Pliskova joins women’s top 10 casualty list
london — 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 quarterfinal as the seven-time champion thrashed Rodina 6-2, 6-2 in a Centre Court masterclass.
On Tuesday, the 36-year-old faces Italian World No. 52 Camila Giorgi, who beat Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam quarters.
Asked if it was a flawless display, Serena admitted she is never satisfied. “I’m a perfectionist. I always find something wrong,” she said.
Giorgi, 26, had failed to get past the third round of a major since the 2013 US Open. But the 26-yearold underdog isn’t ruling out an epic upset against Williams. “I don’t follow tennis, women’s tennis, but I think it will be a good match,” Giorgi said with a smile.
Garbine Muguruza, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens have all been eliminated already.
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 quarterfinals.
Bertens, who was contemplating retirement last year after losing her enthusiasm for the sport, is the first Dutch woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Michaella Krajicek in 2007.
The 26-year-old faces German 13th seed Julia Goerges, who beat Croatian world number 55 Donna Vekic 6-3, 6-2 to seal her first Grand Slam quarterfinal berth at the 42nd attempt.
Elsewhere Dominika Cibulkova beat Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei 6-4, 6-1. —