Milos Raonic made Roger Federer feel his age at Wimbledon on Friday as the Canadian sharp-shooter bombarded Centre Court with a succession of 140 mph missiles to flatten the seven-time champion and reach his first grand slam final. 
 
Raonic appeared to be down and out as he trailed Federer by two-sets to one and 15-40 in the fifth game of the fourth set, but somehow he managed to cling on for a 6-3 6-7(3) 4-6 7-5 6-3 win, and became the first Canadian man to reach a major final. 
 
&quot;It&rsquo;s an incredible comeback for me,&quot; said the sixth seed, who will be seeking to win his first grasscourt title when he meets 2013 champion Andy Murray on Sunday in a repeat of last month&#39;s Queen&#39;s Club final.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I was struggling throughout the third and fourth sets, he was playing some really good tennis and just on a little opening I managed to turn it around and finish it off in a great match.&nbsp;I showed a lot of emotion today, always positive, and that&rsquo;s what got me through. Mentally I had one of my best matches in my career and I think that&rsquo;s what made the biggest difference.&quot; 
 
Federer, who had survived a five-set thriller two days ago against Croatian Marin Cilic, added: &quot;He fought. He believed, like I did against Cilic. Credit to him for hanging in there.&quot; 
 
 
STAYING POWER 
The Swiss had come into the tournament with &quot;no idea&quot; about his own staying power as he had been forced to miss last month&#39;s French Open with a back injury. 
 
Some of those questions were answered when he recovered from two sets and three match points down to beat Cilic, but many pundits believed Raonic&#39;s younger limbs would deliver the knockout blow as two days was not enough for a 34-year-old&#39;s body to recover from such a taxing showdown. 
 
Yet, incredibly, it was Raonic, 25, who appeared to be heading for a second semi-final defeat in three years against Federer as the third seed surged ahead and earned two break points in the fifth game of the fourth set. 
 
Raonic kept his wits about him to save both, and he survived a third in the ninth game as his thunderbolt serve got him out of trouble again. 
 
When Federer moved to 40-0 in the 12th game, the contest was poised to enter a fourth-set tiebreak. But two days after the Swiss boldly stated that &quot;my second serve has always been there for me,it never lets me down&quot;, guess what? It let him down. 
 
Two successive double faults brought Raonic to deuce and while Federer saved two set points -- with an unreturnable serve and a volley winner, his luck ran out on the third. 
 
A blazing backhand passing shot had Raonic pumping his fists towards his support box as a shell-shocked Federer, who had come back from two sets and three match points down to beat Cilic on Wednesday, was left wondering how the set got away from him. 
 
&quot;Federer had it all going his way, but you couldn&#39;t script that this would go on and on,&quot; exclaimed Raonic&#39;s grasscourt mentor John McEnroe. 
 
MENTAL SCARS 
The 17-time grand slam champion, who was about to contest his 10th set in three days, called on the trainer to massage his aching limbs back to life, but it was the mental scars that could not be rubbed away. 
 
Four games into the final set, with the score at deuce, Federer rolled his left ankle as he lunged after a flying forehand winner from Raonic and found himself sprawled face down on his beloved turf. 
 
He lay still for what seemed an eternity before getting back to his feet and then slumped into his chair rather than heading for the baseline.&nbsp;The crowd started to chuckle, wondering if Federer was staging a sit-in protest, but in fact he had called on the trainer again to manipulate his left knee and leg. 
 
The Swiss, chasing a record-extending 11th appearance in the final, managed to save that break point but Raonic refused to let him off the hook and four points later the Canadian had the break for 3-1 as he ended a dazzling net exchange with a rasping crosscourt passing shot. 
 
From them on there only seemed to be one winner and, after firing down 23 aces, with his fastest serve being clocked at 144 mph, Raonic bagged a place in the final when Federer floated a tired forehand long to end the three hours 25 minutes duel. 
 
&quot;This one clearly hurts, because I could have had it. I was so, so, close,&quot; summed up Federer after coming off second best for the first time in 11 Wimbledon semi-final appearances. 
 
(Reuters)

Federer, the 17-time Grand Slam champion, rolled his ankle as the young Canadian fired down 23 aces

Milos Raonic made Roger Federer feel his age at Wimbledon on Friday as the Canadian sharp-shooter bombarded Centre Court with a succession of 140 mph missiles to flatten the seven-time champion and reach his first grand slam final. Raonic appeared to be down and out as he trailed Federer by two-sets to one and 15-40 in the fifth game of the fourth set, but somehow he managed to cling on for a 6-3 6-7(3) 4-6 7-5 6-3 win, and became the first Canadian man to reach a major final. "It’s an incredible comeback for me," said the sixth seed, who will be seeking to win his first grasscourt title when he meets 2013 champion Andy Murray on Sunday in a repeat of last month's Queen's Club final. "I was struggling throughout the third and fourth sets, he was playing some really good tennis and just on a little opening I managed to turn it around and finish it off in a great match. I showed a lot of emotion today, always positive, and that’s what got me through. Mentally I had one of my best matches in my career and I think that’s what made the biggest difference." Federer, who had survived a five-set thriller two days ago against Croatian Marin Cilic, added: "He fought. He believed, like I did against Cilic. Credit to him for hanging in there." STAYING POWER The Swiss had come into the tournament with "no idea" about his own staying power as he had been forced to miss last month's French Open with a back injury. Some of those questions were answered when he recovered from two sets and three match points down to beat Cilic, but many pundits believed Raonic's younger limbs would deliver the knockout blow as two days was not enough for a 34-year-old's body to recover from such a taxing showdown. Yet, incredibly, it was Raonic, 25, who appeared to be heading for a second semi-final defeat in three years against Federer as the third seed surged ahead and earned two break points in the fifth game of the fourth set. Raonic kept his wits about him to save both, and he survived a third in the ninth game as his thunderbolt serve got him out of trouble again. When Federer moved to 40-0 in the 12th game, the contest was poised to enter a fourth-set tiebreak. But two days after the Swiss boldly stated that "my second serve has always been there for me,it never lets me down", guess what? It let him down. Two successive double faults brought Raonic to deuce and while Federer saved two set points -- with an unreturnable serve and a volley winner, his luck ran out on the third. A blazing backhand passing shot had Raonic pumping his fists towards his support box as a shell-shocked Federer, who had come back from two sets and three match points down to beat Cilic on Wednesday, was left wondering how the set got away from him. "Federer had it all going his way, but you couldn't script that this would go on and on," exclaimed Raonic's grasscourt mentor John McEnroe. MENTAL SCARS The 17-time grand slam champion, who was about to contest his 10th set in three days, called on the trainer to massage his aching limbs back to life, but it was the mental scars that could not be rubbed away. Four games into the final set, with the score at deuce, Federer rolled his left ankle as he lunged after a flying forehand winner from Raonic and found himself sprawled face down on his beloved turf. He lay still for what seemed an eternity before getting back to his feet and then slumped into his chair rather than heading for the baseline. The crowd started to chuckle, wondering if Federer was staging a sit-in protest, but in fact he had called on the trainer again to manipulate his left knee and leg. The Swiss, chasing a record-extending 11th appearance in the final, managed to save that break point but Raonic refused to let him off the hook and four points later the Canadian had the break for 3-1 as he ended a dazzling net exchange with a rasping crosscourt passing shot. From them on there only seemed to be one winner and, after firing down 23 aces, with his fastest serve being clocked at 144 mph, Raonic bagged a place in the final when Federer floated a tired forehand long to end the three hours 25 minutes duel. "This one clearly hurts, because I could have had it. I was so, so, close," summed up Federer after coming off second best for the first time in 11 Wimbledon semi-final appearances. (Reuters)

Raonic ends Federer's run to reach first major final

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

After a 48-minute battering at the hands of Serena Williams on Wimbledon&#39;s Centre Court on Thursday, the last words Elena Vesnina probably wanted to hear were &quot;see you later&quot;. 
 
World number one Williams was not joking, though, as she consoled the Russian at the net, as Vesnina&#39;s consolation for a very public tennis lesson was another encounter with not one, but two Williams sisters in the women&#39;s doubles. 
 
&quot;Serena even told me at the net, see you later.&nbsp;Not long to wait,&quot; 29-year-old Vesnina, partnering compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in the quarter-finals against Serena and older sister Venus, joked. 
 
&quot;It is a little bit strange.&nbsp;But that&#39;s what it is, you know.&nbsp;How to learn, how to actually try to play her serve, how to return her serve.&nbsp;She&#39;s, like, serving 129 miles per hour in the corner, it&#39;s really difficult to read.&quot; 
 
Unfortunately for Vesnina, her reading skills let her down for a second time on Thursday as she and Makarova were beaten in three sets by the Williams sisters. 
 
Vesnina, a three-times grand slam doubles winner, had battled through to a first major singles semi, but her challenge crumbled quickly as dropped her opening two service games. 
 
She managed only 21 points in a match that shaved three minutes off the previous quickest women&#39;s semi-final of the modern era in which Dinara Safina was obliterated by Venus Williams in 51 minutes in 2009. 
 
The Russian, the first unseeded woman to reach the semi-finals since Sabine Lisicki in 2011, never stood a chance against a fired-up Williams who will play Angelique Kerber on Saturday in a repeat of the Australian Open final. 
 
NO CHANCE 
Germany fourth seed Kerber, who stunned a nervy Williams in Melbourne to deny the American a record-equalling 22nd major title, may not want to listen to what Vesnina had to say. 
 
&quot;I felt like I had no chance today,&quot; the Russian told reporters. &quot;I think she has now a big, big chance to win her 22nd grand slam title.&nbsp;I think she&#39;s in the right mood right now.&quot; 
 
Asked whether it was just the Williams serve, that offered up only three points on Thursday, which was so tough, she said the American veteran has a cache of other weapons. 
 
&quot;Today for me was really difficult.&nbsp;She has one of the best forehand crosscourt returns.&nbsp;It&#39;s so fast, you cannot even finish your serve, then the ball&#39;s already passing you,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;Of course, the mental part.&nbsp;She&#39;s the strongest one with the mentality to play on the big courts, the big events, finals, semi-finals, grand slams.&nbsp;She&#39;s the best with this.&quot; 
 
Despite a chastening experience, Vesnina was far from downhearted, especially having risen from 122 in the rankings in February to be back inside the world&#39;s top 25 next week. 
 
&quot;If you&#39;re going to cry and be crazy after every loss, I think your nerves will be dead by the end of your career,&quot; she said. &quot;For me, it&#39;s just a magical tournament.&nbsp;I was in the semi-final.&nbsp;I had good wins.&nbsp;I was fighting. But it was all about Serena today.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Vesnina, a three-time grand slam doubles winner, managed to score only 21 points

After a 48-minute battering at the hands of Serena Williams on Wimbledon's Centre Court on Thursday, the last words Elena Vesnina probably wanted to hear were "see you later". World number one Williams was not joking, though, as she consoled the Russian at the net, as Vesnina's consolation for a very public tennis lesson was another encounter with not one, but two Williams sisters in the women's doubles. "Serena even told me at the net, see you later. Not long to wait," 29-year-old Vesnina, partnering compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in the quarter-finals against Serena and older sister Venus, joked. "It is a little bit strange. But that's what it is, you know. How to learn, how to actually try to play her serve, how to return her serve. She's, like, serving 129 miles per hour in the corner, it's really difficult to read." Unfortunately for Vesnina, her reading skills let her down for a second time on Thursday as she and Makarova were beaten in three sets by the Williams sisters. Vesnina, a three-times grand slam doubles winner, had battled through to a first major singles semi, but her challenge crumbled quickly as dropped her opening two service games. She managed only 21 points in a match that shaved three minutes off the previous quickest women's semi-final of the modern era in which Dinara Safina was obliterated by Venus Williams in 51 minutes in 2009. The Russian, the first unseeded woman to reach the semi-finals since Sabine Lisicki in 2011, never stood a chance against a fired-up Williams who will play Angelique Kerber on Saturday in a repeat of the Australian Open final. NO CHANCE Germany fourth seed Kerber, who stunned a nervy Williams in Melbourne to deny the American a record-equalling 22nd major title, may not want to listen to what Vesnina had to say. "I felt like I had no chance today," the Russian told reporters. "I think she has now a big, big chance to win her 22nd grand slam title. I think she's in the right mood right now." Asked whether it was just the Williams serve, that offered up only three points on Thursday, which was so tough, she said the American veteran has a cache of other weapons. "Today for me was really difficult. She has one of the best forehand crosscourt returns. It's so fast, you cannot even finish your serve, then the ball's already passing you," she said. "Of course, the mental part. She's the strongest one with the mentality to play on the big courts, the big events, finals, semi-finals, grand slams. She's the best with this." Despite a chastening experience, Vesnina was far from downhearted, especially having risen from 122 in the rankings in February to be back inside the world's top 25 next week. "If you're going to cry and be crazy after every loss, I think your nerves will be dead by the end of your career," she said. "For me, it's just a magical tournament. I was in the semi-final. I had good wins. I was fighting. But it was all about Serena today." (Reuters)

No escaping Serena for badly beaten Vesnina

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

It would be hard to bet against the Williams sisters meeting in their first Wimbledon final since 2009, but Angelique Kerber and Elena Vesnina won&#39;t just be making up the numbers in the last four on Thursday. 
 
While unseeded Vesnina has described her semi-final against world number one Serena Williams as a dream, she is playing inspired tennis, bringing the guile from two doubles slams to deliver baseline power and a deft touch at the net. 
 
Fourth seed Kerber, meanwhile, has a 3-2 head-to-head lead over five-time champion Venus Williams and stunned younger sister Serena, who has won Wimbledon six times, at the Australian Open in January to win her first major final. 
 
All four will bring a wealth of experience to Centre Court -- their average age is 31 years and nine months, the oldest for the last four in an open era women&#39;s major. 
 
&quot;The experienced players are ready to keep winning. They want to keep being great,&quot; Serena, 34, told reporters after she ground down 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals. 
 
She is aiming to equal Steffi Graf&#39;s open era record of 22 majors by lifting the trophy on Saturday, having been stuck on 21 since last year&#39;s Wimbledon. Of the challenge from her 29-year-old Russian opponent, she said: &quot;I&#39;ll be ready for it.&quot; 
 
Vesnina said of Serena after reaching her first major semi-final: &quot;You have to give all your heart and fight for every single point and just use your chances because it is really difficult to break her, especially here on grass.&quot; 
 
Like everlasting opponents on the other side of the net, Vesnina will also be taking on the American sisters in the doubles quarter-finals with her partner Ekaterina Makarova. 
 
Venus, 36, has reached her ninth Wimbledon semi-final and owns seven slam titles overall -- the last coming on the grass in 2008, inevitably against her sister, before the result was reversed the following year. 
 
It is nonetheless the first semi-final since the 2010 U.S. Open for the oldest woman in the 2016 Wimbledon field. 
 
&quot;Semi-finals feels good. But it doesn&#39;t feel foreign at all, let&#39;s put it that way,&quot; she told reporters after brushing past Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets. 
 
&quot;All those other semi-finals helped me to have the experience to be in this semi-final.&quot; 
 
Her perfect last-four record at Wimbledon could come under pressure though from Kerber, 28, who is trying to replicate the focus and relaxation that brought her the title in Melbourne. 
 
The last player to win both the Australian and Wimbledon in the same year was Serena Williams in 2015 - the last German was Graf in 1989. 
 
First up though is Venus. 
 
&quot;She&#39;s always dangerous on grass, especially here in Wimbledon. She has a lot of confidence right now. She played great matches,&quot; Kerber said after beating Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep. 
 
And it is Kerber who may have the last laugh: &quot;I&#39;m playing really good tennis right now. Yeah, I think I&#39;m playing like in Australia, like really high-class tennis.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Vesnina takes on Serena, and Kerber Venus, in the semi-finals on Thursday

It would be hard to bet against the Williams sisters meeting in their first Wimbledon final since 2009, but Angelique Kerber and Elena Vesnina won't just be making up the numbers in the last four on Thursday. While unseeded Vesnina has described her semi-final against world number one Serena Williams as a dream, she is playing inspired tennis, bringing the guile from two doubles slams to deliver baseline power and a deft touch at the net. Fourth seed Kerber, meanwhile, has a 3-2 head-to-head lead over five-time champion Venus Williams and stunned younger sister Serena, who has won Wimbledon six times, at the Australian Open in January to win her first major final. All four will bring a wealth of experience to Centre Court -- their average age is 31 years and nine months, the oldest for the last four in an open era women's major. "The experienced players are ready to keep winning. They want to keep being great," Serena, 34, told reporters after she ground down 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals. She is aiming to equal Steffi Graf's open era record of 22 majors by lifting the trophy on Saturday, having been stuck on 21 since last year's Wimbledon. Of the challenge from her 29-year-old Russian opponent, she said: "I'll be ready for it." Vesnina said of Serena after reaching her first major semi-final: "You have to give all your heart and fight for every single point and just use your chances because it is really difficult to break her, especially here on grass." Like everlasting opponents on the other side of the net, Vesnina will also be taking on the American sisters in the doubles quarter-finals with her partner Ekaterina Makarova. Venus, 36, has reached her ninth Wimbledon semi-final and owns seven slam titles overall -- the last coming on the grass in 2008, inevitably against her sister, before the result was reversed the following year. It is nonetheless the first semi-final since the 2010 U.S. Open for the oldest woman in the 2016 Wimbledon field. "Semi-finals feels good. But it doesn't feel foreign at all, let's put it that way," she told reporters after brushing past Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets. "All those other semi-finals helped me to have the experience to be in this semi-final." Her perfect last-four record at Wimbledon could come under pressure though from Kerber, 28, who is trying to replicate the focus and relaxation that brought her the title in Melbourne. The last player to win both the Australian and Wimbledon in the same year was Serena Williams in 2015 - the last German was Graf in 1989. First up though is Venus. "She's always dangerous on grass, especially here in Wimbledon. She has a lot of confidence right now. She played great matches," Kerber said after beating Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep. And it is Kerber who may have the last laugh: "I'm playing really good tennis right now. Yeah, I think I'm playing like in Australia, like really high-class tennis." (Reuters)

As the Williams sisters march on, Kerber and Vesnina stand in their way

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon women&#39;s quarter-finalist for 22 years as the five-time champion defeated Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 on Monday. 
 
Aged 36, Williams is the oldest to make the last eight since 37-year-old Martina Navratilova&#39;s run to the final in 1994. 
 
Williams will be making her 12th appearance in the last eight at Wimbledon, and her first since 2010, when she faces Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova for a place in the semi-finals. 
 
Venus, seeded eighth, was broken twice in the first three games of the first set, but recovered from 3-0 and 5-3 down to win it in a tie-break. 
 
The American legend, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2008, needed just one break to win the second set. 
Williams, an eight-time Wimbledon finalist, will be bidding for her first Grand Slam semi-final appearance since the 2010 US Open. 
 
(AFP)

The 36-year-old will be making her 12th appearance in the last eight at Wimbledon

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon women's quarter-finalist for 22 years as the five-time champion defeated Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 on Monday. Aged 36, Williams is the oldest to make the last eight since 37-year-old Martina Navratilova's run to the final in 1994. Williams will be making her 12th appearance in the last eight at Wimbledon, and her first since 2010, when she faces Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova for a place in the semi-finals. Venus, seeded eighth, was broken twice in the first three games of the first set, but recovered from 3-0 and 5-3 down to win it in a tie-break. The American legend, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2008, needed just one break to win the second set. Williams, an eight-time Wimbledon finalist, will be bidding for her first Grand Slam semi-final appearance since the 2010 US Open. (AFP)

Venus becomes oldest Wimbledon women's quarter-finalist

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

Pablo Cuevas and playing partner Marcel Granollers held a sit-down protest at Wimbledon after they received warnings for threatening to urinate in a can and blasting a ball out of the court when the Uruguayan was refused a toilet break. 
 
