On opening day of Wimbledon, on Court 15, the pristine green grass was bathed in sunshine, the ivy-covered walls and purple-and-white flowers looked gorgeous, and the cool breeze felt especially welcome after last week’s heat wave.

Watching 18-year-old American Iva Jovic, I was struck by her grace and power. She plays with intensity, taking the ball on the rise, rushing her opponent.

Jovic earned her first Wimbledon main-draw victory with a 7-6(1), 6-0 win over world No. 37 Jaqueline Cristian.

In the first set, neither player was able to break serve, forcing a tiebreak. In the breaker, Jovic took complete control, winning it 7-1.

Carrying that momentum into the second set, Jovic reeled off six consecutive games to wrap up the match in one hour and 30 minutes.

(Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)

Jovic struck 19 winners to Cristian’s 12 and won 44 percent of return points, creating seven break-point opportunities and converting three. She was also effective at the net, winning 10 of her 12 approaches.

Cristian made 58 percent of her first serves and won 82 percent of those points, but struggled behind her second serve, allowing Jovic to take control of the rallies as the match progressed.

The win sends the sixteenth seed into the Wimbledon second round for the first time.

Fellow American Jessica Pegula, the fourth seed, who also advanced to the second round, was asked about Jovic in her post-match press conference.

“She’s a great player, I think she’s so good. I practiced with her a little bit. And then I just remember watching her play in Australia. I didn’t know if I had, like, an idea of where her game was going to be.

“I think she went out for a night match and just destroyed somebody. You could just see the look in her face, like, she means business every time she steps out. I think that is something super rare. You don’t always see that in someone so young.

“I remember watching that match, and I was, like, ‘This girl is going to be really good.’ You can sense it. I think you kind of know when you see someone playing. I feel like she had a great year last year, and then I think has kind of asserted herself as for sure top-20 player.”