Wimbledon: Sabalenka holds firm to reach third round

London, July 2 (IANS) World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka produced another composed and powerful display on Centre Court, defeating Marie Bouzkova 7-6(4), 6-4 on Wednesday to book her place in the third round of Wimbledon 2025.

Sabalenka, known for her blistering shot-making and aggression, was tested early by the crafty and defensive Bouzkova. But the Belarusian brought her trademark intensity and poise at key moments to stretch her unbeaten record in Grand Slam second rounds to 18 straight.

The first set was tightly contested, with Bouzkova deploying a mix of spins, angles, and defensive prowess to keep Sabalenka guessing. But in the tiebreak, Sabalenka stepped up with two explosive forehands before punishing a soft 67 mph second serve from Bouzkova to close the set with a rocket forehand return.

The second set was more straightforward. Sabalenka earned the decisive break in the sixth game and never looked back, finishing the match with a forehand into the open court—one of her 40 winners on the day. She kept her unforced errors in check (18), served five aces, and won a commanding 31 of 35 points on her first serve.

With several top seeds—including Coco Gauff (No. 2), Jessica Pegula (No. 3), and Zheng Qinwen (No. 5)—exiting early, Sabalenka’s path to the title has opened up. Her next opponent will be either 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova or British star Emma Raducanu, both Grand Slam winners and formidable threats.

Having reached the semifinals in her last two Wimbledon appearances, Sabalenka is clearly eyeing more this year. In a draw suddenly missing many of her biggest rivals, the top seed is making her intentions clear: she’s here to win it all.

--IANS