehand winner at one point, before massively holding to 1-0 to start the proceedings in this second set. Fast-forward to the seventh game, the French qualifier began with a drop-shot, which he continued with a drop-volley to set up his break point (to 3-3* 15-40), which was converted several points later due to Sumit's forehand error.

📸 ATP official website

The other week, the finals of the Targu Mures Challenger kicked off the Challenger-level finals for that week as Sumit Nagal, who notably came back from a set and a break down to knock out Duje Ajdukovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals before defeating home favorite and alternate Cezar Cretu 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in the semifinals, faced qualifier and Lyon (clay) Challenger runner-up Felix Balshaw, who knocked out third seed Andrej Nedic 7-6(5), 7-5 in the previous round. The latter tried to raise his game earlier in the second set, but some pressing moments also asked the questions near the end of this match.

After a smooth start from his 2 forehand winners, Felix missed his forehands that caused Sumit's early break to 1-0. However, the Indian's failed smash set up his initial break point, where even if a forehand winner and a successful smash saved them, the Frenchman found his forehand to set up his latest set point, which was converted to 1-1. Sumit also survived another set of break points at the game he held to 2-2.

The Wimbledon site (📸 ATP via Getty Images)

For the more compact version, presented as a Twitter thread, you can click here.

For the first part of the qualifiers' post, click here. Additionally, click here for the second part of the qualifiers' post.

Over the course of the first week, two players ascended to the main draw as lucky losers. Despite their early exits, their journeys coming into this tournament are still worth celebrating.

The lucky losers were:

LL1: Pablo Llamas Ruiz (l. Tristan Boyer 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-7(2), 3-6)

Pablo Llamas Ruiz's points to *4-2 ad-40 (2nd set, top left), to 6-6(3-1) (2nd set tie-break, top right), and to *2-2 40-0 (3rd set, bottom) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

Despite playing on grass for the first time after qualifying for Roland Garros, Pablo's wins against Dan Added and Pol Martin Tiffon brought him to the final qualifying round, where he faced Tristan Boyer. After Tristan won the opening set, the Spaniard tried to step up from the net, which contributed to his break-back to 4-3 in the second set. The tie-breaker in that set became inevitable, scoring a backhand winner to extend his lead (4-1) before taking the second set 7-6(4). Pablo also notably scored an intuitive volley before holding to 3-2, but he conceded the last 2 sets to the American in a very close contest.

Nonetheless, Pablo lost to Zachary Svajda 1-6, 2-6, 4-6 after ascending to the main draw due to Mattia Bellucci's withdrawal. Zach was too good out there, a valuable learning ground for the Spaniard moving forward.

LL2: Dusan Lajovic (l. Vilius Gaubas 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6)

Dusan Lajovic's point to *5-3 0-40 (1st set) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

Dutzee, a former World No. 23, began this match by firing a notable backhand down-the-line pass to set up his break point, going after Vilius' baseline game before taking the opening set 6-3. The Lithuanian then started adjusting from the back, but the Serb somehow benefited from the former's forehand errors when he took the third set 6-3. However, it was insufficient to deal with Vilius' aggression, with some questionable margins in the last 2 sets costing him the match.

The main Wimbledon venue (📸 ATP via Getty Images)

For the more compact version, presented as a Twitter thread, you can click here.

For the first part of this post, click here.

The second part of this qualifiers article included the other 2 matches from the first timeslot, one of which was a near 5-hour classic. Meanwhile, the rest consisted of the 6 matches played in the second timeslot (after the WTA matches). This marked the successful year for the qualifiers since 2011, with 2 of them advancing to the fourth round for the first time.

Hereby we introduce the second half of the Wimbledon qualifiers, in order of their matches' conclusion:

Section 11: Dane Sweeny [11] def. Tomas Barrios Vera [27] 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(5), 0-6, 6-2

Dane Sweeny's points to break 3-1 (2nd set, top left), to 5-4* 0-15 (2nd set, top right), to 6-6(6-5) (3rd set tie-breaker, bottom left), and to 2-0* 40-ad (5th set, bottom right) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

11th seed Dane Sweeny proved that he is not necessarily a Melbourne merchant (considering he qualified for the Australian Open twice in 2024 & 2026), continuing his form from the Ilkley Challenger semifinals as he knocked out Franco Roncadelli and advanced after Darwin Blanch retired in the first two qualifying rounds. On the other hand, 27th seed Tomas Barrios Vera, who notably reached the second round of Wimbledon 3 years ago from qualifying, knocked out Marco Cecchinato and wild card Paul Jubb, the latter in 3 sets, to set up this final qualifying clash. This turned out to be another thriller despite its chaos, with Dane surviving thanks to appearing more balanced.

After conceding the close opening set 4-6 moments after being broken due to his forehand errors, the Australian 11th seed flipped the script early in the second set, breaking early to 3-1 thanks to his forehand pass as he capitalized on Tomas' previous errors. However, Dane got broken while serving for the set (5-4), breaking back to win the set 6-4 on the game he started with a smash, as well as his net game to create more pressure on the Chilean's game. Fast-forward to the third-set tie-breaker in the partial servefest part of this match, a crucial running pass from Dane set up his set point before he took that set 7-6(5), but it came with a cost as the 27th seed dominated the fourth set with a bagel (6-0). Ultimately, Dane took advantage of Tomas' erratic start to the fifth set, breaking early to 2-0 before doubling his advantage to 4-0 thanks to his passes. Despite surviving some hurdles, the Australian still took the final set 6-2 to secure his spot in the main draw.

