After a stop-start attempt to qualify for his maiden Wimbledon main draw berth on Thursday, American Bjorn Fratangelo returned to finish the job against countryman Austin Krajicek under sunnier skies on Friday.
The 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3 result books his fourth straight appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam and what will be his first at the All England Club.
Having led two sets to love before play was washed out and closing to within three points of sealing the result at the resumption of play on Friday, the 22-year-old had a momentary lapse, allowing his left-handed compatriot back into the contest.
“Best of five sets are tough. It’s a marathon not a sprint,” Fratangelo said. “You often see guys get up two sets and they let that third set go. It’s exhausting. You’ve got to keep going. I regrouped and fought well.”
Serving for the second set on Thursday, Fratangelo hit a brilliant backhand lob winner and brought up two set points with a big unreturnable serve down the T. He took it 6-3, with an ace out wide before rain ended play for the day at 3-3 in the third.
Fratangelo made his Grand Slam main draw debut at least year’s US Open where he fell to sixth seed Tomas Berdych in the opening round.
It’s exhausting. You’ve got to keep going. I regrouped and fought well.”
He then won through three rounds of qualifying to make his Australian Open debut where he would again fall at the first hurdle.
Upon resumption of play on Friday, games went on serve to 5-5 with Fratangelo saving three break points before dropping serve after cutting an attempted drop shot short.
Krajicek arrived at three set points when his opponent rolled a forehand return long and took it when the No.6 seed sliced a backhand wide for 7-5.
Recomposing himself, Fratangelo landed the break for 5-3 in the fourth and when his opponent dumped a backhand into the net, he held three match points. He claimed it on his first with a perfectly executed drop shot.
“It feels unbelievable. I was really nervous there to start the resumption of the match and he came out and was playing solid and had a bit more energy than yesterday, which I expected,” Fratangelo said.
“But I managed myself well and I was lucky to dig as well as I did in the fourth set and I’m so happy to be in the main draw.”
At the French Open, however, he would land his breakthrough – a first main draw win at a major after denying his compatriot, former top-20 player Sam Querrey, before bowing to Richard Gasquet.
“This is my fourth straight grand slam main draw appearance so I’m really excited and hopefully I can match my Paris result and even go further,” Fratangelo said.
Only two other matches were started on Thursday before the rain set in. Big-serving Frenchman Albano Olivetti returned to end Brit hopeful Edward Corrie’s bid to qualify with a narrow 7-6(5), 7-6(4) 7-6(3) result, while Croat Franko Skugor finished his match with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Austrian No.13 seed Gerald Melzer.
Czech No.2 seed Adam Pavlasek fell short in his bid for a maiden Wimbledon main draw berth, falling meekly to Russian Alexander Kudryavtsev 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 while
Frenchman Tristan Lamasine denied Mohamed Safwat from becoming the first Egyptian man through to a Grand Slam main draw in two decades with a 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 result.
Dutch No.9 seed Igor Sijsling progressed to the main draw with a 6-3, 5-2, 7-6(2) win over Belgian Yannick Mertens and Slovak No.11 seed Lukas Lacko fought back to hold off German No.23 seed Tobias Kamke 2-6, 7-6(9), 6-2, 6-2.
