Welcome to the Wimbledon briefing from The Athletic, sharing insights from Day 4 of the tournament. Here, American tennis hopes brightened for the July 4 weekend and last year’s upsets settled into expected outcomes.

Understanding Tennis Comedowns

Tennis matches often have quick turnarounds, leaving no room for victory celebrations after big wins, unless it’s a Grand Slam final. This makes players prone to comedowns.

One rule in tennis, as illustrated by Rafael Nadal’s past defeats, is that the player who beats a champion often struggles in subsequent matches.

From 2012 to 2017, every player who defeated Nadal before the Grand Slam quarterfinals failed to win another match in that tournament. This week, several players fell to this trend again at Wimbledon.

Storylines to Watch

Maya Joint’s Challenge

A standout match involved Maya Joint of Australia, who faced Serena Williams under the Centre Court lights and pulled off a significant win. However, against the No. 29 seed Alexandra Eala from the Philippines, Joint lost momentum and succumbed 6-3, 2-6, 0-6.

Otto Virtanen’s Comeback

Otto Virtanen of Finland, who beat No. 4 seed Ben Shelton, looked poised for victory against Arthur Fery of Britain. Still, exhaustion from prior matches led to his defeat with scores of 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-3.

American Performance on July 4 Weekend

A notable feature this year is the strong American presence, with eight American women and seven men continuing in the tournament.

Women’s Draw Highlights: With many Americans in the top half of Elena Rybakina’s bracket, key matchups include Coco Gauff facing Claire Liu and Amanda Anisimova versus Madison Keys.

The much-anticipated quarterfinal could see Gauff versus Jessica Pegula, pending wins on the current round.

Men’s Draw Highlights: Noteworthy is the potential fourth-round match between Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. Fritz recently lost to Tiafoe in Germany but the larger Wimbledon stage shifts the dynamic.

Seeds Performing Better This Year

This year, seeds maintain their ground better than last year, where only 27 remained by the third round. Currently, 21 women’s and 16 men’s seeds are still competing, setting a foundation for a strong second week.

No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner faced a tough match but managed to advance. Likewise, Gauff and Anisimova struggled to secure their spots but ultimately succeeded. Successful seeds contribute to high-stakes matches expected as the tournament progresses.

Key Results from Day 4

• Iga Świątek eased past Karolína Plíšková 6-1, 6-3.
• Taylor Fritz overcame Patrick Kypson 6-2, 6-2, 7-5.
• Alex de Minaur bested Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
• Emma Navarro triumphed over Oksana Selekhmeteva 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
• Alexander Zverev secured a victory against Valentin Royer, winning 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(3).

Shot of the Day

Grigor Dimitrov’s emotional match against Jakub Menšík included stunning backhands, culminating in a 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win.

Drop Shots

• Grass courts pose slip and fall risks, critical in plays.
• Returning from injury, Dimitrov secured a strong presence.
• Coco Gauff’s brother is making strides in the MLB draft.
• Wimbledon’s 11 p.m. curfew can shift match outcomes.

Upcoming Matches

Men’s Singles: Novice Rinderknech faces Djokovic at 8:30 a.m. ET. Djokovic’s skill is expected to prevail.

Women’s Singles: Expect aggression as Sabalenka meets Ostapenko at 11:30 a.m. ET.

All-Czech Affair: Krejčíková takes on Bartůňková, predicting a three-set contest.