Wimbledon: Garcia, Bencic, Vekic advance to Round 3

LONDON: Number five seed Caroline Garcia edged past Leylah Fernandez after a thriller that came down to a tiebreaker at the ongoing Wimbledon championships in London on Thursday.

With this win, she advanced to round three. Garcia could have been upset in a shocker of a match, but escaped with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-6) victory.

Following the match, she said as quoted by WTA, "I would not say I found my rhythm," Garcia said later. "I mean, I just won 7-6 in the third. I could be crying probably under the shower right now. That was how close it was," she added.

Also, Elina Svitolina continued her good form, as she downed 28th seed Elise Mertens by 6-1, 1-6, 6-1 to set a third-round match with Sofia Kenin.

This is Svitolina's third time entering third round and for the first time since 2019 in Wimbledon when she reached semifinals. "She is an aggressive baseliner," Svitolina observed. "She loves to strike the ball, dictate on the baseline. I will have to react quickly.

I will have to move my legs really, really well and expect a quick ball," she added. Croatia's Donna Vekic defeated 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in a nail-biting comeback match on No. 1 Court, earning herself a berth in the third round for just the second time in her career.

Vekic battled all the way back to win by a margin of 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, who earlier on Thursday defeated No. 12 seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-3, 6-3, will be Vekic's opponent in the third round. 2018's Hobart match was their lone prior encounter, which Vekic won 6-4, 6-4.

Belinda Bencic of Switzerland won a barnburner of her own on No. 2 Court in 2 hours and 44 minutes concurrent with Vekic's match, defeating Danielle Collins by 3-6, 6-4, 7-6[2]. With the victory, Bencic evened the head-to-head matchup with Collins, a 2022 Australian Open semifinalist.

Like Vekic, No. 14 seed Bencic overcame a set and a break behind to advance to the second round. For the sixth time in her career, Bencic advances to the third round of Wimbledon, although this is her first appearance at this stage at SW19 since 2019. In the third round, Poland's Magda Linette, the No. 23 seed, will take against 2021 Olympic champion Bencic. Bencic will be facing Linette, who advanced to the Australian Open semifinals this year, for the first time.

The top-ranked American in the world at No. 4, Jessica Pegula, brushed off a second-set charge by Spain's Cristina Bucsa, who was rated 78th, and went on to win easily in 63 minutes on No. 1 Court. Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ranked No. 43 in the world, will be Pegula's opponent in the third round. Wimbledon is the only major where Pegula has not advanced past the Round of 16; in fact, Wimbledon is the only major in which she has not done so.

In other notable second-round results, former top-ranked player Victoria Azarenka defeated Nadia Podoroska to set up a third-round clash with number 11 seed Daria Kasatkina. Azarenka won the match by 6-3, 6-0. Number 30 Petra Martic also overcame an early setback to win by 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Diane Perry.

After this win, she will meet World number one Iga Swiatek in round three. Beatriz Haddad, No. 13 In 2 hours and 29 minutes, Maia overcame Jaqueline Cristian, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Next, the semifinals at Roland Garros will take against Sorana Cirstea. In 2 hours and 36 minutes, Cirstea defeated Jelena Ostapenko, who was ranked No. 17, by 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4.

Anastasia Potapova, ranked 22nd, defeated Kaja Juvan 6-3, 7-5 in the final match of the day to go to Wimbledon's third round for the first time and the second time in a row at a Slam. Potapove's pre-quarters will be with 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva.