Iga Swiatek overcomes early test against Polina Kudermetova to advance at Wimbledon

Iga Swiatek debuted at Wimbledon with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Polina Kudermetova, advancing to the second round. The world No. 4 had a tough first set but managed to take control of the match in the final stages, winning 8 of the last 9 games played.

The five-time Grand Slam champion is starting to put her lost Bad Homburg Open final just three days ago behind her and is already heading to the second round. She will face American Caty McNally, who comfortably defeated local wildcard Jodie Burrage in straight sets.

First Set

Despite the ranking difference, Polina Kudermetova managed to keep pace with her opponent from the service line. While Swiatek was highly effective—winning over 70% of points on both her first and second serves—Kudermetova relied on her first serve and tried to close out points as quickly as possible.

The first break opportunity for the Russian came in the 5th game, but Swiatek comfortably saved it. Th 5-time Grand Slam champion could not do much on return for most of the set, but she held her serve, hoping to find her opportunity. Precisely when the Pole was leading 6-5, she got the break on her first chance of the set, taking the lead 7-5.

Second Set

Kudermetova had shown she could compete equally with Swiatek during the first set, but she still needed to prove if she could maintain the pace against one of the most intense players on court. The set began with both defending their service games in the first turn, but Swiatek quickly began to dominate the match completely.

This time, the Pole had an 80% first-serve percentage, winning 88% of those points, taking her service games comfortably. She was also much more effective on return, winning up to 57% of return points. Swiatek won 20 of the last 25 points played in the set—including a streak of 10 consecutive points before closing out the victory. It was two consecutive breaks, and Swiatek took the win 7-5, 6-1.

Although Kudermetova had been efficient during the first set, she couldn't maintain her rhythm throughout the match, and Swiatek was more focused in the final part of the match. The Pole advances to the second round, where she will face American Caty McNally.

Match Statistics Swiatek vs. Kudermetova