Wimbledon: Bertens downs Pliskova to finish off top-10 seeds

Kiki Bertens knocked out the last remaining top-10 seed in the women’s singles at Wimbledon.

Netherlands’ Kiki Bertens on her way to beating seventh-seeded Karolina Pliskova in the fourth round at Wimbledon. Picture: AFP

Kiki Bertens knocked out the last remaining top-10 seed in the women’s singles at Wimbledon as the Dutch world No 20 stunned seventh seed Karolina Pliskova with a 6-3 7-6 (1) victory in the fourth round last night.

Bertens followed her shock third-round success against five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams by beating Czech former world No 1 Pliskova.

The exit of Pliskova came after the women’s draw was blown wide open by defeats earlier in the tournament for Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, Simona Halep and Sloane Stephens.

Bertens, a French Open semi-finalist in 2016, is into the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time.

The No 12 seed Jelena Ostapenko advanced to her second consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final with a 7-6 (4) 6-0 victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.

The 21-year-old Latvian also reached the quarter-finals last year, losing to eventual runner-up Venus Williams.

Agencies