As Day 1 of The Championships winds down, we reflect over today's events and take a look at some of the main talking points so far:
Swan on song
Great Britain has a new tennis hero after 19-year-old Katie Swan won a grand slam match for the first time. Swan, ranked 204th in the world, raised home spirits with a 6-2 6-2 win over Irina-Camelia Begu and was a rare British winner on the opening day. She has set the standard that a host of other Brits will hope to match on day two, with the likes of Johanna Konta, Kyle Edmund, Heather Watson and Katie Boulter in action.
Welcome back Serena
The top seeds in the women's game will have shuddered at the sight of Serena Williams making her Wimbledon comeback. The seven-time champion beat Arantxa Rus in her first match back at the All England Club since 2016 and fired a warning to her rivals. Though not at her absolute best, she battled hard and overpowered her Dutch opponent to extend her winning streak at Wimbledon to 15 matches. Potential third-round opponent Elina Svitolina might be particularly worried, with Caroline Wozniacki likely to be waiting in the quarter-finals should Williams go deep this fortnight.
Maria, you've got to see her
Williams is not the only high-profile name making a Wimbledon return as her long-time rival Maria Sharapova is also back in town. The 2004 winner has missed the last two years at Wimbledon, first because of her drugs ban and then because of an injury. The Russian tackles Vitalia Diatchenko on Court Two on Tuesday afternoon and will hope to get her campaign off to a winning start.
Tuesday turn-ups on Centre Court?
French Open champion Rafael Nadal will get his campaign under way, second on Centre Court against Denis Kudla. Although the Spaniard will be a heavy favourite to progress against the American, his recent results at Wimbledon suggest he is the most likely candidate to be the victim of an upset. He has not got past the fourth round in any of his last five visits here and has lost to the likes of Gilles Muller, Dustin Brown, a teenage Nick Kyrgios and Steve Darcis. Kudla, ranked 84th in the world, might just fancy his chances.
One of the most eagerly-anticipated events of the sporting calendar gets underway on Monday as the finest tennis players descend on Wimbledon for the third Slam of the year.
Though British fans will be disappointed by the injury withdrawal of Andy Murray, there is still a world class field in SW19 as always.
Day one highlights include defending champion Roger Federer, as well as Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic.
Join ADAM SHERGOLD and then JAMES DUTTON for live coverage of the opening day and keep up to date with all the scores.
Serena Williams overcame a testing examination from unseeded Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus on her Wimbledon return as she reached the second round in straight sets, writes James Benge.
In her first match at Wimbledon since giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September, Williams was forced to dig deep for her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Rus, who gave no quarter in a combative display that eventually brought the best out of the 36-year-old.
An unconvincing Williams began with a double fault, the swirling conditions of Court No.1 offering little margin for error, and in both of her first two service games found herself 0-30 down. On the first occasion she battled through but even she was unable to keep digging herself out of holes early on, beaten by Rus at the net.
Of course by that time Williams had already broken Rus in the match’s second game, though she was far from pleased with her own performance, muttering “aye, aye, aye” when her backhand went wide early on.
There was cause for disappointment, not least because she allowed Rus to get away with a held serve when 0-30 down in the first set on three occasions. The Dutch world no.105 was playing with no fear, varying between counter-punching and hitting for the corners, where more often than not she would see her ball land in play.
A brilliant Williams passing shot at 3-3 and then another the following point seemed to pave the way for the 23-time Grand Slam champion to edge clear. However, Rus refused to let go until the 12th game of the first set, when Williams simply refused to let a break point go, sliding back to slice a desperate shot into play and getting back in position in time to watch a forehand sail long as she secured the first set.
Williams task was no easier early in the second set, when she needed to summon up a 110mph serve to save a break point in the opening game. She was unable to keep holding Rus at bay, though the seven-time Wimbledon champion would doubtless have been unamused when an incorrect call by a line judge denied her a hold in the third game. Instead, Williams netted two backhands, handing her opponent an early break.
That early break gave Williams the impetus to raise her game and the standard of rallying between the two was exceptional. Even when the American finally got two break points in the sixth game Rus responded with a 118mph first serve, though she could not deny Williams a second time as her backhand slipped slightly wide.
From there Williams accelerated to the finish line, where Rus put up a sizeable roadblock. On five occasions she denied her opponent on match point, twice with superlative returns, but she could not on the sixth as the 25th seed secured her passage to round two.
ROGER Federer and Serena Williams bring the curtain up on Wimbledon tonight with the All England Club confident their tournament can comfortably capture the imagination of a public distracted by the World Cup.
Federer, the record eight-time champion, opens proceedings on Centre Court against Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic (starts 10pm AEST).
Williams, meanwhile, has been shunted off to Court One where she tackles Dutch outsider Arantxa Rus.
