LONDON: Novak Djokovic came through a testing Wimbledon workout to stay on course for a record-equalling eighth men’s title on Thursday, while Jessica Pegula became the highest-ranked player to exit the tournament so far, dumped out by China’s Wang Xinyu in the second round.
Seven-time champion Djokovic did not have it all his own way against British wild card Jacob Fearnley but came through 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 in a second-round match lasting three hours.
It appeared to be business as usual for the Serbian as he coasted into a two-set lead on Centre Court but the 277th-ranked Fearnley broke his illustrious opponent twice in the third set to reduce the deficit.
Fearnley, playing in his first Grand Slam, carved out two break points in the sixth game of the fourth set but missed his chance and Djokovic broke in the 11th game before serving out for the win.
Fifth-ranked Pegula went down 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 6-1 to Wang, who celebrated her first win against a top-10 player. The American battled back after losing the first set, saving a match point in the second-set tie-break, before levelling the match.
But China’s 42nd-ranked Wang raced into a 5-0 lead in the decider. She will face Britain’s Harriet Dart, who defeated Nottingham champion Katie Boulter, for a spot in the last 16.
SWIATEK EXCELS
Women’s world number one Iga Swiatek underlined her status as the world’s top player with an efficient 6-4, 6-3 victory over Croatian Petra Martic, her 21st match win in a row.
Swiatek, who has won five Grand Slams but has never progressed beyond the quarter-finals here, looked comfortable on the Centre Court grass, though she was tested at times by Martic’s hefty serve and groundstrokes.
Martic, 10 years Swiatek’s senior and ranked 85th in the world, fell and needed treatment after the seventh game of the first set but resumed apparently unimpeded.
Swiatek clinched the first set on her first break point with an attacking forehand that Martic could only dump into the net.
She broke Martic’s serve in the eighth game of the second set, earned match point with a big forehand winner and finished the contest with a serve that Martic netted.
Two-time finalist Ons Jabeur beat US qualifier Robin Montgomery in straight sets while Elena Rybakina, the 2022 women’s champion, faces Germany’s Laura Siegemund.
On the men’s side, 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov came back from two sets down to beat China’s Shang Juncheng while Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka exited at the hands of Gael Monfils.
Denmark’s Holger Rune recovered from a slow start against Brazil’s Thiago Seyboth Wild to win an entertaining tussle and book his place in the third round.
The 21-year-old 15th seed dropped serve early on the way to losing the opening set but raised his game impressively after that to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Rune, who reached the quarter-finals last year, will face French qualifier Quentin Halys next after he knocked out 21st seed Karen Khachanov in five sets.
Late on Wednesday, world number one Jannik Sinner survived an all-Italian Centre Court dogfight against Matteo Berrettini to book his place in the third round.
Sinner edged the opening two sets on tiebreaks under the closed roof but was rocked on his heels by a Berrettini fightback before prevailing 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4) 2-6, 7-6 (4).
Top seed Sinner was wobbling when some scrappy groundstroke errors meant he went a break down early in the fourth set, but he managed to wrestle back control in the nick of time.
Berrettini saved a match point when serving at 5-6 in the fourth set and belted away a forehand to set up the third tiebreak of an absorbing tussle.
The law of averages suggested the big-serving Berrettini would come out on top this time but once again Sinner was as cool as a cucumber when it mattered to get the job done shortly before Wimbledon’s 11pm curfew.
Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2024
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.