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Ash Barty and Nick Kyrgios headline a successful day for the Aussies at Wimbledon

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Roar Guru
2nd July, 2021
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It was a mostly successful Day 4 at Wimbledon for the Australian contingent, with Ashleigh Barty and Nick Kyrgios headlining the charge into round three.

Kicking off play on Centre Court for the second time in three days, Barty quickly fell behind 0-2 to start her match against Russia’s Anna Blinkova, but then hit straight back and later broke in the ninth game to claim the first set 6-4.

The Australian then broke Blinkova’s serve, then consolidated for a 2-0 lead before ultimately going to win in straight sets in 90 minutes, progressing to the third round and also edging closer to a possible last-16 showdown against reigning French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova.

Later on, countrywoman Ajla Tomljanovic progressed to the third round for the first time after defeating Frenchwoman Alize Cornet, the first round victor of former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, in three sets, despite copping a second-set bagel.

The 28-year-old, who was originally born in, and represented, Croatia before acquiring Australian citizenship in 2018, next faces former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who eliminated 31st seed Daria Kasatkina in a three-set thriller with the final set lasting 14 games.

For either player, a golden opportunity to reach the quarter-finals awaits, with no seeds remaining in section two after two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka was knocked out by unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea in three sets after leading 3-1 in the final set.

This means that Ashleigh Barty may only have to face one seed en route to the semi-finals, that being Krejcikova, who plays Anastasia Sevastova on Saturday night (AEST).

Still in the women’s draw, third seed Elina Svitolina suffered another early loss at a Major, going down to Poland’s Magda Linette, but there was better luck for 2018 champion Angelique Kerber, French Open runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and young guns Coco Gauff and Paula Badosa.

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Kerber outlasted Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo in three sets in a match lasting three hours and nineteen minutes, though it could’ve ended about an hour earlier had she converted a match point in the second set.

She next faces Aliaksandra Sasnovich, the first-round beneficiary of Serena Williams’ injury-enforced retirement who then won her first completed match of the tournament after defeating Japan’s Nao Hibino in straight sets.

With Venus Williams’ second-round loss to Ons Jabeur, it means this year’s women’s final will not feature either of the Williams sisters for the first time since 2014, and for just the fourth time this century (after also 2006, 2011 and 2013).

Pavlyuchenkova defeated Kristyna Pliskova to line up a clash with Karolina Muchova, while Badosa and Gauff defeated Yulia Putintseva and Elena Vesnina in straight sets in their respective round two matches.

In the men’s draw, Nick Kyrgios bought the flair to his second-round match against Italian Gianluca Mager and was again at his typically entertaining best as he won in straight sets to advance to the third round.

Nick Kyrgios' remarkable history at Wimbledon

The Canberran was backing up from his epic first-round win over Ugo Humbert and his tiredness appeared to show when he uttered the words “I’m still so tired from the last one” in the first set.

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Despite appearing fatigued, and being outhit 58-48 in winners by his Italian opponent, Kyrgios did not face a single break point as he lined up a third round clash against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Jordan Thompson and James Duckworth capped off a successful day for the Aussies with four-set wins over Kei Nishikori and Sam Querrey, respectively.

But there was no luck for Australian wildcard Alex Bolt, who lost to British 29th seed Cameron Norrie in straight sets on Court One despite leading 3-0 in the first set.

Men’s second seed Roger Federer enjoyed his first completed match for the tournament, dismissing French veteran Richard Gasquet in straight sets, while there were also wins for Matteo Berrettini, Alexander Zverev, second seed Daniil Medvedev and 2017 finalist Marin Cilic.

The latter two will face each other in the third round, after Medvedev thrashed young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets and Cilic saw off French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi in four.

2017 women’s champion Garbine Muguruza will kick off play on Centre Court tonight (AEST), taking on Tunisian Ons Jabeur at 10:30pm, after which is followed by two matches involving Brits, with Dan Evans facing Sebastian Korda and Andy Murray taking on 2016 boys’ champion Denis Shapovalov.

Each of the three fixtured matches on Court One will involve an American, with Sloane Stephens facing Russian wildcard Liudmila Samsonova, qualifier Denis Kudla tackling top seed Novak Djokovic and 23rd seed Madison Keys meeting Belgian 13th seed Elise Mertens.

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Three of the four top ten seeds still remaining in the women’s draw – Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Karolina Pliskova – are also in action, as is men’s fifth seed Andrey Rublev, who is the second-highest seed remaining, after Djokovic, in the top half of the draw.

Matches to watch on Day 5

Centre Court – play starts at 10:30pm (AEST)
[21] Ons Jabeur (TUN) vs [11] Garbine Muguruza (ESP)
[22] Daniel Evans (GBR) vs Sebastian Korda (USA)
[10] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) vs Andy Murray (GBR)

No.1 Court – play starts at 10:00pm (AEST)
Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) vs Sloane Stephens (USA)
[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs Denis Kudla (USA)
[13] Elise Mertens (BEL) vs [23] Madison Keys (USA)

No.2 Court – play starts at 8:00pm (AEST)
[8] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) vs Tereza Martincova (CZE)
Maria Camila Osorio Serrano (COL) vs [2] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
Dominik Koepfer (GER) vs [8] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP)

No.2 Court – play starts at 8:00pm (AEST)
[26] Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs [5] Andrey Rublev (RUS)
[9] Diego Schwartzman (ARG) vs Marton Fucsovics (HUN)

Court 12 – play starts at 8:00pm (AEST)
[7] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU)
[17] Cristian Garin (CHI) vs Pedro Martinez (ESP)
Viktorija Golubic (SUI) vs Madison Brengle (USA)

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Court 18 – play starts at 8:00pm (AEST)
Frances Tiafoe (USA) vs [25] Karen Khachanov (RUS)
Shelby Rogers (USA) vs [18] Elena Rybakina (KAZ)

For the full order of play for Day 5, please check the Wimbledon website.

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