When it was announced that Russian and Belarussian players would be allowed to compete at Wimbledon this year, the mind immediately switched not to Daniil Medvedev or Victoria Azarenka but to Aryna Sabalenka.
Athletes from those countries were banned from the Championships last summer, as a reflection of their nations’ grave involvement in the war in Ukraine. But once that decision was reversed this time round, Sabalenka became favourite for the women’s title in the minds of many.
Her crashing and bulldozing style of play suits grass. And the selling point for her third-round match on Court No1 on Saturday was that the same was true of her opponent, the Russian world No40 Anna Blinkova.
Just occasionally, you get a tennis match where serving is not quite as significant an advantage as it usually is. So it proved here.
Second seed Sabalenka made the fourth round eventually, and she did so in straight sets, but there were careless drops of serve for both players as spectators were treated to a match full of extraordinary winners, yes, but also of poor errors.
After holding serve in the first game, Sabalenka earned an immediate break in Blinkova’s first service game.
At 3-0, there was then a break of Blinkova’s own, and then a hold, but they proved the only games of the first set for the Russian, who struggled to keep the powerful Belarussian at bay. Sabalenka’s returns of serve were just too good, her net play too cute.
If, aside from a few losses in concentration, the first set was simple for Sabalenka, she was pushed harder and further by Blinkova in the second set as the Russian began to find some stonking winners after sorely lacking such conviction in the first set.
There was a yelp of joy from Australian Open champion Sabalenka when she saved a break point at 2-2, holding on — just about — to go 3-2 up. A break made it 4-2, before a marathon service game enused.
Blinkova threatened to disrupt Sabalenka’s service game, but eventually the Belarussian won it.
A 6-2, 6-3 victor, the 25-year-old faces 21st seed Ekaterina Alexandrova next on Monday.
You wouldn’t bet against Sabalenka. She has waited long enough.
