Share

Sharapova, Isner through to next round

London - Maria Shaparova beat Johanna Konta of Britain on Monday to qualify for the second round.

The fourth-seeded Russian, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, won 6-2, 6-2.

Although Sharapova won her first major title on the grass in sothwest London, she has struggled at Wimbledon. In seven of the past eight years, Sharapova has failed to reach the quarterfinals at the All England Club.

Unreturned serves

Meanwhile John Isner's serve is in fine form to start Wimbledon, where his career winning percentage is now back to 500.

The 17th-seeded American - best known for winning the longest match in tennis history at the All England Club in 2010 - hit 38 aces in a 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4 victory over 91st-ranked Go Soeda of Japan in the first round.

Isner collected more than half of his points, 58 of 96, via unreturned serves.

The match only took 1 hour, 45 minutes - a sprint for Isner, who famously edged Nicolas Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set of a first-rounder five years ago that lasted more than 11 hours spread over three days.

Isner never has been past the third round at Wimbledon in six previous trips and is now 6-6 at the grass court Grand Slam tournament.


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE