Katie Boulter weathered an early storm as she produced an impressive first-set comeback to overcome Tatjana Maria and tee up a second-round meeting with fellow Brit Harriet Dart at Wimbledon.
It proved to be just about as gruelling and physically demanding a first-round test as Boulter could have imagined as the British No 1 battled to a 7-6 7-5 win over two hours and seven minutes.
Boulter had looked in trouble in the opening exchanges as she trailed 3-0 and then 4-1 in the first set before rallying to clinch it on a tie-break.
Any hopes of running away with things in the second set were swiftly dashed by a resilient Maria, who for all of her craft and industry could not deny a driven Boulter from edging ahead.
“I know she made the semi-finals here a couple of years ago, I can completely see why, she’s so tough to play,” said Boulter in her post-match interview.
“I’m looking forward to the ice bath, can’t say I’ve said that before. She’s very tricky, but I know if I can get through that one it will set me up well.
“She’s such an established player and made me work so hard.”
Maria’s rangy shot selection and slice talents, coupled with 28 unforced Boulter errors, made for a rocky first set for the home favourite, who recovered emphatically to drag her opponent to a tie-break where she would hold her nerve to clinch the opener.
The world No 63 threatened again when she broke Boulter in the opening game of the second set, before the latter hit back immediately after the pair had reached deuce on four occasions.
Eventually Boulter’s class would tell in the latter stages of the set, a thumping forehand putting her 6-5 up before she sealed the victory with a stunning backhand down the line.
Awaiting her is an all-British clash with Dart, who earlier in the day had beaten China’s Zhuoxuan Bai 6-4 6-0.
“Playing a Brit in the UK on grass is never easy, I’m expecting a battle,” added Boulter.
“We’ve played a few times before, but for me it’s about playing the ball and not the person.
“We’re Billie Jean King Cup mates on the court, I have to try forget that and focus on the tennis.”
Defending champion Vondrousova knocked out
Reigning champion Marketa Vondrousova suffered a shock first-round exit as she was beaten in straight sets by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Centre Court.
Vondrousova returned to SW19 having beaten Ons Jabeur in last year’s final to become the first unseeded player to win the women’s singles tournament.
Her defence lasted just 67 minutes as she struggled to deal with an inspired Bouzas Maneiro, with the world No 83 coming through 6-4 6-2 in perhaps the biggest victory of her career.
It means Vondrousova becomes just the second defending women’s champion to exit in the first round, defeat coming on the back of a hip injury.
“It is one of the most important moments of my life,” said 21-year-old Bouzas Maneiro. “I’m surprised with myself to be honest.
“The atmosphere was so nice, so elegant, it feels like I was at home, I don’t know why.”
Swiatek cruises through
Iga Swiatek safely negotiated a potential first-round banana skin by beating fellow Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin 6-3 6-4.
The Polish top seed has yet to find her comfort zone on grass, having never reached a final on the surface, but any hopes of slowly finding her feet were dashed after the draw pitted her against the player who toppled Coco Gauff in the 2023 opening round.
Both players struggled with their serve during the early exchanges, with the first four games featuring nine break points and with both dropping serve.
Swiatek did not let that wobble stop her from taking a 3-1 lead and, after a forehand cross-court winner bagged her the first set, the four-time French Open champion sealed her 20th consecutive win on her first match point.
Jessica Pegula opened the day with an emphatic 6-2 6-0 victory over fellow American Ashlyn Krueger, before Elena Rybakina was in similarly ruthless form with a 6-3 6-1 win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
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