LONDON – Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the last 16 at Wimbledon, as Andy Murray suffered his earliest Wimbledon exit in 16 years.
Tunisian Ons Jabeur defied a bout of sickness to knock out former champion Garbine Muguruza and reach the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time.
Korda moves into last 16
Wimbledon main draw debutant Sebastian Korda reached the last 16 with an impressive 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over British No 1 Dan Evans on Centre Court.
A few days after his older sister Nelly won the women’s PGA Championship to become the world’s top-ranked golfer, Korda maintained a fine family tradition with a superb display.
Striking the ball crisply from the baseline and serving powerfully, Korda kept Evans under control to keep the home fans quiet and claim a relatively comfortable victory.
The world number 50, coached by his father Petr Korda, a former world No 2 and 1998 Australian Open champion suffered a dip when Evans hit back to take the second set.
But he was the dominant player throughout and struck 51 winners on his way to his second Grand Slam fourth round, having made his breakthrough by doing the same at Roland Garros in 2020.
To go one stage further he must get past big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov, the 25th seed, on Monday.
Evans was one of three British men to reach the third round along with Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie.
It was the first time since 1999 that had happened.
Djokovic advances into last 16
Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived a rocky third set to defeat American qualifier Denis Kudla to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon for the 13th time, AFP reported.
The world No 1 triumphed over 114-ranked Kudla 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) to book a place in the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the 55th time.
Djokovic, chasing a record-equalling 20th major, cruised through the first two sets but then had to fight back from 1-4 down and also 1/4 in the tiebreaker before he recorded a 75th win at the All England Club.
Six-time champion Djokovic next takes on 17th seeded Christian Garin of Chile who defeated Spain’s Pedro Martinez 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Jabeur beats Muguruza
World number 24 Ons Jabeur defeated 2017 champion Garbine Muguruza 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 on the back of 44 winners and generating 29 break points.
Muguruza saved 24 of them but was still unable to break the spirit of Arab trailblazer Jabeur who came through despite throwing up at the Royal Box end on Centre Court as she served for the match.
“This is the first time I play on Centre, and it’s amazing energy. I’m not saying this so you guys can cheer for me for the next round but this is my favourite centre court,” she said.
Jabeur next takes on Poland’s Iga Swiatek, the seventh seed, who was the first player into the last 16 with a 55-minute 6-1, 6-0 demolition of Romania’s Irina-Camelia Begu.
Swiatek, the 2018 junior champion, had only won one match on grass on the main tour prior to Wimbledon.
“It’s hard to compare my previous years on grass, because in 2019 I was physically weaker,” said Swiatek, beaten in the Wimbledon first round in 2019.
“I didn’t actually have an idea on how to play on grass. This time it’s much, much better, so I just developed overall.”
In a wide open women’s draw, Swiatek is just one of three top 10 seeds still standing along with top-ranked Ashleigh Barty and second seeded Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka made the fourth round for the first time by beating Colombian qualifier Maria Camila Osorio Serrano 6-0, 6-3.
Sabalenka next faces fellow big-hitter Elena Rybakina, the 18th-seeded Kazakh who saw off Shelby Rogers 6-1, 6-4.
Former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova made the last 16 for the third time with a 6-3, 6-3 win over fellow Czech Tereza Martincova.
Pliskova will meet Russian wildcard Liudmila Samsonova who defeated former US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Samsonova, who won the Berlin title after coming through qualifying on the eve of Wimbledon, fired 33 winners to Stephens’ eight.
The Russian has now won 10 successive matches on grass.
Meanwhile, her compatriot, fifth seed Andrey Rublev booked a last-16 spot for the first time by seeing off mercurial Fabio Fognini 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
Karen Khachanov made it a triple Russian celebration by putting out Frances Tiafoe – who had knocked out third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round – 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
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