New Zealand tennis player Lulu Sun. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand tennis player Lulu Sun has been beaten in the first round of singles at Wimbledon.
68th ranked Sun was beaten by Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic on a day when temperatures topped 32C.
Bouzkova won 6-4 6-4.
Sun, who made the quarter-finals in 2024, had 30 unforced errors compared to the 48th ranked Bouzkova's 11.
Sun is also playing doubles at Wimbledon with Canadian Leylah Fernandez.
Meanwhile, defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz blew hot and cold on a blazing opening day at Wimbledon but the Spaniard survived a massive scare to beat dangerous Italian Fabio Fognini 7-5 6-7 7-5 2-6 6-1 and reach the second round.
Alcaraz, bidding to become only the fifth man since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles, arrived at the All England Club on an 18-match winning streak but the second seed looked out of sorts at times.
Russian ninth seed and last year's semi-finalist Daniil Medvedev was beaten in four sets by Benjamin Bonzi of France.
Women's top seed Aryna Sabalenka overcame Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine in straight sets, but twice Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur's tournament lasted only one hour and 25 minutes as the Tunisian retired in her first-round match against Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria.
-RNZ/Reuters
