Sixth-seeded Madison Keys recorded a 6-4, 6-2 win over Olga Danilovic on Wednesday to advance to the third round at Wimbledon.
After outlasting Elena-Gabriela Ruse in a grueling, three-set match in sweltering conditions in London on Monday, Keys needed just 75 minutes to dismiss her Serbian foe.
“I definitely felt a little bit more comfortable today — it’s the cloudy, rainy England that we know and love, so that helped a lot … felt a little bit more normal out here today,” Keys said during her on-court interview.
Keys, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, fired three aces, had 19 winners and overcame seven double faults to emerge victorious.
“I knew that I wanted to get the momentum as early as I could and try to keep it,” Keys said. “I knew that she could play really great tennis, so just wanted to get a lead and then run with it.”
Keys set up a third-round match with Germany’s Laura Siegemund, who posted a 6-2, 6-3 win over No. 29 seed Leylah Fernandez of Canada.
No. 4 seed Jasmine Paolini, a finalist last year, was the latest upset victim at the All England Club.
Russia’s Kamilla Rakhimova had 26 winners while disposing Paolina 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. She overcame nine double faults but Paolini (23 winners) couldn’t take advantage.
The victory was the first over a Top 10 player for the 23-year-old Rakhimova.
“I try not to think about the opponent and try to focus on my game. It worked for me,” Rakhimova said. “I just pretend like I’m playing a normal girl, not the No. 4 in the world.”
Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka battled through a tough first set to record a 7-6 (4), 6-4 win over Czech Marie Bouzkova. The Belarus native notched five aces and had 41 winners against only 18 unforced errors.
Sabalenka was pleased to be advancing in the tournament and avoid the fate of second-seeded Coco Gauff, third-seeded Jessica Pegula, Paolini and fifth-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China. The quartet have been eliminated from the tournament.
“Honestly, it’s very sad to see so many top players losing in the first round, but you’re better off focusing on yourself and staying away from the results,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview.
She then lightened the mood with a joke.
“I hope there are no more upsets in this tournament,” the top-seeded player said.
Sabalenka, who is bidding for her first Wimbledon title, will face local favorite Emma Raducanu, who was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova, a Czech.
Diane Parry of France rolled to a 6-4, 6-1 victory over 12th-seeded Diana Shnaider of Russia, while Amanda Anisimova posted a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Mexico’s Renata Zarazua.
No. 14 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine defeated Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus 6-2, 6-4, while Hungary’s Dalma Galfi stunned No. 21 Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 7-6 (7), 6-1. Spaniard Cristina Bucsa coasted to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over No. 22 seed Donna Vekic of Croatia.
No. 24 Elise Mertens of Belgium rallied for a 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-2 victory over Ann Li. No. 30 Czech Linda Noskova prevailed 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 over Eva Lys of Germany, and Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova knocked out 31st-seeded Ashlyn Krueger 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic.
Also Wednesday, Sonay Kartal of Great Britain also topped Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova 6-2, 6-2, and lucky loser Solana Sierra of Argentina made it two straight wins by downing Brit Katie Boulter 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-1.
–Field Level Media
