Wimbledon: Women's round-up from day one at SW19

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  • Safely through: Azarenka is into the second round after a straight sets win over Lucic-Baroni.

    Victoria Azarenka relished her return to Wimbledon, advancing to the second round after recovering from a foot injury that sidelined her for three months, while seeds Sam Stosur and Sloane Stephens both crashed out on opening day.

    Azarenka was one of seven players who retired with injuries on the same day last year in the second round when she suffered a knee problem. The Belarusian had another brush with bad luck when she sustained a foot injury earlier this season which kept her out of the game since March.

    Playing just her second match back from injury, Azarenka beat Croatia’s Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3, 7-5 in 92 minutes to book a second round meeting with Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski.

    Asked whether she felt like she buried some ghosts after her unfortunate Wimbledon last year, Azarenka said: “No, absolutely not. I don't think it's really important what happened last year. I was really happy to go out there and play.

    “It's a beautiful court. It's a beautiful tournament. So no bad thoughts. Just excited.  

    “I'm just very happy to be able to play. This is what I love to do."

    Earlier in the day, former US Open champion and No17 seed Stosur crashed out of the Wimbledon first round for a third time in five years, 6-3, 6-4 to Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, who had Kim Clijsters supporting her in her box.

    Stosur split up with her British coach Miles Maclagan just a week prior to Wimbledon but the Australian refused to blame her defeat on the recent development.

    “I felt really good going into today's match. I didn't think about it (splitting with Maclagan) at all. It's something that happened. I go out there today, unfortunately, I didn't win,” said Stosur, who has never advanced past the third round at the All England Club.

    This is the second time Stosur has lost in the first round at a major having parted ways with a coach a week before. She fell in the opening round in New York last year after ending her coaching relationship with David Taylor on the eve of the Open.

    Meanwhile, Stephens saw her streak of making six consecutive winning streaks at grand slams come to an end when she stumbled to Russia’s Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 7-6 (6).

    Kirilenko had won just one match this season having struggled with injuries, but is a former quarter-finalist in Wimbledon.

    “She just played really consistent. She's a good grass court player, so she knows what she's doing. It was a tough day for me,” said Stephens of her opponent.

    Australian Open champion, Li Na had to recover from an early break before she dismissed Polish qualifier Paula Kania 7-5, 6-2. The Chinese No2 seed admitted she didn’t know much about her opponent going in which made it difficult at the start.

    “Two or three days ago I was practicing with another player and her coach said ‘I think she has good forehand’. I started to play to her backhand today, and she didn't miss one shot. So I think I need to talk to the guy later,” joked Li Na, who next plays Austria’s Yvonne Meusburger.

    Five-time champion Venus Williams overcame Spaniard Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 on her 63rd career grand slam appearance.

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