Wimbledon: Iga Swiatek faces ‘gangster’ threat, Djokovic feels need for speed

July 6, 2024 Sukan 2 Views

LONDON, July 6 — Iga Swiatek has seen off all-comers during an impressive 21-match winning run but today she faces a Wimbledon opponent in Yulia Putintseva who has a reputation for dabbling in the dark arts.

Novak Djokovic, chasing a record-equalling eighth men’s singles title, is hoping for a smoother ride in his third-round match while former champion Elena Rybakina takes on wildcard Caroline Wozniacki.

AFP Sport looks at three matches to watch on day six at the All England Club:

Swiatek’s mental test

Iga Swiatek is looking ominous on the grass at Wimbledon as she hunts a sixth Grand Slam crown.

Standing in her way is the diminutive Yulia Putintseva, who rankled the world number one earlier this year with her antics at Indian Wells.

The Russian-born player was ticked off by the chair umpire for moving from side to side as Swiatek shaped to serve.

Putintseva, who describes herself as “a gangster on court and angel off it”, even threw in a collection of underarm serves.

“Maybe they teach that in Kazakhstan,” said Swiatek.

“I can only be responsible for what’s going on with me. I want to keep my standards high no matter what’s going on, and I think this match was a test for my mental training that I did.”

It will take a lot to ruffle Swiatek at Wimbledon as she seeks to win the grass-court tournament for the first time.

Rusty Djokovic seeks top gear

Novak Djokovic barely broke sweat in his opening match this week but was pushed hard in his second encounter by British rookie Jacob Fearnley.

Just weeks after a knee operation, the Serb feels he is not fully up to speed yet.

“It’s not yet there where I want it to be,” he said after his win in the second round. “Kind of late on the balls that I’m normally not late on.

“That’s the part which I guess comes with matches. So the longer I stay in the tournament, I think the better the chances that my movement will improve.”

Next up for the seven-time champion is Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, whom he beat in four sets at the Australian Open earlier this year.

With Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on the other side of the draw, Djokovic can see a clear path to a sixth straight final at the All England Club.

If he reaches the showpiece match on July 14 he will have a crack at equalling Roger Federer’s record of eight men’s Wimbledon titles and of becoming the first player, man or woman, to win 25 Slams.

Novak Djokovic barely broke sweat in his opening match this week but was pushed hard in his second encounter by British rookie Jacob Fearnley. — AFP pic

French gunslinger Mpetshi Perricard

France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is a hangover from a previous age of big-serving giants.

There was a time when players such as John Isner, Ivo Karlovic and Kevin Anderson licked their lips at the site of the green grass of Wimbledon.

Slower-playing courts at the All England Club have to some extent sapped the power of the mega servers but Mpetshi Perricard is keeping up the tradition.

The 2.03 metre Frenchman, 20, leads the ace count at Wimbledon with 78.

“I’m happy to have this serve which helps me enormously,” said the world number 58, who only entered the main draw as a lucky loser from qualifying.

But the giant Frenchman, who faces Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori for a place in the last 16, does not want to be pigeon-holed.

“When you’re tall, it helps but if you don’t have good technique, if you haven’t worked in training, if you haven’t spent hours and hours on the court, you’re not going to be able to serve many aces in a match,” he said. — AFP