Monday, July 4, 2022

Si-mo-na! has arrived

Many of us were looking forward to the round of 16 match played between 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep and 4th seed Paula Badosa. Halep, however, didn't care if we were especially entertained; she decided to get off of the court fast--in exactly an hour, to be specific. That was how long it took her to end the Badosa challenge, 6-2, 6-2. Halep, seeded 16th, has been working her way back to her elite position on the tour, following an injury, and she's looking ever so elite on the grass courts at Wimbledon.

If you did want to be entertained, you were watching the amazing match played between AlizΓ© Cornet and Ajla Tomljanovic. It had everything--speed, angles, drop volleys, drop shots, long rallies, battles at the net. Cornet arrived with both thighs taped, of course, and--toward the end--both players looked exhausted, with Cornet stumbling around from time to time. Tomljanovic won, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, and advanced to her second consecutive Wimbledon quarterfinal.The two-and-a-half extravaganza was tennis at its best.

Earlier, 17th seed Elena Rybakina, playing some of her very finest tennis, defeated Petra Martic 7-5, 6-3, and reached the second major quarterfinal of her career. And finally, 20th seed Amanda Anisimova put an end to Harmony Tan's exciting run with a 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Here is the quarterfinal draw:

Ajla Tomljanovic vs. Elena Rybakina (17)
Simona Halep (16) vs. Amanda Anisimova (20)
Marie Bouzkova vs. Ons Jabeur (3)
Tatjana Maria vs. Jule Niemeier

In doubles, the 3rd seeds, Gabriela Dabrowski and Giuliana Olmos, were upset in the third round by Danielle Collins and Desirae Krawczyk. The tops seeds, Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai, remain in the draw, as do the second seeds, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.

Wheelchair competition begins tomorrow.

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