Samsonova won the Russian derby. And Khachanov lost to the world number 220 in five sets.
Kirill Plyshevsky July 4, 2024, 22:45 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
In the third round of Wimbledon, Lyudmila will face another compatriot, Anna Kalinskaya.
The second round matches of both singles draws at Wimbledon ended on Thursday, July 4. Today, several Russian athletes competed in London. In the evening session of the match day, the first Russian athlete to take to the courts of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was the world number 22 Karen Khachanov. His opponent was the representative of France Quentin Alice, who is ranked only 220th in the ATP rankings.
At the start of the first head-to-head match, Karen did not have a clear advantage in the game. Fortunately, Alis played a poor game on his serve almost at the beginning of the match. Khachanov led with a score of 2:1. Then the world number 22 had a minimal advantage and won the game 6:4. It is noteworthy that Kenten even won one point more than his opponent, as after the break he won all his serves to love. Set statistics: 6/1 for the Russian in clearances/unforced errors and 18/6 for the Frenchman.
In the second game, the players initially held their serve. However, it was the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist in singles who was the first to falter. In the sixth game, Khachanov made several errors and dropped his serve for the first time in the match (2:4). Alice was only able to hold on to the lead she had built up and did so: 6:3 in 29 minutes. Set statistics: 9/4 for Karen on clearances/unforced errors, 13/1 for Kenten.
In the third game, our compatriot again recovered and already at the start he led with a score of 2:0. In the third game of the set, Karen did not allow his opponent to achieve a reverse break, winning a total of three break points (3:0). After that, the French representative did not even have a chance to return the lost serve. Khachanov confidently led the match to a 6:3 victory. It should be noted that in this set the national athlete finally outplayed Quentin in strokes, as well as made fewer errors. Khachanov has 15/5 in these indicators, Alis – 10/8.
But the next segment of Karen’s game started frankly unsuccessfully. Alice made a break at the beginning of the fourth game and led 2:0. The champion of the 2018 Bercy Masters could not do anything in this set. The Frenchman had enough rest at the beginning of the match – 6:3 in 32 minutes.
Karen Khachanov
Photo: TPN/Getty Images
In the decisive set, the Russian missed too many break points. Khachanov missed two opportunities to take someone else’s serve when the score was 2:2, and then gave up his own 3:2 in favor of the 220th racket in the world. In the sixth game, the Russian athlete had four break points, but Quentin repelled all threats and increased the lead – 4:2. Then the tennis players held their serves and in the end Alis led the game to the final victory: 4:6, 6:3, 3:6, 6:3, 6:4 in 2 hours 48 minutes. In the quarter-finals of the British Major, the Frenchman will fight with Holger Rune from Denmark.
Also today, July 4, the Russian derby between Elina Avanesyan and Lyudmila Samsonova took place at Wimbledon. The girls played each other for the first time. In the WTA rankings, Samsonova is now ranked 15th and Avanesyan – 77th.
In the first game, Elina failed to take advantage of a triple break point. In the end, Lyudmila held her serve for 1:0, and then she herself achieved a break for 2:0. But Samsonova was unable to build on her success: Avanesyan immediately achieved a counterattack for 2:1. At the junction, Elina called a doctor. A 21-year-old Russian woman has problems with her lower back. The athlete was even carried by paramedics under the stands. The break lasted quite a long time, but the meeting was resumed.
The players then exchanged serves for a score of 3:2, after which Lyudmila regained the advantage with a break for 4:2. In the next game, Avanesyan took her opponent’s serve, missed three break points, but on the fourth attempt she managed to reverse the break for 4:3. In the eighth game, Lyudmila Samsonova regained the advantage from the break (5:3), after which she confidently served to win the set (6:3 in 42 minutes).
Lyudmila Samsonova
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
In the transition between games, the doctor came to Elina again and began to work magic on her back. The athlete decided to continue fighting in the match. In the second set, the girls held their serve for a long time until the score was 3:2 in Avanesyan’s favor. After that, she was unable to use the double break point (3:3). And then Lyudmila took the lead with a break for 3:4. Then the second Russian racket played two more games in a row, achieving the final victory over her compatriot 6:3, 6:3 in 1 hour and 16 minutes. Samsonova will fight with Anna Kalinskaya for the fourth round of the Slam on grass.
Wimbledon 2024 will end on July 14. Follow all the events of the “Championship”.
