Rain severely hampered Day 2 of the women’s singles at the Wimbledon Championships. Only the three matches scheduled on Centre Court and Court 1 were played to completion. But those matches saw three of the favorites for the title provide plenty of quality tennis for fans in the ground and watching at home.
Wimbledon Day 2 Women’s Recap
Who looked good
Defending champion Elena Rybakina eventually looked good in her opening round match against Shelby Rogers, winning 4-6 6-1 6-2. Rogers also earns a place in the who looked good section after playing a superb first set, drawing several errors from the Rybakina forehand in a hard hitting performance. But the #3 seed was near unplayable in the next two sets, overpowering her valiant opponent.
Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka did not need a set to find her footing. She was a comprehensive 6-1, 6-3 winner over Panna Udvardy. Sabalenka crashed 29 winners in just two sets, in addition to moving very well on the lush grass at Wimbledon. She will be extremely difficult for any player to stop in that kind of mood.
Last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur made it a hat trick of title contenders making promising starts. She overcame Magdalena Frech 6-3 6-3. Frech reached the third round last year, and showed why with some spells of high quality tennis. Jabeur was just too strong, showcasing the variety in her game that so few others in the women’s draw possess. Booming winners and cunning drop shots were on display from the always watchable Tunisian.
Who looked bad
Shelby Rogers and Magdalena Frech produced strong performances in defeat and do not need to have regrets. Panna Udvardy was the only of the beaten players who may be disappointed that she didn’t put up a stronger resistance. Udvardy hit just four winners, but gave up more than three times as many unforced errors in a slightly underwhelming show on court one.
Match of the day
Rybakina’s three-set victory was the most dramatic of the three matches that were completed. Even someone as cool as Rybakina on court will have been slightly concerned after dropping the first set to an opponent in inspired form, but she recovered admirably. Overall, though, all three winners reinforced why they deserve to be considered among the favorites for the title this year.
Main Photo Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports
