Reigning champion Andy Murray, fresh from capturing his second Wimbledon title earlier this month, has withdrawn from next week&#39;s Toronto Masters, Tennis Canada announced today. 
 
Murray, the world number two, said his body simply needs more rest after his grass-court championship run. 
 
&quot;My body needs some recovery time after reaching the latter stages of tournaments over the past few months,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;I&#39;m sorry to my fans in Toronto but I look forward to being back in Canada next year.&quot; 
 
The three-time Toronto winner, who also won Grand Slam titles in 2012 at the US Open and 2013 at Wimbledon, had not missed the event since his 2006 debut. 
 
&quot;Certainly we are disappointed,&quot; tournament director Karl Hale said. &quot;Andy is one of the very top players in the world and a fan favourite. He will be missed but we wish him continued success.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

The Scottish tennis star said his body needs rest after reaching the latter stages of tournaments over the past few months

Reigning champion Andy Murray, fresh from capturing his second Wimbledon title earlier this month, has withdrawn from next week's Toronto Masters, Tennis Canada announced today. Murray, the world number two, said his body simply needs more rest after his grass-court championship run. "My body needs some recovery time after reaching the latter stages of tournaments over the past few months," he said. "I'm sorry to my fans in Toronto but I look forward to being back in Canada next year." The three-time Toronto winner, who also won Grand Slam titles in 2012 at the US Open and 2013 at Wimbledon, had not missed the event since his 2006 debut. "Certainly we are disappointed," tournament director Karl Hale said. "Andy is one of the very top players in the world and a fan favourite. He will be missed but we wish him continued success." (AFP)

Andy Murray pulls out of Toronto masters

World number two Andy Murray has set his sights on overtaking Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings after capturing his second Wimbledon crown on Sunday. 
 
Murray, who reunited with coach Ivan Lendl last month, has reached the finals of his last five tournaments, winning in Rome and at Queen&#39;s Club before beating Milos Raonic in straight sets to end a 36-month hunt for a third grand slam title. 
 
Murray&#39;s triumph and Djokovic&#39;s third-round loss means 4845 ATP ranking points now separate them. 
 
&quot;I would love to get to number one, for sure, and the way to do that is to show up every week and be focused on that event,&quot; Murray told British media. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s definitely a goal. It&#39;s something I spoke to my team about, something I chatted to Ivan about. 
 
&quot;This has been a great tournament for me but, if I want to win a few slams over the next few years, I am going to have to get better. I know that he (Djokovic) will come back strong from this because of the player he is.&quot; 
 
Djokovic arrived in London as the holder of all four grand slams and the Serb had not been beaten on the big stage since losing to Switzerland&#39;s Stan Wawrinka in the 2015 French Open final. 
 
&quot;Novak is still clearly number one in the world right now. He is not just going to go away because he has had one bad tournament. You can&#39;t forget what he has done in the last 18 months or so - it has been incredible,&quot; Murray added. 
 
(Reuters)

'I would love to get to number one, and the way to do that is to show up every week and be focused on that event,' Murray said

World number two Andy Murray has set his sights on overtaking Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings after capturing his second Wimbledon crown on Sunday. Murray, who reunited with coach Ivan Lendl last month, has reached the finals of his last five tournaments, winning in Rome and at Queen's Club before beating Milos Raonic in straight sets to end a 36-month hunt for a third grand slam title. Murray's triumph and Djokovic's third-round loss means 4845 ATP ranking points now separate them. "I would love to get to number one, for sure, and the way to do that is to show up every week and be focused on that event," Murray told British media. "It's definitely a goal. It's something I spoke to my team about, something I chatted to Ivan about. "This has been a great tournament for me but, if I want to win a few slams over the next few years, I am going to have to get better. I know that he (Djokovic) will come back strong from this because of the player he is." Djokovic arrived in London as the holder of all four grand slams and the Serb had not been beaten on the big stage since losing to Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka in the 2015 French Open final. "Novak is still clearly number one in the world right now. He is not just going to go away because he has had one bad tournament. You can't forget what he has done in the last 18 months or so - it has been incredible," Murray added. (Reuters)

Murray eyes top ranking after Wimbledon triumph

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray says he is unlikely to play in Britain&#39;s Davis Cup quarter-final clash in Serbia this weekend but could travel to Belgrade in support of the team. 
 
Murray, who beat Canadian powerhouse Milos Raonic on Sunday to take his second Wimbledon title, almost single-handedly led Britain to their first Davis Cup triumph since 1936 in last November. 
 
The squad, captained by Leon Smith, also includes Murray&#39;s brother and doubles world number one Jamie, 68th ranked Kyle Edmund, Daniel Evans and doubles specialist Dominic Inglot. 
 
&quot;I spoke to Leon last night at the champions dinner briefly. I&#39;m going to call him after this,&#39; Murray told the BBC today. 
 
&quot;I would say it&#39;s looking unlikely, but even if I don&#39;t play I&#39;m still probably going to go anyway just to be there with the team. But I&#39;m going to speak to him (Leon) this afternoon. He was flying there this morning.&quot; 
 
Murray, who reunited with coach Ivan Lendl last month, is also committed to playing at the 2016 Rio Olympics next month, where he will be the defending champion. 
 
Serbia&#39;s world number one Novak Djokovic is also set to miss the Davis Cup tie after saying he needed to rest following his shock defeat by American Sam Querrey at the All England Club. 
 
(Reuters)

Andy Murray almost single-handedly led Britain to their first Davis Cup triumph since 1936 in last November

Wimbledon champion Andy Murray says he is unlikely to play in Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final clash in Serbia this weekend but could travel to Belgrade in support of the team. Murray, who beat Canadian powerhouse Milos Raonic on Sunday to take his second Wimbledon title, almost single-handedly led Britain to their first Davis Cup triumph since 1936 in last November. The squad, captained by Leon Smith, also includes Murray's brother and doubles world number one Jamie, 68th ranked Kyle Edmund, Daniel Evans and doubles specialist Dominic Inglot. "I spoke to Leon last night at the champions dinner briefly. I'm going to call him after this,' Murray told the BBC today. "I would say it's looking unlikely, but even if I don't play I'm still probably going to go anyway just to be there with the team. But I'm going to speak to him (Leon) this afternoon. He was flying there this morning." Murray, who reunited with coach Ivan Lendl last month, is also committed to playing at the 2016 Rio Olympics next month, where he will be the defending champion. Serbia's world number one Novak Djokovic is also set to miss the Davis Cup tie after saying he needed to rest following his shock defeat by American Sam Querrey at the All England Club. (Reuters)

Murray likely to miss Britain's Davis Cup quarter-final

Cometh the hour, cometh the man -- Andy Murray proved himself the bastion of British tennis once again as he outclassed Canadian powerhouse Milos Raonic to claim a second Wimbledon title in masterful fashion on Sunday. 
 
Three years after a nation held its breath, more in hope than expectation, as Murray took on and defeated ironman Novak Djokovic to end 77 years of pain, the 29-year-old delivered another command performance, winning 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2). 
 
It was more comfortable than the scoreline suggested as a razor-sharp Murray dictated play from start to finish. 
 
He committed a miserly 12 unforced errors, blunted the 140mph first serves whizzing his way and even reduced the normally Zen-like Raonic to venting his frustration. 
 
The near hysteria of 2013 turned to expectation this time as defending champion Djokovic, Murray`s bogeyman who beat him in this year`s Australian and French Open finals, lost early. 
 
It left the door open for Murray and when sixth seed Raonic knocked out seven-times champion Roger Federer to scupper hopes of a dream finale, many appeared to take for granted that the Scot would be hugging the Challenge Cup again before he walked on Centre Court to contest his 11th grand slam final. 
 
Understandably so, seeing as he had started the previous 10, all against Djokovic and Federer, as underdog. 
 
That created its own pressure but Murray hid it well in a near-faultless two hours 48 minutes in the Centre Court sunshine as he added a second Wimbledon crown to his 2012 U.S. Open title and gold medal from the London Olympics. 
 
He is expected to head to Serbia next week for a Davis Cup quarter-final, having almost single-handedly won the trophy for Britain last year. Then it`s on to Rio to defend his Olympic crown. 
 
No wonder the player once regarded as a surly teenager with bad hair is now a British sporting icon. 
 
Delirious Murray 
When Raonic shoved a backhand into the net to end the contest, a delirious Murray roared to the sky before bursting into tears as his latest achievement sunk in. 
 
&quot;I feel happier this time. I feel like this was sort of more for myself,&quot; Murray, who became a father in February with wife Kim, who watched from the front row of his box, told reporters. 
 
&quot;The last time it was just pure relief and I didn`t really enjoy the moment as much. 
 
&quot;I`m going to make sure I enjoy this one more.&quot; 
 
For Raonic, who had been hoping to become Canada`s first grand slam singles champion, there were no regrets. 
 
He knew he had been beaten by the better player, although there was much in his grand slam final debut to admire. 
 
&quot;This one is going to sting so I`m going to make sure that as long as these courts are green I`ll do everything I can to be back here for another chance,&quot; the 25-year-old said on court. 
 
&quot;Andy has been playing great and he deserves to be winning here for the second time. 
 
&quot;I was keeping up with him. But when it counted, I wasn`t able to get on top.&quot; 
 
Final showdown 
The final was billed as a showdown between one of the world`s biggest servers and arguably the best returner. 
 
Raonic did blast one down at 147mph, the fastest delivery of the tournament, but the free points he usually enjoys were missing as Murray sent the ball hurtling back time and again. 
 
Murray only broke serve once but always seemed in control as the Canadian struggled to apply any sustained pressure. 
 
The first chink in Raonic`s armour came in the seventh game when Murray went 15-40 ahead. The Scot just missed with one attempted pass but converted his second break point when a powerful forehand forced a Raonic volley error. 
 
Murray had break points in the first, seventh and ninth games of the second set as he tightened his grip, but Raonic was cool under pressure and took it to a tiebreak. 
 
Upping the ante, Murray found another gear to move two sets clear and within sight of victory. 
 
The match was more than two hours old when Raonic finally had two break points at 2-2 in the third set, but Murray saved both to hold -- gesticulating wildly towards his coach Ivan Lendl who sat impassively throughout the match. 
 
Raonic held to stay alive at 4-5 and 5-6 but rock solid Murray was relentless, winning the first five points of the day`s second tiebreak and wrapping it up without any drama. 
 
(Reuters)

He delivers another command performance, beats the big-serving Canadian Milos Ranonic with a clinical 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2)

Cometh the hour, cometh the man -- Andy Murray proved himself the bastion of British tennis once again as he outclassed Canadian powerhouse Milos Raonic to claim a second Wimbledon title in masterful fashion on Sunday. Three years after a nation held its breath, more in hope than expectation, as Murray took on and defeated ironman Novak Djokovic to end 77 years of pain, the 29-year-old delivered another command performance, winning 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2). It was more comfortable than the scoreline suggested as a razor-sharp Murray dictated play from start to finish. He committed a miserly 12 unforced errors, blunted the 140mph first serves whizzing his way and even reduced the normally Zen-like Raonic to venting his frustration. The near hysteria of 2013 turned to expectation this time as defending champion Djokovic, Murray`s bogeyman who beat him in this year`s Australian and French Open finals, lost early. It left the door open for Murray and when sixth seed Raonic knocked out seven-times champion Roger Federer to scupper hopes of a dream finale, many appeared to take for granted that the Scot would be hugging the Challenge Cup again before he walked on Centre Court to contest his 11th grand slam final. Understandably so, seeing as he had started the previous 10, all against Djokovic and Federer, as underdog. That created its own pressure but Murray hid it well in a near-faultless two hours 48 minutes in the Centre Court sunshine as he added a second Wimbledon crown to his 2012 U.S. Open title and gold medal from the London Olympics. He is expected to head to Serbia next week for a Davis Cup quarter-final, having almost single-handedly won the trophy for Britain last year. Then it`s on to Rio to defend his Olympic crown. No wonder the player once regarded as a surly teenager with bad hair is now a British sporting icon. Delirious Murray When Raonic shoved a backhand into the net to end the contest, a delirious Murray roared to the sky before bursting into tears as his latest achievement sunk in. "I feel happier this time. I feel like this was sort of more for myself," Murray, who became a father in February with wife Kim, who watched from the front row of his box, told reporters. "The last time it was just pure relief and I didn`t really enjoy the moment as much. "I`m going to make sure I enjoy this one more." For Raonic, who had been hoping to become Canada`s first grand slam singles champion, there were no regrets. He knew he had been beaten by the better player, although there was much in his grand slam final debut to admire. "This one is going to sting so I`m going to make sure that as long as these courts are green I`ll do everything I can to be back here for another chance," the 25-year-old said on court. "Andy has been playing great and he deserves to be winning here for the second time. "I was keeping up with him. But when it counted, I wasn`t able to get on top." Final showdown The final was billed as a showdown between one of the world`s biggest servers and arguably the best returner. Raonic did blast one down at 147mph, the fastest delivery of the tournament, but the free points he usually enjoys were missing as Murray sent the ball hurtling back time and again. Murray only broke serve once but always seemed in control as the Canadian struggled to apply any sustained pressure. The first chink in Raonic`s armour came in the seventh game when Murray went 15-40 ahead. The Scot just missed with one attempted pass but converted his second break point when a powerful forehand forced a Raonic volley error. Murray had break points in the first, seventh and ninth games of the second set as he tightened his grip, but Raonic was cool under pressure and took it to a tiebreak. Upping the ante, Murray found another gear to move two sets clear and within sight of victory. The match was more than two hours old when Raonic finally had two break points at 2-2 in the third set, but Murray saved both to hold -- gesticulating wildly towards his coach Ivan Lendl who sat impassively throughout the match. Raonic held to stay alive at 4-5 and 5-6 but rock solid Murray was relentless, winning the first five points of the day`s second tiebreak and wrapping it up without any drama. (Reuters)

Andy does it again, wins Wimbledon a second time

What started as a social media joke seems to hold some special powers - #thelendleffect is working. 
 
