Emma Raducanu pays harsh penalty as she's dumped out of Wimbledon by Sabalenka
The British No.1 had chances to win both sets, and broke the top seed on multiple occasions. But she was unable to take the opportunities that came her way - and ultimately paid a harsh price against the three-time Grand Slam winner.
In just short of two hours she was defeat 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 by Sabalenka. But what might seem like a straightforward win for the 27-year-old Belarussian was anything but.
Raducanu led 4-2 in the first set and saved seven set points before her own set point. And she also had a point to lead 5-1 in the second set with Centre Court right behind her.
But she failed to take advantage of the situation on both occasions. And having won the first set in 74 minutes after a tie break, Sabalenka was ruthless in the second, charging from 4-1 down, rattling off five straight games to claim victory and ensure she continues her pursuit of a first Wimbledon title.
Sabalenka had to dig deep, but is now odds-on favourite to win a maiden SW19 title, with four of the other top five seeds having all already been beaten.
and Mirror Sport will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.
check back regularly for updates on this developing story.
on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, Twitter, Facebook or visit The Mirror homepage.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
John McEnroe sends warning to Jack Draper over playing style after British No1 was knocked out of Wimbledon
John McEnroe has informed Jack Draper about how he need to improve his game following his exit from Wimbledon. After overcoming Sebastian Baez in the first round, British No 1 Draper was eliminated by Marin Cilic, losing 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 4-6. McEnroe suggested that Draper could suffer similar problems to Daniil Medvedev, who adopted an approach of standing far behind the baseline, which has had an impact on him physically. McEnroe told BBC Sport: 'He's [Draper] six foot four, I don't think he's got an ounce of fat on him, it's not like he can't volley - he certainly can. 'I think he will make that adjustment. It'll be interesting to see if he changes things up on the hard courts, how he approaches that. 'Take Daniil Medvedev, I think it caught up, he's the guy that started that whole thing, standing way back. I think it's catching up to him mentally and physically.' Despite his exit from Wimbledon, McEnroe believes that Draper has still developed well. He has now called upon the 23-year-old to work hard at cutting off some of the angles of his opponents. McEnroe said: 'He's done great. He's got to four in the world. If I was looking from a distance at Jack, I was like: 'Why's he standing so far back all the time?' 'Especially on hard courts, even on clay. Is he quick enough to cover? Is he fit enough to do that consistently? Is that what he wants to do - wear people down that way? Forehand has gotten way bigger. 'But to me at Wimbledon you've got to cut off some of these angles. You can't allow yourself because it's tougher to make those quick first steps. 'Jack needs to lean look what [Taylor] Fritz did, his first couple of rounds against [Gabriel] Diallo and [Giovanni] Mpetshi Perricard. He's standing at the baseline on 150mph serves.' Draper has never progressed beyond the second round of Wimbledon but this was only his fourth appearance at the tournament and he will surely have many more opportunities to impress. After his defeat Draper admitted that he has lots of weaknesses in his grass court game. 'I've been really disappointed with the way my game's been on the grass this year, in all honesty,' said the No4 seed. 'I wasn't feeling too great at Queen's. I don't know how I made the semis there. 'This year I really struggled on the grass. I felt great on the hard, felt great on the clay, I felt like there weren't many holes in my game, whereas as soon as I came on to the grass, I felt a big difference. 'It highlighted a lot of weaknesses in my game, especially against a player the way he was playing today, someone as good as him on the grass. 'I think the hole in my forehand showed up, for sure. I wasn't able to deal with his pace of ball into my forehand. I was over-spinning a lot. I think a lot of my success this year with my forehand was when I have more time and I can create the speed and the spin that I want.'
Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Are fluffy balls at Wimbledon making the tennis less exciting?
