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Taylor Fritz became the second men’s top-10 player to fall at Wimbledon while veteran Stan Wawrinka set up a third-round meeting with Novak Djokovic.
American ninth seed Fritz squandered a two-set lead against world number 59 Mikael Ymer, ultimately losing 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 to the Swede.
Swiss Wawrinka beat 29th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2.
Elsewhere, Andrey Rublev, Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini also won.
Fritz has won some of the biggest titles on the men’s ATP Tour, including Indian Wells in 2022, but has consistently struggled in the majors and the one Grand Slam quarter-final he has reached in his career remains last year at Wimbledon.
He could not break down an injury-hampered Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals at last year’s Wimbledon and struggled against an inspired Ymer this year.
Fritz was the second top-10 player to lose on Thursday after fourth seed Casper Ruud lost to Britain’s Liam Broady.
Wawrinka ‘doesn’t have a chance’ against Djokovic
Wawrinka, now 88th in the world rankings, has won each of the Grand Slams apart from Wimbledon. He took the opening set against Argentine Etcheverry in just over 30 minutes on a packed Court Three.
Etcheverry fought back to level, but Wawrinka won the next two sets to book a Centre Court meeting on Friday with 36-year-old Djokovic, a player he beat in the finals of the 2015 French Open and 2016 US Open.
“I’m happy to have won and I think it was a great match – I’m playing better each match,” said Wawrinka.
“It will be an honour to play Novak here. I was missing that in my career to play him in the Grand Slam in Wimbledon – it’s going to be a difficult challenge.
“Hopefully I can make it competitive, but if you look at recent results, I don’t have a chance.”
Zverev and Berrettini finally get to play first-round matches
Rublev, the seventh seed, had to fight back from a set down to beat fellow Russian Aslan Karatsev 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-4 7-5 in another second-round match.
There were rain delays on each of the opening three days, meaning 17 first-round matches across the men’s and women’s singles still had to be completed on Thursday.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev was one of those players to have not seen any action in the opening…
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