Team USA Keeps Rolling on  Wimbledon Day 2  

While most Americans spent their Fourth of July celebrating with barbecues in the States, a slew of U.S. tennis players celebrated with victories on the court at Wimbledon.   

Day 2 of the Wimbledon main draw saw 11 wins in 13 matches for Americans, a tally that included four all-American matchups. Those advancing included No. 24 seed CoCo Vandeweghe, gold medalist Bethanie Mattek-Sands, top-seeded American man Jack Sock, No. 23 seed John Isner and rising star Frances Tiafoe.

The women’s side saw three of the four all-American matchups: Shelby Rogers vs.  Julia Boserup, Lauren Davis vs. Varvara Lepchenko and Alison Riske vs. Sloane Stephens.

After nine months off due to a foot injury and subsequent surgery, Stephens made a long-awaited return to the court on the London lawns, shaking off the rust but ultimately falling to her compatriot Riske, 6-2, 7-5.  Rogers, meantime, managed a win over California native Julia Boserup in three sets. 

In the one upset of the American vs. American matchups, Davis, seeded No. 28, fell to Lepchenko in two tight sets, 6-4, 7-5. 

Other American women advancing on Day included Fed Cup veterans Vandeweghe (pictured above) and McHale. Vandeweghe defeated Mona Barthel of Germany in two sets, 7-5, 6-2, winning 81 percent of her first serves and posting just 22 unforced errors, five less than her opponent. McHale, playing in her seventh Wimbledon, turned out a win in three sets over 20-year-old wild card Katie Boulter of Great Britain.

Also winning Tuesday was Mattek-Sands, who fought past Magda Linette of Poland in three sets, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Rounding out the women playing Tuesday, qualifier Irina Falconi posted an impressive showing in a losing cause, falling to world No. 1 and reigning Wimbledon finalist Angelique Kerber in two entertaining sets, 6-4, 6-4. 

Tiafoe stole the show in men’s action Tuesday, upsetting world No. 38 Robin Haase in a four-set spectacular, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 7-5. After splitting the first two sets, the Maryland native forced a tiebreak in the third, taking the set 7-5 in a breaker, and ultimately winning the match on a forehand forced error by Haase. 

Ryan Harrison joined Tiafoe in the winner’s circle, defeating up-and-coming Croat Borna Coric in straight sets. The seventh retirement of Wimbledon’s first round saw Janko Tipsaveric withdraw 12 minutes into his match against Jared Donaldson, with Donaldson up, 5-0. 

In the lone all-American matchup on the men’s side, John Isner won a battle of the ages, with the 32-year-old veteran besting 19-year-old Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3. Fritz, however, didn’t go down without a fight. After losing the first set, the 2016 ATP Newcomer of the Year fought hard in the second set, pushing to a tiebreak. In the end, Isner’s powerful serve overcame Fritz, with 25 aces in the hour and a half match.  

Sock also advanced, battling past Christian Garin of Chile in four sets, with the final point won by the Nebraska native with a backhand volley. 

The only American man to fall to a foreign opponent was Ernesto Escobedo, defeated by Adam Pavlasek of the Czech Republic. After taking the first set in a tiebreak, Escobedo fell short in the final three. 

Day 3 of Wimbledon sees the second round of singles. Seeded Americans Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson, Madison Keys and Venus Williams all will return to court. Centre Court will play host to statesman Donald Young facing off against two-time Wimbledon champion and No. 4 seed Rafael Nadal. 

Wednesday also starts the doubles matches. Asia Muhammad and Taylor Townsend, Jen Brady and Riske, and Scott Lipsky and Tiafoe are a few of the all-American pairings hitting the courts.