The remaining second-round women’s matches were completed on Day 4 of Wimbledon. There were several upsets on the opening three days, and the top players in action on Thursday hoped to avoid the same fate. Mirra Andreeva, 2022 winner Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and defending champion Barbora Krejcikova all took to the court. This article recaps who impressed, which players struggled, and picks the best match of the day.

Wimbledon Day 4 Women’s Recap
Who Looked Good

Iga Swiatek responded excellently in her match with Caty McNally. Coco Gauff’s former doubles partner caused the Pole problems with her deep hitting and expert volleying, and recovered from a break down to take the opening set. Swiatek played superbly after that, moving McNally all over the court with her accuracy, and produced several great passing shots. She progressed to the third round with a 5-7 6-2 6-1 win.

Elena Rybakina cruised to victory against Maria Sakkari. Aside from a brief lapse to get broken in the opening game of the second set, the Kazakhstani performed well throughout. There was no shortage of effort from Sakkari, but she got overwhelmed by her opponent’s greater power and comfort on grass. Rybakina won the final six games to triumph 6-3 6-1.

Mirra Andreeva produced another solid performance at Wimbledon. After a one-sided opening set, Lucia Bronzetti played some great tennis in the second set and pushed the teenager hard. Andreeva served well, only being broken once, and that proved crucial in the end. This year’s BNP Paribas Open champion prevailed 6-1 7-6.

Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff’s exits from Wimbledon mean Danielle Collins is one of the biggest US hopes left in the draw. She has not always been comfortable on grass, but played brilliantly to overcome Veronika Erjavec 6-4 6-1. The 31-year-old faced no break points and only lost five points on serve throughout the contest. That win set up a blockbuster encounter with Swiatek.

Barbora Krejcikova needed three sets to reach the third round on Day 4. Caroline Dolehide troubled the Czech with her powerful forehand for long periods. Krejcikova’s variety and tennis IQ helped her navigate the challenging match and seal a 6-4 3-6 6-2 victory.

Who Looked Bad

Veronika Kudermetova could have put up more of a fight against Emma Navarro on Court 3. She is another US hope after Gauff and Pegula’s elimination from the tournament, and was a quarterfinalist at last year’s Wimbledon. Although Navarro is a very good grass-court player, Kudermetova’s repeated unforced errors made the match easier for the 24-year-old than it should have been. The American won 6-1 6-2.

Sofia Kenin was the only seeded player to lose on Day 4. The 2020 Australian Open champion paid for a terrible opening set against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, which she lost 1-6. Despite improving in the second set, Kenin was still well below her potential. Bouzas Maneiro stayed stronger to win a tiebreak and confirm a 6-1 7-6 win.

Elsa Jacquemot is probably disappointed with the final two sets against Belinda Bencic. She took the opener 6-4, but fell away badly after that to be defeated 6-4 1-6 2-6. Bencic is a tough opponent on grass, and her trademark two-handed backhand fired after the opening set. Nonetheless, Jacquemot’s level dramatically fell after such a promising start.

Yuliia Starodubtseva’s display was the worst of the day. The Ukrainian did not create a single break point against Lidumila Samsonova in their Wimbledon contest, falling 2-6 1-6. She had a bad day from start to finish, and any player in the Top 100 would have had a chance of beating her.

Match of the Day

Dayana Yastremska and Anastasia Zakharova’s titanic tussle was undoubtedly the best match played on Day 4. Both women served terrifically throughout most of the opening set, and there were no break points in the opening ten games. Zakharova struck first before saving two break points in the next game to take the set 7-5.

Yastremska’s hopes looked over when she got broken in the third game of set 2 and found herself 3-5 down. However, the pressure got to Zakharova, and she played her first bad service game of the match to get broken. Yastremska broke her clearly rattled opponent again in the 12th game to win the set 7-5 and take the enthralling encounter to a decider.

The players exchanged four breaks in the opening seven games of the third set. Zakharova fended off a match point in the 12th game to ensure the winner would be decided in a 10-point tiebreak. Yastremska found herself 4-6 down, but then won five consecutive points to hold three match points. The courageous Zakharova saved two more to provide hope of making a comeback. Yastremska ended that dream by taking her fourth match point to triumph 5-7 7-5 7-6 after an extraordinary battle.

Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images