However, Dane went out to wild card Grigor Dimitrov 6-7(4), 3-6, 5-7 in the opening round of the main draw. It could have been the Bulgarian's experience under pressure, but Dane's qualification just broke new ground as he improved his grass-court record.

Section 6: Kyrian Jacquet def. Timofey Skatov 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-4

Kyrian Jacquet's points to 6-5* 40-15 (1st set, top left), to 3-3* 15-40 (initial break point, 2nd set, top right), and to break 5-4 (3rd set, bottom) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

The sixth section was the first out of the second timeslot matches to conclude, featuring Kyrian Jacquet, who last year lost to Jaime Faria in the final qualifying round (of this very Slam), continuing his strong grass-court form by reaching the semifinals of the Dublin Challenger (l. Henry Searle) before defeating Pedro Boscardin Dias and Andrea Guerrieri in the first two qualifying rounds, who faced Timofey Skatov, who became the runner-up of the Shymkent 1 Challenger coming into the Channel Slam and was involved in the longest Challenger match (by far) against Chun-Hsin Tseng in the Perugia Challenger, before defeating Alex Barrena and Elias Ymer in the previous rounds. While this was a battle, to some extent, the Frenchman had the slight edge that brought this match to end in straight sets.

Despite being a partial servefest, groundstrokes also played a significant role in the opening set. Kyrian came up with a fourth-shot forehand winner at the game Timofey held to 6-6; thus, the tie-breaker became unavoidable to settle this set. Capitalizing on Timofey's errors from the back of the court, which included a double-fault midway through, the Frenchman took the opening set 7-6(3). The latter then had a forehand let-cord moment to start the seventh game of the second set, continuing with a quick drop-shot and backhand pass finish to set up his initial break point before he broke to 4-3, strengthening his position with a hold to 5-3. It took two more games before Kyrian took the second set 6-4, breaking opportunely at the penultimate game of the third set (5-4) through his preceding forehand, as he took advantage of the Kazakh's errors leading up to that moment. As a result, Kyrian had his chance to serve for the match, which he succeeded in doing (6-4) to secure his spot in the main draw.

Kyrian went all the way to the second round, prevailing against his fellow qualifier, Vilius Gaubas, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(2) before being knocked out by 10th seed Alexander Bublik, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(5). Still, a valuable experience as he finally qualified for the Channel Slam (Roland Garros/Wimbledon) this year.

Section 2: Jaime Faria [2] def. Rei Sakamoto [27] 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Jaime Faria's points to 2-1* 30-30 (3rd set, left) and to 2-2* 15-15 (4th set, right) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

The second section became the second match out of 6 matches played in the second timeslot that concluded, where second seed Jaime Faria, who also qualified for Wimbledon last year, as well as the first two Slams of this year (Australian Open and Roland Garros), before knocking out both French players Hugo Grenier and Luka Pavlovic, faced 27th seed Rei Sakamoto, who knocked out wild card Anton Matusevich and Aziz Dougaz, the former in 3 sets. This turned out to be a neat match, coming down to a few points to conclude each set.

In the opening set, which was also a partial servefest (with some groundstrokes), Jaime survived a set point that was made due to his double-fault before he held to 6-6, making the tie-breaker unavoidable to settle this set. A forehand error from Rei set up Jaime's earlier mini-break to 3-1, smoothly following it up as the Portuguese took the opening set 7-6(3). However, Rei's level-raise from the grounds that included a forehand return winner made the difference in the second set, with the Japanese taking it 6-4 to make it a set apiece. Fast-forward to the fourth game of the third set, Jaime fired a backhand return winner at the fourth point, with his other backhand returns (and finishes) within the next few points confirming his break to 3-1. Without looking back, the second seed took the third set 6-3, with a re-drop-shot at the second point of the fifth game (4th set) paving the way for a break opportunity, which was converted due to Rei's failed volley (3-2). Jaime smoothly consolidated to 4-2, and eventually took the fourth set 6-4 to qualify for the main draw once again.

Jaime ended up defeating Sho Shimabukuro 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3 in the first round to notch his fifth Grand Slam-level singles main draw win, being eliminated by Eastbourne (250) champion Zizou Bergs 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the second round. This provisionally marks Jaime's return to the Top 100, but the grind still carries on.

Section 15: Roman Safiullin [15] def. Jerome Kym 4-6, 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-4

Roman Safiullin's point to 1-0* 0-30 (2nd set, top left), to 6-6(4-2) (2nd set tie-breaker, top right), to *4-3 30-30 (4th set, bottom left), and to break 5-4 (5th set, bottom right) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

What turned out to be the longest match concluded the first timeslot for the ATP, as 15th seed and 2023 quarterfinalist Roman Safiullin, who came back from his injury, won 3 Challenger titles on his comeback trail, and qualified for the Roland Garros main draw, defeated James McCabe and Kimmer Coppejans in the first two qualifying rounds before facing Jerome Kym, who previously defeated Gonzalo Bueno and 24th seed August Holmgren coming into this round. This turned out to deliver the classic premise, becoming a 4-hour-55-minute battle that came down to the pressure points along the way.

