Federer, Nadal, Djoko into Wimbledon quarters
Defending champion Roger Federer outclassed France’s Adrian Mannarino to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals without dropping a set.
Federer, 36, won 6-0, 7-5, 6-4 against the 22nd seed on Centre Court, and has now won 32 consecutive sets at SW19, BBC Sport reported.
He will play South African eighth seed Kevin Anderson in the last eight today.
The top seed is bidding for a joint record ninth singles title to draw level with Martina Navratilova.
Federer served out the match with an ace out wide, winning in one hour and 45 minutes.
The Swiss is two sets short of his all-time record streak, which he set between the third round in 2005 and the final in 2006.
“I wouldn’t know that it happened in ‘05 and ‘06, I feel like these streaks just happen,” he said.
“I’m equally happy if I would have won all the matches in four sets. That it happened to be in straights, it helps me for to save energy for the rest of the tournament.”
Federer has won 81 consecutive games on serve at Wimbledon, and let Mannarino take just 17 points when receiving.
He has not dropped serve since Tomas Berdych took the eighth game of the first set in their semifinal last year.
“He could have won that second set and the match would have been different,” Federer told BBC Sport.
“I was glad to win the first set so easily, it meant I always had the lead in the bag.
“I knew he was better than the first set, he showed that. In the beginning he didn’t play well and I didn’t miss much.”
First in seven
World number one Rafael Nadal reached his first Wimbledon quarter- final since 2011 with a straight-sets win over unseeded Czech Jiri Vesely.
The second seed, 32, converted his third match point to win 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
The Spaniard is still on track to meet top seed Federer – on the 10th anniversary of their epic 2008 final – in Sunday’s men’s singles showpiece. The 17-time Grand Slam champion is playing his first tournament since winning an 11th French Open title last month after pulling out of Queen’s – a move that appears to be paying dividends.
Nadal looks refreshed and in peak condition both mentally and physically having not dropped a set on his way to the quarterfinals.
“It is an important moment for me. I’m happy to be where I am and playing well,” he told BBC Sport.
“They have been four positive matches, I haven’t played on grass for a year and I’m hoping to keep enjoying it.”
Solid Serb
Novak Djokovic is through to the quarterfinals for the 10th time in his career following victory over Russian Karen Khachanov.
The three-time champion made minor errors in the first set but managed to convert three break points on his way to a comfortable 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory.
There were flashes of brilliance from the Serb, who rarely looked troubled against the world number 40.
Djokovic – the 12th seed – will face Japan’s Kei Nishikori today.
Former US Open finalist Nishikori fought back to defeat world number 138 Ernests Gulbis 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (12-10), 6-1.
Nishikori – the 24th seed – was struggling with an arm injury when he lost the opening set but edged the second in a tiebreak after a medical timeout.
It is the first time Nishikori has progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon. Juventus president Andrea Agnelli flew to Greece on Tuesday to meet Cristiano Ronaldo and wrap up the €100 million (£88m/$117m) signing of the forward from Real Madrid.
The Portuguese star is set to join the Serie A champion on a four-year deal that will see him net €30 million (£26.5m/$35m) per season, after announcing his desire to leave Madrid after the Champions League final win over Liverpool in May, goal.com reported.
After months of speculation, the deal could be brought to an end this week, as Agnelli was spotted travelling from Pisa to Kalamata, where Ronaldo is on holiday following Portugal’s World Cup campaign.
While the Bianconeri chief meets with Ronaldo, the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is in talks with the European champions to negotiate his exit.
Madrid president Florentino Perez is said to be demanding that the five-time Ballon d’or winner appears at a press conference to announce his departure from the Santiago Bernabeu, and the club could demand Juve pay as much as €150 million (£132m/$175m).
Ronaldo is interested in enhancing his status in the world game by aiming to dominate another of Europe’s top leagues, having already won titles in England and Spain.
Furthermore, the attacker says he has always had an appreciation for Juve and came close to joining them from Sporting CP at the age of 18, only to see the deal fall through because Marcelo Salas, who was offered to the Portuguese team as part of the deal, rejected the move.
Former Juventus CEO Luciano Moggi said last week that he had been told the 33-year-old’s contract had already been signed and that the former Manchester United star had already passed a medical in Munich.
Rumors of the global icon joining the Turin outfit sent its stock prices soaring, leading to the club releasing a statement admitting that it is “evaluating several opportunities” in the transfer market.
The transfer will set a new club record signing for Juventus, overtaking its €90-million-acquisition of ex-madrid star Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli.
The pair will likely feature alongside each other once again in the Italian top flight – a possibility that has Higuain’s agent and brother excited already.
“It would be fantastic if he made a strike partnership with Gonzalo,” he told Sky Sport Italia recently. “They know each other so well, as they played about 80 games together.
“If Juve can do it, this will be fantastic, just spectacular.”