LONDON: Aryna Sabalenka overcame a first set scare against Marie Bouzkova en route to moving into the last 32 at Wimbledon.
The world No.1 was pushed hard throughout her 7-6(4), 6-4, win over former quarter-finalist Bouzkova. An opponent who has registered 11 wins over top 10 players during her career and has beaten Sabalenka before.
The top seed was forced to recover from a break down during the opening set and had to wait almost 50 minutes into the match before she got her first break point opportunity. Despite this, she held her nerve to seal a straight-sets victory in less than two hours. It is the 29th time Sabalenka has beaten a player outside the top 30 since January.
“It was a tough battle and I’m happy to win this match,” said Sabalenka.
“She’s a tough opponent, we’ve played a lot of tough matches in the past. I’m really happy to be through this difficult round.” She added.
Seeking her maiden Wimbledon title, Sabalenka found it tough going from the outset. A loose hitting game from the Belarusian handed Bouzkova a break and a chance to serve the set out at 6-5. However, she clawed her way back to draw level before battling her way through the tiebreaker.
Utilising her power to put pressure on her rival, Sabalenka’s next breakthrough was five games into the second frame, which ended with a Bouzkova error to hand her a break for 3-2. This gave the three-time Grand Slam winner enough of a margin to seal victory.
“That was a tough moment,” she said of being a break down in the opener.
“I was just trying to put the ball back on her side and hope that I would be able to break. Until that point, my return wasn’t good enough to break her serve. I’m happy that in that moment everything clicked together.”
Sabalenka is the only top-three seed left in the women’s draw after the exits of Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff earlier this week. In her section, she will next play either Emma Raducanu or former champion Marketa Vondrousova.
“It’s sad to see so many top players lose in the first round but you have to focus on yourself. It is better to take it one step at a time,” she commented.
It is just the third time in Sabalenka’s career that she has made it through to the third round at Wimbledon.
Kartal into the last 32 again
Elsewhere at The All England Club, where play on the outside courts was delayed by two hours due to rain, Sonay Kartal gave home fans something to cheer about with a convincing 6-2, 6-2, win over Viktoriya Tomova. The world No.51 is one of seven British players to make it through to the second round this year, which is an Open Era record.
“I knew that match was going to be tough. I knew I’d have to go out and win it. I felt good on court today. I was hitting it really clean. It was one of those good days at the office,” said Katal, who defeated Jelena Ostapenko in her opening match.
“The last 12 months, I have thrown myself onto the scene. This year, I’ve taken a conscious effort of only wanting to play the bigger matches against the best players on tour, day in, day out. I’m playing with more freedom and more confidence.”
Coming into Wimbledon, Katal reached the second round at both Queen’s in London and Nottingham.
