At home, Murray reaches 10th straight quarterfinal
Defending champion Andy Murray reached a 10th successive Wimbledon quarterfinal Monday as fellow heavyweights Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic attempted to join him. Top seed Murray eased to a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-4 win over France’s Benoit Paire, who was trying to make the last eight for the first time at a tournament he once described as greatly “displeasing” him.
World number one Murray will face Sam Querrey, who he leads 7-1 in career meetings, for a place in the semifinals. “I thought I played well. Maybe a couple of sloppy service games in the first set but that was by far the best I’d hit the ball so far in the tournament. So I’m really pleased with that,” said Murray.
Only Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors (11 each) have reached more consecutive Wimbledon quarter-finals than Murray. The 30-year-old’s progress is particularly noteworthy as he came into the tournament nursing a hip injury. “Two weeks ago I was resting, I was also a little bit concerned. When you’re having issues a few days before a big event, it’s frustrating,” said Murray who has now made the last-eight in 24 of his last 26 appearances at the majors. “I’ve managed it well and I think I’ve played some good stuff. That was the best I’ve played so far in the tournament. I’m doing well so hopefully I keep it up,” he said.
Querrey, the US 24th seed who knocked out Novak Djokovic in 2016, made the quarter-finals for a second successive year with a 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-7 (13/11), 6-3 over unseeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
Lofty Croat Marin Cilic demolished Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 , doing the damage on distant Court 12 with his pounding serve and thumping forehand.
The 28-year-old seventh seed has reached the quarter-finals this year almost under the radar with straight-set victories over solid opponents Philipp Kohlschreiber, Florian Mayer and Steve Johnson, before downing Bautista Agut, who is ranked a healthy 19th in the world.
But the Spaniard looked way out of his depth against the 1.98m (6 ft 6 in) Cilic, who used every centimetre of his height on the fast surface to serve nine aces and whack 39 winners past his opponent, who stands 15 cm shorter. Cilic, a former US Open champion, clearly thrived out of the limelight on Court 12, wrapping up the match in a brisk one hour 40 minutes.
Czech 11th seed Tomas Berdych downed eighth-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria 6-3, 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday.
India’s struggles in Wimbledon 2017 continued as Sania Mirza, partnering Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens, lost to her former partner Martina Hingis and Chan Yung-Jan 2-6,4-6 in the fourth round of the women’s doubles encounter on Monday.
The Indo-Belgian duo, ranked No.13 in the tournament, were outpowered and outclassed by Hingis and Chan in a match that lasted just over an hour.
Berdych, the 2010 runner-up, will face either second-seeded three-time champion Novak Djokovic or French left-hander Adrian Mannarino for a place in the semi-finals.
Third seed Roger Federer of Switzerland defeated 13th seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to enter his 50th Grald Slam quarterfinals.
Seven-time Wimbledon champion Federer will face either Canada’s Milos Raonic, the sixth seed, or German 10th seed Alexander Zverev for a place in the semi-finals.