Roger Federer says he ‘got a bit lucky’ as Swiss star survives Wimbledon first-round scare

CNN
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By Roger Federer The bid to win the 21st Grand Slam title got off to a tense start at Wimbledon on Tuesday when his opponent Adrian Mannarino had to miss the start of the fifth set in the first round.

In the seventh game of the fourth set, Frenchman Mannarino slipped and his right knee buckled. He was given painkillers, according to the Wimbledon website, but continued to play before pulling back a point in the fifth set 6-4 6-7 (3/7) 3-6 6-2 .

“It was horrible,” said eight-time champion Federer Wimbledon website.

“It shows how one shot can change the outcome of a match, a season, a career, so I wish him all the best,” added Federer.

“I hope he recovers quickly so we can see him again on the court because, look, he could have won the last game. He is the better player. I’m a bit lucky for sure but who cares – I wish him all the best. ”

Julian Finney / Getty Images Europe / Getty Images

France’s Adrian Mannarino reacts to his injury during his first match against Roger Federer.

READ: Novak Djokovic from behind to win Wimbledon opener

The last time Federer lost his first Grand Slam match was at Wimbledon 19 years ago.

However, the 39-year-old Swiss star had only played nine games in 2021 before Tuesday and that temper showed when Federer committed 45 non-compulsory fouls.

“I tried to cut the length of the points a little bit,” said Federer. “I think he found a nice groove from the baseline. He’s famous for his shovel backhand – he creates a lot of problems for a lot of players and today he did the same thing again on the pitch with me.

“I feel like I have to tweak my game more than he has to – and that’s credit to him, of course.”