London: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka produced another composed and powerful display on Centre Court, defeating Marie Bouzkova 7-6(4), 6-4 on Wednesday to book her place in the third round of Wimbledon 2025.
Sabalenka, known for her blistering shot-making and aggression, was tested early by the crafty and defensive Bouzkova. But the Belarusian brought her trademark intensity and poise at key moments to stretch her unbeaten record in Grand Slam second rounds to 18 straight.
The first set was tightly contested, with Bouzkova deploying a mix of spins, angles, and defensive prowess to keep Sabalenka guessing. But in the tiebreak, Sabalenka stepped up with two explosive forehands before punishing a soft 67 mph second serve from Bouzkova to close the set with a rocket forehand return.
The second set was more straightforward. Sabalenka earned the decisive break in the sixth game and never looked back, finishing the match with a forehand into the open court—one of her 40 winners on the day. She kept her unforced errors in check (18), served five aces, and won a commanding 31 of 35 points on her first serve.
Australian Open champion Madison Keys too advanced, easing past Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2.
The Australian Open champion is on the hunt for further Grand Slam glory at the All England Club and could become the first woman since the great Serena Williams to win those two majors in the same season.
Next up for Keys is a match against Germany's Laura Siegmund, who has already earned her best result at Wimbledon by reaching the third round by defeating Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 6-3. Agencies
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