The Latest: Barty wins 1st match as No. 1 at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — The Latest at Wimbledon (all times local):

2:35 p.m.

French Open champion Ash Barty won her first match as the top-ranked woman, beating Saisai Zheng 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round at Wimbledon.

Barty overtook Naomi Osaka last week for the top ranking and lived up to the status on No. 1 Court, breaking her Chinese opponent twice in each set.

“It’s a little bit of a bizarre feeling to be honest,” Barty said about coming into Wimbledon as the No. 1. “Took some time to adjust but I loved every minute.”

Defending champion Angelique Kerber also advanced, beating Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-3.

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12:30 p.m.

Ninth-seeded Sloane Stephens avoided another first-round exit at Wimbledon, beating former quarterfinalist Timea Bacsinszky 6-2, 6-4 for her first victory at the All England Club since 2016.

The American was one of four top-10 seeded women to lose in the first round last year, and also went out in her opening match in 2017. Bacsinszky reached the quarterfinals in 2015 but has now lost all three of her career meetings with Stephens.

No. 15 Wang Qiang and Barbora Strycova were also among the early winners on Day 2 of the Grand Slam tournament. Wang beat Vera Lapko 6-2, 6-2 and Strycova defeated Lesia Tsurenko 6-3, 6-2.

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8 a.m.

Serena Williams renews her bid for her 24th Grand Slam title and eighth at Wimbledon with a Centre Court match against Giulia Gatto-Monticone of Italy.

Williams lost in the final at the All England Club to Angelique Kerber last year.

Kerber opens Tuesday’s first-round action in the main stadium against Tatjana Maria.

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer then follows against Lloyd Harris.

The first match on No. 1 Court will be Ash Barty’s first match since she became ranked No. 1. The French Open champion faces Zheng Saisai.

Rafael Nadal takes on Yuichi Sugita later in the day in that arena.

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