Defending champion fails in the first round at Wimbledon
Wimbledon's rain doesn't faze Laura Siegemund. In the second round, she faces a favorite. Meanwhile, defending champion Marketa Vondrousova has been eliminated. She fought with physical issues, but cites other reasons for her loss.
The Wimbledon tournament has just begun - and the defending champion is already out: Marketa Vondrousova lost unexpectedly in the first round to the Spanish player Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. The 25-year-old Czech, who couldn't play in the warm-up tournament in Bad Homburg due to a hip injury last, lost 4:6, 2:6 and couldn't match her stellar performances from the previous year.
Vondrousova didn't attribute her exit primarily to physical issues. "I think I was maybe a little slower. I was nervous from the start, a bit anxious," Vondrousova said with a quivering voice: "But she played a great match and didn't give me many points." Her loss has historical significance: The last time a title defender lost in the first round of Wimbledon was in 1994, when Steffi Graf went down to Lori McNeil.
The circle of favorites is shrinking. Before the tournament even started, Aryna Sabalenka had to withdraw due to a shoulder injury. Highly touted in London are Jelena Rybakina, the titleholder from 2022 and Siegemund's second-round opponent, and Iga Swiatek. The Pole celebrated her fifth Grand Slam win at the French Open.
Planning covers the outside courts
Siegemund boosted Germany's start with her first-round win. The 36-year-old impressed with a 6:4, 6:1 victory against Kateryna Baindl from Ukraine and didn't let rain delays deter her. After the eliminations of Tamara Korpatsch and Eva Lys on Monday, Siegemund was the first German participant to advance to the second round among the women.
Siegemund, who started with a long-sleeved shirt due to the cold, handled her opening match with ease. The referee interrupted the game in the first set. It was raining on the grass. Siegemund had just slipped at the net. She wiped herself down with a towel and consulted with her coach and partner Antonio Zucca. Later, she had a bit of luck when her net roller was out of reach at match point.
Then the rain grew heavier. Helpers took down the nets and covered the courts: The first rain interruption typical of Wimbledon's annual edition occurred on the outside courts. Siegemund had to wait for more than an hour - and then had to hurry. With a smile, she bid farewell as she used the second match point.
Despite the heavy rain during her second-round match at Wimbledon, tennis player Laura Siegemund remained unfazed, securing a victory with a 6:4, 6:1 score against Kateryna Baindl from Ukraine. In the midst of this sporting event, the defending champion Marketa Vondrousova noted that her loss wasn't solely due to physical issues, but rather her nerves and a strong performance from her opponent.
