Wimbledon: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka holds off home favorite Emma Raducanu at Centre Court
Sabalenka, a two-time semifinalist at the All England Club, fought back in both sets against the the 2021 U.S. Open champion, who had been playing some of her best tennis since her title run at Flushing Meadows as a qualifier at age 18.
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New York Post
17 minutes ago
- New York Post
Emma Raducanu calls out Wimbledon for ‘disappointing' electronic line calling: ‘So wrong'
It's clear that Emma Raducanu was not happy about Wimbledon's electronic line calling on Friday. During her tightly contested defeat to top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, the 22-year-old called out to the chair umpire over a line call, asking, 'You saw it out as well, right?' The controversial call, which Raducanu questioned, was a first serve by Sabalenka at 2-4, 15-0, which did appear to miss the line upon replay. 3 Emma Raducanu plays a backhand against Aryna Sabalenka on day five of Wimbledon 2025. Getty Images The serve ultimately led to Sabalenka going up 30-0 in a pivotal set during the match, helping her stage a comeback after going down early. 'That call was, like, for sure out,' Raducanu said in her press conference after the match. 'It's kind of disappointing, the tournament here, that the calls can be so wrong, but for the most part, they've been OK. 'It's just, like, I've had a few in my other matches, too, that have been very wrong. So yeah, I don't know. Hopefully, they can fix that.' Raducanu ultimately lost to Sabalenka 7-6, 6-4, and showed her frustration after the match. 3 Emma Raducanu against Aryna Sabalenka on day five of Wimbledon. Getty Images 'I don't think I've really had a loss like this in a long time, where I feel like I maybe had chances and didn't take them,' said Raducanu. 'I think usually I'm pretty good at converting.' 'I'll probably find it tough to sleep tonight,' she added. 'It's going to take me a few days to process. But at the same time, it really motivates me. 'It could be a good thing that I'm like, 'OK, I want to get straight back to work.' I want to solidify my game so that in the big moments I can back myself a little bit more.' 3 Emma Raducanu reacts against Aryna Sabalenka on day five of Wimbledon. Getty Images As for Sabalenka, she'll face off against Elise Mertens on Sunday in the round of 16.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Wimbledon 2025: Aryna Sabalenka holds off inspired Emma Raducanu in thriller to reach last-16
Aryna Sabalenka was given a real scare but battled her way past Emma Raducanu in front of a raucous Centre Court crowd. The atmosphere was heightened by the closing of the roof and Raducanu provided those in attendance with plenty to get behind, as she went toe-to-toe with the world number one over two hours. Advertisement Raducanu led 4-2 in the first set and 4-1 in the second but could not get over the line on either occasion, as Sabalenka booked her place in the last-16 with a 7-6 6-4 win. "She played such incredible tennis and she pushed me really hard,' Sabalenka said. 'To get this win, I had to fight for every point like crazy. I'm super happy with the win of course. I'm super happy to see her healthy and back on track. I'm pretty sure that she will be back in the top 10 soon.' Asked about the frenzied atmosphere, she added: "What an atmosphere. My ears are still hurting, honestly. It was super loud! Every time you were cheering her, I was trying to tell myself to just pretend that you were just cheering for me. I had goosebumps honestly, so thank you for the atmosphere." Advertisement Raducanu was hugely impressive in beating 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round but this was a significant step up, against the top seed Sabalenka who has reached at least the quarter-finals of every Grand Slam she has played since the French Open three years ago. The Briton, though, was up for the fight. So too were those in the stands, every winner greeted with a huge roar, the noise rivalled only by the increasingly animated shrieks coming from Sabalenka as the tension built. Raducanu landed the first blow, breaking to lead 4-2, but a loose game then allowed Sabalenka to level things up, winning eight points in a row as the Briton struggled to adapt to the new balls and sent a succession of groundstrokes long. Then came a truly remarkable passage of play, a game that lasted 13 minutes and brought seven set points for the world number one. On each occasion Raducanu held firm, her first serve repeatedly getting her out of trouble, as she somehow clawed her way to a hold. Advertisement That appeared even more significant when Raducanu then broke to lead 6-5, but Sabalenka responded immediately to force a tie-break. It ebbed and flowed, Sabalenka incredibly brave in saving set point with a perfect drop shot, and a well-judged volley sealed an epic set after 74 minutes. That could have taken the wind out of Raducanu's sails but she came roaring back to lead 4-1. The crucial game then came as she had a break point to near enough seal the set, but a forehand went long and Sabalenka stayed in touch at 4-2. That was the first of five games in a row that would take her to victory, even if she did threaten further late drama with a double fault on her second match point. The third was converted, though, Raducanu's race finally run after a mammoth effort.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Aussie seals huge career-first amid dramatic scenes for Wimbledon fan favourite
