Takao Suzuki became the first Japanese man to advance to the second round of a Grand Slam tournament in seven years when he beat Belgium's Dick Norman in straight sets in the men's singles at the Wimbledon tennis championships on Tuesday.
Japan's Saori Obata plays a backhand volley to Elena Bovina of Russia during their first-round match at Wimbledon. Bovina won 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 8-6.
Qualifier Suzuki, ranked 303 in the world, produced a gritty performance to outlast Norman 7-6 (10-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) and set up a second-round meeting with Slovakian Karol Kucera, who crushed No. 28-seeded South African Wayne Ferreira 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
Shuzo Matsuoka was the last Japanese player to progress to the second round of a Grand Slam tournament when he did it at this competition in 1996.