Wimbledon 2023: Pegula eyes 1st GS semifinals. Swiatek and Djokovic back in action
Jessica Pegula has reached the quarterfinals in five of her last 10 major tournaments. Making it past that point has been an issue.
The 29-year-old American gets another shot at the semifinals when she faces Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Winning in the fourth round at Wimbledon this year means the fourth-seeded Pegula has reached the quarterfinals at each of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
"To say that I've done that at all four is something I've wanted to say. Obviously I hope I can do more than that," Pegula said.
Vondrousova, the runner-up at the 2019 French Open, has knocked off three seeded opponents in a row ahead of Tuesday's match on No. 1 Court.
In the other women's quarterfinals match on Tuesday, top-ranked Iga Swiatek of Poland faces Elina Svitolina of Ukraine. Svitolina said she is "really thankful" for Swiatek's support of Ukrainians.
On Centre Court, though, Svitolina hopes to keep her momentum going. The 2019 semifinalist at Wimbledon had a baby last October and returned to the tour this April. She advanced Sunday by beating two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka.
Swiatek claimed her fourth major title at the French Open last month, but this is her first time into the quarterfinals at the All England Club.
Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic will be back at Centre Court — his third day in a row — to face Andrey Rublev for a spot in the semifinals. The 23-time Grand Slam champion is trying to tie Roger Federer's record of eight men's titles at Wimbledon.
The other men's quarterfinals match is eighth-seeded Jannik Sinner against Roman Safiullin on No. 1 Court.
WHEN ARE TUESDAY'S MATCHES?
First on Centre Court is Swiatek-Svitolina at 1:30 p.m. local time, which is 8:30 a.m. EDT. The Djokovic-Rublev match is next at the main stadium and could begin around 3 p.m. local time, 10 a.m. EDT. On Court No. 1, the Pegula-Vondrousova match is first and begins at 1 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. EDT. That's followed by Sinner-Safiullin.
WHAT WERE MONDAY'S OTHER RESULTS?
No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz beat Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals. Djokovic beat Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4. The sixth-seeded Holger Rune defeated 21st-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-3. Chris Eubanks beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. On the women's side, No. 6 Ons Jabeur beat ninth-seeded Petra Kvitova 6-0, 6-3. Defending champion Elena Rybakina also reached the quarters when Beatriz Haddad Maia retired from their match with a lower back injury with Rybakina leading 4-1. The second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals by beating No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-0. Madison Keys, seeded No. 25, defeated 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
HOW TO WATCH WIMBLEDON ON TV
—In the U.S.: ESPN, Tennis Channel
—Other countries listed here.
BETTING GUIDE
Pegula (minus-130) is a slight favorite to get to her first Grand Slam semifinal by beating Vondrousova (plus-108), according to FanDuel Sportsbook. A victory by Vondrousova in three sets would pay plus-330. Swiatek, the pick to win the championship since before the tournament, is listed at minus-710 against Svitolina (plus-490). The men's title favorite, Djokovic, is listed at minus-1,700 against Rublev (plus-890), while Sinner is a minus-630 money-line pick against Safiullin (plus-450).
GET CAUGHT UP AT THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB
What you need to know about Wimbledon, the year's third Grand Slam tennis tournament:
— Tennis appears headed for Saudi Arabia. Is it about sportswashing, women's rights or both?
— The All England Club is trying to balance tradition and evolution
— Novak Djokovic is pursuing more history, and his self-belief is a big part of his success
— Iga Swiatek succeeds everywhere else. Can she win Wimbledon?
— Players from Russia and Belarus are back at the All England Club after a one-year ban
— Aryna Sabalenka no longer wants to talk about the war in Ukraine
— Women's tennis is working toward equal pay at more tournaments
— Frances Tiafoe is the first African-American man in the top 10 in nearly 15 years
— Facts and figures about Wimbledon, including a look back at 2022
TAKE A TENNIS QUIZ
Try your hand at the AP's Wimbledon quiz.
THE NUMBER TO KNOW
16-1 — Aryna Sabalenka's record in 2023 Grand Slam matches. She won the Australian Open, reached the semifinals at the French Open and is into the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. If she wins the title at the All England Club, she would overtake Swiatek at No. 1 in the WTA rankings.
THE QUOTE TO KNOW
"He found a way to make me feel uncomfortable on court." — 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini, after his loss to No. 1-ranked Carlos Alcaraz.
UPCOMING SINGLES SCHEDULE
—Tuesday and Wednesday: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)
—Thursday: Women's Semifinals
—Friday: Men's Semifinals
—Saturday: Women's Final
—Sunday: Men's Final
Source: Associated Press
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