Iga Swiatek fights back to reach Wimbledon third round
The 24-year-old – a five-time major winner, having also claimed the 2022 US Open title – was in danger of seeing her comparatively woeful SW19 record continue after blowing a 4-1 lead to drop the opening set.
But she responded impressively in the Centre Court sunshine to prevail 5-7 6-2 6-1 in two hours and 25 minutes.
Iga Swiatek wins R2 matches.
The No.8 seed recovers from going a set down to defeat Caty McNally 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 and continue her journey at SW19 👊 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/bIJct7njvn
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2025
Reigning champion Barbora Krejcikova and 2022 winner Elena Rybakina also progressed to round three on day four of the Championships.
World number four Swiatek was Wimbledon girls' champion in 2018 but has only a single quarter-final appearance at the senior level of the tournament on an otherwise-impressive CV.
With the women's draw wide open following the elimination of five of the top 10 seeds, including last year's runner-up Jasmine Paolini and current French Open champion Coco Gauff, the clay-court specialist was in serious danger of becoming the latest scalp.
American McNally, who had a career-high ranking of 54 prior to recent injury issues and beat Britain's Jodie Burrage in round one, stunned her rival by winning six of seven consecutive games to snatch the first set.
Yet the 23-year-old was victorious in only three more as Pole Swiatek marched on to a meeting with former Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins after finishing with an ace.
Earlier, title holder Krejcikova overcame Caroline Dolehide 6-4 3-6 6-2 to set up a clash with 10th seeded American Emma Navarro, who wasted little time in dispatching Russian Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-2.
World number 11 Rybakina defeated Maria Sakkari 6-3 6-1, while 18-year-old seventh-seed Mirra Andreeva beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-1 7-6 (7-4).
Italian world number 116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto backed up her shock success against third seed Jessica Pegula with a 6-0 6-4 triumph over American Katie Volynets
Electric from Elena ⚡️
The 2022 Ladies' Singles Champion defeats Maria Sakkari 6-3, 6-1 to fly through to the third round 3️⃣ #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/hK8mnXBFWZ
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 3, 2025
Dayana Yastremska, who knocked out Gauff, came from behind to edge past Anastasia Zakharova 5-7 7-5 7-6 (8).
Russian pair Ekaterina Alexandrova and Liudmila Samsonova, seeded 18th and 19th respectively, each enjoyed straight-sets victories.
Canadian lucky loser Victoria Mboko, 18, lost to Hailey Baptiste of the United States.
World number 28 Sofia Kenin was the only female seed knocked out on Thursday, losing 6-1 7-6 (4) to Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Carlos Alcaraz v Jan-Lennard Struff – Wimbledon live: Spaniard resumes bid for famous hat-trick plus Norrie v Bellucci score
Carlos Alcaraz is back on day five of Wimbledon 2025 as he resumes his bid for a famous hat-trick at SW19. The Spaniard, rolling into the championships after his iconic French Open victory over Jannik Sinner, now faces Jan-Lennard Struff, with his US Open doubles partner Emma Raducanu due on Centre Court immediately afterward against No 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka. Elsewhere in the men's singles today, with British hopes dwindling, Cam Norrie will hope to build on an impressive win over Frances Tiafoe. While Taylor Fritz, following two marathon matches so far against big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Gabriel Diallo, continues his fine run on grass, after victory at Eastbourne, with a third round test against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Ben Shelton left furious after 'unbelievable' decision to suspend play at Wimbledon due to bad light Ben Shelton and Rinky Hijikata were left furious after play was suspended late on day four at Wimbledon moments before the American was due to serve for the match. The second-round contest was approaching a conclusion, despite both players questioning whether the match should continue into the third set with light quickly fading. The No 10 seed led 6-2, 7-5, 5-4 before the umpire announced on No 2 Court "play is suspended' at 9:29pm BST. Ben Shelton left furious after 'unbelievable' decision to suspend play at Wimbledon The American was due to serve for the match against Rinky Hijikata in the second round at Wimbledon before play was suspended, forcing the pair to return on Friday to conclude the contest Chris Wilson4 July 2025 10:16 Wimbledon 2025: Men's and Women's seeds list and tracker It's turning into a tournament of shocks at Wimbledon as top seeds fall from the Championships in the early rounds. On Tuesday, three of the world's top five were knocked out of the women's