Iga Swiatek makes positive start to Wimbledon with first-round win over Zhu Lin, Jessica Pegula survives scare

Iga Swiatek made a strong start to her Wimbledon campaign as she beat Zhu Lin in straight sets. The world No. 1 won the opening five games in a row as she came out in impressive fashion on Court One.

Ad Even though world No. 34 Zhu avoided an opening bagel and gave Swiatek a tougher time in the second set, she could not avoid defeat. WimbledonWimbledon 2023: Day 1 Order of Play and schedule – when are Djokovic, Williams and Swiatek playing?01/07/2023 AT 14:48 Swiatek, who is bidding for a first Wimbledon title, closed out the 6-1 6-3 win after the roof had been closed due to rain.

“I feel really kind of confident," Swiatek said in her on-court interview. «I felt I did a really good job of adjusting to grass. I wanted to see how today was going to go and when I came on court it felt amazing.» Swiatek next faces Martina Trevisan or Sara Sorribes Tormo.

While there remain questions over whether Swiatek can be as strong on grass as she is on clay and hard courts, this result, along with reaching her first grass quarter-final last week, are encouraging signs. She came out firing against Zhu, breaking to love in the second game and then backing it up with a love hold. Two more games followed as Swiatek looked poised to add another bagel set to her collection.

Dart beaten in first round by Parry Are Federer, Nadal, Williams at Wimbledon this year? Zhu managed to avoid that fate, saving two set points and taking the sixth game, but Swiatek served it out the next game, sealing the set with a forehand winner. Swiatek did not have things all her own way in the second set. Zhu opened with a love hold and then passed up two break points in the next game after Swiatek had foot faulted.