Open contender Rybakina knocks out former World No.1

Pliskova had three set points before the third seed from Kazakhstan kicked into gear, and the Czech had no answers for the title contender.

Ryabkina looked far more comfortable in the second set, closing out the match in 93 minutes, 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

"It was a really tough match for me. Karolina is a very good player and it was always going to be a challenging first match for me," the 24-year-old said.

"No matter what happened last year (in the final), I'm super happy to be back."

Ryabkina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, will face Anna Blinkova in the second round after the Russian crushed Spain's Cristina Busca in straight-sets.