Swan, Fery and Fearnley keep British hopes alive after heavy Wimbledon exits

Katie Swan, Arthur Fery and Jacob Fearnley are through to the Wimbledon singles second round, giving the home contingent some relief after 14 British players were beaten in round one. Swan defeated Irina-Camelia Begu 6-4 6-4, Fery overcame Damir Dzumhur 3-6 6-2 6-2 6-1, and Fearnley came from two sets down to beat Alex Michelsen 3-6 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-2.

The wider picture for British tennis was still difficult. Ten home players lost on the opening day, and further defeats for Katie Boulter, Jack Pinnington Jones, Billy Harris and Harry Wendelken took the first-round total to 14, the highest such figure since 1994 according to the supplied report.

Swan’s win was especially notable given her recent injury struggles and the fact it was her first Grand Slam main-draw victory since beating the same opponent at Wimbledon in 2018. She served strongly, winning 88% of first-serve points, and is due to face either Madison Keys or Kayla Day next.

There were also setbacks before and during the tournament for bigger British names, with Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu withdrawing because of injuries and Cameron Norrie exiting on the opening day. For editors and fans, the contrast is clear: three encouraging individual wins, but a worrying collective start for the British field.