LONDON, June 28(ABC): Title contender Matteo Berrettini was forced to pull out of Wimbledon on Tuesday after testing positive for coronavirus as women s top seed Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 36 matches.
Elsewhere on day two of the Championships, Serena Williams prepared to return to singles tennis after a year away and Rafael Nadal was due to begin his quest to win the third leg of a potential calendar Grand Slam.
The early action at the All England Club on Tuesday was overshadowed by the announcement from Berrettini — last year s runner-up — that he was out of the event. “I am heartbroken to announce that I need to withdraw from @wimbledon due to a positive COVID-19 test result,” the 26-year-old Italian wrote on Instagram.
Berrettini was widely regarded as one of the biggest threats to defending champion Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon, having captured back-to-back grass-court titles in Stuttgart and Queen s.
He is the second man to withdraw from Wimbledon with Covid in two days after 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic of Croatia also tested positive. “I have no words to describe the extreme disappointment I feel,” Berrettini, seeded eighth, said in his statement. “The dream is over for this year, but I will be back stronger.”
The Italian was a potential semi-final opponent for two-time champion Nadal. His place in the Wimbledon first round will be taken by Sweden s Elias Ymer, a lucky loser from qualifying.
Wimbledon has returned to normal this year after the tournament was cancelled due to Covid in 2020 and last year was played in front of reduced crowds. The All England Club said in a statement that protocols remained in place to minimise the risk of infection. “We are following UK guidance around assessment and isolation of any potential infectious disease,” the statement said. “Our player medical team also continue to wear face masks for any consultation.”
Poland s world number one Swiatek coasted into the second round with a routine 6-0, 6-3 against Croatian qualifier Jana Fett.
The French Open champion, who has won her past six tournaments, said she was relishing the atmosphere at the grass-court tournament. “I feel I have only played 12 weeks of my life on grass but the whole atmosphere and tradition is pumping me up and just looking forward to the next matches,” she said. Also in the women s draw, fourth seed Paula Badosa of Spain beat American Louisa Chirico for the loss of just three games.