The American returns to the tournament for the first time since claiming a seventh title in 2016 having missed last year to give birth to her daughter.
Federer is the overwhelming favourite to lift a ninth title and 21st career major especially with old rival Rafael Nadal, fresh from an 11th French Open, not having played a grass court warm-up event.
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SIX KNEE OPERATIONS: AUSSIE’S REMARKABLE WIMBLEDON COMEBACK
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Wimbledon Day One previewed 1:56
The 36-year-old Swiss star’s odds also improved when two-time champion Andy Murray withdrew on Sunday with injury.
Three-time winner Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, is still struggling with form and confidence so badly bruised by the elbow injury he suffered at Wimbledon 12 months ago.
However, even Federer cannot escape the giant shadow cast on the sporting landscape by the ongoing World Cup.
All England Club will stick to its policy of refusing to show World Cup matches on its giant screen adjacent to Court One.
Four Australians are in action on day one, including Jordan Thompson who faces 11th seed Sam Querrey in a Court Three opener (starts 8pm AEST).
Monday’s other Centre Court matches see Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki face Varvara Lepchenko of the United States.
Bulgarian sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov, a semi-finalist in 2014, completes the program against three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka.
Also getting their campaigns underway on Monday are five-time women’s champion Venus Williams against Johanna Larsson.
Third seeded Marin Cilic, the runner-up to Federer in 2017 and this year’s Queen’s champion, takes on Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka
AUSSIES IN ACTION ON DAY ONE (PREFIX DENOTES SEEDING)
Men’s singles, first round
Jordan Thompson v 11-Sam Querrey John Millman v Stefano Travaglia (ITA) Jason Kubler v Guido Pella (ARG) John-Patrick Smith v Andreas Seppi (ITA)
Women’s singles, first round
Ajla Tomljanovic v 10-Madison Keys (USA)
Jordan Thompson leads the Aussie charge on Day 1. Source: Getty Images
LIVE SCORES & STREAM
Full Wimbledon live scores in Fox Sports’ tennis match centre
Matches: 17-Lucas Pouille (FRA) v Denis Kudla (USA), Johanna Larsson (SWE) vs 9-Venus Williams (USA), Gael Monfils (FRA) v 23-Richard Gasquet (FRA), 5-Elina Svitolina (UKR) v Tatjana Maria (GER)
Fox Sports’ Wimbledon live streams home HERE.
DAY 1 SCHEDULE OF PLAY
Centre Court (1300 local/2200 AEST)
Men’s Singles - Round 1 Roger Federer (SUI x1) v Dusan Lajovic (SRB) Women’s Singles - Round 1 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x2) v Varvara Lepchenko (USA) Men’s Singles - Round 1 Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x6) v Stan Wawrinka (SUI)
Court One (1300 local/2200 AEST)
Women’s Singles - Round 1 Sloane Stephens (USA x4) v Donna Vekic (CRO) Men’s Singles - Round 1 Liam Broady v Milos Raonic (CAN x13) Women’s Singles - Round 1 Arantxa Rus (NED) v Serena Williams (USA x25)
Court Two (1130 local/2030 AEST)
Men’s Singles - Round 1 Marin Cilic (CRO x3) v Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) Women’s Singles - Round 1 Johanna Larsson (SWE) v Venus Williams (USA x9) Men’s Singles - Round 1 Gael Monfils (FRA) v Richard Gasquet (FRA x23) Women’s Singles - Round 1 Elina Svitolina (UKR) x5 v Tatjana Maria (GER)
Court Three (1130 local/2030 AEST)
Men’s Singles - Round 1 Sam Querrey (USA x11) v Jordan Thompson (AUS) Women’s Singles - Round 1 Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) v Madison Keys (USA x10) Men’s Singles - Round 1 John Isner (USA x 9) v Yannick Maden (GER) Women’s Singles - Round 1 Coco Vandeweghe (USA x16) v Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
Court 12 (1130 local/2030 AEST)
Women’s Singles - Round 1 Karolina Pliskova (CZE x7) v Harriet Dart (GBR) Men’s Singles - Round 1 Daniil Medvedev (RUS) v Borna Coric (CRO x16) Men’s Singles - Round 1 Norbert Gombos (SVK) v Kevin Anderson (RSA x8) Women’s Singles - Round 1 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) v Barbora Strycova (CZE x23)
Court 18 (1130 local/2030 AEST)
Men’s Singles - Round 1 Lucas Pouille (FRA x17) v Denis Kudla (USA) Women’s Singles - Round 1 Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) v Victoria Azarenka (BLR) Men’s Singles - Round 1 Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x31) v Gregoire Barrere (FRA) Women’s Singles - Round 1 Julia Goerges (GER x13) v Monica Puig (PUR)
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