Aryna Sabalenka moved through to her second Wimbledon quarterfinal with a 6-4, 6-0 triumph over No.21 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova Monday on No.1 Court at the All England Club.
After nine games passed in the first set without either player breaking serve, Sabalenka caught another gear. After failing to convert the first two break points of the match in the eighth game, Sabalenka needed three set points to wrap up a one-set lead.
And once she did, she never looked back. Sabalenka lost 11 points in a second-set shutout to match the result she posted in 2021 in her last Wimbledon appearance.
Wimbledon: Scores | Draws | Order of play
Powering through 💥@SabalenkaA defeats Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-0 to advance to the quarter-finals#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/MVTxY3t84c
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2023
"It was a little surprise that I won that set that easily, especially against a player like Ekaterina, who is serving really well," Sabalenka said afterward.
"I lost very tough match in Paris [in the Roland Garros semifinals against Karolina Muchova] leading 5-2. I was up with one break. So like today, I thought I'll just keep going, keep breaking her serve as much as I can so I give myself a little bit, like, a gap. I can serve even with more freedom.
"I'm just trying to build my game in each match I play."
Notable stats
11: Since trailing Varvara Gracheva 6-2, 5-4 in what became a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 win in the second round, Sabalenka has lost just 11 more games in the next five sets.
0: Sabalenka did not face a break point in victory and did not hit a double fault.
7: Her serving prowess against Alexandrova was bolstered by seven aces.
19: Both players hit more winners than unforced errors in the match, but Sabalenka hit 19 winners (and 15 unforced) in 16 games. Alexandrova totaled 15 winners to eight unforced errors overall.
3: Sabalenka is now 3-3 in her career against Alexandrova, and 1-1 on grass. Alexandrova won last year 7-5, 6-0 in the final of the Libéma Open in 's-Hertogenbosch.
2: Next up, Sabalenka will face No.25 seed and Eastbourne champion Madison Keys for a spot in the semifinals, in their second grass-court meeting. Keys won in three sets last year in Berlin, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
Sabalenka is also bidding for her second Wimbledon semifinal, having gone to the last four two years ago.