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Germany’s Tatjana Maria, the oldest participant left within the Wimbledon ladies’s draw at 34 years previous, triggered one of many upsets of the event on Saturday by knocking out fifth seed Maria Sakkari 6-3, 7-5 to achieve the fourth spherical of a grand slam for the primary time in her profession.
Key factors:
- Tatjana Maria, ranked 103rd, returned to tennis from maternity go away slightly below a 12 months in the past
- She fought again from 5-2 down within the second set to win the match 6-3, 7-5
- Belgium’s Elise Mertens defeated former champion Angelique Kerber 6-4, 7-5 and can tackle world quantity two Ons Jabeur within the fourth spherical
Maria will subsequent face Twelfth-seeded Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion, for a quarter-final spot.
“It feels superb. I am the primary time within the final 16, in order that’s already superb. To win in opposition to Sakkari right this moment, yeah, it is fairly superior,” she advised reporters.
“I believe I performed match from the start to the top. Yeah, it makes me joyful.”
Ranked 103rd, the mom of two returned from maternity go away slightly below a 12 months in the past.
Within the earlier spherical, Maria rallied from 3-0 down within the deciding set to defeat Sorana Cirstea to say her first win over a top-50 participant in additional than two years.
She needed to struggle again from 5-2 down within the second set in opposition to Sakkari on Saturday to precise revenge for her hard-fought defeat within the opening spherical of this 12 months’s Australian Open.
“It additionally gave me confidence. And I knew that I’ve my probabilities. If I play intelligent and good, I can win this match.”
Sakkari, who reached the French and US Open semi-finals final 12 months, made 30 unforced errors and will solely convert certainly one of her seven break level alternatives.
However Maria’s win wasn’t the one upset of the day, with former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber defeated by Belgium’s Ellise Mertens 6-4, 7-5.
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Mertens achieved her greatest exhibiting on the grasscourt grand slam in 2019 when she received to the final 16, and got here into Saturday’s contest having defeated Kerber of their solely earlier assembly three years in the past.
The 26-year-old, who reached a career-high rating of Twelfth in 2018, needed to save two match factors in opposition to Panna Udvardy in a prolonged second-round conflict that stretched over two days.
“It was an excellent match on my aspect,” Mertens advised reporters after beating fifteenth seed Kerber.
“I had two tough ones simply earlier than, saving two match factors. So I am very joyful that I may shut this one in two units.
“I believe my degree was means higher right this moment than the final couple of days.”
Mertens, who gained the Wimbledon doubles title in 2021, has now reached the third spherical of the final 18 majors she has competed in and can face Tunisian third seed Ons Jabeur for a spot within the quarter-finals.
Reuters/ABC
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