By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, July 2, 2024Photograph credit score: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Self-doubt caught to Marketa Vondrousova as tight because the tattoos adorning her arms.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Vondrousova could not shake the nerves or the daring strikes coming from Jessica Bouzas Maneiro’s racquet.
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In her Wimbledon main-draw debut, Bouzas Maneiro dethroned defending-champion Vondrousova 6-4, 6-2 in a stunning and historic Wimbledon opening-round upset.
The sixth-seeded Vondrousova made ignominious historical past.
Thirty-years after American serve-and-volleyer Lori McNeil shocked Steffi Graf 7-5, 7-6 in a rain-interrupted Wimbledon opener, Vondrousova turned the primary defending women’ champion to crash out of The Championships first spherical.
As we speak, an unsettled Vondrousova was stalled by a hip damage, spooked by spiking nerve and unable to unravel the 21-year-old Spaniard.
“I believe follow was advantageous and all the things. Yeah, as we speak I used to be a bit scared due to my leg, too,” Vondrousova advised the media at Wimbledon. “However I do not assume that was the explanation. I felt the nervous from the beginning.
“Yeah, I imply, she was additionally taking part in a superb match. That was type of powerful, too.
“General it was very powerful. Yeah, it is powerful emotions additionally to return. I really feel like everyone simply expects you to win possibly. That is powerful, too.”
Indicators of jitters had been evident within the opening recreation because the left-handed Czech clanked three double faults gift-wrapping the break—and a lift of confidence to the Wimbledon main-draw debutant.
“As we speak I used to be actually nervous for the reason that begin. I, like, could not possibly shake it off,” Vondrousova mentioned. “Yeah, additionally she was taking part in good. I did not, I do not know, like had many probabilities to return again to the match or she did not give me a lot free factors additionally.
“Yeah, credit to her. I will be again stronger, I hope.”
Although Vondrousova was clearly bodily compromised, credit score the 83rd-ranked Spaniard for scoring a collection of firsts. Bouzas Maneiro scored her first main main-draw win, her first grass-court win and her first High 10-win in a profession second that left her practically pinching again tears of pleasure.
Throughout the online, you need to really feel for Vondrousova, who has endured her share of non-public ache a yr after ascending to skilled peak.
Final April, Vondrousova introduced she and husband Stepan Simek had been within the strategy of divorcing—and her husband had taken her beloved cat Frankie.
“I am undoubtedly not having a cheerful time in the previous couple of weeks. My marriage with Stepan ended a couple of weeks in the past, we broke up,” Vondrousova advised Czech web site Blesk final April. “He moved out with the cat.”
The divorce ends a close to eight-year relationship. The couple, who started courting as youngsters again in 2006, received engaged across the 2020 Olympics. They wed on July sixteenth, 2022.
“It simply did not work out for us,” Vondrousova mentioned. “It wasn’t what we each imagined, so we agreed to not be collectively anymore. “Now we’re formally resolving the divorce, however now we have agreed on all the things.”
Regardless of all she’s been via, the Olympic silver medal champion confirmed psychological mettle persevering with to compete.
Regardless of as we speak’s defeat, Vondrousova will at all times have the recollections of her magical Wimbledon run, elevating the Rosewater Dish and the expertise to know if she will be able to regain her well being, she is a risk on all surfaces.
“It is powerful to exit defending the title. Yeah, I used to be actually nervous from the morning and all the things,” Vondrousova mentioned as we speak. “Yeah, she was additionally taking part in good tennis, in order that’s type of powerful, too.
“You do not have many probabilities to, I do not know, simply win free factors possibly. She was returning additionally good. Yeah, my serve wasn’t so good as we speak. General, I believe I wasn’t at my finest, and she or he was taking part in good.”
