WIMBLEDON, England — In her ninth appearance at the All England Club, Alison Riske finally has a piece of Wimbledon history.
The unseeded American became the first player to win a match under the new roof on No. 1 Court after rallying to beat Donna Vekic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the first round.
“I’ve been waiting to have my place in history, so I’m glad I finally made it,” Riske, a Peters Township native, said with a laugh. “It was awesome. It was really cool. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but obviously at Wimbledon, I knew it was going to be great, and what an experience it was. I’m really thrilled to come out with a win.”
The roof was closed at 5-5 in the third set because of the fading light, and Riske earned the decisive break after play resumed.
The match originally was scheduled for an outside court but was moved when the third match on No. 1 Court finished early. That made for an unusual venue for Riske, although she did play on Centre Court in 2011 when she pushed Vera Zvonareva to three sets in the first round.
“It was a few years since I was on Centre or Court 1, but I had been there before, and I’m just feeling more and more comfortable in different situations now that I’m a little bit older,” the 28-year-old Riske said. “And it was an awesome atmosphere. It never gets old hearing your name get called out in there.”
