De Jong 'very happy and relieved' after five-setter at Wimbledon

Shortly after the victory (6-3 6-7 (5) 6-7 (7) 6-3 7-6 (3)), De Jong immediately remembered that he had lost a similar match twice last year. "Then I once gave away an 8-3 lead in the tiebreak. I am very happy that I won it now," he said afterwards. "I had a few bits of luck here and there, you need those too, and then you blow over it."

The world number 106 seemed to have his nerves under control better than the four-year-older Eubanks at the decisive moment. "It was nice that I had a big lead, it wasn't close," he was realistic. "I was tense in the first two tiebreaks that we played, I could tell by my strokes. I'm especially happy with how calm I remained and how I was able to turn the situation around after a difficult moment before the tiebreak."

Despite the impressive victory over Eubanks, De Jong thinks he still has to improve in the second round, against Miomir Kecmanovic from Serbia. "I still have to watch his matches. But from what I have seen, he is a very good grass player. He also does not give away much. I will have to play better than today, but it will also be a completely different match," said De Jong.