Among the surprise list of players still in the Wimbledon women’s draw, a couple stand out.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 34 and Laura Siegemund, 37, are tour veterans, but are playing in their second and first Wimbledon quarterfinal respectively. Pavlyuchenkova last played in one nine years ago, and said after beating Britain’s Sonay Kartal that she was as surprised as anyone by her progress here.
Siegemund, who is ranked No. 104, said after beating lucky loser Solana Sierra that her run this year was overdue. Her slice-heavy game naturally matches up well on grass but she explained that clay is her best surface and she often arrived at Wimbledon tired after that swing: “I always felt on grass that by the time I start to feel the game and I start to play better, it’s already over. That was how it pretty much went every year.”
She has the ultimate test next against the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, while Pavlyuchenkova plays Amanda Anisimova, the No. 13 seed.
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