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

The world No. 1 won the opening five games in a row as she came out in impressive fashion on Court One.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Even though Swiatek broke for a 2-1 lead, Zhu levelled immediately with a fine winner into the corner.

Swiatek made it three breaks in a row as she restored her advantage in the next game and then moved into a 4-2 lead with a love hold.

A rain delay stopped Swiatek in her tracks as players went off court for 20 minutes as the roof was closed.

But when they returned it was Swiatek who won the next two games to clinch the win.

Fourth seed Jessica Pegula survived a scare as she came from a break down in the final set to beat fellow American Lauren Davis 6-2 6-7(8) 6-3.

Pegula has not lost in the opening round of a Slam since the 2020 French Open.

She had three match points in the second set tie-break but couldn’t convert any of them.

Pegula looked in trouble as Davis broke to start the deciding set, but hit back immediately and eventually came out on top to reach the second round.

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