Amy Lofthouse
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

So often you see a player miss break points and then immediately get broken in the next game.

That felt like it might happen there, with Iga Swiatek’s shots having a bit more ping about them, but that’s a good hold for Townsend, to the relief of the crowd.

In the first game of the opening set Iga Swiatek saved five break points before going on to dominate. Can she repeat that in the third after facing some early adversity?

The six-time Grand Slam champion fights her way to 30-40 but can't force deuce as another mistimed forehand finds the net.

2022 champion and world number two Elena Rybakina is up next on court one where she faces France's Lois Boisson.

Rybakina enjoyed a dream start to 2026, winning the Australian Open, but is currently in a bit of a slump. She exited the French Open in the second round, lost to Katie Boulter in the quarter-finals at Queen's, and lost in the round of 16 in Berlin.

Boisson, making her Wimbledon main draw debut, will also be hoping for a return to form after winning just one match since returning from a seventh-month injury lay-off in April.

Rybakina has reached at least the fourth round in four of her five main-draw appearances at Wimbledon. Boisson is searching for her first major win away from Roland Garros.

Anne Keothavong
Former British number one on BBC One

That was a tough hold and a scrappy game to start this final set but the most important thing for Swiatek is that it went her way.

We saw at the start of the match when she had to battle to hold onto her first service game and she responded well so she has to do it again.

Fourth seed Ben Shelton leads 2-1 on court two after edging a tight third-set tie-break 10-8.

However, the American is on the back foot early in the fourth set after being broken to 30 in his opening service game by Otto Virtanen.

Image source, Getty Images

Naomi Cavaday
Former British tennis player on BBC Radio 5 Live

These are incredibly awkward returns that Iga Swiatek is having to deal with point after point. Taylor Townsend is just kind of bunting it with a slice or a block and it is landing mid-way between the net and the service line, but staying incredibly low.

Swiatek is being forced to come in short because of it, but she has been struggling to get to it in time to do anything.

Iga Swiatek finally gets the hold as Taylor Townsend mishits a return.

The Polish third seed takes a deep breath before the change of ends.

How important will that turn out to be?

A break to love at the start of the fourth set for Arthur Fery and the British player is well control of this first-round match now.

A potential second-round meeting with American fourth seed Ben Shelton awaits if Fery can see it through from here.

Shelton leads Otto Virtanen by two sets to one in his match which is currently ongoing on Court Two.

Iga Swiatek plants a backhand into the net and it's a fourth break point for Taylor Townsend.

Swiatek saves it with a big first serve which Townsend can only fend into the net.

Swiatek has another chance to seal the game but puts another backhand into the net, before having an angry word with herself.

Twelve minutes and counting for this opening game of the third set.

Jacob Fearnley carried the momentum of taking the third set by breaking serve early of the fourth, but that advantage has now gone.

Alex Michelsen outlasted the Briton in a 28-shot rally to bring up two break points and, perhaps still feeling the effects of that, double-faults to surrender the break back.

Iga Swiatek has served three double faults in this game and there are some concerned murmurs drifting around the crowd on Centre Court.

Deuce again.

Marion Bartoli
Former Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

You get the feeling this opening game is an essential game for Iga Swiatek.

There is a little bit of weird body language coming from her. Her coach is clearly trying to get her to look at him so he can give her a bit of help, and he actually had to shout in the end for her to look up at him.

I'm sure she is feeling the stress of being the defending champion now.

Mark Woodforde
17-time Grand Slam doubles champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

That was very comfortable for Taylor Fritz, wasn't it?

His game was operational and that all starts with the serve. He hit 14 aces and he managed to build a high win-rate behind his serve. His movement was smooth during the rallies and he was able to find his targets.

A very comfortable win.

Anne Keothavong
Former British number one on BBC One

I like the way Townsend is looking to mix things up and is making Swiatek think about where she is putting the serve.

Great Britain's Toby Samuel has had an exceptional few weeks - qualifying for the French Open to make his first main-draw appearance at a Grand Slam, followed by reaching the semi-finals at Eastbourne.

On his Wimbledon debut, he's facing Czech 15th seed Jakub Mensik, who got to the semi-finals at the French Open a few weeks ago.

It's on serve at 2-2 in the first set.

Which Iga Swiatek are we going to see in this third and deciding set?

The Polish third seed is still not at her best as she overhits a volley at the net and the game goes to deuce as she serves a sixth double fault of the match.

A seventh double fault offers Taylor Townsend break point, but a long return sees the game go to deuce again.

Arthur Fery trailed Damir Dzumhur by a set and a break on court 16 but he's won 12 of the past 14 games to move within one set of victory.

Will Fery be the second British player to make it through to the second round?

Image source, Getty Images

Anne Keothavong
Former British number one on BBC One

Just when you think Swiatek's settled and got through the early part of a match, nerves do come back for her.

You can see that in a lot of the scorelines if you look back historically, she plays a lot of wonky matches when she goes to three sets.

Marion Bartoli
Former Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

Iga Swiatek is just falling apart on her service games at the minute. She has double-faulted way too many times and Taylor Townsend is definitely feeling that.

After giving Swiatek way too much rhythm in the first set, Townsend is taking charge and feeding her opponent more slices. It has absolutely been throwing her opponent off.

When looking at the players Townsend has lost to in previous years, it has often been players who are very comfortable playing fast and flat.