Swans don't glide into the All England Club. Katie Swan, her nerves fizzing on the Roehampton grass like a dropped glass of Pimm's, overcame that tension to become the first British woman to qualify for The Championships for 20 years. 

While the 22-year-old from Bristol had taken the opening set 6-0 in just 18 minutes against Australia's Arina Rodionova, qualifying for Wimbledon is rarely straightforward.

The final round at Roehampton, when you are playing for the prize of a place in the main draw, can make you as tense as appearing on Centre Court at the All England Club when you are deep into The Championships.

Swan has probably never felt as nervous as when she served for her win, which included surviving a break point. But she came through those tense moments, winning 6-0, 6-4, and so completed what she regards as possibly the greatest accomplishment of her tennis life. She meets American Madison Keys in the first round of the main draw.

Ranked No.290 in the world, Swan has played in the main draw of Wimbledon before, including when she made the second round in 2018, but those appearances all came through wild cards. This time, she has hustled her way to a spot in the tournament. 

Swan, who is represented by Andy Murray's 77 sports management agency, was understandably emotional afterwards, given all the injuries and frustrations she has endured in her career so far. "Oh my gosh, I can't even believe it right now. I can't tell you how happy I am," she said in an interview with the BBC. "I'm very excited." 

Among the other women to qualify for the ladies' singles was Croatia's Ana Konjuh, who defeated Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. It was in 2014 that Konjuh, who was then just 16 years old, qualified for the main draw and reached the third round, becoming the youngest to progress that far since Jelena Dokic in 1999.