The highest ranking Bulgarian female tennis player Tsvetana Pironkova was ousted in the first round of Wimbledon on Wednesday.

In a match from the first round, Pironkova lost to Belinda Bencic from Switzerland with 2:6, 3:6.

Their match was initially scheduled to take place on Tuesday, but was postponed to Wednesday due to rain.

The Bulgarian started the match well and won the opening game, but then conceded five consecutive games. Pironkova managed to return a game, but eventually lost the first set with 2:6.

The second set was more contested, with the two players exchanging a couple of service games.

With the score being 2:2, Bencic recorded two consecutive breaks and came in the lead with 5:2.

Pironkova returned a break and lowered the score to 3:5, but the Swiss claimed the final victory after recording another break in the next game.

Thus the Bulgarian suffered third defeat in three matches against her Swiss opponent.

Last year, Pironkova and Bencic again played in the opening round of Wimbledon, with the Swiss prevailing with 3:6, 6:1, 6:3.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria's highest ranking male tennis player Grigor Dimitrov continues his participation at Wimbledon having made it to the second round.

On Thursday, Dimitrov is expected to resume his match from against Gilles Simon from France which was interrupted on Wednesday due to rain.

The Bulgarian won the opening game, but rain interrupted the match in the second game with Simon being 30:15 in the lead.

In the first round, Dimitrov defeated Bjorn Fratangelo from the USA with 6:3. 6:4, 6:2.

The Bulgarian has won only once in six encounters against Simon. The two have played twice since the beginning of the year.

In Brisbane in January, Dimitrov won with 6:3, 7:6 (10), while later in April at the Monte-Carlo Masters Simon prevailed with 6:4, 6:3.