Emotions ran high on Centre Court as Iga Swiatek fought back from the brink to edge out Taylor Townsend in a gripping three-set opener. The Polish third seed, seeking to defend her Wimbledon title, was put through the wringer by her American opponent, but ultimately emerged victorious 6-1 2-6 6-3.
Swiatek's dominance had all the hallmarks of a straightforward win in the bag after a blistering first set that left Townsend reeling. But the former women's doubles champion at Wimbledon was not one to give up, and she raised her game significantly in the second set, capitalising on Swiatek's wayward serve and forcing her into 16 unforced errors.
It all came down to a tense third set showdown, with Townsend putting Swiatek through the mill in the opening game. The defending champion saved four break points and somehow held serve, despite three double faults that would have given her opponent two chances at most other tournaments. From that moment on, momentum swung decisively in Swiatek's favour, and she broke for a 5-2 lead before serving out the match.
A visibly relieved and tearful Swiatek took solace in a towel to hide her face after the win, revealing the 'whole process' of opening play as the defending champion had been an emotionally charged experience. "I'm not sure if I'm able to talk that much – it was a tough couple of weeks," she admitted, reflecting on a season where things haven't quite gone according to plan.
Swiatek's recent form has been patchy, including a third-round exit at the French Open and a three-set loss in her only grass-court warm-up match. So, this win will be seen as a vital boost for the 25-year-old Polish star. "I don't think I won any three-set matches this year, so I'm happy I could do it here," she said.
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli was in attendance to witness Swiatek's struggle, and she observed the 'relief on Iga's face' after the match. "The first game of the third set was absolutely pivotal because she was really losing the momentum of this match," Bartoli noted.
Swiatek will now take on Karolina Pliskova, the 2021 Wimbledon runner-up, in the second round. Elsewhere, eighth seed Elina Svitolina suffered an early exit at the hands of fellow Ukrainian Daria Snigur, her first opening-round defeat at SW19 since 2018.
Source: BBC Sport