Iga Swiatek bounced back in emphatic fashion after a nervy opening-round win, cruising past Karolina Pliskova to reach the third round of Wimbledon, while Alexander Zverev also advanced comfortably on Thursday.
Defending champion Swiatek, who was visibly emotional after surviving a tough first-round battle against Taylor Townsend, looked back to her dominant best as she swept aside former world number one Pliskova 6-1, 6-3 in just 70 minutes.
“The first round was obviously very emotional, but today felt like another day at work. I just had to be ready and stay sharp,” Swiatek said after the match.
The Polish star, who has experienced an inconsistent run since lifting her sixth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon a year ago, will next face the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala. Eala booked her place in the third round after defeating Maya Joint, who had earlier knocked out Serena Williams.
Pliskova, making her return this season following a lengthy injury layoff, struggled to cope with Swiatek’s relentless baseline game.
With the victory, the 25-year-old extended her remarkable Grand Slam consistency, reaching at least the third round in each of her last 26 major appearances since her second-round exit at the 2019 US Open.
Eala, seeded 29th, created history by becoming the first Filipina to reach the third round of a Grand Slam after rallying past Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 on a lively Court Three.
“The atmosphere was incredible today. It was electric, respectful and everything I could have hoped for,” the 21-year-old said.
Last year’s runner-up Amanda Anisimova recovered from a break down in the deciding set to defeat Sofia Kenin in a tense final-set tiebreak.
Former Australian Open champion Madison Keys ended British hopes in the women’s singles with a straight-sets victory over Katie Swan.
Later on Centre Court, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina was set to face American Caty McNally as she continued her bid to overtake Aryna Sabalenka for the world number one ranking next week.
Princess Catherine, the future Queen of Britain, also attended the championships on Thursday, greeting spectators before watching matches on Court 18.
Zverev cruises into third round
Alexander Zverev produced another commanding display, defeating Valentin Royer 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) to continue his strong start at the tournament.
Fresh from finally winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open, Zverev is hoping to improve on his modest Wimbledon record, having never progressed beyond the fourth round in nine previous appearances at the All England Club.
The German second seed finds himself in a favourable section of the draw, with Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic placed in the opposite half and fourth seed Ben Shelton already eliminated.
“If I keep playing like this, I definitely believe it can happen this year,” Zverev said. “In tennis, you need to have a short memory, whether things go well or badly.”
The 28-year-old made light work of Royer, putting behind him memories of last year’s shock first-round defeat to fellow Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
American sixth seed Taylor Fritz also progressed with ease, defeating compatriot Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to reach the third round.
Fritz has now reached at least the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in three of the last four years and was a semi-finalist last season before losing to Carlos Alcaraz.
Australian fifth seed Alex de Minaur also advanced comfortably, beating experienced Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in straight sets.
Spain’s Rafael Jodar completed a comeback victory over Pablo Carreno Busta after their first-round match resumed following Wednesday’s suspension due to darkness. The young Spaniard won the final two sets to seal his place in the next round.
Playing in his first Wimbledon main draw, Jodar had never featured in a Tour-level grass-court match before this week but has enjoyed a breakthrough season after reaching the French Open quarter-finals.
Britain’s Arthur Fery also kept home hopes alive, defeating Finland’s Otto Virtanen in four sets to move into the third round.
