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Wimbledon, UK – Favorite Ega Swiatek has not lost since February and looked invincible, having racked up 37 consecutive wins and six titles along the way.
However, she was never very comfortable on the grass, unlike other playing surfaces, and her many errors on Saturday led to her 6-4, 6-2 defeat in the third round of Wimbledon to France’s Alize Cornet.
“I played very poorly. I was confused with my strategy. It was clearly not my best performance,” said Swiatek, who never made it through the fourth round of his career at the All England Club.
The identity of the match winner was not only unexpected. It was also the speed with which Cornet got rid of the French Open champion – just 1 hour 33 minutes.
“That’s what motivates me, what motivates me to keep going,” said Cornet, the 37th player in the world. It really motivates me. I knew I had the ability to do this. I somehow believed in my abilities. »
No player, since the 37 consecutive victories of Swiss Martina Hingis in 1997, has won as many consecutive matches as Swiatek.
But from the start, we saw that it wasn’t Poles’ Day.
“I didn’t know what to do,” she admitted.
It slipped 0-3 early on a cold, windy afternoon at the All England Club, and nine of Cornet’s first 14 points came from unintentional errors by the tournament favourite. Of all these points, the French only got one thanks to a winning move.
Swiatek’s behavior contrasts with her usual show; They are often very firm and calm. After missing a forehand, she hit the tip of her right foot with her racket.
By the end of the game, Swiatek had accumulated 33 non-forced errors – 26 more than Cornet. The Polish’s powerful forehand generated just nine winners, just two ahead of Cornet.
This is not Cornet’s first coup in the All England Club. She reached the fourth round of the 2014 Grand Slam after sending off American Serena Williams.
Cornet, 32, reached the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the first time in 63 attempts last January at the Australian Open. And she is only one win away from repeating the feat, provided she defeats Australian Agla Tomljanovic in the next round.
“I like good wine,” she said. I am aging well. »
Tan keeps going
Whether her opponents are tournament favorites or crowd favorites, Harmony Tan continues to kick them out of the tournament at Wimbledon.
At first there was Serena Williams, the winner of seven professional titles in the garden of the All England Club. Then, seeded 32, Sarah Sorribes-Turmo. On Saturday, Britain’s Katie Poulter became its latest victim.
“I think I like the grass,” said Tan, who scored three straight wins for the first time in his career. I like to put my balls, volleyballs, and all that stuff on. »
The French player, who is not ranked, is participating in Wimbledon for the first time in her career. She has competed in the French Open four times, reaching the second round only once. She also competed in the Australian Open this year, where she once again advanced to the second round. Then, at the US Open, she lost in the first round in 2018 – her only professional appearance at Flushing Meadows.
On Saturday, Tan edged Poulter 6-1, 6-1 on Court No. 2. She had no break point, converting five of her 10.
Tan will next meet American Amanda Anisimova, who will also enter the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time in her career as well.
Anisimova outplayed compatriot Coco Gauff 6-7 (4) 6-2 6-1 on Center Court after she started the match by giving up her first three points. She then conceded a tiebreaker, although she took a 4-1 lead at one point.
Anisimova outperforms Joffe
Tomljanovic advanced to the fourth round after defeating 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejkova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
On the men’s front, 11th-seeded Taylor Fritz beat Alex Mulkan 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 (3), while Brandon Nakashima defeated Danielle Elahi Galan 6-4, 6-4, 6-1.
For his part, Jenson Broxby surrendered to Christian Garin 6-2, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, and Jack Sock lost 6-2, 4-6, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 6-3 against Jason Kobler.
The 19th seed, Alex de Minaur, and the 21st seed, Bottic van de Zandschulp, have more success and will be in the fourth round.
Meanwhile, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova lost 7-5 7-6 (4) to fourth seed Paula Padusa of Spain.
Spain’s Rafael Nadal, another double champion in the All England Club, has an appointment with Italian Lorenzo Sonego later in the afternoon.
Finally, Canadian Gabriella Dabrowski and her Australian partner John Pearce will meet in the second round of the mixed doubles tournament with Dutchman Demi Schurz and Uruguayan Ariel Behar, on Court No. 15.