Wimbledon 2025 Women’s Day 5

Aryna Sabalenka recovered from deficits in both sets as she ended the upset dreams of Emma Raduanu on Friday at Wimbledon with a tight 7-6 (6), 6-4 win into the fourth round.

The top seed was forced to fight back from 4-2 down in the 74-minute opening set and trailed 4-1 in the second.  

But despite massive crowd support under the roof of centre court, British No. 1 Raducanu went down to defeat in two hours.

The opening set did not lack for drama, with Sabalenka missing seven set point chances in the 13-minute 10th game.

But Raducanu broke back for 6-5 with the set heading into a tiebreaker.

The Briton missed on a set point chance of her own in the decider, with Sabalenka finally clinching the set on her eighth try, a volley winner.

The momentum shifted slightly in the second set to the top seed, with Raducanu reaching a 4-1 lead – and a chance at a double break in the sixth game before 

Sabalenka levelled at 4-all.

The top seed broke to take a 5-4 lead and closed out the win a game later after making up the gap against her fellow former Grand Slam winner.

“She played incredible tennis and pushed me really hard,” the winner said. “I fought like crazy on every point.

“I’m happy to see Emma healthy again and back on track; I’m sure she will be back in the top 10.”

Sabalenka said she turned the support for the popular home player into cheers for herself in her head.

“My ears are still hurting, the atmosphere was super-loud, I had goosebumps.”

She said that getting the win took mental and physical effort.

“I kept telling myself (melting down as in the recent past). not to do the same mistake again. I tried to stay calm and push myself to the limit.

“I was trying to stay focused and put as many balls as possible on that side of the court, put all the pressure on her.”

Britain’s Sonay Kartel kept the flag flying with a 6-4, 6-2 defeat of France’s Diane Parry as the local No. 51 set a personal Grand Slam best with an emotional fourth-round spot as she came from 4-1 down in the first set.

“I was pretty nervous walking out there. It’s a big court with a match that has a lot of meaning to me,” Kartal said. “Last year was also in the back of my mind, losing to Coco (Gauff) on the same court in the same round.

“I tried to take everything I learnt from that match and put it into play on the court. 

“I’m going to go out in the next round with nothing to lose. I’m going to go swinging. The pressure that I’ll feel is the pressure I will be putting on myself just wanting to perform as best as I can.”

No. 6 and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys joined this year’s seeded exodus with a 6-3, 6-3 loss to German Laura Siegemund.

The 37-year-old winner has a chequered Wimbledon history, losing 10 times in qualifying before finally clinching a main draw spot a decade ago.

Her best career grass performance was a quarter-final in her native Germany four years ago.

“There  are always nerves – if you don’t have nerves in this moment, you’re probably dead,” she said of her improbable win.

Amanda Anisimova, seeded 13th, advanced to the last 16 over Hungarian Dalma Galfi 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

The American’s concentration was interrupted more than once by the pop of champagne corks by nearby punters enjoying an afternoon in the sun.

But the seed took it all in her stride: “At some point I was, like, ‘Can everybody just do it on the changeover?’

“It was a bit rowdy on that court, you could hear everyone outside of the court. It was definitely a bit distracting. 

“It can be a little loud when people are doing their external things, but I love the atmosphere and the energy and the crowd supporting me, so it’s been good.”

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova reached the fourth round for the first time in nine years at the expense of four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka, who lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to the 34-year-old.

Pavlyuchenkova insisted she is weak on grass despite making last month’s Eastbourne semi-finals.

Osaka lost her bid for a career-best Wimbledon showing, having never escaped the third round.

The Japanese player, now a mother of one,  who stood atop the WTA rankings in 2019 missed three straight editions here, 2021 to 2023.  

“It was a very tough match, I felt like I was always playing from behind,” the winner said. “I was just trying to find rhythm.

“I didn’t feel so good at the beginning, this court is playing really slow.

“All three matches that I’ve won (this week) have been mentally tough. I never really liked grass before – the bounces are weird – but I’m liking it more now.”

The 34-year-old is playing her 16th Wimbledon and 65th Grand Slam, aiming to surpass her 2016 quarter-final here where she lost to Serena Williams.

A frustrated Osaka was kicking herself for the heavy loss on her daughter’s birthday.

“I don’t feel anything, so I guess I prefer to feel nothing than everything. I have nothing positive to say about myself, which is something I’m working on.

“I was happy about that this week. Other than that, it’s just today I’m just constantly replaying the match now.

“I’m just really upset. If I look back on it, I can be happy with how I played. I think I started getting a lot more comfortable on grass.”

Argentine qualifier Solana Sierra fast-tracked into the last 16 with a 7-5, 1-6, 6-1 defeat of Spaniard Cristina Bucsa. She becomes the first lucky loser to reach the Wimbledon women’s single’s fourth round in the Open era.