Ana Konjuh reached the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the first time in her career with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Varvara Lepchenko.
Konjuh gains early break to take the first set
In a matchup of contrasting styles matching the Croat's power against the American's finesse, it was Konjuh who made a quick start, breaking in the second game for a 2-0 lead. Lepchenko settled in and had a break chance in the third game and three more in the fifth game, but she failed to convert on any of them, resulting in a 4-1 lead for Konjuh. Both players held twice to 15 the rest of the way, resulting in Konjuh taking the opening stanza 6-3 and with it, a one set lead.
Lepchenko rebounds to take the second set, knot the match at one set all
It was clear Konjuh was controlling the match with her superior firepower, but Lepchenko dug in and gained her first break of the match to take a 2-0 lead. Her momentum was short-lived as the Croat broke back striaghtaway. Lepchenko would gain the lead again, battling on Konjuh's serve to break in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead.
After a quick love hold put her on the brink of winning the set, she bypassed a set point on Konjuh's serve, but when tasked with serving it out, did so with little difficulty, taking the middle frame 6-3 to square the match at one set all.
Konjuh runs away with the third set to book her spot in first career Slam fourth round
As she did in the opening set, Konjuh got out to a quick start, bookending holds with a second game break for a 3-0 lead, winning 12 of the first 16 points in the final set. Neither player did much on the other's serve, only reaching 30 once in the four games leading up to the final one and Konjuh finished the match in style, breaking Lepchenko to punctuate a three set win and a date on Labor Day Monday with fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
Revenge on Konjuh's mind
For the second straight major, Konjuh and Radwanska will square off with the Pole edging the Croat 9-7 in the third set of the third round at Wimbledon. Konjuh served for the match twice and at 7-7, rolled her ankle after stepping on a ball chasing down a Radwanska drop shot.