The Queen’s Club Championships, played in London and considered the prelude to Wimbledon, lived one of its most surprising days ever remembered as world’s number one Andy Murray, Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka and Canadian Milos Raonic, were all eliminated in the first round.
The first surprise of the day was young Australian Jordan Thompson, ranked 90th in the world, defeating defending champion and local idol, Murray.
Thompson was included in the tournament only because British player Aljaz Bedene dropped out of the tournament due to a wrist injury.
The 23-year-old Australian pulled a major upset of Murray after winning 7-6 and 6-2 in an hour and 43 minutes. The Briton was looking to win the tournament for a sixth time.
In the second round, Thompson will face American Sam Querrey, who undid British wild card Cameron Norrie 6-1 and 6-4.
Another Australian youngster, Thanasi Kokkinakis, number 698 on the ATP ranking, pulled the second surprise of the day by defeating third seeded Milos Raonic by a score of 7-6 and 7-6.
Kokkinakis, who received an invitation from the organization, needed two hours and a minute to defeat last year’s finalist and get his first win against a player in the top 10.
The young Australian, frequented by injuries in recent years, will face Russian Daniil Medvedev in the next round. Medvedev defeated Nicolas Mahut 6-7, 6-4 and 6-4 in the round of 32.
Another top seed that will not be in the second round is Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka, number three in the world, who lost to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez 7-6 and 7-5 in an hour and 31 minutes.
With three of the favorites in the competition already out, the 35-year-old Lopez, will try to repeat his performance of three years ago when lost to Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in the final.
Lopez, who lost the final of the Stuttgart Open last week to Frenchman Lucas Pouille, will face another Frenchman in the round of 16: Jeremy Chardy, who defeated Briton Liam Brody 6-4 and 6-4 in the first round.
