Federer, Serena in Wimbledon master class
Wozniacki bows out with stinging loss
Roger Federer extended his flawless winning streak at Wimbledon to 26 consecutive sets as the defending champion crushed Lukas Lacko, while Serena Williams powered to her 16th successive win in Wednesday’s second-round action.
While Federer and Serena strolled, Caroline Wozniacki suffered fresh Wimbledon woe as the world No.2 suffered a shock 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 defeat against Ekaterina Makarova.
Federer delivered a Center Court masterclass lasting 89 minutes as the Swiss star hit 48 winners and 16 aces in his 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 victory.
The 36-year-old is now on his joint second-longest streak of sets won at Wimbledon – his best was 34 between the third round in 2005 to the 2006 final.
Next up for Federer is a thirdround tie against German world No.64 Jan-Lennard Struff.
In his 20th Wimbledon appearance, top seed Federer, a 20time major winner, is bidding to become only the second player to claim nine singles titles at the All England Club after Martina Navratilova.
Federer wasn’t the only former champion in peak form on Center Court as seven-time winner Serena routed Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova 6-1, 6-4.
Serena brushed aside Tomova in just 66 minutes with 24 winners and four aces to extend her streak of consecutive match wins at the All England Club.
The 36-year-old, whose winning run encompasses her Wimbledon titles in 2015 and 2016, missed the grass-court Grand Slam last year while she prepared to give birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September.
Serena, seeded 25th after her return from maternity leave, faces France’s Kristina Mladenovic for a place in the last 16.
Wozniacki, plagued by an invasion of flying ants during the Court One clash, saved five match points but has now failed to get past the last 16 in 12 visits to the All England Club.
With flying ants stuck in Wozniacki’s hair and dive-bombing her throughout the match, the former world No.1 asked the umpire if there was something that could be sprayed to keep the bugs away.
“They’re in my mouth and in my hair and everywhere – we need to do something. Is there a spray?” she said.
“I want to be here to focus on tennis, not eating bugs.”
Five-time champion Venus Williams battled into the third round with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 win over Romanian qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru.
Venus reached her ninth Wimbledon final last year, but the American star was denied a sixth title by Garbine Muguruza.
Making her 21st Wimbledon appearance, 38-year-old Venus is the oldest woman in this year’s tournament.