Jannik Sinner fights past Nuno Borges, Aryna Sabalenka survives McCartney Kessler scare
World No.1 Jannik Sinner and women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenka continued their title charge at Wimbledon by booking places in the third round with hard-fought victories on Wednesday. While defending champion Sinner produced a composed display to overcome Portugal’s Nuno Borges in straight sets, Sabalenka survived a spirited challenge from American McCartney Kessler to keep her dream of lifting a maiden Wimbledon crown alive.
Sinner defeated Borges 7-6(4), 7-6(2), 6-4 on Centre Court in a contest that was considerably tighter than the scoreline suggested. The Portuguese pushed the Italian throughout the opening two sets, forcing tie-breaks on both occasions, but Sinner raised his level at the crucial moments to seize control.
After edging the breakers with clinical serving and precise baseline play, the 24-year-old grabbed the decisive break in the third set to complete the victory in just over two hours. The win also marked a historic milestone, as Sinner recorded his 95th Grand Slam match victory to surpass Nicola Pietrangeli for the most major singles wins by an Italian player. He will next face American Jenson Brooksby as he continues his bid to defend the title.
SABALENKA FIGHTS BACK AGAINST KESSLER
Sabalenka looked on course for a routine afternoon after racing through the opening set 6-1, but Kessler responded brilliantly to turn the contest into a thriller. The American stormed into a 5-2 lead in the second set, only for the Belarusian to claw her way back and force a tie-break.
Kessler came within touching distance of extending the match, earning four set points across the second set and the tie-break, but Sabalenka’s power and experience proved decisive under pressure. The world No.1 saved every opportunity before eventually sealing an 11-9 tie-break to wrap up a 6-1, 7-6(9) victory after one hour and 39 minutes.
The three-time Grand Slam champion will now take on Latvia’s Jeena Ostapenko in one of the marquee third-round clashes. Ostapenko advanced after a straight-sets victory over Antonia Ruzic, setting up an intriguing battle between two of the tour’s biggest hitters.
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