The 15th-seeded pair were knocked out of the men&#39;s doubles tournament on Monday when they lost a controversial third round clash 6-3 4-6 6-4 3-6 14-12 to Jonny Marray and Adil Shamasdin. 
 
Britain&#39;s Marray sympathised with his opponents, feeling the situation could have been handled better by umpire Aurelie Tourte, while calling for toilet breaks to be added if matches went into a fifth set. 
 
&quot;You have to take bad calls on the chin at some point. I went to the bathroom twice during the match and obviously the fifth set was a long one,&quot; Marray told British media. 
 
&quot;I think you should be allowed an extra toilet break if it&#39;s five sets. You have to respect the officials regardless of whatever happened in the match. You can have a word or two but they&#39;re trying to do a job and you have to respect that.&quot; 
 
Shamasdin believed that Tourte had crumbled under pressure after making several early errors in the match. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think the chair umpire really had the match controlled. She made a few mistakes early on at both ends. We were all on her and she was definitely flustered,&quot; the 34-year-old Canadian said. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think she handled it correctly.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Left with little choice after the refusal, they had threatened to urinate in a can

Pablo Cuevas and playing partner Marcel Granollers held a sit-down protest at Wimbledon after they received warnings for threatening to urinate in a can and blasting a ball out of the court when the Uruguayan was refused a toilet break. The 15th-seeded pair were knocked out of the men's doubles tournament on Monday when they lost a controversial third round clash 6-3 4-6 6-4 3-6 14-12 to Jonny Marray and Adil Shamasdin. Britain's Marray sympathised with his opponents, feeling the situation could have been handled better by umpire Aurelie Tourte, while calling for toilet breaks to be added if matches went into a fifth set. "You have to take bad calls on the chin at some point. I went to the bathroom twice during the match and obviously the fifth set was a long one," Marray told British media. "I think you should be allowed an extra toilet break if it's five sets. You have to respect the officials regardless of whatever happened in the match. You can have a word or two but they're trying to do a job and you have to respect that." Shamasdin believed that Tourte had crumbled under pressure after making several early errors in the match. "I don't think the chair umpire really had the match controlled. She made a few mistakes early on at both ends. We were all on her and she was definitely flustered," the 34-year-old Canadian said. "I don't think she handled it correctly." (Reuters)

Refused toilet break, Cuevas and Granollers hold sit-down protest at Wimbledon

Serena Williams has warned her Wimbledon rivals she won&#39;t suffer the same humiliation as Novak Djokovic as the defending champion steps up her bid for a record-equalling 22nd major title. 
 
Williams was as shocked as the rest of the tennis world by Djokovic&#39;s third round exit against Sam Querrey on Saturday, but she is using her fellow world number one&#39;s exit as a valuable lesson not to underestimate any opponent. 
 
The 34-year-old put that plan into practice as she routed Germany&#39;s Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 in 51 minutes on centre court on Sunday, winning 11 of the last 12 games to earn her 300th Grand Slam match victory. 
 
Serena was so dominant that in the second set she lost only four points, and none on her serve, prompting former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna to describe the American as &quot;absolutely flawless&quot;. 
 
And Williams, who hasn&#39;t won a major since last year&#39;s Wimbledon, revealed that fear of enduring a humbling loss like Djokovic is keeping her focused ahead of Monday&#39;s last 16 clash with Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. 
 
&quot;Every time I step out on the court, if I don&#39;t win, it&#39;s major national news. But if I do win, it&#39;s just like a small tag in the corner,&quot; said Williams, who is hoping to tie Steffi Graf&#39;s Open era record of 22 Grand Slam triumphs. 
 
&quot;I think there is only two people that you can say that about out of all the athletes.&quot; 
 
&quot;He and I have both made extreme history. He&#39;s won four in a row. I won four in a row last year. I think that&#39;s historic in itself. 
 
&quot;I thought Novak would come back. I was surprised he didn&#39;t, actually.&quot; 
 
&quot;It is what it is. I don&#39;t look at it as a burden. It&#39;s really awesome to be in that position.&quot; 
 
After being forced to take a starring role in Wimbledon&#39;s first middle Sunday of play since 2004, Williams was relieved to make short work of Beck, giving her extra time to rest before attempting to secure a 10th victory in 13 meetings with her good friend Kuznetsova. 
 
&quot;It gives me a lot of confidence. I know what it takes to win these tournaments. It&#39;s just about doing it now,&quot; the six-time Wimbledon champion said. 
 
Kuznetsova shrugged off a controversial code violation for coaching to clinch a gruelling 6-7 (1/7), 6-2, 8-6 victory over Sloane Stephens. 
 
Inspired by Querrey&#39;s heroics against Djokovic, the 31-year-old, who won the US Open in 2004 and the French Open in 2009, hopes to emulate her victory over Williams in Miami earlier this year. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re all humans and it shows one more time that you can lose, you&#39;re not perfect,&quot; Kuznetsova said. 
 
&quot;Definitely she will be the favourite but upsets happen. Nobody is unbeatable.&quot; 
 
Serena&#39;s sister Venus Williams, the oldest woman left in the tournament, will be aiming for her first Wimbledon quarter-final since 2010 when she takes on Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro. 
 
Venus, 36, won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles when she lifted the Wimbledon trophy for a fifth time in 2008 and hasn&#39;t made the semi-finals of a major since the 2010 US Open. 
 
In other last 16 action, German fourth seed Angelique Kerber, the reigning Australian Open champion, faces unseeded Misaki Doi of Japan. 
 
Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska, beaten by Serena in the 2012 Wimbledon final, will continue her quest for a first major title against Slovakia&#39;s Dominika Cibulkova. 
 
Fresh from a surprise win over sixth seed Roberta Vinci in the third round, American Coco Vandeweghe plays Russia&#39;s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. 
 
Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep meets Madison Keys, while Lucie Safarova plays Yaroslava Shvedova - at number 96 the lowest ranked player left in the draw. 
 
Russia&#39;s Elena Vesnina faces compatriot and doubles partner Ekaterina Makarova, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding last year. 
 
(AFP)

After Djokovic's shocking third round exit, Serena has learnt not to underestimate her opponent

Serena Williams has warned her Wimbledon rivals she won't suffer the same humiliation as Novak Djokovic as the defending champion steps up her bid for a record-equalling 22nd major title. Williams was as shocked as the rest of the tennis world by Djokovic's third round exit against Sam Querrey on Saturday, but she is using her fellow world number one's exit as a valuable lesson not to underestimate any opponent. The 34-year-old put that plan into practice as she routed Germany's Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 in 51 minutes on centre court on Sunday, winning 11 of the last 12 games to earn her 300th Grand Slam match victory. Serena was so dominant that in the second set she lost only four points, and none on her serve, prompting former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna to describe the American as "absolutely flawless". And Williams, who hasn't won a major since last year's Wimbledon, revealed that fear of enduring a humbling loss like Djokovic is keeping her focused ahead of Monday's last 16 clash with Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. "Every time I step out on the court, if I don't win, it's major national news. But if I do win, it's just like a small tag in the corner," said Williams, who is hoping to tie Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 Grand Slam triumphs. "I think there is only two people that you can say that about out of all the athletes." "He and I have both made extreme history. He's won four in a row. I won four in a row last year. I think that's historic in itself. "I thought Novak would come back. I was surprised he didn't, actually." "It is what it is. I don't look at it as a burden. It's really awesome to be in that position." After being forced to take a starring role in Wimbledon's first middle Sunday of play since 2004, Williams was relieved to make short work of Beck, giving her extra time to rest before attempting to secure a 10th victory in 13 meetings with her good friend Kuznetsova. "It gives me a lot of confidence. I know what it takes to win these tournaments. It's just about doing it now," the six-time Wimbledon champion said. Kuznetsova shrugged off a controversial code violation for coaching to clinch a gruelling 6-7 (1/7), 6-2, 8-6 victory over Sloane Stephens. Inspired by Querrey's heroics against Djokovic, the 31-year-old, who won the US Open in 2004 and the French Open in 2009, hopes to emulate her victory over Williams in Miami earlier this year. "We're all humans and it shows one more time that you can lose, you're not perfect," Kuznetsova said. "Definitely she will be the favourite but upsets happen. Nobody is unbeatable." Serena's sister Venus Williams, the oldest woman left in the tournament, will be aiming for her first Wimbledon quarter-final since 2010 when she takes on Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro. Venus, 36, won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles when she lifted the Wimbledon trophy for a fifth time in 2008 and hasn't made the semi-finals of a major since the 2010 US Open. In other last 16 action, German fourth seed Angelique Kerber, the reigning Australian Open champion, faces unseeded Misaki Doi of Japan. Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska, beaten by Serena in the 2012 Wimbledon final, will continue her quest for a first major title against Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova. Fresh from a surprise win over sixth seed Roberta Vinci in the third round, American Coco Vandeweghe plays Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep meets Madison Keys, while Lucie Safarova plays Yaroslava Shvedova - at number 96 the lowest ranked player left in the draw. Russia's Elena Vesnina faces compatriot and doubles partner Ekaterina Makarova, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding last year. (AFP)

Won't bow out as Djokovic, says Serena

Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori pulled out of Wimbledon mid-way through his last 16 match against Marin Cilic on Monday, suffering from a rib injury. 
 
An off-colour Nishikori consulted the trainer and doctor during the fourth round contest on Court Two and finally retired from the match at 6-1, 5-1 down. 
 
He confirmed it was the same injury which forced him out of the Halle tourament in the run-up to Wimbledon. 
 
&quot;It got worse after the second round. I couldn&#39;t compete today,&quot; said Nishikori. 
 
Croatian ninth seed Cilic now faces either seven-time champion Roger Federer or Steve Johnson of the United States in Wednesday&#39;s quarter-finals. 
 
Nishikori&#39;s troubles were evident during the first set, when he found himself 5-0 down within 10 minutes, having won just two points as Cilic hit 10 aces. 
 
The Japanese did win one service game but by the end of the 16-minute set, he had hit just two winners to 18 from his opponent. 
 
He did manage to break Cilic early in the second set but could not stop the slump. 
 
In the breaks of play, 26-year-old Nishikori looked forlorn, with his head down, staring at the ground. 
 
He had his head in his hands after serving a double fault to go 4-1 down in the second set, after which his coaching staff -- including former French Open champion Michael Chang -- pleaded with him to call it quits. 
 
Nishikori called for the trainer and the doctor and was given some pills. 
 
After one more game he shook hands with his opponent. 
 
Nishikori hit just five winners in the match to 28 from Cilic, and his fastest serve was at only 103 miles per hour. He had managed to get just 35 per cent of his returns in play. 
 
Nishikori also withdrew from last year&#39;s Wimbledon in the second round with a left calf injury. 
 
He was bidding to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time in seven attempts -- the only one of the four majors where he has yet to make the last eight. 
 
Nishikori was bidding to become only the second Japanese man to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals, after Shuzo Matsuoka in 1995. 
 
He was the last Asian player left in the tournament after compatriot Misaki Doi was beaten in the women&#39;s last 16 by Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the preceding match on the 4,000-seater Court Two show court. 
 
Cilic, who beat Nishikori in the 2014 US Open final, has now reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals three times in a row, while Monday was the second time Nishikori had made it to the last 16. 
 
(AFP)

Nishikori also withdrew from last year's Wimbledon in the second round with a left calf injury

Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori pulled out of Wimbledon mid-way through his last 16 match against Marin Cilic on Monday, suffering from a rib injury. An off-colour Nishikori consulted the trainer and doctor during the fourth round contest on Court Two and finally retired from the match at 6-1, 5-1 down. He confirmed it was the same injury which forced him out of the Halle tourament in the run-up to Wimbledon. "It got worse after the second round. I couldn't compete today," said Nishikori. Croatian ninth seed Cilic now faces either seven-time champion Roger Federer or Steve Johnson of the United States in Wednesday's quarter-finals. Nishikori's troubles were evident during the first set, when he found himself 5-0 down within 10 minutes, having won just two points as Cilic hit 10 aces. The Japanese did win one service game but by the end of the 16-minute set, he had hit just two winners to 18 from his opponent. He did manage to break Cilic early in the second set but could not stop the slump. In the breaks of play, 26-year-old Nishikori looked forlorn, with his head down, staring at the ground. He had his head in his hands after serving a double fault to go 4-1 down in the second set, after which his coaching staff -- including former French Open champion Michael Chang -- pleaded with him to call it quits. Nishikori called for the trainer and the doctor and was given some pills. After one more game he shook hands with his opponent. Nishikori hit just five winners in the match to 28 from Cilic, and his fastest serve was at only 103 miles per hour. He had managed to get just 35 per cent of his returns in play. Nishikori also withdrew from last year's Wimbledon in the second round with a left calf injury. He was bidding to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time in seven attempts -- the only one of the four majors where he has yet to make the last eight. Nishikori was bidding to become only the second Japanese man to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals, after Shuzo Matsuoka in 1995. He was the last Asian player left in the tournament after compatriot Misaki Doi was beaten in the women's last 16 by Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the preceding match on the 4,000-seater Court Two show court. Cilic, who beat Nishikori in the 2014 US Open final, has now reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals three times in a row, while Monday was the second time Nishikori had made it to the last 16. (AFP)

Japanese 5th seed Kei Nishikori pulls out of Wimbledon

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

Wimbledon will stage matches on the middle Sunday for the first time since 2004 to help clear the backlog caused by heavy rain throughout the first week, organisers said on Friday. 
 
&quot;On account of the poor weather experienced to date in the first week, play will take place on middle Sunday,&quot; All England Club spokesman Johnny Perkins said in a statement. 
 
Play on the middle Sunday of the fortnight has only been held on three prior occasions - 1991, 1997 and 2004. 
 
This year&#39;s Wimbledon has been badly affected by the weather with long delays on Tuesday and Wednesday. 
 
On Friday, only three hours of action was possible on the outside courts leaving just 15 of the scheduled 32 singles ties completed. 
 
There were still four second round matches unfinished including two-time women&#39;s champion Petra Kvitova against Ekaterina Makarova. 
 
Kvitova&#39;s match only got under way at 7:03 pm on day five of the tournament. 
 
&quot;The move has been made in order to reduce the backlog of matches and to allow The Championships to finish as scheduled,&quot; Perkins said. 
 
&quot;Tickets will only be available for purchase in advance online on a first-come, first-served basis with a limit of two per household. None will be available for sale on the day.&quot; 
 
Full details for the arrangements were to be announced at 1:00 pm on Saturday. 
 
People&#39;s Sunday 
 
Play on the traditional rest day has been dubbed &quot;People&#39;s Sunday&quot; due to the unreserved seating and readily available cheaper ticket prices. 
 
The grounds in southwest London can hold 39,000 spectators at any one time. 
 
American John Isner said he was happy to play his third round clash against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday if necessary with more rain expected on Saturday. 
 
&quot;I know it&#39;s Wimbledon and it&#39;s all about tradition here,&quot; said Isner.&nbsp;A couple years ago I was scheduled to play Feliciano Lopez in the third round on Saturday, and I wanted to play him on Saturday because he was really tired.&nbsp;He had played both weeks before, made the finals of both weeks. It rained all day on Saturday, and then they didn&#39;t play on Sunday, either.&nbsp;But if we don&#39;t get it in tomorrow, I would like to play on Sunday.&quot; 
 
Scheduling during rain delays will ease in 2019 when a new roof over Court One will be in operation. 
 
The last time matches were staged on the middle Sunday, in 2004, was prompted by a washout on the previous day. 
 
In both 2004 and 1997, two days of play were completely rained off in the first week. 
 
Before the roof was installed on Centre Court, play was extended to a third Monday in 1992, 1996, and 2000 in order to complete the finals, and memorably again in 2001 when Goran Ivanisevic, playing on a wild card, won the men&#39;s title on a Monday. 
 
(AFP)

The delay was caused because, incredibly, in London it rained a lot

Wimbledon will stage matches on the middle Sunday for the first time since 2004 to help clear the backlog caused by heavy rain throughout the first week, organisers said on Friday. "On account of the poor weather experienced to date in the first week, play will take place on middle Sunday," All England Club spokesman Johnny Perkins said in a statement. Play on the middle Sunday of the fortnight has only been held on three prior occasions - 1991, 1997 and 2004. This year's Wimbledon has been badly affected by the weather with long delays on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Friday, only three hours of action was possible on the outside courts leaving just 15 of the scheduled 32 singles ties completed. There were still four second round matches unfinished including two-time women's champion Petra Kvitova against Ekaterina Makarova. Kvitova's match only got under way at 7:03 pm on day five of the tournament. "The move has been made in order to reduce the backlog of matches and to allow The Championships to finish as scheduled," Perkins said. "Tickets will only be available for purchase in advance online on a first-come, first-served basis with a limit of two per household. None will be available for sale on the day." Full details for the arrangements were to be announced at 1:00 pm on Saturday. People's Sunday Play on the traditional rest day has been dubbed "People's Sunday" due to the unreserved seating and readily available cheaper ticket prices. The grounds in southwest London can hold 39,000 spectators at any one time. American John Isner said he was happy to play his third round clash against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday if necessary with more rain expected on Saturday. "I know it's Wimbledon and it's all about tradition here," said Isner. A couple years ago I was scheduled to play Feliciano Lopez in the third round on Saturday, and I wanted to play him on Saturday because he was really tired. He had played both weeks before, made the finals of both weeks. It rained all day on Saturday, and then they didn't play on Sunday, either. But if we don't get it in tomorrow, I would like to play on Sunday." Scheduling during rain delays will ease in 2019 when a new roof over Court One will be in operation. The last time matches were staged on the middle Sunday, in 2004, was prompted by a washout on the previous day. In both 2004 and 1997, two days of play were completely rained off in the first week. Before the roof was installed on Centre Court, play was extended to a third Monday in 1992, 1996, and 2000 in order to complete the finals, and memorably again in 2001 when Goran Ivanisevic, playing on a wild card, won the men's title on a Monday. (AFP)

Wimbledon to play on middle Sunday

Andy Murray remains on course to capitalise on Novak Djokovic&#39;s stunning Wimbledon exit as the world number two eased into the last 16 with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Australia&#39;s John Millman on Saturday.

Murray has found it almost impossible to get the better of Djokovic over the last three years and suffered painful losses to the world number one in the Australian and French Open finals this year.

But the 29-year-old, beaten in 13 of his last 15 meetings with Djokovic, no longer has to worry about ending that frustrating streak after the Serb was condemned to his earliest Wimbledon defeat for eight years by American 28th seed Sam Querrey.

Murray will play Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios or Spain&#39;s Feliciano Lopez for a place in the quarter-finals.

(AFP)

Murray defeated Australia's John Millman on Saturday

Andy Murray remains on course to capitalise on Novak Djokovic's stunning Wimbledon exit as the world number two eased into the last 16 with a 6-3, 7-5, 6-2 victory over Australia's John Millman on Saturday. Murray has found it almost impossible to get the better of Djokovic over the last three years and suffered painful losses to the world number one in the Australian and French Open finals this year. But the 29-year-old, beaten in 13 of his last 15 meetings with Djokovic, no longer has to worry about ending that frustrating streak after the Serb was condemned to his earliest Wimbledon defeat for eight years by American 28th seed Sam Querrey. Murray will play Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios or Spain's Feliciano Lopez for a place in the quarter-finals. (AFP)

Wimbledon: Andy Murray enters last 16, on course to capitalise on  Djokovic's exit

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was beaten 7-6(6) 6-1 3-6 7-6(5) by American Sam Querrey in the Wimbledon third round on Saturday.

The Serbian top seed trailed by two sets overnight after the Court One match was interrupted by rain on Friday and there was no escape for the 29-year-old as Querrey, the 28th seed, completed a huge shock.

The Defeat, which ended the world number one&#39;s 30-match winning streak at grand slams, scuppered Djokovic&#39;s hopes of becoming the first man to win all four majors in a year since Rod Laver in 1969.

It was his first loss before the quarter-final of a grand slam tournament since 2009 when he also bowed out in the third round at the French Open. 
 
(Reuters)

Querrey has ended the world number one's dream of a calendar slam

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was beaten 7-6(6) 6-1 3-6 7-6(5) by American Sam Querrey in the Wimbledon third round on Saturday. The Serbian top seed trailed by two sets overnight after the Court One match was interrupted by rain on Friday and there was no escape for the 29-year-old as Querrey, the 28th seed, completed a huge shock. The Defeat, which ended the world number one's 30-match winning streak at grand slams, scuppered Djokovic's hopes of becoming the first man to win all four majors in a year since Rod Laver in 1969. It was his first loss before the quarter-final of a grand slam tournament since 2009 when he also bowed out in the third round at the French Open. (Reuters)

Defending champion Djokovic knocked out by Querrey at Wimbledon

Second seed Garbine Muguruza, gunning to add the Wimbledon crown to her French Open title, was sensationally beaten in the second round on Thursday by a Slovakian qualifier, removing one of the biggest obstacles to Serena Williams defending her title. 
 
Jana Cepelova pulled off the shock of the tournament so far, downing the Spaniard 6-3 6-2 in a nerveless Court One display. 
 
Spaniard Muguruza, who lost to Williams in last year&#39;s final, looked lacklustre and struggled with the accuracy of her powershots that had thrilled the French crowds. 
 
&quot;I think my energy was missing a little bit today,&quot; she told reporters. 
 
&quot;Today during the match, and after the match, I&#39;m like, it&#39;s a tough day today. I feel empty a little bit, and I start to be sick. But I think it was a little bit of a combination,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp; 
 
Muguruza had laboured in the first round against Italy&#39;s Camila Giorgi on Monday, eventually winning through in three sets, but had not lost against a player ranked outside the top 100 since last August on the hardcourts of Cincinnati. 
 
Cepelova played fearlessly:&nbsp;Muguruza 
However, Cepelova, ranked 124th and having come through three rounds of qualifying, had served notice that she could cause an upset, having a two-two record over top-five players. 
 
The 23-year-old brought all the pedigree that helped her down then world number three Simona Halep in the first round last year, racing through the match in 59 minutes. 
 
&quot;I like to play on the big courts and today and also last year, my performance on the big court was pretty good. I think I played today well,&quot; Cepelova told reporters. 
 
She broke Muguruza at the first opportunity, forcing a backhand error, and never looked back, sassing her opponent at the net, outdoing her on the baseline and sealing both sets on the first set points. 
 
&quot;I think she played great, with no fear. She was trying a lot of stuff that was working. My energy was not really there. I was trying, but didn&#39;t work at all,&quot; Muguruza, 22, said. 
 
Her defeat removes one of the major challengers to Williams&#39;s bid the equal Steffi Graf&#39;s Open era record of 22 grand slams by lifting the trophy next Saturday. 
 
French open champ dismisses defeat as &#39;no drama&#39; 
Muguruza had achieved the rare feat of overpowering world Williams to claim her maiden grand slam title on the Paris clay with a 7-5 6-4 win over the world number one and many had thought she could go all the way at Wimbledon. 
 
She ruefully dismissed Thursday&#39;s defeat as no drama, and the sunny, relaxed demeanour that has won her legions of fans was still in evidence. She scotched suggestions she had buckled under pressure heaped on her after her Paris triumph. 
 
&quot;No, not pressure. I think for sure more expectations from other people. But honestly, for me, I just was very clear it was going to be a rough tournament for me after winning a grand slam and coming here. Everybody likes looking at me,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;One day it&#39;s going to go my way, another day no. Hopefully, my consistency will improve and I&#39;ll be able to be deep in all the tournaments.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

With the second seed out of the tournament, Serena Williams' path to defending her title just got easier

Second seed Garbine Muguruza, gunning to add the Wimbledon crown to her French Open title, was sensationally beaten in the second round on Thursday by a Slovakian qualifier, removing one of the biggest obstacles to Serena Williams defending her title. Jana Cepelova pulled off the shock of the tournament so far, downing the Spaniard 6-3 6-2 in a nerveless Court One display. Spaniard Muguruza, who lost to Williams in last year's final, looked lacklustre and struggled with the accuracy of her powershots that had thrilled the French crowds. "I think my energy was missing a little bit today," she told reporters. "Today during the match, and after the match, I'm like, it's a tough day today. I feel empty a little bit, and I start to be sick. But I think it was a little bit of a combination,” she added. Muguruza had laboured in the first round against Italy's Camila Giorgi on Monday, eventually winning through in three sets, but had not lost against a player ranked outside the top 100 since last August on the hardcourts of Cincinnati. Cepelova played fearlessly: Muguruza However, Cepelova, ranked 124th and having come through three rounds of qualifying, had served notice that she could cause an upset, having a two-two record over top-five players. The 23-year-old brought all the pedigree that helped her down then world number three Simona Halep in the first round last year, racing through the match in 59 minutes. "I like to play on the big courts and today and also last year, my performance on the big court was pretty good. I think I played today well," Cepelova told reporters. She broke Muguruza at the first opportunity, forcing a backhand error, and never looked back, sassing her opponent at the net, outdoing her on the baseline and sealing both sets on the first set points. "I think she played great, with no fear. She was trying a lot of stuff that was working. My energy was not really there. I was trying, but didn't work at all," Muguruza, 22, said. Her defeat removes one of the major challengers to Williams's bid the equal Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 grand slams by lifting the trophy next Saturday. French open champ dismisses defeat as 'no drama' Muguruza had achieved the rare feat of overpowering world Williams to claim her maiden grand slam title on the Paris clay with a 7-5 6-4 win over the world number one and many had thought she could go all the way at Wimbledon. She ruefully dismissed Thursday's defeat as no drama, and the sunny, relaxed demeanour that has won her legions of fans was still in evidence. She scotched suggestions she had buckled under pressure heaped on her after her Paris triumph. "No, not pressure. I think for sure more expectations from other people. But honestly, for me, I just was very clear it was going to be a rough tournament for me after winning a grand slam and coming here. Everybody likes looking at me," she said. "One day it's going to go my way, another day no. Hopefully, my consistency will improve and I'll be able to be deep in all the tournaments." (Reuters)

French Open champ Muguruza faces shock defeat in second round of Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic made tennis history at Wimbledon on Wednesday when he notched up the most consecutive grand slam match victories in the Open Era, and said he aimed to continue his assault on the record books. 
 
The defending champion brushed past France&#39;s Adrian Mannarino 6-4 6-3 7-6(5) to book his place in the third round. It was his 30th consecutive grand slam match win, beating Rod Laver&#39;s record of 29 set in 1969-70. 
 
&quot;I have to be very grateful to have the opportunity to make the history of the sport,&quot; the world number one told reporters. &quot;Knowing that I won 30 in a row, it&#39;s very pleasing. I want to keep on going. Let&#39;s see where it takes me.&nbsp;Every single record that I managed to achieve in the last couple of years is important,&quot; he added. &quot;Every next one that I have a possibility to achieve is more motivation.&quot; 
 
Djokovic last lost a slam match when he was defeated by Stan Wawrinka in the 2015 French Open final. He now holds all four major titles, and has another historic mark in his sights. 
 
The 29-year-old Serb is aiming to become the first man since Laver in 1969 to achieve the calendar Grand Slam - winning the four major titles in a single season. 
 
Djokovic, seeking his third consecutive Wimbledon crown, played well within himself during the second-round match against Mannarino and was rarely troubled. 
 
The Frenchman, ranked 55, put up spirited resistance in the third set to force a tiebreak but was ultimately swept off Centre Court by his opponent&#39;s laser-guided groundstrokes. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

He has his eyes set on the calendar Grand Slam--winning the four major titles in a single season, last achieved by Laver in 1969

Novak Djokovic made tennis history at Wimbledon on Wednesday when he notched up the most consecutive grand slam match victories in the Open Era, and said he aimed to continue his assault on the record books. The defending champion brushed past France's Adrian Mannarino 6-4 6-3 7-6(5) to book his place in the third round. It was his 30th consecutive grand slam match win, beating Rod Laver's record of 29 set in 1969-70. "I have to be very grateful to have the opportunity to make the history of the sport," the world number one told reporters. "Knowing that I won 30 in a row, it's very pleasing. I want to keep on going. Let's see where it takes me. Every single record that I managed to achieve in the last couple of years is important," he added. "Every next one that I have a possibility to achieve is more motivation." Djokovic last lost a slam match when he was defeated by Stan Wawrinka in the 2015 French Open final. He now holds all four major titles, and has another historic mark in his sights. The 29-year-old Serb is aiming to become the first man since Laver in 1969 to achieve the calendar Grand Slam - winning the four major titles in a single season. Djokovic, seeking his third consecutive Wimbledon crown, played well within himself during the second-round match against Mannarino and was rarely troubled. The Frenchman, ranked 55, put up spirited resistance in the third set to force a tiebreak but was ultimately swept off Centre Court by his opponent's laser-guided groundstrokes. (Reuters)

Djokovic aims to keep breaking records

Controversial Australian Bernard Tomic was ordered to apologise today after he used the word &quot;retard&quot; in a Wimbledon press conference. 
 
