Sabalenka passes Mertens test to reach Wimbledon quarter-finals
The Belarusian top seed came into the match on Centre Court having beaten Mertens 10 times in 12 meetings - the most for her against any player on the WTA Tour - and the one-sided rivalry looked set to continue after she made a strong start.
That impression would change, however, as Sabalenka dropped her level and wasted a 4-1 lead but the three-times major winner recovered quickly and claimed the opening set with a break on the back of a searing backhand crosscourt winner.
Djokovic hits century to lead veterans into last 16, Krejcikova crashes
'I'm super happy with the performance. It was a battle. She always brings great tennis on court and I'm happy I was able to get this win,' said Sabalenka, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament this year.
'I mean, it's tough to play against someone you're quite close to, and she's a great player, a great person. It's tricky facing her. I know how smart she is.
'I know that she's going to fight till the very end and she'll be trying to find something. She really challenged me today so it's tough.'
Sabalenka hit a cheeky volley that clipped the net cord in the opening game of the second set but her former doubles partner responded with some solid returning in the next to break and surge ahead.
Her momentum did not last long, though, as Sabalenka drew level after six games and the world number one stepped up again at crucial points in a see-saw tiebreak, which she finished with a crisp forehand volley.
Sabalenka, who has reached 11 quarter-finals in the last 11 majors she has played in, next takes on 37-year-old 104th-ranked German Laura Siegemund and the belief will be growing that she can finally claim the title at the All England Club.
'With your support, guys, I think everything is possible,' she said, addressing the crowd which has warmed to her over the last week.
'It's such a beautiful tournament. I've always dreamed of winning it. Every time I'm on this court, I'm trying to bring my best tennis. I'm trying to fight for every point.
'I'm trying to give my best and really hoping for the best.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Djokovic, Sinner on Wimbledon collision course
LONDON: Wimbledon title rivals Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner will move closer to a blockbuster semi-final showdown if they win their fourth-round ties on Monday as officals blamed human error for an embarrassing electronic line-calling blunder. Djokovic, the seven-time Wimbledon champion, and world number one Sinner are on course to meet in a heavyweight last-four clash. While defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is yet to consistently find his top form at the tournament, Djokovic and Sinner have been dominant on the grass. Fresh from his 100th win at Wimbledon on Saturday – making him the third player to reach that landmark after Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer – Djokovic faces Australian 11th seed Alex de Minaur. Sinner has dropped just 17 games in his first three matches, equalling Jan Kodes' 1972 record for the lowest number of games lost on route to the Wimbledon last 16. 'About the games lost, this is whatever. I'm not looking at these kind of records. I know that everything can change very quickly from one round to the other,' said the Italian. Both Djokovic and Sinner, who is yet to drop serve in this year's event, have added motivation to lift the trophy on July 13. Osaka's honesty cuts through as comeback stalls at Wimbledon Three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner, who takes on Bulgarian 19th seed Grigor Dmitrov on Monday, is looking to reach his maiden Wimbledon final. Aged 38, Djokovic is aiming to win a record 25th major title, breaking a tie with the long-retired Margaret Court, and a record-equalling eighth men's crown at the All England Club. Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has never reached a Wimbledon final but the Pole is in a strong position in the second week of the tournament after the exit of so many of the top seeds. Although Swiatek, who plays Danish 23rd seed Clara Tauson in the last 16, has reached only one All England Club quarter-final, she made the Bad Homburg final on grass recently and also won the Wimbledon junior title. Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva, who is just 18 years old, can reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time if she defeats American 10th seed Emma Navarro, who ended Barbora Krejcikova's reign as champion on Saturday. Line-calling glitch Wimbledon officials will be keen to shift the spotlight back to the tennis after a failure of the tournament's electronic line-calling system on Sunday. A fully automated system has replaced human line judges at Wimbledon this year, but officials were forced to apologise to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal after a mistake with the technology during their fourth-round match on Sunday. Organisers admitted the system was turned off in error on a section of Centre Court for one game, with the mistake only becoming apparent when a shot from Britain's Kartal that clearly missed the baseline was not called out. Had the call been correct, it would have given Russia's Pavlyuchenkova a 5-4 lead in the first set, but instead umpire Nico Helwerth ruled the point should be replayed, with Kartal going on to win the game. The Russian, who eventually won the match, accused the official of home bias, saying: 'Because she is local, they can say whatever. You took the game away from me.' But All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton told reporters on Monday that the system was 'working optimally.' 'The issue we had was human error in terms of the tracking system having been inadvertently deactivated, and then the chair (umpire) not being made aware of the fact that it had been deactivated,' she said. 'We've spoken to the players, we've apologised to them, we've very quickly moved into reviewing everything that had happened yesterday afternoon and putting in place the appropriate changes to the processes.'
