Marathon ‘Manic Monday’ madness!
Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller outlasts Rafael Nadal in almost five-hour epic at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon chiefs in sexism row over scheduling.
Angelique Kerber crashed out of Wimbledon and lost her hold on the world No 1 ranking, while fivetime champion Venus Williams became the oldest All England Club quarterfinalist in 23 years yesterday.
Amid a scheduling row that saw accusations of sexism aimed at Wimbledon chiefs after they put just two women’s matches on the main show-courts, Williams wasn’t the only star savouring a historic last-16 triumph.
Johanna Konta, the bookmakers’ favourite, became the first British woman to reach the quarterfinals since Jo Durie in 1984.
Kerber was beaten 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Spanish 14th seed Garbine Muguruza as the German’s fourthround exit extended a miserable run for last year’s Wimbledon runner-up.
The 29-year-old, who lost to Serena Williams in the final 12 months ago, has failed to make the last eight at any of this year’s three Grand Slams.
Kerber, who had taken the top ranking from Serena in March, will be replaced by either Karolina Pliskova or Simona Halep.
Halep, the Romanian world No 2, defeated Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 and will be guaranteed top spot if she beats Konta.
If Halep, a two-time French Open runner-up, loses to the Briton, then Czech world No 3 Pliskova will be the new No 1 despite losing in the second round.
Muguruza, the 2015 Wimbledon runner-up, now plays Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova for a place in the semifinals.
Kuznetsova, 32, reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal in 10 years with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
Williams didn’t hang around as she crushed 19-year-old Croatian Ana Konjuh 6-3, 6-2 in 64 minutes.
Williams plays French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the semifinals.
Ostapenko advanced to her first Wimbledon quarter-final after finally converting her eighth match point to defeat Ukrainian world No 5 Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) on tiny Court 12.
World No 7 Konta defeated France’s Caroline Garcia 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-4 on Court One. –