Tomic&#39;s comments were branded as &quot;damaging and offensive&quot; by a learning disability charity as the world number 19 once again found himself in trouble. 
 
The Australian made the comments after being asked how he felt being made to wait for his first round opponent Fernando Verdasco to arrive on court for a match on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;I think he was up in the locker getting something taped. When I left, I thought he was leaving, so I just happened to walk out,&quot; said the 23-year-old. 
 
&quot;I did get to the court prior to him very early, and unfortunately I had to stand on court like a retard.&quot; 
 
The learning disability charity Mencap asked Tomic to say sorry. 
 
&quot;I&#39;d like the player to apologise and would encourage him to meet people with a learning disability so he can understand why the word is so damaging and offensive,&quot; Ciara Lawrence, who has a learning disability and is a campaigns support officer at Mencap, told the Press Association. 
 
&quot;Time and time again I hear this word used as if it has no effect. People clearly don&#39;t understand how upsetting and offensive this is to people with a learning disability like me. 
 
&quot;I am sick and tired of people in high-profile positions who are respected by the public using this word. It can make the public and people who look up to sports stars think it is okay to use words like this when it&#39;s not. 
 
&quot;It makes people with a learning disability seen not as people but as second-class citizens, and is no different to discriminating against someone who is gay or black.&quot; 
 
Tomic has been plagued by off-court controversies during his career. 
 
Most recently, he made headlines in Madrid when he turned his racquet the wrong way to face a match point against Fabio Fognini. 
 
Tomic later told his post-match news conference: &quot;I don&#39;t care about that match point. Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?&quot; 
 
In July last year, he was arrested in Miami after a wild party in a hotel penthouse suite. 
 
He was dropped from the Davis Cup team and has since opted out of the Olympics. 
 
(AFP)

The player made the offensive comment on being asked how he felt about waiting for his opponent Fernando Verdasco to arrive on court

Controversial Australian Bernard Tomic was ordered to apologise today after he used the word "retard" in a Wimbledon press conference. Tomic's comments were branded as "damaging and offensive" by a learning disability charity as the world number 19 once again found himself in trouble. The Australian made the comments after being asked how he felt being made to wait for his first round opponent Fernando Verdasco to arrive on court for a match on Wednesday. "I think he was up in the locker getting something taped. When I left, I thought he was leaving, so I just happened to walk out," said the 23-year-old. "I did get to the court prior to him very early, and unfortunately I had to stand on court like a retard." The learning disability charity Mencap asked Tomic to say sorry. "I'd like the player to apologise and would encourage him to meet people with a learning disability so he can understand why the word is so damaging and offensive," Ciara Lawrence, who has a learning disability and is a campaigns support officer at Mencap, told the Press Association. "Time and time again I hear this word used as if it has no effect. People clearly don't understand how upsetting and offensive this is to people with a learning disability like me. "I am sick and tired of people in high-profile positions who are respected by the public using this word. It can make the public and people who look up to sports stars think it is okay to use words like this when it's not. "It makes people with a learning disability seen not as people but as second-class citizens, and is no different to discriminating against someone who is gay or black." Tomic has been plagued by off-court controversies during his career. Most recently, he made headlines in Madrid when he turned his racquet the wrong way to face a match point against Fabio Fognini. Tomic later told his post-match news conference: "I don't care about that match point. Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?" In July last year, he was arrested in Miami after a wild party in a hotel penthouse suite. He was dropped from the Davis Cup team and has since opted out of the Olympics. (AFP)

Tomic told to apologise for 'retard' comment

Tomas Berdych battled the elements and a gritty display by his unseeded Croatian opponent Ivan Dodig on Wednesday before sealing a 7-6(5) 5-7 6-1 7-6(2) win. 
 
With the rain cutting a swathe through the programme for the second day running, the 10th-seeded Czech served for the match when play resumed after being called off with him leading 4-1 in the fourth set the previous day. 
 
But in damp windy conditions that gradually turned to steady drizzle, and led to play being called off on all but one of Wimbledon&#39;s other outside courts, Dodig broke serve and saved two match points before taking the match to a tiebreak. 
 
But Berdych, runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the All England Club in 2010 and contesting his 52nd consecutive grand slam, steadied his nerves to take the breaker 7-2 when he forced a backhand error from Dodig. 
 
The Czech, vocal in his criticism of how French Open officials managed rain interruptions at Roland Garros earlier this month, next plays unseeded German Benjamin Becker. 
 
Play on all outside courts was suspended until 1330 GMT, with further rain delays forecast into the evening. 
 
Centre Court action began on time with the roof closed. 
 
Defending champion Novak Djokovic will take on Frenchman Adrian Mannarino before seven-times champion Roger Federer plays Britain&#39;s world number 772 Marcus Willis. 
 
(Reuters)

Tenth seed Berdych next plays unseeded German Benjamin Becker

Tomas Berdych battled the elements and a gritty display by his unseeded Croatian opponent Ivan Dodig on Wednesday before sealing a 7-6(5) 5-7 6-1 7-6(2) win. With the rain cutting a swathe through the programme for the second day running, the 10th-seeded Czech served for the match when play resumed after being called off with him leading 4-1 in the fourth set the previous day. But in damp windy conditions that gradually turned to steady drizzle, and led to play being called off on all but one of Wimbledon's other outside courts, Dodig broke serve and saved two match points before taking the match to a tiebreak. But Berdych, runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the All England Club in 2010 and contesting his 52nd consecutive grand slam, steadied his nerves to take the breaker 7-2 when he forced a backhand error from Dodig. The Czech, vocal in his criticism of how French Open officials managed rain interruptions at Roland Garros earlier this month, next plays unseeded German Benjamin Becker. Play on all outside courts was suspended until 1330 GMT, with further rain delays forecast into the evening. Centre Court action began on time with the roof closed. Defending champion Novak Djokovic will take on Frenchman Adrian Mannarino before seven-times champion Roger Federer plays Britain's world number 772 Marcus Willis. (Reuters)

Berdych battles to four-set win at rain-hit Wimbledon

Seven-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has been warned - take 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis lightly at your peril. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think Roger is going to have played anyone like Marcus. I know that for a fact. It will be tricky,&quot; Liam Broady, Willis&#39; fellow Britain, said on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s what Marcus always is. He makes opponents win matches. He serves well, serves big, puts pressure on. 
 
&quot;Obviously, Roger&#39;s the greatest player of all time. But personally, I think it will be a really interesting match-up.&quot; 
 
Willis, who almost quit to take up coaching and had to battle through six rounds of qualifying, stunned Lithuania&#39;s Ricardas Berankis, ranked 718 places above him, on Monday. 
 
Some of his play, including rarely seen sliced forehands, bamboozled Berankis. 
 
It set Wimbledon abuzz, but a repeat against 34-year-old 17-times grand slam champion Federer would seem barely credible even for the most far-fetched Hollywood plot. 
 
Or would it? 
 
&quot;Stranger things have happened, I know that,&quot; Broady, beaten 6-2 6-3 6-4 by world number two Andy Murray, said. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s so tricky, he&#39;s so talented. He&#39;s very aware of what he&#39;s doing on the court, how to make it awkward for people.&quot; 
 
Murray was also asked about Willis&#39; chances. 
 
&quot;Amazing things do happen in sport sometimes,&quot; Murray, who pointed to England&#39;s defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016, said. 
 
&quot;Obviously, Roger&#39;s a massive, massive favourite going into the match. I would expect him to win fairly comfortably. 
 
&quot;But Marcus&#39; game style, it&#39;s pretty old-school. He serve-and-volleys a lot. Uses a lot of slice. Hits the ball fairly flat. Has great hands. Great feel. 
 
&quot;Very few guys play like that now. It&#39;s just amazing, an amazing opportunity for him.&quot; 
 
Perhaps the best advice came from Broady though after his own Centre Court debut against Murray. 
 
&quot;By the end of the second set, most of the third, it was just kind of a match against another guy,&quot; the 22-year-old said. 
 
&quot;Sometimes you watch on TV. You think that the top players in the world are superhuman. They&#39;re so good at what they do that you forget they&#39;re just men. Obviously they&#39;re spectacular at tennis, but they are just men.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Marcus Willis had to battle through six rounds of qualifying and stunned Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, ranked 718 places above him

Seven-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has been warned - take 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis lightly at your peril. "I don't think Roger is going to have played anyone like Marcus. I know that for a fact. It will be tricky," Liam Broady, Willis' fellow Britain, said on Tuesday. "That's what Marcus always is. He makes opponents win matches. He serves well, serves big, puts pressure on. "Obviously, Roger's the greatest player of all time. But personally, I think it will be a really interesting match-up." Willis, who almost quit to take up coaching and had to battle through six rounds of qualifying, stunned Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, ranked 718 places above him, on Monday. Some of his play, including rarely seen sliced forehands, bamboozled Berankis. It set Wimbledon abuzz, but a repeat against 34-year-old 17-times grand slam champion Federer would seem barely credible even for the most far-fetched Hollywood plot. Or would it? "Stranger things have happened, I know that," Broady, beaten 6-2 6-3 6-4 by world number two Andy Murray, said. "He's so tricky, he's so talented. He's very aware of what he's doing on the court, how to make it awkward for people." Murray was also asked about Willis' chances. "Amazing things do happen in sport sometimes," Murray, who pointed to England's defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016, said. "Obviously, Roger's a massive, massive favourite going into the match. I would expect him to win fairly comfortably. "But Marcus' game style, it's pretty old-school. He serve-and-volleys a lot. Uses a lot of slice. Hits the ball fairly flat. Has great hands. Great feel. "Very few guys play like that now. It's just amazing, an amazing opportunity for him." Perhaps the best advice came from Broady though after his own Centre Court debut against Murray. "By the end of the second set, most of the third, it was just kind of a match against another guy," the 22-year-old said. "Sometimes you watch on TV. You think that the top players in the world are superhuman. They're so good at what they do that you forget they're just men. Obviously they're spectacular at tennis, but they are just men." (Reuters)

Roger Federer warned to expect the unexpected from Willis

Tara Moore praised the influence of her mind trainer Tony Lekic after the Briton registered a first ever singles victory at a grand slam tournament when she beat Alison Van Uytvanck in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. 
 
