Lleyton Hewitt fell in five sets to Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in his 17th and last Wimbledon appearance, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 11-9, and left the court while being showered with applause from the fans on Court No. 2.
The 2002 Wimbledon champion was one of seven former champions in the draw. The match was an atypical grass-court tilt that featured 39 break point opportunities and 17 breaks of serve.
Ultimately, Nieminen would rally to claim the last break, sending Hewitt off to a hero’s goodbye.
Before he left, he produced the shot of Day 1 with this lunging volley that was finished with a tidy somersault.