How much fluff is the perfect amount of fluff? That may seem a strange question but in the world of professional tennis it is a live and controversial issue. The quality and feel of the ball – and, in particular, its fluffiness – is having a significant impact on the game, and this year's Wimbledon is no different. 'Honestly, that is probably the biggest difference I can notice comparing to maybe 10, 15 years ago,' said Novak Djokovic. 'It's the balls. The Slazenger balls used here in Wimbledon are good quality balls, but they do fluff up earlier or sooner than the ones we used 10 or 15 years ago.' Simply put, fluffier balls result in slower shots. And slower shots generally result in longer rallies, longer matches and a more physically draining sport for the participants. Stylistically, fluffier balls also make it easier for players to sit at the baseline and trade shots with their opponents, rather than taking a more dynamic – and arguably more exciting – approach. 'It's allowing the players whose game is based on the baseline, who play with a lot of spin, to be able to play good tennis and make good performances and success here in Wimbledon or other grass-court tournaments,' said Djokovic. 'That wasn't maybe the case before. It is true that it's easier to play from the baseline nowadays than was the case early in my career.' Djokovic is far from alone in discussing these issues. Just a few weeks ago, Emma Raducanu's coach Mark Petchey argued that 'the balls are four times heavier than back in 2021' and said they are favouring the bigger-hitting players. That was an exaggeration. All balls used in tournaments are approved by the International Tennis Federation, which has strict regulations on weight and weight change. Since the rules were last changed in 2000, all match balls must weigh between 56g and 59.4g, with a maximum change in mass during play of 0.4g. It is clear, though, that something has changed. Alexander Zverev, the world No 3, has been so disturbed by it that he conducted an investigation of his own last year. 'I went into search mode a little bit,' he said in November. 'I asked companies and I asked about the production of the tennis balls. Since Covid, all the companies, they've gotten a lot worse. 'The reason is because of Covid, the companies tried to cut costs and they're using a different rubber material now. They're using a different material for the tennis balls, which makes the tennis balls between 30 per cent and 60 per cent slower on average compared to what it was before Covid.' Emily Webley-Smith, a professional for more than 20 years, tells Telegraph Sport: 'We have all noticed that balls are getting heavier and fluffier quicker. It looks like a fluffy hedgehog after three games, or 20 minutes. Since Covid, no matter what the ball type, the quality seems to have gone down in terms of how long they last. 'A basket of new balls at an academy would probably last a month. Now academies are having to replace balls after two weeks. And that's a huge expense.' What is the real impact of these changes on the game and the way it is played? And could it have contributed in any way to a record number of seeded players being eliminated in the first two rounds of this year's Wimbledon? At which point, we must journey into a world of speculation. The honest answer is that no one, not even the best players in the world, can say for certain what this all means. Do we even know that the balls are fluffing up earlier because of manufacturing changes, or because the players are fitter and stronger – and therefore hitting the ball harder – than ever? The major fear on the tennis circuit is that the balls are contributing to fitness issues. This would make sense, in many ways, as slower shots lead to greater physical demands on players. The likes of Vasek Pospisil, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas have all blamed injuries on the balls. Pospisil has even said that slower balls are 'killing our bodies'. 'A lot of the physios have talked to us about it,' says Webley-Smith. 'As the ball quality has gone down, players are getting wrist injuries as they try to overhit, and more elbow injuries and shoulder injuries. You try to force it more because the ball is slower.' Another issue is the fact that different tournaments use different ball manufacturers. Taylor Fritz, the American player, said in 2023 that he developed a wrist injury because of ball changes between events. In theory, all of this could have contributed to the early-round upsets at Wimbledon because the seeded players are usually those who have played more tennis by this time of the year. They arrive at Wimbledon with more hours on the court, and more shots played with the heavier balls, than lower-ranked opponents in the earlier rounds. Related to that, it is possible that the fluffier balls are contributing to the fatigue issues affecting a number of top players. Alex de Minaur said in May that he was 'burnt out'. Iga Swiatek has said the schedule is 'exhausting'. Alexei Popyrin, the Australian 20th seed who lost in the first round this week, said he now plans to take a break from the sport after feeling 'numb' in defeat. The good news for players is that the Association of Tennis Professionals is at least working hard to ensure consistency of balls across the calendar. This is the first season in which the ATP has centralised the 'ball-supplier selection process', rather than allowing tournaments to independently choose their own suppliers. Even so, the whole subject remains fiendishly difficult to quantify. Would better manufacturing standards, or simply more months and years of playing with these 'new balls', prevent the leading players from fluffing their lines – and their bodies? Only time will tell.
