Angelique Kerber made it into the third round with a hard-fought success at Wimbledon. Alexander Zverev is also in the third round. However, Andrea Petković was eliminated in London.
Kerber, the Wimbledon winner of 2018, defeated the Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo in a high-class match 7: 5, 5: 7, 6: 4. Germany’s best tennis player needed 3:20 hours for success.
In an intense match with many long rallies, Sorribes Tormo, previously known more as a clay court specialist, consistently held against it and let Kerber run into the void again and again with her backhand slice.
Two breaks too few for Kerber
In the first round, Kerber served with a score of 5: 3 to win the set before her opponent made the break. A second break by the Germans secured her the set 7: 5.
Kerber managed to take the service game from her opponent twice in the second set, but Sorribes Tormo countered each time with a direct rebreak. Kerber was also unable to use a match point when the score was 5: 4. The second set went to number 50 in the world.
In the third set, number 28 had the better ending for itself, despite obvious problems on the left wrist. The 2018 Wimbledon winner used her second match ball to move into round three.
It was clear to Kerber early on that »this is one of the best matches I’ve had in recent months. I have the feeling that I can still do it, ”said the 33-year-old after the game.
Zverev without any problems
Alexander Zverev had previously played his way into the third round of Wimbledon with a strong performance. The world number six won against the American Tennys Sandgren 7: 5, 6: 2, 6: 3. This gives the 24-year-old from Hamburg the chance to move into the second round of the Grand Slam tournament for the second time. Against the world rankings 68. Sandgren had no problems with Zverev after a balanced initial phase and won after 1:44 hours.
Koepfer reached the third round of the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon on Wednesday. After the 6: 3, 6: 7 (8:10), 7: 6 (7: 2), 5: 7, 6: 3 against the South Korean Soon-woo Kwon, the number 62 in the world will meet the Spaniard Roberto on Friday Bautista Agut. The number eight seeded 33-year-old won on Thursday the continuation of his match against the Serb Miomir Kecmanovic, which was canceled on Wednesday evening due to darkness. For Koepfer it is the first time that he is in the third round of Wimbledon.
For Petković, the world’s oldest grass tournament is over after the second round. The Darmstadt lost in the second round against French Open winner Barbora Krejcikova 5-7, 4-6.
