Scrappy Barty into third round, Medvedev through

LONDON: Ashleigh Barty’s bid to win the Wimbledon singles title on the 50th anniversary of fellow indigenous Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s first victory stayed on course on Thursday.

However, Barty produced a far from perfect performance in her 6-4, 6-3 win over Russia’s Anna Blinkova as she progressed to a third round meeting with Czech Katerina Siniakova.

“She pushed me incredibly hard,” said Barty.

“A few points here and there it could have been a different story.”

Barty is seeded to meet this year’s French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova in the last 16.

Krejcikova brushed aside second round opponent German veteran Andrea Petkovic 7-5, 6-4.

Two fewer seeds will be standing in Barty’s way as she looks to add the senior singles title to her 2011 junior Wimbledon win.

Third seed Elina Svitolina, a Wimbledon semi-finalist two years ago, and French Open semi-finalist Maria Sakkari exited in the second round.

“I think mentally today I was not really in a good place,” said Svitolina after losing 6-3, 6-4 to Poland’s Magda Linette.

Sakkari, the 15th-seeded Greek, lost to Shelby Rogers of the United States 7-5, 6-4.

Coco Gauff made a winning return to the stage where she won hearts and minds as a 15-year-old in 2019 beating veteran Russian Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-3 on Centre Court to reach the third round.

The 17-year-old American produced an assured performance against a former Wimbledon semi-finalist but who only returned to the circuit recently after a three year hiatus due to maternity leave.

Gauff is seeded 20 unlike two years ago when she arrived as a qualifier and reached the last 16 beating along the way five-time champion Venus Williams.

Her exploits sparked ‘Coco Mania’ as she received messages of congratulations from far and wide including from America’s former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Huge roars erupted as Gauff sealed her place in the last 32 and her trademark broad grin spread across her face watched from the players box by dad Corey and mum Candy.

“It means a lot to be back on Centre Court,” she told the BBC.

“It makes me the msot nervous before matches but after winning the happiest. I was super nervous coming on today.”

Gauff has two singles title to her credit and achieved her best result so far at a Grand Slam in reaching the French Open quarter-finals last month.

She said that she had relished the battle with 34-year-old Vesnina, who needed physio twice in the second set on her back.

Medvedev, fresh from his first grass court title in Mallorca last weekend, eased to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 over 18-year-old Alcaraz, the youngest player in the draw.

Medvedev will face either 2017 runner-up Marin Cilic or French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi for a place in the last 16.