Wimbledon day 6: Three matches to watch
Italy’s Matteo Berrettini reached the 2021 Wimbledon final
London – Former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini takes on big-serving Alexander Zverev at Wimbledon on Saturday as British wildcard Katie Boulter faces defending women’s champion Elena Rybakina.
Frances Tiafoe flies the flag for America in the men’s draw against Grigor Dimitrov, who is hoping to roll back the years.
AFP Sport picks out three standout matches on the sixth day of the 2023 tournament in London (x denotes seeded player):
Alexander Zverev (GER x19) v Matteo Berrettini (ITA)
Alexander Zverev and Matteo Berrettini have flown under the radar at the All England Club this year but both men have the weapons to go deep in the draw.
Berrettini was the runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2021 but had to pull out last year after testing positive for coronavirus.
That still hurts the 27-year-old Italian.
“Not being able to play was something that, even when I was better physically, was really tough mentally to overcome,” he said.
He is up against a tough opponent in Zverev, who has been ranked as high as number two in the world but missed a huge chunk of last season after tearing ankle ligaments.
Katie Boulter (GBR) v Elena Rybakina (KAZ x3)
Defending champion Elena Rybakina was not at her best against French veteran Alize Cornet in the second round and will now be battling the home crowd when she takes on Katie Boulter.
The Kazakh player hit a total of 40 unforced errors in her straight-sets win on Thursday, although she balanced that out with 36 winners.
Britain’s Boulter, 26, reached the third round at Wimbledon last year.
“I think it’s a super great opportunity for me,” she said. “I’ve got nothing to lose. She’s clearly the defending champion for a reason.
“I’m going to have a swing and go for it. I’ve got a lot of tennis behind me. It’s time for me to test my skills against an incredible champion.”
Frances Tiafoe (USA x10) v Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x21)
Charismatic American Frances Tiafoe is counting on the crowd to give him a lift when he takes on Grigor Dimitrov.
The 10th seed is the highest-ranked American man left in the tournament after ninth-seed Taylor Fritz was knocked out.
Since Pete Sampras hung up his racquet, Wimbledon has not been a happy hunting ground for US male players.
But 25-year-old Tiafoe is banking on winning the fans over against the experienced Bulgarian, who reached the semi-finals way back in 2014.
“As soon as I start getting amped up and get on a run, the crowd is really behind me,” he said.
“I feel like it’s pretty one-sided honestly, once I’m out there playing, especially playing well.
“As soon as I smile, the crowd erupts. It’s crazy, but it’s cool. I mean, I guess it’s a blessing, and hopefully they like me for the next 10-plus years while I keep playing.”