London: Aryna Sabalenka joked that she’d like it if the upsets at Wimbledon would cease, which is smart, provided that she is ranked No. 1.
She’s additionally the one one of many 5 top-seeded ladies nonetheless within the bracket after No. 4 Jasmine Paolini, final 12 months’s runner-up, adopted No. 2 Coco Gauff, No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 5 Zheng Qinwen on the best way out.
Sabalenka was two factors from dropping the opening set of her second-round match 3 times on Wednesday earlier than asserting herself for a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over Marie Bouzkova.
In all, a record-tying 23 seeded gamers — 10 ladies, 13 males — have been passed by the top of Day 2, equaling essentially the most at any Grand Slam occasion up to now 25 years. 5 extra ladies joined them by shedding Wednesday: Paolini, No. 12 Diana Shnaider, No. 21 Beatriz Haddad Maia, No. 22 Donna Vekic and No. 29 Leylah Fernandez.
“After all you’re going to know the general image,” Sabalenka mentioned, then added with a chuckle: “I hope it’s no upsets anymore on this match, if you understand what I imply.”
She is a three-time Grand Slam champion, with all of these titles approaching laborious courts on the Australian Open or U.S. Open. She additionally was the runner-up to Gauff on the clay-court French Open final month — drawing criticism from some over her post-match feedback, a flap she and Gauff put aside by way of social media movies final week — however hasn’t been previous the semifinals on the grass of the All England Membership.
A 12 months in the past, Sabalenka was compelled to overlook Wimbledon due to an injured shoulder.
The record-breaking warmth of the primary two days gave option to rain that delayed the beginning of play on smaller courts for about two hours, together with temperatures that dropped from above 90 levels Fahrenheit (32 levels Celsius) to beneath 68 F (20 C).
At Centre Courtroom, the Forty eighth-ranked Bouzkova went forward 6-5 within the first set with the match’s preliminary service break due to a double-fault by Sabalenka. Bouzkova served for that set, and was two factors away from it at 30-15 in that sport, once more at 30-all, then as soon as extra at deuce.
