One step away from sensation! Sobolenko almost lost to Russian ex-wife Gracheva
Pavel Panyshev Jul 7, 2023 17:22 MSK Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The newly released French could knock out the second racket in the world at Wimbledon, but Barbara did not have enough experience.
Arina Sobolenko, along with Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, is one of the top Wimbledon favorites. The Belarusian has already managed to win the Grand Slam tournament in Australia in her career, she has a powerful serve and, in general, has been quite stable lately.
“I love Wimbledon very much. I have very good memories of the tournament two years ago when I reached the semifinals. At Wimbledon, I always enjoy my game, the atmosphere. Last year, this time it was not easy for me. I am very happy to be here this year. I enjoy every second on the court.
In fact, until today’s match, I didn’t fully understand how much I missed Wimbledon. I am very happy to be back”, Sobolenko admitted at a press conference after winning the first round match.
What is your current rival Varvara Gracheva known for? First of all, due to the fact that from now on, according to the WTA, she performs under the French flag. The 22-year-old Muscovite has lived in France for more than six years and she announced in the spring that she was applying for a new passport. Varvara is currently ranked 41st in the WTA rankings. Gracheva is the second racket from France after Caroline Garcia.
Interestingly, before today’s match, the girls had never played with each other. Apparently, Arina did not fully and very carefully study her opponent, as a result of which the Belarusian lost in the first set.
But the most interesting thing is that Arina started the match perfectly, immediately making a break, but then literally a parade of mistakes followed. The serve stopped working completely, there were a lot of doubles, and from the baseline, Sobolenko kept the ball on the court very badly and constantly made mistakes, while he was still trying to be active. How else? This is the Belarusian style of play. Varvara has four hits and eight errors in the first set, while Sobolenko has 10 and 16.
Of course, Arina did not like this state of affairs. The boxing of him, led by trainer Anton Dubrov, was also clearly dissatisfied. Sobolenko felt and understood everything perfectly.
Arina’s message to journalists:
“I’m not going to talk about politics.” Sobolenko ultimatum before Wimbledon
As a result, in the second set, with the score 5:5, the Belarusian made the most important break and then took her serve, winning 7:5. It’s important for Sobolenko to set up the first serve and add aggression. Barbara, though holding the shot confidently, faltered at the right time: late in the second set. Sobolenko is ahead in strikes – 9:5, but he also has a little more unforced errors – 9:6.
Arina Sobolenko
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
In the third set, Arina’s experience played a role. She added from joking to joking, regularly cheering herself up with trademark yells. Involuntarily, in such situations, Maria Sharapova and her boiling emotions with a fountain immediately come to mind.
By the way, the young Russian tennis player Mirra Andreeva, who continues to win the hearts of tennis fans, also watched the game from the stands. I wonder who Myrrha sympathized with.
Two of her missed deliveries in the third set cost Gracheva the match. With the score 4:2, Varvara made a double mistake at the decisive moment. As a result, Arina won the class, Sobolenko finished the match with a powerful ace.
A very difficult victory for the second racket in the world, which was on the brink of becoming a sensation. Grachev, on the other hand, should be thanked for the character and fight he put on the notorious favourite. In the third round, Arina Sobolenko will play Russia’s Anna Blinkova.
