One of the most memorable second days of Wimbledon women’s action occurred on Tuesday. French Open winner Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova all took to the court. Several shocking results took place, leaving the bottom half of the women’s draw wide open. This article recaps who looked good, which players struggled, and chooses the best match of Day 2.
Wimbledon Day 2 Women’s Recap
Who Looked Good
Mirra Andreeva performed competently on the second day. The 18-year-old was not at her blistering best against Mayar Sherif but showed several promising signs in a 6-3 6-3 win. She put repeated pressure on the Egyptian’s serve and could have broken more than five times. Andreeva can expect tougher challenges ahead than clay-court specialist Sherif.
2022 champion Rybakina made an excellent start. She swiftly thrashed Elina Avanesyan 6-2 6-1 on Court 14 with a terrific performance. The score could have been closer if Avanesyan converted more than just one of the nine break points she created. Her failure to do so contributed to the one-sided outcome.
Barbora Krejcikova recovered from a slow start against Alexandra Eala on Day 2. After losing the opening set 3-6, the Czech dominated the remainder of the match to triumph 3-6 6-2 6-1. Krejcikova’s performance in the final two sets should not be underestimated since Eala entered Wimbledon after finishing as the runner-up at the Eastbourne Open.
Iga Swiatek successfully carried the momentum she built from reaching her first grass court final at the Bad Homburg Open. The four-time French Open champion defeated Polina Kudermetova 7-5 6-1. Swiatek barely missed a ball in the second set, and her chances of thriving at SW19 should not be ruled out.
Emma Navarro stayed focused to beat two-time champion Petra Kvitova 6-3 6-1. The 2011 and 2014 winner was emotional after playing for the final time at her most successful Grand Slam. She received a deserved ovation from the crowd for her achievements in London.
Who Looked Bad
Coco Gauff lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam for the first time in two years. Dayana Yastremska defeated the world No. 2 7-6 6-1 on Centre Court. Although this year’s Nottingham Open runner-up, Yastremska, played excellently, Gauff’s game fell apart in the second set. Recovering from her heroics at the French Open and being focused on her weakest surface proved too challenging.
Jessica Pegula’s defeat against Elisabetta Cocciaretto on Day 2 was even more surprising. She won the Bad Homburg Open a few days ago and seemed like one of the favorites for the title. Cocciaretto played one of the best matches of her career, hitting several outrageous winners. Nonetheless, the decline in Pegula’s level compared to the Bad Homburg Open was startling. The American World No. 2 did not create a break point during her 2-6 3-6 defeat.
26th seed Marta Kostyuk also crashed out, falling 6-3 3-6 4-6 to Veronika Erjavec in the opening round at Wimbledon. Although grass is not the Ukrainian’s favorite surface, she was a heavy favorite against an opponent who had never won a Grand Slam main draw match. Several uncharacteristic unforced errors contributed to Kostyuk’s defeat.
Match of the Day
Xinyu Wang’s outstanding hitting to eliminate the 15th seed, Karolina Muchova, 7-5 6-2, could have been chosen as the match of the day because it was so breathtaking to watch. Clara Tauson’s comeback to overcome Heather Watson 2-6 6-4 6-3 also featured much entertainment. However, Qinwen Zheng’s battle with Katerina Siniakova is picked as the best women’s match on Day 2.
Siniakova beat Zheng at Wimbledon two years ago, but the fifth seed played well on the grass courts at the Queen’s Club Championships a few weeks ago. After a tight opening set, Siniakova’s backhand, one of the best on the WTA Tour, fired at the right moment, and she got the crucial break to win it 7-5.
Zheng stopped Siniakova from serving for the match with an incredible forehand down the line at 3-4 break point down. The Olympic Gold Medalist then found her best tennis of the encounter to take it 6-4 and force a decider. Zheng was more comfortable in the rallies at that stage, and it seemed like a titanic battle in the final set might be needed to determine the winner.
Instead, Siniakova dominated. Her backhand and return quality in the third set were scarcely believable at times. Zheng managed to avoid the indignity of being bageled by holding at 0-5, but the Czech completed a 7-5 4-6 6-1 win in the next game to confirm the exit of a third Top 5 seed on Day 2. Siniakova plays Naomi Osaka next. If she retains her level from the final set against Zheng throughout the tournament, she could go far.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
