LONDON (AP) — Marketa Vondrousova became the first defending women’s champion at Wimbledon to lose in the first round the next year since 1994, eliminated 6-4, 6-2 by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at Centre Court on Tuesday.
Vondrousova was a surprise title winner at the All England Club 12 months ago, the first unseeded woman to claim the trophy at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
Now she enters the books in another — and less-wanted — historic way. The only other time in the sport's Open era, which dates to 1968, that a woman went from a championship at Wimbledon to an immediate exit a year later was when Steffi Graf was defeated by Lori McNeil 30 years ago.
“I was happy to be back on the Centre Court,” Vondrousova said. “It just didn’t go as planned today.”
Vondrousova was seeded No. 6 this time, but the left-hander, who was the runner-up at the 2019 French Open and a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, was never quite able to demonstrate her full game Tuesday. She appeared to still be suffering after-effects from a fall during a tuneup tournament on grass in Berlin last month that hurt her hip.
“I was a bit slower, maybe. I was a bit scared,” Vondrousova said. “But credit to her. She was playing a good match, too. I didn’t feel at my best, (but) she didn’t gave me many points for free.”
How big a deal was this for Bouzas Maneiro?
She is competing in a Grand Slam tournament for only the third time and came into the day with an 0-2 record at those events. Bouzas Maneiro also had never won a match at a tour-level grass tournament and never beaten an opponent ranked in the top 10.
"This is one of the most important moments in my life, in my career, here in this sport. This is amazing,” said Bouzas Maneiro, a 21-year-old from Spain who is ranked 83rd this week, equaling her career high.
“I was like, ‘I have no pressure. Just enjoy the moment, enjoy the tournament.’ Just trying to be free playing, and I did it, so I’m happy for that,” she said.
Vondrousova added to the series of past major title winners dropping out of the singles brackets within the first 30 hours of action at Wimbledon this year — although others did so without playing a point.
Earlier Tuesday, Andy Murray pulled out of singles because he decided he wasn't able to compete a little more than a week after having surgery to remove a cyst from his spine. His final appearance at Wimbledon, which he won in 2013 and 2016, will come in doubles alongside his older brother, Jamie.
Two seeded women who both have been ranked No. 1 and own two Australian Open championships apiece, No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 16 Victoria Azarenka, withdrew on Monday before their first-round matches because of shoulder injuries. Sabalenka was the pre-tournament favorite to take the women's title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Intermittent rain delayed matches on the outside courts more than once Tuesday, and the retractable roofs at Centre Court and No. 1 Court were shut to allow play in those two stadiums. Early winners included 2022 champion Elena Rybakina and No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula among the women, and No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz among the men.
The initial signs of trouble for Vondrousova on Tuesday came right away: She double-faulted three times in the very first game and got broken to trail 1-0.
“My serve wasn’t so good today,” Vondrousova said. “Overall, I think, I wasn’t at my best.”
She would wind up with seven double-faults, part of her total of 28 unforced errors, twice as many as Bouzas Maneiro in a match that lasted only a little more than an hour.
“I’m surprised with myself, honestly. At the beginning, I was a little bit nervous, but then ... the atmosphere was so nice," Bouzas Maneiro said. "I was comfortable here playing, and I was like at home. I don’t know why.”
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain reacts after winning a point against Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic during their first round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic reacts during her first round match against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro of Spain at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Tuesday, July 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic says he wouldn't have been surprised if his second-round match against young Jacob Fearnley at Wimbledon went to a fifth set, but he's "very glad it didn’t.”
The seven-time champion at the All England Club beat his 22-year-old Scottish opponent 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 on Centre Court on Thursday in another test of his fitness following recent knee surgery.
“Can I be playing better and moving better? Yes, absolutely,” Djokovic said in an on-court interview. “So I’m hoping that as the tournament progresses each day or each match I’ll be feeling a bit better.”
Fearnley, a wild-card entry who recently finished playing college tennis at TCU, had a strong cheering section that erupted when he took the third set.