Australia's Jordan Thompson has defied a lingering back injury to book his spot in the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time. While women's World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka survived a huge scare against local hope Emma Radacanu, after a drama-charged 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 victory in the most eagerly anticipated match of the tournament to date. Thompson says he's still 'not anywhere near 100 per cent', despite booking his place in the last-16 at Wimbledon for the first time in his career, with a 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3 victory over Italian Luciano Darderi. The Aussie battled through his back injury to record courageous five-set wins in his opening two matches, but looked more comfortable in the third round clash against Darderi. The victory sets up a mouthwatering last-16 showdown with in-form fifth seed Taylor Fritz, who Thompson beat on the grass at Queen's Club last year. The big-serving American defeated Spain's 26th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-1, and Thompson says there's no reason why he can't spring another huge upset against the World No.5. "It's a pathetic outlook if I go out there thinking I can't win," the Aussie said. "I won last time on grass, but very different grass, in different circumstances. So, you know, it'll be a new day. Fellow Aussies Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina have the chance to join Thompson in the fourth round when they play later on Saturday night (AEST). The injury-plagued Thompson admitted before Wimbledon started that he was unsure whether he'd be able to compete because of his ongoing back issue. But the 31-year-old Sydneysider says it has improved as the tournament has gone on and filled him with confidence that he can keep his best-ever run going. "When I was warming up for the doubles yesterday, I was seriously questioning what I was doing out there, but I actually felt better as the day went on," he said. "And today was actually a lot better. Don't know why, but felt half-normal on the court. But to make my first Wimbledon fourth-round under the circumstances at the moment is incredible." RELATED: Wimbledon breaks 148-year rule after tragic death of star Alex de Minaur overcomes fiancee's heartbreak amid carnage Calls for change as 'dumb' Wimbledon tradition infuriates fans Among the other big names through in the men's draw are defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and Russian 14th seed Andrey Rublev, who will meet in the fourth round. Alcaraz kept his quest for a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles alive with a 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4 win over big-serving German Jan-Lennard Struff, while Rublev eased past French veteran Adrian Mannarino 7-5 6-2 6-3. The most anticipated match of the day was left to last though and it didn't disappoint, with women's World No.1 Sabalenka surviving a huge scare against local favourite Raducanu 7-6 (8-6) 6-4. The atmosphere was electric around the packed Centre Court, with Raducanu riding a wave of home support to save seven set points and creating one of her own, only to lose an epic opening stanza to Sabalenka. Raducanu also led 4-1 in the second set before Sabalenka's class shone through and she recovered to set up a fourth-round clash with Elise Mertens. The World No.1 joined in the applause as Raducanu was cheered off court after the drama-charged two-hour showdown. It came after Australian Open champion and sixth seed Madison Keys became the latest big gun to fall, crashing out 6-3 6-3 against German veteran Laura Siegmund. The American became the fifth of the top-six seeds to be sent packing on an eventful day. Siegemund will next face Solana Sierra, who became the first woman 'lucky loser' to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon after beating Spain's Cristina Bucsa 7-5 1-6 6-1. Playing better than she has in years, great to see Emma Radacanu back in form at last. — regina kealy (@kealycopy) July 4, 2025 What a performance and what a fight. Pushed Aryna all the way and was so so close to getting either set but Sabalanka used her power in the most crucial points. She can be so incredibly proud of her 3 matches this year and can use this to push on. — Matt Smith (@MattSmith_44) July 4, 2025 She is a champion and I've no doubt that we'll see her winning grand slams again soon, hopefully Wimbledon next year. She did the country proud. 🇬🇧 — Simon Davis (@madvisions_pens) July 4, 2025 Considering her injuries and what she's been through, going toe to toe with the world number 1 like that is a huge step up. Time to build consistency and sharpness 💪🏻 — Younes H-Hamou (@youneshhamou_) July 4, 2025 with AAP
