Ukraine's tennis stars battle 'neutral' rivals at Wimbledon - Don't miss it today
Dayana Yastremska (Getty Images)
On July 3, Ukrainian tennis players Dayana Yastremska and Yuliia Starodubtseva, ranked third and fourth in Ukraine, respectively, will play their second-round matches at Wimbledon. Both will face "neutral" opponents on the court. Here's who the favorite is, and when to watch the matches.
Yastremska vs Zakharova
Yastremska (WTA 42) is scheduled to be the first on court, around 4:30 PM Kyiv time, facing a player with a Russian passport, Anastasia Zakharova (WTA 95).
The 23-year-old Zakharova is playing in the main draw of Wimbledon for the first time. In the previous two seasons, she failed the qualifiers. This year, she successfully made it through and caused an upset in the first round by defeating former world No. 1, also a "neutral" Belarusian, Victoria Azarenka (6–2, 2–6, 6–1).
This is her second career appearance in the second round of a Grand Slam tournament. Earlier this year, she reached the third round of the Australian Open.
For Yastremska, this will be her 11th second-round Grand Slam appearance (and third time at Wimbledon). She has reached the next round eight times overall and twice at Wimbledon.
The two have never met before. Yastremska is the clear favorite in this debut match-up. The odds for her victory are between 1.20 and 1.23. Bets on Zakharova range from 4.20 to 4.50.
Starodubtseva vs Samsonova
Yuliia Starodubtseva (WTA 68) will face another "neutral" Russian player, Liudmila Samsonova (WTA 19). The match will start no earlier than 5:00 PM Kyiv time.
In the first round, Samsonova defeated Australia's Maya Joint (6–3, 6–2). This is her fourth appearance in Wimbledon's main draw. Her best result in the English major was reaching the fourth round in 2021.
Starodubtseva is playing in the main draw for the second time. Last year, she started in the qualifiers and made it to the second round.
The players have met once before – earlier this year at the Madrid clay tournament, where Starodubtseva won an epic battle. After trailing 2–5, 1–3, she turned the match around, won the second set in a tiebreak (7–6), and crushed her opponent in the third, 6–0.
Despite this, Samsonova is a heavy favorite. Bookmakers rate her chances at 1.17-1.20, while Starodubtseva's odds are 4.60-5.10.
Earlier, Svitolina knocked out "neutral" player Sosnovich and advanced to the third round of Wimbledon 2025.
