WIMBLEDON
Date: 22 June - 5 July
Coverage: BBC One, BBC Two, BBC HD, Red Button, website streaming (UK only) and text commentary, 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC iPlayer
Tennis on the BBC

South was playing in her fourth Wimbledon

Britain's Melanie South lost a tight match 7-5 7-6 (7-5) to Mathilde Johansson on day one at Wimbledon.

In gloomy conditions at 2100 BST, South faced match point in the second set but rallied to win the next three points and take the match to a tie-break.

But South, who had lost the first set 7-5, lost it 7-5 to the Frenchwoman.

Fellow Briton Georgie Stoop won the second set against seventh seed Vera Zvonareva to level the match at 1-1 before play was halted on Monday.

It was a great fightback from Stoop, the 21-year-old from Cambridgeshire, playing a Russian opponent world ranked number seven - 181 places above her.

Stoop grabbed the first break of the match but lost three games in a row to trail 4-1, but fought back to take it to a tie-break.

606: DEBATE What are your thoughts on the efforts of the British girls?

Despite losing the tie-break without picking up a point, Stoop continued to play positively and then won a crucial service break in the 10th, before levelling the match in the fading light.

However, as the sun disappeared on Wimbledon's opening day, South, Britain's number four, battled bravely but was eventually outclassed by France's Johansson on Court One.

South, who reached the second round three years ago, bounced back from losing the first two games but dropped her serve in the 12th game to lose the first set 7-5.

The 23-year-old from Surrey did brilliantly to save a match point in the 10th game of the second set to force a tie-break.

South trailed 2-0 but edged ahead when Johannson double-faulted, but the French player held her nerve to take the tie-break 7-5.

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