Latest news with #Krejčíková
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova out in emotional third-round exit
THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB, LONDON — There are no former Wimbledon champions left in the women's draw, after a tearful Barbora Krejčíková followed Elena Rybakina out of the tournament Saturday. Earlier in the day Rybakina had lost in straight sets to the No. 23 seed Clara Tauson, before Krejčíková went down 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to the American No. 10 seed Emma Navarro. Advertisement Krejčíková led by a set and a break before succumbing to illness in the third set. She had her blood pressure taken midway through the decider and was given a banana, energy gel and liquids to drink. She could barely move at points and looked vacant, like a boxer who needed the bell to ring but was determined to keep going. After falling down 5-3, Krejčíková closed her eyes and wept as she leant on the netting at the back of the court. She somehow held serve, to force Navarro to serve it out. Krejčíková has been unfortunate with injury and illness for much of the past year. She nearly fainted during a doubles match with Kateřina Siniaková at last year's Paris Olympics, before a back issue kept her out for six months between November and May. It was little surprise to see her pushed to her limits on No. 1 Court, against one of the most athletic players on the tour. It is also unsurprising that she failed to make the second week, and not because of her own tennis. Defending women's champions have gotten nowhere near defending their title for the past decade. Last year, the 2023 champion Markéta Vondroušová went out in the first round, while in 2023, Rybakina, the 2022 champion, was beaten in the quarterfinals. Serena Williams, who won her seventh and final title in 2016, is the last woman to win it and then subsequently reach a final. That year was also the last time someone successful defended their title — the seven editions since have featured seven different winners. During that period, the furthest a defending champion has got is that last-eight run from Rybakina. It is also the first Wimbledon in the Open Era where there isn't a former champion among the top 10 seeds. Returning to Krejčíková, she may be out but she deserves a lot of credit for the way she battled in the final set. Navarro meanwhile fell into the classic tennis trap of not knowing what to do against an ailing player. Just like Carlos Alcaraz against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinal six months ago, Navarro seemed perplexed by playing an opponent who could barely move one moment but was smacking winners the next. Advertisement Eventually, Krejčíková's battery completely drained and as she arrived late to the ball, the errors started to come. She couldn't push off on her serve and was broken three times in the decider. Krejčíková's record of only five break points taken from 18 opportunities also proved to be decisive, where Navarro converted five from six. Despite being the defending champion, Krejčíková wasn't a major favourite, and so doesn't leave a major hole in the draw. Navarro was the higher seed, and will play the No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva next in a promising last-16 matchup. This was an unfortunate way for Krejčíková to exit, but the way she battled despite her physical struggles offered a reminder of how she upset the odds to become the Wimbledon champion in the first place.
Daily Maverick
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Jannik Sinner ice-cool as Gauff, Pegula and Zverev in shock Wimbledon first-round exits
Records tumbled as seeds were bundled out across the men's and women's draws at the All England Club. World No 1 Jannik Sinner stayed ice-cool to move serenely into the Wimbledon second round, but it was a second successive day of upsets at a sizzling All England Club as a succession of seeded players crashed and burned on Tuesday. American second seed Coco Gauff, chasing a French Open-Wimbledon double after her Paris triumph, was the day's most surprising casualty, losing 7-6(3) 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska as the sun set on a sultry day. Gauff's compatriot, Taylor Fritz, the world No 5, survived a five-set firefight by the skin of his teeth against big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. But the same could not be said of 13 of the men's seeds who fell at the first hurdle – a Wimbledon record since 32 seeds were introduced in 2001. Nine seeds also perished in the women's first round while the eight top-10 seeds to go out across both singles draws amounted to the most at a Grand Slam in the professional era. Germany's Alexander Zverev was the most notable men's casualty, the third seed losing 7-6(3) 6-7(8) 6-3 6-7(5) 6-4 to France's Arthur Rinderknech in a marathon duel that began on Monday and was locked at one set apiece overnight. 