Mpetshi Perricard produces deluge of 51 aces to oust Korda at Wimbledon

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard produced a memorable serving performance Tuesday to oust 20th seed Sebastian Korda in the first round at Wimbledon.

The 20-year-old lucky loser Mpetshi Perricard blasted 51 aces to eliminate Korda 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 7-6(6), 6-7(4), 6-3 in three hours and 21 minutes. The Frenchman saved all 11 break points he faced to earn his first main draw win at a major.

Mpetshi Perricard lost a four-setter to Maxime Janvier in the final round of qualifying despite hitting 44 aces. He dug deep to deliver even more aces on Court 16 against Korda and this time emerged victorious after two rain delays.

This is Mpetshi Perricard’s first appearance at Wimbledon. One year ago, still yet to crack the Top 200 in the PIF ATP Rankings, the Frenchman was competing in an ATP Challenger Tour event in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan during the grass-court major.

A critical moment came with Korda leading 6/5 in the third-set tie-break. The pressure was on Mpetshi Perricard to avoid falling behind two sets to one against the more-experienced player. He rose to the occasion, delivering back-to-back aces before hitting a forehand volley winner to claim the set.

Fittingly, after earning the first service break of the match in the fifth set, Mpetshi Perricard rode his serve to victory, crushing his 51st ace on match point.

It has been a rapid rise for the 20-year-old, who did not qualify for last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF. This April, ranked No. 162, he won a Challenger title in Acapulco and has not looked back since.

The rising star earned his maiden ATP Tour title in Lyon, upset fellow big server Ben Shelton at Queen’s Club and is now into the second round at Wimbledon, where he will next face Yoshihito Nishioka. The Frenchman will take a 13-inch height advantage into their clash Thursday.