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07/01 15:56 CDT Krejcikova beats French Open winner Andreeva in Wimbledon
upset. Gauff overcomes Sierra
Krejcikova beats French Open winner Andreeva in Wimbledon upset. Gauff
overcomes Sierra
By MATTIAS KARN
Associated Press
LONDON (AP) --- Having seen six match points slip away, Barbora Krejcikova
finally got the ball to bounce her way on the seventh.
Krejcikova earned her biggest victory on Centre Court since winning the 2024
Wimbledon title by knocking out French Open champion Mirra Andreeva 4-6, 7-5,
6-4 in the second round Wednesday.
It didn't come easy, though.
Andreeva faced six match points when Krejcikova served for the match at 5-3 and
saved them all before finally converting her fourth break point in a marathon
game.
The fifth-seeded Russian teenager handed her opponent a seventh match point
when she sliced a backhand wide in the next game, and this time Krejcikova
converted with a bit of luck. Her shot hit the net cord and bounced in and
Andreeva could only return it long.
Andreeva, coming off her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, threw her
racket in disgust and later smashed it into her bag before leaving Centre Court.
"What a match," Krejcikova said, trying to sum it all up. "What a match."
Earlier, No. 1 ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner both advanced in
straight sets, with Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka also reaching the third round.
Novak Djokovic finished off Day 3 by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
on Centre Court to continue his quest for a 25th major title.
Krejcikova is a two-time Grand Slam winner, also taking the 2021 French Open
title, but has struggled with back and knee injuries and has fallen to No. 38
in the rankings.
Andreeva had shown signs of frustration throughout the third set --- including
when her bead bracelet broke during a point at 1-1 and she had to spend a few
moments picking beads out of the grass along the baseline and throwing them
toward the back of the court.
Two ball kids and the chair umpire joined her in cleaning up before play
resumed.
There was also some loud cheers during the third set that had nothing to do
with tennis. Some in the Centre Court crowd had half an eye on England's World
Cup match against Congo and celebrated both of Harry Kane's goals and the final
whistle.
Gauff came from a break down in the third set and then won the last six points
of the tiebreaker to beat Solana Sierra 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7).
Gauff was two points away from losing the match when Sierra served at 5-4 in
the third set but won three straight points to break back.
"When she had to serve for the match I just reminded myself that I'm a great
returner as well," Gauff said. "I was just trying to be positive and I think
that showed."
Gauff had her breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2019 when she reached the fourth
round as a 15-year-old, beating Venus Williams in the first round. As it
happens, that win over Williams also came on July 1 on No. 1 Court.
"It was kind of my breakout moment, and playing against one of my idols was
insane," Gauff said. "Every time I walk down this hallway I get deja vu and I
just remind myself, like, if I could do that (seven) years ago, I'm definitely
a better player since then. So I definitely can do it now."
Osaka showed off a new look again before winning her second-round match.
Osaka, whose fashion reveals have become an event of their own at Grand Slam
tournaments, wore a less elaborate outfit for her walk-on than the "Kill Bill"
inspired kimono she sported for her opening-round match on Monday.
It still drew plenty of attention as she made the walk from the locker room to
No. 2 Court, trailed by photographers and fans wanting to take their own photos.
This all-white outfit featured a wide belt and a long train that trailed behind
her, which the four-time major winner took off as she began warming up for her
match against qualifier Anastasia Gasanova.
She went on to quickly dispatch Gasanova 6-3, 6-2.
"I'm just trying to mix it up a little bit," Osaka said about her outfit,
adding she had been worried that a loss might have ruined her daughter Shai's
third birthday on Thursday.
"I just wanted to be here for longer, I didn't want to make her get on a plane
on her birthday," Osaka said.
Sabalenka soon followed her into the third round, beating McCartney Kessler
6-1, 7-6 (9) on No. 1 Court.
Sinner, the defending champion who came from a set down twice to win in five
sets in the first round, had a more comfortable victory Wednesday. Sinner beat
Nuno Borges 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4 in the first match on Centre Court.
It wasn't entirely straightforward for the Italian, though, as he had to break
back for 5-5 when Borges served for the second set, before winning in just over
2 1/2 hours.
"Second set was very, very tough," Sinner said.
Other winners included French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli, No. 8 Daniil
Medvedev, No. 17 Frances Tiafoe and No. 21 Tommy Paul.
On Tuesday, Serena Williams returned to Centre Court but lost in three sets to
Maya Joint in her first singles match in nearly four years. Williams, who
tweaked her knee in the match, still hopes to play doubles with sister Venus
later in the week.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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