Wimbledon Day 1: The Women

Compared to their male counterparts, the women's draw was a little lackluster today. Of the 32 matches played, only six went to three sets. The biggest upset proved to be Vera Dushevina's 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-1 win over Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone. The 2002 junior champion here, Dushevina was dangerous, but I confess that I thought Schiavone could get through that one. Not quite.
There were four other junior champions in action today, and Dushevina wasn't the only one to find success. Her successor, 2003 champion Kirsten Flipkens, had a far less eventful match, topping lucky loser Stephanie Dubois 6-4, 6-4. No doubt Flipkens is feeling lucky, herself – Dubois could have easily been Melanie Oudin, not a junior champion, but a young player who's dangerous on the grass. Oudin, promoted to the 33rd seed after withdrawals, advanced with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Anna-Lena Groenefeld. Up next for Flipkens is compatriot Yanina Wickmayer, and this match could be more interesting than it appears on paper. Wickmayer has been struggling recently, and Flipkens is coming off a good run at s'Hertogenbosch, and she hardly embarrassed herself when she played Maria Sharapova at Roland Garros. She's got to be thinking she has a chance here.
Oudin, however, can't be feeling nearly as lucky. She now plays Jarmila Groth, another former junior great (although not a Wimbledon champion), who is coming off a strong Roland Garros, and if she gets through that, is headed for a collision course with Venus Williams. Tough break, because Williams didn't have too much trouble with Rossana de los Rios, winning her opener 6-3, 6-2.
The other player promoted by withdrawals, Flipkens' successor, 2004 junior champ Kateryna Bondarenko, didn't do so well, going out in three sets to qualifier Greta Arn (7-6[1], 3-6, 6-3). The past two junior champions, Laura Robson (2008) and Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (2009), also went down in defeat. Robson, 16, can be forgiven for losing – she drew fourth-seed Jelena Jankovic and went down 6-3, 7-6(5). Lertcheewakarn went down 6-3, 6-2 to qualifier Andrea Hlavackova. Not a promising result if you're looking to make your way onto the WTA Tour.
Three of the biggest names in the bottom half of the draw are all in the third quarter, and all three got through just fine. Besides Jankovic, Kim Clijsters, the eighth seed, got through Maria Elena Camerin 6-0, 6-3, and 17th seed Justine Henin beat Anastasija Sevastova 6-4, 6-3. They're two wins from a tantalizing Round of 16 match.
Their potential third round opponents, Maria Kirilenko (Clijsters) and Nadia Petrova (Henin) will hope to have something to say about that, though. Kirilenko had the biggest scare of the seeded players, having to come from behind to beat Stefanie Voegele 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. She's got a tough second-round against an opponent in Shenay Perry who should be about as tired as she will be. Perry beat Anastasiya Yakimova 6-2, 4-6, 9-7. Petrova had a much easier time, taking out Tatjana Malek of Germany 6-4, 6-3.
For the most part, the draw went about the way I expected, so I don't feel like there's much more to say. Other notable winners today were Vera Zvonareva, Alona Bondarenko, Yaroslava Shvedova, Marion Bartoli, Shahar Peer (in one of the more disappointing matches of the day – I thought Ana Ivanovic would put up more fight than 6-3, 6-4.) and Alisa Kleybanova. Among the other interesting of the unseeded players who won were Eastbourne champion Ekaterina Makarova; Alicia Molik, who could do some damage in the section vacated by Schiavone; and Karolina Sprem, who beat Venus here a few years ago.
Back with more tomorrow.