Top 5 Photos, June 27: Edmund's hops; three U.S. women qualify at SW19
Kyle Edmund is gaining traction on grass, while Kristie Ahn, Cori Gauff and Caty McNally reached the Wimbledon main draw.
On Thursday, grass-court play continued at Eastbourne, while Wimbledon held its final round of qualifying. These five photos sum up the action.
1. It's been a challenging year for Kyle Edmund, who has often been unable to find his way past the second round of tournaments. With Wimbledon approaching, the Brit is peaking at the best time; his 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over countryman Dan Evans clinched his first semifinal of 2019.
2. Reigning Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber got revenge against Simona Halep with her 6-4, 6-3 win at Eastbourne. Kerber lost twice to the Romanian in 2018 but secured a spot in the Eastbourne semifinals with the win. Kerber will next face Ons Jabeur, who before this tournament has only defeated one Top 50 opponent in 2019, but is upping her level in England.
3. Three American women punched their tickets to the main draw of Wimbledon, including Kristie Ahn. The former Stanford standout knocked out countrywoman Lauren Davis, 6-4, 7-5, while 15-year-old Cori Gauff became the youngest Wimbledon qualifier in the Open Era after dismissing Greet Minnen, 6-1, 6-1. Caty McNally, 17, joined Gauff with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Jana Cepelova.
4. Kiki Bertens edged past Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, to boost her record to 4-0 against the world No. 10. After losing a close final in s'Hertogenbosch to Alison Riske, Bertens seems to be fired up to get a title under her belt before taking the big stage at Wimbledon.
5. All in all it was another great day of tennis that had fans jumping out of their seats! A souvenir up for grabs made it an even more memorable day for one lucky spectator.
