Posted: 2024-07-01 01:13:38

In short:

Australia's Daria Saville is hoping for a drama-free Wimbledon first-round clash after what she described as the "most extraordinary" incident in last year's tournament.

Saville was ousted by Katie Boulter in the first round last year, but not before an environmental protester burst onto Court 18 to hurl a mixture of confetti onto the turf.

What's next?

Saville, who is unseeded, will take on America's Peyton Stearns in the first round of the women's draw at Wimbledon on Monday night.

Asked if she has a favourite Wimbledon memory, Daria Saville can only screw up her face comically and offer up the weary verdict: "Not from last year, that's for sure."

The day 12 months ago when an environmental protester burst on Court 18 to hurl a mixture of confetti on the hallowed turf in the middle of her first-round match against top Briton Katie Boulter is one that makes a good dinner party story.

But the weird, rain-interrupted match, which had stretched over two days during which Saville had been blissfully unaware that Kate, Princess of Wales, was a courtside spectator for a while, ended in a familiar tale of SW19 disappointment for the 30-year-old who's had five opening-round exits in seven tries.

This year, she's out to change her fortunes, starting with another difficult contest on Tuesday against American Peyton Stearns, who won her maiden WTA title in Rabat in May and nearly toppled Australian Open champ Aryna Sabalenka in Indian Wells.

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