Czech Karolina Pliskova has just suffered a shock second round loss at Wimbledon – but there could be a silver lining. The 25-year-old can still potentially become the world No.1 after the tournament.
But Pliskova’s chances of creating history as the first Czech woman to reach the top of the WTA rankings, now depends on the performances of Simona Halep and Angelique Kerber.
The world No.3, who lost in the second round for a fifth consecutive year, currently holds a 515-point advantage after Kerber’s runner-up and Halep’s quarterfinal points from last year are removed.
It means Pliskova will become world No.1 if:
AND
After her loss to Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova, Pliskova did not want to comment on how the scenario might play out.
“For me the tournament is over. I’m not going to pray for someone losing or winning. I’m just going to take off and wait,” she said.
READ MORE: Rybarikova stuns title favourite Pliskova
The table below shows Pliskova’s current ranking point total and highlights what her rivals can improve to at each stage of the tournament:
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | QF | SF | F | W | |
Pliskova | 6855 | |||||||
Halep | 6340 | 6450 | 6640 | 6990 | 7510 | 8210 | ||
Kerber | 5865 | 5975 | 6165 | 6515 | 7035 | 7735 |
If Pliskova does become the world No.1, she would be the sixth woman to reach the top spot without winning a Grand Slam and first since Caroline Wozniacki in October 2010.
GALLERY: Wimbledon day four action
It is still a three-way race for the men’s top ranking, with Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all in contention.
Djokovic needs to win the title and hope neither Murray or Nadal reach the semifinal stage.
With only 105 points currently separating Murray and Nadal, it is a much closer battle between them for the coveted spot:
R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | QF | SF | F | W | |
Murray | 7480 | 7570 | 7750 | 8110 | 8590 | 9390 | ||
Nadal | 7375 | 7465 | 7645 | 8005 | 8485 | 9285 | ||
Wawrinka | 6140 | |||||||
Djokovic | 6055 | 6145 | 6325 | 6685 | 7165 | 7965 |
Djokovic, who slipped to world No.4 after not defending his French Open title last month, will overtake world No.3 Stan Wawrinka (who was eliminated in the opening round) if he beats Latvian Ernests Gulbis in the third round.
SMASHTALK: Are Halep and Murray at risk of losing in the third round?
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