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Wimbledon 2024 Women’s Day 1
Wimbledon was hit by injury withdrawals from a pair of women’s Grand Slam champions on Monday’s opening day, with third seed Aryna Sabalenka and No. 16 Victoria Azarenka both pulling the plug.
The women from Belarus have each twice won Australian Open titles; both are suffering with shoulder injuries.
Sabalenka gave notice of her likely absence at the weekend, saying she looked 50-50 for her start; she cited the physical problem which has bothered her for several weeks.
Azaranka dropped her surprise notice in late afternoon before her first-round match and was replaced in the draw by Elsa Jacquemot of France.
Wild card Emma Raducanu pleased home fans with a 7-6 (0), 6-3 defeat of Renata Zarazua, a Mexican qualifier ranked 149, who replaced injured original opponent Ekaterina Alexandrova in the draw.
Raducanu, who missed Wimbledon a year ago as she recovered from wrist and knee surgery,
She said the quick-change of opponents was complex to deal with.
“I only found out this morning, we had been planning for the original opponent,” the winner said. “It took a bit of adjusting and finding my feet.
I watched the (Euro) football last night – winning ugly (by England) but it still counts.
Emma Raducanu training at Wimbledon in an England Football shirt
“I was nervous today, you could see it in my tennis. But you have to do what it takes to get over the line.”
Wrapping up victory proved to be a challenge, with Zarazua saving a match point in the penultimate game before Raducanu completed her job a game later on her second winning chance after nearly two hours on court.
Roland Garros finalist and seventh seed Jasmine Paolini got away to a winning start with her 7-5, 6-4 domination of Sara Sorribes Tormo.
The smiling Italian Paris runner-up finally won a first-round match here after losing her previous three. She also won a grass match for the first time last week in Eastbourne and eventually reached the semis.
“(Playing on grass) is a different tennis, but I’m enjoying,” she said.
“Today was a good match, but I have to raise up a little bit the level for the next match because it’s going to be tough.
“I’m just trying to play as better as possible. It’s not easy because it’s a completely different surface. We play just two, three weeks per year. So, yeah, but I try to adapt. So let’s see.”
Wild card Naomi Osaka, who last won a match here in 2018, stepped onto a Wimbledon court for the first time since 2019 and reached the second round 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 over France’s Diane Parry.
The 14th seed, Daria Kasatkina, followed up on her weekend Eastbourne title by crushing China’s hang Shuai with the loss of ust three games to reach the second round in 74 minutes.
Heather Watson took the first loss for the host country only a few hours into the start of the fortnight, going out to Belgian Greet Minnen 7-5, 6-4.
New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun, playing in her first Grand Slam main draw, stunned Australian Open finalist Zheng Quinwen 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Main photo:-Emma Raducanu celebrates as she wins first round match – by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd
Aryna Sabalenka will work to break through on the Stuttgart indoor clay as the world No. 1 bids for the title in a rare Monday final against Jelena Ostapenko in a battle of Grand Slam winners.
Double Australian Open holder Sabalenka is desperate for a change of luck after losing finals here in 2021 (Ash Barty), 2022 and 2023 (the last two against Iga Swiatek).
The top seed booked her spot with Sunday’s 7-5, 6-4 defeat of Italian Jasmine Paolini, duplicating a defeat of the two-time finalist at the majors from last month in Miami.
Ostapenko, who won Roland Garros in 2017, defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-4.
With the event taking a day off for Good Friday, the final is delayed by 24 hours,
Sabalenka got a bye in the first round and a walkover in the second and only began her first actual match on Saturday.
She showed no rust in her semi-final, ending the first set against Paolini without an unforced error. She overcame a 3-0 lead from the Italian in the second set but got it back before an insurance break for 5-4 followed by victory in 89 minutes.
Ostapenko will be competing in her first clay final in nearly eight years – her first since Roland Garros back in the day.
Holger Rune battled past injured Carlos Alcaraz to spoil the Spanish Easter party at the Barcelona Open, with the Dane lifting the trophy 7-6 (6), 6-2.
The pair of 21-year-olds were familiar foes, having played 20 times in juniors before hitting the Tour; Rune won the first 500 series title of his career and his fifth overall.
Alcaraz was treated three times in the second set after an apparent injury to his upper right thigh/groin after duelling hard in the opening set at the Real Club.
The loss will send Alcaraz back to third in the rankings, with Alexander Zverev moving back to second behind Jannik Sinner as a result of winning the Munich title on Sunday.
Rune, a first-round victim last week in Monte Carlo, reversed his clay momentum in Spain, handing Alcaraz a first loss of a set for the week.
The Spanish top seed’s two final shots both clipped the top of the net and fell back as Rune raised his hands in celebration after 97 minutes on court in the Catalan capital.
“This means the world,” the winner said. “I started the match stressed, he was playing big-time tennis.
“I was able to find my rhythm after he broke me (3-2 in the opening set) and I got more into the match.
“The first set was a big battle with a lot of important points. It was super-important to win the set and gain momentum.
“I’m so proud of myself.”
Rune ended with 18 winners while the ailing Alcaraz produced 33 unforced errors. The Dane claimed his 50th match win on clay and levelled his Tour record in the series to 2-2.
Rune said he channeled Novak Djokovic’s Paris Olympic gold medal win from last summer over Alcaraz as he struggled to turn his game around in Barcelona.
“I asked myself what Novak did to win that final. I (realised) that I didn’t need to hit every ball on the line. I need to make him play and hit a lot of balls.”
Rune, who won the elite Paris Bercy Masters 1000 title in 2022, finally began reversing a 13-match loss streak against top five opponents.with his title victory.
Alcaraz may be racing for fitness with the Madrid Masters starting on Wednesday as the ATP ploughs ahead with an unpopular two-week format for Masters tournaments despite growing protest from exhausted players.
Main photo:- Holger Rune celebrates Barcelona win – by ATPTour.com
Alexander Zverev turned 28 on Sunday and awarded himself a third title on his home Munich clay as he beat Ben Shelton 6-2,6-4 to win the ATP event.
The 2017 and 2018 champion here is now threatening Carlos Alcaraz as the pair duel for the world No. 2 position which the Spaniard took over last week after winning Monte Carlo.
Zverev schooled lefthander Shelton in 70 minutes for a second win in their series. The winner becomes the second to hold three Munich titles after countryman Philipp Kohlschreiber (2007, 2012, 2016).
“I’m enjoying my birthday so far,” Zverev said. “It’s extremely special to win in Germany, the most special thing I can do.
January’s Australian Open finalist added: “It’s definitely a great birthday present, I knew I had to play my best today, conditions were very hot and very fast.They were perfect for me.”
The winner broke three times while never facing a challenge to his serve from Shelton as he claimed a sixth career title at the 500-Tour level.
Main photo:- Alexander Zverev with his “birthday” trophy – by BMW Open/Bitpanda
Sabalenka hoping to turn her luck in Stuttgart
Rune rises to the occasion with defeat of Alcaraz
Zverev grabs a birthday gift with third Munich title
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