Sönmez vs Alexandrova

Sönmez vs Alexandrova – Wimbledon R3 Preview

🧠 Form & Context

Ekaterina Alexandrova

• 🌱 Grass-court specialist: 9 career QF appearances on grass, including this season at Rosmalen and Bad Homburg.
• 🎯 Smooth start: Hasn’t dropped a set yet—handled Hon and Lamens with ease, showing her flat hitting and efficient serving.
• 📊 Wimbledon ceiling: R16 in 2023 was her deepest Slam run here, but overall Slam 3R record is weak (2–8).
• 🧠 Experience edge: Veteran at this stage with proven weapons on this surface—knows how to attack low bounce and dictate.
• ⚠️ Slam volatility: Prone to off-days and streaky patches even in matches she’s expected to dominate.

Zeynep Sönmez

• 🇹🇷 History maker: First Turkish woman to ever reach R3 of a Slam—already a monumental run.
• 💪 Fighting spirit: Won three of four sets by 7-5 or 7-6—mentally tough under pressure.
• 🎾 Slam breakthrough: Was 0-3 in Slam MDs before this, and had never played at Wimbledon prior to this week.
• 📈 Cinderella arc: Came into London with no real momentum—this run is a genuine surprise.
• ⚠️ Big step up: Faced no seeded players yet; Alexandrova is a massive upgrade in firepower and grass experience.

🔍 Match Breakdown

• Stylistic contrast: A rising underdog vs. a tour-tested player in her comfort zone. Alexandrova’s flat groundstrokes and early timing are tailor-made for grass.
• Alexandrova’s edge: She hits bigger, earlier, and with less margin—but on grass, that works. Her serve has been sharp, and her return game will pressure Sönmez’s second serve.
• Sönmez’s resistance: If she can absorb pace and stay steady in rallies—especially on return—she could stretch sets as she did vs Wang.
• Experience factor: Alexandrova knows this stage. Sönmez is playing with house money—but this is her toughest test by far.
• Mental X-factor: Alexandrova has stumbled in Slam 3R stages before. If nerves creep in and Sönmez keeps fighting, there could be drama.

🔮 Prediction

Zeynep Sönmez has already made Turkish tennis history and shown immense poise in pressure moments. But Ekaterina Alexandrova has been here before, and she thrives on grass. If she brings even 80% of her A-game, she should have too much firepower.