Jabeur and Swiatek march on at Wimbledon in wide-open women's field

Ons Jabeur and Iga Swiatek both laid down markers for their Wimbledon title ambitions on Friday by securing straight-sets wins to reach the third round and last 16 respectively.

Jabeur, looking to go one step further at Wimbledon this year after losing the final in 2022, made quick work of Chinese qualifier Bai Zhuoxuan on Court One with a 6-1 6-1 victory in just 45 minutes. Over on Centre Court, top-seed Swiatek defeated 30th-seeded Petra Martic 6-2, 7-5.

In front of a half-empty Court One, Jabeur barely needed to get out of third gear to outclass Bai, who struggled to match her opponent stroke for stroke as her unforced error count climbed with every game.

"It was a good game, she (Bai) played the qualifying here and she qualified. I believe she had a great tournament, so I wish her all the best. But I tried to play like a top 10 player," the Tunisian sixth seed said.

"Here I try to work a lot on my serve. I believe the stats will say it's better. We'll see with my coach later if he gives me a hard time or not.

"Overall I tried to play clean and, for once, what my coach says!"

Bai slipped and fell in the opening set while chasing a drop shot near the net but was quickly back on her feet to scattered applause.

However, Jabeur showed no mercy and sealed victory on her first match point with a deft lob at the net to set up a third round match with former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada.

Swiatek has equalled her best effort at Wimbledon by reaching the fourth round and is aiming to go back-to-back at the Grand Slams after winning her third Roland Garros title - and fourth overall major - last time out.

“It’s just a totally different chapter,” the 22-year-old Pole said.

The world No 1 can reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinal when she faces 14th-seeded Belinda Bencic on Sunday.

Swiatek has said she felt a lot of pressure last year from high expectations and the 35-match winning streak she carried into Wimbledon.

“I do feel more relaxed. I think also because I won Roland Garros and I feel like after that the pressure is a little bit off because I reached my goal kind of for the season,” she said.

“I don’t have to think about anything else other than playing. I feel like I have more kind of, I don’t know, free space in my head to develop my game and to work on my skills on grass."

Unlike the men's side, where seven-time winner Novak Djokovic is a heavy favourite, the women's field is tougher to predict.

The top three seeds — Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and defending champion Elena Rybakina — are showing signs of becoming a “Big Three.”

Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion who was a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2021, advanced to the third round with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Varvara Gracheva.

Madison Keys, who beat Viktorija Golubic 7-5, 6-3 to reach the third round, said the “Big Three” title is deserved.

“They are obviously at the top of the game right now, so I think it’s a great term to describe the three of them,” said the American, who is seeded 25th.

After the top three seeds, there's No 4 Jessica Pegula, who advanced to the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Caroline Garcia of France became the highest-seeded woman to exit. The fifth-seeded player lost 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 to 32nd-seeded Marie Bouzkova in the third round.