Defending champ Muguruza ousted
LONDON — Garbine Muguruza insisted she wasn’t thinking about attempting to collect a second consecutive Wimbledon championship. She was adamant that she was not focusing on defending her title.
“It doesn’t really matter,” she said, “what happened in 2017.”
Well, it seems safe to say she’ll really want to forget what happened at the All England Club in 2018. Muguruza was stunned in the second round 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 by 47th-ranked Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium on Thursday, the latest upset in a series of them at the grass-court major tournament.
“It’s a little bit sad,” Muguruza said. “But today didn’t go my way.”
That’s become a familiar refrain for prominent women at this topsy-turvy Wimbledon.
Only two of the top eight seeded women are still in the field after four days of action.
The No. 3-seeded Muguruza joined No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki, No. 4 Sloane Stephens, No. 5 Elina Svitolina, No. 6 Caroline Garcia and No. 8 Petra Kvitova on the way out so far, along with five-time major champion Maria Sharapova. Those departures leave No. 1 Simona Halep, the French Open champion who won in straight sets Thursday, and No. 7 Karolina Pliskova in the field, along with seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams, who is seeded 25th, and five-time champ Venus Williams, who is No. 9.
“I mean, anyone, on a good day, can beat anyone,” Van Uytvanck said. “That’s what I think.”
Sure seems that way, particularly this week. Among the men, too. No. 3 seed Marin Cilic gave away a big edge in a 3-6, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-5 loss to 82nd-ranked Guido Pella in a match completed Thursday after being suspended midway through the third set because of rain the evening before.
His exit means the highest-seeded man No. 1 Roger Federer possibly could face before the final as he bids for a record-extending ninth Wimbledon title would be No. 8 Kevin Anderson or No. 9 John Isner.