Only broken once in the opening set, thanks to Jerome's forehand winner (2-1), Roman conceded the opening set 4-6 before breaking early to 2-0 moments after his backhand pass won him the second point of that game. However, Jerome found his margins and broke back again to 2-1, with both players hanging on until the tie-breaker became inevitable to settle this set. There, Roman's volley in response to Jerome's preceding backhand let-cord shot started to make the difference, mini-breaking to 4-2 before taking the second set 7-6(2). As it meant this match would go to either four or five sets, the unseeded Swiss player's break to 3-1 happened since the 15th seed was outhit from the back, consolidating his position to 4-1 before taking the third set 6-3. Roman was determined enough to recover the break deficit, with a crucial forehand winner to *4-3 30-30, steadily altering the momentum of the match. The fourth set once again went to the tie-breaker moments after Roman's break-back (4-4), despite having an earlier match point saved a game prior, where Jerome had a match point saved due to his forehand error (6-6), before Roman took that set 7-6(6) due to a double-fault. In the final set, the 15th seed's forehand winner on the second point of the fifth game set the tone despite Jerome's hold to 3-2, but the break of serve only occurred in the penultimate game thanks to the former's forehands. As a result, Roman earned the chance to return to the main draw when he took the fifth set 6-4, concluding the match in almost 5 hours.

Roman picked up where he left off, stunning 12th seed Andrey Rublev, Botic van de Zandschulp, and 24th seed Joao Fonseca, with the last two matches ending in straight sets, and is currently facing seventh seed Novak Djokovic in the fourth round. This could be a neat opener for the day, a possible banger at their best that could come down to the most important moments. Should be a battle to look forward to as well!

Section 1: Soonwoo Kwon def. Alejandro Moro Canas 6-4, 7-6(6), 6-3

Soonwoo Kwon's points to *4-4 15-40 (1st set, top left), to 1-0* 0-15 (3rd set, top right), and to 1-0* 0-40 (3rd set, bottom) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

Before being discharged from his mandatory service this July, Soonwoo Kwon began his season in the Asian Challenger swing, winning the Phan Thiet 1 Challenger before securing his Wimbledon qualifying spot when he won the Gwangju and Wuxi Challengers. Coming into this draw from a first-round loss to eventual runner-up Otto Virtanen in the Nottingham 2 (grass) Challenger upon qualifying for the main draw, Soonwoo knocked out Nikolas Sanchez Izquierdo and 18th seed Arthur Gea before facing Alejandro Moro Canas, who previously qualified for the Wimbledon main draw back in 2024, surviving a classic to defeat top seed Francisco Comesana and Harold Mayot in the first two qualifying rounds. This turned out to be a straightforward affair despite the near-scenic route second-set finish.

After recovering from a deficit before holding to 4-4, Soonwoo capitalized on Alejandro's previous errors and scored a fourth-shot drop-shot to set up his break point, which was converted due to the Spaniard's forehand error to 5-4. The South Korean player then took the opening set 6-4; however, the second set was settled in a tie-breaker despite their best efforts, where a +1 error from Alejandro set up Soonwoo's earlier mini-break before the Spaniard saved around 4 set points. Alejandro's backhand error then created Soonwoo's set point, converting it right away to take the second set 7-6(6). The former World No. 52 then convincingly began the third set with a forehand winner, continuing his stellar return game by firing another forehand pass to set up his break point several points later. Despite having a loose service game that caused Alejandro's break-back to 3-2, the South Korean broke back to 4-2 due to the latter's forehand errors. Soonwoo had not looked back since, holding his serve to 5-2 before ultimately taking the third set 6-3 to qualify for the main draw.

Qualifying for the main draw for the first time in 2 years (since being eliminated in the opening round of the 2024 US Open against Alexei Popyrin), Soonwoo knocked out Martin Landaluce 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round before bowing out to 21st seed Tommy Paul 3-6, 6-7(4), 2-6. Should be an interesting comeback journey moving forward, especially since his "gamble" paid off considering his previous shoulder injury and his service in the athlete corps.

Section 14: Vilius Gaubas [14] def. Dusan Lajovic [22] 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Vilius Gaubas' points to 0-0* 15-30 (2nd set, top left), to 1-0* 30-40 (2nd set, top right), to 2-2* 0-15 (5th set, bottom left), and to break 3-2 (5th set, bottom right) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

What looked like a clay-court match in theory turned out to be a grass-court match in the Wimbledon qualifying rounds, where 14th seed Vilius Gaubas, who stunned Michael Mmoh and wild card Henry Searle for his fourth appearance in a Grand Slam third qualifying round, faced more experienced 22nd seed and former World No. 23 Dusan Lajovic, who defeated Lukas Neumayer and Chris Rodesch in the first two qualifying rounds, and also lost at this very stage last year. The Lithuanian previously had a negative record in Grand Slam-level final qualifying rounds (0-3), but he had to survive this entire battle by hitting more consistently across the five sets.