Coming into the grasscourt tournament ranked 227th in the world, the wildcard overcame the Belgian ranked 100 places above her 6-3 6-2 to set up a second round encounter against Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a great benefit. He doesn&#39;t just help me with on-court stuff. There&#39;s a lot of off-court stuff that people don&#39;t see, a lot of behind the scenes things that are tough to handle for a tennis player,&quot; Moore told British media. 
 
&quot;We travel a lot. We&#39;re away from loved ones and friends a lot. That&#39;s really difficult. Tennis is so difficult without all the little things. He&#39;s definitely there to help with the little things. That&#39;s been monumental for me.&quot; 
 
Moore said she also drew inspiration from 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis&#39; win over Lithuanian world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, which set up a second round encounter against seven-time champion Roger Federer. 
 
&quot;I was watching, cheering and screaming at the screen. Willis has done so great. For sure it was an inspiration,&quot; Moore said. 
 
&quot;The British players are very supportive of each other and push each other on. I definitely think (British) tennis is on the up.&quot; 
 
The 23-year-old will also team up with Switzerland&#39;s Conny Perrin for a women&#39;s doubles first round clash against Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino and Puerto Rican Monica Puig today. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Tara Moore is the first British woman to reach the second round at Wimbeldon

Tara Moore praised the influence of her mind trainer Tony Lekic after the Briton registered a first ever singles victory at a grand slam tournament when she beat Alison Van Uytvanck in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. Coming into the grasscourt tournament ranked 227th in the world, the wildcard overcame the Belgian ranked 100 places above her 6-3 6-2 to set up a second round encounter against Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. "It's been a great benefit. He doesn't just help me with on-court stuff. There's a lot of off-court stuff that people don't see, a lot of behind the scenes things that are tough to handle for a tennis player," Moore told British media. "We travel a lot. We're away from loved ones and friends a lot. That's really difficult. Tennis is so difficult without all the little things. He's definitely there to help with the little things. That's been monumental for me." Moore said she also drew inspiration from 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis' win over Lithuanian world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, which set up a second round encounter against seven-time champion Roger Federer. "I was watching, cheering and screaming at the screen. Willis has done so great. For sure it was an inspiration," Moore said. "The British players are very supportive of each other and push each other on. I definitely think (British) tennis is on the up." The 23-year-old will also team up with Switzerland's Conny Perrin for a women's doubles first round clash against Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino and Puerto Rican Monica Puig today. (Reuters)

Moore hails mind trainer after Wimbledon breakthrough

&nbsp;As she has done for most of the past 18 summers, Venus Williams on Monday took a large, languid stride into the second round of Wimbledon. 
 
The oldest woman in the main singles draw, five-times champion Williams was at times sublime as she beat Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6(3) 6-4 on a sunny Court One. 
 
While the full Williams armoury had been on display, it was her mental strength which stood out -- perhaps no surprise given she is playing her 71st grand slam singles tournament, a record among current female players. 
 
Vekic produced startling groundstrokes at times, but eighth seed Williams maintained her composure, increasing the pressure when things got tight as her opponent wilted in the spotlight. 
 
There cannot be too many grand slam years left for Williams, who celebrated her 36th birthday this month, but she showed more than enough on Day One to suggest she could again go deep in her favourite major. 
 
(Reuters)

Donna Vekic produced startling groundstrokes, but eighth seed Williams beat her by 7-6(3) 6-4

As she has done for most of the past 18 summers, Venus Williams on Monday took a large, languid stride into the second round of Wimbledon. The oldest woman in the main singles draw, five-times champion Williams was at times sublime as she beat Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6(3) 6-4 on a sunny Court One. While the full Williams armoury had been on display, it was her mental strength which stood out -- perhaps no surprise given she is playing her 71st grand slam singles tournament, a record among current female players. Vekic produced startling groundstrokes at times, but eighth seed Williams maintained her composure, increasing the pressure when things got tight as her opponent wilted in the spotlight. There cannot be too many grand slam years left for Williams, who celebrated her 36th birthday this month, but she showed more than enough on Day One to suggest she could again go deep in her favourite major. (Reuters)

Venus vaults Vekic at Wimbledon

World number one Novak Djokovic and 17-time major winner Roger Federer get Wimbledon under way today with history beckoning for the two Grand Slam A-listers. 
 
Top seed Djokovic is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969 after ending his agonising wait for a maiden French Open crown earlier this month. 
 
The 29-year-old defending champion currently holds all four majors and if he wins a third successive Wimbledon title and fourth in all, he will become just the second man in history to win five successive Slams. 
 
Only Don Budge, who won six straight from 1937 Wimbledon to the 1938 US Championships, has achieved the feat. 
 
Djokovic is such a hot favourite to triumph on July 10 that women&#39;s champion Serena Williams is already tipping the Serb for more greatness. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;ll get it easy,&quot; said the American who will begin her bid for an Open era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam on Tuesday. 
 
Djokovic has won six of the last eight Grand Slams, taking him to a career tally of 12 - within two of Rafael Nadal`s mark and five behind Federer`s record. 
 
Djokovic takes on British wild card James Ward in the opening match on Centre Court. 
 
Ward, the 29-year-old son of a London taxi driver, is ranked at 177 in the world and made the third round last year with Australian coach Darren Tandy. 
 
But Tandy was diagnosed with cancer of the colon later in the year and died on Christmas Eve. 
 
&quot;It`s been a tough time. Obviously the end of last year was very difficult,&quot; Ward told the Press Association. 
 
&quot;He was my tennis coach so every time I play tennis it reminds me of him.&quot; 
 
Federer, whose last major triumph was at Wimbledon in 2012 when he won his seventh title at the All England Club, against Argentina`s world number 51 Guido Pella. 
 
Federer, 34, has been runner-up to Djokovic for the last two years and is attempting to become the oldest ever Wimbledon champion in modern times. 
 
But the Swiss has been dogged by knee and back problems this year and his injury-enforced withdrawal from the French Open ended his streak of 65 successive Grand Slam appearances stretching back to 1999. 
 
He has since suffered semi-final losses on grass at Stuttgart and Halle, the last of which against Alexander Zverev was his first against a teenager in 10 years. 
 
Federer`s failure to win a title in 2016 means he will enter Wimbledon on his longest trophy drought since 2000.&quot;Clearly I`m not thinking of the title right away,&quot; said the Swiss when asked to assess his chances. 
 
&quot;Novak or Andy (Murray) are the big favourites.&quot; 
 
Pella, 26, was forced to retire from his first round match on his Wimbledon debut in 2013 while he fell in qualifying last year. 
 
The Centre Court programme also sees women`s second seed and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza taking on Camila Giorgi, the world number 68 from Italy. 
 
Muguruza was runner-up to Williams last year. Giorgi reached the fourth round in 2012. 
 
On Court One, 36-year-old Venus Williams, seeded eighth and a five-time champion, takes on Croatia`s Donna Vekic. 
 
Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori, who has yet to get beyond the fourth round, takes on big-serving Australian Sam Groth. 
 
Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber faces Britain`s Laura Robson in the same arena. 
 
Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, with John McEnroe in his corner, meets Spain`s Pablo Carreno Busta as he looks to improve on his 2014 semi-final showing. 
 
Meanwhile, armed police will patrol the tournament, both inside and outside the grounds while organisers have also increased the numbers of their private security staff. 
 
Armed officers were also used at Wimbledon last year but on a lower scale on the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London. 
 
&quot;(There will be) significant numbers of officers patrolling the local area, firearms officers and a highly mobile reserve that can respond to emerging incidents,&quot; said a police spokesman. 
 
&quot;Officers will be working in uniform and in plain clothes during the event.&quot; 
 
Rain is also expected in the first week but forecasters are confident showers will pass by the time play gets under way. 
 
