By Martyn Herman
LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) – Two gaping holes were blasted into the women’s draw at Wimbledonon Saturday as defending champion Iga Swiatek was outplayed by Filipino crowd-pleaser Alexandra Eala and second seed Elena Rybakina was sent packing by Belgian Elise Mertens.
Disgruntled Polish third seed Swiatek lost a titanic first-set battle that lasted almost 90 minutes and had no answer to a fearless Eala after that as she lost 7‑6(9) 6-2.
Rybakina, the 2022 champion who doubled her Grand Slam tally this year by winning the Australian Open, also fell away badly after a close first set, going down 7-6(4) 6-1 to Mertens who has reached the last 16 for the fourth time.
“Definitely I need to analyse and change something because it’s not working,” said Rybakina, for whom a run to the quarter-finals here could have seen her become world number one.
There was American disappointment on the day of the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence as Serena Williams, one of its greatest ever athletes, withdrew from her eagerly-awaited doubles with sister Venus because of injury.
In an Instagram post Williams, who returned to the tournament after a four-year absence but lost to Maya Joint in the singles, said she was “heartbroken to have to withdraw”.
But there were July 4 fireworks on Centre Court as 26th seed Madison Keys upset last year’s runner-up Amanda Anisimova, seeded six, 3-6 6-2 6-3 in an all-American blockbuster.
AMERICANS TAKE CENTRE STAGE
Keys, on a roll on the grass after her title run in Eastbourne last week, was one of eight American singles players in action on the nation’s big day.
There was further U.S. success as qualifier Ashlyn Krueger enjoyed a comprehensive 6-3 6-2 victory over Ukraine’s Daria Snigur but 23rd seed Emma Navarro went out to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in three sets.
The shocks did not continue to the men’s draw though where second seed and newly-crowned French Open champion Alexander Zverev maintained his impressive start with a 6-2 7-6(4) 6-4 victory over American Marcos Giron.
Frances Tiafoe, the 17th seed, fell 4-6 7-6(5) 7-6(11) 4-6 6-3 to Kazakh 10th seed Alexander Bublik.
With defending champion Jannik Sinner already through, Italy began the day with hopes of four men in the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 1947 French Open.
French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli, seeded nine, lost the opening set 6-0 against Russia’s Karen Khachanov but rallied to win in five 0-6 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-2.
Cobolli will face Australian Alex de Minaur next after he beat American Zachary Svajda 6-2 5-7 6-2 6-4.
Lorenzo Sonego could not join the Italian surge though despite a strong start against American sixth seed Taylor Fritz, losing 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(5).
Former runner-up Matteo Berrettini then went down 6-3 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-3 to Grigor Dimitrov in a late Centre Court duel.
EALA SETS UP PAOLINI CLASH
Eala, seeded 29, the first player from the Philippines to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam, has a message in Tagalog etched on her cap which translates as “once it grows, it cannot be stopped”.
That motto will be tested by 13th seed Jasmine Paolini after the 2024 runner-up thrashed Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-1 6-2.
“For someone who grew up in the Philippines… I went to training with my brother and my grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and my light-up shoes and chubby cheeks, so… to her, this is everything,” Eala told an enchanted Centre Court crowd.
“But because I’m emotional does not mean I’m satisfied, so yeah, okay, next round. Let’s go.”
She went toe-to-toe with Swiatek in a gripping first set and saved a set point in the tiebreak as her opponent netted a forehand — the Pole laughing sarcastically and shouting at her entourage in the stands.
Eala remained composed in the second set as she sprinted clear and held her nerve to claim a famous win.
While Eala’s joy was uncontained, six-times Grand Slam champion Swiatek slumped off, trying to digest another disappointing loss.
“Honestly, I don’t care anymore about the results. I’ve been so focused on them that it’s hard to continue like that,” she told reporters later. “So I’m really trying to let it go.”
The biggest roars around the grounds on Saturday were reserved for British battler Arthur Fery who kept the home flag flying with a thrilling comeback victory against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs on a raucous Court 18 despite three nosebleeds.
Fery trailed by two sets to one and a double break at 1-4 but refused to roll over and came back to win the longest match of the tournament in a deciding-set tiebreaker.
“I was down for pretty much the whole match, managed to scramble back from two breaks and 4-1 in the fifth, and just tried to put up as much of a fight as I could,” he said.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Clare Fallon)
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