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LONDON: World No.1  Angelique Kerber  - looking to leave behind a wretched run on clay, where she won just two matches, bowing out in the first round of the French Open - said life at the top was 'more pressure, more expectations'. She even threw in, 'more things to do'. "It's easier to get to the top than it is to stay there," the German noted, a hollow ring to her smile. Her No.1 ranking under threat from the powerful Czech Karolina Pliskova and the stubborn Romanian Simona Halep, Kerber appeared to find her footing against the 247th-ranked qualifier  Irina Falconi . The 29-year-old beat the American 6-4, 6-4 in her Wimbledon opener on Tuesday. For most part of the 1 hour 27-minute clash, Kerber played from some three feet behind the baseline, running, reaching, stretching as her opponent powered forehand winners. Then slowly, Kerber, who made 2016 her own, stepped in, stealthily putting herself in a position of strength on Centre Court. By the time Kerb...

Last year's runners-up were up first on the main showcourts at Wimbledon on Tuesday, and both came through in straight sets. Angelique Kerber, playing in the spot on Centre Court normally reserved for the defending women's champion, beat Irina Falconi of the United States 6-4, 6-4. On No. 1 Court, Milos Raonic defeated Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-6 (4). "A lot of memories came back when I walk on the Centre Court," Kerber said. "Playing there again, it's one of the best courts to play. It's traditional, so it was really great to being back." Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, who own a combined 10 titles at the All England Club, didn't even need three sets to advance. They both reached the second round when their opponents retired from their matches in the second set. Kerber stepped in to the opening spot on Centre Court on Day 2 in place of Serena Williams, the defending champion who is out for the rest of the seaso...

LONDON (Reuters) - There can be few things in tennis more embarrassing than being beaten in the first round of a grand slam tournament while ranked number one in the world. It is a painful memory that is still fresh in Angelique Kerber's mind, having suffered that misfortune at the French Open just five weeks ago. It is a fate that has befallen only two women at Wimbledon in the professional era -- fellow German Steffi Graf in 1994 and Martina Hingis in 1999 and 2001. But such has been the woeful form of Kerber, many pundits feared she might be heading for a Paris-London first-round exit double on Tuesday -- a day when she had been handed the honor of opening Centre Court proceedings in the absence of title holder Serena Williams. Luckily for her she proved the naysayers wrong with her 6-4 6-4 win over American qualifier Irina Falconi. However, the manner of her win against an opponent who had never won a match at Wimbledon in four previous visits and is ranked 247th, wo...

Carson, Calif. • Real Salt Lake, loser of four of its last five, needed to get a win to climb out of the Western Conference standings cellar. RSL got its much-needed win Tuesday by drubbing the L.A. Galaxy 6-2 at the StubHub Center. The last time RSL won at the StubHub Center was a 1-0 decision March 8, 2014. RSL was slow out the gates, but a 2-1 halftime lead ballooned in the second half after sustained pressure against the Galaxy's backline. Albert Rusnák scored a goal and assisted on another, while Jefferson Savarino exploded for two quick goals to push RSL to victory in the second half. "We have talked about the excitement of having those two on the field together," RSL coach Mike Petke said. "One out wide, like we did tonight, one centrally." The Galaxy held the majority of the possession early on. Emannuel Boateng got in one-on-one with RSL keeper Nick Rimando in the 16th minute and elected to chip the ball, but Aaron Maund cleared the shot off ...

Jefferson Savarino scored two of  Real Salt Lake's  five unanswered goals in a 6-2 victory over the  LA Galaxy  on Tuesday night. Real Salt Lake won at the StubHub Center for the first time since March 8, 2014. The Galaxy lost for just the sixth time in 22 matches on July 4. RSL had a 2-1 lead at half-time after goals by Albert Rusnak and Kyle Beckerman. In the 36th minute, Rusnak was left uncovered and he took three touches to send it past Clement Diop for a 1-0 lead. Beckerman was left alone on Rusnak's corner kick in stoppage time and headed it home. In the second half, RSL scored four goals in 19 minutes. Yura Movsisyan redirected a cross in the 62nd minute, Savarino drove in a shot from distance in the 72nd and knocked in a rebound a few minutes later, and Joao Plata capped it with an individual effort in the 80th. The Galaxy, which is 1-5-3 at home, scored on Ashley Cole's close-range shot in the 41st minute and Bradford Jamieson's deflected shot in ...

No team in  MLS  history has won more home games than the  Galaxy , who have never had a losing record in 21 years split between the Rose Bowl and StubHub Center. However, this season that script has been flipped, leaving the Galaxy feeling like strangers in a place they once ruled. The latest example came Tuesday when  Real Salt Lake , the league’s lowliest team, came into the Galaxy’s house and made itself at home, riding two goals from Jefferson Savarino and goals from Albert Rusnak, Kyle Beckerman, Yura Movsisyan and Joao Plata to a 6-2 victory that was a lot more one-sided than the scoreboard indicated. “It’s unacceptable,” coach Curt Onalfo said. “It’s disappointing.” It was also historic, with the six goals doubling the previous season high for Real Salt Lake, which won on the road for the second time in 11 tries. For the Galaxy, the six goals given up matched a franchise record set in a 2009 home loss to Dallas. Ashley Cole’s first goal of the se...