The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Konta and Watson advance
Two through, but fellow Britons Robson and Broady fall at first hurdle
World No 1 Andy Murray put injury concerns aside as he eased through the first match of his Wimbledon campaign against Alexander Bublik yesterday. The Scot beat the Kazakhstan player 6-1 6-4 6-2. For the full story and more Wimbledon coverage
Johanna Konta and Heather Watson booked places in the second round with opening day wins in the women’s singles yesterday.
For Laura Robson and Naomi Broady, though, it was first round frustration as they bowed out in straight sets defeats.
Konta has been tipped as a genuine contender for the title this year and took a step closer by beating world No 113 Hsieh Su-wei 6-2 6-2.
With the pregnant Serena Williams absent and Maria Sharapova injured, the women’s draw is wide open for a rising star like Konta, who is now bidding to reach the third round at SW19 for the first time in six attempts.
The world No 7 insists she feels no extra pressure at Wimbledon but admits she would enjoy securing the game some extra attention this summer.
“I know we’re in an unfortunate situation that tennis is mainly on the map here during this period of the season for us,” Konta said.
“However, I play my career in a tennis season context, so I don’t live my career for this fortnight particularly. I live it for the whole season and try to really perform the best that I can in every event that I enter.
“That said, I definitely would like to be involved here for the full fortnight to help put tennis on the map much more.
“But I think Andy (Murray) has done a pretty tremendous job of doing that.”
Watson continued her fine form on grass with a 6-1 7-6 (7-5) victory over Belgium’s Maryna Zanevska.
Broady was given a wild card for the main draw at the All England Club but was beaten 6-4 6-2 by Romania’s IrinaCamelia Begu and followed compatriot Robson in crashing out.
Robson, also playing on a wild card after slipping to 189 in the world, tumbled out 6-4 6-2 to Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Venus Williams stayed focused on the task at hand as she began her 20th Wimbledon with a straight-sets victory.
The American has been champion five times and battled out a 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 win against Belgium’s Elise Mertens.
The 37-year-old’s preparations have been far from routine this year.
Williams has said she is “heartbroken” over a fatal car crash in the United States last month which led to the death of a 78-year-old man. She has chosen to play on, and showed her on-court resilience in coming through the opening test.
It came against a player who was not born when Williams made professional debut in 1994.
Second seed Simona Halep had a much smoother path, the Romanian beating New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-4 6-1, while Ukrainian fourth seed Elina Svitolina fended off the expected stiff challenge from Australian grasscourt specialist Ashleigh Barty, coming through a 7-5 7-6 (10-8) winner.
American Madison Keys revealed she had defied advice from those close to her to stay away following wrist surgery after beating Japan’s Nao Hibino 6-4 6-2.
Two-time former champion Petra Kvitova made an emotional return, earning a 6-3 6-4 win over Swede Johanna Larsson.
An attack in her home in December left Kvitova with severe injuries to her her left hand, and the fear she would never play again. But she is recovering well and received a warm welcome from the Centre Court crowd. “It was very special,” Kvitova said. Newly-crowned French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko won a see-saw clash with Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich, as the Latvian came through 6-0 1-6 6-3, while Slovakian eighth seed Dominika Cibulkova beat German Andrea Petkovic 9-7 in a deciding set.
Former runner-up Eugenie Bouchard folded to a 1-6 6-1 6-1 defeat against 25th seed Carla Suarez Navarro while there was a win to savour for former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka, playing her first grand slam since becoming a mother.
The Belarusian marked her return with a 3-6 6-2 6-1 win over American CiCi Bellis.
Dustin Brown lamented the demise of attacking tennis on Wimbledon’s slowing grass as he prepared to face Andy Murray.
TheGerman-Jamaican is one of the game’s great entertainers with his flowing dreadlocks and willingness to charge the net.
Brown pulled off a trademark diving volley winner in his first-round victory over Joao Sousa yesterday, setting up a secondround clash with the world No 1.
But he believes Wimbledon’s grass no longer helps him as much as it should, with the days of serve-andvolley dominance long gone.
“Every surface has its own characteristics, and Wimbledon and grass courts should be faster,” he said.
“I had the feeling even the last couple of tournaments I played that sometimes playing at the French Open might even be a little faster, just from the balls and the courts.
“That’s a little sad, because personally I think a lot of guys that are attacking and playing serve and volley, Feliciano Lopez or Gilles Muller, are playing a lot less serve and volley.”
Murray and Brown have only met once before, seven years ago at the US Open, when the Scot won easily.
Brown famously beat Rafael Nadal in the second round two years ago and knows he will again have to play the unfamiliar role of crowd villain.
He said: “I think it’s a pretty similar match to when I played Rafa out there. I try not to worry too much. I’m hoping no one is going to boo me.
“Either way he’s the favourite. I can be pretty relaxed and try and play my game. If I lose in three sets, no one is going to worry. I will just go out there and try my best.”