French Open champion Alexander Zverev came through a testing four-set battle with Belgian debutant Alexander Blockx to reach the Wimbledon second round on Tuesday.
The German, who was beaten in round one last year, won 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/0) on Centre Court and will next face France's Valentin Royer.
Zverev was in danger of becoming the first reigning men's Roland Garros champion to go out in the first round at the All England Club since Rafael Nadal in 2013 at several points in the match.
But the 29-year-old dug deep to beat Blockx for the third time in as many meetings this year.
Zverev clinched his long-awaited maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this month after several near-misses.
He has never enjoyed a deep run at Wimbledon, though, failing to get past the last 16 in nine previous appearances.
The second seed needed just 30 minutes to take the first set, courtesy of the only break in the ninth game.
Blockx showed his mettle in a second-set tie-break, saving a set point and then levelling the match when Zverev double-faulted.
But a couple of double-faults in the third-set breaker proved costly for the 21-year-old, and Zverev wrapped up victory in the next set in another tie-break
SHELTON KNOCKED OUT
American fourth seed Ben Shelton was dumped out in the first round of Wimbledon by Finland's Otto Virtanen, missing a match point before losing in a fifth-set tie-break.
The 23-year-old Shelton, an All England Club quarterfinalist last year, suffered his first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since the 2023 French Open.
World number 140 Virtanen will face British wildcard Arthur Fery in the second round after a 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (8/10), 6-2, 7-6 (11/9) victory that lasted four hours and 21 minutes.
"I had a great month before this one, played a lot of grass matches," said Virtanen.
"I missed last year, had a few injuries... It feels so good to be back here."
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