It began after world number two Andy Murray rehired his old coach Ivan Lendl last month, and immediately began a nine-match winning streak on grass to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals. 
 
The return of the Czech eight-times grand slam champion prompted much talk from pundits about the quick impact on Murray&#39;s game after their relationship the first time round netted the Scot the 2012 Olympic gold, the 2012 US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon title. 
 
Murray&#39;s brother Jamie, ranked doubles number one, quipped on Twitter: &quot;Just ordered my Thai takeaway decisively with the minimum of fuss. #thelendleffect.&quot; 
 
Doubles partner Bruno Soares picked up the theme: &quot;Feel like I&#39;m playing better already because Lendl is back with Andy, that&#39;s Jamie`s brother, that is my partner. #thelendleffect.&quot; 
 
Vesnina who plays mixed doubles with Soares replied back in June: &quot;Bruno, so logically, I should be the next who will be under #thelendleffect.&quot; 
 
And so it came to pass as she beat 19th seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 6-2 to Tuesday set up a semi-final showdown with world number one Serena Williams. 
 
&quot;You see, I have it now. I need to speak about that with Bruno ... That&#39;s definitely the Lendl effect,&quot; she told reporters, laughing. 
 
&quot;I am in the semi-final of Wimbledon. There is something in it.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Tennis players took to the social media hashtag after Andy Murray started his winning run since rehiring his old coach, Ivan Lendl

What started as a social media joke seems to hold some special powers - #thelendleffect is working. It began after world number two Andy Murray rehired his old coach Ivan Lendl last month, and immediately began a nine-match winning streak on grass to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals. The return of the Czech eight-times grand slam champion prompted much talk from pundits about the quick impact on Murray's game after their relationship the first time round netted the Scot the 2012 Olympic gold, the 2012 US Open and the 2013 Wimbledon title. Murray's brother Jamie, ranked doubles number one, quipped on Twitter: "Just ordered my Thai takeaway decisively with the minimum of fuss. #thelendleffect." Doubles partner Bruno Soares picked up the theme: "Feel like I'm playing better already because Lendl is back with Andy, that's Jamie`s brother, that is my partner. #thelendleffect." Vesnina who plays mixed doubles with Soares replied back in June: "Bruno, so logically, I should be the next who will be under #thelendleffect." And so it came to pass as she beat 19th seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 6-2 to Tuesday set up a semi-final showdown with world number one Serena Williams. "You see, I have it now. I need to speak about that with Bruno ... That's definitely the Lendl effect," she told reporters, laughing. "I am in the semi-final of Wimbledon. There is something in it." (Reuters)

This Wimbledon, everyone's feeling the magic of #thelendleffect

Second seed Andy Murray survived a ferocious Jo-Wilfried Tsonga fightback to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the seventh time, winning Wednesday&#39;s second Centre Court blockbuster by 7-6(10) 6-1 3-6 4-6 6-1. 
 
After Roger Federer&#39;s miraculous earlier escape act against Marin Cilic, when he recovered from two sets down to win,12th seeded Frenchman Tsonga threatened something equally improbable as dusk settled at the All England Club. 
 
When the maverick Frenchman blazed away, firing winners from here, there and everywhere, to take the third and fourth sets Murray was wobbling. The crowd could barely believe their eyes. 
 
But just when the match appeared to be spiralling out of control for the agitated Scot, the 2013 champion rediscovered his early authority to dominate the decider and set up a semi-final with Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych. 
 
&quot;It was a tough match. At the end of the fourth set it was really tough,&quot; Murray, who had not dropped a set to reach the quarter-finals, said in a courtside interview. 
 
&quot;To lose that set 6-4 was hard but I tried to use all my energy at the start of the fifth to get myself pumped up, and the crowd, and thankfully got the break and managed to hang on.&quot; 
 
After the memorable Federer exploits there was a danger that Murray&#39;s match against Tsonga might prove a mere footnote. 
 
Those fears vanished in a high-quality opening set in which Murray was dragged into an epic 22-point tiebreak despite forging ahead with an early break of serve. 
 
Tsonga had lost both of his previous Wimbledon clashes with Murray and was on an eight-set losing streak against the Scot, but he showed no inferiority complex. 
 
He ended a scintillating 20-stroke rally with a volley to move 6-4 ahead in the breaker, but Murray replied with an ace and devilish service return to set up a routine pass. 
 
Tsonga spurned a third set point when skewing a backhand wide off a Murray second serve. 
 
Magic Moment 
 
He was made to pay as Murray produced a moment of magic to run down a drop shot and punch a backhand pass which the diving Tsonga netted at 10-10, the Scot roaring to the crowd and pumping his fist in defiance. 
 
The second seed then claimed the opening set with a volley into an open court on his fourth set point. 
 
Rock solid Murray was buoyant and the spirit ebbed away from Tsonga in a one-sided second set. 
 
But the 31-year-old Frenchman roared back with some audacious attacking tennis and Briton Murray, for the first time in a tournament that had been stress-free before, looked flummoxed. 
 
Murray, hot favourite after champion Novak Djokovic&#39;s third-round demise, lost concentration in the third set and Tsonga capitalised to extend the contest. 
 
Murray led 4-2 in the fourth before Tsonga, winners flowing from his racket, reeled off four games in a row to send the match into a decider. 
 
Tsonga had a break point at the start of the fifth as Murray shovelled a forehand into the net, but he slipped mid-rally and Murray snuffed out the danger. 
 
The Briton broke in the next game and never looked back as he racked up his 100th Tour level match on grass - second only amongst active players to seven-times champion Federer who could await in Sunday&#39;s final. 
 
