Defending champion Iga Świątek and former winner Elena Rybakina booked their places in the third round of Wimbledon with convincing straight-set victories on Thursday. Świątek continued her title defence in impressive fashion, defeating former world number one Karolína Plíšková 6-1, 6-3 on Centre Court. The Polish star recovered from a……
Defending champion Iga Świątek and former winner Elena Rybakina booked their places in the third round of Wimbledon with convincing straight-set victories on Thursday.
Świątek continued her title defence in impressive fashion, defeating former world number one Karolína Plíšková 6-1, 6-3 on Centre Court.
The Polish star recovered from a nervy opening-round contest to produce a dominant display, using her trademark topspin and consistency to overpower her experienced opponent.
The victory extended Świątek’s remarkable run of reaching at least the third round in 26 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments.
She will next face rising Filipino star Alexandra Eala for a place in the last 16.
Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, also advanced with ease after brushing aside American Caty McNally 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour.
The second seed produced a commanding performance, firing powerful serves and dominating from the baseline to secure her place in the third round.
The Kazakh had been taken to three sets in her opening-round match but looked back to her best against McNally.
She will now face Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the next round as she continues her bid for a second Wimbledon title.
Both players strengthened their credentials as leading contenders for the women’s singles title with polished performances on day four of the Championships, as the tournament’s top seeds continued to make steady progress at the All England Club.
