WIMBLEDON C’SHIPS: Eala’s conqueror Paolini, giant-slayer Mertens ousted

Sports

AFTER pulling off big wins earlier, Jasmine Paolini and Elise Mertens were stopped from their tracks after falling to separate opponents in the quarterfinal round of the Wimbledon women’s single tournament.

The Italian Paolini, who was responsible for the ouster of Filipina tennis star Alex Eala, succumbed to Marta Kostyuk, 6-3, 6-2, while Mertens, who ousted world No. 2 Elene Rybakina, bowed to Linda Noskova, 6-3, 7-5.

The separate wins enabled Kostyuk and Noskova to forge a semifinal duel. The other Final 4 match pits Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova

Gauff barged into the semis by beating world No. 4 Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, while Muchova nipped Naomi Osaka, 7-6, 6-4, in their own Final 8 match.

The American Gauff is the highest-seed among the semifinalists, being ranked No. 7 in the world.

Tournament top seeds have been booted out in what has been an unpredictable season of the Wimbledon.

Apart from Mertens, Eala also accounted for one of the biggest wins in the tournament when she stunned world No. 3 and defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round, 7-6 (9), 6-2.

Eala, however, failed to keep her historic campaign going after she bowed to Paolini in the Round of 16, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6.

Also scoring a huge upset was world No. 31 Jelena Ostapenko, who shocked world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, 6-4, 6-4.(CCM)