Iga Swiatek began where she’d left off a month ago at the French Open on Tuesday. The world no. 1 defeated Jana Fett 6-0, 6-3 in the first round of the 2022 Wimbledon to claim her 36th win on the go. The Pole needed an hour and 15 minutes to wrap up the win.
As has become a norm for her, Swiatek began the match by dictating the points and the pace of play to which her opponent had no answers. She wrapped up the first set in 33 minutes. The second set, however, unfolded ominously for the two-time French Open titlist.
Wimbledon: Maria Sakkari takes charge
Both players traded breaks to start the set but Swiatek went down a second break in the third game to give Fett a 2-1 lead in the match. On her part, the Czech didn’t fail to consolidate the break the second time around and went on to secure a 3-1 lead for herself.
Swiatek faced – and overcame – five more break points in the fifth game which involved her coming from 0-40 down to keep the deficit to a single break of serve. From the next game onwards, the world’s top-ranked player went about doing course corrections to the proceedings.
First, she secured the break back to level the set at three-all and then won the last three games to move into the second round. Swiatek won 61% of first-serve points to Fett’s 56%. The Pole was also able to win a huge chunk of second-serve return points – 76%, which helped her gain the momentum even after she seemed to have lost it briefly.
Swiatek had 10 winners and 13 unforced errors to Fett’s seven winners and 23 unforced errors. In the second round, Swiatek will play Dutch lucky loser, Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove. Pattinama Kerkhove beat British wildcard, Sonay Kartal, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in their first-round match.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff who played the French Open final against Swiatek came through a tough opener against Elena-Gabriela Ruse. The American, seeded 11th, shrugged off the loss of the opening set to post a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over the Romanian in two hours and 29 minutes.
Gauff will play another Romanian, Mihaela Buzarnescu in the round-of-64. Buzarnescu defeated German qualifier, Nastasia Schunk, 6-4, 6-2 in their opening-round match. Lastly, fifth seed Maria Sakkari whose first-round match against Australian Zoe Hives was postponed to Tuesday from Monday to due also made it through to the second round at Wimbledon.
The Greek won 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and 18 minutes. Next up for Sakkari is Viktoriya Tomova. The Bulgarian also beat an Australian, Daria Saville, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in the first round. Photo Credit: Wimbledon Twitter 
