Wimbledon: Ajla Tomljanovic eliminates Alize Cornet, Simona Halep also advances

The Australian won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Court No 2 to set up a meeting with Elena Rybakina, and was in tears after a grueling match that lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes.

“I didn’t really think I could do it,” said Tomljanovic, who lost to eventual champion Ash Barty in the quarter-finals last year. “I can’t believe that a year later I’m in the same position.”

Cornet, 32, ended No. 1 Iga Swiatek’s 37-game winning streak in the previous round. The French veteran was playing in her 62nd consecutive Grand Slam tournament – equaling the WTA record held by Ai Sugiyama – and 65th overall, but only reached her first major quarter-final at the Australian Open this year.

These are the consecutive Wimbledon quarter-finals for @Ajlatom 🇦🇺

The Australian fights a set against Alize Cornet to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/WwLZWtM75T

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2022

Simona Halep advances

Simona Halep lives up to her status as the only remaining former Grand Slam champion in this year’s women’s draw.

The Romanian defeated fourth seed Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-2 on center court to return to the Wimbledon quarter-finals and extend her winning streak at the All England Club to 11 games.

16th-seeded Halep won the title in 2019 but missed last year’s edition through injury, while the 2020 tournament was canceled due to the pandemic. It was, however, Halep’s first victory against a top-five ranked player on grass.

Special Simone 💪​

Our 2019 champion defeats Paula Badosa 6-1, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/yux7UnL9Ro

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2022

The former No.1, who also won the French Open in 2018, is yet to drop a set in this year’s tournament and has consistently gotten the better of Badosa in grassroots rallies. She finished with just nine unforced errors and saved the only break point she faced.

Badosa’s loss means No. 3 Ons Jabeur is the only top-10 seed in the women’s tournament.