Google News
Top-ranked Chilean tennis player Cristian Garin is positively surprised with the way he has been playing this week at Wimbledon. Garin, ranked at No. 20 in the world, beat Spaniard Pedro Martinez Portero 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-4 to reach the second week at Wimbledon for the first time in his career.
“It feels amazing [to reach the second week for the first time]. I didn’t play a grass tournament before Wimbledon, so I was a bit out of rhythm and without any matches on grass. My last match [on this surface] was here at Wimbledon in 2019,” Garin said.
“I didn’t expect to play the way that I’m playing, super solid and serving well, playing almost every game pretty solid. I’m so happy to be in the second week”.
Garin routinely handled Martinez Portero
Garin dropped his serve in the third game but broke Martinez Portero in the fourth and 10th game to overturn the deficit and win the opener.
Garin then broke Martinez Portero in the fourth game and held on to his serve the rest of the second set to take a two-set lead. Martinez Portero managed to win the third set and prolong the match but Garin won the fourth set to complete a four-set win.
Garin plays next No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic. "Giving up is never a question. You're always trying to give your maximum out there. Especially when you're playing one of the biggest tennis tournaments out there. For me, the biggest.
I have to give credit for Denis for playing really well. He's a great guy," Djokovic said after beating Denis Kudla, per George Bellshaw. "Failure was never an option for me or anyone in my family. We needed to find the basic needs to survive.
That's strengthened my character. I spent a lot of time in the mountains with the wolves, this is my wolf energy. I'm not kidding, actually."