Qualifier Oliver Tarvet continued his dream Wimbledon debut with a first-round victory – and will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz next.

The 21-year-old San Diego University student is ranked down at 733 but he took full advantage of a wild card into qualifying by winning three matches to earn his place at the All England Club.

And he looked right at home on the lawns of the All England Club, producing an assured performance to claim a 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi from Switzerland.

The prize is a crack at defending champion Alcaraz, who only scraped past Fabio Fognini, and Tarvet said: “As a kid, it’s what you dream of. I came here when I was a little kid. It’s what you work for. Obviously, it’s a pretty long-term goal.

“But for it to happen so suddenly has been really special. I’ve come here and not really set myself any expectations. I’m quietly confident that I can win against anyone. Alcaraz isn’t an exception to that.

“Obviously, he’s done an incredible amount in the tennis world. He’s a difficult guy not to respect. But just go out there and try and treat it like another match.”

By reaching the second round, Tarvet’s prize money has gone up to a guaranteed £99,000, but much of that may have to go unclaimed.

Tarvet is planning to go back to university in the United States for his final year, and the rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which runs college sports, requires players to stay amateur.

Tarvet can claim 10,000 US dollars (approximately £7,300) as well as the expenses he has incurred during the tournament – he joked he would fly his coach over first class to try to ensure he would not have to forfeit too much of the money.

There was no mistaking the joy Tarvet felt at his achievement, though. The St Albans player punched the air with a wide smile plastered on his face after serving out the victory.

On the prize money issue, he said: “I’ve got to find more and more on expenses by the day. We’ll see. I’m not here for the money, I’m here for the crowd and the experience and just to stamp my mark. I think I’ve done a pretty good job so far.”

He later added: “Maybe I hire someone to help me out with the expenses, make sure the NCAA are happy. It’s very important for me. I have a lot of goals at USD still.

“I’ve got to find £60,000, £70,000 of expenses – tennis is an expensive sport so hopefully I can make that happen.”

Tarvet was the only British player to survive the qualifying tournament, joining 22 other home players in the singles draws, 14 of them wildcards.

On the hottest opening day in Wimbledon history with the temperature reaching a sweltering 32 degrees Celsius, Alcaraz was almost caught cold by a 38-year-old who is due to retire at the end of the year.

The second seed eventually came through a marathon encounter 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 2-6 6-1 in an energy-sapping four hours and 37 minutes.

Alcaraz said: “To be honest I don’t know why it’s his last Wimbledon, he can still play three or four more years. Unbelievable.

“Playing the first match is never easy, I’ve been playing well on grass but Wimbledon is different. I tried to play the best I could but I would say I could be better. It was a great match.”

Lleyton Hewitt, in 2003, is the only men’s defending champion to lose in the first round in the Open era.

Kartal and Fery pull off huge upsets

Sonay Kartal gave Britain’s massed ranks of singles players a great start by ousting 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko, while Arthur Fery defeated men’s 20th seed defeating Alexei Popyrin 6-4 6-1 4-6 6-4.

For Fery, it is by a long distance the biggest victory of his life, with the 22-year-old’s only top-100 win before this coming against then 99th-ranked David Goffin two years ago.

Fery, whose French father Loic owns Lorient football club, was not in the initial batch of wild cards named by the All England Club having seen his ranking drop outside the top 400 because of injury but a strong week at the second-tier Challenger event in Nottingham earlier this month earned him a pass.

He took advantage of it spectacularly to claim a first Wimbledon victory, and he will hope there is more to come with an unseeded opponent up next.

Ostapenko, meanwhile, a former semi-finalist back in 2018, defeated Kartal in Eastbourne last week in straight sets but the British No 3 delighted the sun-baked crowd on Court Three with a 7-5 2-6 6-2 victory.

The Latvian is a former semi-finalist but, after recovering from 5-2 down in the opening set and saving three set points, the 23-year-old also proved the stronger in the decider.

Kartal described the match as one of the toughest she had ever played, saying: “Typically I struggle against the big hitters. So to be able to do that, get the win in front of the home crowd, I’m super proud of that one.

“She can go through games, even sets, playing tennis that’s just unplayable. The pace she gets on the ball and the angle she gets off the ball is honestly unreadable at times.

“I knew that was going to happen. I knew it happened last week. I knew I just had to stay with it. If she was going to go on a good run, just not get too down, and know that hopefully I was going to get my opportunity, and when I got the opportunity, to maximise it the most I could.

“I feel confident. I feel like this is the best I’ve ever played on grass. It’s the most confident I’ve also got in my game, as well. I think I’m in a pretty good spot for round two.”

In the second round, Kartal will face Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, who profited from Ons Jabeur’s retirement.

“I wasn’t expecting not to feel good, I’ve been practising pretty well the last few days but I guess these things happen and I’m pretty sad,” said Jabeur.

“It doesn’t really help me with my confidence. I keep pushing myself, even though it was a very tough season for me, so I hope I can feel better and see what’s going to happen.”

Former British No 1 Cameron Norrie claimed his first win on grass this year with a narrow 6-3 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory over Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut.

Norrie rediscovered his form on clay after almost dropping out of the top 100 and will next take on 12th seed Frances Tiafoe.

Billy Harris also progressed. The world No 151 won 6-3 6-2 6-4 against Serbian lucky loser Dusan Lajovic and will face Portuguese Nuno Borges in round two.

British wild card Oliver Crawford clinched the opening set on his Wimbledon debut before suffering a 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 defeat to Italian world No 73 Mattia Bellucci.

Brazilian wonderkid Fonseca overpowers Fearnley

Jacob Fearnley’s Wimbledon journey was emphatically halted on day one as teenage sensation Joao Fonseca delivered a devastating 6-4 6-1 7-6 (7-5) display.

Fonseca, at 18 the youngest man in the men’s singles draw and on his Wimbledon debut, used power and variety in his serve and his trademark brutal forehand to overpower 23-year-old Fearnley, who at 51 is ranked three places above the Brazilian.

There were plenty of shocks on day one with furious ninth seed Daniil Medvedev smashing up his rackets after losing to French journeyman Benjamin Bonzi.

The combustible Russian, who reached the semi-finals last year, tumbled out 7-6 (2) 3-6 7-6 (3) 6-2 in just over three hours.

Eight seed Holger Rune blew a two-set lead as he fell in five to inspired Chilean Nicolas Jarry.

Former world No 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas is also out after retiring from his match against Valentin Royer.

The Greek, seeded 24th, had treatment on his back in the second set and called it a day while trailing 6-3 6-2, handing Frenchman Royer, the world No 113, a first tour-level win.

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