London, June 30 -- World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka made a winning return to top flight tennis with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over debutant Carson Branstine in the first round at Wimbledon today.
The contest on Court No. 1 marked Sabalenka's return to the grass-court Grand Slam after a shoulder injury sidelined her last year.
Sabalenka showed no signs of rust as she overpowered Branstine in a 73-minute match, mixing pace with precision to nullify the Canadian's aggressive style.
The 24-year-old Branstine, ranked No.194, was making her maiden Grand Slam main draw appearance and put up a commendable fight, especially in the second set.
Branstine, who had declared before the match that she believed she could beat anyone, admitted nerves affected her ...