The second quarter of the women’s singles draw lost another significant name as Jessica Pegula, the world No 5 and a quarter-finalist here 12 months ago, slipped to a three-set defeat by Wang Xinyu, a grand slam winner in doubles on clay but a player who had not previously progressed beyond the second round in the singles in SW19.
Wang will now face Harriet Dart in the third round on Saturday, and while she is, on paper at least, a less formidable opponent for the Briton than the world No 5, the strength of Wang’s forehand in particular should not be underestimated.
