GIANT-KILLING Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova is the major surprise packet through to the 2024 Paris Olympics medal matches with a straight sets victory over ninth seed and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova. Already a Olympic gold medalist in doubles, Krejcikova’s quest for a singles medal is over at the final step, losing in the quarter finals.

Schmiedlova won 6-4 6-2 in an hour and 27 minutes on Simonne Mathieu, backing up her incredible third round over fourth seed and Roland Garros and Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini. The Slovakian is ranked 67th in the world and has had to do it the hard way against all Top 30 players, only dropping one set en route to the semi-finals.

In her victory, Schmiedlova won 52.6 per cent of her first serve points, but recovered well on her second serve with a 71.4 per cent success rate. Not serving a double-fault in the match was key as Schmiedlova put down three aces to Krejcikova’s one ace and five double faults, also only winning 41.7 per cent of her second serve points.

When the Czech was able to get her first serve in (only 51 per cent of the time), she was was damaging than Schmiedlova, winning 63.3 per cent of her points, and also hitting double the forehand winners (10-5) than the Slovakian. However Schmiedlova hit three more winners off her backhand wing (8-5) and far less unforced errors (15-32) in the win.

Schmiedlova is now one win away from guranteeing and Olympic medal, facing off against Donna Vekic in the semi-finals. Vekic overcame double-faulting on match point in the deciding third set and going down 4-0 in the tiebreak to win it 10-8 in a nail-biting 6-4 2-6 7-6 victory over Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.

Vekic took two hours and 59 minutes to finally shake off the Ukrainian, failing to capitalise in the deciding third set at 5-4, but recovering to still take out the match. She hit a whopping 30 winners off her forehand as part of 34 total and two aces, while also hitting seven double faults among 50 unforced errors. Kostyk only hit the 23 winners and four aces, but far less unforced errors (36).

In other results, world number one and gold medal favourite Iga Swiatek won 6-1 2-6 4-1 with opponent Danielle Collins retiring towards the end of the deciding set. Swiatek will go on to play fellow seed Qinwen Zheng who spent a draining three hours and four minutes on court againstd retiring German Angelique Kerber.

Zheng fought back from a set down to win 6-7 6-4 7-6, getting up 8-6 in the tiebreak to give herself a 75 per cent chance of a medal. The Chinese power player out-hit Kerber who is not known to shy away either, whacking 48 winners to 21 and serving eight aces to five in the victory.

WOMEN’S SINGLES RESULTS: QUARTER FINALS

[1] Iga Swiatek (POL) defeated Danielle Collins (USA) 6-1 2-6 4-1 RET
[6] Qinwen Zheng (CHN) defeated Angelique Kerber (GER) 6-7 6-4 7-6
Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) defeated Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) 6-4 6-2
Donna Vekic (CRO) defeated Marta Kostyuk (UKR) 6-4 2-6 7-6

In the doubles, four of the top six seeds in the quarter finals bowed out to make it very intersting for the quarter finals. It was a mixed bag for the losing singles pair of Collins and Krejcikova, with Collins bowing out and Krejcikova remaining alive to defend her gold medal from Tokyo with partner Katerina Siniakova. Collins and partner Desirae Krawczyk lost to Ukrainian twins, Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok.

Krejcikova and Siniakova won 7-5 6-4 over Japanese duo, Ena Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama. They are one of two Czech women’s doubles pairings remaining in the quarter finals with Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova upsetting American duo Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in three sets, 2-6 6-4 10-5.

In other results, talented young duo Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider raced away from Canadian pair Gabriela Dabrowski and Leylah Fernandez to win in commanding style 6-4 6-0, while Brit duo Katie Boulter and Heather Watson also kept their medal hopes alive by reaching the quarter finals with a win over Brazilian pair Beatriz Haddad Maia and Luisa Stefani, 6-3 6-4.

WOMEN’S DOUBLES RESULTS: ROUND OF 16

K. Muchova/L. Noskova (CZE) defeated [1] C. Gauff/J. Pegula (USA) 2-6 6-4 10-5
[2] B. Krejcikova/K. Siniakova (CZE) defeated S. Aoyama/E. Shibahara (JPN) 7-5 6-4
L. Kichenok/N. Kichenok (UKR) defeated [4] D. Collins/D. Krawczyk (USA) 3-6 6-4 10-7
M. Andreeva/D. Shnaider (AIN) defeated [5] G. Dabrowski/L. Fernandez (CAN) 6-4 6-0
K. Boulter/H. Watson (GBR) defeated [6] B. Haddad Maia/L. Stefani (BRA) 6-3 6-4