Ashleigh Barty knocked out of Wimbledon by Alison Riske
Alison Riske to face seven-time Wimbledon winner Serena Williams for place in the semi-finals
Monday 8 July 2019 17:02, UK
World No 1 Ashleigh Barty suffered a shock Wimbledon exit to Alison Riske as the American progressed to the quarter-finals for the first time.
Riske, whose first 13 tour-level match wins all came on grass, turned Monday's match on its head to win 3-6 6-2 6-3 on Court Two and deny the Australian any chance of winning back-to-back Grand Slam titles.
"I haven't been starting out fantastic in all my matches, but I knew I had the confidence that if I could manage my service games I was going to get looks on her serve," said Riske. "I had to play aggressive. I had to take it to Ash."
Barty had won 15 matches in a row and had not so much as dropped a set since the French Open semi-finals a month ago, but 55th-ranked Riske played superbly to repel Barty's variation.
The Australian began well, serving four straight aces in the opening game on her way to winning a 21st successive set over the last three tournaments.
Yet Riske, who had spent more than four hours longer on court than Barty in the first week, dug-in, out-slugging her opponent to win the next two sets and claim the biggest win of her career.
Barty was philosophical afterwards, saying: "Overall I didn't play a poor match. When I needed to, when the big moments were there, Alison played better today. Tough one to swallow but I lost to a better player."
Riske has a remarkable record on grass. The season is only five weeks long yet her first 13 tour level wins all came on grass and she arrived at the All England Club with trophies in her bag from Surbiton and 's-Hertogenbosch.
"I'm so incredibly excited," Riske beamed. "The fact that it's at Wimbledon, my favourite grand slam, the place that I had always dreamed to be in the last eight club of - they can't kick me out now, I'm here to stay. I am just over the moon."
The 29-year-old, who has also knocked out Donna Vekic and Belinda Bencic in a giant-killing run, is through to the quarter-finals of a slam for the first time, where she will face compatriot Serena Williams.
Williams cruised through to her 14th Wimbledon quarter-final with a dominant 6-2 6-2 win over Carla Suarez Navarro to stay on course for her eighth title here and record-equalling 24th Grand Slam.
Williams, who was sidelined by a knee injury earlier in the year, added: "The rust is definitely wearing off.
"Most of all I feel confident that I can actually move and I don't have to, like, go for winners so soon because I'm in pain.
"It's like, 'oh, now I can just play my game, hit shots, not have to worry about anything else'. It's good when your mind is clear and you can just play."
Elina Svitolina made it through to her first quarter-final at the All England Club, striking 30 winners to beat Petra Martic 6-4 6-2, while Zhang Shuai equalled her best ever Grand Slam singles performance - a quarter-final appearance at the 2016 Australian Open, defeating Dayana Yastremska 6-4 1-6 6-2.
Barbora Strycova reached the quarter-finals here for the first time since 2014 with a stunning 4-6 7-5 6-2 comeback victory over Elise Mertens.
Belgian Mertens, seeded 21, was one set and 5-2 ahead in the second but, having struggled with a back problem, lost the next nine games and could not recover.
