Caroline Wozniacki’s honeymoon on grass was short-lived as she became the 11th women’s seed to fall on the first three days at Wimbledon in a 6-4 1-6 7-5 second-round defeat by Ekaterina Makarova.
The Danish second seed, who won the Eastbourne tournament last week, went out before the third round at Wimbledon for the fourth time in seven years after complaining to the umpire about a swarm of insects that invaded No. 1 court during the second set.
The Australian Open champion fought to the bitter end against the tenacious Russian, but she finally succumbed on the sixth match point after an absorbing clash lasting two hours and nine minutes.
Makarova, three days short of her 30th birthday, broke early to take command of the first set.
Wozniacki then complained about the swarming flying ants on court and asked for repellent spray.
“They’re in my mouth and in my hair and everywhere – we need to do something. Is there a spray? I want to be here to focus on tennis, not eating bugs,” she said to the umpire.
It seemed to sting her into action, however, as she won five games in a row before claiming the second set.
Makarova came back strongly and looked poised for an easy victory when she led 5-1 in the third. Wozniacki produced her best tennis, though, to save three match points when 5-3 and 40-0 behind and saved another before breaking to level the set.
With both women playing fine tennis and moving each other all round the court, Makarova earned three more match points and converted the second.
“I did everything I could,” Wozniacki said afterwards.
“I fought as hard as I could. I can’t even be mad at myself because I played up to the level that I can.
“I think (Makarova) played above her level and really raised it and got a little lucky and played well when she needed to.”
Earlier, American Madison Keys kicked off her Fourth of July celebrations with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum.
The US Open runner-up was a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 2015 but has struggled to build on that in the last two years.
Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens is also through with a 6-4 6-0 result against Russian Anna Blinkova, but Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska is out following a 7-5 6-4 loss to Czech Lucie Safarova.
