London, July 1 (IANS) World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka survived a spirited fightback from American McCartney Kessler to book her place in the third round of Wimbledon, recovering from 5-2 down in the second set and saving four set points before sealing a hard-fought 6-1, 7-6(9) victory on Wednesday.

Sabalenka will now face former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. Ostapenko delivered one of the day’s strongest performances, defeating Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic 6-2, 6-0 in just 66 minutes.

The Latvian wiped away memories of her error-filled first-round win over Harriet Dart, in which she had 13 double faults. She hit an impressive 34 winners against just 10 unforced errors.

Sabalenka, on the other hand, felt relieved to win in straight sets after Kessler significantly raised her game in the second set. “Incredible level in the second set from her,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview. “She really tested me today, and I’m really happy to pass the test. She really stepped in; she played super aggressively. It felt like whatever decisions she made, they worked for her.”

After losing the first set, Kessler changed the match with fearless attacking play. The American, who won last year’s Nottingham grass-court title, often charged the net and won 11 of 15 net points in the second set. She aimed for her third career victory over a Top-10 player and her first against a reigning World No. 1.

Serving for the set at 5-3, Kessler had two set points, but Sabalenka responded with her usual aggression to keep herself in the match. They produced a thrilling tiebreak where neither player managed to gain a two-point lead from the third point onward. Kessler had two more set points at 7-6 and 8-7, but Sabalenka saved them with a service winner and a brilliant forehand volley, respectively. Although Kessler fought off two match points, the Belarusian finally secured victory with her 32nd winner of the afternoon.

Sabalenka shared the mantra she repeated to herself during the intense final moments. “Stay low and put the pressure back on her,” Sabalenka said. “And maybe you’ll be lucky enough to get this set.”

This win also highlighted Sabalenka’s impressive composure in tiebreaks. She improved her 2026 tiebreak record to 9-2 after ending 2025 with a 22-3 mark, while extending her Open Era record to 21 consecutive Grand Slam tiebreak victories.

A thrilling third-round matchup awaits. Sabalenka leads the head-to-head against Ostapenko 3-1, but Ostapenko won their most recent encounter, a 6-4, 6-1 victory in the 2025 Stuttgart final. This will also be their first matchup on grass, where Ostapenko has two titles, while Sabalenka is still in search of her first title on that surface.

–IANS

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