THE opening week of Wimbledon action for 2021 is done and dusted, and as the only grand slam that has retained the “Middle Sunday” day off for grass court maintenance, we take a look at the athletes from both the women’s and men’s draw who have secured their spot in the fourth round. In the women’s draw, just four of the top 10 seeds remain following a blockbuster week of action. World number one Ash Barty has maintained control as second seed Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka‘s fine form continues, with Iga Swiatek and Karolina Pliskova rounding out the top 10 seeded seventh and eighth, respectively. With the next five competitors out of the running it is Czech Barbora Krejcikova up next in 14th, followed by a string of four from 18th seed Elena Rybakina, followed by Karolina Muchova, teen Coco Gauff and history-making Tunisian Ons Jabeur. Rounding out the remaining seeds is another American in Madison Keys, former champion Angelique Kerber and Spaniard Paula Badosa, seeded 30th – that makes 12 seeds remaining from 32. Things are looking very different in the men’s draw, with just two top 10 seeds falling in the opening round – third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who went down in a shock first round upset, and ninth seed Diego Schwartzman. Plenty of big names remain with champions Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, and a couple of Top 5 Russians in Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, all in fine form. Outside the Top 10 just five seeds remain with 14th seed Hubert Hurkacz, 16th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and 17th seed Cristian Garin continuing their winning ways, as Lorenzo Sonego joins seventh seeded compatriot Matteo Berrettini, and Karen Khachanov rounds out the Russian seeds into the second week. Outside of the seeded competitors just four women remain, with teen wildcard Emma Raducanu stunning her home crowd, as another wildcard in Liudmila Samsonova backed up her Bett1Open title with an excellent first week at The Championships. Australian Ajla Tomljanovic and Swiss talent Viktorija Golubic round out the Round of 16 draw. In the men’s, the only unseeded competitors that remain are Marton Fucsovics, Ilya Ivashka and Sebastian Korda. Some intriguing clashes are set for Monday’s Round of 16, as youngster Gauff and former champion Kerber go head-to-head, while the battle between Barty and an in-form Krejcikova is sure to spark plenty of interest, as will Swiatek and Jabeur, with the young Pole more suited to clay than grass despite her recent form, and Jabeur coming in off the back of her Eastbourne win last week. Raducanu and Tomljanovic will also go head-to-head in an enticing match-up. Elsewhere, expect a huge tussle between Federer and Sonego, while Auger-Aliassime will be fresh to take on Alexander Zverev following an early withdrawal from Nick Kyrgios during his Round of 32 encounter. Two clay court specialists in Denis Shapovalov and Roberto Bautista Agut will also be interesting, as the two look to assert themselves on the grass.

WOMEN’S ROUND OF 16 DRAW [1] Ash Barty (AUS) vs. [14] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) [WC] Emma Raducanu (GBR) vs. Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) [30] Paula Badosa (ESP) vs. [19] Karolina Muchova (CZE) [20] Coco Gauff (USA) vs. [25] Angelique Kerber (GER) [8] Karolina Pliskova (CZE) vs. [WC] Liudmila Samsonova (RUS) [23] Madison Keys (USA) vs. Viktorija Golubic (SUI) [7] Iga Swiatek (POL) vs. [21] Ons Jabeur (TUN) [18] Elena Rybakina (KAZ) vs. [2] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)

MEN’S ROUND OF 16 DRAW [1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. [17] Cristian Garin (CHI) Marton Fucsovics (HUN) vs. [5] Andrey Rublev (RUS) [25] Karen Khachanov (RUS) vs. Sebastian Korda (USA) [10] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) vs. [8] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) [7] Matteo Berrettini (ITA) vs. Ilya Ivashka (BLR) [16] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs. [4] Alexander Zverev (GER) [6] Roger Federer (SUI) vs. [23] Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) [14] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) vs. [2] Daniil Medvedev (RUS)

Picture credit: Wimbledon Twitter