Federer leaves another rival in a daze, Nadal in last eight
Serena Williams races into quarterfinals as Karolina Pliskova becomes last top10 seed to crash out
Champion Roger Federer’s pursuit of a record ninth Wimbledon title gathered momentum on Monday as he reached the quarter-finals with a 6-0, 7-5, 6-4 win over Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. Federer was in blinding form during the first set, which blazed by in 16 minutes, but after the Swiss missed four break points in the opening game of the second set, Mannarino made more of a match of it.
The world No 26 became the first man to reach break points against the 36-year-old at the All England Club this year, but failed to convert any of them as Federer made it to at least the last eight of the grasscourt major for the 16th time.
“I was surprised it was that fast, that first set, especially 16 minutes. That was too fast. Shouldn’t really happen but thankfully they do for me. I probably won’t have another 6-0 set this week, so I’ll enjoy this one.”
NADAL IN LAST EIGHT
World No 1 Rafael Nadal reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final since 2011 with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic. It will be 32-year-old Nadal’s 35th appearance in a Grand Slam quarter-final as he continues his bid to win an 18th major title.
Kei Nishikori overcame elbow trouble in the opening set to win a marathon match 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(10), 6-1 against a limping Ernests Gulbis and reach his first Wimbledon quarter-final at the 10th attempt.
Latvian qualifier Gulbis, a former world No 10 also looking for his first quarter-final at Wimbledon, gave as good as he got in a ding-dong battle over three sets before hurting his knee in the third-set tiebreak.
Japanese former world No 4 Nishikori, seeded 24th, was troubled by his right elbow during the first set which he lost after being broken in the fifth game.
Experienced American John Isner ended the run of Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time at the 10th attempt. The 33-year-old won 6-4, 7-6(8), 7-6(4) to set up a big-serving last eight clash against Canada’s Milos Raonic who overcame Isner’s compatriot Mackenzie McDonald.
SERENA ADVANCES
Serena Williams underlined her status as the Wimbledon title favourite with a 62-minute demolition of Russian qualifier Evgeniya Rodina, while Karolina Pliskova became the last top 10 seed to crash out on Monday.
Williams raced into her
13th Wimbledon quarter-final as the seven-time champion thrashed Rodina 6-2, 6-2 in a Centre Court masterclass.
Williams, who won the Wimbledon title on her last two visits in 2015 and 2016, is now on an 18-match winning streak at the All England Club. On Tuesday, the 36-year-old faces Italian world number 52 Camila Giorgi, who beat Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Kiki Bertens took care of the last of the top 10 with a 6-3, 7-6 (7/1) victory over Czech seventh seed Pliskova. It is the first time in Wimbledon history not one of the top 10 women’s seeds have reached the quarter-finals.
DIVIJ IN QUARTERS
Divij Sharan reached the Grand Slam quarter-finals for the first time in his career as he combined with Artem Sitak to stage yet another dramatic comeback after being down by two sets to defeat Jonathan Erlich and Marcin Matkowski. Sharan and New Zealand’s Sitak prevailed 1-6, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 over the Isralei-Polish combination after a gruelling men’s doubles third round which lasted three hours, fifty minutes.