Dhaka, July 2 -- Men's singles defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was dragged into a five-set marathon battle by Italy's Fabio Fognini, as the Spaniard needed four hours and 37 minutes to progress from the first round at Wimbledon 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 on Monday.

Alcaraz, 22, struggled on his serve under the scorching sun, while 38-year-old Fognini, who was making his final Wimbledon appearance, showed great resilience and net skills.

The world No. 2 was forced to play until the deciding set before extending his winning streak to 19 matches. The two-time defending champion will face British wildcard Oliver Tarvet in the second round.

"I knew at the beginning that it was going to be really difficult playing against Fabio," said Alca...