After two days at the All-England Club, the Americans have established them as real threats in the men’s draw. 13 of the 16 American men competing in the Wimbledon main draw won their Round 1 match.
This is a welcomed sight for fans of American tennis as the French Open was considered a letdown after none of the 15 men in Paris reached the second week.
American Men Take Wimbledon by Storm
The slick courts of London seem to be playing right into the hand of the hard-hitting Americans. Their ability to hit a big serve at crucial points of the match is helping to set some of these players apart from their opponents.
With five of the top-16 overall seeds eliminated in Round 1, the men’s draw at Wimbledon seems to be open for the taking.
Seeded Players Hold Form
The United States led the men’s draw with six seeded players. All six won their Round 1 matches in a very convincing fashion.
Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, Jenson Brooksby, and Tommy Paul all won their matches in straight sets. #20 seed John Isner took five sets to oust French qualifier Enzo Couacaud. These six players combined to hit 101 aces and 270 winners. The slick, smooth courts at the All-England Club play perfectly into the hands of the clean ball-striking Americans. It seems as if the ‘go big or go home’ mentality is paying off on these courts.
With the way the draw is breaking, Taylor Fritz seems like the most likely American to make a deep Wimbledon run. Not only is Fritz the top-seeded American, but after many Round 1 upsets, he will not have to face a seeded player until the quarterfinals.
Upsets of Round 1
Of the 13 Americans to clinch a victory in Round 1, three were seen as underdogs before their match.
Maxime Cressy provided the biggest Round 1 upset of the tournament when he took out #6 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6. Cressy’s serve-and-volley style of play is not something players are accustomed to on today’s tour. Against the Canadian, Cressy came to the net 134 times, winning 95 of those points. The slick conditions will play in Cressy’s favor as he tries to prolong his stay in London.
World #65 Marcos Giron took out 2022 Roland Garros semifinalist Holger Rune in straight sets. Giron has been solid on the grass in his career and was able to take advantage of the 19-year-old Rune’s inconsistencies.
The final Round 1 upset at the hands of an American was Steve Johnson. The veteran walked over #18 seed Grigor Dimitrov after the Bulgarian retired down 5-2 in the second set with a groin injury. Johnson will take on British Wildcard Ryan Peniston in Round 2.
Main Photo from Getty.
