Higher-seeded foes fall, Williams moves through
WIMBLEDON, England — It’s Serena Williams … and everybody else.
The last of the women seeded in the top 10 was eliminated Monday, meaning the field heading into the quarterfinals consists of the 25th-seeded Williams and seven far-lesser-known players.
Williams, who has won Wimbledon seven times, is seeded so low because she’s nine months removed from having her first child. She had no problem Monday dispatching Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina 6-2, 6-2.
“I feel like I’m getting to where I want to be,” said Williams, in her fourth tournament since returning. “For me, there’s so much farther I want to go to get back to where I was, and hopefully go beyond that.”
With seventh-seeded Karolina Pliskova losing to Kiki Bertens, it marked the first time since Wimbledon introduced seedings in 1927 that none of the top eight seeded players advanced to the quarterfinals.
High prof ile
President Trump will embark on a four-day trip to the United Kingdom this week. There’s no indication that he will attend Wimbledon, but at least one player is lobbying for a visit.
“I’d love to have Trump come watch me,” American John Isner said. “That would be awesome. Maybe I’ll tweet at him if I win on Wednesday. I know a lot of people won’t like that, but I don’t care.”
Asked about that possibility, Williams didn’t seem too invested either way.
“If he wants to come to a Wimbledon final, he has that right,” she said. “I hope I’ll be there. I don’t know. I still have a lot of matches to win. For me, I can’t even think that far. I’m just thinking one at a time.” Speed demons
Two of the fastest servers in the game will face off in the quarterfinals when the 6foot-10 Isner plays Canada’s Milos Raonic.
Isner has the third-fastest serve ever recorded (157.2 mph), and Raonic is fifth at 155.3. Australia’s Sam Groth is atop that list at 163.4.
What’s more, Isner is second in aces per match this year with 19.7; Raonic is fifth at 16.4.
“It’s definitely not pleasant,” Raonic said when asked what it’s like facing an opponent with as big a serve as his own. “It’s not enjoyable. You can’t get any rhythm, these kind of things. But I’m aware [Isner] feels the same way. So I think we’re sort of both playing with the same type of fire. It’s about who can temper the other guy’s better.”
Round fore
With the British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland next week, there were several professional golfers watching tennis from the royal box. Among the guests were golfers Paul Casey, Thomas Bjorn, Ernie Els, Tyrrell Hatton, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood. Also watching from those prime seats were Ben Ainsle, the most successful sailor in Olympic history, English rowers Matthew Pinsent and Steve Redgrave and longtime tennis star Gabriela Sabatini.
Going deep
Mackenzie McDonald would have loved to reach the quarterfinals but was plenty pleased with his best advancement in a Grand Slam tournament. He lost in four sets Monday to Raonic.
“I’m just honored that I could do so well here this week,” said McDonald, 23, a former NCAA singles and doubles champion at UCLA. “It’s really a dream come true. I hope it’s just a start.”
It was McDonald’s third appearance in a major championship after he lost in the first round of the 2016 U.S. Open and the second round of this year’s Australian Open. This time, he made it to the second week.
“Sunday was really cool,” he said. “I haven’t obviously experienced that … and it was nice just to have a relaxing day.”