(AFP)

Roger Federer has been runner-up to Djokovic for the Past two years and is attempting to become the oldest ever Wimbledon champion

World number one Novak Djokovic and 17-time major winner Roger Federer get Wimbledon under way today with history beckoning for the two Grand Slam A-listers. Top seed Djokovic is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969 after ending his agonising wait for a maiden French Open crown earlier this month. The 29-year-old defending champion currently holds all four majors and if he wins a third successive Wimbledon title and fourth in all, he will become just the second man in history to win five successive Slams. Only Don Budge, who won six straight from 1937 Wimbledon to the 1938 US Championships, has achieved the feat. Djokovic is such a hot favourite to triumph on July 10 that women's champion Serena Williams is already tipping the Serb for more greatness. "I think he'll get it easy," said the American who will begin her bid for an Open era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam on Tuesday. Djokovic has won six of the last eight Grand Slams, taking him to a career tally of 12 - within two of Rafael Nadal`s mark and five behind Federer`s record. Djokovic takes on British wild card James Ward in the opening match on Centre Court. Ward, the 29-year-old son of a London taxi driver, is ranked at 177 in the world and made the third round last year with Australian coach Darren Tandy. But Tandy was diagnosed with cancer of the colon later in the year and died on Christmas Eve. "It`s been a tough time. Obviously the end of last year was very difficult," Ward told the Press Association. "He was my tennis coach so every time I play tennis it reminds me of him." Federer, whose last major triumph was at Wimbledon in 2012 when he won his seventh title at the All England Club, against Argentina`s world number 51 Guido Pella. Federer, 34, has been runner-up to Djokovic for the last two years and is attempting to become the oldest ever Wimbledon champion in modern times. But the Swiss has been dogged by knee and back problems this year and his injury-enforced withdrawal from the French Open ended his streak of 65 successive Grand Slam appearances stretching back to 1999. He has since suffered semi-final losses on grass at Stuttgart and Halle, the last of which against Alexander Zverev was his first against a teenager in 10 years. Federer`s failure to win a title in 2016 means he will enter Wimbledon on his longest trophy drought since 2000."Clearly I`m not thinking of the title right away," said the Swiss when asked to assess his chances. "Novak or Andy (Murray) are the big favourites." Pella, 26, was forced to retire from his first round match on his Wimbledon debut in 2013 while he fell in qualifying last year. The Centre Court programme also sees women`s second seed and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza taking on Camila Giorgi, the world number 68 from Italy. Muguruza was runner-up to Williams last year. Giorgi reached the fourth round in 2012. On Court One, 36-year-old Venus Williams, seeded eighth and a five-time champion, takes on Croatia`s Donna Vekic. Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori, who has yet to get beyond the fourth round, takes on big-serving Australian Sam Groth. Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber faces Britain`s Laura Robson in the same arena. Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, with John McEnroe in his corner, meets Spain`s Pablo Carreno Busta as he looks to improve on his 2014 semi-final showing. Meanwhile, armed police will patrol the tournament, both inside and outside the grounds while organisers have also increased the numbers of their private security staff. Armed officers were also used at Wimbledon last year but on a lower scale on the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London. "(There will be) significant numbers of officers patrolling the local area, firearms officers and a highly mobile reserve that can respond to emerging incidents," said a police spokesman. "Officers will be working in uniform and in plain clothes during the event." Rain is also expected in the first week but forecasters are confident showers will pass by the time play gets under way. (AFP)

History on line as Djokovic, Federer get Wimbledon under way

It was not quite the triple bagel that Novak Djokovic was aiming for during the opening 41 minutes of his first-round match, but the Serbian is unlikely to be too disappointed after he beat Britain&#39;s James Ward 6-0 7-6(3) 6-4 at Wimbledon today. 
 
The holder of all four grand slam titles appeared to be hurtling towards his 29th successive win at a major when he opened his Wimbledon defence by jumping out to a 6-0 3-0 lead. 
 
But Ward, the son of a London black cab driver, did not want to make a quick getaway on his Centre Court debut and held both arms aloft after finally getting a game against his name on the scoreboard. 
 
The 177th-ranked wildcard went on a roll as he won three games on the trot but despite his fightback, he simply did not have enough weapons to stop Djokovic from setting up a second- round showdown with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. 
 
(Reuters)

Britain's James Ward, despite his fightback, did not have enough weapons to stop Djokovic from setting up a second-round showdown

It was not quite the triple bagel that Novak Djokovic was aiming for during the opening 41 minutes of his first-round match, but the Serbian is unlikely to be too disappointed after he beat Britain's James Ward 6-0 7-6(3) 6-4 at Wimbledon today. The holder of all four grand slam titles appeared to be hurtling towards his 29th successive win at a major when he opened his Wimbledon defence by jumping out to a 6-0 3-0 lead. But Ward, the son of a London black cab driver, did not want to make a quick getaway on his Centre Court debut and held both arms aloft after finally getting a game against his name on the scoreboard. The 177th-ranked wildcard went on a roll as he won three games on the trot but despite his fightback, he simply did not have enough weapons to stop Djokovic from setting up a second- round showdown with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. (Reuters)

Djokovic beats Ward by 6-0 7-6 6-4, makes solid start to Wimbledon title defence

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

Nick Kyrgios described his first-round clash with the oldest man at Wimbledon - wily Czech Radek Stepanek - as &quot;pretty crazy&quot; on Saturday, saying the 37-year-old had been offering to help coach him. 
 
Stepanek likes nothing better than to make life difficult for more celebrated opponents, as world number two Andy Murray discovered last month when he came within two points of defeat in the first round of the French Open. 
 
But Stepanek, the oldest man in the singles, may end up regretting offering the Australian tips on how to win matches when the two face off on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;To play Stepanek obviously is pretty tough. I&#39;m really good mates with him as well,&quot; 21-year-old Kyrgios, who has been bumped up from his world ranking of 18 to 15th seed, told reporters. &quot;He was just helping me a little bit. So ... playing him now, it&#39;s pretty crazy.&quot; 
 
Asked what kind of pointers he had been given by Stepanek, who coincidentally was the first player the Australian faced when he made his grand slam debut at the French Open in 2013, Kyrgios swiftly changed the subject. 
 
&quot;He was offering to help me a little bit. He&#39;s getting towards the end of his career,&quot; he said. &quot;He&#39;s still playing some great tennis. I feel like grass is his best surface.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I know it&#39;s going to be very tough,&quot; added Kyrgios, who could meet 2013 Wimbledon champion Murray in the fourth round. &quot;For me, they&#39;re just fun matches. I&#39;m not looking too far ahead. I know the Kyrgios-Murray fourth round is pretty exciting, but I&#39;ve got some tough matches ahead.&quot; 
 
Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2014, but made the wrong sort of headlines last year when he was accused of &#39;tanking&#39; (not trying) during some points of his defeat by Frenchman Richard Gasquet. 
 
He was fined and given a suspended ban weeks later for making lewd remarks about the girlfriend of Stanislas Wawrinka during a match between the pair in Montreal. 
 
Asked if he had been warned of his behaviour coming into the Wimbledon, he snapped: &quot;No, I just compete.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Stepanek likes nothing better than to make life difficult for his more celebrated opponents

Nick Kyrgios described his first-round clash with the oldest man at Wimbledon - wily Czech Radek Stepanek - as "pretty crazy" on Saturday, saying the 37-year-old had been offering to help coach him. Stepanek likes nothing better than to make life difficult for more celebrated opponents, as world number two Andy Murray discovered last month when he came within two points of defeat in the first round of the French Open. But Stepanek, the oldest man in the singles, may end up regretting offering the Australian tips on how to win matches when the two face off on Tuesday. "To play Stepanek obviously is pretty tough. I'm really good mates with him as well," 21-year-old Kyrgios, who has been bumped up from his world ranking of 18 to 15th seed, told reporters. "He was just helping me a little bit. So ... playing him now, it's pretty crazy." Asked what kind of pointers he had been given by Stepanek, who coincidentally was the first player the Australian faced when he made his grand slam debut at the French Open in 2013, Kyrgios swiftly changed the subject. "He was offering to help me a little bit. He's getting towards the end of his career," he said. "He's still playing some great tennis. I feel like grass is his best surface." "I know it's going to be very tough," added Kyrgios, who could meet 2013 Wimbledon champion Murray in the fourth round. "For me, they're just fun matches. I'm not looking too far ahead. I know the Kyrgios-Murray fourth round is pretty exciting, but I've got some tough matches ahead." Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2014, but made the wrong sort of headlines last year when he was accused of 'tanking' (not trying) during some points of his defeat by Frenchman Richard Gasquet. He was fined and given a suspended ban weeks later for making lewd remarks about the girlfriend of Stanislas Wawrinka during a match between the pair in Montreal. Asked if he had been warned of his behaviour coming into the Wimbledon, he snapped: "No, I just compete." (Reuters)

Kyrgios takes on Wimbledon's old man and mate Stepanek

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

Roger Federer&#39;s bid to win a ninth Halle Open title was ended in the semi-final on Saturday by German teenager Alexander Zverev. The 19-year-old defeated the 17-time Grand Slam champion 7-6(4) 5-7 6-3. 
 
Reigning champion Federer, on the comeback trail after back problems, was looking to reach the final of his traditional pre-Wimbledon tune-up in Germany for an unprecedented 11th time, but found the big-serving 19-year-old home favourite too formidable. 
 
The Swiss world number three had not lost to a teenager for nearly 10 years since the young Andy Murray beat him in Cincinnati in 2006, which gives an indication of Zverev&#39;s considerable potential. 
 
World number 38 Zverev, who had lost to Federer in their only previous meeting in May, dropped just four points on serve in the 39-minute opening set, blasting 14 winners as he took the tiebreak 7-4. 
 
Federer earned a break of serve at 5-5 with a beautiful dropshot in the second set to restore parity but Zverev, the son of a former Russian player with the same name, responded strongly to dethrone the reigning Halle champion. 
 
Zverev will meet the winner of the other semi between Austrian Dominic Thiem and German Florian Mayer. 
(Reuters)

The Swiss maestro lost to German teenager Alexander Zverev

Roger Federer's bid to win a ninth Halle Open title was ended in the semi-final on Saturday by German teenager Alexander Zverev. The 19-year-old defeated the 17-time Grand Slam champion 7-6(4) 5-7 6-3. Reigning champion Federer, on the comeback trail after back problems, was looking to reach the final of his traditional pre-Wimbledon tune-up in Germany for an unprecedented 11th time, but found the big-serving 19-year-old home favourite too formidable. The Swiss world number three had not lost to a teenager for nearly 10 years since the young Andy Murray beat him in Cincinnati in 2006, which gives an indication of Zverev's considerable potential. World number 38 Zverev, who had lost to Federer in their only previous meeting in May, dropped just four points on serve in the 39-minute opening set, blasting 14 winners as he took the tiebreak 7-4. Federer earned a break of serve at 5-5 with a beautiful dropshot in the second set to restore parity but Zverev, the son of a former Russian player with the same name, responded strongly to dethrone the reigning Halle champion. Zverev will meet the winner of the other semi between Austrian Dominic Thiem and German Florian Mayer. (Reuters)

Federer humbled in Halle

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