The inaugural match of Wimbledon witnessed top-ranked contender Iga Swiatek delivering an overpowering performance against China’s Zhu Lin.
Swiatek triumphed over the 34th ranked player in the world with an impressive score of 6-1 6-3. It is noteworthy that Lin was one of the highest-placed opponents Swiatek could have faced.
The 22-year-old Polish sensation, Swiatek, holds a prominent position as a potential winner of the women’s championship. However, her previous attempts to progress beyond the fourth round on the grassy courts of SW19 proved fruitless.
Nevertheless, the reigning champions of the French Open and US Open embarked on their journey to claim another major victory on a different playing surface.
Accompanying Swiatek into the next round is the fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula, who secured her advancement through a 6-2 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 triumph over fellow American Lauren Davis.
Also making progress in the tournament is Belarusian 19th seed Victoria Azarenka, a decorated Grand Slam winner and former Wimbledon semi-finalist. She achieved victory in a hard-fought match against China’s Yue Yuan, concluding with a final score of 6-4 5-7 6-4.
Regrettably, one of the seeded players has already suffered elimination on the tournament’s opening day. Liudmila Samsonova, the 15th seed from Russia, faced defeat at the hands of Romania’s Ana Bogdan, who emerged victorious with scores of 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-4).