Auger-Aliassime upends Pospisil in all-Canadian battle, Venus Williams ousted by teen at Wimbledon

Felix Auger-Aliassime overcame a slow start to beat fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 in a first-round match at Wimbledon on Monday.

It was the first career Grand Slam win for the 19th-seeded Auger-Aliassime, who is playing in the main draw of a major for the second time in his career.

The 18-year-old Montreal native had mixed results (27 winners and 24 unforced errors) against Vancouver's Pospisil, who was playing for the first time since suffering a back injury last October that eventually required surgery.

"Just for any player to get his first Grand Slam win is a big relief, and it's a good achievement for me," Auger-Aliassime said. "At the same time with the level I'm playing now and my ambitions, I look forward and I look to go even further than that."

WATCH | Auger-Aliassime, Raonic advance:

Wimbledon Wrap: Raonic and Auger-Aliassime each advance on day one

5 years ago

Duration 1:35

Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Milos Raonic both advance through their competition to advance to the second round at Wimbledon.

Pospisil acknowledged he faced a stiff test against Auger-Aliassime.

"It was a lot of positives, to be honest ... Considering I haven't played for eight months, I was hitting the ball well," he said. "I mean, I started pretty well. I think as the match was going down, my level was just dropping a little bit. His was going up.

"You know, you've gotta be in top shape and playing extremely well to be beat Felix in any match. Best of five, especially."

Auger-Aliassime had a strong first half to 2019 to rocket up the rankings, reaching three ATP Tour finals.

Auger-Aliassime will face the winner of a match between Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria and Corentin Moutet of France in the second round.

Also Monday, No. 15 seed Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., beat Prajnesh Gunneswaran of India 7-6 (1), 6-4, 6-2.

Raonic, the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2016, will face Robin Hasse of the Netherlands in the second round.

No. 29 seed Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Brayden Schnur of Pickering, Ont., are scheduled to play first-round matches Tuesday.

Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., the lone Canadian in the women's draw, also is will open her tournament on Tuesday.

Teenager Gauff stuns Venus Williams

Cori Guaff served up the perfect excuse for playing hooky from school on Monday as the 15-year-old American caused one of the biggest shocks in Wimbledon history by dispatching Venus Williams 6-4 6-4 in the first round on Monday.

Aged 39, Williams is considered Wimbledon royalty as she has been part of the All England Club family for over two decades, having won the singles title five times — including two before Gauff was even born.

But Guaff, the youngest player to qualify for the main draw in the professional era, was in no mood to play a lady-in-waiting as she made a mockery of the 24-year-age difference and 269 ranking spots that separate her from Williams.

WATCH | Gauff upsets Venus Williams in straight sets:

15-year-old Cori Gauff shocks Venus Williams at Wimbledon

5 years ago

Duration 1:57

Cori Gauff became the youngest woman to win a match at Wimbledon since 1991 when she upset Venus Williams in straight sets 6-4. 6-4.

Playing a fearless brand of tennis that belied her young age, she bullied Williams into submission.

A break in the fifth game of the opening set, which included a delectable lob over the statuesque Williams, was enough to win her the first set.

The nerveless display continued in the second set and she sealed victory on her fourth match point when Williams netted a forehand.

Zverev, Tsitsipas sent packing

Sixth-seeded Alexander Zverev and seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas were both eliminated in the first round.

Zverev lost to Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5, while Tsitsipas was beaten by Thomas Fabbiano of Italy 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 6-3.

Both players are among the younger generation expected to eventually replace the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in men's tennis.

Tsitsipas, who beat Federer at the Australian Open en route to the semifinals, saved two match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker and failed to convert three break points early in the fifth. Fabbiano broke Tsitsipas twice in the final set, including in the last game when the Greek popped a shot long.

It was Fabbiano's first win over a top-10 player.

Osaka can't make it 3 straight

Naomi Osaka became the first top player to lose at Wimbledon, falling to Yulia Putinseva 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the first round.

The second-seeded Osaka, who won the U.S. Open last year and the Australian Open this year, was ranked No. 1 in the world until last week.

WATCH | Naomi Osaka out in 1st round:

Naomi Osaka upset by Yulia Putintseva in first round at Wimbledon

5 years ago

Duration 1:14

Number two seed Naomi Osaka was upset in straight sets by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva 7-6, 6-2 in Wimbledon first round action.

Osaka had 38 unforced errors on Centre Court, while Putinseva had only seven.

It was Osaka's second loss to Putinseva on grass this season. The Japanese player lost to the 24-year-old Kazakh in Birmingham two weeks ago.

Osaka lost in the third round at French Open.

Simona Halep, a former No. 1 on the women's tour who is seeded seventh at Wimbledon, advanced despite some pain in her left knee and foot. The Romanian, who called for a trainer after winning the first set, trailed 5-2 in the second set before rallying to beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-4, 7-5.

Third-seeded Karolina Pliskova also advanced, beating Lin Zhu 6-2, 7-6 (4).

2018 men's finalists advance

Last year's Wimbledon men's finalists both advanced to the second round..

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was first on Centre Court on Monday, as is tradition at the All England Club. He beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round.

"It's a sacred court, the cradle of our sport for sure," four-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic said in the tunnel after walking off the grass. "It has a very special place in my heart, in my career as well.

"I've been blessed to be very successful on this court over the years so every time I step on it memories come back and a great feeling."

Fourth-seeded Kevin Anderson, who lost to Djokovic in straight sets in last year's final, moved into the second round by beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in only his third match since March.

Stan Wawrinka, seeded 22nd, also advanced. The three-time Grand Slam singles champion, who has won each of the other three majors but never Wimbledon, defeated Belgian qualifier Ruben Bemelmans 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.