Naomi Osaka blows chance to reach Wimbledon fourth round, Ben Shelton wins in 55 seconds
Osaka was in a strong position after taking the first set on Court Two, but her bid to finally make the last 16 imploded as Pavlyuchenkova battled back to clinch a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory.
The 27-year-old is a four-time grand slam champion, but she has not won a major since 2021.
Osaka's four previous appearances at Wimbledon ended in two third-round defeats and losses in the first and second rounds.
Once again she fell short at the grass-court grand slam.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova celebrates her win over Naomi Osaka on Friday. Photo: EPA
Since her triumph at the Australian Open four years ago, she has been on a dismal run of 12 successive grand slam appearances without reaching the fourth round.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTHK
11 hours ago
- RTHK
Alcaraz, Sinner will resume rivalry in Wimbledon final
Alcaraz, Sinner will resume rivalry in Wimbledon final It's the first time Sinner has advanced to the Wimbledon final. Photo: Reuters It is the first time Djokovic won't be in the Wimbledon men's singles final in eight years. Photo: Reuters It's business as usual for defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who reaches his third successive Wimbledon final. Photo: Reuters World number one Jannik Sinner will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster Wimbledon final on Sunday as the tennis world braces for the latest chapter in their enthralling rivalry. Sinner demolished Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in a Centre Court masterclass on Friday to reach his first Wimbledon title match and his fifth at the Grand Slams. Just hours earlier, Alcaraz – who has won the last two Wimbledon titles – reached his third successive All England Club final. The Spanish world number two battled to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) win against American fifth seed Taylor Fritz. Sinner, 23, will be desperate to avenge his painful French Open defeat against Alcaraz after squandering a two-set lead and three championship points in an epic Roland Garros final in June. Only 35 days after that five-set marathon on clay in Paris, they will meet again on the lawns of Wimbledon. Sinner and Alcaraz are the undisputed new kings of men's tennis, claiming the past six majors between them. Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, returned from a doping ban in May, losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz before his stunning collapse at Roland Garros. Now he has a chance for revenge against the man who is the current top dog on grass. "It is a huge honour for me to share the court once again with Carlos," Sinner said. "We try to push ourselves to the limit, he is for sure one of the players I look up to. "I love watching him, what kind of talent he is. Hopefully it's going to be a good match like the last one." Sinner trails 8-4 in his head to head meetings with Alcaraz, losing the past five matches. The Italian can take heart from beating Alcaraz in the Wimbledon fourth round in 2022, his rival's last defeat at the All England Club. Reflecting on the prospect of another showdown with his arch rival, Alcaraz said: "In Paris it was the best match I have ever played so far. I'm not surprised he just pushed me to the limit. "I expect that on Sunday, just to be in the limit. It's going to be a great final. I'm excited about it. "I just hope not to be five hours and a half on court again! As I said, if I have to, I will. But I think it's going to be great." Seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic, who was not 100 percent fit after an injury in his quarter-final against Flavio Cobolli, must wait for another shot at a record 25th Grand Slam title. "It wasn't really a pleasant feeling on the court. I don't want to talk in details about my injury and just whine about not managing to play my best," he said. "I don't think it's bad fortune. It's just age, the wear and tear of the body." (AFP)
South China Morning Post
16 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Wimbledon: Sinner crushes Djokovic, setting up final clash with Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner crushed Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals to set up the latest instalment of his gripping rivalry with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's final. Advertisement The world No 1 is through to his fourth successive grand slam title match – and his first at the All England Club – after a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 demolition on Centre Court on Friday. The 23-year-old will be desperate to avenge his painful French Open defeat against world No 2 Alcaraz after squandering three championship points in last month's epic Roland Garros final. Sinner and Alcaraz are the undisputed new kings of men's tennis, claiming the past six majors between them. Defeat on a baking Centre Court means seven-time champion Djokovic must wait for another shot at a record 25th grand slam title after failing in his latest bid to equal Roger Federer's record of eight men's Wimbledon crowns. Advertisement It is the first time he has failed to reach the Wimbledon final since 2017.
South China Morning Post
18 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Wimbledon: Carlos Alcaraz subdues Fritz to reach third successive final
Carlos Alcaraz reached his third successive Wimbledon final as the defending champion battled to a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 win against American fifth seed Taylor Fritz on Friday. With Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio watching from the stands, Alcaraz survived a titanic clash lasting two hours and 49 minutes in searing temperatures on Centre Court. As the mercury rose close to 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit), play was interrupted by several fans taken ill, but Alcaraz kept his cool to subdue the big-serving Fritz with his sublime returns and immaculate serving of his own. The 22-year-old will play seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic or world No 1 Jannik Sinner in Sunday's final. Alcaraz has beaten Djokovic in the past two Wimbledon finals and holds an 8-4 edge over Sinner in their 12 meetings. Taylor Fritz leaves Centre Court after losing to Carlos Alcaraz. Photo: EPA Back to his best after an inconsistent start to the tournament, the world number two looks in the mood to extend his reign at the All England Club.
