Breaking News: Tennis World No. 1 Iga Swiatek claims her “tank was empty” as she painfully quits Wimbledon Due to…
World number one Iga Swiatek admitted she had nothing left in the tank after she suffered more Wimbledon woe by crashing out in the third round to Yulia Putintseva.
Swiatek was on a 21-match winning streak and looked on course to cruise into the last 16 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 Putintseva roared to a 3-6 6-1 6-2 victory on her third match point.
“My tank of really pushing myself to the limits became suddenly, like, empty. I was kind of surprised, but I know what I did wrong after Roland Garros,” Swiatek said.
“I didn’t really rest properly. I’m not going to make this mistake again. After such a tough clay court season, I really must have my recovery.
“Maybe next year I’m going to take a vacation (after French Open) and literally just do nothing.”
While Swiatek has to deal with another Wimbledon where she failed to leave her mark, 30th seed Putintseva toasted a memorable win on grass against one of the best players in the world.
History repeated itself for Moscow-born Putintseva after she dumped out Naomi Osaka in the first round in 2019 when her opponent was world number two.
Putintseva broke Swiatek twice in the third set and admitted her exceptional level may have been inspired by a period of boredom on Court One while she waited for the Polish player to return from a toilet break.
The world number 35 added: “I was a bit, like, not annoyed, but she took a lot of time off the court.
“I don’t know what the rules are. She just went to the toilet break. I don’t know what happened, how many minutes she was taking.
“Honestly at some point I was so bored. I thought she was coming. Then I was like moving, moving, she’s not there. Again moving, she’s not there. I was kind of getting bored.
“Then I was just super excited about the third set, that I was playing so well. I was not rushing on purpose.
“I’m very proud of myself that I stepped in and I did it.”
There were plenty of other shocks in the top half of the women’s draw with Ons Jabeur, runner-up at the last two Championships, knocked out by Elina Svitolina in straight-sets after an 80-minute encounter on Centre Court.
Svitolina made the semi-finals in 2023 and was pleased to keep up the family participation in the tournament after husband Gael Monfils exited to Grigor Dimitrov on Friday.
“Today was a bit of a different story for our family. Disappointed that Gael lost,” Svitolina said in her on-court interview following a 6-1 7-6 (4) triumph.
“With Gael’s support today, it’s amazing to have him support me and be there for me. It’s very special.”
Elena Rybakina wasted little time against Caroline Wozniacki with a 6-0 6-1 success on Court One in 57 minutes.
Fourth seed Rybakina, who won Wimbledon in 2022, will face Anna Kalinskaya next after she beat Liudmila Samsonova during a rain-affected match on Court 18.
Jelena Ostapenko and Barbora Krejcikova also booked their places in the last 16 with rapid wins, while Wang Xinyu beat British number two Harriet Dart in three sets and 11th Danielle Collins won 12 of the final 16 matches to knock out Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Alcaraz faces piano man at Wimbledon as Raducanu sparks home hopes
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz targets the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Sunday against a piano-loving Frenchman.
Emma Raducanu has British fans dreaming she can add the 2024 Wimbledon title to her 2021 US Open crown, while American Ben Shelton is following in his father’s footsteps.
AFP Sport looks at three fourth-round matches to watch on the seventh day of action at the All England Club:
Alcaraz looks to stop the music
Carlos Alcaraz is chasing a fourth Grand Slam title and attempting to become just the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.
The Spanish world number three twice trailed by a set before defeating Frances Tiafoe in the third round.
“I realise that I’m good player in the fifth set. I push the opponent just to be at his 100% physically and mentally, and play at his 100%. Sometimes for the other player it is difficult to keep at this kind of intensity in a fifth set,” said Alcaraz.
World number 16 Humbert is in the last 16 for the second time, five years after also reaching the same stage.
Away from the courts, the left-handed French number one can be found playing the piano, a passion since he was five years old.
“I love music. I play a little bit of electric guitar, but I’m better at piano,” he said
“When you play piano, you are only with you. It’s great to have the time to be alone, to enjoy. In tennis, it’s the opposite.”
Raducanu turns back clock
Three years after her breakthrough summer when a run to the last 16 at Wimbledon was followed by an historic US Open title, Emma Raducanu is making headlines again.
The British star, now ranked 135 after a depressing run of injuries, indifferent form and questionable coaching changes, finds herself with a potentially clear run to the semi-finals.
On Sunday, the 21-year-old faces Lulu Sun, the first New Zealand woman in the fourth round since 1959.
If she gets through that, a quarter-final date with either Paula Badosa or Donna Vekic awaits.
Raducanu’s win over Maria Sakkari on Friday was just her second over a top 10 player — both have come in the last two weeks.
“I’m just trying to cherish every moment I have here,” said Raducanu.
The 23-year-old Sun, a 123rd-ranked qualifier, had only played and lost one Grand Slam match before this Wimbledon.
She is guaranteed to earn at least $340,000 for her efforts — more than she has made in her entire career so far.
Sun will also be headline news in her sleepy home town of Te Anau which she described as having “more sheep and deer than people”.
Family guy Shelton
Ben Shelton has made Wimbledon a family affair, reaching the fourth round 30 years after his father Bryan made the same stage.
“We’re back, big dog,” the 21-year-old American told his dad after seeing off Denis Shapovalov in the third round.
Back in 1994, Bryan Shelton stunned former champion Michael Stich in the first round before eventually being knocked out by Sweden’s Christian Bergstrom.
On Sunday, the 14th-ranked Shelton takes on world number one and Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner for a place in the quarter-finals.
Shelton defeated the Italian in their first meeting at Shanghai in 2023 before Sinner came out on top in Vienna later that season and at Indian Wells earlier this year.
Leave a Reply