China’s Wang Xinyu achieved a significant milestone at Wimbledon on Thursday, stunning fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States with a 6-4, 6(7)-7(9), 6-1 victory in the women’s singles second round.
The 21-year-old Wang secured her first-ever win against a Top-10 player, showcasing resilience and skill on the grass courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. After a tense second set, where she narrowly missed clinching the tiebreak, Wang dominated the final set to seal her place in the third round for the first time in her career.
“It’s an incredible feeling to win against such a high-ranking player,” Wang said in a post-match interview. “I stayed focused and believed in my game plan.”
Next, Wang will face the United Kingdom’s Harriet Dart, who advanced to the third round in front of a home crowd. The upcoming match promises to be a test of Wang’s burgeoning confidence as she navigates deeper into the Grand Slam tournament.
In other matches, Wang’s compatriot Wang Yafan faced a tough defeat against twelfth-seeded American Madison Keys, losing 2-6, 2-6. Despite the loss, Wang Yafan expressed optimism about her experience at Wimbledon this year.
The day also saw unexpected exits of seeded players. Caroline Garcia was defeated by Bernarda Pera 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, while Leylah Fernandez was knocked out by Caroline Wozniacki 3-6, 6-2, 5-7.
Top seed Iga Swiatek continued her strong performance, overcoming Petra Martic 6-4, 6-3. Swiatek, aiming to surpass her quarterfinal finish last year, will face Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan in the next round.
Defending champion Elena Rybakina, also from Kazakhstan, battled past Laura Siegemund with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 victory. Rybakina, seeking to defend her title, is set to meet Caroline Wozniacki in an anticipated third-round clash.
Reference(s):
Wang Xinyu of China continues to achieve breakthroughs at Wimbledon
cgtn.com
