Alcaraz opens Wimbledon title defense with straight-sets win

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz had goosebumps walking onto Centre Court before his opening match at Wimbledon on Monday, a 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-2 win over qualifier Mark Lajal.

Lajal proved to be something of a speedbump for Alcaraz, who acknowledged that his 269th-ranked Estonian opponent “surprised me a little bit" on Day 1 at the All England Club.

Alcaraz, who won his third major championship at the French Open three weeks ago, defeated Novak Djokovic in last year’s final on the grass at Wimbledon but said he was still nervous before Monday's match.

“When I walk into the court, I got goosebumps. I remembered last year. It was a great feeling," the 21-year-old Spaniard said in his on-court interview. “But I try not to think about it. It’s a new year — totally different tournament. I have to be focused on my game just to play at the same level as last year if I want to repeat the same (success) as last year."

Elsewhere, fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev beat Aleksander Kovacevic 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, and eighth-seeded Casper Ruud defeated Alex Bolt 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4. Unseeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov eliminated No. 19 Nicolas Jarry 6-1, 7-5, 6-4.