This rollercoaster match began with Dutzee's break to 4-3, thanks to his groundstrokes, before he consolidated his position to 5-3, somehow finding a way to take the opening set 6-3. Vilius then raised his level earlier in the second set, already firing a forehand winner at its start, followed by an effective backhand slice winner before breaking early to 1-0. The Lithuanian also survived several break-back points, one of which through a forehand down-the-line winner before holding to 2-0. Without looking back, Vilius took the second set 6-4, but the 22nd seed replied by taking the third set 6-3 after the break in the penultimate game from his aggression to capitalize on the Lithuanian's loose service game. The 14th seed then tried to dig deep, starting the fourth set, breaking early to 2-0 due to Dutzee's forehand errors out of a forehand let-cord return winner, holding to 3-0 before taking the fourth set 6-3. This meant both players shared 2 sets apiece, prompting the fifth set to settle the outcome, where Vilius' massive hold to 1-1 after surviving several break points set the tone for what happened afterward, which included the 14th seed's successful volley to start the fifth game, closing it with a forehand winner to break 3-2. Vilius became more solid since then, holding to 4-2 and went all the way to take the fifth set 6-4 to secure his spot in the main draw.

Vilius then got knocked out by his fellow qualifier Kyrian Jacquet 4-6, 3-6, 6-7(2) in the opening round. While qualifying for Wimbledon might not be on everyone's cards (compared to Roland Garros, considering his clay-court records), this might as well build more confidence for what would come after, especially after a rollercoaster first semester of this season.

Section 8: Otto Virtanen def. Nicolai Budkov Kjaer [8] 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5

Otto Virtanen's point to *3-1 0-15 (1st set, top left), to *3-3 15-40 (2nd set, top right), to *1-1 0-15 (3rd set, bottom left), and to *5-3 40-ad (latest break point, 3rd set, bottom right) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

A possible banger became the penultimate match to conclude the Men's Singles sector of the Wimbledon qualifying rounds, where in-form Otto Virtanen, the runner-up of Birmingham and Nottingham 2 (grass) Challengers, who notably qualified last year as well, and knocked out 19th seed Pedro Martinez and Luca Nardi before facing eighth seed and 2024 Wimbledon Junior Boys' Singles champion Nicolai Budkov Kjaer, who defeated Joao Lucas Reis da Silva and Matej Dodig in the first two qualifying rounds. This partly delivered its premise, but despite the latter's best attempts to force a deciding set, the former was more clutch under pressure, both serve and return, in the last set.

Nicolai took control of the first set after finding his backhand line for his break point, converting it to 3-1 before Otto broke back right after (3-2), starting that game with an intuitive volley, following it up with another drop-shot to volley combination 2 points later. The Finn then leveled the play with a hold to 3-3, but he got broken for the opening set 4-6 over a loose service game. Surviving a break point before holding to 1-1, Otto started to hit more aggressively, starting the seventh game of the second set with a forehand winner at the second point, setting up his break point with another drop-volley before it was converted to 4-3. Consolidating to 5-3, the unseeded Finn took the second set 6-4, setting up the third game of the subsequent set similarly (from the net) since the first point, breaking early to 2-1 due to Nicolai's +1 forehand error before consolidating to 3-1. The Norwegian eighth seed had his moments when he broke early to 1-0, even had his chances to serve for the fourth set in the tenth game, but Otto's anticipative returns asked the necessary questions,

Otto then began his main draw campaign by stunning fourth seed Ben Shelton 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(8), 6-2, 7-6(9) for his best win (by ranking) by far, but he lost to wild card Arthur Fery 7-5, 6-7(3), 3-6, 3-6 in the second round. It's not necessary to feel bad, as Otto tried to find his way to return to the Top 100, which he theoretically looked close to, but the margin appeared very thin up there. A little bit more.

Section 5: Hugo Gaston [5] def. Moez Echargui 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4

Hugo Gaston's points to 1-1* 30-30 (2nd set, top left), to 1-1* 40-40 (latest break point, 2nd set, top right), to break 3-2 (3rd set, bottom left), and to break 5-2 (3rd set, bottom right) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

Last but not least, the Men's Qualifying Singles sector wrapped up with the completion of the fifth section, where fifth seed Hugo Gaston, who previously knocked out Lautaro Midon and Federico Cina, and came into this round by facing Moez Echargui, who reached his maiden Grand Slam third qualifying round, defeating Edas Butvilas and Keegan Smith in the first two qualifying rounds. The latter's experience was visible in the bigger moments despite the latter's best efforts, which turned out to be a bit of a scenic route.

Capitalizing on Moez's nervy start, Hugo initially broke early due to the former's frequent forehand errors, and extended his lead through some passes as he overwhelmed the Tunisian 6-1. Furthermore, the Frenchman came up with a crucial cross-court backhand pass at the fourth point, paving the way for the deuce before he fired a backhand winner to Moez's drop-shot to set up his latest break point, converting it to 2-1 right after. However, the unseeded Tunisian found his forehand winner before breaking back somewhere later in this set, also breaking for the second set 7-5 when he tried to ask the questions. Nonetheless, the former World No. 58 found his way back to set up the third set, firing a volley backhand pass to break 3-2. After consolidating his position to 4-2, the Frenchman doubled his break advantage through a running forehand pass to 5-2, dominantly taking the third set 6-2 right after. The only break of serve in the fourth set came in the penultimate game, where Moez's forehand errors mostly contributed to Hugo's break (5-4), successfully serving for the match to clinch his main draw berth.

Wimbledon qualifying competition atmosphere in Roehampton (📸 Wimbledon official website)

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Some players already made waves after qualifying for the main draw, but some others "announced themselves," either as a comeback or as a breakthrough, as the main draw progressed. Compared to previous years, 10 men's qualifying singles matches were played simultaneously, with the remaining 6 in a separate time slot. Furthermore, this is one of the most successful years for the qualifiers, with 2 of them advancing to the fourth round for the first time since 2011.

