Normally when a player wins in straight sets, you’d suggest they didn’t break a sweat.
But that wasn’t the case for Alex de Minaur, who was drenched after his 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7) win over Roberto Carballés Baena in the first round at Wimbledon.
The temperature in London was set for a top of 32 degrees, 12 degrees above the average daily high.
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Monday was the hottest ever opening day at Wimbledon at 32.3 degrees, surpassing the 2001 figure of 29.3.
In the first set on Tuesday, the Aussie secured a double break before he was made to work in the final game.
He was leading 40-15 at one stage but it was brought back to deuce.
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Baena twice had an advantage but eventually de Minaur closed it out.
Both men headed to their seats drenching in set with de Minaur removing his shirt and applying the ice towel.
Alex de Minaur applies the ice towel. Nine
The second set was a much simpler process for the 26-year-old, with the exact same result.
“Comprehensive set,” Nine’s caller Brenton Speed said.
It was trickier for de Minaur in the third set with the Spaniard winning four games before de Minaur broke his serve and looked to close it out at 5-4.
However, Baena broke de Minaur to love.
Jelena Dokic noted the sun was playing into de Minaur’s faltering serve.
“The sun is the issue right now, we can see with the first serve he really threw his ball toss forward and low to avoid the sun and it really affected his first serve,” she said.
When Baena was leading 6-5 in the third set, there was also a delay after a ball kid had to be replaced after struggling in the sun.
“Stifling conditions,” Speed said.
De Minaur managed to force the set into a tiebreaker before winning 7-2.
“He was pushed in the third but great to get it done in straight sets especially with the heat … a great way to go into the next round,” Dokic said.
