Nerves hit Kvitova in bit of a shock
Wimbledon two-time champion bundled out in first round
Two-time champion Petra Kvitova made a stunning first-round exit from Wimbledon as she lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 to unseeded Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus. The eighthseeded Kvitova entered the tournament as one of the favourites despite having withdrawn ahead of the third round at Eastbourne last week with a right hamstring complaint.
However, that didn’t appear to be affecting her as she rallied to level the match by winning the second of two closely fought sets.
Despite the 2011 and 2014 champion being vastly more experienced than Sasnovich — who has never been beyond the third round at a Grand Slam — Kvitova was the one overcome by nerves in the deciding set.
“The nerves were there again,” Kvitova said. “I just tried to kind of fight with myself.”
Kvitova wasn’t the only former champion to falter — with Maria Sharapova beaten in three sets (6-7, 7-6, 6-4) by fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko. The 132nd-ranked Diatchenko had never been past the first round at Wimbledon.
After losing just one set on her way to the Wimbledon title a year ago, Garbine Muguruza picked up exactly where she left off, beating British wildcard Naomi Broady 6-2, 7-5.
The No 3-seeded Muguruza saved the only break point she faced and could have ended the encounter more swiftly had she taken advantage of her own chances.
“I’m pretty happy with my serve and controlling the emotions,” Muguruza said.
“You know, to be back in a Grand Slam is always difficult, so I’m excited with the way I’m playing.”
The 2016 French Open champion quickly dispelled any thoughts of an upset by breaking Broady’s opening service game, and did it again to take the first set 6-2. Broady saved six break points in the second set before succumbing to Muguruza’s constant pressure in the 12th game.
The Spaniard failed to build on her dominant display at last year’s Wimbledon as she exited the US Open in the second round and this year’s Australian Open in the fourth.
However, her best tennis — and both of her Grand Slam titles — have come during the European summer, and a run to the French Open semifinals last month suggests that may be the case once more.
Only an inspired performance from eventual champion Simona Halep knocked her out at Roland Garros, and with grass being better suited to Muguruza, she is a major contender at Wimbledon. “The fact that it’s different surfaces, it helps,” Muguruza said. Her next opponent will be unseeded Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck.
The top-seeded Halep, playing her first match since winning the French Open, recorded a comfortable 6-2, 6-4 win over Japan’s Kurumi Nara.
Johanna Konta, who knocked out Halep on the way to the semifinals a year ago, made it through to the second round by defeating Natalia Vikhlyantseva of Russia 7-5, 7-6 (7).
Australian trio Daria Gavrilova, Ashleigh Barty, and Samantha Stosur all advanced with straightforward wins.
There were also surprise defeats on the men’s side of the draw as both David Goffin and Dominic Thiem lost.
The 51st-ranked Matthew Ebden upset 10th-seeded Goffin of Belgium 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, before seventh-seeded Thiem retired hurt with his opponent, Marcos Baghdatis, leading 6-4, 7-5, 2-0. American Jack Sock, seeded 18th, was up by two sets but still lost 6-7 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 to Matteo Berrettini.
There were no such difficulties for former champions Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who both won in straight sets.
Nadal moved into the second round with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win over Dudi Sela of Israel, while Djokovic eased past Tennys Sandgren of the United States 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
The second-seeded Nadal hadn’t played a match since claiming his 11th French Open title last month, but showed little sign of rust as he cruised to victory against Sela.
Djokovic earned his 59th match victory at the All England Club.
That puts him level with John McEnroe in fifth place on the all-time list, behind only Roger Federer, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker and Pete Sampras.