Defending Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina overcame a first-set setback to post a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Shelby Rogers on Tuesday in their opening-round match at a rainy day of Wimbledon in London.
Only three women’s singles matches were played Tuesday due to the rain. The rest, all scheduled on outside courts, were postponed.
After bowing out of the French Open last month due to illness, the third-seeded Rybakina stumbled out of the blocks by being broken in the first game.
The 24-year-old, who represents Kazakhstan, bounced back following the first set and won 12 of the next 15 games to win the match in one hour and 43 minutes. She finished with 12 aces to avenge a 6-2, 6-4 setback to Rogers in their last encounter — a second-round clash of the ‘s-Hertogenbosch 2022 tournament on grass.
Rybakina dismissed the notion that competing in last year’s final helped her emerge victorious on Tuesday.
“Actually, it didn’t help me much because I was just as nervous today,” Rybakina said.
“But amazing atmosphere, it’s the first time I’ve played under the roof and the grass is on the baseline. It’s just amazing. Really happy to go through to the next round and just enjoying the moment here.”
Rybakina advanced to face either Japanese lucky loser Nao Hibino or Alize Cornet of France in the second round.
Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus cruised into the second round with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Hungary’s Panna Udvardy in 62 minutes. Sabalenka made it to the semifinals in 2021 and was stricken from Wimbledon last year when all players from Russia and Belarus were banned because of the invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022.
No. 6 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, the runner-up last year to Rybakina, also had an easy go of it in her opening match, defeating Poland’s Magdalena Frech 6-3, 6-3 in 76 minutes.
“People mentioning I’m the finalist of last year,” Jabeur said. “It’s not great going in the locker room and seeing Elena’s picture, but I try to take it off. It’s very nice, having the attention. You did a Grand Slam final. It’s not a bad thing. It’s something that is great. Maybe sometimes I didn’t see it that way because obviously I wanted to go for the title.”
–Field Level Media
