Sir Andy Murray defended the use of a forearm discount in his Wimbledon opening bat on Monday, saying it was a legitimate way to make opponents think twice before going too deep to give back.
The Scot overcame a starting hiccup to maintain his 100% record in the first round and beat James Duckworth 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 under the spotlight in a match where the roof for the last set was closed.
The two-time Wimbledon champion used the shot in the third set of his win at Center Court and won the point despite the Australian struggling to get the ball back over the net.
“He changed his return position, that’s why I did it,” Murray told reporters.
“He struggled a bit with the first-serve return, so he probably walked back two yards further. As soon as I saw him step further back, I threw in the armpit force.”
Murray suggested the forearm discount could become more popular as players retreat further behind the baseline to improve their chances of getting a decent return on big discounts.
“I personally have no problem with players using it. I never have,” he added.
“Certainly more and more players have started to return from further, now further behind the baseline to give themselves an advantage to return.
“The forearm enforcement is a way of saying, ‘If you’re going to step back there, I’ll probably throw it in.’
Murray has said he has never seen the tactic, which has been more associated with Australian striker Nick Kyrgios in recent years, as a sign of disrespect for his opponent.
“I never understood it. It’s a legal way of serving,” he said. “I would never use an forearm enforcement if someone was standing on the baseline because I think it’s a stupid idea because they’re going to detect it and it’s easy to get.
“If they’re four or five feet behind the baseline, then why not do it to try to bring them forward if they’re not comfortable getting back there? Tactically, it’s a clever game.”
Raducanu, Djokovic door
British hopeful Emma Raducanu gave local fans reason to cheer after winning her first round match on Monday at Center Court.
Raducanu, the US Open champion, played on the sacred lawn for the first time in the court’s centenary year and won 6-4 6-4 over Belgian Alison van Uytvanck, who won two field events before Wimbledon.
Defending champions Novak Djokovic took some rust off to beat South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 at Center Court for his 80th game win at Wimbledon, while Ons Jabeur, third selected women, beating Mirjam Bjorklund 6. -1 6-3.
The biggest upset of day one was courtesy of Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokinal, who beat seventh seed and last year’s semi-finalist Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (4) 6-4 5-7 2-6 7-6 (8 ).
Hurkacz underlined his Wimbledon credentials when he beat world number one Daniil Medvedev in the final in Halle, but despite fighting back from two sets, it was Davidovich Fokina who won a rollercoaster race.
Carlos Alcaraz, the youngest man in the draw, had a tough opening game against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, but the 19-year-old Spaniard made some beautiful shots that culminated in a 4-6 7-5 4 -6 7 let roll. -6 (3) 6-4 victory.
Serena is back
Nearly a year after the day since Serena Williams last played a singles match on the tour, the tennis major returns to Center Court where her awesome career has almost come to a tearful end.
The sixth-seeded Williams rushed out of her first-round game last year with an injury and the sport suddenly had a gap to fill when she took a year off to “heal physically and mentally”.
Now, three months ashamed of her 41st birthday, Williams is in the 1,204 rankings in the world and the American needed a wildcard to play at Wimbledon where she won the title seven times.
She has only two doubles matches at Eastbourne under her belt, going into this year’s third major where she will take on France’s Harmony Tan on Tuesday.