Tonight:
4°c
British No1 Anne Keothavong blew a 5-3 opening-set lead to crash out of Wimbledon in the first round today 7-5, 6-2 to Patricia Mayr of Austria.
The 25-year-old has made giant strides in her career over the last 12 months but was unable to produce her best on Court Four.
Mayr, ranked 29 places below Keothavong, started the more nervous of the pair but unforced errors crept into the world No51's game as she lost in one hour and 26 minutes.
In a match desperately short on winners — Mayr hit only 11 to her opponent's 10 — mistakes were always going to prove decisive and Keothavong's error-strewn groundstrokes consistently undermined her attempts to get back in the match.
Mayr converted an impressive five out of six break points created and sealed the victory with a stunning backhand that left Keothavong down and out.
Georgie Stoop followed her compatriot in making an early exit from Wimbledon although she showed much more fight.
Stoop's hopes of an upset against seventh seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia were dashed as the 21-year-old Londoner lost 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 in a match held over from last night.
When failing light caused a halt to play the British No5, ranked 178 places below her opponent at 188 in the world, had just fought back to take the second set 6-4 after going down to a tie-break in the first.
Defending champion Venus Williams eased into the second round with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Stefanie Voegele.
Although the 29-year-old was not at her best, Switzerland's Voegele gave a plucky performance and appeared unfazed by her first appearance on Centre Court.
Williams went through in one hour and 18 minutes and admitted she feels at home at the venue where she has won the title for the last two years.
“I love coming here and it's always great coming back,” she said. “Of course I am ready to compete and this is the best place to be as a professional tennis player. I enjoy every blade of the grass. I am happy to have had the chance to win the title in the last couple of years and I hope I can do it again.
“It's a special moment when you walk back as defending champion. Wimbledon has been a place of great success for me.
“I have had so many wins here and it's a place of great joy for me. If you would pick any slam to win, it would be this one and that is the case again.”
The American will regard the match as the perfect beginning to her 13th campaign at the All England Club.
Voegele tested Williams for a spell, particularly early on in the second set, but she raised her game well without expending too much energy amid early afternoon temperatures that reached into the high 20s.
She needed only 32 minutes to take the first set as Voegele took time to settle in the illustrious surroundings. But the world No97 began the second set with greater confidence and although she suffered an early break, her response was immediate as she put the match back on serve.
Williams's serve is the bedrock of her game, particularly on this quick surface, and she registered eight aces as it repeatedly got her out of danger.
Voegele only converted two of eight break points but the quality of her hitting from the back of the court threatened to unsettle the world No3. However, Williams powered back to take four successive games and seal her victory.
Jelena Jankovic came back from 5-2 down in the second set to beat Julia Goerges of Belgium 6-4, 7-6. The No6 seed required treatment in the second set for blisters and a broken toenail but fought back well and claimed the tie-break 7-0 to reach round two.
Caroline Wozniacki saw off Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan, who was making her first appearance at Wimbledon for 13 years.
The 38-year-old came out of retirement after her husband told her he felt she could still compete on the main tour and after receiving a wildcard, she went down 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.
Wozniacki said: “I knew what to expect from her and I knew that she's been doing well on grass before.”
