Krejicikova, Rybakina ouster ensures new champ at SW19

Barbora Krejcikova took a brief pause, then bent down, hands on knees, trying to gather her thoughts and emotions. And probably hope that her body would somehow hold together. She did this many times in the second half of her third round match at Wimbledon.

- Shahid Judge

But as the tame forehand return that crashed into the net on match point suggested, Krejcikova was far from her physical best. In a 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 loss to 10th seed Emma Navarro of the USA, the Czech defending women’s champion was out in the third round. A few hours earlier on Saturday, Danish player Clara Tauson beat the Kazakh 2022 winner Elena Rybakina. The two results ensured that there will be a new women’s champion when the tournament reaches its business end next weekend.

The way the match started though it certainly did not look like Krejcikova would be the one to face defeat. The 29-year-old started the match in imposing form. She dominated rallies, broke Navarro’s serve twice while not facing a single break point on her own serve as she took the opening set 6-2.

Then the wheels started to come off.