Jessica Pegula through on Wimbledon Day One
AMERICAN teenager Coco Gauff was the first big-name casualty at Wimbledon after losing a high-quality match against qualifier Sofia Kenin.
Seventh seed Gauff lost 6-4 2-6 6-4 in the first round to compatriot Kenin, who has dropped down the rankings since winning the 2020 Australian Open.
Kenin, who has been hampered by injuries and upheaval in her coaching set-up, said she felt “super proud”.
Top seed Iga Swiatek laid down a marker with a 6-1 6-3 win over Zhu Lin.
Swiatek was dominant throughout against the Chinese world number 34, who was one of the highest-ranked players she could have faced.
Poland’s Swiatek, 22, is considered one of the favourites for the women’s title but has never managed to go beyond the fourth round on the grass in SW19.
However, the French Open and US Open champion began her quest to add another major on another surface in style.
In the build-up to Wimbledon, Swiatek talked about her intention to become an all-court player and believed she is now better prepared to challenge at the All England Club than she has been in previous years.
“Last year was a little bit more tricky because I felt rusty mentally, in terms of the focus tennis-wise, because I didn’t play any matches on grass,” said Swiatek, who won the junior title at Wimbledon in 2018.