Without any further ado, in order of their qualifications for the main draw, here were the qualifiers for the Wimbledon Championships:

Section 13: Mackenzie McDonald [13] def. Christopher O'Connell [32] 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Mackenzie McDonald's points to 2-1* 0-40 (1st set, top left), to 3-3* 0-15 (2nd set, top right), and to 3-3* 40-ad (latest game point, 3rd set, bottom) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

The 13th section was the first section to be concluded for the men's qualifying event. Here, 13th seed Mackenzie McDonald, who notably reached the fourth round in 2018 (l. Milos Raonic), tried to qualify for the main draw of a Slam for the first time since 2021 (outside of the direct entries) when he knocked out Felipe Meligeni R. Alves and Roberto Carballes Baena in the first two rounds, faced in-form 32nd seed Christopher O'Connell, who won the previous week's Nottingham 2 (grass) Challenger title to win his first Challenger title in 2 years. This turned out to be a straightforward match that came down to a few points under pressure.

Chris' setup was already in trouble early in the first set due to his forehand errors, with Mackie's volley setting up his initial break point before he broke to 3-1, strengthening his position to 4-1, and seemingly had not looked back since. The Australian tried to raise his level in the second set, recovering from a deficit from a forehand error before holding to 3-2, but the American 13th seed still fired a backhand down-the-line winner at the game he broke to 4-3 due to the former's forehand errors and double-fault midway through. Mackie then took the second set 6-4, and the sole break of serve of the third set also came in the seventh game, where, despite Chris' best efforts, a shaky service game from his forehands, added by Mackie's volleys near the end, caused the sole break of serve of that set (4-3), holding to 5-3 and taking the third set 6-4 a few games later to be the first person to qualify for the main draw.

However, Mackie exited early in the opening round against his compatriot Patrick Kypson 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 4-6 despite taking the first set. Still, he tried his best, a very respectable showing despite P. Kypson's level-raise from the second set onwards.

Section 9: Nicolas Mejia def. Tristan Schoolkate [28] 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Nicolas Mejia's point to 2-1* 40-40 (another BP save, 2nd set, top left), to 2-2* 30-30 (2nd set, top right), to 3-3* 15-30 (2nd set, bottom left), and to break 3-2 (3rd set, bottom right) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

Nicolas Mejia notably reached the semifinals of the Junior Boys' Singles sector in this very tournament all the way in 2018, where he lost to Jack Draper in a classic 4-hour match 7-6(5), 6-7(8), 19-17 at an era before the Slams agreed to introduce the match tie-break at the end of each last set. Finally reaching another Wimbledon qualifying round, he went all the way to the third qualifying round after stunning ninth seed Henrique Rocha and Gustavo Heide, facing an interesting challenge in 28th seed Tristan Schoolkate, who won last year's Ilkley Challenger and was sidelined since the end of last semester's Asian Challenger swing that forced him to miss the clay season, but still able to defeat wild card Johannus Monday and Daniel Evans (in the latter's last dance) in the process.

Nicolas almost took control earlier in the opening set by going after Tristan's forehand error to set up his initial break point, creating another one with a quick forehand return, even if the Australian held to 1-0 to start the proceedings. Somehow, Nicolas benefited from Tristan's numerous double-faults, scoring a successful pass to the latter's failed volley to set up his break chance before another double-fault converted it to 4-3. By the end of that set, the Colombian took the opening set 6-4, surviving an early break chance through a successful +1 drop-shot and a different pass before massively holding to 1-1. This was also the case in the fourth game, saving the latest one through various slices to the Australian's failed drop-shot before the hold to 2-2. Nicolas then fired a working volley at the third point, as well as firing a fourth-shot forehand winner. However, the break of serve only happened in the seventh game, where Nicolas fired a fourth-shot working lob 3 points into the Australian's loose service game. Ultimately, the Colombian capitalized on a similar shaky service game from Tristan by firing a successful forehand pass to break 3-2, taking that final set 6-4 as well to secure his place in the main draw.

In the main draw, Nicolas won his maiden Grand Slam main draw match after defeating Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(2) in the opening round, being knocked out by his fellow qualifier Michael Zheng 7-6(4), 6-7(8), 1-6, 4-6 after a tight match. Still, a run he could still be proud of.

Section 4: Michael Zheng def. Colton Smith 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

Michael Zheng's point to *2-2 40-40 (one of the latest deuces, 1st set, top left), to *0-0 15-40 (initial break point, 3rd set, top right), *0-0 40-ad (latest break point, 3rd set, bottom left), to *3-3 15-30 (3rd set, bottom right) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying draw)

Michael Zheng, who became the Junior Boys' Singles runner-up in this same tournament in 2022 and graduated from Columbia University earlier this year, continued his breakout season as he qualified for both the Australian Open and Roland Garros before knocking out both Henri Squire and Laslo Djere coming into this round, while Colton Smith knocked out Andres (Andy) Andrade and Borna Gojo, the latter in a rematch of their Cleveland Challenger finals, after regaining his form by winning the Little Rock Challenger as the North American hard-court season also kicked off. While this match had a classic premise considering their collegiate ties, Michael survived a slight slip late in the second set before regaining his groundstrokes in time to nail the other two sets.

