Daily Times

LONDON: Serena Williams boosted her chances of winning an eighth Wimbledon and 24th Grand Slam by making the fourth round at the All England Club on Friday as big sister Venus fell victim to the curse of the seeds. Serena, seeded a modest 25 this year, enjoyed a 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) win over France’s Kristina Mladenovic to set up a last-16 duel with Russian qualifier – and fellow mother – Evgeniya Rodina. Victory on Centre Court, sealed with a 13th ace, came 20 minutes after Venus, a five-time champion, had slumped to a 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 8-6 loss to Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands over on Court One. Only two of the top 10 seeds remain in the women’s draw – number one Simona Halep and seventh seed Karolina Pliskova. Venus, 38 and the runner-up last year, was worn down by Dutch 20th seed Bertens in a dramatic third round clash lasting two hours and 40 minutes. “It means a lot. I still really can’t believe it. It was such a tough match and such a big fight so I’m really happy that I won this one,” Bertens said.

Also exiting was 10th seed Madison Keys, who had made at least the quarter-finals of her last three majors. The American lost 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 to Rodina, ranked 120th in the world. Keys and Venus joined the likes of defending champion Garbine Muguruza, world number two Caroline Wozniacki, two-time champion Petra Kvitova and US Open winner Sloane Stephens in falling in the first week.

Also eliminated in the first round was 2004 champion Maria Sharapova. Keys lost nine games on the trot from 5-2 up in the first set to 0-4 down in the second. She rallied to level the third-round match before Rodina sealed a maiden place in the last 16 of a major. Keys fired 15 aces in the match but also committed 48 unforced errors. “I have played the quallies and three matches this week which were all three sets,” said 29-year-old Rodina. “She hits the ball so hard. I am a little surprised that I won, I was a little bit lucky.”

Zverev, Anderson through: German fourth seed Alexander Zverev made the third round, seeing off Taylor Fritz of the United States 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (0/7), 6-1, 6-2 and faces Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis for a spot in the last 16. Zverev had trailed two sets to one when his tie with Fritz was halted due to darkness on Thursday. But the 21-year-old raced away with the last two sets in Friday’s bright sunshine. “Stopping last night was not a nice feeling to go to bed with,” said Zverev who said he had vomited on Friday due to a stomach bug and came close to quitting.

Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova defied second round victim Wozniacki’s churlish prediction that she wouldn’t progress further in the tournament by reaching the last 16. Makarova, who made the quarter-finals four years ago, beat a weary-looking Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. She next faces Italy’s Camila Giorgi who saved a match point to beat Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2. Giorgi last made the fourth round six years ago. South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, seeded eight, swept past Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 on the back of 22 aces and 42 winners. Anderson has reached the last 16 for the fourth time and goes on to face France’s Gael Monfils.

Published in Daily Times, July 7^th 2018.