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Wimbledon Women’s Day 1
Top seed Iga Swiatek did not let a brief rain interruption dull her confidence as the four-time Grand Slam winner began her title quest 6-1, 6-3 over China’s Zhu Liu.
Play was halted briefly after only 50 minutes on court late in the second set before the roof over Court No. 1 was closed to allow the contest to finish.
“It was a really solid performance from me. I’m happy that I could just play my game and be in the rhythm, even though it was the first round,” Swiatek said.
“I actually haven’t got the experience of a match suspended, then coming back after just 15 minutes.
“I wanted to see how it’s going to go. I’m happy it went well and I could close it.”
She added: “After winning Roland Garros (for a third time a month ago) I took time to appreciate what had happened.
“I was then able to get back to work with more peace in my head.
“I’m open-minded for the grass season.”
Fourth seed Jessica Pegula wasted three match points in the second set but managed to claw back victory in the third, defeating American compatriot Lauren Davis 6-2, 6-7 (8), 6-3.
The winner is playing her tenth consecutive Grand Slam as a seed but has never escaped the third round here in three previous appearances.
“I felt good going into the third [set], even though I had match points in the second,” Pegula said.
“She’s a really tough player, she played some incredible points. She’s a really good grass-court player as well.
“When she gets hot, it’s really tough. Her ball skids really low through the court.”
She added: “I kept my focus, didn’t get too frustrated, and was able to just pull it out,”
French fifth seed Caroline Garcia started off her 10th Wimbledon appearance 6-4, 6-3 over American Katie Volynels, her 58th match win at a major.
Elina Svitolina, a 2019 semi-finalist who reached third in the world, brought an end to the wild card appearance of five-time winner Venus Williams 6-4, 6-3.
The Ukrainian who had a child last October with husband Gael Monfils held her nerve against the legend.
Williams took a sliding fall in the third game of the match and was taped after losing the first set.
The 43-year-old who claimed her last title here 15 years ago, was playing Wimbledon for the 24th time after making her debut as a teenager more than a quarter of a century ago.
Williams broke Svitolina in the penultimate game but lost serve and the match moments later on a successful Svitolina challenge of a return on the Williams baseline.
Photo Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
The veteran exited to a standing ovation from the Centre Court crowd.
“It’s always a pleasure to play Venus,” the winner said of their fifth meeting. :
“It was a special moment today, playing against a big legend.
Grass takes a lot out of the legs and Venus plays quickly. I had to work hard for today’s win.”
Host Britain suffered a first loss of the Championships as wild card Harriet Dart went down 6-7 (4), 6-0, 6-4 to France’s Diane Parry after two and a quarter hours.
Jody Burrage got a welcome home revenge 6-1, 6-3 over American Caty McNally.
2021 Roland Garros winner Barbora Stycova got back into the Grand Slam mix after pregnancy as she played her first major in three years, posting a 6-1, 7-5 defeat of Belgian Maryna Zanevska.
Double Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka still feels the nerves as she enters her 15th Wimbledon, but managed to keep them in check for a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win over Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue.
“In Grand Slams, no doubt, there is another level of expectation, motivation, and desire,” the 33-year-old said.
“I’ve struggled the last few months. To be able to step by step try to find my rhythm, that’s why I’m happy with the win today.
“It wasn’t pretty. It was tough. It was a battle out there… I’ve been missing that a little bit throughout the last couple months, so I’m glad that I went through that today.”
Main photo:- Wimbledon Championships 2023 Day 1 Iga Swiatek wins first round match by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
Aryna Sabalenka began her quest for a third straight title at the US Open as she dominated Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4 on Monday to reach the second round as the top seed strives to find her best level at the last major of the season,
Sabalenka has disappointed by her elite standards at the other three majors, finishing Australian Open runner-up but failing in the Roland Garros quarters and the fourth round at Wimbledon last month.
“The good thing for me is not looking back no matter if it’s good or bad,” she said. “I feel a good result can also stop you from performing well because you’re basically focusing on the past.
“If I win the tournament or lose the tournament, for me today is a new day and I have to be focused just staying in the moment.”
The 28-year-old was tested in the second set by her Colombian opponent who has reached the third round of a Grand Slam only once in 22 appearances. .
Sabalenka posted her 14th consecutive match in New York, taking 87 minutes and benefiting from nine Osorio double-faults.
“I think I played great, I’m happy with my performance. She’s a tough opponent, makes you work really hard to get every point.
“So I’m happy that I was able to close the match in straight sets.”
Cincinnati semi-finalist Sara Bejlek, who knocked Sabalenka out of that event, lost her opener here 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 to Spain’s Cristina Busca.
