Wimbledon Update : Ons Jabeur storms past Mirjam Bjorklund in Wimbledon opener
World No. 2 Ons Jabeur began her title bid for Wimbledon 2022 with a victory over Swedish qualifier Mirjam Bjorklund 6-1, 6-3 in the opening round at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England, on June 27
Ons Jabeur celebrates victory over Mirjam Bjorklund (left) on day one of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon.Ons Jabeur came into the tournament at the top of her form, reaching her career-high ranking of World No. 2 and winning the title in Berlin just two weeks ago. The Tunisian said she learned from her experience at the French Open, where Magda Linette knocked her out in the first round of Roland Garros.
No. 3 seed Ons Jabeur found her rhythm early in the game and comfortably dominated her Swedish opponent on serve. The 27-year-old Tunisian fired 11 winners compared to just three by Mirjam Bjorklund and dropped only five points on her first and two on her second serve.
Ons Jabeur faced two breakpoints of the match when she had a 4-2 lead in the second set. She then clinched four straight points with a superb show of efficient service games, powerful forehands and trademark drop shots to seal a second-round spot after 54 minutes of play.
In a post-match interview, No. 2 seed Ons Jabeur said, "Last time, I was thinking about pressure, it didn't work very well for me. I'm trying to handle it. The learning: obviously. I've never been in this situation before. I was joking with Novak Djokovic. I told him, 'Give me some of the touches to win Wimbledon.' I was stealing it. I want to turn that great pressure into great things on the court. As I said, I want to be a great leader.
Ons Jabeur will face Katarzyna Kawa of Poland in the second round of Wimbledon on June 29.
British No. 1 Emma Raducanu victorious in return to Wimbledon
Tenth seed Emma Raducanu marked her return on grass court home turf at Wimbledon 2022 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Alison van Uytvanck of Belgium in the opening round at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London, England, on June 27.
Emma Raducanu impressed the tennis world with a four-round run at the 2021 Wimbledon as a wildcard out of the Top 300. She had to enter the tournament with just 30 minutes of competitive match play on the grass court since she had to retire from the Nottingham Open in the first round due to a rib injury. Alison van Uytvanck on the other hand, has a 12-2 record for the season, having won titles at two of the four events she played in the run-up to Wimbledon.
The British teenager wrapped up the match over her Belgian opponent after one hour and 41 minutes of play. Alison van Uytvanck offered some resistance in the second set and took a 1-3 lead, but Emma Raducanu took control and finished 6-4, 6-4, securing her first straight-set victory at a major since September 2021.
Emma Raducanu will lock horns with Caroline Garcia of France in the second round of the Wimbledon on June 29. Caroline Garcia advanced to the second round after beating Yuriko Miyazaki of Great Britain 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) on June 27.