LONDON (AP) — Marketa Vondrousova turned the primary defending girls’s champion at Wimbledon to lose within the first spherical the following 12 months since 1994, eradicated 6-4, 6-2 by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at Centre Court docket on Tuesday.
Vondrousova was a shock title winner on the All England Membership 12 months in the past, the primary unseeded girl to assert the trophy on the grass-court Grand Slam match.
Now she enters the books in one other — and less-wanted — historic approach. The one different time within the sport’s Open period, which dates to 1968, {that a} girl went from a championship at Wimbledon to a right away exit a 12 months later was when Steffi Graf was defeated by Lori McNeil 30 years in the past.
“I used to be completely happy to be again on the Centre Court docket,” Vondrousova mentioned. “It simply didn’t go as deliberate at present.”
Vondrousova was seeded No. 6 this time, however the left-hander, who was the runner-up on the 2019 French Open and a silver medalist on the Tokyo Olympics three years in the past, was by no means fairly in a position to exhibit her full sport Tuesday. She appeared to nonetheless be struggling after-effects from a fall throughout a tuneup match on grass in Berlin final month that harm her hip.
“I used to be a bit slower, possibly. I used to be a bit scared,” Vondrousova mentioned. “However credit score to her. She was enjoying match, too. I didn’t really feel at my finest, (however) she didn’t gave me many factors totally free.”
How large a deal was this for Bouzas Maneiro?
She is competing in a Grand Slam match for less than the third time and got here into the day with an 0-2 file at these occasions. Bouzas Maneiro additionally had by no means gained a match at a tour-level grass match and by no means crushed an opponent ranked within the prime 10.
“This is among the most essential moments in my life, in my profession, right here on this sport. That is superb,” mentioned Bouzas Maneiro, a 21-year-old from Spain who’s ranked 83rd this week, equaling her profession excessive.
“I used to be like, ‘I’ve no stress. Simply benefit from the second, benefit from the match.’ Simply attempting to be free enjoying, and I did it, so I’m completely happy for that,” she mentioned.
Vondrousova added to the collection of previous main title winners dropping out of the singles brackets throughout the first 30 hours of motion at Wimbledon this 12 months — though others did so with out enjoying a degree.
Earlier Tuesday, Andy Murray pulled out of singles as a result of he determined he wasn’t in a position to compete a bit greater than every week after having surgical procedure to take away a cyst from his backbone. His ultimate look at Wimbledon, which he gained in 2013 and 2016, will are available doubles alongside his older brother, Jamie.
Two seeded girls who each have been ranked No. 1 and personal two Australian Open championships apiece, No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 16 Victoria Azarenka, withdrew on Monday earlier than their first-round matches due to shoulder accidents. Sabalenka was the pre-tournament favourite to take the ladies’s title, in response to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Intermittent rain delayed matches on the skin courts greater than as soon as Tuesday, and the retractable roofs at Centre Court docket and No. 1 Court docket had been shut to permit play in these two stadiums. No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev misplaced, whereas winners on Day 2 included No. 1 Iga Swiatek, 2022 champion Elena Rybakina and No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula among the many girls, and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev and No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz among the many males.
For Djokovic, his 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win in opposition to qualifier Vit Kopriva was the primary match since having surgical procedure to restore a torn meniscus in his proper knee on June 5.
“Clearly began a bit bit extra cautious, I might say. I didn’t actually possibly go for sure pictures 100% … (in) the primary set,” mentioned Djokovic, who wore a grey sleeve on his proper knee. “I performed, I feel, simply sufficient to win confidently in straight units. I felt like because the match progressed, I moved higher.”
The preliminary indicators of hassle for Vondrousova on Tuesday got here straight away: She double-faulted 3 times within the very first sport and obtained damaged to path 1-0.
“My serve wasn’t so good at present,” Vondrousova mentioned. “General, I feel, I wasn’t at my finest.”
She would wind up with seven double-faults, a part of her complete of 28 unforced errors, twice as many as Bouzas Maneiro in a match that lasted solely a bit greater than an hour.
“I’m shocked with myself, actually. Firstly, I used to be a bit bit nervous, however then … the ambiance was so good,” Bouzas Maneiro mentioned. “I used to be comfy right here enjoying, and I used to be like at house. I don’t know why.”
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis