The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Nadal advances, moves closer to top ranking
Rafael Nadal is on his way to the fourth round at Wimbledon, and he’s three matches away from taking over as the No. 1 player in the world.
LONDON » Rafael Nadal is on his way to the fourth round at Wimbledon, and he’s three matches away from taking over as the No. 1 player in the world.
Nadal beat Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (3) Friday on Centre Court. If he reaches the final at the All England Club, the two-time Wimbledon champion will take over from Andy Murray as the top-ranked player in the world.
“First set and a half, I think, was very, very well. Very happy (with) the way that I played,” Nadal said in a television interview after walking off court. “Then it was a little bit tougher. I think I stopped a little bit with the legs and he started to hit stronger, but he’s still a tough opponent and it’s impossible to win easy.”
Defending champion Andy Murray also had a tough opponent, but he came through a difficult fourth set to beat Fabio Fognini 6-2, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.
Fognini led 5-2 in the fourth set and had five set points, but Murray won the final five games to reach the fourth round.
“When you’re playing a guy who has all the shots like him, it’s difficult,” Murray said. “He generates power with very short swings. It’s difficult to see when he’s going to hit the ball big and he was taking me out of my rhythm.”
Nadal was playing in front of several sports stars seated in the Royal Box, including David Beckham. Sergio Garcia, the Spanish golfer who was wearing his green Masters jacket, was also there.
“He’s having an amazing season, especially with that victory, amazing victory in the Masters,” Nadal said. “So, just great to see him and thanks for coming.”
Nadal is having a pretty good season, too. He reached the Australian Open final, losing to Roger Federer, and won the French Open. The title at Roland Garros was his 10th at the clay-court major.
On Monday, Nadal will face Gilles Muller in the fourth round. Muller beat Nadal at the All England Club in 2005, but the Spaniard got one back in 2011. That was the last time Nadal got past the fourth round at Wimbledon, reaching the final but losing to Novak Djokovic.
“He’s a specialist on grass,” Nadal said of Muller. “Probably his best surface, without a doubt.”
Murray will next face Benoit Paire. The Frenchman beat Jerzy Janowicz 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Accident update
Fort Lauderdale, Florida police say video shows tennis star Venus Williams legally entered an intersection seconds before she drove into the path another car, resulting in a fatal accident.
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, police released video Friday of the June 9 crash. It was taken by a security camera at the exit to Williams’ neighborhood.
It shows Williams headed north stopping her SUV behind a car at a red light. Williams goes straight when the light turns green, but a car turning left cuts her off. She briefly stops.
She then moves into the westbound lanes where she is struck by a car driven by Linda Barson, who then had a green light. Barson’s 78-year-old husband Jerome Barson died June 23 from injuries suffered in the crash.