(Reuters)

Andy Murray reached his seventh Wimbeldon semi-final and will play against Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych

Second seed Andy Murray survived a ferocious Jo-Wilfried Tsonga fightback to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the seventh time, winning Wednesday's second Centre Court blockbuster by 7-6(10) 6-1 3-6 4-6 6-1. After Roger Federer's miraculous earlier escape act against Marin Cilic, when he recovered from two sets down to win,12th seeded Frenchman Tsonga threatened something equally improbable as dusk settled at the All England Club. When the maverick Frenchman blazed away, firing winners from here, there and everywhere, to take the third and fourth sets Murray was wobbling. The crowd could barely believe their eyes. But just when the match appeared to be spiralling out of control for the agitated Scot, the 2013 champion rediscovered his early authority to dominate the decider and set up a semi-final with Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych. "It was a tough match. At the end of the fourth set it was really tough," Murray, who had not dropped a set to reach the quarter-finals, said in a courtside interview. "To lose that set 6-4 was hard but I tried to use all my energy at the start of the fifth to get myself pumped up, and the crowd, and thankfully got the break and managed to hang on." After the memorable Federer exploits there was a danger that Murray's match against Tsonga might prove a mere footnote. Those fears vanished in a high-quality opening set in which Murray was dragged into an epic 22-point tiebreak despite forging ahead with an early break of serve. Tsonga had lost both of his previous Wimbledon clashes with Murray and was on an eight-set losing streak against the Scot, but he showed no inferiority complex. He ended a scintillating 20-stroke rally with a volley to move 6-4 ahead in the breaker, but Murray replied with an ace and devilish service return to set up a routine pass. Tsonga spurned a third set point when skewing a backhand wide off a Murray second serve. Magic Moment He was made to pay as Murray produced a moment of magic to run down a drop shot and punch a backhand pass which the diving Tsonga netted at 10-10, the Scot roaring to the crowd and pumping his fist in defiance. The second seed then claimed the opening set with a volley into an open court on his fourth set point. Rock solid Murray was buoyant and the spirit ebbed away from Tsonga in a one-sided second set. But the 31-year-old Frenchman roared back with some audacious attacking tennis and Briton Murray, for the first time in a tournament that had been stress-free before, looked flummoxed. Murray, hot favourite after champion Novak Djokovic's third-round demise, lost concentration in the third set and Tsonga capitalised to extend the contest. Murray led 4-2 in the fourth before Tsonga, winners flowing from his racket, reeled off four games in a row to send the match into a decider. Tsonga had a break point at the start of the fifth as Murray shovelled a forehand into the net, but he slipped mid-rally and Murray snuffed out the danger. The Briton broke in the next game and never looked back as he racked up his 100th Tour level match on grass - second only amongst active players to seven-times champion Federer who could await in Sunday's final. (Reuters)

Murray survives Tsonga comeback to reach semis

Andy Murray racked up his 50th Wimbledon match win while Roger Federer reached the quarter-finals for the 14th time on Monday as the pair edged closer to a dream title match. 
 
Second seed Murray, the 2013 champion, eased to a 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 win over fiery Australian Nick Kyrgios and will face French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the semi-finals. 
 
Murray leads Tsonga 12-2 in previous meetings. 
 
Federer, meanwhile, went equal with Jimmy Connors&#39; mark of 14 quarter-finals at Wimbledon and tied Martina Navratilova&#39;s all-time Slam record of 306 match wins by seeing off Steve Johnson of the United States 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. 
 
Kyrgios, the 15th seed who defeated Rafael Nadal at the tournament in 2014, did not force a break point on Murray&#39;s serve as he slipped to his fifth loss in five meetings against the world number two. 
 
He did manage to save two match points in the ninth game of the third set but was powerless to prevent Murray taking victory with an eighth ace of the contest. 
 
&quot;The first set was very tight. I managed to get the break at 6-5 but it was very tight up to that point,&quot; explained Murray. 
 
&quot;The second set was obviously more comfortable. Nick lost his focus a bit in the middle part of that set.&quot; 
 
Kyrgios condemned his own performance. 
 
&quot;The first set was OK but after that it was pathetic,&quot; said the 21-year-old in a typically surly post-match press conference. 
 
Federer eyes revenge 
 
Seven-time champion Federer, the third seed, will take on Croatia&#39;s Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals. 
 
Cilic, the ninth seeded Croat, progressed to his third successive Wimbledon quarter-final when Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori pulled out of their last-16 clash with a rib injury. 
 
Federer has a 5-1 record over Cilic but the big-server stunned the 17-time major champion in the US Open semi-finals in 2014 on his way to his maiden Grand Slam title. 
 
&quot;He blew me off the court in the US Open a few years ago and I hope to get him back,&quot; said Federer. 
 
Johnson, playing in his first fourth round at a Slam, was comprehensively out-played in the first two sets. 
 
He rallied to break the 34-year-old Federer in the fourth and sixth games of the third set but the former US college champion was reeled in on both occasions. 
 
Federer has reached the last eight without dropping a set, easing to four successive wins on centre court. 
 
&quot;I would never have thought I would win the first four rounds in straight sets. I now need to play my best tennis,&quot; he added. 
 
Nishikori pulled out against Cilic suffering from a rib injury at 6-1, 5-1 down. 
 
The 26-year-old confirmed it was the same injury which forced him out of the Halle tournament in the run-up to Wimbledon. 
 
&quot;It got worse after the second round. I couldn&#39;t compete,&quot; said Nishikori. 
 
Cilic had taken the first set in just 16 minutes, allowing Nishikori only seven points. 
 
Querrey on a roll 
 
Sam Querrey followed up his shock defeat of defending champion Novak Djokovic by beating French veteran Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final. 
 
Querrey, the 28th seed, is the first American in the last-eight at Wimbledon since Mardy Fish in 2011, perfect timing on US Independence Day. 
 
Querrey said he still hasn&#39;t come down from his stunning upset of world number one Djokovic. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not going to lie. After the Novak match, I watched every highlight I could over and over. Enjoyed the hell out of that moment,&quot; he said. 
 
Querrey will next face Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, who came back from two sets down for the first time in his career to beat Belgium&#39;s David Goffin. 
 
Raonic, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2014, won 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. 
 
In an all-Czech match-up, world number 64 Jiri Vesely saved five match points against 10th seed and 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych in their clash which was suspended for darkness in the fourth set. 
 
Vesely took first set 6-4 and the fourth, 7-6 (11/9); Berdych claimed the second and third sets, 6-3 and 7-6 (10/8). 
 
The winner will face French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille, who made the last eight of a Slam for the first time by seeing off 2011 quarter-finalist Bernard Tomic, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 10-8. 
 
Pouille, 22, had never won a match on grass before this year&#39;s Wimbledon. 
 
(AFP)

Murray will play Tsonga in the semi-finals, Federer will play Croatia's Martin Cilic

Andy Murray racked up his 50th Wimbledon match win while Roger Federer reached the quarter-finals for the 14th time on Monday as the pair edged closer to a dream title match. Second seed Murray, the 2013 champion, eased to a 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 win over fiery Australian Nick Kyrgios and will face French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the semi-finals. Murray leads Tsonga 12-2 in previous meetings. Federer, meanwhile, went equal with Jimmy Connors' mark of 14 quarter-finals at Wimbledon and tied Martina Navratilova's all-time Slam record of 306 match wins by seeing off Steve Johnson of the United States 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. Kyrgios, the 15th seed who defeated Rafael Nadal at the tournament in 2014, did not force a break point on Murray's serve as he slipped to his fifth loss in five meetings against the world number two. He did manage to save two match points in the ninth game of the third set but was powerless to prevent Murray taking victory with an eighth ace of the contest. "The first set was very tight. I managed to get the break at 6-5 but it was very tight up to that point," explained Murray. "The second set was obviously more comfortable. Nick lost his focus a bit in the middle part of that set." Kyrgios condemned his own performance. "The first set was OK but after that it was pathetic," said the 21-year-old in a typically surly post-match press conference. Federer eyes revenge Seven-time champion Federer, the third seed, will take on Croatia's Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals. Cilic, the ninth seeded Croat, progressed to his third successive Wimbledon quarter-final when Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori pulled out of their last-16 clash with a rib injury. Federer has a 5-1 record over Cilic but the big-server stunned the 17-time major champion in the US Open semi-finals in 2014 on his way to his maiden Grand Slam title. "He blew me off the court in the US Open a few years ago and I hope to get him back," said Federer. Johnson, playing in his first fourth round at a Slam, was comprehensively out-played in the first two sets. He rallied to break the 34-year-old Federer in the fourth and sixth games of the third set but the former US college champion was reeled in on both occasions. Federer has reached the last eight without dropping a set, easing to four successive wins on centre court. "I would never have thought I would win the first four rounds in straight sets. I now need to play my best tennis," he added. Nishikori pulled out against Cilic suffering from a rib injury at 6-1, 5-1 down. The 26-year-old confirmed it was the same injury which forced him out of the Halle tournament in the run-up to Wimbledon. "It got worse after the second round. I couldn't compete," said Nishikori. Cilic had taken the first set in just 16 minutes, allowing Nishikori only seven points. Querrey on a roll Sam Querrey followed up his shock defeat of defending champion Novak Djokovic by beating French veteran Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final. Querrey, the 28th seed, is the first American in the last-eight at Wimbledon since Mardy Fish in 2011, perfect timing on US Independence Day. Querrey said he still hasn't come down from his stunning upset of world number one Djokovic. "I'm not going to lie. After the Novak match, I watched every highlight I could over and over. Enjoyed the hell out of that moment," he said. Querrey will next face Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, who came back from two sets down for the first time in his career to beat Belgium's David Goffin. Raonic, a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2014, won 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. In an all-Czech match-up, world number 64 Jiri Vesely saved five match points against 10th seed and 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych in their clash which was suspended for darkness in the fourth set. Vesely took first set 6-4 and the fourth, 7-6 (11/9); Berdych claimed the second and third sets, 6-3 and 7-6 (10/8). The winner will face French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille, who made the last eight of a Slam for the first time by seeing off 2011 quarter-finalist Bernard Tomic, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 10-8. Pouille, 22, had never won a match on grass before this year's Wimbledon. (AFP)

Murray wins his 50th match, Federer reachees his 14th Wimbledon quarter-final

Serena Williams needed just 51 minutes to clinch the 300th Grand Slam win of her career today as the defending champion made the Wimbledon last 16. 
 
The 34-year-old American brushed aside Germany&#39;s world number 43 Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 on the back of 25 winners and seven aces and goes on to face long-time Russian rival Svetlana Kuznetsova. 
 
&quot;I thought it was good. I still want to get out to a little bit of a faster start but I was really focused and calm,&quot; said Williams, who is just six wins short of Martina Navratilova&#39;s Open Era record of 306 Slam wins. 
 
Williams has now won 82 matches at Wimbledon as she remains on course to equal Steffi Graf&#39;s Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles with her seventh Wimbledon crown. 
 
Rare middle Sunday play&nbsp; 
 
Williams took the starring role as play was held on the middle Sunday for only the fourth time in Wimbledon history, and the first time since 2004, as organisers tried to clear the backlog caused by days of rain. 
 
Two-time Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova reached the fourth round for the first time since 2008 despite becoming involved in a row with the umpire over coaching. 
 
The 31-year-old 13th seed battled back from 2-5 down in the final set to defeat US 18th seed Sloane Stephens 6-7 (1/7), 6-2, 8-6. 
 
But the Russian was hit with a code violation for coaching early in the final set which prompted a bitter exchange with umpire Marijana Veljovic. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m just doing my job,&quot; said the official. 
 
&quot;Well, you&#39;re not doing it very well,&quot; responded Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion and 2009 French Open winner. 
 
Russian 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova made the last 16 of a Slam for the first time since the 2011 US Open by seeing off Swiss 11th seed Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-2. 
 
Pavlyuchenkova will face US 27th seed Coco Vandeweghe, a quarter-finalist last year, who knocked out sixth-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-4. 
 
Vandeweghe is one of the in-form players on grass this year, winning at &#39;s-Hertogenbosch and making the semi-finals in Birmingham. 
 
Russia&#39;s Elena Vesnina made the fourth round for the first time in seven years by ending the run of US qualifier Julia Boserup, the world number 225, in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5. 
 
Vesnina will face doubles partner and close friend Ekaterina Makarova, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding last year, for a spot in the quarter-finals. 
 
Djokovic shock still resonates&nbsp; 
 
Today&#39;s programme on Centre Court concludes with German teenager Alexander Zverev facing 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych. 
 
Tenth seed Berdych is bidding to record his first win against a seed at Wimbledon since 2013. 
 
Zverev, who is through to the third round at Wimbledon for the first time, is hoping to record his first win against a seed at a Grand Slam. 
 
The men&#39;s draw is still reeling from Saturday&#39;s shock exit of defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round. 
 
Andy Murray will now be the joint-favourite with Roger Federer to succeed Djokovic. 
 
Murray was not scheduled to play on Sunday but he will take a keen interest in the tie between Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios and Feliciano Lopez, the Spanish 22nd seed. 
 
Murray will face the winner of that third round clash which was one set apiece when play was halted for bad light Saturday. 
 
Kyrgios was at the centre of a new row on Sunday when he was heard labelling one of his own support team as &quot;retarded&quot;. 
 
The incident, picked up by microphones on Court One, occurred during the second set of his third round match. 
 
His compatriot Bernard Tomic got in trouble for describing himself as standing on court &quot;like a retard&quot; earlier in the tournament. 
 
On Court 12, French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille saw off former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-7 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 7-5, 6-1 in a tie held over from Saturday. 
 
Pouille next faces 19th seed Tomic in what will be his first appearance in the last 16 at a major. 
 
(AFP)

Williams has won 82 matches at Wimbledon, and remains on course to equal Steffi Graf's Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles

Serena Williams needed just 51 minutes to clinch the 300th Grand Slam win of her career today as the defending champion made the Wimbledon last 16. The 34-year-old American brushed aside Germany's world number 43 Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 on the back of 25 winners and seven aces and goes on to face long-time Russian rival Svetlana Kuznetsova. "I thought it was good. I still want to get out to a little bit of a faster start but I was really focused and calm," said Williams, who is just six wins short of Martina Navratilova's Open Era record of 306 Slam wins. Williams has now won 82 matches at Wimbledon as she remains on course to equal Steffi Graf's Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles with her seventh Wimbledon crown. Rare middle Sunday play Williams took the starring role as play was held on the middle Sunday for only the fourth time in Wimbledon history, and the first time since 2004, as organisers tried to clear the backlog caused by days of rain. Two-time Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova reached the fourth round for the first time since 2008 despite becoming involved in a row with the umpire over coaching. The 31-year-old 13th seed battled back from 2-5 down in the final set to defeat US 18th seed Sloane Stephens 6-7 (1/7), 6-2, 8-6. But the Russian was hit with a code violation for coaching early in the final set which prompted a bitter exchange with umpire Marijana Veljovic. "I'm just doing my job," said the official. "Well, you're not doing it very well," responded Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion and 2009 French Open winner. Russian 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova made the last 16 of a Slam for the first time since the 2011 US Open by seeing off Swiss 11th seed Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-2. Pavlyuchenkova will face US 27th seed Coco Vandeweghe, a quarter-finalist last year, who knocked out sixth-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-4. Vandeweghe is one of the in-form players on grass this year, winning at 's-Hertogenbosch and making the semi-finals in Birmingham. Russia's Elena Vesnina made the fourth round for the first time in seven years by ending the run of US qualifier Julia Boserup, the world number 225, in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5. Vesnina will face doubles partner and close friend Ekaterina Makarova, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding last year, for a spot in the quarter-finals. Djokovic shock still resonates Today's programme on Centre Court concludes with German teenager Alexander Zverev facing 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych. Tenth seed Berdych is bidding to record his first win against a seed at Wimbledon since 2013. Zverev, who is through to the third round at Wimbledon for the first time, is hoping to record his first win against a seed at a Grand Slam. The men's draw is still reeling from Saturday's shock exit of defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round. Andy Murray will now be the joint-favourite with Roger Federer to succeed Djokovic. Murray was not scheduled to play on Sunday but he will take a keen interest in the tie between Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios and Feliciano Lopez, the Spanish 22nd seed. Murray will face the winner of that third round clash which was one set apiece when play was halted for bad light Saturday. Kyrgios was at the centre of a new row on Sunday when he was heard labelling one of his own support team as "retarded". The incident, picked up by microphones on Court One, occurred during the second set of his third round match. His compatriot Bernard Tomic got in trouble for describing himself as standing on court "like a retard" earlier in the tournament. On Court 12, French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille saw off former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-7 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 7-5, 6-1 in a tie held over from Saturday. Pouille next faces 19th seed Tomic in what will be his first appearance in the last 16 at a major. (AFP)

Serena hits 300th Slam win

Andy Murray once tried to make his international team mate Liam Broady&#39;s life a misery by ensuring his first speech at a Davis Cup welcome dinner was a disaster. 
 
Now the world number two is planning to make Broady&#39;s life just as uncomfortable in the unforgiving world of grand slam tennis. 
 
For the first time in 56 matches over 11 years, Britain&#39;s twice grand slam champion Murray finds himself drawn at Wimbledon against a fellow countryman and he admits that playing his 22-year-old colleague will feel &quot;weird&quot;. 
 
For a former champion long buoyed by support from the home fans, Murray could instead find the showcourt crowds cheering for a lad from Stockport &nbsp;- home town of Murray&#39;s only rival for the accolade of Britain&#39;s best player ever, Fred Perry &nbsp;- when they play on Tuesday. 
 
Broady reckons he is playing the part of Leicester City, the 5,000-1 no-hopers who went on to win the Premier League. Barring one thing; he believes he&#39;s probably an even bigger outsider to pull off one of Wimbledon&#39;s great sensations. 
 
It has all left the tournament&#39;s second favourite Murray admitting he does not quite know what to expect with their first round match. 
 
&quot;It will be interesting. Obviously never happened before, not for me anyway,&quot; Murray told a news conference on Saturday. &quot;Liam&#39;s a good guy. Works hard. I would imagine we&#39;d probably play on one of the big courts, so a big experience for him, as well. Yeah, look forward to it but, I mean, it will be a bit strange.&quot; 
 
Broady inhabits a different world to Murray, scrabbling around in Challenger and Futures tournaments to make his way in the game as the world number 234. 
 
Yet on the Davis Cup beat, they have got to know each other pretty well. When he first joined the British team, Broady recalled, Murray was vociferous in trying to ensure he went through the newcomers&#39; initiation ceremony of having to make a speech at his first welcome dinner. 
 
&quot;He had obviously never been to one of the dinners before, so wasn&#39;t sure exactly what he should say,&quot; Murray smiled. &quot;We were telling him the wrong things to say and hoping he would stand up and actually say them.&quot; Disappointingly for him, though, Broady &quot;did fine&quot;. 
 
However fine he is on Tuesday, though, he will only be a launch pad for Murray to kick off a campaign in which, even Roger Federer concedes, the Scot and Novak Djokovic are the outstanding favourites. 
 
Djokovic won their last battle in the French Open final, leaving Murray able once again only to marvel at the world number one&#39;s extraordinary level of excellence. 
 
&quot;His consistency and drive over the last few years has been incredible. I don&#39;t know if that&#39;s ever happened before, where someone&#39;s pretty much gone over a year consistently reaching the finals of tournaments,&quot; said Murray. 
 
&quot;In an individual sport, if you have a really bad day, wake up, you feel terrible, you lose at this level. He hasn&#39;t had really any of those results or those matches over the last few years. That&#39;s very impressive.&quot; 
 
To break the Serb&#39;s dominance, Murray has just been reunited with Ivan Lendl, the former Czech great who coached him to Wimbledon glory in 2013. 
 
Their first week saw Murray lift a record fifth Queen&#39;s title, leaving the number two seed to enthuse: &quot;It actually gives a bit of extra confidence, because I know last time we worked together, it was very successful. I trust in what he says.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

For the first time in 11 years, Britain's twice grand slam champion Murray finds himself drawn at Wimbledon against a fellow countryman

Andy Murray once tried to make his international team mate Liam Broady's life a misery by ensuring his first speech at a Davis Cup welcome dinner was a disaster. Now the world number two is planning to make Broady's life just as uncomfortable in the unforgiving world of grand slam tennis. For the first time in 56 matches over 11 years, Britain's twice grand slam champion Murray finds himself drawn at Wimbledon against a fellow countryman and he admits that playing his 22-year-old colleague will feel "weird". For a former champion long buoyed by support from the home fans, Murray could instead find the showcourt crowds cheering for a lad from Stockport - home town of Murray's only rival for the accolade of Britain's best player ever, Fred Perry - when they play on Tuesday. Broady reckons he is playing the part of Leicester City, the 5,000-1 no-hopers who went on to win the Premier League. Barring one thing; he believes he's probably an even bigger outsider to pull off one of Wimbledon's great sensations. It has all left the tournament's second favourite Murray admitting he does not quite know what to expect with their first round match. "It will be interesting. Obviously never happened before, not for me anyway," Murray told a news conference on Saturday. "Liam's a good guy. Works hard. I would imagine we'd probably play on one of the big courts, so a big experience for him, as well. Yeah, look forward to it but, I mean, it will be a bit strange." Broady inhabits a different world to Murray, scrabbling around in Challenger and Futures tournaments to make his way in the game as the world number 234. Yet on the Davis Cup beat, they have got to know each other pretty well. When he first joined the British team, Broady recalled, Murray was vociferous in trying to ensure he went through the newcomers' initiation ceremony of having to make a speech at his first welcome dinner. "He had obviously never been to one of the dinners before, so wasn't sure exactly what he should say," Murray smiled. "We were telling him the wrong things to say and hoping he would stand up and actually say them." Disappointingly for him, though, Broady "did fine". However fine he is on Tuesday, though, he will only be a launch pad for Murray to kick off a campaign in which, even Roger Federer concedes, the Scot and Novak Djokovic are the outstanding favourites. Djokovic won their last battle in the French Open final, leaving Murray able once again only to marvel at the world number one's extraordinary level of excellence. "His consistency and drive over the last few years has been incredible. I don't know if that's ever happened before, where someone's pretty much gone over a year consistently reaching the finals of tournaments," said Murray. "In an individual sport, if you have a really bad day, wake up, you feel terrible, you lose at this level. He hasn't had really any of those results or those matches over the last few years. That's very impressive." To break the Serb's dominance, Murray has just been reunited with Ivan Lendl, the former Czech great who coached him to Wimbledon glory in 2013. Their first week saw Murray lift a record fifth Queen's title, leaving the number two seed to enthuse: "It actually gives a bit of extra confidence, because I know last time we worked together, it was very successful. I trust in what he says." (Reuters)

Andy Murray plans harsh initiation ceremony for Broady

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and seven-time winner Roger Federer were on Friday drawn to meet in the semi-finals of this year&#39;s Wimbledon which starts on Monday. 
 
World number one Djokovic, who is bidding to take another step closer to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969, has defeated Federer in the last two finals at the All England Club. 
 
The draw means that second seed Andy Murray, the 2013 champion, was lined up for a semi-final against fourth seeded Stan Wawrinka. 
 
Three-time champion Djokovic completed the career Grand Slam with victory at the French Open earlier this month and now holds all four majors. It was his 12th career major and made him the first man since Jim Courier in 1992 to win the Australian and French Opens in the same year. The 29-year-old Serb begins his Wimbledon campaign against British wild card James Ward and could meet big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the last-eight. 
 
Murray takes on compatriot Liam Broady in the first round with a potential clash against Australia&#39;s Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round. Frenchman Richard Gasquet is a possible quarter-final rival. 
 
Federer, seeded three but enduring an injury-hit season, starts against Argentina&#39;s Guido Pella, ranked 51 in the world. The 34-year-old Swiss, the holder of a record 17 majors, could face Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals. 
 
If seedings play out, Wawrinka would come up against in-form Dominic Thiem of Austria for a place in the last-four. 
 
Defending women&#39;s champion Serena Williams, chasing a seventh Wimbledon title to equal Steffi Graf&#39;s Open era record of 22 majors, was drawn to face Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the last-four. Radwanska made the final in 2012. 
 
Reigning French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, who beat Williams to claim the trophy, could face Australian Open winner Angelique Kerber in the last-four. Muguruza begins against Italy&#39;s Camila Giorgi. 
 
The women&#39;s draw held out the tantalising prospect of an all-Williams final with Serena&#39;s sister Venus in the opposite half of the draw. 
 
Venus, 36 and a five-time champion, is seeded to face Muguruza in the last-eight while Serena could come up against Italy&#39;s Roberta Vinci who dumped her out of the US Open semi-finals in 2015. 
 
In other potential quarter-finals, Radwanska could meet Belinda Bencic while Kerber was drawn to face Simona Halep. Serena starts against a qualifier and will face either fellow American Christina McHale or Slovak veteran Daniela Hantuchova in the second round. 
 
Two-time champion Petra Kvitova meets Romania&#39;s Sorana Cirstea in her opener. British number one Johanna Konta, the first home seed in the women&#39;s draw since 1984, takes on Monica Puig in the first round. 
 
(AFP)

Djokovic begins his campaign against British wild card James Ward and could meet big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the last eight

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and seven-time winner Roger Federer were on Friday drawn to meet in the semi-finals of this year's Wimbledon which starts on Monday. World number one Djokovic, who is bidding to take another step closer to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969, has defeated Federer in the last two finals at the All England Club. The draw means that second seed Andy Murray, the 2013 champion, was lined up for a semi-final against fourth seeded Stan Wawrinka. Three-time champion Djokovic completed the career Grand Slam with victory at the French Open earlier this month and now holds all four majors. It was his 12th career major and made him the first man since Jim Courier in 1992 to win the Australian and French Opens in the same year. The 29-year-old Serb begins his Wimbledon campaign against British wild card James Ward and could meet big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic in the last-eight. Murray takes on compatriot Liam Broady in the first round with a potential clash against Australia's Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round. Frenchman Richard Gasquet is a possible quarter-final rival. Federer, seeded three but enduring an injury-hit season, starts against Argentina's Guido Pella, ranked 51 in the world. The 34-year-old Swiss, the holder of a record 17 majors, could face Japan's Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals. If seedings play out, Wawrinka would come up against in-form Dominic Thiem of Austria for a place in the last-four. Defending women's champion Serena Williams, chasing a seventh Wimbledon title to equal Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 majors, was drawn to face Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the last-four. Radwanska made the final in 2012. Reigning French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, who beat Williams to claim the trophy, could face Australian Open winner Angelique Kerber in the last-four. Muguruza begins against Italy's Camila Giorgi. The women's draw held out the tantalising prospect of an all-Williams final with Serena's sister Venus in the opposite half of the draw. Venus, 36 and a five-time champion, is seeded to face Muguruza in the last-eight while Serena could come up against Italy's Roberta Vinci who dumped her out of the US Open semi-finals in 2015. In other potential quarter-finals, Radwanska could meet Belinda Bencic while Kerber was drawn to face Simona Halep. Serena starts against a qualifier and will face either fellow American Christina McHale or Slovak veteran Daniela Hantuchova in the second round. Two-time champion Petra Kvitova meets Romania's Sorana Cirstea in her opener. British number one Johanna Konta, the first home seed in the women's draw since 1984, takes on Monica Puig in the first round. (AFP)

World champion Djokovic, Federer drawn for Wimbledon semi-final clash

Andy Murray became the first player to hold aloft the super-sized Queen&#39;s Club trophy for a fifth time after he beat big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3 in the final of the Aegon Championships on Sunday. 
 
