Nadal makes winning start at Wimbledon as Swiatek claims historic victory

Rafael Nadal launched his quest for a third Wimbledon title with a 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-4 victory over debutant Francisco Cerundolo on Tuesday.

The Spaniard, who was champion here in 2008 and 2010, was appearing in his first match on the hallowed SW19 turf since 2019.

Having already captured the Australian Open and French Open crowns this season, Nadal is aiming to become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to win a Calendar Grand Slam.

The 36-year-old, who can become the first male player to win at least three majors on all surfaces, is also looking to be crowned the oldest Wimbledon champion of the Open Era.

Nadal was made to work hard against Argentina’s Cerundolo, but eventually prevailed in four sets for his 306th career win in a Slam; a tally only bettered by Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic.

There was no joy for Williams, who was ousted in a deciding-set tie-break by debutant Harmony Tan.

Making her 80th appearance in a Slam main draw, the seven-time Wimbledon champion suffered only her third first-round defeat as Tan recovered from 4-0 down in the tie-break to win 7-5 1-6 7-6(7).

Elsewhere, the red-hot Iga Swiatek continued her rich vein of form; launching her quest for a maiden All England Club triumph by easing past Jana Fett 6-0 6-3.

The winner of six successive ATP titles this year, the top seed recorded her 36th straight victory, becoming the first female player to achieve the feat since Martina Hingis in 1997.

Champion in Mallorca last week, Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his momentum by avoiding a third consecutive first-round exit at SW19.

The fourth seed saw off Alexander Ritschard 7-6(1) 6-3 5-7 6-4 to extend his record tally of victories on the ATP in 2022 to 41 matches.

However, sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime did fall at the first hurdle; going down 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(9) 7-6(5) against Maxime Cressy.

The American marked his Wimbledon debut in style by also recording a first career top-10 victory.

Home favourite Dan Evans also bowed out in straight sets against Jason Kubler, while 2021 semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov needed five to scrape past Arthur Rinderknech

Eastbourne champion Taylor Fritz endured no such difficulties as he soared past Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 6-4 6-3, and Diego Schwartzman and Alex De Minaur also advanced in straight sets against Stefan Kozlov and Hugo Dellien respectively.

There were also no problems for Maria Sakkari as the fifth seed overcame Zoe Hives 6-1 6-4, while fourth seed Paula Badosa took just 56 minutes to see off Louisa Chirico 6-2 6-1.

Returning to the All England Club for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2019, Simona Halep enjoyed a commanding 6-3 6-2 win over 2021 quarter-finalist Karolina Muchova, but Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic suffered a second straight first-round exit at the hands of Qiang Wang.

French Open runner-up Coco Gauff came from behind to defeat Elena-Gabriela Ruse 2-6 6-3 7-5, and become only the fifth female player since 2000 to win 25 main-draw matches at Grand Slam tournaments before turning 19.

Two-time winner Petra Kvitova also recovered from a set down to build on the momentum of her Eastbourne triumph last weekend by overcoming Jasmine Paolini 2-6 6-4 6-2.

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Wimbledon 2022 Day Two Results

Tuesday June 28

Centre Court
Iga Swiatek 6-0 6-3 Jana Fett
Francisco Cerundolo 4-6 3-6 6-3 4-6 Rafael Nadal
Serena Williams v Harmony Tan

No.1 Court
Alex De Minaur 6-1 6-3 7-5 Hugo Dellien
Tamara Korpatsch 7-6(7) 5-7 2-6 Heather Watson
Karolina Muchova 3-6 2-6 Simona Halep
Alexander Ritschard 6-7(1) 3-6 7-5 4-6 Stefanos Tsitsipas

No.2 Court
Steve Johnson 4-6 5-2 Ret. Grigor Dimitrov
Coco Gauff 2-6 6-3 7-5 Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Jasmine Paolini 6-2 4-6 2-6 Petra Kvitova
Jason Kubler 6-1 6-4 6-3 Daniel Evans

No.3 Court
Maria Sakkari 6-1 6-4 Zoe Hives
Paul Jubb 6-3 1-6 5-7 7-6(3) 5-7 Nick Kyrgios
Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6(5) 4-6 6-7(9) 6-7(5) Maxime Cressy
Tereza Martincova v Karolina Pliskova

Court 12
Ryan Peniston 6-4 6-3 6-2 Henri Laaksonen
Belinda Bencic 4-6 7-5 2-6 Qiang Wang
Paula Badosa 6-2 6-1 Louisa Chirico
Zizou Bergs 4-6 4-6 6-7(4) Jack Draper
Lorenzo Musetti 4-6 4-6 3-6 Taylor Fritz

