Wimbledon 2017: Juan Martin Del Potro sees off Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in four sets to progress to round two
Argentine star ranked 29th overcame an ankle injury in the second set to ease through in four sets
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO won the popcorn match of the day – which did not quite live up to its billing until a dramatic final game.
Del Potro saw off young Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in four sets, winning 6-3 3-6 7-6 6-4.
But Kokkinakis will rue some missed chances and his poor third-set tiebreak.
Del Potro, the former US Open champion, was in control in the first set, putting pressure on his opponent’s serve in every game.
But when a fierce Kokkinakis forehand wrongfooted the Argentine in the second set, he seemed to feel his left ankle and the tide of the match changed for a while.
Del Potro, though, recovered from a break down in the third to claim the third in the breaker, 7-2.
And the fourth went with serve until the 10th game, when Kokkinakis saved six match points but finally succumbed on the seventh.
Meanwhile in the "Battle of Britain" Kyle Edmund overcame Alex Ward 3-6 6-3 6-2 6-1 to progress to the second round for the first time after five attempts.
Edmund has trousered at least £57,000 by winning on Court 3 against Ward who was the lowest ever ranked player at No869 to appear in a Grand Slam for 19 years.
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Fellow Brit Ward will bank £35,000 just for competing in the first round at SW19, but lost tamely in the end winning just three games in the final two sets.