LONDON (AP) – Since 2006, only five teenagers have managed to reach the men’s third round at Wimbledon – and three of them went on to become Grand Slam champions: Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Marin Cilic.
So a couple of kids could find themselves in good company if they can add their names to that short list this year.
One, 18-year-old Alexander Zverev of Germany, is in action Wednesday at the All England Club, facing 105th-ranked wild-card entry Denis Kudla of the United States in the second round.
Zverev, who is ranked 74th, won a lengthy opening match Monday, edging Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 9-7.
Of the five teens in this year’s draw, only one other remains, 40th-ranked Borna Coric of Croatia, also 18. He won his first-round match Tuesday, and it also ended 9-7 in the fifth set, against Sergiy Stakhovsky. Coric will meet 25th-seeded Andreas Seppi on Thursday with a chance to get to the third round.