Heavyweights brace for ‘Manic Monday’
London, July 9: For the first time since 2011, the top four men’s seeds have reached the Wimbledon last-16 with Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal taking centre-stage on ‘Manic Monday’.
The four stars have shared the Wimbledon title since 2003 when Federer won the first of his seven trophies at the All England Club.
Djokovic has claimed three with defending champion Murray and Nadal winning two apiece.
It’s the kind of domination that looks unlikely to end on Monday when the fourth round takes place.
Murray, who has battled hip pain, is the only one of the ‘Big Four’ to have dropped a set in the first week.
He faces unpredictable Frenchman Benoit Paire who is in the last-16 for the first time.
Djokovic takes a 1-0 career edge over unseeded Adrian Mannarino of France into his last-16 clash, with that win coming at Wimbledon in straight sets in the second round last year.
Federer bidding for a record eighth Wimbledon title, which would also make him the oldest champion at the All England Club, faces Grigor Dimitrov boasting a 5-0 record over the man once tipped as his natural heir.
Federer is playing in the fourth round for the 15th time.
Nadal, fresh from a 10th French Open title, faces fellow left-hander Gilles Muller, who is looking to make the quarter-finals for the first time in seven years.
SANIA ADVANCES
Capping off a great day for India, Sania Mirza advanced to the third round of both the women’s and mixed doubles events, while Rohan Bopanna and Purav Raja also won their respective mixed doubles matches on Saturday night.
Sania and Croatia’s Ivan Dodig, who are seeded fourth, needed an hour and 18 minutes to see off the Japanese duo of Yusuke Watanuki and Makoto Ninomiya 7-6 (5), 6-2 to enter the mixed doubles third round.
In the women’s doubles event, Sania and her Belgian partner Kirsten Flipkens beat the British pair of Naomi Broady and Heather Watson 63, 3-6, 6-4.
Partnering Japan’s Eri Hozumi, Raja carved out a win in his first round mixed doubles match over the AmericanCzech pair of James Cerretani and Renata Voracava 5-7, 6-4, 62.
A month after winning the French Open, Rohan Bopanna and Gabriela Dabrowski continued their winning run in mixed doubles. The 10th seeded Indo-Canadian duo eked out a 7-6 (2), 7-5 victory over the French-Romanian combine of Fabrice Martin and Raluca Olaru for a place in the third round. —