Cornet ends Swiatek’s 37-match win streak

Wimbledon, July 4: Top-ranked Iga Swiatek was unbeaten since February and sure seemed unbeatable, compiling 37 consecutive match wins and six consecutive tournament titles. She’s never quite been as comfortable on grass courts as other surfaces, though, and a mistake-filled Saturday sent Swiatek out of Wimbledon in the third round with a 6-4, 6-2 loss to 37th-ranked Alize Cornet of France.

“I know I didn’t play good tennis. I was pretty confused about my tactics,” said Swiatek, a two-time French Open champion who has never advanced past the fourth round at the All England Club. “For sure, it wasn’t a good performance for me.”

Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic beat Caroline Garcia of France 7-5, 6-2 in a fourth-round match on No. 2 Court on Sunday to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. 

Bouzkova upset seventh-seeded Danielle Collins in the first round.

Neither, several hours later, did fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas, who grew frustrated by what he called a “circus” atmosphere and “bullying” tactics by Nick Kyrgios, who cursed and argued his way to a 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7) victory.

Kyrgios repeatedly berated chair umpire Damien Dumusois and insisted that Tsitsipas should be defaulted for hitting a ball into the stands near fans after dropping the second set at No. 1 Court.

There was some simultaneous contentiousness across the way at Centre Court, too, although to a much lesser degree, as 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal beat No. 27 seed Lorenzo Sonego 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Nadal objected to Sonego’s elongated grunts and called him up to the net to discuss it; Sonego objected to that sort of face-to-face confrontation.

Afterward, Nadal apologized, saying he shouldn’t have tried to engage his opponent that way.

Tomljanovic, a quarterfinalist a year ago at the All England Club, eliminated 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

In a contest between two young Americans — and a rematch of the 2017 U.S. Open junior final — No. 20 seed Amanda Anisimova came back to top No. 11 Coco Gauff 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1 at Centre Court.

Other women’s fourth-round matches Monday will be No. 17 Elena Rybakina vs. Petra Martic, and 2019 champion Simona Halep against No. 4 Paula Badosa, who got past two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova 7-5, 7-6 (4).

A total of four American men are into the round of 16 at the All England Club for the first time since 1999 after victories Saturday by No. 11 Taylor Fritz and unseeded Brandon Nakashima. They join No. 23 Frances Tiafoe and No. 30 Tommy Paul, who advanced a day earlier.  AP