Roland Garros champions Ash Barty and Barbora Krejcikova will meet on 'Manic Monday' at Wimbledon after both won their third-round matches on Saturday.
Barty and Krejcikova were joined in the last 16 by three-time major champion Angelique Kerber and teen star Coco Gauff – who will clash in another fourth-round blockbuster – and 18-year-old British wildcard Emma Raducanu, who continued her unlikely run with victory over Sorana Cirstea.
In the men’s draw, Roger Federer came through a tough four-set encounter against Cam Norrie and remains on course for a quarterfinal clash with Daniil Medvedev, who recovered from two-sets-to-love down to beat Marin Cilic.
Nick Kyrgios, however, was forced to retire after the second set of his highly-anticipated third-round bout with Felix Auger-Aliassime due to an abdominal injury.
Barty, Krejcikova, Kerber, Gauff advance
After scratchy play and serving troubles in her second-round win over Anna Blinkova, Barty looked sharper at Centre Court on Saturday, slotting eight aces against zero double faults to see off tricky Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-3 7-5.
It sets up a meeting with Siniakova’s doubles partner Krejcikova, who extended her winning streak to 15 matches with a gritty 7-6(1) 3-6 7-5 win over former world No.11 Anastasija Sevastova.
Barty and Krejcikova, the 2019 and 2021 Roland Garros winners respectively, are currently No.1 and No.2 in the points race to the WTA Finals.
Barty’s fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic equalled her best ever Grand Slam result after recovering from 6-4 2-0 down to end Jelena Ostapenko’s seven-match winning streak in a heated affair on Court 15, and will next face world No.338 Raducanu.
Kerber, the 2018 Wimbledon champion, overcame a slow start to eventually dominate Aliaksandra Sasnovich 2-6 6-0 6-1, and will take on 17-year-old Gauff – who reached her second straight Wimbledon fourth round thanks to a 6-3 6-3 win over Kaja Juvan – for a place in the quarterfinals.
Also advancing to the fourth round were No.19 seed Karolina Muchova, who stopped Roland Garros finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets, and Paula Badosa, who ousted Magda Linette in three.
Upset of the day
Raducanu has been a revelation at the All England Club.
Emma Raducanu BIBLICAL
— Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) July 3, 2021
Playing in her first ever Grand Slam main draw having only played four singles matches in 2021 prior to Wimbledon, the teenager has advanced to the second week without dropping a set.
Her 6-3 7-5 win over the in-form Cirstea – who earlier in the tournament eliminated Victoria Azarenka – makes her the youngest British woman to advance fourth round at Wimbledon in the Open Era.
“I didn't know that was an actual stat or a thing,” she said of her achievement.
Federer leads big-name winners into last 16
Facing rapidly-improving British lefty Norrie, Federer was challenged throughout the two-and-half hour encounter before sealing a 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-4 win at Centre Court.
Federer – who struck 48 winners and won 30 of 38 points at net – celebrated with an animated fist pump as he progressed to a fourth-round meeting with Italian Lorenzo Sonego, a straight-sets winner over Aussie James Duckworth.
Second seed Medvedev was given an even greater scare, struggling against resurgent 2017 finalist Cilic before eventually winning 6-7(3) 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-2 – the first time in his career he has rebounded from two-sets-to-love down.
Queen’s champion Matteo Berrettini enjoyed more comfortable progress, beating Aljaz Bedene 6-4 6-4 6-4 to book a match-up with Ilya Ivashka, who ended Jordan Thompson’s run by exactly the same scoreline.
No.4 seed Alexander Zverev ended Taylor Fritz’s incredible return from recent knee surgery in four sets and will next face Auger-Aliassime, who won the second set 6-1 before Kyrgios’ increasingly painful abdominal injury – which significantly hampered his lethal serve – saw the Australian end the contest.
Another winner was Miami Masters champion Hubert Hurkacz; the 14th seed swatted aside Alexander Bublik 6-3 6-4 6-2 and will next play Medvedev.
Tweet of the day
All good!! Keep going champion ???? https://t.co/1T1sbJaVIW
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 3, 2021
Stat of the day
Hurkacz's form nosedived since he broke through for his first ATP Masters title in Miami.
The Polish player won his next match in the first round of Monte Carlo and then did not win again for two months, entering Wimbledon on a six-match losing streak.
However, the world No.18 has suddenly rediscovered his winning ways.
Hurkacz has advanced to the second week of the tournament without dropping set, and without even once losing his serve, after defeating Lorenzo Musetti, Marcos Giron and now Bublik.
Quotes of the day
“I was sitting on the change of ends, it was just empty thoughts, no bad, no positive, just sitting there and relaxing. This is how I want it to be. I think that for me is a very positive sign.”
- Roger Federer gives us a window into his headspace as he progresses at Wimbledon.
“Actually I didn't feel any stress so far, but I think, it's just getting closer, and more deeper (into) the tournament I'm gonna get nervous, for sure.”
- Barbora Krejcikova, who takes a 15-match winning streak into her fourth-round match against Ash Barty.
“I feel like I'm always on time. That's just my life and my moment. For me, I guess I'm on track because, I mean, this is the only way I know.”
- Coco Gauff, when the 17-year-old was asked if she felt like her career progression was ahead of schedule.
“My game is obviously there. He's 15 in the world. I'm making the guy look pretty average in the first set, and I haven't played a tournament in six months. So my game is there. My confidence is high as ever. My body, I got to get it right. Whether that takes a week or two weeks, it is what it is. I was devastated, obviously.”
- Nick Kyrgios
Day 7: Ones to watch
After a day of no play on Sunday, all fourth-round singles matches are schedule for 'Manic Monday' at Wimbledon in what is always a banner day of action.
Novak Djokovic will open the Centre Court schedule against Cristian Garin and Federer will conclude it when he faces Sonego; in between is the intergenerational clash pitting Kerber against Gauff.
ORDER OF PLAY: Wimbledon Day 7
No.1 Court will be opened by Barty, who is playing for a place in her first ever Wimbledon quarterfinal against Krejcikova.
If she gets there, she could face compatriot Tomljanovic, if the 28-year-old Aussie can stop Raducanu’s run in the last match of the day on the same court.
Also on No.1 Court is the Zverev v Auger-Aliassime clash, while in another popcorn match, Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur will meet in the first match of the day on No.2 Court.