Press releases

MINSK, 4 July (BelTA) – Belarusian Victoria Azarenka (world No. 683) sealed her comeback to Wimbledon with a 3-6 6-2 6-1 victory over American Catherine Bellis (No. 40), BelTA has learned.

The Belarusian got off to a slow start going down 4-0 in th first set. But then she broke twice and that was the beginning of the turnaround. In the final set she lost only five points in the opening four games of the decider. She got broken in the fifth game but broke back and then served it out for a place in the Wimbledon second round. Victoria will next face Elena Vesnina of Russia who beat beat Anna Blinkova 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.

Belarusian Arina Sobolenko, who is making her debut appearance in the Grand Slam main draw (World No. 136), also advanced to the second round having defeated Russian Irina Khromacheva (110) 6-3, 6-4. Arina faces German Carina Witthoeft (65) in the second-round match.

Another Belarusian Aleksandra Sasnovich (89) lost to 13^th -ranked Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia 0-6, 6-1, 3-6.