Wimbledon Women’s Day 5

Ons Jabeur should be fresh after winning a third straight Wimbledon match in barely an hour as the third seed defeated Diane Parry of France 6-2, 6-3 on Friday.

The Tunisian who has been setting the pace for Arab tennis over the last season advanced in 68 minutes to  bring her cumulative time on court to barely three hours as she reached the fourth round.

She broke No. 77 Parry five times and fired 22 winners in victory.

Jabeur tuned up for the Grand Slam with a Berlin title on grass and has not lost a set from three matches.

“I love playing here but I want to keep it as short as I can,” she said. “For now I’m just enjoying playing on grass.

“The first few rounds are always tricky; I want to play my best tennis. If you’re too comfortable, it’s not that good as well. 

“I’m trying to keep focused. I’ll have an even more difficult match in the (next round). But I’m always ready. I’m just trying to play my game and keep it as simple as possible, for sure.”

Fifth seed Maria Sakkari’s London SW19 heartbreak was extended as she failed for the sixth time to get past the Wimbledon third round.

The Greek whose only Tour title came in 2019, lost 6-4, 7-5 to Tatjana Maria.

The German winner at age 34 is the oldest woman left in the draw and returned from maternity leave just under a year ago.

Sakkari won their Australian Open match in January and tuned up for Wimbledon with a Berlin semi-final last month.

The 51st Grand Slam appearance of 2018 champion Angelique Kerber ended with a 6-4, 7-5 loss to Elise Mertens.

The Belgian came from 3-5 down in the second set to prevent the German three-time Grand Slam winner from reaching the last 16 here for a seventh time.

“It was just two, three balls which decided the match.” Kerber said, “I was close to it in the second set, but she played two lucky shots as well and she was going for it.

“Of course I’m disappointed, but I gave everything I could today.”

Brit Heather Watson, who has played matches every day since the start between delayed singles and doubles, scored a debut place in a Grand Slam fourth round as she put out Slovene Kaja Juvan 7-6(6), 6-2.

The 30-year-old ranked 121 who is playing her home major for the 12th times, had never previously escaped the third round (2012, 2015, 2017).

After days of pressure, Watson, with 43 Grand Slam main draws in her resume, said she now has time to breathe.

“This is the first time I get to enjoy this win; in my first two matches I was just constantly in focus mode.

“It was like the match hadn’t stopped even when I was leaving the club, it’s been suspended, I’m going to sleep or trying to sleep. It was always just straight on to the next one.

“I’m really happy to be into the fourth round for the first time. This is the first match that I’ve actually got to enjoy for a bit.

“I thought I played really well today. I’ve been saying that as each match has gone by, I’ve been playing better and better.”

Watson takes on Jule Niemeier, who defeated Ukrainian Lesia Tursenko 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

“I don’t know how it is to play against, let’s say, British player or French player,
because it’s my second time in the main draw of a Grand Slam,” the German said.

“But the atmosphere will be incredible, so I’m really looking forward to the match.”

2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko sent over 28 winners in a 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 fightback win over Irina-Camelia Begu.

The Latvian winner, seeded 12th, added to her total of 45 winners from the second round as she moved to within one win of duplicating a 2017 quarter-final here.

Ostapenko tuned up for the major with an Eastbourne final last week, losing to Petra Kvitova at the South coast venue.

She will aim for the quarter-finals against Germany’s Maria.