British number one Emma Raducanu is out of Wimbledon after falling short of beating top seed Aryna Sabalenka in a gripping third-round match on Centre Court.
Raducanu, 22, put the three-time Grand Slam champion – and clear title favourite – under extreme pressure before succumbing to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat.
“It is a difficult to take right now,” Raducanu said.
“It’s hard to take a loss like that but at the same time I’ve pushed Aryna, who is a great champion, so I have to be proud.”
Raducanu, ranked 40th in the world, played with clarity and confidence throughout most of a captivating contest.
Had the 2021 US Open champion served out the opener at 6-5 after saving seven set points in the previous game, or converted a set point in the tie-break, the momentum of the lead might have carried her to a notable victory.
However, the deficit proved too much to overturn – even though Raducanu broke to lead 4-1 in the second set.
The long rallies she needed to break down Sabalenka eventually took their toll and Raducanu began to look fatigued as the world number one fought back.
Sabalenka, who is aiming for a first SW19 title, goes on to face Belgian 24th seed Elise Mertens in the fourth round on Sunday.
“Emma played such incredible tennis and she pushed me really hard to get this win,” said the 27-year-old Belarusian.
“I had to fight for every point to get this win. I’m pretty sure she will get back to the top 10 soon.”
