Sabalenka overcomes Kessler at Wimbledon, sets up Ostapenko clash World number one Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the Wimbledon third round after a hard-fought victory over American McCartney Kessler on Wednesday. The four-time Grand Slam champion, who has reached 14 consecutive major quarterfinals, secured a 6-1, 7-6 (11/9) win on Court One, setting up a last-32 clash with 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko. Sabalenka, who has never won Wimbledon, faced a stern test in the second set. Kessler, ranked 57th, missed two set points while serving for the second set at 5-3, allowing Sabalenka to rally and force a tie-break. In the deciding set, Kessler again squandered two set points, ultimately succumbing to her higher-ranked opponent. “I’m super happy that I was able to stay in that second set to get into that tie-break,” Sabalenka said after the match. “She really tested me, and I’m super happy to pass the test.” The 26-year-old Belarusian, known for her powerful baseline game, has struggled to convert her Grand Slam form into a Wimbledon title. She lost in the semifinals on each of her previous three visits to the All England Club. This year’s run marks her first time reaching the third round at Wimbledon, a milestone she described as a significant achievement. Kessler’s performance highlighted her resilience and ability to compete with top-tier players. Despite the loss, the American’s ability to extend the match and force a tie-break underscored her potential as a future contender in the sport. Sabalenka’s path to the third round was marked by her determination to overcome challenges. The match against Kessler followed a series of high-stakes encounters, including her recent French Open exit, where she let a two-set lead slip in a quarterfinal defeat to Diana Shnaider.#aryna_sabalenka #jelena_ostapenko #mccartney_kessler #wimbledon #all_england_club
Kessler Faces Frech in Miami Open Round of 128 Magdalena Frech, ranked 37th in the world, will take on McCartney Kessler, who is 51st in the rankings, in the Round of 128 at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Tuesday, March 17. The match is set to be played on a hard court, and Kessler is currently favored to win, with odds of -165 compared to Frech’s +130. The betting odds for the match are provided by BetMGM Sportsbook, with the latest update occurring on Tuesday at 10:36 AM ET. The prediction for the match is based on the implied probability derived from the moneyline, which suggests Kessler has a 62.3% chance of securing victory. For the broader tournament, Frech’s odds to win the title are listed at +5000, while Kessler’s are at +3300. These figures reflect the current market perception of each player’s likelihood to advance further in the competition. Looking at their recent performances, Frech has a mixed record in hard-court tournaments. In her most recent event, the BNP Paribas Open, she lost to Storm Sanders, a player ranked 234th, in the Round of 128. The match concluded with a score of 6-3, 5-7, 3-6. On hard courts, Frech has demonstrated a 46.4% success rate in converting break points, ranking her 42nd in this category. Her overall performance on hard courts includes a 66.0% winning percentage in service games and a 37.4% success rate in return games. Over the past 12 months, Frech has participated in 15 hard-court tournaments, with a record of 17 wins and 17 losses. Kessler’s recent tournament history also shows a challenging path. In the BNP Paribas Open, she was defeated in the Round of 128 by Zeynep Sonmez, a player ranked 80th, with a score of 6-7, 0-6. On hard courts, Kessler has converted 110 of 263 break points, achieving a 41.8% success rate. Her service games have a 65.#betmgm_sportsbook #miami_open #magdalena_frech #mccartney_kessler #itau
