London, ENGLAND – Jessica Pegula (USA) has gone deeper into Wimbledon than ever before, with the Yonex ambassador reaching the last 16 with a dominant performance that saw her win the last seven games of her third-round match.
While she had never previously gone past the third round at the All England Club, the No. 4 seed has been showing this summer that her game is also extremely effective on these lawns and that she is among the world’s best athletes on this surface. Playing with a new confidence, she defeated Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-4, 6-0.
Rybakina stays calm
As the defending champion, Elena Rybakina (KAZ) was already under enormous scrutiny. But that only intensified when she faced a British opponent, Katie Boulter, in front of more than 15,000 vocal Londoners on Centre Court. The head-to-toe Yonex ambassador was her usual calm and composed self, needing less than an hour to defeat Boulter 6-1, 6-1 and extend her undefeated run at Wimbledon to 10 matches. She is the first women's defending champion to make the last 16 here since Serena Williams in 2016.
Shapovalov goes on the attack
As a former junior champion, as well as a 2021 semi-finalist in the men's singles, Denis Shapovalov (CAN) knows what he is doing on a grass court, with an attacking game that is well suited to the surface. The left-hander defeated British wild card Liam Broady 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 to reach the fourth round.
Yonex showdowns
Everywhere you looked at the All England Club, there seemed to be another Yonex showdown taking place on the grass, with three third-round women's matches contested by both players using the iconic Japanese racquets.
Belinda Bencic (SUI), who won the junior title 10 years ago, advanced to the fourth round with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Magda Linette (POL) while Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) was a 6-1, 7-5 winner over Donna Vekic (CRO). The match between Marie Bouzkova (CZE) and Caroline Garcia (FRA) was a thriller that, in the Czech's words, saw both players show "big fight". In the end it was Bouzkova, a quarter-finalist here last year, who went through 7-6(0), 4-6, 7-5, setting up an all-Czech, all-Yonex match with Vondrousova.
Hurkacz into the last 16
Anyone who was at Wimbledon in 2021 will recall how well Hubert Hurkacz (POL) performed on the grass to reach the semi-finals, which was the furthest he had progressed at a Grand Slam. The Pole has gone on another run this summer, defeating Italy's Lorenzo Musetti 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-4 to reach the last 16, setting up a match with defending champion Novak Djokovic.
Jessica Pegula (USA) | EZONE 98[LINK]
Elena Rybakina (KAZ) | VCORE 100[LINK] / POLYTOUR FIRE 125[LINK] / London Collection[LINK]
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) | VCORE 95[LINK] / POLYTOUR SPIN[LINK] / POLYTOUR STRIKE 125[LINK]
Belinda Bencic (SUI) | EZONE 100[LINK] / POLYTOUR PRO 125[LINK]
Magda Linette (POL) | EZONE 98[LINK]
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) | EZONE 100[LINK] / POLYTOUR AIR 125[LINK]
Donna Vekic (CRO) | VCORE 100[LINK] / POLYTOUR REV 125[LINK]
Marie Bouzkova (CZE) | VCORE 100[LINK] / POLYTOUR PRO 125[LINK]
Caroline Garcia (FRA) | VCORE 100[LINK] / POLYTOUR STRIKE 125[LINK] / London Collection[LINK]
Hubert Hurkacz (POL) | VCORE PRO 97[LINK] / ECLIPSION[LINK] / London Collection[LINK]
