Tim van Rijthoven convincingly won his first Wimbledon match against Federico Delbonis on Monday. After a difficult start, the Roosendaler recovered well and won against the Argentinian in three sets. It is the tennis player’s first ever Grand Slam victory.
The big question was whether Van Rijthoven’s fairy tale was given a new chapter in London. After his unexpected win at the Libéma Open in Rosmalen, everyone was curious how the Roosendaler would hold up at a Grand Slam. He received a wild card from the Wimbledon organization. As a result, he did not have to play qualifications.
Van Rijthoven seemed to suffer from nerves in the first set. The first break of the game was for Delbonis. But the debutant fought back strongly. After a blood-curdling tiebreak, he still won the first set (7-6).
Powerful Strikes
After that, Van Rijthoven came into the game better and started to play his own game more. His game became more aggressive and more and more Delbonis had no answer to the powerful blows of Van Rijthoven.
The surprising newcomer soon took a 5-0 lead. He eventually won the second set 6-1. Van Rijthoven also started the third set energetically. Again he quickly ran out to a large lead (4-0). The Roosendaler’s play was convincing and, just like at the Libéma Open, he hit a lot of aces.
He eventually won the third set 6-2, allowing Van Rijthoven to report in the second round.
In the next round, the winner of the match between Carlos Taberner and Reilly Opelka awaits. This match will be played on Wednesday.