(June 29, 2015) No. 1 Serena Williams bounced back from a 1-3 first set deficit to close out 113th-ranked qualifier, making her Wimbledon debut, Margarita Gasparyan 6-4, 6-1 on the first day at 2015 Wimbledon.
Williams who is seeking her second “Serena slam” and third leg of a calendar Grand Slam.
“I’ve had such an amazing year, I ended up winning the Open, the Championships, the Australian and France,” said the 20-time major champion. “I couldn’t have dreamt of a better 12 months. So it’s been really great. Yeah, I’m just excited about that and really focusing on that.
“I always focus on the moment. You know, I don’t live too far in the future, and I don’t live in the past, I just live in the present.”
“When I (saw) her before match,” Gasparyan said, “I thought, `Oh, my God. I’m playing Serena.'”
Serena’s sister, five-time Wimbledon champion Venus, dismantled U.S. countrywoman Madison Brengle 6-0, 6-0.
This was the first double-bagel at the All-England Club in six years.
“She’s had like a great last 52 weeks,” Venus said of Brengle.” “She’s had really great results in the majors. Definitely playing a higher‑ranked player in the first round is a challenge. But thankfully everything worked for me.
“I don’t think she played badly. I was just able to convert on the important points.”
On the topic on sister Serena’s chances on winning a calendar Grand Slam, Venus said: “It’s a pretty good chance. Hasn’t been done that often. But then again, she’s done a lot of things that haven’t been done that often.”
There could be an all-Williams fourth round contest. When asked about the possibility, Serena said: “You know what? I’m going to just focus on right now.”
Serena Williams is 33-1 on the year.
Other former No. 1’s advancing were Maria Sharapova, Victoria Azarenka and Ana Ivanovic. American Sloane Stephens won her first match at Wimbledon in two years defeating No. 27 Barbora Strycova 6-4, 6-2
Defending Gentlemen’s champion Novak Djokovic and the man who beat him for the French Open title three weeks ago, Stan Wawrinka won in straight sets on Monday.
No. 1 Djokovic defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
“Honestly, I thought I started the match really well, breaking Philipp, losing the serve right away,” Djokovic said.
“All three sets were decided in the 10th game. After I broke him to win the first set and the second set, it was the same situation. I felt like in the third, as well. That’s where maybe I can have a mental edge over him. He missed couple shots.
“I thought return was exceptionally well, good from my side. Serving efficiently. Just overall a great performance against a quality opponent.”
The fourth seed Wawrinka stopped Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-2, 7-5, 7-6.
“The mentality is the same as last year,” said the Swiss. I know I’m playing well. I have a lot of confidence. It’s a new year, new tournament. We all start from zero. We need to win match after match. We take match after match if we want to go through and go further in the tournament.
“I’m confident with myself, but I’m really careful with how mentally I get ready for every match.
“So far I’m really happy with the first one today. In general I feel good. I know where is my game. I feel ready for the next one.”
WIMBLEDON – WIMBLEDON, LONDON, GBR
GRAND SLAM – £26,750,000
29 JUNE – 12 JULY 2015
RESULTS – JUNE 29, 2015
Women’s
Singles – First Round
(1) Serena Williams (USA) d. (Q) Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) 64 61
(4) Maria Sharapova (RUS) d. (WC) Johanna Konta (GBR) 62 62
(6) Lucie Safarova (CZE) d. Alison Riske (USA) 36 75 63
(7) Ana Ivanovic (SRB) d. (Q) Yi-Fan Xu (CHN) 61 61
(WC) Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) d. (9) Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 62 60
(11) Karolina Pliskova (CZE) d. Irina Falconi (USA) 64 46 61
(14) Andrea Petkovic (GER) d. Shelby Rogers (USA) 60 60
(16) Venus Williams (USA) d. Madison Brengle 60 60
(19) Sara Errani (ITA) d. Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 62 57 61
(22) Samantha Stosur (AUS) d. Danka Kovinic (MNE) 64 64
(23) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) d. (WC) Anett Kontaveit (EST) 62 61
Zarina Diyas (KAZ) d. (24) Flavia Pennetta (ITA) 63 26 64
Sloane Stephens (USA) d. (27) Barbora Strycova (CZE) 64 62
(29) Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) d. Daria Gavrilova (AUS) 76(6) 61
(30) Belinda Bencic (SUI) d. Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 36 61 63
(32) Caroline Garcia (FRA) vs. Heather Watson (GBR) 61 36 (play suspended: poor light)
Timea Babos (HUN) d. (Q) Petra Cetkovska (CZE) 7-6(4) 63
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) d. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 75 60
Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) d. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 62 64
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) d. Marina Erakovic (NZL) 76(5) 75
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) d. Alexandra Dulgheru (ROU) 62 61
Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) d. Annika Beck (GER) 06 63 64
Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) d. Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS) 36 63 75
(Q) Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) d. Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 63 62
(Q) Richel Hogenkamp (NED) d. Qiang Wang (CHN) 64 64
Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) d. Nicole Gibbs (USA) 63 63
(Q) Aliaksandra Sasnovic (BLR) d. Lin Zhu 46 75 61
Mariana Duque-Marino (COL) d. (WC) Naomi Broady (GBR) 76(5) 63
CoCo Vandeweghe (USA) d. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 64 62
Urszula Radwanska (POL) d. Edina Gallovits-Hall (USA) 62 61
Lauren Davis (USA) d. Polona Hercog (SLO) 64 76(3)
(Q) Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) d. Kaia Kanpei (EST) 61 64