The seven-time champion Serena Williams was knocked out of the first round of Wimbledon 2022 by Harmony Tan. Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal scraped through to the second round.
Highlights:
- Serena Williams is out of Wimbledon 2022.
- Rafael Nadal wins against Francisco Cerundolo and moves to the next round.
- Nick Kyrgios wins against the local wildcard Paul Jubb.
The much-awaited Wimbledon 2022 kickstarted on Monday, 27 June, at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams made a comeback to the grass-court after pulling out of the Championships last year. However, after a valiant fight, she succumbed to the French debutant Harmony Tan.
Williams, who retired hurt last year against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, went through a 3-hour 11 minutes high octane center court match against Tan. The unseeded French debutant defeated the 40-year-old in 7-5 1-6 7-6(7) sets. Speaking at the post-match interview, Williams dismissed any retirement speculations. She said she is motivated to perform better at the US open later this year. On her win against Williams, Tan said, “I’m so emotional now. She’s a superstar. When I was young, I watched her so many times on the TV.”
Nadal beats Cerundolo:
After a scare from Francisco Cerundolo, Rafael Nadal came back stronger to win his first round in Wimbledon 2022. The Spaniard advanced to the second round for the 14th time after a 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win. After winning the first two sets, Nadal fought hard in the third set, dominated by Cerundolo. Advancing to the fourth set, the Argentine put his strong foot forward and won the first game. However, Nadal showcased his fighting spirit to win the game. The second seed is aiming for his 23rd grand slam title and will face Ricardas Berankis in his next round. In his on-court interview, Nadal praised Cerundolo for being a tough opponent.
Kyrgios advances to the second round:
In a fiery battle, Nick Kyrgios defeated the local wildcard Paul Jubb 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5.
Unhappy with the local crowd, Nick told the rowdy critics: “That one’s for you — you know who you are.” The Australian went on to complain about the umpire’s decision during the match and called the line umpire a ‘snitch’. Later in the press conference, he added that the game was fun against Jubb.
Action-packed Wednesday:
Fan favorites Andy Murray, Emma Raducanu, and Novak Djokovic are back on Wednesday for their second round in the Wimbledon 2022. Djokovic, who overcame the challenge of Kwon Soon-woo with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory, is set to return on Wednesday to meet Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Leading the British charge, Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu, the local favorites make their way to the center court on Wednesday. Murray, who emerged victorious against Australia’s James Duckworth, faces the American John Isner in his second round. The two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray says he hasn’t set any targets at Wimbledon this year. Murray, who hasn’t reached the second round in five years, says it’s going to be a challenge to face Isner on the grass courts.
Meanwhile, the US Open champion Raducanu battles it out against France’s world No 55 Caroline Garcia in the second round on Wednesday. With a straight-set win against Alison Van Uytvanck in the opening round, Emma eyes her next win today. The 19-year-old said that Caroline is a great opponent and she’s ready for the match. Garcia defeated the British wildcard Yuriko Miyazaki on Monday. Raducanu and Murray are spar-heading the British charge in this year of the Championships.
The Wimbledon 2022 started on 27 June and continues till 10 July 2022.
