Defending Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova loses in 1st round
Defending Wimbledon champ Marketa Vondrousova loses in 1st round
ByABC News
July 2, 2024, 11:09 AM
WIMBLEDON, England -- Marketa Vondrousova became the first defending women's champion at Wimbledon to lose in the first round the next year since 1994, eliminated 6-4, 6-2 by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro at Centre Court on Tuesday.
Vondrousova was a surprise title winner at the All England Club 12 months ago, the first unseeded woman to claim the trophy at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
Now she enters the books in another -- and less desirable -- historic way. The only other time in the sport's Open era, which dates to 1968, that a woman went from a championship at Wimbledon to an immediate exit a year later was when Steffi Graf was defeated by Lori McNeil 30 years ago.
Vondrousova was seeded No. 6 this time, but the left-hander, who also was the runner-up at the 2019 French Open and a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, was never at her best Tuesday. She appeared to still be suffering after-effects from a fall during a tune-up tournament on grass in Berlin last month that hurt her hip.
The day went much smoother for fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina and No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula, as both won in straight sets.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, put away Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-1 on Tuesday. Pegula advanced with a 6-2, 6-0 win over fellow American Ashlyn Krueger.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.