Dimitrov no match for Federer
Konta through to quarter-finals, but top seed Kerber loses out to Muguruza
EVERGREEN Roger Federer kept his quest for a record eighth Wimbledon crown on track on Monday, dispatching Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 6-2 6-4 in a match-up of classic styles that had the purists purring.
The Bulgarian 13th seed, nicknamed “Baby Fed” when he was a junior on the basis of a single-handed backhand as silkily smooth as the Swiss master’s, looked sharp in the early exchanges.
It was close to mirror-image tennis as the two men exchanged searing groundstrokes, gliding to the Centre Court net when they saw an opening to dispatch clinical volleys.
But the difference between the greatest ever player on grass and the man who has struggled for years to emerge from his shadow told on the big points.
Third seed Federer, who missed the clay court season to better prepare for his favourite tournament, took a decisive lead in the ninth game, converting his third break point. The Swiss then served out the first set to love.
“(Dimitrov) did give me some opportunities ... but most important was for me to really focus on my game,” Federer told the BBC after the match. “I thought it was a terrific match and I didn’t expect it to go that easy for me.”
Now 26 and seeking his first win against Federer in six matches, Dimitrov sought to up the pace in the second set.
But as he did so the Bulgarian’s error count also rose, and he conceded the second set on a break of serve, punctuating a double fault with two forehands that flew long.
That pattern continued in the third set as another forehand error from Dimitrov handed Federer victory on his second match point in just over an hour and a half.
The Swiss faces Milos Raonic in tomorrow’s quarter-final.
Defending champion Andy Murray eased into the quarter-finals for the 10th successive year with a 7-6(1) 6-4 6-4 victory over Benoit Paire.
Murray was not at his best against Paire and his faltering serve was frequently exploited by the 46th-ranked Frenchman, who caused the Briton trouble without being able to inflict any lasting damage.
He broke Murray twice in a row in the first set, which ended up going to a tiebreak that the top seed won comfortably.
Murray, who came into the championships with a niggling hip injury, still seems occasionally uncomfortable and lacking his usual zip around court.
He had too much guile for Paire, however, and wrapped up his 26th successive win against French opposition in two hours and 21 minutes.
Johanna Konta became the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since Jo Durie in 1984 when she outlasted Caroline Garcia of France 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 in an evenly-matched baseline battle.
Konta had previously won only one match in five Wimbledon appearances. But after racking up her fourth in this tournament, she now finds herself facing Romanian second seed Simona Halep and, with the woman’s draw looking wide open, has an outside chance of becoming the first home champion since Virginia Wade 40 years ago.
The sixth seed, who spent her formative years in Australia before moving to play in Spain as a 14-year-old and then becoming British in 2012, put on an efficient display, albeit with a big wobble in the middle, to overcome a tenacious foe.
Konta was always on top in the first set despite having to take it via a tie break, when one amazing reaction forehand return to a Garcia smash had the sunbaked Number One court crowd roaring their appreciation.
Konta, famously controlled on court, did not get carried away with the success, however, and seemed equally calm when she lost five games in a row en route to Garcia taking the second set.
Her coach Wim Fissette has suggested she might try breaking out of her on-court “neutral zone” in a bid to take the next step in her career.
But the 26-year-old Konta seemed content to stay in her bubble and showed grafting and continuing to tick boxes,” Farah said.
“Initially I was going to try and fit a 1 500m race in between now and the World Championships, but this is my last race now.
“I’m going to Font Romeu tomorrow. I’ll just knuckle down.”
Farah had previously announced his plans of retiring from track events and focusing on marathons after the World Championships. – Reuters almost no reaction to success or failure or the crowd’s attempts to lift her.
She and Garcia play with a similar style, and there was little to differentiate them in the final set.
Serve dominated to such an extent that the first break point did not arrive until the 10th game, but when it did, Konta took full advantage as Garcia netted.
“It was such a tough match to play, she is in impressive form, it’s hard to get any rhythm when she’s serving so well and gets her first strike in,” Konta said.
“I was happy that I was able to get enough returns in that final game.”
Top seed Angelique Kerber was knocked out of the last-16 by Garbine Muguruza, ensuring she will lose her world number one ranking.
Muguruza’s 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory marked the ninth consecutive time Kerber has failed to beat a top-20 opponent. She last achieved that feat in 2016 and she has now been beaten by Muguruza in five straight matches.
Simona Halep could now take the world number one crown if she reaches the semifinals. Halep beat Victoria Azarenka to move into the quarters.
Should Halep fail to advance to the semis, then Czech Karolina Pliskova will take over at number one when next week’s rankings are announced.
But there was a bitter irony for Kerber who, despite being somewhat hampered by her left knee, produced her best display in months and yet bids farewell to Wimbledon and her status as the world’s best.
“I think we both played a good match but in the end it was just two points that decided the match,” said Kerber.
“Of course I’m disappointed that I lost, because I was really playing good.”
Yesterday's match was always destined to be close, pitting 2016 runner-up Kerber against her 2015 equivalent and there was little to choose between the pair in what was a high quality contest on Court Two.
Kerber broke to go 5-4 up in the first set when at the end of a fierce rally her Spanish opponent went wide and allowed the German to serve out, securing the set with an emphatic smash.
The second set was on-serve until, with Kerber serving at 5-4 down, the tall Muguruza, who had saved three break points in the set, broke to secure it with a fine crosscourt winner.
It was just reward for Muguruza’s attacking and positive play and was warmly appreciated by her coach, Conchita Martinez, the Wimbledon champion in 1994.
Kerber’s left knee, which she appeared to hurt in the first set, was reducing her pushoff on serve with the consequent impact on her speed, but the third set became a battle of nerves and stamina in the early afternoon heat.
The German broke in the first game and led 2-0 but both struggled to hold serve and it was soon 3-3 with two breaks each.
In an epic 10-minute game, Muguruza held for 4-3 with the crowd appreciating some hugely entertaining rallies between the determined pair.
“That definitely was an important game,” said the Spaniard.
Two games later Kerber dealt with two match-point threats, but Muguruza grabbed the third to book her place in the last eight.
She will next face Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova after the seventh seed beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-4 in the last 16.