Court 18
Marta Kostyuk 4-6 6-4 6-4 Katie Swan
Jay Clarke 6-7(3) 1-6 6-7(6) Christian Harrison
Elias Ymer 3-6 5-7 4-6 Cristian Garin
Stefan Kozlov 3-6 2-6 2-6 Diego Schwartzman
Clara Burel 5-7 3-6 Katie Boulter

Court 4
Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-4 6-2 Nastasja Schunk
Pedro Martinez 6-4 4-6 4-6 1-6 Alex Molcan
Feliciano Lopez 2-6 3-6 3-6 Botic Van De Zandschulp
Camila Giorgi 6-7(4) 1-6 Magdalena Frech

Court 5
Claire Liu 7-5 6-3 Nuria Parrizas Diaz
Carlos Taberner 6-7(5) 4-6 4-6 Reilly Opelka
Sam Querrey 4-6 5-7 3-6 Ricardas Berankis
Filip Krajinovic 5-7 6-4 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 6-4 Jiri Lehecka
Rebecca Peterson 5-7 6-0 3-6 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova

Court 6
Daria Saville 5-7 6-3 5-7 Viktoriya Tomova
Zdenek Kolar 3-6 3-6 1-6 Benjamin Bonzi
Irina Bara 6-2 6-4 Chloe Paquet
Dennis Novak 7-6(7) 2-6 6-4 6-3 Facundo Bagnis

Court 7
Marc-Andrea Huesler 3-6 6-7(0) 7-6(5) 6-2 4-6 Hugo Grenier
Kirsten Flipkens 7-5 6-2 Jaimee Fourlis
Brandon Nakashima 6-3 6-7(1) 6-3 6-2 Nicola Kuhn
Shelby Rogers 2-6 6-7(5) Petra Martic

Court 8
Viktorija Golubic 6-4 6-3 Andrea Petkovic
Daniel Altmaier 3-6 5-7 5-7 Mikael Ymer
Xinyu Wang 3-6 4-6 Amanda Anisimova
Roberto Carballes Baena 4-6 1-6 1-6 Jordan Thompson
Daniel Elahi Galan 6-4 7-5 7-6(1) Dominik Koepfer

Court 9
Yanina Wickmayer 6-4 6-2 Lin Zhu
Madison Brengle 2-6 5-7 Lauren Davis
Alexei Popyrin 2-6 6-4 6-0 6-7(3) 3-6 Hugo Gaston
Attila Balazs 1-6 0-6 3-6 Roberto Bautista Agut

Court 10
Alize Cornet 6-3 7-6(5) Yulia Putintseva
Mikhail Kukushkin 3-6 2-6 3-6 Jenson Brooksby
Lorenzo Sonego 6-7(6) 6-3 7-5 4-6 6-2 Denis Kudla
Kristina Kucova 7-5 6-0 Laura Pigossi

Court 11
Taro Daniel 4-6 4-6 5-7 Sebastian Baez
Astra Sharma 6-4 3-6 4-6 Tatjana Maria
Nuno Borges 4-6 4-6 6-7(3) Mackenzie McDonald
Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-2 6-1 Christina McHale
Coco Vandeweghe 6-7(2) 5-7 Elena Rybakina

Court 14
David Goffin 6-2 6-2 7-6(5) Radu Albot
Jil Teichmann 2-6 3-6 Ajla Tomljanovic
Ana Bogdan 6-2 6-2 Dayana Yastremska
Alastair Gray 6-3 6-3 7-6(3) Chun-Hsin Tseng
Emina Bektas 1-6 3-6 Bianca Andreescu

Court 15
Shuai Zhang 6-4 6-0 Misaki Doi
Joao Sousa 6-7(7) 2-6 6-4 6-4 3-6 Richard Gasquet
Emil Ruusuvuori 6-2 6-2 4-6 6-4 Yoshihito Nishioka
Qinwen Zheng 7-6(1) 7-5 Sloane Stephens

Court 16
Catherine Harrison 6-1 6-4 Arantxa Rus
Sonay Kartal 4-6 6-3 1-6 Danka Kovinic
Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-7(6) 4-6 4-6 Jack Sock
Denis Shapovalov 6-1 6-7(6) 6-7(4) 6-4 6-1 Arthur Rinderknech

Court 17
Oceane Dodin 4-6 4-6 Jelena Ostapenko
Maryna Zanevska 6-7(4) 3-6 Barbora Krejcikova
Holger Rune 3-6 5-7 4-6 Marcos Giron
Liam Broady 4-6 6-3 7-5 6-7(2) 6-3 Lukas Klein