London, June 29 -- Jannik Sinner started his Wimbledon title defence with a hard-fought win over Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday. Coming into the tournament after a surprise second-round exit at Roland Garros, Sinner beat Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-3 in the first round at the All England Club, according to the ATP website.

He made 52 unforced errors and faced a real challenge, but recovered well to win after three hours and 30 minutes. Kecmanovic played strongly, especially in the third set, where he produced a standout rally in the tie-break. At 5-6 down, he pushed Sinner from side to side before rushing the net and forcing a diving shot, which brought the Centre Court crowd to its feet.

Sinner also slipped earlier in the set, lan...