Wimbledon 2017 round-up: Aljaz Bedene wins mammoth five-setter as Heather Watson also triumphs

There was only one break of serve in the whole of Bedene's win over Karlovic

Bedene kept the crowd going late into the night (Getty)

Aljaz Bedene revelled in the support of the partisan home crowd at Number 3 court after the Slovenian-British player upset Ivo Karlovic on the first evening at Wimbledon.

It was one of the upsets of the first day as Bedene edged a big-serving four-hour five-set match. Bedene, who became a UK citizen to play tennis here, enjoyed the support of the Wimbledon crowd and said that they made it feel like a “home win” for him, vindicating his decision to represent the UK.

“I'm a British citizen and I love playing here,” Bedene said. “It was fantastic being out there. At the end Court Number 3 was full, partially was because I'm a British citizen. I get to play on courts like that now.”

Bedene stayed afterwards to lap up the support of the crowd and he loved it. “I didn't want to leave because it felt good,” he said. “I wanted to give something back as well because they were supporting me. I don't mind giving a few selfies and autographs. That was my contribution to them because I just wanted to say thank you to all of them who came out and supported me today.”

The first four sets all went entirely with serve and the first and only break of the match was the game that won it 8-6 for Bedene, after four hours of play. Bedene even admitted that the game would have been “a bit boring” for most fans but was delighted with how it turned out.

Before the decisive set, Karlovic had won the first tie break, Bedene the second, Karlovic the third and Bedene the fourth. But when Karlovic was serving at 6-7 down in the fifth, Bedene got his nose in front and then won it.

Bedene is in Murray's half of the draw (Getty)

Heather Watson also got off to the perfect start beating Belgian Maryna Zanevska in two sets on Monday afternoon. Watson was knocked out in the first round of the womens’ singles here last year, before going on to win the mixed doubles. But she started this year’s singles campaign with a strong victory in front of a supportive home crowd.

Watson dominated the first set and took it 6-1 but was made to work in the second set by Zanevska, eventually taking it on a long tie-break.

After reaching the semi-finals at Eastbourne, Watson’s once very-promising career is heading in the right direction again and she was delighted with her recent progress.

“I definitely feel there's been a change the last couple of months,” Watson said. “I feel more settled. I have my coaching team sorted out now, and I'm happy with it, I feel that I've had structure in my practices. I've just been enjoying my tennis a lot more.”

Watson has a good record at Wimbledon (Getty)

Watson reached the third round in 2012 and 2015, famously almost beating Serena Williams at that stage two years ago, and now after a difficult spell she is determined to get back there.

“I feel confident in my game, that I'm playing well, that it will click soon,” Watson said. “I just keep believing in that. I felt like last week it really did. I just want to make the most of my confidence now and keep the momentum going.”

Laura Robson, however, crashed out of Wimbledon at the first hurdle on Monday and admitted regretfully afterwards that she had “let herself down”.

Robson reached the fourth round in 2013 but this was her third consecutive first round exit and she admitted in her press conference afterwards how disappointed she was by how she played.

“I just didn't feel like I played my best tennis at all,” Robson admitted, “it wasn’t the way that I’ve been playing for the last few weeks even. I feel like I let myself down a bit out there.”

Robson has been playing well recently and won an ITF $60k Tournament in Kurume in Japan in late May, the biggest win of her career, giving her confidence before she received her Wimbledon wild card. But it all collapsed as she was well beaten today.

“I thought I had a really good chance,” Robson said, “with the way that I’d been playing in the last few weeks. The way that the match went, my feet were just not moving. Once you try starting to over-hit it, try to play too perfect, it's tough to get out of that.”

British 21-year-old Cameron Norrie was beaten in straight sets by French star Jo-Wilfried Tsonga but was proud of his performance against the two-time Wimbledon finalist.

Robson has crashed out in the opening round (Getty ) (Getty)

“It was such a great experience playing someone like Tsonga,” said Norrie, who has just turned professional. “I was happy with the way I started the match. He served great throughout the match, and he didn't really give me a chance to get into the match with his serve.”

Tsonga won very comfortably, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, but Norrie was still pleased with the learning experience against such an established opponent.

“I think I just lost a little bit of focus,” he explained. “I missed a few easy volleys in the first set, got broken, and then I think it was just the same in each set. I played one loose service game in each set, and it cost me. I'm not used to playing guys at this level.”

Another British wild card, Naomi Broady, was also defeated as she lost 6-4, 6-2 to Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu in which she never got going.

“Sometimes you feel a bit more rushed,” Broady explained. “You're not able to think maybe quite as clearly as you are in a normal match, because you have obviously got the pressure of it being Wimbledon, and you're a wildcard and I really want to perform. You have been given this great opportunity by the All England Club and you really want to show them you deserve to be here. I didn’t find the answers in my game.”