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Alexander Zverev suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2019 as the German third seed was stunned by France’s Arthur Rinderknech in the Wimbledon first round on Tuesday.
Zverev, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, slipped to a shock 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4 defeat against the world number 72 in a marathon clash lasting four hours and 40 minutes on Centre Court.
The 28-year-old is the highest-ranked seed to fall so far in this year’s men’s singles at the All England Club.
Zverev, who reached the Australian Open final in January, endured his latest Wimbledon flop in a tie that initially started on Monday evening.
When play was halted due to Wimbledon’s 2200 GMT curfew, the match was level at one-set all.
But Rinderknech seized his chance once play resumed in the blazing London heat on Tuesday afternoon.
Rinderknech hit 25 aces and although Zverev replied with 31 of his own, it was not enough to stave off an embarrassing defeat.
Zverev has failed to make it past the fourth round at Wimbledon in nine visits to the grass-court major.
He had reached at least the second round in his previous 20 Grand Slam appearances.
Earlier, American third seed Jessica Pegula suffered a shock straight-sets defeat against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the Wimbledon first round, which was her “worst result of the year”.
Pegula was demolished 6-2, 6-3 by the world number 116 in just 58 minutes on Court Two on Tuesday.
It was a bitter blow for the 2024 US Open finalist, who has never been past the quarter-finals at the All England Club.
Jessica Pegula played with heavy strapping on her right knee and never looked comfortable in a lacklustre performance.
It is worth mentioning that since losing last year’s US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka, world number three Pegula has been eliminated before the quarter-finals in all three of her Grand Slam appearances.
READ: Jessica Pegula crashes out of Wimbledon in shock defeat
