Spanish teenager Rafael Jódar defeated British wildcard Felix Gill 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the first round of Wimbledon on Monday, marking his debut at the grass-court Grand Slam.
The 19-year-old from Madrid finished the match on Court 3 in one hour and 56 minutes, setting up a second-round meeting with fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta.
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Jódar's victory was built on strong serving and controlled aggression.
He recorded seven aces, 31 winners, and 20 unforced errors, winning 84% of his first-serve points and converting 26 net approaches.
Carreño Busta advanced after his opponent, Canada's Denis Shapovalov, retired due to arm pain while trailing 6-3, 7-6(7).
"I'm super happy with my performance," Jódar said, as reported by elpais. com.
He arrived at the tournament early the previous Monday to adjust his movement to the grass surface.
"I think my game can adapt well to this surface, but I haven't played much yet; that's why I came early to prepare for it," he added.
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Jódar acknowledged the challenge posed by his British opponent. "A very tough match, Felix played very well the whole match.
Deserved wild card. I wish him the best," he said, according to infobae.
com.
He also expressed gratitude for the atmosphere at Wimbledon. "Playing on grass is special, more so at Wimbledon, one of the most prestigious tournaments.
And an honor to play before this crowd, thank you for coming," Jódar said.
In the women's draw, Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo advanced to the second round by defeating Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva of Andorra 6-2, 6-3.
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She will face fourth seed Jessica Pegula next.
