Iga Swiatek recovers from second-set stumble to seal first-round victory at Wimbledon

The relentless win machine that is Iga Swiatek is safely through at Wimbledon but only after recovering from a second-set stumble against Croatian qualifier Jana Fett on Tuesday.

Swiatek, the world No 1 and top seed at SW19, had the honour of opening the second day's play on Centre Court in the absence of the retired Ash Barty, who won the 2021 title.

After sailing through the first set without losing a game – her 17th 6-0 triumph this year – the Pole then found herself 3-1 down in the second to Fett, who is ranked 252nd in the world.

But Swiatek, who was knocked out in the fourth round at the All England Club last year, was not to be denied her 36th victory in a row as the 21-year-old reigning French Open champion recovered to seal a 6-0, 6-3 first-round win on Centre Court.

It's the longest winning streak on the women’s tour since 1997, when Martina Hingis won 37. Even with seven-time champion Serena Williams in the draw at the All England Club, Swiatek is the woman to beat.

She won five tournaments before heading to Paris in May, earning consecutive titles in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Stuttgart and Rome.

“I am pleased it's my first match on grass this season so I knew it was going to be tricky,” said Swiatek in her on-court interview. “I am pretty happy I came back and did it in two sets. It's a new experience for me and pretty exciting.

“I'm just figuring out how to play. I feel I have only played 12 weeks of my life on grass but the whole atmosphere and tradition is pumping me up and just looking forward to the next matches.”

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On her remarkable win streak – that has now overtaken Venus Williams' record for the longest run by