singles, with French Open champion and second seed Coco Gauff following the exits of third seed Jessica Pegula and fifth seed Zheng Qinwen. The third seed and fourth seeds are also out on the men's side, with Alexander Zverev knocked out at the first hurdle, and Britain's Jack Draper falling in round two. Daniil Medvedev, Lorenzo Musetti and Holger Rune were also big-name casualties from the top 10. Wimbledon 2025: Men's and Women's seeds list and tracker Which of the top 32 men's and women's players are still in the Wimbledon draw - and who has suffered an early exit? Jack Rathborn4 July 2025 10:07 No 'miracle pills' required as flawless Novak Djokovic lays down Wimbledon title marker Sometimes Novak Djokovic doesn't need a miracle to win at Wimbledon. There's enough inspiration, divine or otherwise, from his racket to easily swat away those who have the misfortune to cross his path. That was the situation Dan Evans found himself in on Centre Court as he watched the winners, all 46 of them, fly past him. Fresh off a confidence-boosting straight-sets win over fellow Brit Jay Clarke in round one, Evans simply couldn't compete in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 defeat that took just one hour and 47 minutes. Forty-eight hours after Djokovic's four-set victory over Alexandre Muller that was harder than he would have liked it to be, even requiring some 'miracle pills' to get through a stomach issue, this was exactly what the doctor ordered – no tablets required. If the 38-year-old's body is more fragile and unreliable than it used to be, then saving as many bullets as possible for the potential Draper, Sinner and Alcaraz-shaped tests to come is a useful strategy in the quest for that record-breaking 25th grand slam. No 'miracle pills' required as flawless Djokovic lays down Wimbledon title marker Djokovic swept Dan Evans aside in straight sets to cruise into the third round and save his bullets for the challenges to come Jack Rathborn4 July 2025 10:07 Wimbledon 2025 order of play: Day five schedule with Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz in action The middle weekend of the 2025 Championships at Wimbledon is approaching with Friday seeing the start of third-round action in both the men's and women's singles at the All England Club The women's draw has been blown wide open with the early exits of top seeds Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and Qinwen Xheng but No 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka is still going strong and faces GB's best hope Emma Raducanu in a mouth-watering final clash of the day on Centre Court. Raducanu will be the underdog, hoping to spring a shock, while fellow Brit Sonay Kartal will fancy her chances of getting past France's Diane Parry and reaching the second week of a grand slam for the first time when they play as the first match on No 1 Court. On the men's side, GB's Cameron Norrie flies the flag against Mattia Bellucci in the match that follows Kartal v Parry, while two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz and fifth seed Taylor Fritz are also among the clashes on Centre. Emma Raducanu has a mouth-watering clash against No 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka while Carlos Alcaraz, Sonay Kartal and Cameron Norrie are also on court Jack Rathborn4 July 2025 10:07
Daily Mirror
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr to be deported after arrest days after Jake Paul loss
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has been arrested just days after losing to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and faces being deported from the US Jake Paul 's recent opponent, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, has been arrested and is now facing deportation from the US. The rivals squared off last weekend in a cruiserweight clash in Anaheim, where Paul swiftly took charge, piling on the pressure from the get-go. Chavez Jr, once a middleweight world champion, struggled to get a real foothold of the contest and barely threw anything back at the American. In the final two rounds of the dust-up, Chavez Jr started to find his feet, but it was a case of too little, too late, with Paul securing the victory by points. Just days after their showdown, Chavez Jr found himself arrested for a warrant in Mexico. The 39-year-old is rumoured to have cartel ties and faces charges of organised crime and arms trafficking. He is currently being processed after being taken into custody in the Los Angeles area. "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained prominent Mexican boxer and criminal illegal alien Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and is processing him for expedited removal from the United States," declared the agency, reports All Out Fighting. "Chavez is a Mexican citizen who has an active arrest warrant in Mexico for his involvement in organised crime and trafficking firearms, ammunition, and explosives." Chavez Jr, the son of boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, hails from Sinaloa, Mexico. He kicked off his professional boxing career in September 2002 and has since faced opponents such as Canelo Alvarez, Daniel Jacobs, Anderson Silva and Andy Lee. According to US officials, Chavez Jr entered the country in August 2023 on a B2 tourist visa that was valid until February 2024. The 39-year-old applied for Lawful Permanent Resident status last year due to his marriage to a US citizen - but the department alleged they had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel through a previous relationship with the now-deceased son of notorious cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. It alleged fraudulent statements were made on his application to become a resident. "This Sinaloa Cartel affiliate with an active arrest warrant for trafficking guns, ammunition, and explosives was arrested by ICE," stated DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "It is shocking the previous administration flagged this criminal illegal alien as a public safety threat, but chose to not prioritise his removal and let him leave and come back into our country. Under President Trump, no one is above the law—including world-famous athletes. Our message to any cartel affiliates in the U.S. is clear: We will find you and you will face consequences. The days of unchecked cartel violence are over." The Mexican boxer has been detained by US authorities on multiple charges, including illegal possession of an assault weapon for which he was convicted in January 2024. Previously, he faced an arrest warrant for allegedly trafficking weapons for a criminal organisation. Michael Goldstein, representing Chavez Jr, has fiercely defended his client against the allegations, telling Sports Illustrated they are "outrageous" and constitute "a brazen act designed to terrorise the community." He also highlighted the distress caused to Chavez Jr's family, who were left in the dark about his whereabouts after more than two dozen ICE and other law enforcement agents arrested the ex-world champion. According to Goldstein's statement to SI: "Mr. Chavez is not a threat to the community. In fact, he is a public figure and has been living out in the open and just fought Jake Paul in a televised boxing match before millions of viewers. His workouts were open to the public and afforded law enforcement countless opportunities to contact him if he was indeed a public threat. The truth is, he has been focused on his own personal growth, family and mental health."
Daily Mirror
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Wimbledon fans accused of 'defecating and urinating' in woods while queuing
The All England Club has responded to claims from a local campaigner that fans queuing to buy tickets to Wimbledon have been defecating and urinating in local woodland A local campaigner has claimed that Wimbledon fans are defecating and urinating in the woods while queuing. Tennis fans have been queueing overnight to purchase tickets to watch the action and it has been alleged that local woodland is being misused by some. Simon Wright, a member of Save Wimbledon Park, told the PA News Agency that the problems are particularly bad in the Horse Close Wood area. "We've come across used tissues – it's clear what they've been used for," he said. "Human faeces are far worse than animal faeces in terms of the microbiological load they carry. It's partly the health risk, but it's also the lack of respect. "There's a postcard-sized notice saying please respect these woods – it's a bit mealy-mouthed. Last night, I met three guys heading off there to have a p***." However, the All England Club says they have not seen any evidence to substantiate the claims and stated that stewards regularly patrol the area in a bid to keep it well maintained. More than 40,000 people have passed through the queue across the first four days of the tournament. Similar claims were made back in 2015, with a Wimbledon park user telling the Wimbledon Guardian: "I can't bring myself to go near it to clear it away and why should I? "All you can smell is dry wee, people have been weeing all over the place. It hasn't been very well organised this year if this is happening." At the time, the All England club said issues were down to the actions of a "very small minority" with a spokesperson stating: "This was deplorable behaviour and completely unacceptable that the anti-social actions of a very small minority should besmirch the good reputation of the vast majority of queuers." Merton council, who are responsible for maintaining the park, added: "There is no excuse for this type of behaviour, especially given that we provide mobile toilets to cope with the extra demand during the championships. "We are confident that the vast majority of park users use the facilities available should they need to and if there is a small minority of people abusing the park in this way, we would ask that they, too, use the facilities provided."
