World No 1 Iga Swiatek was handed a stunning Wimbledon third-round exit as she lost to Yulia Putintseva on Saturday, while Britain’s Harriet Dart saw her championships end in defeat to China’s Xinyu Wang.
Swiatek was on a 21-match winning streak and looked on course to cruise into the last 16 at the All England Club when she claimed the opener, but the Kazakhstan player hit back with a brilliant second set where she broke twice.
Four-time French Open champion Swiatek raced off court before the decider and when she eventually returned faced boos from an impatient crowd.
It seemed to knock the top seed off her stride and she netted to give 30th seed Putintseva an impressive 3-6 6-1 6-2 victory on her third match point.
Moscow-born Putintseva soaked up the adulation before she said in her on-court interview: “It feels great, it feels really great.
“I was just so focused on playing fast and not giving her any time. So, that’s pretty much it.
“I was feeling it on the court and that is why I was like fire. I was trying to entertain you more and more with my shots.
“I just want to enjoy this moment, like cool down a little bit, do a stretch and eat. Important!”
Dart, who had rallied to defeat British rival Katie Boulter in the previous round, was beaten 6-2 5-7 3-6 in a match that lasted two hours and 18 minutes having been disrupted by rain delays earlier in the day.
The British No 2 was denied a spot in the fourth round after dropping six straight games in the deciding third set after leading 3-0 at one stage.
“I’m super happy to be in the fourth round,” Wang told the BBC in her on-court interview. “It was really tough today, Harriet was playing really good, her balls are super flat, she was serving good. It was just a really tough battle, I’m just happy.
“I was getting a bit more used to her balls and all the slices. I felt more comfortable each time as the match was going. Now I’m looking forward to my next match.”
World No 100 Dart opened up a 3-1 advantage to begin the match two hours after its scheduled 11am start, before responding emphatically to a Wang break to restore her two-game lead at 4-2.
A forehand winner chalked up the first set after 38 minutes and Dart looked on course for the next round when she held for 4-3 in the second after the pair had traded breaks of serve.
A double fault soon left her staring at a 15-30 deficit, before the Brit buried a smash into the net from deuce as Wang went on to rescue the hold for 5-5 followed by a defining break of serve.
Frustration began to tell for Dart, who had fought through tears to overcome Boulter in a tense tiebreak earlier in the week.
She initially appeared to have recovered well when she raced out to a 3-0 cushion, only for Wang to wrestle the match in her favour by reeling off sixth straight games.
Wang had arrived on the back of defeating America’s Jessica Pegula, making her first win against a top-five opponent.
“Really super happy to be here, I enjoy playing here. I hope to see you guys for my next match and hopefully you cheer more for me next time!”
Ons Jabeur meanwhile crashed out in her pursuit of a third finals appearance at Wimbledon as she lost 6-1 7-6 to Elina Svitolina, who will now go on to face Wang.
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA tours
In the run-up to the final Grand Slam of 2024 – the US Open – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the hard-court season.
- Hamburg Open (ATP 500) 15-21 July
- Newport Hall of Fame Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
- Swiss Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
- Bastad Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
- Palermo Ladies Open (WTA 250) 15-21 July
- Hungarian Grand Prix (WTA 250) 15-21 July
- Prague Open (WTA 250) 21-26 July
Watch the WTA and ATP Tours throughout 2024 on Sky Sports Tennis. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.
+ There are no comments
Add yours