Deep into the first set, Michael saved one of Colton's game points with an intuitive volley, firing his preceding forehand to the latter's failed lob before breaking to 3-2. The Columbia alumnus eventually took the first set 6-4, but conceded the second set after Colton's down-the-line backhand winner, leaving both players with a set apiece. Michael's volleys then created and converted his latest break chances to start the third set in front (1-0), doubling his break advantage through his forehand return winners midway through the game, which was also dominated by Colton's forehand errors. Michael then ended that set dominantly, taking it 6-2 before the same forehand return winner set up his initial break point to start the fourth set. Despite being broken back to 2-2, Michael found his crucial break in the seventh game, setting it up through his preceding drop-volley before Colton's errors from the back of the court confirmed it (4-3). Eventually, the former took advantage of the Arizona alumnus' loose service game to break for the fourth set 6-4, qualifying for his third Slam of this year.

After stunning 26th seed, home favorite, and Texas Christian University alumnus Cameron Norrie 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(4) in the opening round, Michael turned out to defeat his fellow qualifier Nicolas Mejia 6-7(4), 7-6(8), 6-1, 6-4 before recently being knocked out by third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(1), 6-2, 6-1 in the third round. Another run to be proud of, and it's only upwards from here in Michael's regard, with the US Open already in sight.

Section 16: Billy Harris [23] def. Yi Zhou 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-3

Billy Harris' point to 4-2* 0-30 (3rd set, top left), to *1-1 15-15 (4th set, top right), and to 5-3* 30-40 (4th set, bottom) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

23rd seed and home favorite Billy Harris was one of the lucky losers in the 2025 US Open; however, he had a couple of hurdles coming into the final qualifying round, as he had a 0-4 record (which also included the 2023 Wimbledon third-qualifying-round loss to Hamad Medjedovic) in the very round. After knocking out Stefano Napolitano and Zsombor Piros, the Nottingham 2 (grass) Challenger quarterfinalist faced an interesting challenge in youngster Yi Zhou, who started this season by becoming the runner-up at the Phan Thiet 2 Challenger and qualified for his first final qualifying round appearance in his Grand Slam qualifying debut after knocking out Guy Den Ouden and 16th seed Stefano Travaglia. The latter had a stellar return game at the start of this match, but the former hung on until he successfully shifted the momentum in his favor.

Justin had a stellar return game that helped him dominate the first set, most of which came from his forehand side that overwhelmed Billy's range, thus the first-set breadstick. Fast-forward deep into the second set, Billy's more anticipative returns helped him to create his break opportunities in the eighth game, but it took a couple of deuces before the unseeded Chinese player held to 4-4; The tie-breaker became inevitable to settle the second set, where Justin's double-fault made the difference for Billy's mini-break to 4-2, carrying it through by going after the latter's forehand error to set up his set point before sealing the second set with an ace to 7-6(2). Since then, the home favorite appeared more intense, with Justin's rushes earlier in the third set causing the former's early break to 1-0. Surviving some break-back chances before holding to 4-2, Billy took advantage of the situation by firing a forehand pass 2 points into the seventh game, with a preceding slice setting up his break point before it was converted two points later to 5-2. The Brit then took the third set 6-2, continuing this solid showing by firing a backhand down-the-line pass at the second point of the third game, which paved the way for his break to 2-1. The 23rd seed had not looked back since, starting the ninth game with a forehand return winner, creating his match point with a successful volley before its immediate conversion to 6-3 to secure his main draw spot, winning a final qualifying round match for the first time.

Nonetheless, Billy lost to 19th seed Karen Khachanov 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 3-6 in the opening round. At least, a hurdle

Section 3: Shintaro Mochizuki [21] def. Clement Tabur 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1

Shintaro Mochizuki's points to *1-0 15-40 (2nd set, top left), to 6-5* 15-40 (2nd set, top right), to *0-0 0-30 (5th set, bottom left), and to break 3-0 (5th set) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

The final qualifying round of the third section then featured 21st seed and 2019 Wimbledon Junior Boys' Singles champion Shintaro Mochizuki, who qualified for the Wimbledon main draw twice (in 2023 & 2025), smoothly knocking out Vitaliy Sachko and Gauthier Onclin in the first two rounds this year before facing Clement Tabur, who defeated Federico Agustin Gomez and in-form fifth seed Bu Yunchaokete in the previous rounds. This turned out to be a 5-set battle, coming down to who could sustain more physically as the match progressed.

Despite starting this match erratically, which first set ended with a first-set breadstick, Shintaro quickly bounced back by firing a successful preceding volley before breaking back to 1-1. Hanging on until the next few games, the Japanese came up with a backhand pass to Clement's failed volley to set up his set point before it was converted to break for the second set 7-5. The Frenchman then flipped the situation with another dominant third-set showing (6-2), but it was insufficient as Shintaro raised his level once again by firing a forehand return winner at the game he broke early to 2-0. Without looking back, the 21st seed consolidated his position to 3-0 all the way before forcing the deciding set when he took the fourth set 6-3. The fifth set then commenced with a working volley 2 points in before breaking early to 1-0. Consolidating his position to 2-0, the Japanese continued his fifth-set dominance with another volley on break point to break 3-0, holding to 4-0 right after when Clement seemingly ran out of steam. Since then, Shintaro baked the fifth set 6-1, qualifying for the Wimbledon main draw for the third time within the last 3 years.

