Sinner Survives Scare, Sabalenka Cruises as Osaka Dazzles at Wimbledon

Defending Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner and top seed Aryna Sabalenka both began their campaigns with victories, though their paths to the second round were markedly different. Sinner, playing his first match since a disappointing French Open exit, was pushed to five sets by Serbia's Miomir Kecmanović, ultimately winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-3.

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It was a little tight in the beginning, I didn't play at my best but I tried to get into it.

Sinner's durability was tested, particularly after his struggles at Roland Garros. Despite a fall that stained his all-white attire red, he managed to secure his 94th Grand Slam win, equalling Nicola Pietrangeli's Italian record. He expressed relief at turning the match around, noting the difficulty of the third set and downplaying his foot injury, which occurred during a three-hour, 30-minute match.

In contrast, Sabalenka, who left the French Open in a "deep, dark place" after a quarterfinal loss, had a much smoother outing. She breezed past Serbian qualifier Teodora Kostović with a 6-2, 6-3 victory on Centre Court.

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I'm happy I turned it around because the third set was very tough to swallow.

While Sinner and Sabalenka advanced, other seeded players faced early exits. Norway's 11th seed Casper Ruud lost to Hubert Hurkacz, and 12th seed Andrey Rublev was defeated in a five-set thriller that included a 14-12 deciding set tiebreaker where he missed two match points. There was also heartbreak for French Open finalist Maja Chwalińska, who retired due to injury.

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I'm actually surprised that they let me keep playing because my all-white outfit turned into a little red.

Adding a touch of flair to the day, Japan's Naomi Osaka made a striking entrance in a "Kill Bill"-inspired white kimono, a nod to her Japanese heritage and Wimbledon's strict dress code. Her tennis matched her fashion statement as the 14th seed defeated Elsa Jacquemot 6-1, 7-5, showcasing both style and substance on court.

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For me, my Japanese heritage means a lot and they say all white at Wimbledon and I thought it would be really cool to come