Wimbledon 2024 served up one of its biggest shocks on Tuesday as Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen crashed out in the first round. The world No. 6 lost 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 to the Czech Republic’s world No. 81 Katerina Siniakova after a grueling two-hour-and-25-minute battle under searing heat on Court Three.
Zheng admitted that her focus slipped at crucial moments. "I should do better in my service games. I was leading 5-3 in the first set and my concentration was not there. I gave her the game so easily. It’s a pity," she said. Despite quarterfinal runs at last year’s US Open and this season’s French Open, this marks her third straight first-round exit at Wimbledon and the fourth time she has failed to reach the round of 16 in her last six Grand Slam appearances.
The day was bittersweet for tennis fans. Fellow competitor Wang reached the second round, offering a bright spot amid the upsets. However, Zhu Lin also bowed out early, falling 6-3, 6-2 to Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova. This marks Zhu’s third first-round exit in the past four years and her fifth opening-round loss in seven main-draw appearances at Wimbledon.
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Wimbledon: Olympic champion Zheng ousted, Wang reaches second round
cgtn.com
