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Day 2 of Wimbledon is in the books, and while Ashleigh Barty and Roger Federer both survived major scares on Centre Court, Serena Williams may have made her final bow at the All England Club.
Kicking off play on Centre Court, Barty was drawn against the most dangerous unseeded opponent in veteran Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, who after initially retiring last year, recovered from cancer and chose to play one final season on the WTA Tour.
The world number one lived up to pre-match expectations and raced away to win the first set 6-1 in just 25 minutes, and looked to be in for an easy day in the office when she served for the match at 5-4 in the second.
However, Suarez Navarro, who has beaten at least six Major champions at the Grand Slams – among then Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Sam Stosur – broke back and forced a tiebreak, which she dominated 7-1 to force a deciding set.
Any fears that Barty would become the first top seed to lose in the first round at SW19 since Martina Hingis in 2001, and at any major since Simona Halep at the 2018 US Open, were quickly extinguished; she won the final set by the same scoreline which she won the first, 6-1.
It was a welcome return to form for the 25-year-old Queenslander, who was forced to retire hurt in her second-round match against Magda Linette at the French Open due to a hip injury, and also highlighted her recent strong record in three-set matches.
But it was the Australian’s conduct post-match that made headlines, joining the crowd in applause as Suarez Navarro left Centre Court, and by extension the All England Club, for the final time.
A touching moment
It's been a pleasure, @CarlaSuarezNava ???? ????#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/3JrMwkjkts
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 29, 2021
Eight-time men’s champion Roger Federer followed on Centre Court, and while he started as the prohibitive favourite to defeat French veteran Adrian Mannarino, he’d be in for a rude shock after taking the first set.
The 33-year-old Frenchman, who has reached the fourth round at Wimbledon three times, took the second set in a tiebreak then claimed the third by 6-3 to lead by two sets to one.
Federer, however, hit back in the fourth, winning it 6-2 before Mannarino was forced to retire at the start of the deciding set due to a knee injury.
The Swiss maestro, who turns 40 on the day of the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony, will next face another Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, in the second round.
The final scheduled match on Centre Court was also a truncated affair, after Serena Williams suffered an ankle injury in the first set of her match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich and was consequently forced to retire at 3-3.
Her first-round retirement has again put her bid to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 major singles titles on hold, and has prompted fears she will not return to the All England Club next year, with her 40th birthday approaching.
Serena Williams retires in the first round at Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
Already the American has indicated that she will not participate at the Tokyo Olympics, so she will now turn her focus to the US Open, which will just about be her final shot at equalling Court’s record.
Afterwards, Andy Murray slammed the slippery surface on Centre Court, while Sasnovich expressed sympathy for the American, saying: “I’m so sad for Serena, she is a great champion. It happens sometimes in tennis, but all the best to her.”
Brutal for @serenawilliams but centre court is extremely slippy out there. Not easy to move out there.
— Andy Murray (@andy_murray) June 29, 2021
In other matches, Alex de Minaur lost in four sets to American Sebastian Korda, the son of former Australian Open champion Petr Korda; while the match between Nick Kyrgios and Ugo Humbert was suspended at 3-3 in the final set as the Wimbledon curfew kicked in.
De Minaur arrived at Wimbledon having won his first grass court title in Eastbourne last week, but was served off the court by Korda, who won in four sets to advance to the second round in a section already decimated by the first-day departure of third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Second seed Daniil Medvedev and fourth seed Alexander Zverev also reached the second round in the men’s draw, while reigning French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, 25th seed Angelique Kerber and American teen sensation Coco Gauff also advanced to round two.
Due to persistent rain, there is still a massive backlog of first-round matches to be completed, including a men’s tie between Chris O’Connell and Gael Monfils which was suspended for a second time, at 2-3 in the final set.
Wimbledon authorities had already planned to scrap the traditional Middle Sunday rest day from next year, but if the typically poor weather at the tournament continues, then we may have play on this day for the fifth time (after 1991, 1997, 2004 and 2016).
Among the matches to watch tonight include a rematch of the 2018 final between Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson, which will be the first match scheduled on Centre Court. That is scheduled to begin at 10:30pm (AEST).
Two-time men’s champion Andy Murray also returns to Centre Court for a clash against qualifier Oscar Otte, while women’s second seed Aryna Sabalenka takes on another Brit in wildcard Katie Boulter.
On court one, Elina Svitolina will face Alison van Uytvanck, before Nick Kyrgios and Ugo Humbert complete their suspended tie, which remains delicately poised at 3-3 in the final set.
Kyrgios is hoping to continue a strong record against left-handed players at the majors, where he is seven from nine (with the two losses being against Rafael Nadal).
Former Major champions Bianca Andreescu, Venus Williams, Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek are also in action, with the latter facing 2010 finalist Vera Zvonareva.
Centre Court – play starts at 10:30pm AEST
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs Kevin Anderson (RSA)
Katie Boulter (GBR) vs [2] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
Oscar Otte (GER) vs Andy Murray (GBR)
No.1 Court – play starts at 10pm AEST
[3] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs Alison van Uytvanck (BEL)
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) vs [21] Ugo Humbert (FRA) – to finish 6–3, 4–6, 3–6, 6–1, 3–3
[22] Dan Evans (GBR) vs Dusan Lajovic (SRB)
[21] Ons Jabeur (TUN) vs Venus Williams (USA)
No.2 Court – play starts at 8pm AEST
Alize Cornet (FRA) vs [5] Bianca Andreescu (CAN)
Lucas Pouille (FRA) vs [29] Cameron Norrie (GBR) – to finish 7–6 (8–6)
[16] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs Thiago Monteiro (BRA)
[7] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
Madison Brengle (USA) vs [4] Sofia Kenin (USA)
No.3 Court – play starts at 11:00am (8:00pm AEST)
[7] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs Guido Pella (ARG)
Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs [18] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)
[9] Belinda Bencic (SUI) vs Kaja Juvan (SLO)
Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove (NED) vs [11] Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
For the full order of play for Day 3, please check the Wimbledon website. You can find out how to stream every match of the tournament here on The Roar.
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