Staff Reporter.
(Reuters) – Former Wimbledon semifinalist Elina Svitolina continued her excellent run in Grand Slams following her maternity break as the Ukrainian wildcard downed 28th seed Elise Mertens 6-1 1-6 6-1 on Thursday to move into the third round.
Svitolina, who returned to the tour in April following the birth of her daughter in October 2022, reached the French Open quarterfinals last month and proved too good for five-time champion Venus Williams in her Wimbledon opener.
“I enjoy so much being on the court, getting this chance to play in front of an amazing crowd in such an amazing event,” Svitolina said.
“I’ll try to accept what’s coming my way though sometimes there can be tough days. I know my family is there supporting me and enjoying every single moment I get to play in such an amazing event.”
The 28-year-old raced through the first set against Belgian Mertens on the back of two breaks of serve, showing glimpses of the form that took her to the last four in 2019, but she faced an uphill task in the next set after going 0-5 down.
Mertens levelled the match on serve, finishing with a powerful overhead smash, but former world No 3 Svitolina pounced in the decider to break in the second game thanks to a blistering backhand down the line.
“On grass it (momentum shifts) can happen and you have to just accept it and move on,” Svitolina said.
“I was playing really good in the first set and Elise came back really strong, serving good. I just lost my momentum but in the third set I tried to move my legs quicker a little bit and here I am.”
With the momentum having swung her way again, Svitolina held her nerve to close out victory and set up a clash with American Sofia Kenin after the former major champion eased past China’s Wang Xinyu 6-4 6-3.
“I’m really thankful for this opportunity in the first place with the wildcard and now I’m in the third round,” Svitolina added. “It feels amazing.”
Andreeva, 16, Into Third Round
Russian 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva reached the third round of a Grand Slam for a second successive time at Wimbledon.
Andreeva was leading Czech 10th seed Barbora Krejcikova 6-3, 4-0 when the former French Open champion retired with an injury.
Just as she had done at the French Open, the teenager came through qualifying for Wimbledon and next faces either compatriot Anastasia Potapova or Kaja Juvan of Slovenia.
Making her main draw debut, Andreeva, ranked at 102 in the world, saw off China’s Wang Xiyu in the first round in a match that finished late Wednesday.
In Paris last month, it took world number seven Coco Gauff to stop her in three sets in the last 32.
Fifth Seed Garcia Squeezes Through
It took a 10-point shootout, but French fifth seed Caroline Garcia finally overcame Leylah Fernandez in three sets to reach the third round in early evening sunshine.
Having dropped the opening set 6-3, in which Fernandez slammed 10 clean winners, the Frenchwoman – her right racket-arm and shoulder strapped heavily – level with a 6-4 second set before doing just enough to edge the championship tiebreak in a decider during which neither player was able to break serve.
Canada’s Fernandez, displaying glimpses of the form which took her to that surreal 2021 US Open final which she lost to Britain’s Emma Raducanu, played with poise and power from the back of the court, and caused Garcia problems throughout.
Garcia, who skipped across the court pumping her fist and beaming a huge smile in victory, will next face Czech Marie Bouzkova who sent Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit into retirement from professional tennis with a 6-1 6-2 victory.
Bencic Rallies Past Collins into Third Round
Swiss 14th seed Belinda Bencic battled from a set and a break down to send American Danielle Collins tumbling out with a 3-6 6-4 7-6(10-2) victory that earned her a third-round meeting with Poland’s Magda Linette.
Former Australian Open runner-up Collins powered through the opening set in 43 minutes and broke early in the second to take control of the contest on Court Two, as Olympic champion Bencic struggled to make her opportunities count.
Bencic, who has not gone past the Wimbledon fourth round, found her groove and threatened to break Collins back but could not prevent the 29-year-old American from extending her lead.
However, wayward serving by world number 52 Collins allowed Bencic to level at 3-3 and the 26-year-old Abu Dhabi and Adelaide champion stepped up her game to force a deciding set.
Bencic clenched her fists and let out a roar after holding serve in a fiercely-contested fifth game and kept calm under pressure later in the tiebreak to advance.
Rybakina Fights Off Cornet to Reach Third Round
Defending champion Elena Rybakina booked her place in the third round but only after surviving a torrid second set against experienced Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, who needed a medical timeout after slipping late in Thursday’s contest.
On paper the 6-2 7-6(2) win looked comfortable enough but it was far from straightforward as Rybakina’s power game malfunctioned badly after she had looked on course for a quick finish.
The Moscow-born Kazakh slammed winners all over Centre Court in a one-sided opening set and appeared to be racing towards victory against her 33-year-old opponent.
But Rybakina’s game went from red hot to decidedly lukewarm as the wily Cornet, playing in her 66th successive Grand Slam tournament, used her experience to dig in.
As the errors flowed off Rybakina’s racket she was locked in a tense game at 5-5 in which Cornet had five break points before slipping awkwardly on the baseline and needing lengthy treatment before eventually carrying on.
Rybakina then held serve on her 10th game point but was still looking edgy as she was dragged into a tiebreak.
Eventually the third seed got the job done but it was far from convincing in the end.
She will next face wildcard Katie Boulter, Britain’s last remaining player in the women’s draw.
Pegula Races to Second Round Victory Over Spain’s Bucsa
American fourth seed Jessica Pegula overcame a second-set wobble to dispatch Cristina Bucsa, ranked 74 places below her, 6-1 6-4 on her way to the third round at Wimbledon on Thursday.
The Florida-based Pegula made a business-like job of wrapping up the first set before Bucsa, 25, had really settled.
She closed it as the evening shadows lengthened on Court One in 22 minutes, with a hefty serve that the Spaniard could only dump into the net.
Pegula then raced to a 4-0 lead in the second, getting the better of the baseline rallies with pounding groundstrokes.
But Bucsa found some form mid-set, producing deft drop shots and fine angles to claw back four games as Pegula’s intensity waned.
Bucsa then saved two match points in the eighth game of the set but could not fight off another in the 10th and Pegula won the match in just over an hour with a searing forehand winner into the corner.
Pegula is hoping to better her third-round finish here last year. She has made it to five other Grand Slam quarterfinals, most recently at the Australian Open last January.
“I definitely feel the best I’ve felt in my career on grass, which I guess is a little late at 29 but I’ll take it,” she said. “I definitely feel I can go deep here … a short-term goal to get into the second week.”
Pegula will meet Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the third round.