Former finalist Paolini stunned at Wimbledon; Raducanu, Osaka go through
LONDON - Last year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini joined the exodus of fancied players at this year's Wimbledon after the Italian fourth seed crashed out 4-6 6-4 6-4 against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova on July 2.
The ever-smiling Paolini's sunshine tennis lit up the All England Club during her run to the title clash last year but the 29-year-old cut a grim figure in the final set of her clash with Rakhimova on a shadowy Court Three.
Paolini, who was similarly dragged the distance in her opening victory over Anastasija Sevastova, was unable to muster the fight needed to quell the challenge of the unseeded Rakhimova and let her opponent build a 4-2 lead in the decider.
Rakhimova, enjoying her best run at the grasscourt Grand Slam, edged closer to victory when Paolini sent a shot long at the baseline in the final game and the 23-year-old wrapped up her first top-10 win on her fourth match point.
Paolini's exit means only one of the top five women's seeds - world number one Aryna Sabalenka - will be in the third round. It is only the second time that this has happened in the professional era after Wimbledon 2018.
'It was a tough one. I'm still thinking about the second set. I could do much better. I had many, many chances, I did some stupid mistakes,' Paolini said. 'I need to stay there mentally much better. My attention was going up and down all the time. I don't know why.'
In later matches, Britain's Emma Raducanu defeated Czech Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3 in the second round, while unseeded four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan eased past Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 6-3 6-2.
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Wimbledon 2023 champion Vondrousova had arrived at the All England Club fresh from winning the grasscourt title in Berlin, with victories over Australian Open champion Madison Keys and world number one Aryna Sabalenka en route.
But it was Raducanu whose game sparkled on Centre Court as she produced the kind of carefree, yet potent, shots that had carried her to the US Open title in 2021.
'Today, I played really, really well. There were some points that I have no idea how I turned around,' a delighted Raducanu told the crowd.
'I knew playing Marketa was going to be an incredibly difficult match. She has won this tournament which is a huge achievement. I'm really pleased with how I played my game the whole way through.' REUTERS
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