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Your best Wimbledon questions answered
BBC Sport has been asking for your questions during Wimbledon of you have been in touch and we've picked out some of the best to take a look are the answers from our Ask Me Anything team. How much advertising are players allowed to wear on their clothing at Wimbledon? Question from Graham in KenilworthThe Grand Slam rulebook has specific guidelines on the identification allowed on a player's clothing during the shirts, sweaters or jackets, one manufacturer's identification - the catch-all term for the company name, logo or a combination of the two - is allowed on each sleeve but must not exceed eight square the front, back and collar, a total of two manufacturer's identifications are commercial logos can be worn on the sleeves or the front - each no more than three square shorts and skirts, two manufacturer's identifications are allowed, within the right sizing. Should a player wear a dress, it would be treated as a combination of a shirt and manufacturer's ID is permissible on each sock and shoe, while one ID is permitted for hats, headbands, wristbands or player who violates these rules will receive a fine up to ($250,000) £183,855. How long does it take to queue for a ground pass? Question from Adam in SloughWimbledon's website states that queues often start the evening before and increase very early in the grounds open at 10:00 BST - but organisers can't say for how long you will be in the are asked to download the myWimbledon app and will be given a queue card. When there is capacity, screen messages will be displayed inviting guests in queue card number order to purchase our top tips for queuing at Wimbledon. How do they make the grass on the courts so stripy? Question from Morag in New AberdourThe Wimbledon grass courts are mowed every day and the white lines are also given a daily refresh. This process takes place during a two-hour period from about 07:30 BST each Brierley, lead groundsperson at Wimbledon told BBC Sport: "Each pair of courts will have a team of three, a mower, a marker and a string person."The string person helps the marker by putting down the string line so that they know where they are marking out. They will also carry a mop so that any transfer lines that come from the mower going over the white lines are removed."In terms of keeping the lines so straight, Brierley said the staff get a few months of practice in before the Championships begin."When we mow during the tournament, we start from the centre line of the court and then work outwards, specifically to fit in our Wimbledon mowing pattern," he added. "There are eight lines from the centre line to the first tram line, and then there are three mowing patterns inside the tram lines and then back out to the edge of the court. But it is just practice!"The striped pattern is mowed in that design. The combination of mowing and the how it looks in the light creates its stripy effect. What happens to the tennis courts at Wimbledon outside the tournament? Question from Michael in RustingtonWimbledon is the home of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), an active private members' club. Outside of the two-week window for the Championships, it is used for members' tournaments as well as those on a national or international is also a renovation period to prepare the grounds for next year's Championships, including re-seeding the grass courts and scarifying the grass, external if needed. Can players challenge electronic digital line calls? Has there been an instance when it has been wrong? Question from Mark in HertfordshirePlayers cannot challenge the electronic line calls. However, any close calls will be replayed automated technology is completely reliable - but the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) told BBC Sport that the criteria used to assess the electronic line calling systems are "extremely robust" to ensure that "only the most reliable and accurate systems can be used". How does the referee decide when to suspend play? Question from Sally in WarwickshireBen Shelton's second-round match against Rinky Hijikata on Thursday was suspended because of bad light when he was two sets up and led 5-4 in the third - so was potentially one game from tournament director Jamie Baker said the decision to bring Shelton and Hijikata off court was because of "extremely dark" completed the match on Friday in 84 seconds, but Baker said the move to suspend play the previous evening was "definitely the right decision"."Our focus at all times is the integrity of the competition. We try, with every decision we make, to be as fair as we possibly can [and] uphold the rules of the tournament," said Baker."We gave the players as much time as we possibly could to try to finish that match. We played till very, very late. It was extremely dark."We have a team of officials who are on the court, and they're making a judgment call on several different factors, and one of them is how the players feel."Ben actually had match point in the last game [on Thursday] that he didn't quite get and then at 5-4, the officials saw how dark it was."This is the pinnacle tennis tournament in the world. They just did not feel comfortable with the match continuing in almost complete darkness. So we do stand by the decision."Sometimes these things happen. Lots of matches to get on court, but yes, it was definitely the right decision from the officials." Will Sonay Kartal become the new British number one? Question from Josh in BirminghamIn terms of LTA World Tour ranking points, Emma Raducanu's third-round match with world number one Aryna Sabalenka on Friday had a lot at into Wimbledon 2025, Raducanu was the top-ranked British woman at 40th in the world. The next two best Britons were Katie Boulter in 43rd and Sonay Kartal in Raducanu reached the fourth round in 2024, she was defending 240 points at this year's tournament and started 43 ahead of was defending 70. Because she exited in the second round, she maintained those 70 for the is defending 130 but for reaching the fourth round, has already earned 240 ranking points for the 2025 edition, meaning a gain in ranking points of at least guaranteed gain takes her above Raducanu following the former US Open champion's loss in the third round to also moves ahead of Raducanu - and for now is the British number this would change again if Kartal progresses beyond round four. If she does this, she is guaranteed to move above Boulter when the tournament ends. How do the AI line judges tell a foot from a ball? Question from Kath in South WalesThe ITF and AELTC say the system used is not artificial intelligence, but an electronic line calling said: "The system is a highly advanced real time optical tracking system that captures and tracks the position of the ball and the players throughout every point in the match. "As the system tracks these positions continuously during play, it can identify the positions of the ball and the player, including their feet - balls and feet move very differently on court."This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. What is Ask Me Anything? Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions came from Graham in Kenilworth, Adam in Slough, Morag in New Aberdour, Michael in Rustington, Mark in Hertfordshire, Sally in Warwickshire, Josh in Birmingham and Kath in South Wales. Thanks all for your questions!We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts, including our experts and will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio. More questions answered... What does 'Open era' mean in tennis?What are the heat rules at Wimbledon?Top tips for queuing at WimbledonWill there be line judges at Wimbledon 2025?
