Sinner and Sabalenka survive scares to reach Wimbledon third round; Rinderknech awaits Djokovic
World No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka both had to overcome set points before advancing to the third round at Wimbledon, while Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech set up a potential clash with Novak Djokovic.
Sinner stretched again
Defending champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner needed five sets in his opening match and looked uneasy again on Wednesday against Portugal's Nuno Borges. The Italian eventually prevailed 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 on Centre Court, but he had to save a set point in the second set before his serve took control. Sinner fired 22 aces and won 82 percent of points behind his first delivery, enough to subdue the world No. 48. He will face American Jenson Brooksby for a place in the last 16.
Sabalenka denies Kessler
Aryna Sabalenka's path to the third round appeared straightforward when she raced through the first set 6-1, but American McCartney Kessler threw everything at the Belarusian in the second. Kessler raced into a 5-2 lead and later held two set points when serving at 5-3, only for Sabalenka to break back with a clean return winner. The tie-break was equally tense: Kessler twice stood within two points of forcing a decider before Sabalenka converted her third match point with a forehand winner for a 7-6 (11/9) finish.
That was a true battle and I'm super happy that I was able to stay in that second set to get into that tie-break. She really tested me and I'm super happy to pass the test.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who has reached 14 consecutive major quarter-finals and lost in the semi-finals on each of her last three Wimbledon visits, rated her fighting spirit a "nine out of ten" after the match. Awaiting her now is Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open winner who dropped only two games against Antonia Ruzic earlier in the day. Should Sabalenka falter later in the tournament, Kazakh Elena Rybakina could snatch the world No. 1 ranking.
French fortunes mixed
Arthur Rinderknech became the first French player into the third round, dismissing Czech Martin Damm 6-4, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 without conceding a single break point. The victory equals his best run at the All England Club, matching the third-round showing that ended against Kamil Majchrzak last year. His likely next assignment is Novak Djokovic, provided the 24-time major champion beats Stefanos Tsitsipas in their second-round encounter. Earlier on Wednesday, fellow Frenchman Térence Atmane fell to American Frances Tiafoe in four sets, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, after their match resumed from the night before.
The grass takes a beating
With baseline turf already showing visible wear after three days of play, the tournament's famous lawn is coping with the heavy hitting of the modern game, particularly under Sinner's powerful baseline game. So far, the conditions have not prevented the top names from progressing, but the surface may become a factor as the fortnight wears on.
