Staff Reporter.
@Wimbledon.
Mirra Andreeva reached her third consecutive round of 16 at a major with a straight-sets win Saturday at Wimbledon, while former champion Elena Rybakina, the No. 11 seed, was ousted by No. 23 Clara Tauson 7-6 (6), 6-3 in a rain-interrupted third-round match.
Andreeva, 18, eased past unseeded American Hailey Baptiste 6-1, 6-3 to become the youngest woman to reach the last 16 in the first three majors of the season since Nicole Vaidisova did so in 2006 at 17 years old.
Amid a first week marked by upsets, Andreeva, the highest seed left in the bottom half of the women’s draw, has yet to drop a set in equaling her best run at the All England Club.
Baptiste, who made the third round in back-to-back majors after never advancing past the second round before that, was bidding to become the second unseeded American woman in the last decade to reach the round of 16 at Wimbledon.
“Honestly, I was so focused today,” Andreeva, who is coached by 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, said. “I watched her first round and I knew it would be tough because she creates a lot of different stuff on the court and has a rocket of a forehand.
“With every match I play, I feel my level is rising.”
Andreeva, who is from Russia, awaits the winner of Saturday’s match between defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejikova (No. 17) and Emma Navarro, the highest-seeded American woman left in the draw at No. 10.
Also advancing Saturday was Belinda Bencic, who overcame Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7) in a match lasting three hours. It will be Bencic’s fourth round of 16 appearance at Wimbledon, tying Martina Hingis for most in the Open era by a Swiss woman.
Elsewhere Wimbledon top seed Jannik Sinner crushed Pedro Martinez to reach the last 16 without losing a set on Saturday while title rival Novak Djokovic targets his 100th victory at the tournament.