Wimbledon: Top seed Aryna Sabalenka dodges another major upset in a tournament full of surprises

 London, June 2 — World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka came dangerously close to losing the first set in her second-round Wimbledon match on Wednesday, but she fought back to beat Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (4), 6-4. Sabalenka was just two points away from dropping that opening set three times before regaining control and cruising through the second.

Her win came on a day when many top seeds had already been knocked out. Four of the top 10 women’s seeds—including No. 2 Coco Gauff and No. 3 Jessica Pegula—were eliminated in the first round. In total, 23 seeded players (10 women and 13 men) exited by Day 2, tying a 25-year record for the most early departures at any Grand Slam.

“Of course, you see the bigger picture,” Sabalenka said afterward with a laugh. “Hopefully, there won’t be any more upsets—if you know what I mean.”

Sabalenka is a three-time Grand Slam champion, having won the Australian Open and U.S. Open, but grass has been less kind to her. She hasn’t made it past the semifinals at Wimbledon and missed last year’s tournament due to a shoulder injury. She recently reached the French Open final, losing to Gauff, though the two later resolved post-match tension through social media.

Wednesday's match began under different weather conditions than earlier in the week. After two days of record heat, rain caused delays on smaller courts and temperatures dropped significantly—from over 90°F (32°C) to below 68°F (20°C).

In the match, Bouzkova took a 6-5 lead in the first set and served for it, reaching 30-15, then 30-all, and deuce—just two points away from taking it three separate times. But Sabalenka stayed composed, winning key points with aggressive play, including a backhand winner and a powerful forehand volley, eventually taking the set in a tiebreaker.

She broke Bouzkova once in the second set to go up 3-2, and that was enough. Sabalenka hit 41 winners to just 18 unforced errors, wrapping up the match in just over 90 minutes.

Next, she’ll face either 2021 U.S. Open winner Emma Raducanu or defending Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova.

Also on Wednesday, No. 6 seed and Australian Open winner Madison Keys advanced to the third round, beating Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2. Other key players in action included 2024 French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini and, on the men’s side, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, and Frances Tiafoe.

Looking ahead to Thursday at Wimbledon:
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will play British player Dan Evans first on Centre Court at 1:30 p.m. local time. He’ll be followed by Iga Swiatek vs. Caty McNally, and men’s No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. Aleksandar Vukic.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

First National Bamboo Conference Happening Now

KHOTANG, February 28 – The First National Bamboo Conference is currently being held in Diktel Bazaar, running from February 27 to March 1. The event was officially opened at the Khotang Multi-Purpose Covered Hall, and an exhibition showcasing various bamboo products is taking place nearby at the Matikore playground. The event is organized mainly by Diktel Rupakot Majhuwagadhi Municipality. Even the welcome gate and stage at the venue are built using bamboo. The exhibition features 51 stalls displaying items made from bamboo, along with local agricultural products. Mayor Tirtha Raj Bhattarai shared that traditional Nepali bamboo swings—lingle ping and rote ping—have been set up for entertainment. Over 300 guests from outside the district are attending the conference. During the event, bamboo experts will present 23 papers under the theme: “Where there is bamboo, there is life; where there is life, there is bamboo.” Other co-organizers include the Forest Research and Training Centre (Bab...
Read more

Gold prices keep going up

  Kathmandu, June 18 — Gold prices have been rising in the international market since June 10, and this has also pushed up prices in Nepal. When the market opened today, the price of gold had gone up by Rs 900 per tola (11.66 grams) compared to Tuesday, while silver rose by Rs 65 per tola. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, gold is now being traded at Rs 195,500 per tola, and silver at Rs 2,225 per tola. International reports show that gold is currently priced at 3,393 US dollars per ounce in the global market.
Read more

Dengue cases are spreading rapidly in Chitwan.

Narayangadh (Chitwan), July 20 In the fiscal year 2024/25, a total of 3,889 people were confirmed to have dengue in Chitwan district. According to the Public Health Office, 3,020 of these cases were local residents—1,548 men and 1,472 women. The remaining 869 cases involved people from other districts—412 men and 457 women. Bharatpur Metropolitan City recorded the highest number of cases with 1,171 infections, while Madi Municipality had the fewest, with just 37 cases. One person died from the disease during the year. A total of 17,353 dengue tests were conducted throughout the year. Ram KC, a Vector Control Inspector at the Public Health Office, mentioned that the previous year had 1,831 confirmed cases out of 23,840 tests. Dengue was first detected in Nepal in 2004, in a Japanese tourist visiting Chitwan. The Public Health Office emphasized that the best way to prevent dengue is by protecting yourself from mosquito bites.
Read more