She still has a long way to go before the final, but whatever happens from here, this was a crucial victory for the world No. 1.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staved off an upset bid by resurgent Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon by beating the home favorite 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the third-round at a raucous Centre Court.

Emma Raducanu was not happy with the string tension in her rackets during the early stages of her Wimbledon defeat to Aryna Sabalenka on Friday night