AFTER three bagels in four sets and only losing three games in the other set, no one on Court 3 was expecting Russian Daria Kasatkina to come away with anything other than a win against the talented, but inconsistent Paula Badosa. However in a match that lasted two hours and 51 minutes – well longer than her first two matches put together, the fourth seed went down in a thrilling contest, 7-6 4-6 6-4.

Kasatkina is in ripping form on the English grass, winning Eastbourne and coming into the third round match on a seven-game streak. Badosa, a former world number two, had to overcome a vertebra stress fracture 12 months ago after being ranked second in the world a year prior to that. Now outside the Top 100, Badosa will return after her third fourth round appearance at the All England Club in three years.

Aside from the 2021 French Open quarter final, Kasatkina’s greatest success has come at Wimbledon, and she continued that form against one of the most red-hot players. For Badosa, it was a moment to savour.

“For me this is so very special,” Badosa said post-match. “It’s not my first time in the second week of a Slam but it’s the most special one because a few months ago I didn’t know if I would be able to play tennis any more.

“When I started this year, the doctors were telling me I couldn’t continue. I wasn’t accepting it. I was like, I’m going to continue no matter what. I’m very proud I’ve been through all of this and I appreciate every minute on court.”

Rain delayed the start of the match by two hours and it seemed to affect Kasatkina more. The Russian had conceded four games – more than her first two matches at Wimbledon this year combined – in just 11 minutes and Badosa closed out the set in a tiebreaker.

Kasatkina was never going to drop her head given her form of late, even with Badosa producing some lights out tennis and powering her way towards victory. The 14th seed made life a little more difficult by winning the second set 6-4 and sending it to a decider. However Badosa kept up the rage, breaking first and then holding her serve strongly to win the match and head into the fourth round.

Badosa served eight aces to three and smashed 44 winners to 29, though also conceded 57 unforced errors to 38. In the end, she only won three more total points (122-119), but her fourth break – the same amount as Kasatkina – proved the difference in moving through to the Round of 16.

Badosa will next play Croatian Donna Vekic who survived two tiebreakers in her match against the unpredictable Dayana Yastremska, running away with the 7-6 6-7 6-1 victory.

AROUND THE COURTS

Local hero and US Open winner Emma Raducanu gave the best indication that she is ready to win her second Grand Slam, triumphing over ninth seed Maria Sakkari in a straight sets rout, 6-2 6-3. She will surely reach the quarter finals, taking on the lowest ranked player remaining in the draw, with giant-killing New Zealander Lulu Sun yet again winning by defeating China’s Lin Zhu, 7-6 7-6.

In the bottom quarter of the draw, world number two Coco Gauff disposed of a plucky Sonay Kartal 6-4 6-0 after an early challenge, and will now face fellow American and 19th seed Emma Navarro in the fourth round. Their compatriot Madison Keys also won through thanks to a 6-4 6-3 triumph over Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk, while seventh seed Jasmine Paolini crashed the North American party with a 7-6 6-1 win over Bianca Andreescu.