Minnen reaches Wimbledon main draw; Pironkova, Konjuh set qualifying clash

The first six qualifiers for Wimbledon 2021 have been set, with No.15 seed Greet Minnen leading the way with a 6-2, 6-2 dismissal of Varvara Lepchenko in just 59 minutes.

The Belgian, who held match point on Petra Kvitova in the first round of Roland Garros, fired 19 winners to book her place in a sixth consecutive Grand Slam main draw. Minnen's streak dates back to the 2020 Australian Open, and she has needed to come through qualifying on four of those occasions. This will be her SW19 debut: previously in 2019, she fell to Coco Gauff in the final round of qualifying.

Joining Minnen were No.16 seed 2017 Wimbledon junior champion Claire Liu and former World No.23 Lesia Tsurenko, who both lost tight opening sets before running away with their matches. Liu, 21, overcame No.19 seed Astra Sharma 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to extend her record in a resurgent season to 30-10.

Tsurenko has battled an elbow injury for much of the past two years, and had not played since being forced to hand Magdalena Frech a walkover in the second round of Roland Garros qualifying a month ago. One week after that, the Ukrainian posted on social media: "For whose who asked... yes... I still play tennis... a lot... passionately waiting for elbow to heal completely."

This week has been a step in the right direction as the 32-year-old sealed a first Grand Slam main draw appearance since the 2020 Australian Open, defeating No.12 seed Wang Yafan 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.

Pattinama Kerkhove, Kalinskaya pull off comebacks to make main draw

Elsewhere, Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove and Anna Kalinskaya took more dramatic routes into the main draw. Pattinama Kerkhove needed to save two match points before edging out Jule Niemeier 6-4, 2-6, 9-7 in two hours and 35 minutes. No.4 seed Kalinskaya trailed Priscilla Hon by a 0-3 double break in the third set, but roared back to win seven of the last nine games, and eight of the last nine points from 5-5.

Niemeier, 21, has been in a rich vein of form recently, reaching the Strasbourg semifinals a month ago in just her second WTA main draw. The German's previous two tournaments were only ended in tight third sets by Barbora Krejcikova and Belinda Bencic.

But despite advancing to 5-3 in the third set with well-disguised redirection that had Pattinama Kerkhove on the run, Niemeier was again unable to close out the win. Two match points serving at 5-4 were squandered with a cheap error and a double fault, and ill fortune struck at 6-6 when a slip on the grass necessitated a medical timeout. 

Pattinama Kerkhove, 29, held firm to successfully navigate Grand Slam qualifying for the third time in 23 attempts.

The sixth player to reach the main draw was Katie Volynets, who impressed with her speed and intensity in defeating former World No.58 Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-5, 6-4.

The 19-year-old American was the 2019 USTA Girls 18s national champion, a result that earned her a wildcard into the US Open that year. In May, she won the biggest title of her career at the Bonita Springs ITF W100, rocketing her into Grand Slam qualifying range for the first time. Volynets has made the most of her debut, having won all of her matches this week in straight sets.

Pironkova, Konjuh to battle in final round of qualifying

Two of the most accomplished names and compelling comeback stories in the qualifying draw will face off for one main draw place on Friday. No.8 seed Tsvetana Pironkova is 10 tournaments into her return from maternity leave - having delivered a stunning run to the US Open quarterfinals last year in her first event back.

The Bulgarian was ruthless in a 6-1, 6-2 demolition of British wildcard Naiktha Bains, winning 16 of the first 20 points and needing only 52 minutes in total. Pironkova, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2010, has dropped only four games in two matches this week, both of which she completed in under an hour.

Interview: After four surgeries, Konjuh ready to reach full potential

No.23 seed Konjuh seemed to be racing Pironkova to the finishing line at first. The Croat, who returned from a fourth elbow surgery last September and made her third career WTA final in Belgrade in May, dominated the first set against Varvara Flink.

The Russian, who gave birth to daughter Kaya last November and is embarking on her own comeback from maternity leave, was able to derail Konjuh in the second set with crafty net play. But former World No.20 Konjuh resumed control and did not face a break point in the third set, ultimately coming through 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 to set a clash with Pironkova.

Osorio Serrano's grass education continues, Radwanska nearly back on big stage

No.1 seed Maria Camila Osorio Serrano doubled her total of professional grass-court wins with a second three-set victory in a row. The Colombian, who won her maiden title at home in Bogota this April, battled past Grand Slam qualifying debutante Panna Udvardy 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in one hour and 41 minutes.

Osorio Serrano's fondness for heavy topspin and dropshots does not translate as naturally to grass as to clay yet - but her grit under pressure is undimmed. Two fabulous forehand passes in the third set were key to turning momentum in her favour.

Interview: Osorio Serrano on emotion, Colombian inspiration and never giving up

Up next for the 19-year-old will be Nuria Parrizas Diaz, the late-blooming Spaniard who is perched at a career high of World No.148 at the age of 29. Parrizas Diaz, who was denied a Grand Slam main draw debut at Roland Garros by Ekaterine Gorgodze in the final qualifying round, upset an erratic No.29 seed Wang Xiyu 7-6(5), 6-3 to give herself another shot.

Former World No.29 Urszula Radwanska was a WTA finalist on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch 2012 and has reached the second round of Wimbledon four times. But the Pole, sister of 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka, has battled injuries for several years, and her appearance in Roehampton was her first at Grand Slam qualifying level since the 2016 US Open.

Radwanska, 30, needed five match points to close out a 6-3, 7-5 upset of No.18 seed Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, and is now one win away from her first major main draw since the 2016 Australian Open. In her way is Danielle Lao, who upset No.2 seed Viktoriya Tomova 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.

Wimbledon 2021: Final qualifying round
[1] Maria Camila Osorio Serrano (COL) vs. Nuria Parrizas Diaz (ESP)
Danielle Lao (USA) vs. Urszula Radwanska (POL)
Storm Sanders (AUS) vs. [31] Clara Burel (FRA)
[4] Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) d. Priscilla Hon (AUS) 7-5, 1-6, 7-5
Katie Volynets (USA) d. Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) 7-5, 6-4
[WC] Katie Swan (GBR) vs. Arina Rodionova (AUS)
Tereza Smitkova (CZE) vs. [30] Wang Xinyu (CHN)
[8] Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) vs. [23] Ana Konjuh (CRO)
Cristina Bucsa (ESP) vs. [24] Olga Govortsova (BLR)
[10] Oceane Dodin (FRA) vs. Ellen Perez (AUS)
Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove (NED) d. Jule Niemeier (GER) 6-4, 2-6, 9-7
Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) d. [12] Wang Yafan (CHN) 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
[13] Kristie Ahn (USA) vs. Monica Niculescu (ROU)
[14] Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) vs. Vitalia Diatchenko (RUS)
[15] Greet Minnen (BEL) d. Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-2, 6-2
[16] Claire Liu (USA) d. [19] Astra Sharma (AUS) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1