“He served very well, it was very difficult to break his serve. He made me work, definitely,” said Djokovic, who will face Alexei Popyrin in the third round.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion said he should have closed it out in straight sets but that he "was not really comfortable in my own skin, particularly in the third and fourth.
“Sometimes you have rough days where maybe you are not feeling your best," he added, "and of course it also depends on the opponent across the net. He made me earn this victory.”
It was a big day for Britain on and off the court — with the U.K. holding a national election and several locals in the spotlight.
“It’s a great day for British tennis, and there’s no better place to do it than at home at Wimbledon,” Fearnley said. “Yeah, it’s an unbelievable tournament, unbelievable crowd.”
It got off to a rough start when wild-card entry Yuriko Lily Miyazaki won only 19 points en route to a 6-0, 6-0 loss to Daria Kasatkina.
The 28-year-old Miyazaki committed 31 unforced errors and five double-faults in falling to the No. 14-seeded Kasatkina, a Russian who won the Eastbourne title ahead of the grass-court Grand Slam.
Harriet Dart came back to beat compatriot Katie Boulter, the No. 32 seed who is Britain’s highest-ranked women’s singles player, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8). Dart trailed 6-2 in the deciding tiebreaker. Boulter compiled 75 unforced errors and 39 winners.
Later on Centre Court, Andy Murray was set to play doubles with his brother, Jamie. The two-time Wimbledon champion pulled out of the singles competition.
Top-seeded Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 21 matches with her 6-4, 6-3 victory over Petra Martic.
No. 5 Jessica Pegula become the highest-seeded women’s player to lose. The American was defeated by Wang Xinyu 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-1. For Wang, it was her first victory over a top-10 player.
Two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka was the No. 3 seed at Wimbledon before she pulled out before the first round because of a shoulder injury.
Kasatkina will next face Paula Badosa, who advanced Thursday by beating Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-2.
Ons Jabeur, the No. 10 seed who reached the past two Wimbledon finals, eliminated 19-year-old American Robin Montgomery 6-1, 7-5.
A handful of other Americans advanced, though, on U.S. Independence Day.
No. 11 Danielle Collins beat Dalma Galfi 6-3, 6-4, No. 12 Madison Keys topped Wang Yafan 6-2, 6-2, and Bernarda Pera came back to beat No. 23 Caroline Garcia 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
“I've always really loved playing during the Fourth of July. I think I've spent more Fourths of Julys in London than anywhere else in the world,” the 29-year-old Keys said. “It's always fun, and it's definitely an experience. Like today walking by I saw a bunch of Americans, and they all said, ‘Happy Fourth.’”
No. 14 Ben Shelton outlasted Lloyd Harris of South Africa 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (10-7). Arthur Fils also advanced to the third round when No. 7 Hubert Hurkacz retired in the fourth set because of a leg injury. They were in a fourth-set tiebreaker after Fils won the first two sets and Hurkacz took the third.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Ben Shelton of the United States celebrates after defeating Lloyd Harris of South Africa in their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy)
Iga Swiatek of Poland reacts after defeating Petra Martic of Croatia in their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Iga Swiatek of Poland plays a forehand return to Petra Martic of Croatia during their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a forehand return to Britain's Jacob Fearnley during their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a forehand return to Britain's Jacob Fearnley during their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic falls during his second round match against Britain's Jacob Fearnley at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Supporters of Britain's Jacob Fearnley plays a forehand return during his second round match against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Supporters of Britain's Jacob Fearnley react from his players box during his second round match against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Britain's Jacob Fearnley plays a forehand return to Serbia's Novak Djokovic during their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a backhand return to Britain's Jacob Fearnley during their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic plays a forehand return to Britain's Jacob Fearnley during their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Serbia's Novak Djokovic reacts after winning a point against Britain's Jacob Fearnley during their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Madison Keys of the United States plays a forehand return to Yafan Wang of China during their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Madison Keys of the United States plays a forehand return to Yafan Wang of China during their second round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
