File photo of Hubert Hurkacz.© AFP
Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, seen as an outside tip for the Wimbledon title, was forced to quit his second-round match against Arthur Fils with a knee injury on Thursday. Seventh-seeded Hurkacz, who made the semi-finals in 2021 after ending the Wimbledon career of eight-time champion Roger Federer, hurt himself as he dived for a ball during the fourth set tie-break. After limping back to his chair on Court Two, he then continued for two more points but eventually called it quits to hand 20-year-old Fils a place in the last 32 of a Grand Slam for the first time.
Fils had taken the first two sets 7-6 (7/2), 6-4. Hurkacz claimed the third 6-2 and had a set point in the fourth before his afternoon suffered a premature end.
“It’s not nice to win like that against a friend. We had a very good match, he was diving everywhere,” said 34th-ranked Fils.
“I hope he gets better quickly. Now I’m focusing on the next round.”
Fils will face either Roman Safiullin of Russia or the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac for a place in the last 16.
“I didn’t like grass very much in the past, but it turns out that I can play it quite well,” said the Frenchman.
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