Wimbledon - Zverev progresses easily at Wimbledon - Kerber eliminated
Alexander Zverev began his quest for his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon with an unchallenged opening win. The French Open finalist defeated Spanish player Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets 6:2, 6:4, 6:2 and advanced to the second round of the grass-court classic. Zverev will face Marcos Giron from the USA or British player Henry Searle on Thursday.
"I'm happy with how I started the tournament," said Zverev, who lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final about three weeks ago and considers himself a title contender at Wimbledon. He feels that if he catches two great weeks on these beautiful courts, he can achieve a lot. "I hope I am that person." He feels better on grass this year and hopes to show it in the next matches.
Three German tennis players in the second round
Under the closed roof on the second largest Wimbledon court, Zverev had everything under control against the world number 64 born on Tenerife from the start. With his powerful serves and heavy groundstrokes, the world number four laid the foundation against the Spaniard, who feels comfortable on clay courts. Thanks to quick breaks in all three sets, Zverev left no doubt about his progress.
Zverev is the third German participant in the men's competition to have a chance at reaching the third round at the third Grand Slam tournament of the year. Laura Siegemund set the tone for the German start for the women and reached the second round as the first.
Rain does not bother Siegemund
Zverev did not have to worry about the weather under the roof on Court 1 - unlike Angelique Kerber, who had to wait longer for her first Wimbledon appearance as a mother. And unlike Siegemund, who was also assigned to one of the outer courts. Two rain interruptions did not stop the Schwaebin, and she convinced with a 6:4, 6:1 win against Kateryna Baindl from Ukraine. Siegemund took the bad weather in stride.
The referee had to interrupt the game in the first set due to rain, and Siegemund had slipped at the net during a volley. After Siegemund's first set win, the helpers took down the nets and rolled out the plans on the courts. "That's just normal here that there are rain interruptions. If that bothers you, you're in the wrong place," commented the doubles specialist.
Siegemund faces a much more challenging task in her bid for a place in the third round against Wimbledon champion of 2022, Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan. "There's not much tactics against such players. It's about holding up to the massive pressure that comes with the serve and return," said Siegemund. "I don't have anything to lose – especially not on grass."
Emotions for crowd favorite only in doubles
Andy Murray's dream of a final singles appearance at his home Grand Slam before his probable retirement this summer did not come true. The three-time Wimbledon champion lost due to a back injury and had to make the difficult decision to cancel his scheduled Centre Court match on Tuesday morning.
Earlier World No. 1 had undergone surgery to remove a cyst on his back, which affected his feeling in his leg. He was "extremely disappointed," according to a statement. Emotionally, it had to be Wimbledon for him nonetheless - with his brother Jamie Murray, Andy Murray is set to compete in the men's doubles.
Kerber out early
Angelique Kerber was knocked out in the first round. At her comeback to Wimbledon after her maternity leave, the 36-year-old lost to the Kazakh Julia Putintseva 5:7, 3:6, and had to accept another Grand Slam disappointment.
Kerber got off to a bad start and trailed 0:3 before finding her footing in the match. Overall, the Kiel native's lack of self-confidence was noticeable. Her Wimbledon appearance was thus over after 78 minutes.
Since her comeback at the turn of the year, Kerber has been winless on the biggest tennis stages. In her third Grand Slam appearance, she became the third German woman to exit in the first round, following Eva Lys and Tamara Korpatsch. Only Laura Siegemund advanced to the second round. After her sensational semi-final appearance in 2022, Maria is still waiting for a win at the Rasenklassiker.
Next first-round exit for Maria
Two years after reaching the semifinals, Tatjana Maria was knocked out in the first round at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year. The 36-year-old lost to the British player Katie Boulter in a hard-fought match 6:7 (6:8), 5:7. Maria became the fourth German woman to exit in the first round among the women, following Eva Lys, Tamara Korpatsch, and Angelique Kerber. Only Laura Siegemund progressed to the second round. After her sensational run to the semifinals in 2022, Maria is still waiting for a win at the Rasenklassiker.
Alexander Zverev's German compatriot Jan-Lennard Struff also advanced to the second round, securing an opening victory against Daniel Altmaier with a score of 6:4, 6:2, 6:3. Meanwhile, Felix Auger-Aliassime from Canada and Alexander Bublik from Kazakhstan were paired in another match, but the rain disrupted their game on Court 1. The match was set to continue later due to the wet lawn.
Elsewhere, Tenerife native Marcos Giron faced Henry Searle from Great Britain, looking to continue his strong gameplay. Carlos Alcaraz, the current world No. 1, also participated in the tournament, aiming for a promising tournament in London. On the other hand, Germany's Mackenzie McDonald faced 19-year-old American Brandon Nakashima in the first round.
Andy Murray, despite his back injury, was set to partner with his brother Jamie in the men's doubles. However, the focus was on his upcoming singles match, which was canceled due to his injury. The rain also disrupted Angelique Kerber's game, causing a 30-minute delay in her match against Jelena Ostapenko. Despite the delay, Kerber managed to clinch her opening victory against the Latvian player.
In the women's singles, Laura Siegemund faced the Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl and quickly secured a 6:4, 6:1 win, displaying her confidence on the grass courts. The German player, however, was aware of her upcoming challenge against Elena Rybakina, the Wimbledon champion of 2022. Siegemund was optimistic, commenting, "It's about holding up to the massive pressure that comes with the serve and return."
Finally, at the French Open, Germany's Alexander Zverev reached the final but lost to the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz. Despite the loss, Zverev remained optimistic about his chances at Wimbledon, considering himself a title contender at the classic tournament. He aimed to improve on his previous performance at the grass courts and was confident in his abilities, stating, "If I catch two great weeks on these beautiful courts, I can achieve a lot."
