Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard lit up Court No.1 with record-breaking power and fearless tennis, but his upset bid against Taylor Fritz will have to wait, suspended just as the drama hit boiling point.
The Frenchman thundered down a 153 mph serve, the fastest in Wimbledon history, during the opening game, eclipsing Taylor Dent’s 2010 record by five mph. Yet it was more than just raw velocity; Mpetshi Perricard was outplaying the fifth seed, snatching the first two sets in nerve-shredding tie-breaks.
Fritz, fresh from his Eastbourne title, looked stunned early on, struggling to cope with the 6’8” giant’s booming serve and relentless aggression. But the American rallied in trademark fashion, clawing back to take sets three and four, the latter after trailing 1-5 in the tiebreak.
By the time the match was halted very late, with the All England Club’s curfew looming, Fritz had levelled the contest and momentum had shifted. Mpetshi Perricard, however, had already racked up 33 aces and was averaging 137 mph on his first serve, evidence that he’s not just here for headlines but for wins.
This is the 21-year-old’s first career meeting with Fritz, and it comes on the back of a dream run to the fourth round last year as a lucky loser. That campaign began with a five-set shock over Sebastian Korda.
With the resumption promising a tense fifth set, Mpetshi Perricard’s mix of youthful swagger and untamed power could yet spark one of Wimbledon’s great first-round stories.
