Swiatek, Djokovic light up Day 1 as rain, wet courts interrupt play

Even some seasoned champions of professional tennis can find maneuvering the first-round hurdle in Grand Slams tricky, especially if the surface reeks of unfamiliarity.

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In that regard, Iga Swiatek, by a stretch the best women's player in the world right now, couldn't have asked for a better start to her quest for a first Wimbledon title.

Except for a rain interruption during the second set, it was by large smooth sailing for the world No.1 in her 6-1, 6-3 win over China's Zhu Lin in the first round of the 2023 Wimbledon on Monday. Showers in London disrupted the opening day's schedule across the courts of the All England Club, but the Pole needed only 81 minutes to get out of her opening test on a roof-covered No.1 Court.

A solid, drama-free start would go a long way in settling nerves and setting the pace for the four-time Grand Slam champion in a tournament where she has never gone beyond the fourth round. Even more so given Swiatek came into this Wimbledon with some health concerns after having to withdraw from her WTA Bad Homburg Open semi-final last Friday.