The British top seed&#39;s title hopes appeared to be faltering when he trailed by a set and 3-0 down in the second but the 2013 Wimbledon champion drew on his greater grasscourt pedigree to turn the match around. 
 
Murray, who also hoisted the trophy in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015, had shared the previous record of four Queen&#39;s titles with seven other men, including Boris Becker, Roy Emerson and Raonic&#39;s new grasscourt coach John McEnroe. 
 
However, a backhand volley into the net from Raonic allowed Murray to climb to the top of the pile and celebrate a winning start to his renewed coaching relationship with Ivan Lendl. 
 
&quot;This tournament has loads of history... it&#39;s a pleasure to play in front of someone like John (McEnroe)... and any time you can do something a bit better than someone like him, it&#39;s an amazing feeling,&quot; Murray said during the presentation ceremony. &quot;To win here for a fifth time means a lot to me.&quot; 
 
While McEnroe was among those applauding the champion, Lendl performed a swift disappearing act from Centre Court even before Murray had a chance to celebrate his victory. 
 
&quot;It was nice of Ivan to stick around for the presentation,&quot; joked Murray, who successfully defended the title at the Wimbledon warm-up tournament for the first time in his career. 
 
Raonic&#39;s gamble to hire seven-times grand slam champion McEnroe appeared to be paying off as he looked set to win his first title on the lush green surface midway through the second set. The Canadian had reached the final without dropping serve all week and when he led 3-0 in the second set, it seemed that Murray would also fall under his spell. 
 
But a blistering cross-court service return in the fifth game allowed the Scot to finally break Raonic&#39;s momentum and from then on the Canadian third seed, who hurled down 14 aces, was powerless to stop Murray&#39;s victory charge. 
 
&quot;Congratulations to Andy for winning this tournament for a fifth time but I&#39;m sure it&#39;s not nearly as special as having your first fathers&#39; day as well,&quot; Raonic said after contesting his first grasscourt final. &quot;It&#39;s my first grass match on a Sunday and hopefully we can have a rematch in a couple of Sundays. I&#39;m feeling pretty good.&quot; 
 
Following runner-up finishes at the year&#39;s first two majors in Melbourne and Paris, Murray will now hope his decision to re-hire Lendl will allow him to add to the two grand slam titles he won during his first stint with the Czech-born great. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

He beat the Canadian in three sets to lift the super-sized trophy

Andy Murray became the first player to hold aloft the super-sized Queen's Club trophy for a fifth time after he beat big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3 in the final of the Aegon Championships on Sunday. The British top seed's title hopes appeared to be faltering when he trailed by a set and 3-0 down in the second but the 2013 Wimbledon champion drew on his greater grasscourt pedigree to turn the match around. Murray, who also hoisted the trophy in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015, had shared the previous record of four Queen's titles with seven other men, including Boris Becker, Roy Emerson and Raonic's new grasscourt coach John McEnroe. However, a backhand volley into the net from Raonic allowed Murray to climb to the top of the pile and celebrate a winning start to his renewed coaching relationship with Ivan Lendl. "This tournament has loads of history... it's a pleasure to play in front of someone like John (McEnroe)... and any time you can do something a bit better than someone like him, it's an amazing feeling," Murray said during the presentation ceremony. "To win here for a fifth time means a lot to me." While McEnroe was among those applauding the champion, Lendl performed a swift disappearing act from Centre Court even before Murray had a chance to celebrate his victory. "It was nice of Ivan to stick around for the presentation," joked Murray, who successfully defended the title at the Wimbledon warm-up tournament for the first time in his career. Raonic's gamble to hire seven-times grand slam champion McEnroe appeared to be paying off as he looked set to win his first title on the lush green surface midway through the second set. The Canadian had reached the final without dropping serve all week and when he led 3-0 in the second set, it seemed that Murray would also fall under his spell. But a blistering cross-court service return in the fifth game allowed the Scot to finally break Raonic's momentum and from then on the Canadian third seed, who hurled down 14 aces, was powerless to stop Murray's victory charge. "Congratulations to Andy for winning this tournament for a fifth time but I'm sure it's not nearly as special as having your first fathers' day as well," Raonic said after contesting his first grasscourt final. "It's my first grass match on a Sunday and hopefully we can have a rematch in a couple of Sundays. I'm feeling pretty good." Following runner-up finishes at the year's first two majors in Melbourne and Paris, Murray will now hope his decision to re-hire Lendl will allow him to add to the two grand slam titles he won during his first stint with the Czech-born great. (Reuters)

Murray downs Raonic to win record fifth Queen's title

Dreadlocked German Dustin Brown will have the chance to follow up last year&#39;s Wimbledon heroics after being handed a wildcard for the championships on Wednesday. 
 
Brown, ranked 87th in the world, provided the shock of the tournament 12 months ago when he came through qualifying before overwhelming twice former champion Rafael Nadal in the second round with a scintillating display of attacking tennis. 
 
The 31-year-old posted a photograph of himself celebrating on his Twitter account @DreddyTennis and expressed his thanks to tournament organisers. 
 
Czech veteran Radek Stepanek, 37, has also been handed one of the Wimbledon wildcards. 
 
The former world number four came within two points of knocking eventual finalist Andy Murray out of the French Open in the first round. 
 
Slovakia&#39;s former top-10 player Daniela Hantuchova and Britain&#39;s former junior champion Laura Robson received wildcards into the women&#39;s main draw. 
 
Wimbledon begins on June 27. 
(Reuters)

The 31-year-old posted a photograph of himself celebrating on his Twitter account @DreddyTennis expressing thanks to organisers

Dreadlocked German Dustin Brown will have the chance to follow up last year's Wimbledon heroics after being handed a wildcard for the championships on Wednesday. Brown, ranked 87th in the world, provided the shock of the tournament 12 months ago when he came through qualifying before overwhelming twice former champion Rafael Nadal in the second round with a scintillating display of attacking tennis. The 31-year-old posted a photograph of himself celebrating on his Twitter account @DreddyTennis and expressed his thanks to tournament organisers. Czech veteran Radek Stepanek, 37, has also been handed one of the Wimbledon wildcards. The former world number four came within two points of knocking eventual finalist Andy Murray out of the French Open in the first round. Slovakia's former top-10 player Daniela Hantuchova and Britain's former junior champion Laura Robson received wildcards into the women's main draw. Wimbledon begins on June 27. (Reuters)

Nadal conqueror Brown handed Wimbledon wildcard

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