Top seed Aryna Sabalenka wasted no time in her Wimbledon opener, overpowering Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine 6-1, 7-5 to launch her bid for a maiden title at the All England Club.
Sabalenka stormed through the first set, winning the opening five games in just 25 minutes and sending a statement to the rest of the draw.
Branstine, a 19-year-old qualifier making her main-draw debut, drew cheers when she finally made a mark on the scoreboard. She stayed competitive in the second set with several big aces and powerful groundstrokes.
At 5-5, Sabalenka seized her chance, forcing a Branstine forehand error to break serve and then closing out the match with a solid hold.
“My goal was to finish efficiently and stay fresh for the rounds ahead,” Sabalenka said. “The fight in the second set showed me I’m mentally ready to battle.”
Elsewhere on Centre Court, Italy’s fourth seed Jasmine Paolini bounced back from a first-set loss to defeat Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, booking her spot in round two.
Next up for Sabalenka is a matchup with Czech Marie Bouzkova, while Paolini will face another qualifier. The opening round highlighted a mix of rising stars and seasoned pros eager to make their mark at Wimbledon.
Reference(s):
Sabalenka powers past Branstine in routine opener at Wimbledon
cgtn.com