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Business Recorder
Sabalenka passes Mertens test to reach Wimbledon quarter-finals
LONDON: Aryna Sabalenka maintained her stranglehold over Belgian Elise Mertens with a hard-fought 6-4 7-6(4) victory on Sunday to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals as she bids for a maiden title at the grasscourt Grand Slam. The Belarusian top seed came into the match on Centre Court having beaten Mertens 10 times in 12 meetings - the most for her against any player on the WTA Tour - and the one-sided rivalry looked set to continue after she made a strong start. That impression would change, however, as Sabalenka dropped her level and wasted a 4-1 lead but the three-times major winner recovered quickly and claimed the opening set with a break on the back of a searing backhand crosscourt winner. Djokovic hits century to lead veterans into last 16, Krejcikova crashes 'I'm super happy with the performance. It was a battle. She always brings great tennis on court and I'm happy I was able to get this win,' said Sabalenka, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament this year. 'I mean, it's tough to play against someone you're quite close to, and she's a great player, a great person. It's tricky facing her. I know how smart she is. 'I know that she's going to fight till the very end and she'll be trying to find something. She really challenged me today so it's tough.' Sabalenka hit a cheeky volley that clipped the net cord in the opening game of the second set but her former doubles partner responded with some solid returning in the next to break and surge ahead. Her momentum did not last long, though, as Sabalenka drew level after six games and the world number one stepped up again at crucial points in a see-saw tiebreak, which she finished with a crisp forehand volley. Sabalenka, who has reached 11 quarter-finals in the last 11 majors she has played in, next takes on 37-year-old 104th-ranked German Laura Siegemund and the belief will be growing that she can finally claim the title at the All England Club. 'With your support, guys, I think everything is possible,' she said, addressing the crowd which has warmed to her over the last week. 'It's such a beautiful tournament. I've always dreamed of winning it. Every time I'm on this court, I'm trying to bring my best tennis. I'm trying to fight for every point. 'I'm trying to give my best and really hoping for the best.'
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Djokovic marks 100th Wimbledon win as Krejcikova exits
Listen to article Seven-times champion Novak Djokovic scored his 100th match win at Wimbledon and led the march of the old guard into the last 16 on Saturday while an ailing Barbora Krejcikova's title defence ended in defeat and tears. World number one Jannik Sinner was at his ruthless best yet again as the Italian gathered momentum in his quest for a maiden All England Club title while American Ben Shelton and Australian Alex de Minaur announced themselves as dark horses. Djokovic is on an altogether different plane as he looks to capture his eighth title to match Roger Federer's record on the pristine lawns of London and his 25th major overall to surpass Margaret Court on the all-time list of champions. The 38-year-old showed exactly why Wimbledon could be his best chance of achieving the elusive targets when the 2023 and 2024 runner-up dismantled Davis Cup teammate Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3 6-0 6-4 in a little under two hours. A ton of victories put him among elite company as the sixth seed became only the third player to achieve that feat at the tournament after nine-times champion Martina Navratilova and Swiss great Federer. "Wimbledon is a favourite and a dream tournament for not just myself, but probably the majority of players. Growing up, most of the kids dream of playing here and winning here," Djokovic said. Done. Dusted. Djokovic. The seven-time #Wimbledon champion produces an incredible performance to defeat fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 Onto the next ➡️ — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2025 "I've been blessed to do it multiple times. Any history that I make in my favourite tournament, I'm blessed." Grigor Dimitrov, the Bulgarian 34-year-old, also scored his 100th match win across the four Grand Slams when he quelled the challenge of Austrian Sebastian Ofner 6-3 6-4 7-6(0). Joining him was fellow veteran Marin Cilic, the Croatian 36-year-old getting past spirited Spaniard Jaume Munar 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-4 to book a meeting with Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli who took apart big-serving Czech teenager Jakub Mensik 6-2 6-4 6-2. While Cobolli may not be relishing a meeting with the tricky Cilic, his compatriot Sinner will welcome the chance to test his metronomic hitting against Dimitrov's elegant approach in what promises to be a classic. Sublime Sinner A sublime Sinner booked that clash with a 6-1 6-3 6-1 hammering of Pedro Martinez. The top seed, who has lost just 17 games in his first three matches, equalled the professional era record for fewest games dropped to make the Wimbledon fourth round along the way. "About the games lost, this is whatever," Sinner said, his grounded nature coming into sharp focus. "I'm not looking on these kind of records. I know everything can change very quickly from one round to the other." Sensazionale 🇮🇹 Lorenzo Sonego wins a five-set thriller in over five hours, defeating Brandon Nakashima 6-7(5), 7-6(8), 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-6(3)#Wimbledon — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 5, 2025 After the unexpected high of last year's title triumph, Krejcikova came crashing down when she was beaten 2-6 6-3 6-4 by American 10th seed Emma Navarro in a disjointed Court One contest. The distressed 29-year-old Czech, who has endured her share of injuries this season, was in tears as she prepared to serve to stay in the tournament at 3-5 in the deciding set before eventually crashing out. "It was tough, neither of us played our best tennis, she was dealing with some injuries and I was dealing with whatever I was dealing with," Navarro said, adding that it was difficult to focus when her opponent was struggling. "It's not easy to be composed. Part of you is saying just put a bunch of balls in the court and that's all you need to do. But then you trick yourself into not playing the way that you want to play." Krejcikova's exit and 2022 champion Elena Rybakina's 7-6(6) 6-3 defeat by Danish powerhouse Clara Tauson means a first-time women's champion will be crowned at the Grand Slam for the eighth consecutive year. Iga Swiatek will hope she can be the one after the five-times major champion secured a 6-2 6-3 victory over American Danielle Collins, whose compatriot Hailey Baptiste crashed to 18-year-old Russian Mirra Andreeva 6-1 6-3. Shelton gave Americans something to smile about when the powerful left-hander made quick work of Hungarian lucky loser Marton Fucsovics 6-3 7-6(4) 6-2 while De Minaur swatted aside Dane August Holmgren 6-4 7-6(5) 6-3 to go through.
