Wimbledon 2024 Women’s Day 7

Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini advanced to her first quarter-final here as Madison Keys was forced to retire late in the third set with a leg injury for a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 5-5 loss on Sunday at Wimbledon.

Roland Garros runner-up Paolini from Italy was shocked as her American opponent quit at 5-all in the third set after taking an off-court medical time out accompanied by a physio and the tournament doctor.

Victory in just under two and a half hours marked the first win on grass for Paolini over a Top 20 opponent.

“I’m so sorry for her, to end the match like this is bad,” the winner said. “What can I say? We played a really good, tough match.

“There were a lot of ups and downs.

“I’m feeling a little bit happy but also sad for her. it’s not easy to win like this.”

Paolini, who ended with 26 each of winners and unforced errors, called the contest “a roller-coaster..

“I started well but she raised her level and had a great tennis. I was telling myself to stay with here – you never know in tennis.

“Now I’m here with the win,”

Paolini has reached at least the fourth round of all three Grand Slams so far this season.

She now joins four other compatriots as the only Italian women to reach a Wimbledon quarter-final.

British hopes faded as Week 1 ended, with Emma Raducanu taking an injury timeout at the start of the third set on her way to a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 loss to Lulu Sun.

The New Zealander with a Croat father and Chinese mother grew up in Switzerland and was playing from a qualifying start – as did Raducanu when she won the US open in 2021 from a similar position.

The 135th-ranked Brit needed treatment on what appeared to be a hyper-extended left knee and some back pain.

But after the treatment following three points into the final set, the slope was all downhill for Raducanu, who withdrew claiming a wrist injury on Saturday at the last moment from her mixed doubles one-off partnership with retiring icon Andy Murray.

The Brit double-faulted to trail 5-2 in the final set, with Sun booking her unexpected quarter-final place a game later as she served it out after three deuces and two match points. 

Donna Vekic won a battle of unseeded players, defeating Spain’s Paula Badosa 6-2, 1-6, 6-4. 

The win duplicated the Croat’s best career showing at a major after reaching the last eight at the 2019 US Open and the Australian Open last year.

She is the fourth from her nation to get this far here after Mirjana Lucic, Karolina Sprem and Iva Majoil.

Main photo:-Jasmine Paolini celebrates by Roger Parker International Sports Fotos Ltd