Shintaro went all the way to the fourth round, possibly getting deeper in the second week of a Slam for the first time after defeating his fellow qualifier Max Basing (6-3, 6-0, 6-0), Mallorca (250) finalist Ethan Quinn (6-2, 7-6(6), 7-5), and recently, 23rd seed Rafael Jodar 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, 6-4 after conceding the first set. The Japanese player will then face top seed Jannik Sinner, who knocked out Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Should be something to look forward to, especially considering Shintaro's possible approach to this match!

Section 12: Oliver Tarvet [WC] def. Stefanos Sakellaridis 6-4, 6-2, 7-5

Oliver Tarvet's points to take the 1st set 6-4 (top left), to 0-0* 40-ad (latest break point, 2nd set, top right), to *5-3 0-30 (3rd set, bottom left), and to break back 5-4 (3rd set, bottom right) (📸 BBC)

The Show Court 1 action in Roehampton featured wild card Oliver Tarvet, who had just graduated from the University of San Diego after completing the final year of his studies, even though he also qualified for the Wimbledon main draw last year. He knocked out his toughest opposition in Alex Bolt in tight straight sets before defeating in-form Alexis Galarneau to reach this stage once again, facing Stefanos Sakellaridis, who won the Chisinau Challenger on clay not long ago before knocking out wild card Oliver Bonding and Federico Coria in the first two qualifying rounds. Although it looked like the former cruised into this match, the third set showed the latter's attempt to raise his level despite the ending.

After 8 consecutive holds to start this match, Ollie broke to 5-4 due to Stefanos' failed slice, taking the opening set with a successful volley (6-4) to start this match in the front position. The British wild card then set up his latest break chance through a forehand down-the-line pass earlier in the second set, which was immediately converted to 1-0. Through an intuitive net game, Ollie forced another deuce before he doubled his break advantage to 4-1, ultimately taking the second set 6-2 to continue his dominance. A loose service game caused the Greek to break earlier in the third set, strengthening his position right away. However, Stefanos was unable to serve for the set when Ollie came up with a working volley at the second point, setting up his break point through his preceding backhand before he broke back to 5-4. Leveling the play with a hold to 5-5, the wild card took advantage of Stefanos' loose service game to break 6-5, ultimately taking the third set 7-5 to once again qualify for a spot in the main draw.

Nonetheless, Ollie was unable to defend his second-round showing from last year when he got knocked out by 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech 6-7(4), 6-7(4), 6-4, 5-7. Still, should be something experience-building moving forward, especially considering Ollie's potential as he transitions to the professional-level.

Section 7: Tristan Boyer def. Pablo Llamas Ruiz [7] 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-3

Tristan Boyer's point to 6-5* 0-15 (1st set, top left), to *5-3 15-30 (3rd set, top right), and to 3-2* 0-15 (4th set, bottom) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

The next completed section was the seventh section, where Tristan Boyer, who qualified for the 2025 Australian Open and reached his first Wimbledon third qualifying round after knocking out Genaro Alberto Olivieri and 17th seed Andrea Pellegrino, faced seventh seed Pablo Llamas Ruiz, who qualified for this year's Roland Garros, somehow knocking out Dan Added and Pol Martin Tiffon in his first-ever grass-court tournament. This turned out to also be a close encounter, but the former asked the necessary questions of the latter as this match went deep.

Fast-forward to the 12th game, as the first set appeared to be a partial servefest, Tristan's preceding lob to Pablo's failed volley set up his earlier lead before the latter's backhand error set up the former's initial set point. Outhitting the Spaniard's backhand was key for Tristan to break for the opening set (7-5), starting the sixth game of the second set with a fourth-shot lob, continuing with a fourth-shot forehand pass before initially breaking to 4-2, only to be broken back a game later (4-3). The Spaniard ended up taking the second set 7-6(4). Interestingly, in the third set, Tristan came back from 2-5 down, recovering the break deficit when Pablo should have served for that set, setting up his earlier lead through a working volley all the way, saving a set point midway through before breaking back to 5-4. Leveling the play to 5-5, the tie-breaker became inevitable to settle this set, capitalizing on Pablo's +1 errors before taking that set 7-6(2). Since then, the American had not looked back, starting the sixth game of the fourth set through another working lob before breaking to 4-2. Holding to 5-2 right after, Tristan also faced another break-back point before he took the fourth set 6-3, finally entering the main draw for the first time on grass.

Tristan then went out to Nuno Borges 3-6, 5-7, 5-7 in the opening round of the main draw, still respectable despite the straight-set loss. All sights to the last Slam of the year, then, which is Tristan's home Slam (US Open).

Section 10: Max Basing [WC] def. Remy Bertola 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2

Max Basing's point to 4-4* 40-40 (initial deuce, 2nd set, top left), to 5-4* 30-40 (4th set, top right), and to 6-5* 15-15 (4th set, bottom) (📸 Wimbledon qualifying feed)

The tenth section defied all the odds, where wild card Max Basing, who graduated from Stanford University and won 6 ITF titles last year, 4 of which came in Bali events (M15/M25s), stunned 10th seed Francesco Maestrelli and pushed Tom Gentzsch into 3 sets before winning his second qualifying round match, before facing in-form Remy Bertola, who came into this tournament from a semifinal run in Nottingham 2 (grass) Challenger (l. Christopher O'Connell), continuing his form by knocking out another home favorite, Oliver Crawford, and Dublin Challenger runner-up and 30th seed Jurij Rodionov in the first two qualifying rounds. This turned out to be another five-set affair, coming down to a few points at the fourth set before the former dominated the fifth set.

