Fearnley’s Wimbledon five-set escape justifies Eastbourne pull-out
Jacob Fearnley’s late Wimbledon comeback over Alex Michelsen vindicates his surprise withdrawal from Eastbourne, setting up a blockbuster second-round tie with Jaume Munar.
Jacob Fearnley erased a two-sets-to-love deficit to beat Alex Michelsen 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in a Wimbledon first-round thriller on Monday. The 24-year-old Scot, ranked 114th, had pulled out of last week’s Eastbourne International with a back issue, a call he now labels justified. “It was the right decision,” Fearnley said after the match, citing the need to arrive at Wimbledon fresh rather than chase ranking points in a smaller event.
The five-set grind exposed Michelsen’s inexperience at this level—he had never played a five-setter on the ATP Tour before—as Fearnley’s serve held firm in the final two sets. The win sets up a blockbuster second-round clash with 24th seed Jaume Munar, who eased past qualifier Harold Mayot 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 earlier in the day. Fearnley’s camp confirmed the back spasm flared up again during practice on Sunday but subsided enough for him to take court.
