By Shrivathsa Sridhar
LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) – French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska crashed out of Wimbledon in the opening round following a 2-6 7-5 6-2 loss to Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew on Monday after the Pole fell and hurt herself while on match point.
Poland’s Chwalinska was handed a wild card for Wimbledon after her stellar Roland Garros run, which also ensured that the 24-year-old was seeded 20th at the All England Club.
She looked to be cruising after winning the first set and was a point away from a routine win while ahead 5-2 and 40-30 in the second set when she slipped and fell awkwardly near the baseline to injure her right ankle.
“I fell and I felt my ankle. I wanted to continue, but … I didn’t feel comfortable moving, so I wanted to tape it, but I’d lose the point anyway, it doesn’t matter if I fell or not,” Chwalinska told reporters.
“It definitely didn’t help me later, but it is what it is.”
Chwalinska fought on in the second set but struggled to move freely and allowed Sawangkaew to draw level at one set apiece, before her challenge faded again after she squandered a 2-0 lead in the decider.
World number 164 Sawangkaew held her nerve in the face of a valiant fight and sealed the win for her first Grand Slam main draw win.
“I’m definitely disappointed. I was one point from winning a match. It’s a Grand Slam, so of course every match is very, very important,” Chwalinska added.
“I’ll get through it. It’s tennis, it’s sport, so I’ll lose many more like this, and I’ll hopefully win some like that.”
Victory meant Sawangkaew became the first Thai player to win a match at Wimbledon since Luksika Kumkhum made the second round in 2018, and the 23-year-old will face Alycia Parks next.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in London; Editing by Alison Williams)
