Sabalenka powers into SW19 quarters

WORLD No 1 Aryna Sabalenka marched into the Wimbledon quarterfinals without dropping a set, as Elise Mertens fell short of upsetting the US Open champion on Sunday.

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Sabalenka has never reached a final at the All England Club but is now the standout contender, as the only one of the top six seeds in the women’s draw still standing.

The 27-year-old missed last year’s Wimbledon due to injury and was banned in 2022 as part of a blanket suspension on Russian and Belarusian athletes following the invasion of Ukraine.

Now back with purpose, Sabalenka looks determined to make up for lost time and, just like in her third-round victory over Emma Raducanu, had to overcome a stern test to beat Mertens 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

A fast start saw the Belarusian race into a 4-1 lead in the first set, only for Mertens to fight back to level at 4-4. Sabalenka responded in style, winning eight of the next 11 points to take the set.