LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) – Qualifier Ashlyn Krueger celebrated American Independence Day on Saturday with a comprehensive victory over Ukraine’s Daria Snigur at Wimbledon, but there was no joy for Venus and Serena Williams who pulled out of their much anticipated doubles match.
Krueger, ranked a lowly 102 in the world, moved into the last 16 with a comfortable 6-3 6-2 win. She was one of eight American singles players working hard in southwest London on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, while their compatriots at home enjoyed a day off with festivities and fireworks.
However, it was disappointment for the Williams sisters who had to withdraw from their match against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra of Argentina because of a knee injury suffered by Serena during her singles defeat by Australian Maya Joint on Tuesday.
Serena said in an Instagram post that she was “heartbroken to have to withdraw.”
The sisters, now aged 46 and 44, last played doubles together at the 2022 U.S. Open. They won six Wimbledon titles between 2000 and 2016 among 22 titles and three Olympic gold medals.
Two other Americans were knocked out in early matches on Saturday. Emma Navarro, the 23rd seed, was beaten 6-2 4-6 6-1 by fast-improving 12th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine.
And in the men’s draw 23-year-old Zachary Svajda, on his Wimbledon debut, managed to take a set off fifth-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur before bowing out 6-2 5-7 6-2 6-4.
(Reporting by Clare Lovell, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Toby Chopra)
