Federer drops set on way to victory

Roger Federer chooses two Slazenger balls to take to the baseline to serve with. Opting to disregard one of the golden rules of sport kept Roger Federer on Centre Court for rather longer than he would have liked today. At two sets and a break up on Philipp Kohlschreiber, the Swiss slipped into experimental mood rather than applying the killer touch and paid for it when he dropped his first set of the tournament before bouncing back to win 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1. The fact that he laboured for two hours and 31 minutes before sealing a place in the fourth round when he could have been off court in half that time will not be lost on Wimbledon's five-time champion. There was, it should be stressed, never the slightest danger of Federer going down to a shock defeat but this was not the first time in the opening week that, faced with lesser opposition, he has experimented with tactics in the knowledge that he would not suffer unduly. The fact that Kohlschreiber, a German Davis Cup player, opts, like Federer, to live in Switzerland might have had something to do with it, but to permit a player with a ranking of 32 back into a match was rather unwise. The German seized his chance with a vigour that turned Federer's serene afternoon into a grumpy one and he suffered the indignity of losing a tiebreak - the first set he has lost to this opponent in three meetings - before he regrouped and belatedly applied the killer thrust. Kohlschreiber was clinging on like someone stranded in a typhoon At the start, under skies that were grey but dry and a roof that remained fully open, Federer had imprinted his brilliance on the occasion, breaking twice to go 4-0 ahead in a quarter of an hour. Even at that early stage, the ease of his task persuaded him to sheath the dagger and he was punished as Kohlschreiber, hurtling around energetically, won the next two games. Thus alerted, Federer closed out an opening set, containing six aces, in 37 minutes and, after breaking at the start of the second set, accelerated away in that familiar fashion. Kohlschreiber was clinging on like someone stranded in a typhoon, salvaging two set points on his own serve before Federer imperiously went two sets in front with successive aces. What followed would not have been part of the game plan of former greats such as Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. Having broken once again at the start of the third set, Federer started to experiment, perhaps in anticipation of what he might face deeper into the tournament. There was even one weird effort, delivered from a squatting position, that just failed to clear the tape. Kohlschreiber, who had already shown he was capable of striking some whizzbang winners, took encouragement as he hauled himself back into the match. First he subjected Federer to a six-deuce game to hold serve and then embarked on an inspired run of three straight games to lead 5-4 in the set. Federer immediately upped his input but, distracted by what he clearly thought was poor line-calling, he went on to lose the tiebreak and promptly left court for a toilet break to regroup. This move, allied to a change of shirt, helped to do the trick and he hurtled through the fourth set in 29 minutes. Clearly, the lesson had been learned. Centre Court - Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round Philipp Kohlschreiber GER (27) 3 2 77 1 Roger Federer SUI (2) 6 6 65 6

Federer makes fear factor count

Third round opponents Philipp Kohlschreiber and Roger Federer in between games on Centre Court. The anticipation of the Grand Slam draw must be immense, particularly for the lower seeds who do not always enjoy the privilege of protection at the Masters 1000 tournaments. What does my path to the second week look like? Can I avoid a dangerous floater who is coming back from injury or good on this particular surface? And of course, how far can I theoretically get before Roger/Rafa comes along and spoils my party? For 28th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, that fateful day came in the third round here at Wimbledon. “When the draw came it I thought it was probably the worst one I could have got,” he said with a philosophical shrug after his 6-3, 6-2, 6-7, 6-1 defeat to the de facto top seed in the absence of Rafael Nadal. “You look to see when you’ve got Federer and then think ‘well that’s the end of the line’.” Federer, like Nadal, is famously magnanimous about his opponents, toeing the “the match starts at 0-0, you have to respect everyone, anyone can beat you on their day” line as often as not and using those very words in reference to Robin Soderling, against whom he will take a 10-0 head-to-head record into their fourth round meeting next week. Kohlschreiber, however, was forced to approach the match from the opposite perspective. “When you come out on Centre Court against one of the top guys, you know that 99% of the crowd are for the star. If you play give it your all, you might get some of them on your side, and I think that the applause that I got at the end of the match proved that. I feel they enjoyed the match so I’m very satisfied.” The match turned at the start of the fourth set. The German had just played some sparkling tennis to come back from a break down to edge a tiebreak and halve the deficit. What happened next was experienced in two entirely different ways by the protagonists. As far as Federer was concerned, it was an everyday occurrence: “I’ve lost a lot of sets in my career and the main thing is not to lose the match. You just start again and try to get off to a good start.” Again, Kohlschreiber saw it through different eyes. “I won a set, but that doesn’t pay the rent! And then he did what he always does. He's coming out from the changeover or the toilet and starts with a really good service game. His serving then was unbelievably good. “It's tough. He always starts everything looking so easy and smooth, but for the opponent, for example me today, I always felt the pressure so much that he's starting the matches very aggressive and puts a lot of pressure [on you]. It's always nice to play against him. It’s just unfortunate that most of the time, you’re going to lose.” For the lower seeds, it really is a case of the luck of the draw.

