Federer, Serena aim to advance
Stars expecting to maintain form on Manic Monday
Roger Federer and Serena Williams will be expected to maintain their flawless progress at Wimbledon as the title favorites head into the fourth round looking to survive the tournament’s giant-killing carnage on Monday.
Federer has been in imperious mood in pursuit of his ninth Wimbledon crown, while Williams is rounding into form just as the seven-time champion’s rivals have collapsed all around her. The status quo has been challenged like never before in the women’s singles, with nine of the top 10 seeds crashing out before the Wimbledon last 16 for the first time in the Open area.
In the men’s draw, third seed Marin Cilic, fourth seed Alexander Zverev and sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov have all fallen. But it’s business as usual for Federer as the defending champion took his consecutive sets won at Wimbledon to 29 in a third-round dismissal of Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
Next, the Swiss star faces French 22nd seed Adrian Mannarino for a place in the quarterfinals.
World No.2 Federer, eyeing a 21st Grand Slam title, has won all five of his previous meetings with Mannarino, a 30-year-old journeyman who has never been past the last 16 at a major.
Although Federer is approaching peak form, he knows world No.1 Rafael Nadal – yet to drop a set in his first three matches – and three-time Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic – playing his way back to his best in the week – are lurking as potential final opponents.
French Open champion Nadal, bidding for a first Wimbledon title since 2010, plays Czech world No.93 Jiri Vesely, while Djokovic takes on Russian world No.40 Karen Khachanov.
“In the past it has made me nervous when I’ve seen bigger guys go out,” Federer said. “I feel like, ‘OK, it’s me next time.’ I didn’t feel the effect this time.”
Federer’s tie is one of 16 fourth-round matches across the men’s and women’s events in a frenetic day of action at the All England Club.
With the draw opening up in her favor, Williams is widely expected to make history with a first Grand Slam title since the birth of her daughter Olympia in September last year.
A series of unexpected results have seen Garbine Muguruza, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova, Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki all eliminated. The 36-yearold faces Russian qualifier – and fellow mother – Evgeniya Rodina in the last 16.
Having missed Wimbledon last year due to her pregnancy, Serena is on a 17-match winning streak at the All England Club. It is a remarkable record sure to alarm her opponents, but Williams, seeded 25th after her maternity leave, admits that fear factor can be a doubleedged sword.
“Yeah, there’s definitely that aura, that kind of thing of playing Serena,” she said. “Every single match I play, whether I’m coming back from a baby or surgery, it doesn’t matter. These young ladies, they bring a game that I’ve never seen before... That’s what makes me great: I always play everyone at their greatest, so I have to be greater.”
Karolina Pliskova, the seventh seed, is the only top-10 player remaining, but she has never won a major title.
The Czech faces Dutch 20th seed Kiki Bertens, who stunned five-time Wimbledon winner Venus in the third round.