RYAN Peniston’s dream summer continued to put a further smile on his bank manager’s face.
Essex boy Peniston has burst into the scene with quarter-final runs at Queens and Eastbourne.
And the 26-year-old left-hander wild card made a winning start to his Grand Slam career with a 6-4 6-3 6-2 over Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland in a fraction under two hours.
It means Peniston has already earned more than £146,000 this month ahead of his second-round match with Steve Johnson of the USA, the beneficiary of Grigor Dimitrov’s retirement – including £78,000 for making into round two.
Peniston made the perfect start on Court 12, breaking his opponent – with the aid of a net-cord – in the first game and sealing the opener in 38 minutes when his opponent hit a cross-court wide.
Like the Brit world 135, Laaksonen was seeking his first Wimbledon win, having lost his only previous match on the lawns – in 2017.
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Yet while he offered more power than the Brit, Peniston’s ability to stay in point after point proved crucial.
Peniston served himself out of trouble in the sixth game of the second set, saving three break points, riding the momentum into the next as he carved out an opportunity taken when Laaksonen carelessly netted.
After surviving another break point to keep the initiative, Peniston sealed the set on his third set point as Laaksonen was long from the baseline.
Peniston handed back an early break in the third – the first time he had lost his service – but immediately regained the advantage as Laaksonen once more folded under pressure.
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And when Laaksonen was wide on Peniston’s first match point, his holler of pure joy and adrenaline was wildly applauded by the courtside fans.
British No6 Katie Swan let slip the chance to win only the second Grand Slam match of her career.
Wildcard entrant Swan, 23, lost her footing on the damp grass during the first point of the match, yet recovered from going a break down to take the opening set 6-4 against Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
But after losing her serve in the ninth game of a tight second set, the Brit received medical attention on her heavily-strapped left thigh.
World No 76 Kostyuk saw her opportunity and took it, breaking the Swan serve in the opening game of the decider and going on to win 4-6 6-4 6-4.
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