Several Canadian tennis players will have to wait at least another day before playing their first-round matches at Wimbledon.
Wet weather has hampered early play at the Grand Slam competition with rain forcing the suspension of several matches Tuesday.
Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., Rebecca Marino of Vancouver and Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., had their respective first-round matches pushed back to Wednesday.
Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Carol Zhao of Richmond Hill, Ont., remained on Tuesday’s schedule.
Radu Albot of Moldova had a 7-5, 2-2 lead on Shapovalov when their first-round match was suspended Monday due to darkness. Zhao had yet to begin her opening match against Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch.
There were mixed results for Canada on Day 1 of main draw competition. Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., won her first-round match while Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 11 seed, dropped his opener.
WATCH | Leylah Fernandez posts 1st-round win on Monday:
Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., beat Kateryna Baindl of the Ukraine 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to advance to the second round of Wimbledon for the first time.
In only his third Wimbledon tournament, Carlos Alcaraz is already one of the main men to beat.
The top-seeded Spaniard hasn’t been past the fourth round at the All England Club, but he has become the primary threat in Novak Djokovic’s quest for a record-equaling eighth men’s title at the grass-court Grand Slam.
Match played under roof
On Tuesday, Alcaraz beat Jeremy Chardy 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 on No. 1 Court — a fitting location for the No. 1 player in the world.
The match was played under the roof because rain affected play on the outside courts for the second straight day.
“Obviously without the roof, with sun, is much better for me. I think for everyone as well,” Alcaraz said on court. “With the roof or not, I have to show my best level.”
His best led Alcaraz to his first major title at the U.S. Open last year. He reached the final at this year’s French Open, but Djokovic ended up winning his 23rd Grand Slam title in that match.
At Wimbledon, Alcaraz reached the second round in 2021, playing as a wild card. He made the fourth round last year and entered this year’s tournament after winning the grass-court title at Queen’s Club.
The 36-year-old Chardy, who was playing at Wimbledon for the 14th time and at his 56th major overall, planned to retire from the sport after this year’s tournament.
Kate, the Princess of Wales, was at a rainy Wimbledon on Tuesday and sat in the Royal Box at Centre Court next to Roger Federer, an eight-time champion who has retired from the sport. Federer was feted before play began.
Defending women’s champ Rybakina wins
Matches began on most courts shortly after 11 a.m. at the All England Club, but the tarps came out as the rain came down about an hour later.
Rain is forecast for much of the day Tuesday in southwest London.
Elena Rybakina opened play on Centre Court play against American opponent Shelby Rogers — the traditional spot for the defending women’s champion. The defending men’s champion, Djokovic, had the honour of starting play in the main stadium on Day 1.
Rybakina, who withdrew from the Eastbourne International last week citing a virus illness, improved her serve after the first set and beat Rogers 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
“I’m feeling much better,” she said on court. “It was a bit unlucky for me. It was not easy to get again to the fitness and physical condition, but now I’m much better. Hopefully this win gives me more confidence for the next round.”
Rybakina had also pulled out of the French Open because of an illness and said she was “pretty nervous” at the start of Tuesday’s match.
Elsewhere:
- Sixth-seeded Ons Jabeur, who lost to Rybakina in last year’s final, advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Magdalena Frech.
- Djokovic’s match was delayed by rain Monday, and he even helped dry the court before play resumed. The seven-time champion ended up beating Pedro Cachin 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Retired Ash Barty has baby boy
Retired tennis champion Ash Barty announced the birth of her first child.
The former No. 1 player, who retired just over 15 months ago, revealed on social media she and husband Garry Kissick had welcomed a baby boy.
“Our beautiful boy. Welcome to the world, Hayden!” the Australian wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the newborn.
The three-time Grand Slam champion who spent more than two consecutive years at No. 1 in the rankings retired at the age of 25, just two months after winning the 2022 Australian Open title.
Barty won the Wimbledon title two years ago and the French Open in 2019.
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