Aryna Sabalenka finally took control of a break-riddled second set to pound out a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Jelena Ostapanko on Friday for a place in the Wimbledon fourth round.

The four-time Grand Slam champion who has reached the last four here on three occasions, Her Latvian opponent saved a match point in the penultimate game before taking the loss moments later.

The pair of power hitters blasted each other throughout the 93-minute struggle, which featured 15 break points – six converted.

“She is really dangerous. The last time we played (Stuttgart, 2025) she smashed me off the court.

“I was happy to get a straight sets win here.”

Sabalenka said that facing her mirror image of an aggressive attacker “is scary.”

“I’m just happy today was my day, since it can go either way. My mission on grass to to play a little bit better than I usually do on this beautiful grass.”

American seventh seed Coco Gauff beat 146th-ranked compatriot Claire Liu 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 as she matched her career-best fourth round here.

The seventh seed ran her record in the series to 3-0 after a difficult test and four match points – three saved in the second set.

The seed gave herself extra work as she double-faulted to lose the second set but managed to recoup in the third. Lui committed nearly 60 unforced errors in two and a half hours.

“I’m happy to get through, I had opportunities to close it out in the second set,” Gauff said.  “But I didn’t let it rattle me.

“I was still able to come out with a win today.” 

Naomi Osaka maintained a spotless career record over Daria Kasatkina, with the four-time Grand Slam winner posting her fifth victory without a loss in the series.

Osaka, seeded 14th, dismantled the Austrian 6-1, 6-3 in 65 minutes to reach the second week here for the first time in 13 years on the Tour.

She also won her first match ever on the No. 1 showcourt.

“I’m glad to have made a new memory here,” she said. “I felt really good today, I’ve played a lot on grass in the past two weeks. I felt confident.

“I’m into the fourth round but I’m trying to take it one day at a time – even one point at a time. I just hope to get further and further.” 

The Japanese player raced to 5-0 on her way to the opening set and began the second with a break against the No. 65 who played a 2018 quarter-final here.

She broke Kasatina’s final two service games to earn the win.

Osaka revealed a family secret, recalling Thursday’s birthday of toddler daughter Shai.

““I don’t think I should be telling you this but she was kind of bad yesterday. We tried to take her to the park but then she needed to go to time out, 

“So we’re gonna try to take her to the park again today. 

“It was an awesome birthday. She blew out her candles. She made a wish. I hope her wish is to behave better, but if not… today’s a new day for her.”

No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula fulfilled her seeding by reaching the fourth round 6-1, 6-3 victory in 52 minutes over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

“I thought it was really clean; definitely the best match I’ve had since I’ve been in the tournament. So that’s always nice,” the winner said.

“Really nice weather out today. Conditions felt good. So I just kind of executed my game plan really well. 

“I came out with good energy and was able to play a solid match.”

Pegula will now face US compatriot Iva Jovic, who went the distance to earn a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 decision over Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The teenaged Jovic will give away 14 years to Pegula. The youngster lost a 3-0 lead against Alexandrova in the third set, going down a break and forced to fight back for the 29th win of her season.

“This is a surface that probably favors both of us,” Jovic said of the Pegula match-up.

“I like playing on the grass, so hopefully, this will be the one where I get
her. I’m 2-nil down, so I need to get a win on her here. 

“I’ve improved as a player a lot since the first two times I played her.
Hopefully I can show that and hang tough here.”

2025 semi-finalist Belinda Benic, the 11th seed, took her accustomed place in the second week for a fifth time through a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) defeat of Anna Kalinskaya

Benic now faces Gauff in the fourth round.

Top seed Alex de Minaur was dismissed from his quarter-final at Queen’s club on Friday by long-odds outsider Brandon Nakashima, who produced a 7-5, 6-3 upset win.

De Minaur, sixth in the world, played the final here three years ago, losing to Carlos Alcaraz.

Nakashima, ranked 32nd, earned the third win of his career over a top 10 opponent and was forecasting his win was a taste of things to come on the football pitch when Australia face the US in the World Cup later in the day.

“Hopefully we get another win, it should be an exciting match,” the American said. “I wasn’t able to watch the first game of the US but I am happy it is a little earlier today, so I will be able to watch it.”

The 24-year-old winner has a modest record on grass, reaching the second week of Wimbledon four years ago and playing a 2024 Stuttgart semi-final.

“Any time you beat a top player like Alex it is a huge accomplishment,” Nakashima said. 

“I’ve been feeling pretty good on the grass with all the matches here. I am happy I am playing well.”

Taylor Fritz earned his first win over US compatriot Ben Shelton on Friday, winning their ATP Halle quarter-final 6-7 (5), 7-6 (8), 7-6 (3) to finally take revenge in their series.

Shelton, the national No. 1, had defeated his rival in last Sunday’s Stuttgart grass final as well as in the indoors Dallas title match in February.

Fritz had to work for two and three-quarter hours to advance to the final four in a stadium styled more than three decades ago to be an exact mini-replica of Wimbledon’s Centre Court.

“It’s just a relief after our last one (Stuttgart),” the winner said. “Once I got to 6-3 (final-set tiebreaker), I just couldn’t take losing another one to Ben.

“It seemed like he had the better chances today – just like I did in the two matches he won this season. I’m happy I got through this one.”

Fritz hammered 24 aces, finishing on the first of three match points. 

World No. 5 Fritz, always the tennis technician, said that he must improve before his Saturday semi-final.

“There’s a lot I can do better, I need better second serve returns, I missed so many of them today.

“That and maybe trying not to brick the ball when I come to the net.”

Fritz improved to 29-5 over the last three seasons of grass play and earned his fist top 10 win of the season since beating Lorenzo Musetti last November at the season finals.

Main photo:- Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton after match in Halle – by ATPTour.com