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It passes (Gasquet, Bonzi, Grenier, Gaston, Cornet, Tan)

"I thought that if I already won one or two games, it would be great"... Harmony Tan (115th in the world) did much better: she beat the seven-time winner Serena Williams who was trying to come back a year after her last match simply official.

For her first Wimbledon at 24, Tan won 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (10/7) in 3:11 against the "superstar" she had "watched so often on television".

As she won the right to play again, she will face the Spaniard Sara Sorribes (45th) on Thursday.

Richard Gasquet, 69th in the world, fought for 3:29 to beat the Portuguese Joao Sousa (60th) 7-6 (9/7), 6-2, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3.

Richard Gasquet during his victory over the Portuguese Joao Sousa in the first round of Wimbledon on June 28, 2022 Adrian DENNIS AFP

Arriving at Wimbledon unprepared for the grass, the 36-year-old Biterrois will face the American Mackenzie McDonald (55th) in the next round.

Last year, he was eliminated in the second round by Roger Federer, but he reached the semi-finals in 2007 (beaten by Roger Federer) and in 2015 (beaten by Novak Djokovic).

On the contrary, Hugo Grenier, 141st, plays at 26 in his very first Grand Slam tournament.

But just like his eldest, he went after five sets to seek qualification at the expense of Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Huesler (106th and from qualifying) 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 6-7 (5 /7), 2-6, 6-4.

Eliminated in qualifying, he was drafted after his compatriot Gaël Monfils withdrew.

He will benefit from another boost of fate in the 2nd round: he should have probably faced the Italian Matteo Berrettini there, but the finalist of last year, undefeated this year on grass, forfeited Tuesday before his first round due to covid.

It is therefore the Chilean Cristian Garin (43rd) that Grenier will face to try to climb to the 3rd round.

Another first success at Wimbledon and still hard fought, this time for Hugo Gaston (66th) after a stifling match against Australian Alexei Popyrin (83rd) won 6-2, 4-6, 0-6, 7 -6 (7/3), 6-3.

Hugo Gaston during his victory over the Australian Alexei Popyrin in the first round of Wimbledon on June 28, 2022 SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP

Gaston had never passed the first round of a Grand Slam tournament other than Roland-Garros (where he reached the round of 16 in 2020 and the 3rd round this year).

He will be opposed to the Italian Lorenzo Sonego (54th).

It was with much more ease that Benjamin Bonzi (47th) also qualified, at the expense of the Czech Zdenek Kolar (119th) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in 1h33.

At 26 and strong from a semi-final last week in Mallorca, the Nîmes will try to do better than last year when he was eliminated in the second round by Marin Cilic after going through the qualifications.

A year later, he entered directly into the main draw and this time it is the American Jenson Brooksby (34th) who will stand on the other side of the net.

And if all goes well, he could find Grenier in the third round.

Among the ladies, Alizé Cornet (37th) equaled the record of 62 consecutive participations in Grand Slam tournaments, held by the Japanese Ai Sugiyama.

And to celebrate, she offered herself a victory against the Kazakh Yulia Putintseva (33rd) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).

Alize Cornet serving during her victory against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in the first round of Wimbledon on June 28, 2022 SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP

Since the 2007 Australian Open, she has not missed a single Major, apart from Wimbledon 2020 which was canceled due to covid.

In the next round, she will face the American Claire Liu (75th).

If she passes, she should find on her way in the 3rd round the Polish world N.1 Iga Swiatek.

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It breaks (Dodin, Paquet, Burel, Rinderknech)

Océane Dodin (85th) could not do much against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (17th), semi-finalist in 2018, who won 6-4, 6-4.

At 25, Dodin was participating for the second time in the London Major: in 2017, she had already been eliminated in the first round.

Océane Dodin during her defeat against Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in the first round of Wimbledon on June 28, 2022 Adrian DENNIS AFP

Chloé Paquet (106th) also didn't have much of a say against the Romanian Irina Bara (122nd) who won 6-2, 6-4.

No more than Clara Burel (95th), eliminated 7-5, 6-4 by British guest Katie Boulter (118th).

Among the men, Arthur Rinderknech (62nd) made the Canadian Denis Shapovalov (16th) doubt.

But after difficult weeks on the circuit, the quarter-finalist of the Australian Open was able to take the upper hand to win 6-1, 6-7 (6/8), 6-7 (4/7) , 6-4, 6-1.

© 2022 AFP