Australia’s Jason Kubler has recorded one of the biggest wins of his career, advancing to the second round at Wimbledon for the first time.
Kubler downed the 28th seed, local hope Dan Evans, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 on court two.
“Even being able to play on this court was a big highlight for me,” Kubler said.
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“The fact I played some of my best tennis is just the cherry on the top.”
It’s only the third time in Kubler’s career he’s beaten a top-50 player, and the second time at a grand slam. In 2018 he downed the 19th seed, Roberto Bautista Agut, at the US Open.
“This is big. He was an outstanding junior, he was the type of player that Australia wasn’t really producing,” two-time grand slam semi finalist Wally Masur said on Stan Sport’s Grand Slam Daily.
“He has the ability to generate pace and we thought clay might be his best surface.
“Years and years of knee surgeries, all sorts of injury problems. Finally at 29 he’s stayed healthy for the last couple of years and he’s starting to show us what he’s capable of.
“And a really nice young man, too.”
Kubler’s section of the draw is wide-open. The 29-year-old will now play Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak, with the winner of that match to face one of two unseeded Americans in the third round – either Maxime Cressy or Jack Sock.
The 11th seed Taylor Fritz is the only seed remaining in that quarter of the draw, with both Felix Auger-Aliassime and Holger Rune defeated in the opening round.
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Elsewhere, last year’s quarter finalist Ajla Tomljanović downed the 18th seed Jil Teichmann, 6-2, 6-3, to move through to the second round, where she’ll play the American qualifier Catherine Harrison.
“She played well last year, and when you come back to a venue where you know you’ve played well, that always helps,” Masur said.
“Ajla hits a really flat, penetrating ball, her trajectory for grass is ideal.”
Australian results from day two
[19] Alex de Minaur d Hugo Dellien (BOL) 6-1 6-3 7-5
Nick Kyrgios d [WC] Paul Jubb (GBR) 3-6 6-1 7-5 6-7(3) 7-5
Jordan Thompson d Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) 6-4 6-1 6-1
Hugo Gaston (FRA) d Alexei Popyrin 6-2 4-6 0-6 7-6(3) 6-3
[Q] Jason Kubler d [29] Dan Evans (GBR) 6-1 6-4 6-3
Ajla Tomljanovic d [18] Jil Teichmann (SUI) 6-2 6-3
Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) d [WC] Daria Saville 7-5 3-6 7-5
Tatjana Maria (GER) d [Q] Astra Sharma 4-6 6-3 6-4
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) d [Q] Jaimee Fourlis 7-5 6-2
[5] Maria Sakkari (GRE) d [Q] Zoe Hives 6-1 6-4
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