Iga Swiatek extended her win streak to 20 matches with victory in the first round at Wimbledon.
The French Open champion saw off Sofia Kenin 6-3 6-4 on Court No1 to ease into the second round.
American Kenin stunned Coco Gauff in the first round this time last year but could not repeat her heroics against the top seed.
Read our other sports news stories:
Defending champion Vondrousova beaten in the first round
Russell wins Austrian Grand Prix
Sabalenka withdraws after failing to shake off shoulder injury
The 2020 Australian Open winner had her serve broken in her opening service game by the Pole and never looked like recovering from that point, with Swiatek completing the win in just 79 minutes.
“It was a solid start and not an easy draw, so I’m happy that I have a chance to play another match here,” the 23-year-old said in her on-court interview.
“It’s not pretty easy to play a Grand Slam champion in the first round, so we have to be ready for everything.
“These are experienced players, so there’s no time to get into the tournament. I’m happy that I did that today.”
The top seed advances in straight sets 🫡
A commanding performance from @iga_swiatek 👊#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/NcgLNXxyqj
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 2, 2024
Boulter sets up all-British clash
British No1 Katie Boulter sealed her second-round spot with a hard-fought win over Tatjana Maria.
The 27-year-old came through a tricky draw against the 2022 semi-finalist 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 in front of a packed court three.
After recovering from being broken by the German early on, Boulter recovered well to complete the victory in just over two hours.
Boulter, seeded for the first time at Wimbledon, will face fellow Brit Harriet Dart in the second round.
“I know she made [the] semi-finals here a couple of years ago and I can completely see why,” said Boulter.
“A great competition, she made me work for absolutely everything. I’m looking forward to the ice bath – I’m not sure I’ve said that before.”
Dart enjoyed a more comfortable afternoon, beating China’s Zhuoxuan Bai 6-4 6-0.
