Maja Chwalinska’s run at the Wimbledon Championships has fallen flat at the first hurdle.
The world number 24, who recently became only the second qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final, was beaten by Thai player Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the Wimbledon first round.
Chwalinska led 6-2, 5-2, and had one match point opportunity during the 16th game of the contest.
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Unfortunately for the Polish star, injury struck at the most unfortunate time.
Maja Chwalinska suffers dramatic injury during Wimbledon defeat
Chwalinska suffered a dramatic fall on the match point, injuring herself in the process.
The Pole never truly recovered, clearly hampered by the physical effects of the fall.
Sawangkaew held her nerve amid the drama, eventually winning 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.
By emerging victorious, Sawangkaew secured her first-ever main draw victory at a Grand Slam singles event.
“It’s very sad for one player,” a commentator for the BBC remarked following the conclusion of the contest.
They later added: “You can’t really take a lot from that, because of the total winners, because of the lack of movement that Maja couldn’t really bring into the match.”
Sawangkaew will play the winner of Alycia Parks and British wildcard Alicia Dudeney in the Wimbledon second round.
Maja Chwalinska deserves praise
It was a horrible day for Maja Chwalinska.
Suffering such a devastating fall so close to victory would have been extremely difficult to deal with during Monday’s contest.
Despite her physical woes, Chwalinska persevered throughout Monday’s contest, refusing to retire from the match.
For this, she deserves immense credit.
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Monday’s clash confirmed that Chwalinska is a fighter – an individual who possesses a cast-iron attitude when on a tennis court.
The Pole, who will remain in the WTA top 30 following her defeat, will now turn her attention to the North American hard-court swing, which will begin following the conclusion of Wimbledon on July 12.
