Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova stayed on track for a third title by beating Serbian qualifier Natalija Stevanovic 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday.
The Czech former world number two has pedi-gree on grass but has only made it past the third round once since she claimed her second title at the All England Club in 2014.
The ninth seed, who warmed up for Wimbledon by winning the WTA tournament on grass in Berlin last month, swapped early breaks with Stevanovic but broke again to love in the sixth game, which proved decisive.
Both players were vulnerable on serve in the second set and were locked at 4-4 after a fourth break.
World number 225 Stevanovic held to edge ahead 5-4 before rain swept across the courts, forcing a lengthy delay.
When they returned, Kvitova won 10 consecutive points but she strugged to close the deal against stubborn Stevanovic before finally sealing the victory on her fourth match point.
“I love playing on grass, for sure,” said Kvitova. “When my serve is working I love it even more. “I don’t think it was the case today but somehow I found a way, which I’m very happy with.”
World number three Daniil Medvedev defeated close friend Marton Fucsovics to reach the Wimble-don last 16 for the second time on Saturday.
Medvedev came through 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 against the muscular 67th-ranked Hungarian, re-cording his best Slam performance this year after a third-round exit at the Australian Open and first-round loss at the French Open.
Fucsovics, a quarter-finalist in 2021, saw his faltering challenge unravel when broken early in the fourth set, before calling a medical time-out to treat a right foot injury.
Despite that setback, he still made Medvedev work for the victory, saving a clutch of match points before the third seed prevailed.
“It was a very tough match,” said the 27-year-old former US Open champion. “Marton plays well on grass and has made the quarter-finals here, which I haven’t done.
“I was more decisive after the first set, saved some break points and I’m happy to be through.” He added: “I want to do well here. It’s my worst Grand Slam in terms of results so I have a big motivation to do well here.”
Medvedev, who was banned from Wimbledon in 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, will face either US 16th seed Tommy Paul or unseeded Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic for a place in the quarter-finals.—AFP
