July 7 (Reuters) – The Wimbledon quarter-finals continue on Wednesday with Alexander Zverev taking on sixth seed Taylor Fritz, while Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk bids to reach a first Wimbledon semi-final against former runner-up Jasmine Paolini.
Ninth seed Linda Noskova will look to overcome Belgium’s Elise Mertens, and the last Briton standing Arthur Fery faces French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli.
TOP MEN’S MATCH: TAYLOR FRITZ VS ALEXANDER ZVEREV
Taylor Fritz returned to familiar territory at Wimbledon on Monday, beating 10th seed Alexander Bublik 7-6(1) 6-4 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals for the fourth time in five years.
The American, a semi-finalist last year, has re-established himself as one of the most consistent grasscourt performers on the men’s tour after an injury-disrupted clay season that saw him lose both of his matches in Geneva and at Roland Garros.
Now chasing a first Grand Slam title, Fritz is one victory away from matching his best Wimbledon result and arrives in the last eight in confident form.
Standing in his way is French Open champion Alexander Zverev, who defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4 7-5 3-6 7-6(6) to make his way into his first Wimbledon quarter-final. Fritz can take encouragement from a dominant record against the German, having won their last seven meetings to lead the head-to-head 10-5.
TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: MARTA KOSTYUK VS JASMINE PAOLINI
Marta Kostyuk will try to reach a second Grand Slam semi-final when she faces Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
The Ukrainian has carried her strong form onto the grass at the All England Club, reaching her first Wimbledon last-eight match with a straight-sets victory over Ashlyn Krueger. Kostyuk has tightened up her serve and has consistently created break-point opportunities throughout the tournament.
“I think I adapt really well,” Kostyuk said. “I think just giving myself this freedom of trying different things is definitely helping.”
Paolini, a Wimbledon finalist in 2024, advanced after overcoming Alexandra Eala in three sets. The Italian has been solid on serve, committing only five double faults across four matches, and has converted at least four break points in every round.
“She’s playing great tennis this year,” Paolini said of Kostyuk. “She’s improved a lot. She can be really aggressive. She’s a great athlete. She can move really well on court. It’s going to be a tough match.”
BRITISH QUALIFIER FERY FACES FAMILIAR RIVAL
British wildcard Arthur Fery will look to extend his fairy-tale Wimbledon run when he takes on ninth seed Flavio Cobolli in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Fery became the fifth men’s wildcard in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals after battling past Grigor Dimitrov in five sets.
The Briton is now the last home player standing in the singles draw and has already eclipsed expectations with four wins at the All England Club.
“What I experienced today, I’m really going to cherish it for the rest of my life. Who knows, maybe I will never, ever get to experience that ever again. It’s the first time I’m playing on this stage. Who knows, that might be the first and last time,” Fery said after Monday’s win.
Standing in his way is Cobolli, whose confidence has soared following a breakthrough run to the French Open final. The Italian underlined his credentials with a straight-sets victory over fifth seed Alex de Minaur to reach the last eight.
Fery holds a previous win over Cobolli, having beaten the Italian in straight sets at the Australian Open, but Wednesday’s meeting presents a different challenge. With Cobolli playing some of the best tennis of his career, the Briton faces his toughest test yet as he seeks a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
WIMBLEDON ORDER OF PLAY ON WEDNESDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)
CENTRE COURT (Play begins at 1230 GMT)
12-Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) v 13-Jasmine Paolini (Italy)
9-Flavio Cobolli (Italy) v Arthur Fery (United Kingdom)
COURT NUMBER ONE (Play begins at 1200 GMT)
9-Linda Noskova (Czech Republic) v 25-Elise Mertens (Belgium)
6-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v 2-Alexander Zverev (Germany)
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru)
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