The best Wimbledon-Run of the Australian Jordan Thompson ended in a heartache because he was forced to withdraw from his round-of-16 match against Taylor Fritz.
Thompson, who came to the All England Club with a back issue, called for a medical time-out halfway through the second set due to a seemingly correct thigh problem and decided to call it a day after three more points while lagging behind 1-6, 3-0.
The result means that Alex de Minaur is the last remaining Australian in the men’s or ladies’ hers, which is confronted against Novak Djokovic, fresh of his 100th victory in Wimbledon, in the round of 16 to Monday evening Aest.
Both Thompson and Fritz played five Setters in rounds one and two, and four in their previous games, but the Australian seemed to feel the effects of his 10 and half hour on the field while Fritz raced through the first set.
Thompson was broken with little hassle in the opening match of the second and it was clear that the 31-year-old struggled with his movement.
The 41 minutes against Taylor Fritz recorded Jordan Thompson on the field at the Wimbledon this year after 11 am. ((Getty Images: Ezra Shaw))
The medical time -out after Fritz had conquered another break, the inevitable only delayed if the competition, Thompson’s first in the fourth round on SW19, was quickly ended prematurely.
“Not the way I wanted to go, I was excited to play Jordan today, I was excited to play tennis,” said Fritz.
“It’s sad … He fought here, played five Setters, I respect him before it comes out … I feel bad for him and I hope he gets better.”
Cruz Hewitt is progressing on Wimbledon’s debut
The Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt was rooted in the stands for Thompson, after he had previously seen his son, Cruz, his Wimbledon debut.
Lleyton Hewitt (right) had some advice for Son Cruz from the stands. ((Getty Images: Tim Clayton))
Cruz lasted only 51 minutes to remove colleague 16-year-old Savva Rybkin in court nine in the first round of the boys’ singles.
Looking by his father, who was the last Australian man who won Wimbledon in 2002, the young Hewitt brought 26 winners to Rybkin’s Nine.
After a particularly fast forehand from deep in the court, Cruz, a backward cap, just like Lleyton in the past, fluctuated a roar and a “bowl on” that once was his father’s trademark.
Hewitt, the top Australian on the male junior classification at 44 in the world, will then be confronted with the 11th placed Finn Oskari Paldanius.
Reuters/ABC
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