2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova, who turned 25 on Monday, celebrated by hammering US compatriot Ashlyn Krueger 6-1, 6-3.
One time Open semi-finalist Emma Navarro completed a defeat of Lois Boisson 7-6 (6), 6-7 (1), 6-3 after the match was stopped for rain overnight. Boisson only headed to the locker room after destroying a racquet in frustration.
Former Roland Garros junior champion Lilli Tagger needed a late escape against Tamara Korpatsch, with the Austrian who lives a few kilometres into Austria from Jannik Sinner’s family home in the Alps, leading 6-0, 4-0.
But her German opponent forced Tagger to save two set points before Tagger put away victory in a tiebreaker.
Paris Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen won a battle of qualifiers over 16-year-old Kristina Liutova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, leaving her opponent in tears before the crowd consoled her with cheers.
Zheng once stood fourth but is coming back on No. 121 after surgery.
Carlos Alcaraz ended a four-and-a-half month injury exile with a resounding 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Roman Safiullin on Monday at the US Open to mark his return to the courts after a wrist injury.
The defending champion now ranked third is hoping to become the first man to successfully defend the title here Roger Federer won US Open over five consecutive editions (2004-2008).
“For me it’s been a really tough five months. Being able to step on Arthur Ashe and being able to compete again.. as I said before the tournament, I couldn’t decide to come back in a better tournament than here in New York,” Alcaraz said.
“It’s a really special tenement for me. I tried to enjoy as much as I can. I missed it. I missed the crowd. The energy. I missed competition. I missed everything. 🥹 I’m just really really happy I was able to compete again.”
“On this (Ashe) court, I made my dream. First major. First time becoming No. 1 in the world.
“The warm welcome I receive every time I come here is crazy. I really appreciate it. I really feel the love from the people.”
One-time top 10 regular Stefanos Tsitsipas unleashed a major surprise on Cincinnati winner Arthur Fils with a turnaround 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-4 win as the French youngster failed to earn a two-set-to-love lead over the Greek.
“I don’t have the answer,” the 10th-seeded Fils said after his collapse in form. “Once the energy went down at the end of the second, I never felt again a good energy.
“I have to talk with my team, but at my level, to do such a mistake is almost unprofessional.”
He added: “I was trying to fight; at one point I broke back early in the fourth, so I was trying to find a way, but not accurate enough on the serve.
“The ball was not going very well out of my racquet. Even if I was fighting, was tough.”
Fils had beaten No. 53 Tsitsipas in all five of heir previous matches
The Greek, playing unseeded for the first time here, reaching the second round for the sixth time as he came from a set and 5-2 down.
Former ATP No. 3 Tsitsipas pronounced himself “speechless” at his success. “It’s an amazing start to the tournament, I’m very proud of myself.
“I’m taking it a day at a time. I don’t wanna be looking too far away. I prefer to stay grounded in the moment. A win like this today matters a lot to me.”
:French veteran Adrian Mannarino, aged 38, fought back from two sets to love down for only the second time in his career to advance past Thiago Tirante 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
The loss ended the dream of the 42nd-ranked Argentine who beat Novak Djokovic in the Cincinnati second round last month as the Serb competed for the first time since Wimbledon at the pre-Open event.
The first-round match began on opening day but was interrupted by night-time rain and concluded on Monday.
Andrey Rublev wore down lucky loser Otto Virtanen as the Finn cramped in the closing stages on the way to a 6-7 (5), 6-7 (0), 6-0, 6-2, 7-6 (5). Virtanen entered the draw as former champion Marin Cilic withdrew.
Main photo:- ‘New look” Carlos Alcaraz celebrates first round win on return from injury – ATPTour.com
Venus Williams made the latest match start in US Open history, with the 46-year-old not even taking to the court until shortly after midnight and losing 6-2, 7-6 (6) to Sofia Kenin,
Williams has lost her last 15 matches as a wild card, with her last victory dating to June, 2025 and her status as a serial wild card recipient under serious discussion.
She has now lost six consecutive matches at the Open, with her last victory coming seven years ago. She is still queued up to pay doubles – another wild card – with sister Serena.
Despite a distinct lack of success, Williams seems not to be considering retirement.
“I don’t think I should have to,” she said in the wee hours of Monday.
“My mind is fully focused on that: how I recover from this completely insane evening and get ready for the next one.”
The Williams start on the Ashe showcourt was seriously delayed by Novak Djokovic’s nearly five-hour loss at the same venue.
The 12:13 a.m., start of the Williams match became the latest ever at the tournament by six minutes.
Williams called the timing and 2:01 a.m. finish “not ideal.”
“I would have preferred something else, definitely. It wasn’t great for either of us, so I think we both tried our best.”
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