LONDON: Playing in the spot usually reserved for the defending champion at Wimbledon, Angelique Kerber made it into the second round.
The top-ranked German lost to Serena Williams on Centre Court in last year's final, but she advanced Tuesday by beating Irina Falconi of the United States 6-4, 6-4.
The opening match at Centre Court on Day 2 at Wimbledon traditionally features the women's winner from the previous year. But Williams is taking the rest of the year off because she is pregnant, making way for the runner-up to take her spot.
At the French Open in May, Kerber became the first women seeded No. 1 to lose in the tournament's first round in the professional era.