Bianca Andreescu, from Ontario, was knocked out in the third round at Wimbledon, losing 7-6 (4) and 6-1 against Italian Jasmine Paolini. Paolini had also defeated the Canadian last month at Roland-Garros on her way to the French Open final. The seventh seed won 76% of her first serve points and broke Andreescu four times out of seven opportunities in the 91-minute match. Paolini made fewer unforced errors than Andreescu, with 13 compared to 21, and hit 17 winners, including 14 at the net.
Paolini mentioned, “I was trying to be aggressive because otherwise, she was going to make me run a lot. My goal was to control the point from the beginning, with my serve and return.” Paolini also won the Dubai Championships earlier this year, starting 2024 outside the top 30 in the WTA rankings. Her next opponent will be the 12th seed, Madison Keys, who won 6-4 and 6-3 against Marta Kostyuk from Ukraine.
In the men’s draw, rain delayed the continuation of a match where Ben Shelton, the 14th seed, is leading 3-2 against Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ontario, until Saturday morning. In the women’s doubles, Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and her New Zealand partner Erin Routliffe were tied 1-1 against Russians Kamilla Rakhimova and Irina Khromacheva when play was suspended. Quebec’s Leylah Fernandez and Japan’s Ena Shibahara lost the first set 6-2 against Estonian Ingrid Neel and Norwegian Ulrikke Eikeri. This match will also resume on Saturday.
The Wimbledon action continues with exciting matches and surprises, showcasing the talents of tennis players from around the world. Stay tuned for more updates and results from the prestigious tournament.