Iga Swiatek cruises into Round 3, Fritz, De Minaur maintain perfect starts

Defending champion Iga Swiatek put her opening-round wobble firmly behind her with a 6-1, 6-3 win over former world number one Karolina Pliskova to reach the third round of Wimbledon 2026 on Thursday 2 July.

After Taylor Townsend took her to three sets in her opening match, the Polish center court star looked back at what she had accomplished. Swiatek dominated from the start, repeatedly breaking Plíšková with his typical aggressive game on the baseline and not giving the Czech Republic a chance to equalize.

Although Pliskova put up more resistance in the second set, Swiatek remained in control, serving efficiently and dictating the moves to end the match in straight sets.

Wimbledon 2026 – 4th Update

The six-time Grand Slam champion displayed the confidence on grass that carried her to the Wimbledon title last year, returning cleanly from both wings and moving fluidly around the court.

The win extended her successful title defense and booked a third-round meeting with Philippine star Alexandra Eal, who progressed after defeating Australian Maya Joint.

FROM MINAUR FRITZ CONTINUES HIS DOMINANT RUN

Fifth seed Alex de Minaur also enjoyed a comfortable passage into the third round, seeing off Frenchman Adrian Mannarin 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in a polished all-round display.

The Australian needed just over 90 minutes to shut out the experienced left-hander, using his exceptional speed and counter-punching ability to nullify Mannarino’s flat punches.

De Minaur was clinical on serve, tireless on defense and sharp on return, extending his run in the tournament without dropping a set. He will next face Zachary Svajda or Kamil Majchrzak, who are competing for the Grand Slam quarterfinals for the first time.

Taylor Fritz was equally impressive as the sixth seed defeated fellow American Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 to continue his strong Wimbledon campaign.

Last year’s semi-finalist dominated the opening two sets with a powerful serve and aggressive first-hand tennis, allowing Kypson few opportunities to dictate the game.

The world number six faced a tough challenge in the third set as Kypson battled back to level at 4-4, but Fritz quickly regained control and broke at a crucial stage before serving out the match. The American will face either Gabriel Diallo or Lorenzo Sonega to advance to the fourth round.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

02 Jul 2026 19:53 IST