IN ONE of the biggest upsets in some time at Wimbledon, and certainly the largest shock of day two, world number 83 Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro knocked out defending champion and sixth seed Marketa Vondrousova in the first round of the Grand Slam event.

Vondrousova was one of the favourites to take out the title having successfully claimed the AllEngland Club trophy 12 months ago, but could hardly fire a shot against the incredible Bouzas Maneiro, with the Czech struggling physically at times, but the Spaniard maximising her chances.

The match lasted just 67 minutes out on Centre Court, with many attending expecting to see the 2023 Wimbledon champion in full flight and breeze through to the second round. However Bouzas Maneiro had other idea, claiming the win 6-4 6-2 in emphatic fashion.

“I’m really happy, I think this is one of the most important moments in my life, in my career – in this court, this is amazing,” Bouzas Maneiro said post-match. “I was thinking just to enjoy the moment. 

“Marketa is one of the best players in the world. She won here last year, so I had no pressure, just had to enjoy myself, enjoy this tournament. I was just trying to be free playing and I did it so I’m happy for that.”

Bouzas Maneiro was the first to break, racing to a 2-0 lead in the opening set which set the tone. The pair would trade a break each for the remainder of the set, but the underdog was able to remain composed throughout, hitting just five winners, but only 11 unforced errors to Vondrousova’s 10 and 17 respectively.

Vondrousova was out of answers and missing some uncharacteristic shots that saw her go a set down , and then early in the second set she sought assistance for her right hip. She was broken in the third game, and Bouzas Maneiro set up a 3-1 lead. She would break twice more – only being broken once again and commit just three unforced errors – to seven winners – for the set, compared to the sixth seed’s 11 and eight respectively.

The win marked Bouzas Maneiro’s first WTA Tour win on grasscourt, having only played one previous event in the lead-up to the event, but bowed out in straight sets in the first round.

“I’m surprised with myself, honestly. At the start I was a little bit nervous, but since the first game I felt the atmosphere was so nice, everything is so elegant here. I don’t know, I was comfortable, I felt at home on the Centre Court for the first time,” Bouzas Maneiro said.

“We (the team) have had a lot of tournaments, so many tough times, so we have to enjoy this moment. We’ve been working, playing hard for these moments.”

Bouzas Maneiro now faced compatriot Cristina Bucsa who overcame Romanian Ana Bogdan in a three-hour and 13-minute epic battle, 6-4 4-6 7-6, winning 10-5 in the third set super tiebreak.

AROUND THE COURTS

Rain affected the day’s play near the end, but plenty of tennis still got completed with the other top five seeds and Grand Slam champions in Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula cruising through to the second round.

Local hope and 32nd seed Katie Boulter won in a tight 7-6 7-5 victory over German Tatjana Maria, while 13th seed Jelena Ostapenko crushed Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 6-2 in a 69-minute rout. Fellow Aussie Olivia Gadecki also bowed out in straight sets, losing to American Robin Montgomery, while former world number one Caroline Wozniacki was out on Court 16 destroying Alycia Parks in 53 minutes, 6-2 6-0.

Among the other seeded winners were Ons Jabeur (10th), Liudmila Samsonova (15th), Anna Kalinskaya (17th), Caroline Garcia (23rd), Katerina Siniakova (27th) and Leylah Fernandez (30th), meanwhile for the local hopes, Harriet Dart crushed Zhuoxuan Bai out on Court 18, 6-4 6-0.