Delgado is 'gutted' after letting Lapentti off hook

Heroic failure made an early arrival in SW19 yesterday when Britain's Jamie Delgado, a jobbing pro ranked No 157 in the world, came within a whisker of eliminating Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador, an established top-30 tour player and the No 22 seed here.

In one of the day's closest-fought battles, Delgado came from two sets behind to level the match at two apiece and take it into a nail-biting decider. Four times he stood on the brink of victory with match point in his favour. Four times he let it slip. Eventually, at 7.32pm, after three hours and 34 minutes, his opponent clawed back the initiative and sealed his win, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 4-6, 7-5.

"I'm totally gutted," Delgado said. "I fought as hard as I could, just came so close. And I felt for a while I was going to turn it around and win it. I felt like the momentum was with me, having turned it around, got into that position. I think it's one of those things that I didn't close it out. I didn't miss sitting ducks, smashes on top of the net or anything like that. Maybe I took five per cent off my aggressive side and he maybe loosened up as well. It just tilted his way, I think."

Lapentti now faces another hardy annual ­ a plucky British early-round underdog winner ­ in the second round. That will be Barry Cowan, who was last year's most heroic failure when he lost a five-set epic to Pete Sampras in the second round. Cowan booked another slot in second round yesterday with a four-set win, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, over Attila Savolt of Hungary.

He was asked afterwards whether he still listened to the motivational strains of "You'll Never Walk Alone", as he did so memorably last year during his matches. He said that he does, although, due to new rules, he cannot do so on court. "I listen to it before my match," he said. "The song doesn't change."

So the script for British players, by and large, never changes. Plucky winners, plucky losers, a cull of home entrants, the odd freak injury. At least this year's injury was impeccable for its trendiness. James Auckland, a 22-year-old from Norwich, suffered a stress fracture of the second metatarsal in his left foot in practice and had to withdraw two hours before his Wimbledon debut.

The cull was largely predictable, a simple au revoir to the participants on freebie wild cards in search of cash and big-time experience. Joining Delgado in that category yesterday was Arvind Parmar, who lost in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, to the No 14 seed, Thomas Enqvist of Sweden. Joining them in the Lawn Tennis Association's crowded early bath were Lucie Ahl, beaten 6-2, 6-2 by the American Meghann Shaughnessy, and the British women's No1, Julie Pullin, who took a tie-break set off Maja Matevzic of Slovenia before losing 6-7, 6-1, 6-4.

The most notable success was Cowan's over Savolt, ranked No 69 in the world, or 182 places above Cowan. "Wimbledon seems to bring the best out of me," Cowan said. "I really upped him when it mattered."

Asked about the validity of the wild card system he added: "This time of year is very lucrative. I know the British guys, we get a hard time about getting a wild card, obviously the money is involved [£7,000 for a first-round defeat]. But certainly the first couple of years I received a wild card, there's no way I'd be playing now if I hadn't got that."

It will be slim consolation to Delgado today, but it is the only consolation he will have.

FATE OF THE BRITS

British scores first; seeds in CAPITALS

MEN

Through
G RUSEDSKI bt J Melzer (Aut) 6-1 6-4 7-5
B Cowan bt A Savolt (Hun) 6-7 6-3 6-3 6-3

Out
M Lee lost to P SAMPRAS (US) 3-7 6-7 3-6
A Parmar lost to T Enqvist (Swe) 1-6 4-6 4-6
J Delgado lost to N LAPENTTI (Ec) 3-6 2-6 7-6 6-4 5-7

James Auckland pulled out of match with Switzerland's George Bastl due to broken foot.

WOMEN

Out
L Ahl lost to M SHAUGHNESSY (US) 2-6 2-6
J Pullin lost to M Matevzic (Sloven) 7-6 1-6 4-6