Sabalenka Advances to Second Round at Wimbledon Easily

Second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka needed minimal effort against Hungary's Panna Udvardy, winning comfortably 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the Wimbledon tennis tournament amid rain on Tuesday. The Belarusian player, who missed last year’s edition due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes following the invasion of Ukraine, delighted the crowd with an impressive performance. Sabalenka, who reached the semifinals in 2021, stated in a court-side interview: "I didn't really realize how much I missed this place until today," adding, "It means a lot to me; it’s really great to be among the contenders in this great tournament." The Australian Open champion, now one of the "Big Three" alongside Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, enjoyed the atmosphere of playing under the main court roof. She lost only five points against her opponent, currently ranked 82nd in the world, and executed 20 successful shots from the baseline. Sabalenka will face Italy’s Camila Giorgi or France’s Varvara Gracheva in the second round.