Assured performance from Muguruza, Latest Tennis News - The New Paper
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Assured performance from Muguruza

Spanish holder begins campaign with easy win over Briton's Broady

Defending champion Garbine Muguruza opened up traditional "ladies day" on Wimbledon's Centre Court with a 6-2, 7-5 win over British wildcard Naomi Broady in the first round yesterday.

Since the pair last contested a match seven years ago, Muguruza has gone on to become a two-time Grand Slam champion and the Spaniard produced an assured performance to dispatch the 138th-ranked Broady.

Broady, who saved eight of the 11 break-points she faced, survived a match-point on her serve in the 10th game to the delight of the cheering fans, but the third seed made no mistake two games later as she wrapped up the win.

Muguruza will play Belgium's Alison van Uytvanck in the second round.

Meanwhile, Britain's Johanna Konta made hard work of beating 103rd-ranked Russian Natalia Vikhlyantseva 7-5 7-6 (9/7).

Konta, a semi-finalist last year, lost control of a match she seemed to have in her pocket and was mightily relieved to escape a sticky Court Two with victory, having squandered five match-points in the second-set tie-break.

"First rounds are always tricky. The conditions were tricky, breezy and gusty, it didn't make it easy," said Konta, who was beaten by Venus Williams in the semis last year.

"I am playing this championship independent of what happened last year. I am a littler wiser this year, working hard to be here for a full two weeks."

Her next hurdle is experienced Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova.

In the men's field, German fourth seed Alexander Zverev eased past injury-plagued James Duckworth of Australia 7-5, 6-2, 6-0.

Zverev, who made the last 16 in 2017, goes on to face Taylor Fritz of the United States.

Duckworth, ranked 748th in the world, was playing just his fifth event of the year, having featured in just one match in the whole of 2017 after undergoing foot surgery.

Earlier yesterday morning, Stan Wawrinka stunned Bulgarian sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov 1-6, 7-6(7/3), 7-6(7/5), 6-4 to reach the second round.

Wawrinka faces Italian qualifier Thomas Fabbiano next.

Last night, the other men's seeds such as Rafael Nadal (x2), Juan Martin del Potro (x5), Nick Krygios (x15) and Kyle Edmund (x21) all progressed to the second round.

Nadal beat Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, del Potro defeated Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, while Kyrgios beat Denis Istomin 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.

Edmund, who beat Alex Bolt 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, was pleased to wrap up the win in less than two hours.

He couldn't wait to watch the England football team's World Cup last-16 match against Colombia this morning (Singapore time).

"Everyone can get off to watch the England match tonight," he said. - REUTERS, AFP

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

MEN'S SINGLES, 2ND ROUND

  • Roger Federer (x1) v Lukas Lacko
  • Marin Cilic (x3) v Guido Pella
  • Andreas Seppi v Kevin Anderson (x8)

WOMEN'S SINGLES, 2ND ROUND

  • Caroline Wozniacki (x2) v Ekaterina Makarova
  • Madison Keys (x10) v Luksika Kumkhum
  • Serena Williams (x25) v Viktoriya Tomova
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