Swan lauds Murray’s influence as she records career-best result

Katie Swan hailed Andy Murray for his role in her breakthrough Wimbledon victory – then insisted she is just getting started.

Swan swept past world number 36 Irina-camelia Begu 6-2, 6-2 for the finest win of her fledgling career to reach the second round of a grand slam for the first time.

The 19-year-old world number 201 recently signed to two-time Wimbledon win- ner Murray’s agency 77 Sports Management and thanked the 31-year-old again for his support after her composed and controlled victory.

Pocketing £63,000 for her win, Swan – the only British winner on day one – will next face another Romanian in 29th seed Mihaela Buzarnescu.

Swan said of Murray: “He’s been so nice, he helped me with finding Diego (Veronelli) as my coach. Every couple of weeks he’d be asking me about how things were going and 0 Katie Swan: Composed win over Irina-camelia Begu. how the set-up was. We went out to lunch once and had a team dinner in Eastbourne. It’s so nice and almost surreal being in his company, he was my idol growing up.

“Winning here is something that I’ve dreamed about since I was a little girl. But it’s the first round.

“I’m really happy that I managed to come through, but it isn’t the end. I still want to win my next match. I want to enjoy the moment now, then I’ll get ready for the next one. I definitely want to keep going.”

Bristol-born Swan insisted she had to fight to keep the nerves in check as she overcame Romania’s Begu, making light of conceding 165 places in the world rankings on Court 14.

Swan admitted she is yet to think too hard about the next round, but admitted she would relish appearing on a major show court.

“I think the bigger crowd will help me actually,” said Swan. “I played on Court One in Eastbourne last week, which is also a pretty big court. I’m not going to be playing a British girl, it’s going to be fun, I think.”