11 things we learned from day one of Wimbledon 2015

29 June 2015 10:16

We’ve just finished day one of the world’s most famous tennis tournament, and we’re already falling nicely back into the groove of things in SW19.

Here are a few highlights from today’s tennis action.

1. Serena Williams has got sweet moves

Serena Williams at Wimbledon
(Mike Egerton/PA)

Williams showed off some West End-worthy high kicks on her way to a straight-sets win over Margarita Gasparyan. Perhaps she learned them from her friend Taylor Swift.

2. Bastian Schweinsteiger is not a master of disguise

Manchester United target Bastian Schweinsteiger, aka Mr Ana Ivanovic, was in attendance on Court Three to watch his girlfriend ease into round two.

Here he is laying low…

Bastian Schweinsteiger watching Ana Ivanovic at Wimbledon
(Adam Davy/PA)

And here he is a few minutes later when the hot weather got the better of him…

Bastian Schweinsteiger watching Ana Ivanovic at Wimbledon
(Adam Davy/PA)

We see you, Bastian. We see you.

3. Linesmen are good sports

Nick Kyrgios accidentally hit a linesman with a ball as he attempted to pat it back to a ball boy. It was about the only wayward shot he made all day on his way to a 6-0 6-2 7-6 win over Diego Schwartzman which lasted just 85 minutes.

4. There’s more to British tennis than Andy Murray

Liam Broady at Wimbledon
(Adam Davy/PA)

Liam Broady, a 21-year-old from Stockport, came from two sets down to beat Marinko Matosevic. He was ranked as low as 473rd in the world last year but is now in the top 200.

5. But there’s nothing more painful than watching you sibling go through without you

Unfortunately Liam’s sister Naomi fell at the first hurdle to Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino.

Naomi Broady loses to Mariana Duque-Marino
(Adam Davy/PA)

The Broady family are used to sticking together, breaking from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in 2007 after Naomi was handed a ban when pictures of her draped over a condom machine on a night out made their way onto social media.

Liam Broady broke that feud three years ago and moved back under the LTA umbrella, and was promptly shunned by his father.

6. The coolest person at Wimbledon was not a tennis player…

Drake was seen hanging around with Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams – but his Started From The Bottom song seems pretty apt for Broady.

7. …and neither was the most popular

Niall Horan from One Direction in the crowd at Wimbledon
(Jonathan Brady/PA)

That’s One Direction’s Niall Horan taking in the action on Centre Court.

8. Rufus has been slacking

Rufus the Harris hawk at Wimbledon
(Philip Toscano/PA)

Rufus the Harris hawk is employed at Wimbledon to scare off birds. He’s got quite a lot of publicity over the last couple of years, but it looks like he might need to up his game…

It clearly didn’t distract Djokovic too much though – the defending champion beat Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets.

9. Wimbledon might need a PG rating

Serena Williams
(Mike Egerton/PA)

Specifically for “mild, infrequent bad language”. Two players – Serena Williams and Liam Broady – received code violations today for their use of expletives, while Aussie Nick Kyrgios appeared to say “dirty scum” during his first round match after a fiery exchange with an umpire.

Nick Kyrgios
(Tim Ireland/AP)

Broady said he deserved the £2,500 fine, but blamed his outbursts on his roots: “Being from Manchester, and 21, and my friends… people swear.”

10. The Dutch go in big for patriotism…

Dutch spectators
(Philip Toscano/PA)

…and it doesn’t even have to be Dutch patriotism, as this trio spotted on Murray Mound (all from Holland) have proven.

11. Lleyton Hewitt will be missed by his fellow players

The 2002 champion was defeated in a five-set epic with Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen, culminating in an 11-9 tie break. It’ll be the Aussie’s last Wimbledon, with the 34-year-old planning to retire afetr the 2016 Australian open.

A tennis player’s tennis player, Lleyton’s abrupt swansong brought out the emotions in some of the game’s other big names.

Source: SNAPPA