British women’s Wimbledon hopes end with Katie Swan exit

Katie Swan became the latest home player to exit Wimbledon after being beaten in straight sets by Madison Keys, as British interest in the women’s draw ended on day four of the Championships.

Against a player ranked 174 places above her who claimed her third Eastbourne title last month, Swan was always going to face a tall order to reach the third round. But she should take heart from how she fronted up to the hard-hitting American, whose ferocious forehand reached speeds of 80mph.

Not so long ago, Swan was ranked outside the top 1,000 and, blighted by back injuries, began contemplating an early retirement from tennis. The way she handled the free-swinging Keys, who was twice broken by the Brit in a topsy-turvy second set, could breathe new momentum into the 27-year-old’s career.

In truth, Swan’s 6-1, 6-4 was not a reflection of her industriousness, at times belying her world no 196 ranking against Keys. Last year’s Australian Open champion mixed power with precision but delivered an under-par performance by her lofty standards. Her ball toss was all over the place in the first set, but she mixed finesse with firepower in the crucial moments.

Despite showing more resolve in a rollercoaster of a second set – which at one point saw both players trade consecutive breaks – Swan will rue her missed opportunities. The Briton had eight break points in this match and only converted two of them, before netting a forehand at 4-4, paving the way for Keys to reach the finish line.

More to follow…