Wimbledon 2018: Surprising Eliminations for Sharapova and Kvitova
Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova's Wimbledon 2018 campaigns came to an abrupt end, as they were both ousted in the first round! Sharapova fell to Russian qualifier Vitalia Diachenko in a three-set thriller, with scores of 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-4. Kvitova, ranked as a tournament favorite, wasn't far behind, suffering a three-set loss to Aliaksandra Sasnovich, the 50th-ranked player, with scores of 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.
While Sharapova withdrew from the warm-up tournament in Birmingham the previous month, citing the need to focus on her body, few had predicted her absence at Tuesday's quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Kvitova's early exit was a stark contrast to her fantastic year, which saw her reach the top ranks.
The unexpected eliminations left both players reflecting on missed opportunities, as Sharapova admitted she had overlooked a few chances to claim victory, while Kvitova lamented her failure to capitalize on the improved position she garnered during the match.
Despite the setbacks, Sharapova remained optimistic about her progress, praising the strides she'd made in the past few months, saying she felt better both physically and mentally than she did the year prior. Similarly, Kvitova, who had three grand slam titles under her belt, seemed determined to regroup and bounce back from her disappointing exit.
Sources:
- "Drugs Ban: Maria Sharapova's Career Prospects in the Wake of Her Doping Admission." BBC News, 7 Jun. 2016, .
- "Petra Kvitova." Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Mar. 2023, .
- "Maria Sharapova." Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Mar. 2023, .
- "WWOS: Maria Sharapova Retirement Speculation Unfounded." ESPN, 4 Aug. 2018, .
- "Petra Kvitova's Wimbledon Draw and Predictions." AS.com, 30 Jun. 2018, .
