No Major upsets: Aryna Sabalenka, Alcaraz fight back as Tsistipas outlasts Andy Murray
LONDON, July 7
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus recovered from a poor first set to beat Varvara Gracheva 2-6 7-5 6-2 today and reach the third round at Wimbledon.
The 2021 semifinalist at the All England Club is only behind world No. 1 Iga Swiatek (40) for match wins on the Tour this year with 35. However, her status as one of the favourites to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish was severely tested.
The Australian Open champion struggled badly in the opening set, with Gracheva, representing France for the first time since switching nationality from Russia last month, moving around with ease in the sunshine on Court One.
“It was just crazy, it was super tough and I couldn’t find my rhythm. I was just telling myself to keep fighting, keep trying and just do your best and probably you’re going to win this one,” Sabalenka said in an on-court interview.
Alcaraz on song
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz produced an entertaining mixture of power hitting, fearsome returning and delicate drop shots to beat France’s Alexandre Muller 6-4 7-6(2) 6-3 and reach the third round.
But he made 41 unforced errors and did not have it all his own way against an obstinate opponent, who clearly enjoyed his first outing on the big stage and went toe-to-toe with the Spaniard for much of the match.
The 26-year-old Muller, ranked 84th, has spent most of his professional career on the second-tier challenger circuit. He came up with some delightful shots of his own, particularly on the backhand but, in the end the smiling top seed’s all-round game was just too strong for him. Reuters
Day 5: highlights
Coming back to life
Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas fought back from a one-set deficit against home favourite Andy Murray to win their second-round clash 7-6(3) 6-7(2) 4-6 7-6(3) 6-4 after it was suspended on Thursday.
Shining like sun
Third seed Daniil Medvedev beat Adrian Mannarino 6-3 6-3 7-6(5) after their match was suspended on Thursday due to poor light.
KVITOVA finds feet
Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova struggled with her first serve but the ninth seed still beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2 6-2 with a flurry of winners.
ZVEREV vs berrettini
German Alexander Zverev, playing on consecutive days due to the backlog of matches, beat Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki 6-4 5-7 6-2 6-2 to set up a third-round clash with Matteo Berrettini, who stunned Australian 15th seed Alex De Minaur 6-3 6-4 6-4.
BADOSA RETIRES
Paula Badosa retired from her second-round match against Marta Kostyuk while trailing 6-2 1-0.
Dhamne qualifies for junior Wimbledon
London: Young Manas Dhamne qualified for the boys’ singles main draw at Wimbledon today with a three-set win over 10th seed Atakan Karahan. The 15-year-old Dhamne beat his opponent from Turkey 6-2 6-7(5) 10-8 in the second and final qualifying round. Dhamne, placed 78th in the junior ITF ranking list, had two match points in the second set but the 69th-ranked Karahan stretched it to the decider. It will be a second junior Grand Slam appearance of the season for Dhamne, who had competed at the Australian Open. “It is a proud moment to represent my country at the Grand Slam,” Dhamne said. Meanwhile, fourth seed Aryan Shah lost 3-6 3-6 to 11th seed Italian Fabio De Michele.
