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Former champion Elena Rybakina was ousted from Wimbledon by Clara Tauson, losing 7-6, 6-3. Rybakina cited rain delays and court conditions.
Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon (AP)
Former champion Elena Rybakina suffered a surprising exit from Wimbledon, losing to Denmark’s Clara Tauson 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 on Saturday.
Rybakina, the 11th seed from Kazakhstan, won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022 and reached the semi-finals last year. However, the 26-year-old’s hopes for another strong run were dashed by the 23rd-seeded Tauson in a third-round match on Court Two.
Rybakina expressed her dissatisfaction with being scheduled away from the two main show courts, both of which have roofs. She mentioned that two rain delays during the match hindered her performance.
“I expected probably Court One, but when I saw that it’s Court Two, I mean, nothing I can do in this situation, of course. It’s much nicer to play on Court One or Centre, but there are still a lot of seeded players,” she said.
“If there is a roof, of course, it’s much easier because you know that you won’t stop. Again, it was the same for me and for her. That’s for sure difference from Court One or Centre Court.
“For me it was a bit tough today since the court was a bit softer under than the other courts, and all her drop shots and just slices were working well. It was tough to adjust.”
How Many Seeds Have Be Ousted From Wimbledon?
Rybakina, who reached the Australian Open final in 2023, joins a growing list of high seeds who have been eliminated from the women’s tournament. Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini, Zheng Qinwen, and Madison Keys all faced upsets earlier in the week.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka is the last of the top six seeds still in contention at the All England Club.
Rybakina’s defeat continues a disappointing year for the former world number three, who has not advanced past the last 16 at the three Grand Slams.
Tauson moves on to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time, and the first since last year’s French Open. The 22-year-old, a former junior world number one whose promising career has been hindered by injuries, had lost in the first round in her three previous main draw appearances at Wimbledon.
(With inputs from AFP)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha… Read More
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