Wimbledon: Sabalenka holds firm to reach third round
Sabalenka, known for her blistering shot-making and aggression, was tested early by the crafty and defensive Bouzkova. But the Belarusian brought her trademark intensity and poise at key moments to stretch her unbeaten record in Grand Slam second rounds to 18 straight.
The first set was tightly contested, with Bouzkova deploying a mix of spins, angles, and defensive prowess to keep Sabalenka guessing. But in the tiebreak, Sabalenka stepped up with two explosive forehands before punishing a soft 67 mph second serve from Bouzkova to close the set with a rocket forehand return.
The second set was more straightforward. Sabalenka earned the decisive break in the sixth game and never looked back, finishing the match with a forehand into the open court—one of her 40 winners on the day. She kept her unforced errors in check (18), served five aces, and won a commanding 31 of 35 points on her first serve.
With several top seeds—including Coco Gauff (No. 2), Jessica Pegula (No. 3), and Zheng Qinwen (No. 5)—exiting early, Sabalenka's path to the title has opened up. Her next opponent will be either 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova or British star Emma Raducanu, both Grand Slam winners and formidable threats.
Having reached the semifinals in her last two Wimbledon appearances, Sabalenka is clearly eyeing more this year. In a draw suddenly missing many of her biggest rivals, the top seed is making her intentions clear: she's here to win it all.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Rugby-Owen Farrell called up after Daly ruled out of Lions tour with broken arm
By Nick Mulvenney Rugby-Owen Farrell called up after Daly ruled out of Lions tour with broken arm SYDNEY, - British & Irish Lions back Elliot Daly has been ruled out of the rest of the tour of Australia by a broken forearm and will be replaced in the squad by playmaker Owen Farrell, the son of head coach Andy. Versatile 32-year-old Daly, who was on his third Lions tour, suffered the injury in Wednesday's 52-12 victory over the Queensland Reds having been brought into the starting side just before kickoff when fullback Hugo Keenan fell ill. Daly's ability to cover the centre, wing and fullback makes him especially valuable on tour and his late call-up in Brisbane was his 11th straight inclusion in a Lions matchday squad going back to the start of the 2021 tour of South Africa. Farrell, who won the last of his 112 England caps at the 2023 World Cup and announced in early 2024 that he was stepping away from international rugby, will join the squad for his fourth Lions tour, looking to add to his six test caps. "It is heartbreaking for the group that Elliot's tour is over. He is a Lions legend who has added so much to the group on and off the field over the past few weeks," Andy Farrell said in a team statement. "Owen will now come in and add to our options and bring his own Lions experience to the group." Farrell named a third captain in three matches for the clash against the New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday with Irish lock Tadhg Beirne following tour skipper Maro Itoje and fellow-Irishman Dan Sheehan in leading the side out. Keenan will start at fullback with another option for the number 15 shirt, Blair Kinghorn, named on the left wing having arrived in Australia late on Monday after helping his French club Toulouse to the Top 14 title. Young English loose forward Henry Pollock returns to the side and will play at blindside flanker in a back row also featuring number eight Ben Earl and openside Josh van der Flier. Fin Smith, who started at flyhalf in the loss to Argentina in Dublin two weeks ago, gets another shot at the playmaking role in a halfback partnership with his England teammate Alex Mitchell. Lions team: 15–Hugo Keenan, 14–Mack Hansen, 13–Huw Jones, 12–Sione Tuipulotu, 11–Blair Kinghorn, 10–Fin Smith, 9–Alex Mitchell, 8–Ben Earl, 7–Josh van der Flier, 6–Henry Pollock, 5–James Ryan, 4–Tadhg Beirne , 3–Finlay Bealham, 2–Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1–Pierre Schoeman. Replacements: 16–Dan Sheehan, 17–Ellis Genge, 18–Tadhg Furlong, 19–Joe McCarthy, 20–Scott Cummings, 21–Jac Morgan, 22–Ben White, 23–Marcus Smith. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Tennis is difficult: Emma Raducanu after Zverev sparks mental health chat
The mental and emotional demands of professional tennis have once again come into the spotlight, following a string of conversations sparked by Alexander Zverev's honest admission about his struggles with motivation. As the 2025 Wimbledon Championships unfold, Emma Raducanu has added her voice to the growing discussion about mental health in the currently playing in her fourth Wimbledon main draw, was asked about Zverev's remarks during her post-match press conference after she defeated reigning 2023 champion Markta Vondrouov in straight sets. The young British star offered a composed and introspective response, speaking about how she personally copes with the psychological pressures that come with life on think tennis is a really difficult sport. You lose every week pretty much. Out of however many tournaments, 26 weeks a year, you're pretty much losing 26 weeks a year. So that's a really difficult concept to get your mind around. At the same time there's an opportunity the next week. You see the momentum in tennis, how players can go from losing.. a 5, 6, 7 match losing streak to then winning a tournament and it shifts their whole season around," Raducanu said. "It's a mentally very challenging sport. I think for me, what I've found, is trying to surround yourself with good people.. trying to win the day.. trying to focus on the process as much as possible. I think the results, it's really difficult to kind of take your joy from the results. Because it's so up and down. It's a rollercoaster. So trying to enjoy and think 'Did I get 1% better today? Or did I maintain today?' Because maintaining as well is a big skill. If you don't do the right work, you can easily slip. Trying to maintain or at least get a bit better is the goal that I have, at least,' she rising to fame with her US Open triumph in 2021, Raducanu has experienced the full spectrum of highs and lows in the public eye. From battling injuries and inconsistent form to enduring media scrutiny, her journey has made her particularly aware of the toll elite-level tennis can take on mental vulnerable comments earlier in the week drew widespread attention. Despite a season that has seen him reach the final of the Australian Open and the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, the German star has yet to secure a Grand Slam title. His Wimbledon campaign came to a premature end after a grueling five-set first-round loss to France's Arthur Rinderknech—marking his earliest exit from a major since 2019. The nearly five-hour battle on Centre Court was another reminder of how unforgiving the sport can be, even for those at the comments highlighted just how important mental strength is in a sport like tennis, where even top players lose often and face constant pressure.- Ends
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Tyson Fury to return to the boxing ring in 2026? Saudi's Alalshikh has his say
Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will come out of retirement and return to the ring next year, according to Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority. Fury, 36, called time on his career in January after losing his rematch for the WBA (Super), WBO and WBC world heavyweight titles against Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk. 'The 'Gypsy King' will be back!!! I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026 ... We have a rabbit to hunt!' Alalshikh posted on social media alongside a picture of him shaking hands with Fury. The 'Gypsy King' will be back!!! I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026 ... 🥊 We have a rabbit to hunt! 🐰🐇 — TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) July 2, 2025 Fury, whose last three fights were in Saudi Arabia, reacted to the post by writing: 'Let's see what 2025 brings' along with dollar signs, a winking face and laughing emojis. He also spoke to reporters at an International Boxing Association event in Istanbul on Wednesday, naming Usyk as the boxer he most wanted to fight if he returned to the ring. 'Who would I rather fight, right now? Usyk. Because I want my revenge in England,' he said. 'I don't believe I've got a fair shout the last two times. That's all I want. I want a fair shout, and I don't believe I've got a fair shout the last two times. That's the one I want, but if I don't get that then it'd be (Anthony) Joshua, the biggest British fight that will ever happen.'
