2024 Wimbledon Round-Up: Maria Sakkari breaks Grand Slam hoodoo, Daria Kasatkina and Jasmine Paolini also among winners

The first round has begun at 2024 Wimbledon with Emma Raducanu and Coco Gauff the leading lights in action this afternoon from a WTA perspective but as ever with play beginning early on the outside courts, Maria Sakkari, Daria Kasatkina and Marta Kostyuk are all through.

It is an important win for Sakkari in particular. The number 9 seed saw off McCartney Kessler in a game that in reality she'd be expected to win 6-3, 6-1. But given that she has not won at Wimbledon, the French Open or the US Open since 2022, it was long overdue.

She was dumped out last month at the French Open by Varvara Gracheva in a section that really opened up at the French Open and saw Jasmine Paolini move through to the final from there and also Mirra Andreeva went on a run. But after a torrid time of it as she also dispensed of coach David Witt after her recent Grand Slam loss after the duo had a lot of success together early on, she is back in the winners' circle.

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A feeling that Daria Kasatkina and Jasmine Paolini know all too well as of late. The former confounded a 20 match losing run for Shuai Zhang in the longest losing streak ever in WTA main tour tennis. It was a 6-3, 6-0 win for the Eastbourne champion as the misery for the Chinese ace continues. While Paolini who lost to Kasatkina in the Eastbourne final last week took down Sara Sorribes Tormo in her opener 7-5, 6-3. She now faces Greet Minnen who saw off Heather Watson earlier this morning. She sits in the section again with Bianca Andreescu who faces Jaqueline Cristian this afternoon. The victor of that tie faces Sara Errani or Linda Noskova.

Marta Kostyuk also sits in that part of the draw after taking down Rebecca Sramkova in two sets 6-3, 6-2. Plain sailing for the 18th seed who could face Daria Saville up next. Other victors included Dayana Yastremska, Arantxa Rus, Elise Mertens, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Varvara Gracheva. Whilst Aryna Sabalenka is one of the main leading lights who won't play this afternoon with the World No.3 withdrawing from injury this morning.

As a result, Raducanu and Gauff are the leading players to watch show court wise to conclude Day One of Wimbledon with action also continuing on the Outer Courts throughout the rest of today.