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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
Casper Ruud fell victim to the same spoiler who knocked him out a year ago as the two-time winner of the Gstaad Swiss Open lost a lead to take a quarter-final loss to Juan Manuel Cerendolo 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Friday.
The comeback win from a set and 4-2 down by the Argentine duplicated a win over Ruud here a year ago.
Norway’s Ruud won the alpine title here in 2021 and 2022, but could not hold onto his margin as his lefty opponent reversed the momentum to reach his second semi-final of the season.
Ruud looked like finding his element on the clay this week in the alpine village after losing in the Wimbledon first round nealry a month ago.
But Cerundolo put paid to that scenario. The South American was not the day’s only spoiler, with with top seeded holder Alexander Bublik knocked out 6-4 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (5) in a weather-delayed second-round match to France’s Quentin Halys.
Monaco third seed Valentin Vacherot double-faulted on match point in a loss to Belgium’s Raphael Collignon 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-5.
In the first set, ATP No. 13 Ruud saved three break points against No. 45 Cerundolo to hold 3-2 and then broke the South American a game later through a return winner on his way to claiming the opening set.
The Scandinavian went up a break in the fifth game of the second set, but lost the edge as he lost his own serve as the break-back levelled the set at 4-all as the momentum shift took hold.
Ruud’s power faded as his 29 winners over the first two sets faded to four in the definitive third.
Cerundolo advanced on his first match point; he has now come from a set down in three matches this week and stands 14-3 in deciding sets this season.
“I used all my energy, I tried to play my best,” the winner said. “I was able to come back in the second set and I started playing really well.”
Two-time champion Casper Ruud had to work for more than two and a half hours to overcome Jaime Faria, the Portuguese who put out Stan Wawrinka in the first round at the Gstaad Swiss Open on Thursday.
Faria was riding the momentum from Tuesday’s defeat of three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, set to retire this season and beaten in an opening match at his home venue.
Faria had his eye on a second upset as he faced Ruud, who lifted the trophy at this elite alpine village in 2021 and 2022.
Ruud ahd to dodge a bullet and mount a comeback to get through the second-round test against the Portuguese.
After dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker, Ruud played patiently as Faria saved five break points in the sixth game of the second set before failing on the sixth.
Ruud then pulled away for a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2 victory, his first since Roland Garros.
“Sometimes it is hard to say when you get a good feeling and you start to win some games in a row,” the winner said.
“You try from the first game to the last, but suddenly something clicked in the middle of the second for me, luckily.”
He added: “I had to really fight hard and if I played one bad game in the second and he serves well, it could be over and it would be time to go home. But luckily I can extend the stay.”
The Scandinavian could join Spaniards Sergi Bruguera and Alex Corretja as three-time winners in the Alps, with Ruud now standing 10-1 here over his career.
Stefanost Tsitsipas said he slept soundly prior to finishing off a darkness-interrupted match on Thursday as he eliminated local Jerome Kym at the Gstaad Swiss Open.
The Greek who once cracked third in the world and the 186th-ranked Swiss returned to the clay after darkness on Wednesday night left them hanging at 5-all in the third set.
Tsitsipas revved up his game from the resumption to emerge into the quarter-finals 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).
The second seed now standing 85th in the world after several poor seasons and a split with his father as his coach, said getting his rest was not a problem after the interruption.
“It was strange going to bed and not being finished. I visualised what I wanted to do, my shot patterns.
“It worked out pretty well.
“I had a good night’s sleep, I was not too stressed and I recovered to get ready for the continuation.”
After saving break points in the first game on Thursday, Tsitsipas triumphed in the final-set tiebreaker
“I’m relieved I was able to save a couple of break points.. I put my game together and made it )victory) happen again.”
The Greek now faces off against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech for a semi-final spot.
“I’m expecting a lot of big serves, the altitude (1050m) helps. I’ll try to build consistency around my own serve.”
History repeats for Argentine spoiler in Gstaad
Ruud survives a scare to secure Gstaad quarters
Tsitsipas finishes off Kym after overnight pause
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