World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka won the first set of her first-round match in just 24 minutes, and her final set 6-1. Yet her as-expected victory over Irina-Camelia Begu was not without cause for concern. Azarenka was actually down a break in the final set before the No. 79-ranked player capitulated, spraying errors uncontrollably in a 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 loss.
The match you saw on paper played itself out in practice from the onset, with Azarenka's return putting Begu on the defensive even when serving, resulting in a number of miscues. The Romanian did strike six aces overall, however, and her serve played a part in what was a fairly lopsided second set. But Azarenka's service woes were the primary culprits. She finished the day with 14 double faults, a number that a more seasoned and skilled player would likely have taken greater advantage of. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Azarenka's second-round opponent, may still have let Azarenka off the hook, but if the Belarussian expects to go deep in London, she'll run into foes of a higher caliber soon enough. If the current schedule holds, Azarenka would need to win five matches in the next five days for the gold medal.
Obviously, that's looking way too far ahead right now, especially considering today's performance. Despite the tidy first- and third-set scores, Azarenka was hardly dominant, but she regained her composure in the final set with an important and immediate break back for 1-1. Then, she kept the ball in play and let Begu punch herself out. Down 2-1, Begu topped each unforced error with an even more ghastly shot, and was down a break just minutes after leading by one. From that point on, Azarenka wasn't troubled.
This match can also be looked at from the bigger picture: A great number of top players have struggled already at the Olympics. Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga also needed three sets to advance, while Agnieszka Radwanska, Sam Stosur and Li Na failed to reach the second round of the singles event. It might be the surface, it could be the quick turnaround, or it may just be the spirit of the Games, but whatever it is, it hasn't been an impressive showing thus far from tennis' 1%.