Australian player Matthew Ebden clinched his maiden top 10 win at Grand Slam level by beating 2017 ATP Finals runner-up David Goffin 6-4 6-3 6-4 in the first round at Wimbledon.
Ebden dropped from world number 51 to number 699 in the ATP Ranking after suffering from a knee injury, but managed to climb 619 spots in 2017.
Ebden broke Goffin once in each set.
Ebden, who is playing in the Wimbledon main draw for the fifth time, scored his first top 10 win at a Grand Slam tournament.
Ebden reached the semifinals at s’Hertogenbosch and the quarter finals at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, where he lost to Roger Federer.
“Of course I believed I could win, I expected to win. i could not ask for much more. It was pretty comfortable in the end. I expected that in a way. Of course he is a top 10 player, but I spoke with my coach after and I kind of expected this”, said Ebden.
Ebden will face French qualifier Stephane Robert.
“I know he is older, but he came last year and won a Challenger out of the blue, just rocked up and chopped everyone. He is really talented”.
Marcos Baghdatis was leading 6-4 7-5 2-0 over this year’s Roland Garros finalist Dominic Thiem, when the Austrian player was forced to retire, as he went down two sets and a break.
Matteo Berrettini came back from two sets down to beat Jack Sock 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 7-5 6-2. The Italian player won his first two Grand Slam matches to reach the third round at Roland Garros.
Berrettini set up a second round match against 2015 Wimbledon quarter finalist Gilles Simon, who defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1 7-6 (7-5) 6-1.
