Aryna Sabalenka can't hide fury at Wimbledon ball boy during quarter-final struggle

Aryna Sabalenka was furious in the opening stages of her Wimbledon quarter-final against Laura Siegemund - and her emotions came out towards the ball boys.

Sabalenka is the overwhelming favourite for the women's singles title after a succession of top seeds crashed out in the early stages of the tournament. But her clash against Siegemund was not going to plan on Tuesday afternoon on Centre Court as she dropped her first set of the tournament.

The Belarusian found herself 3-0 down after her German opponent came out firing to claim the opening set 6-4 in 58 minutes. The world No.104, who is a doubles specialist, produced some stunning winners and canny drop-shots to upset Sabalenka's rhythm and establish a shock lead.

Her opponent, who had won four matches in straight sets to reach this stage, was clearly fuming with her own form at the start of the match - and let her temper show in the fifth game. While serving in front of the Royal Box she was irritated when the ball boys were not ready to supply her with balls.

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Sabalenka put her hands out in a questioning motion before rolling her eyes when they weren't ready. After being given balls, which had to be rolled down the court from Siegemund's end, she tapped a few back, clearly seething with how the match was going.

Having been two breaks down, Sabalenka did get one of them back, but Siegemund's high level showed no signs of dropping and the 37-year-old claimed the first set in just under an hour.

"Siegemund has come out flying here. What an opening," two-time Grand Slam champion Tracey Austin said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "She is looking very calm and is playing with the perfect offensive balance. You never know what is coming next from Siegemund, I would hate to play her. She has you on a string when she is playing her best.

"Sabalenka needs to counter the slices from Siegemund and use them as an excuse to get to the net. That will be an advantage for the world number one.

"The chip return from Siegmund is also an opportunity for Sabalenka to get ahead of the point. Aryna has certainly been the most consistent player in the WTA this year."

Sabalenka's frustration was there for all to see during the first set. Her body language was negative and there were frequently annoyed gestures when a point didn't go her way, with a loud scream heard when she hit the net with a return in the final game of the set.

Former British No.1 Annabel Croft said: "It is really old fashioned, 80s style tennis from Siegemund. It is very intelligent and is outfoxing Sabalenka. Sabalenka normally walks tall around the court but she is looking a little deflated at the moment. She is trying not to get upset with herself, but you know she is bubbling under the surface."