Alcaraz survives Wimbledon scare, Sabalenka serene, but others feel the heat

LONDON :Carlos Alcaraz survived Wimbledon's hottest-ever opening day although the Spaniard was far from his sizzling best as he began his quest for a hat-trick of titles with a big scare against Fabio Fognini at the All England Club on Monday.

With air temperatures soaring to 32 degrees Celsius, Alcaraz needed more than four hours to subdue veteran Fognini, winning 7-5 6-7(5) 7-5 2-6 6-1 - the last set interrupted after a spectator became unwell in the heat and required assistance.

Women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka, bidding to win Wimbledon for the first time, had no such trouble as she dispatched Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine 6-1 7-5.

While five-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz, who won the Queen's Club title in the build-up, lives to fight another day, several high-profile players departed the men's draw.

No arena at Wimbledon gets as hot as bowl-like Court Two and the conditions were clearly not to the liking of ex-world number one Daniil Medvedev as the ninth seed saw his hopes scorched by Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi, who won 7-6(2) 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2.

Eighth seed Holger Rune of Denmark, yet to really make his mark at a Grand Slam, won the opening two sets against Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry but succumbed 4-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4.

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas, twice a Grand Slam runner-up was left despondent after retiring with a back injury having fallen two sets behind against French qualifier Valentin Royer.

WINNING STREAK

Only two defending men's champions had ever lost in the first round at Wimbledon, but there were moments when Alcaraz looked in danger of joining compatriot Manuel Santana on that short list as Fognini rolled back the years.

Alcaraz arrived at Wimbledon on an 18-match winning streak, which included a