Initially, Remy's forehands helped him dominate the first set (6-2), but Max raised his level midway through the second set, scoring a backhand pass to the open court to set up a crucial deuce at the game he broke to 5-4. From behind, the Brit took the second set 6-4, but he conceded the third set 3-6, mostly due to his forehand errors outside of the Swiss' cross-court forehand winner for the break point. Max then broke early to 2-0 to start the fourth set thanks to his cross-court backhand winner after Remy missed his backhand finishes a couple of times, but he got broken back to 3-2 after a shaky follow-up. From here on, their margins were tested, but Max almost broke for the fourth set when he had a set point due to Remy's forehand error, but it was foiled, as the latter held to 5-5. Max's moment did not come until the 12th game, when he fired a slick backhand volley at the second point that paved the way for his break for the fourth set (7-5) due to Remy's forehand errors, including the one that saved his game point. The break of serve in the fifth set only came in the sixth game, where the Swiss missed his forehands, one of which got outhit by the British wild card's preceding forehand to be broken to 2-4. Max then consolidated his position to 5-2, and he has not looked back since, taking the final set 6-3 to secure his main draw debut.

📸 ATP official website

Juan dug that deep when he tried to shift the control of the first set in his favor, trying to ask the necessary balance question deep into the second set, but it was insufficient to maintain his momentum deep into the third set. As a result, even though both players converted 3 of their break chances each, Juan looked more proactive by creating 9 break opportunities, but Nick optimized his chances more, especially considering what happened at the third set.

Besides, Nick also had a solid service game despite some slip in the second set. Scoring an ace, Nick had the slight edge on his first serves by 9%, winning 70% of his first serve points across the three sets as he tried to stay in control of the flow. However, even though both players double-faulted twice, Nick still won 11% higher second serve points than Juan's 33%, which did not help the Argentinean throughout this match.

📸 🎥 ATP official website

The deciding set started with Nick's +1 backhand error, which continued by Juan's forehand winner to the open court at the second point, paving the way for his break chances. The Argentinean eighth seed eventually broke to 1-0 due to Nick's failed smash, but the former missed his forehand on game point, effectively foiling it before Nick's forehand winner set up his break point, converting it to 1-1 not long after. By the end of the next game, Nick consolidated his position to 2-1.

A game later, Nick fired a forehand return winner 2 points before having a break point, where even if Juan saved one of them with a successful volley, Nick's forehand smash confirmed his break of serve to 3-1. The Argentinean eighth seed then replied with a forehand winner 2 points into the next game before Nick created his game point with a forehand down-the-line winner, consolidating his position to 4-1 afterward.

📸 ATP official website

The second set began with Nick's successful volley 2 points into the fourth game even if Juan held to 2-2. This hold carried on until 3-3, and the seventh game started with Juan's backhand pass, benefiting from Nick's unforced errors to set up his initial break points. Even though Nick saved some of them through his forehands, Juan created his third break point with a cross-court forehand pass, but it was once again fumbled.

This seventh game became crucial as Juan foiled another game point from Nick with a backhand down-the-line winner, followed by his other tweener lob that outhit the latter for a similar purpose. Juan had a different backhand pass to create one of his latest break points, but Nick's missed forehand set up the Argentinean's latest break point before it was converted due to Nick's double-fault to 4-3. The eighth seed then began the next game with a working lob before consolidating to 5-3.

📸 ATP official website

Last but not least, the Asuncion (CIT) Challenger finals wrapped up the finals from the other week as Nick Hardt, who reached his first Challenger finals in 2 years after defeating top seed Guido Ivan Justo 6-2, 7-6(11) in the semifinals, faced eighth seed and first-time Challenger finalist Juan Estevez, who also came back from a set and a break down to defeat qualifier Conner Huertas del Pino 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the previous round. This turned out to be a thrilling final considering how close the margin was between both players, but only those who overcame the pressure stood out at the end.

Nick started the match with two forehand return winners (to 0-0* 0-30), paving the way for his break point with a backhand winner before he broke early to 1-0. Despite missing his +1 forehands that created Juan's break point, Nick found his forehands in time before consolidating to 2-0 with a drop-shot. Not long after, the Argentinean held to 2-1 to finally be on the board. Two games later, Nick's forehand pass to Juan's failed volley put Nick in the lead, followed bt a double-fault before Juan's failed slice set up his break point. Even though Juan saved both of them, Nick's fourth-shot forehand winner saved the Argentinean's game point, followed by Nick's volley to the open court that set up his latest break point before it was converted to 4-1.

Nick then continued his dominance with a massive hold to 5-1, and Juan somehow survived a forehand error somewhere before holding to 5-2. As a result, Nick earned his chance to serve for the opening set, but his forehand error saved his set point before Juan's drop-shot set up his break-back point, converting it to 5-3 before he consolidated his position with a hold to 5-4. This would mean Nick had his second opportunity to serve for this set, but Nick missed his +1 backhand from *5-4 30-15 up that equaled Juan's point, where the eighth seed's preceding forehand set up his break point, which was immediately converted to 5-5.