Zverev and Swiatek look to gain Wimbledon momentum

July 1 : Wimbledon's second round continues on Thursday with French Open champion Alexander Zverev facing Frenchman Valentin Royer, defending champion Iga Swiatek taking on former world number one Karolina Pliskova and an all-American battle between Amanda Anisimova and Sofia Kenin.

TOP MEN'S MATCH: VALENTIN ROYER V ALEXANDER ZVEREV

Success on grass has always eluded world number three Zverev. The German, who won the French Open last month, has no ATP titles on the surface, and has never progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon.

The 29-year-old, who was tested in the first round by Alexander Blockx over four hard-fought sets, has revealed that his struggles on the surface go beyond his skills: he is actually allergic to grass.

"A lot of pills, a lot of sneezing and a lot of stuffed nose, unfortunately ... I do feel fine, I'm not sick or anything," Zverev said when asked how he deals with his allergy.

But Zverev believes he can succeed on the surface and have his best Wimbledon campaign yet if he can get some momentum going with confidence-boosting wins in the early rounds.

"I still at times struggle, there's no secret about it. But ... I'm getting older, hopefully I'm getting better as well," he said ahead of his second-round clash with world number 75 Royer.

TOP WOMEN'S MATCH: KAROLINA PLISKOVA V IGA SWIATEK

Swiatek's three-set tussle with Taylor Townsend was a first-round treat for the crowd, but the Polish defending champion certainly felt the pressure, making nine double faults and fighting to hold back her tears after the win.

"I don’t think I won any three set match this year. I’m happy I could do it here," said six-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek, who is yet to reach a final in 2026.

The 25-year-old, who has made