Raducanu, Osaka and Gauff win as Wawrinka advances

Emma Raducanu snapped a dispiriting sequence of first-round defeats for British players at Grand Slams as the wildcard beat Mexico’s Renata Zarazua 7-6(0) 6-3 on Centre Court on Monday.
The 21-year-old got an unexpected boost when Russian 22nd seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, her scheduled opponent, withdrew because of illness on the morning of the match with Zarazua, a loser in qualifying, taking her place.
With former England soccer captain David Beckham watching on from the Royal Box, Raducanu looked nervous early on against an unorthodox opponent but eventually contained the unforced errors that littered the first set to move into round two.
It was a welcome win for the former US Open champion who missed last year’s Wimbledon because of injury and who has struggled to reach the dizzy heights of her fairytale victory at Flushing Meadows in 2021. It was also a welcome win for the home nation after the first four British players in action on Monday all lost - adding to the tale of woe at the French Open where all six British singles players suffered first-round defeats.
“I found out at 10:30 today (that Alexandrova had pulled out) and for the last three days we were playing with similar opponents. It took a little bit of adjusting to find my feet,” Raducanu said on court.
“It was an incredibly difficult match. I’ve barely played a defender who’s landed the ball on the baseline and it took a lot of strength to get the ball back.”
Nineteen British players were in the men’s and women’s singles but earlier in the day there were defeats for Charles Broom against three-times Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, Heather Watson, Liam Broady and Arthur Fery.
British wildcard Yuriko Miyazaki followed Raducanu’s victory as she notched her first Wimbledon win, thrashing Tamara Korpatsch 6-2 6-1.

Osaka clinches first match at Wimbledon since 2018
Former world number one Naomi Osaka said it felt “like a dream” to claim her first win at Wimbledon since 2018 as she looked forward to celebrating the occasion with her daughter, who turns one today.
Japanese star Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, recovered from a break down in the final set to defeat Diane Parry of France 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 on the back of 34 winners.
“It feels like a dream because I haven’t played here many times,” said Osaka, whose last appearance at the All England Club was in 2019, when she exited in the first round. “I hope it was fun for everyone to watch. I’m really excited to be here because Wimbledon was the first tournament I watched last year after my pregnancy.”
Osaka said she was inspired to victory by casting a glance at her photographs from last year, when she gave birth to daughter Shai.
“I was looking at my photo album. Like, they have that feature ‘this time last year’. I was looking at that. I was looking at photos of myself in the hospital. “It’s really cool to be here now. I think my mindset last year was just trying to survive. Honestly, I didn’t really know what was going on after I gave birth. Yeah, just trying to piece myself back together.”
Osaka will face US 19th seed Emma Navarro or Wang Qiang of China for a place in the last 32.

Gauff wins all-American showdown to bury 2023 demons
There was no need for Coco Gauff to hide away from the spotlight on Monday as she banished memories of her 2023 Wimbledon nightmare with a 6-1 6-2 first-round destruction of fellow American Caroline Dolehide.
On the eve of this year’s grasscourt championships, Gauff had admitted she had been “in a dark place” following her opening round exit in London last year but armed with the knowledge that things “couldn’t get any worse” this time round, she was simply unstoppable against her 51st-ranked rival.
“Last year I lost in the first round and it was very tough for me, that’s why I am a little emotional and that’s why I was happy to turn it around,” Gauff told the crowd on court.
The 20-year-old, now a Grand Slam champion having won the US Open in September, dropped only one point on serve during a formidable first-set performance.

Wawrinka, 39, makes flying start at Wimbledon
Wawrinka says he does not want to “go home”, revealing his enduring passion for tennis after the 39-year-old beat British wild card Broom in straight sets in his Wimbledon opener on Monday.
The Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion, the oldest man in the draw, hit 38 winners in a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory on No 2 Court.
Wawrinka, who has slumped to 95th in the world, is just the 10th man in the Open Era to win a Wimbledon singles match aged 39 or older. The Swiss player said the “pressure” of the sport drives him on in the latter stages of his career. “I love playing tennis,” he said.
“I love having the chance to play in the biggest tournaments in the world. Of course, I haven’t had the best results this year. But as much as I enjoy what I’m doing, I think there is enough reason to keep playing. I don’t want to go home. Playing tennis was a dream when I was young. Being a professional athlete was a dream. Now I’m there, there’s no way I’m going to just stop because I am bored of it.
“I love what I’m doing. I’m passionate about the sport. I want to keep pushing myself as much as I can and see where I can go.”
The two-time former Wimbledon quarter-finalist will face fellow veteran, the 37-year-old Gael Monfils in the second round.