Keys tops Andreeva to reach Wimbledon quarters

LONDON — Mirra Andreeva‘s fairy-tale Wimbledon debut got here to an finish after the 16-year-old from Russia was overwhelmed 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 by Madison Keyswho battled again from a set and a break right down to win the fourth-round tie Monday.

World No. 102 Andreeva, who was seeking to change into the youngest participant to achieve the final eight of the grass-court Grand Slam since Anna Kournikova in 1997, fought valiantly towards Keys however was in the end overwhelmed by the skilled American participant.

“Popping out right here, you recognize that she’s a extremely nice participant. However you do not need to be the participant that loses to her for her to get to her first quarter,” Keys mentioned on court docket. “I’ve fallen quick a couple of instances and it is nice to be again within the quarterfinals right here at Wimbledon.”

Keys, 28, started the match in usually aggressive trend, firing off highly effective returns and groundstrokes to interrupt serve and go 2-0 forward.

Nevertheless, Andreeva broke again instantly courtesy of a fortunate internet twine earlier than displaying nice variation to upset Keys’ rhythm, making her opponent uncomfortable with slices and drop pictures as she broke twice extra in fast succession to take the opener.

Keys proceed to commit a stream of unforced errors as Andreeva raced to a 3-0 lead within the second, however the 25-seed upped her recreation, placing the match again on serve with a fragile left-handed winner and forcing a tiebreak, which she received.

The breaker appeared to take the wind out of Andreeva’s sails. Keys stormed into an early 2-0 lead within the third set after Andreeva double faulted in her opening service recreation, earlier than ending off her opponent in a shade over two hours.

Keys will subsequent play Aryna Sabalenkawho defeated No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-0. The second-seeded Sabalenka received the Australian Open this 12 months and has a 16-1 document in main tournaments in 2023.

Additionally Monday, defending champion Elena Rybakina was given a straightforward experience into the Wimbledon quarters after Beatriz Haddad Maia retired halfway via the primary set with a again damage.

Rybakina had simply damaged for a 3-1 lead within the first set when the Brazilian 13-seed winced in ache and clutched her again after netting a backhand.

Haddad Maia known as on the physio and stored wincing as her again was being manipulated courtside. After leaving court docket to obtain additional remedy she returned in an try and resume the match following a ten minute interval.

Nevertheless, the best way she stiffly bent down to choose up her racket from her chair to renew the competition signaled that the match may quickly be over.

She tearfully went via the motions for yet one more recreation, clutching her again after each level earlier than shaking her head to verify that she may not proceed.

Our Jabeur arrange a quarterfinal repeat of final 12 months’s Wimbledon last towards Rybakina after crushing out-of-sorts former champion Peter Kvitov 6-0, 6-3 on Centre Court docket.

“I am most likely going for my revenge,” Jabeur mentioned on court docket. “It was a troublesome last final 12 months. It will carry a number of reminiscences.”

Tunisian sixth seed Jabeur needed to come from a set down towards Bianca Andreescu on Saturday however had no such issues on a blustery afternoon as she raced via the primary set in 22 minutes, virtually unchallenged.

Her crowd-pleasing number of slice and alter of tempo and angle left the 2011 and 2014 champion flailing. The ninth-seeded Czech had the briefest of recoveries within the second set but it surely didn’t final and Jabeur completed off in fashion, breaking to like.

Info from Reuters and The Related Press was used on this report.