'I'm not sure he's ever played a match like that in his life,' said Zverev, who is still chasing a first Grand Slam title after 38 attempts. Italian Lorenzo Musetti, seeded seventh, was bundled out on Court Two by Nikoloz Basilashvili – the same court where earlier American women's third seed Jessica Pegula was sent packing 6-2 6-3 by Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto. A red-hot Sinner never looked like joining the exodus as he beat fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0 in a victorious return to the Grand Slam stage after his epic French Open final defeat by Carlos Alcaraz last month. 'I tried to put the friendship away for a couple of hours,' Sinner, who conceded only four points when he landed his first serve, told reporters. Novak Djokovic closed out the day's action on the main showcourt by getting past Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-1 6-7(7) 6-2 6-2 despite being hampered by a stomach bug midway through his match. He will face Briton Dan Evans next. After seven British players won singles matches on Monday – a professional era record at Wimbledon – home fans had more to cheer on Tuesday as fourth seed Jack Draper, his nation's big hope, avoided any dramas by easing past Argentina's Sebastian Baez who retired hurt trailing 6-2 6-2 2-1. In total, 10 British players have reached round two. Krejčíková tested Women's defending champion Barbora Krejčíková was tested by promising 20-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala but after a slow start she found her form to win 3-6 6-2 6-1 on her return to Centre Court after last year's surprise triumph. 'I mean, what the hell (kind of tennis) she played in the first set?' said Krejčíková, praising her opponent. 'She was smashing the ball and cleaning the lines, so wow, wow. She's going to be really good in a couple of years.' Five-times Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek, seeded eight, has yet to conquer Wimbledon but showed positive signs when she beat Polina Kudermetova 7-5 6-1, while Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva advanced after a 6-3 6-3 victory over Mayar Sherif. Both might have expected Gauff to be a major obstacle but the world No 2 subsided against Yastremska. 'I feel like mentally I was a little bit overwhelmed with everything that came afterwards,' Gauff said about the spell following her Paris triumph last month. 'I didn't feel I had enough time to celebrate and also get back into it.' The women's draw is now without three of its top five seeds after No 5 Zheng Qinwen of China, the Olympic champion, suffered a third successive Wimbledon first-round defeat, beaten 7-5 4-6 6-1 by Czech doubles specialist Kateřina Siniaková. 'I believe if I get through the first match, I will start to play better and better (on grass),' Zheng said. 'The problem is, the first match for me is complicated.' Many will lament the exit of Wimbledon dark horse Alexander Bublik, seeded 28th. The Kazakh showman is guaranteed entertainment with his array of trick shots, but he was unable to avoid the exit door, as he was dragged into battle by Spaniard Jaume Munar and beaten 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2. Late in the day yet another seed fell when Frenchman Ugo Umbert was beaten by veteran countryman Gael Monfils, again defying his 38 years to edge a five-setter. American Fritz survived, though, letting out a huge roar as he beat Perricard 6-7(6) 6-7(8) 6-4 7-6(6) 6-4 in a match carried forward from Monday. Perricard's consolation for losing the cliffhanger was a 246km/h serve, a Wimbledon record. Tommy Paul took out Briton Johannus Monday with little fuss, the 13th seed cruising through 6-4 6-4 6-2, but it was the end of the road for fellow American and 30th seed Alex Michelsen who fell 6-2 3-6 6-3 3-6 7-6(6) to Serbia's Miomir Kecmanović. Zeynep Sönmez became the first Turkish woman to reach the second round at the grass-court Grand Slam when she battled past Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 7-6(3) 6-3. Victoria Mboko found out a few hours before she faced Magdalena Fręch that she had entered the main draw as a Lucky Loser due to Anastasia Potapova's withdrawal and the Canadian teenager rode her luck to stun the 25th seed 6-3 6-2. Fourteen years after first adding her name to the Wimbledon honours board, twice champion Petra Kvitová performed her last dance on the lawns, the Czech losing 6-3 6-1 to American 10th seed Emma Navarro. Reuters/DM
