Jannik Sinner fights for Nuno Borges, Aryna Sabalenka survives a McCartney Kessler scare

World number one Jannik Sinner and women’s top seed Aryna Sabalenkova continued their fight for the Wimbledon title by securing their third-round places with hard-fought victories on Wednesday. While defending champion Sinner put in a composed display to overcome Portugal’s Nuno Borges in straight sets, Sabalenka survived a spirited challenge from American McCartney Kessler to keep her dream of lifting a first Wimbledon crown alive.

Sinner defeated Borges 7-6(4), 7-6(2), 6-4 on Center Court in a match that was considerably closer than the score indicated. The Portuguese pushed the Italian through the opening two sets, forcing tie-breaks on both occasions, but Sinner stepped up at crucial moments to take control.

Wimbledon 2026 Day 3 Update

After leading the breaks with a clinical serve and accurate baseline play, the 24-year-old grabbed a decisive break in the third set to complete victory in just over two hours. The win also marked a historic milestone as Sinner recorded his 95th Grand Slam match victory and surpassed Nicola Pietrangeli for the most singles wins by an Italian player. He will next face American Jenson Brooksby, who continues to defend his title.

SABALENKA FIGHTS BACK AGAINST KESSLER

Sabalenka looked to be having a routine afternoon after cruising through the opening set 6-1, but Kessler responded brilliantly to turn the match into a thriller. The American raced to a 5-2 lead in the second set, but Belarus clawed back to force a tie-break.

Kessler was on the verge of extending the match, winning four set points in the second set and the tie-break, but Sabalenkova’s strength and experience under pressure proved decisive. The world number one saved every opportunity before eventually closing out the tie-break 11-9 to seal a 6-1, 7-6(9) victory after one hour and 39 minutes.

The three-time Grand Slam champion will now face Latvia’s Jeena Ostapenko in one of the marquee clashes of the third round. Ostapenko advanced with a straight win over Antonia Ruzic, setting up an interesting battle between the tour’s two biggest hits.

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

01 Jul 2026 22:10 IST