Maria and Struff celebrate Wimbledon opening wins

German tennis players Tatjana Maria and Jan-Lennard Struff celebrated successful starts to their Wimbledon campaigns, both advancing to the second round. Maria, a mother of two, defeated Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-4, marking her first return to the second round at the All England Club since her surprising semifinal run four years prior.

Struff, meanwhile, endured a grueling five-set match against Argentina's Sebastian Baez, ultimately winning 6-1, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 2-6, 7-5. The 36-year-old German battled back from a two-set deficit and a 1-3 hole in the deciding fifth set, prevailing in a match that lasted nearly three hours.

Maria, who reached the final in Eastbourne the previous week, appeared strong and focused. She attributed her enjoyment of the sport to her children's presence on the tour. "I really enjoy playing tennis, but I am a mom first of all," said the 38-year-old, whose elder daughter Charlotte is also considered a promising tennis talent.

Despite a brief wobble in the first set where she lost four consecutive games after leading 3-0, Maria maintained her composure. She secured a crucial break in the second set and held on for the win. Even a minor bleeding wound on her leg towards the end of the match did not deter her focus, as she preferred to continue playing without a medical timeout.

Germany's Wimbledon campaign also features French Open champion Alexander Zverev, who is among nine German professionals competing. Zverev is scheduled to begin his first-round match against Belgium's Alexander Blockx on Tuesday.