Aryna Sabalenka outlasts Raducanu in thriller to reach Wimbledon’s fourth round

LONDON: World Number one Aryna Sabalenka defeated Britain's Emma Raducanu 7-6(6), 6-4 to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon on Centre Court on Friday.

The home crowd roared in support of Raducanu, with thunderous cheers echoing across the stadium. Sabalenka's unforced errors were met with applause, but the Belarusian held her nerve to silence the crowd and book her place in the last 16, becoming the highest-profile seed to progress so far.

At several points in the match, Raducanu appeared to have the upper hand, especially as the crowd rallied behind her with every shot.

She pushed Sabalenka into long rallies and forced errors, unsettling the world number one. However, Sabalenka showed grit in crucial moments, saving key points in the tiebreak and ultimately winning it 8-6. With that momentum, she held firm in the second set, breaking Raducanu late to seal a hard-fought 6-4 victory.

Speaking after the match, Sabalenka acknowledged the intensity of the crowd and the quality of her opponent.

“Wow! What an atmosphere. My ears are still hurting — it was super loud! Every time you were cheering for her, I told myself you were cheering for me. I had goosebumps,” Sabalenka said.

“She played incredible tennis and pushed me really hard. I had to fight for every single point.”

Raducanu admitted it was an emotionally difficult loss.

“It’s hard to take a loss like that. At the same time, I’ll remember this match because you play for those moments — to be toe-to-toe with the very best,” she said.

“I’m really grateful for all the support… it was electric. They were really behind me. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get over the line.”