Preview: V. Williams v Ivanovic

Ana Ivanovic Venus remains cool during her straight sets victory over Carla Suarez Navarro. Ana Ivanovic has got her head up just at the moment, and she’s feeling increasingly confident, despite making heavy going of her first match against Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic. She reckons she has got a fair chance in her fourth round match against defending champion and third seed, Venus Williams. And if appearances were to be believed, 13th seed Ana could be forgiven. Venus has had her left leg taped up for most of the week. But she has been teasing the press about it, batting away any thought of injury, insisting that it’s just comfortable and supportive. She joked: “I was thinking maybe I could get a permanent one. So maybe you'll see me with one that's neoprene and Velcro and all that good stuff. You never know.” Maybe it is a new fashion item, because it certainly has not hampered her performance as she has swept cleanly through her first three rounds without dropping a set. Their head-to-head record is 5-1 in 29-year-old Venus’s favour, but their only meeting on grass was here at Wimbledon in the 2007 semi-finals, which Venus won in straight sets, before going on to win The Championships. What Venus remembers of her encounter with the Serb is that “we had a lot of great exchanges. I just remember playing aggressively”. She said: “Obviously she's talented. I think this is a good surface for her; as far as her game [goes], she does everything well.” And Ana has been watching Roger Federer to pick up tips playing on grass, and feels it suits her game. The 21- year-old has already said she is playing better tennis than ever before, even compared to when she was ranked number one in the world, 12 months ago. She’s now playing ranked at No. 12, and is relishing the encounter with Venus. That last time, Ana said, “was the only time we played on the grass, and it's so different. She likes to go for her first shot. She likes to dominate the points. I just think I have to try to make a lot of returns. And ,obviously, it's going to be important for me to serve well in that match because she has great first serves. So if I can hold on to my serve and then put pressure on her, that would be a key.” Ana continued: “She's very dangerous opponent, but I think I have a great chance, and I feel very comfortable going in that match. I'm so excited to have opportunity for that challenge." It would be good for Venus to have some stiff opposition, so let’s hope Ana is playing as her recently mature and newly-focused self.

Murray happy to let others get excited

Andy Murray thrills fans during his third round win over Serbia's Viktor Troicki In case you haven’t noticed, Andy Murray is through to the fourth round of Wimbledon. That means he has won three games of the seven he needs to become Wimbledon champion. That means he is into the second week of The Championships. That means, if you are British, especially a member of the British media, you can get as excited as you want. Just don’t expect the level-headed Murray to join in that excitement with so much of the job still to be done. As he explained at the press conference following his romp to victory over Viktor Troicki: “The expectation for me is I'm going to try my best to win the tournament. But it's the people that are in the media, in the press, and the people that read it who are the ones that see the expectation getting bigger or greater. “It's just one of those things you have to get used to dealing with. It hasn't troubled me this week. I'd be very surprised if it did next week." Murray’s opponent on Monday is Stanislas Wawrinka, the 19th seed. Murray leads 4-3 in head-to-head encounters, but since 2008 that record is a more lop-sided 4-1 in Murray’s favour. The pair have never met on grass. Wawrinka is also a regular practice partner of Murray’s. However, the Scot said that will not change his approach to the match. “I think when you go on the court you're there to compete, regardless of whether you're friends or not. It doesn't change the way you go into the match,” Murray said. “You kind of know each other's games a little bit better than you might know some of the others that you don't hit with and you don't see around that much. But won't make a difference on Monday, I don't think. “He's a very solid all court player. He's got a solid serve. He moves well, is good off the baseline. He doesn't come to the net too much. But when he does, I mean, he won the Olympic gold doubles, so he can obviously volley reasonably well. “He does everything good. He doesn't have one shot in particular that's a huge weakness. I'm going to have to play a tough match to beat him.” When asked to rate his performance over the first week, Murray said his performances were “pretty solid” and he was “very happy” that he had won his three matches. He added he was “slightly more comfortable this year than last year”. His philosophy is a simple one, but if it pays off it will bring huge rewards. “It's just about winning the matches. I don't feel any different to how I did at this stage last year. You just try and win a match every couple of days, and that's really the goal. I don't think anything different.”

'I'm playing my best tennis ever,' says Ana

Ana Ivanovic glides into the second week with a straight sets victory over Samantha Stosur. Having summarily dismissed her third round opponent, Samantha Stosur, 7-5, 6-2, the 13th seed Ana Ivanovic is oozing confidence, calm and poise and believes she is playing better now than when she was ranked world number one. “I think my game is probably even better than it was," she said. "I feel also much more experienced and much more mature in some way. I went through a lot over the past year, being number one, having some disappointing losses and some tough times. That made me stronger and made me appreciate some things, not to take every match you win for granted, but just to appreciate the hard work that was put in.” Talking of her victory over Stosur, she said: “I think my tactics and my game plan prevailed over my emotions. That's something I'm really happy about. I stuck with my plan and kept playing the best I can every point.” Grass is also providing new-found pleasure for Ivanovic. She is enjoying playing on it, and says she’s been making changes in the way she approaches this very specific surface. “I worked a little bit on consistency in my game and just being more patient. That's what I try to apply in my matches this week. It's been working well. So I just want to stick with that and try to realise I have to hit few more shots in a rally, but I'm fine with it.” Having taken a few tips from watching a certain Roger Federer, Ivanovic feels she’s beginning to get to grips with what is needed to do well. She said: “I think my game suits grass very well. This is the first year that I feel I'm starting to use grass for my advantage, and trying to work it”, adding: “Federer does that so good. So it was great to see, and it gave me encouragement.” Ivanovic will now play defending champion and number three seed Venus Williams in the next round, having met her here previously in the semis two years ago. "I'm very excited” to play Venus, she said. “She plays really well here and the last two years here she's the champion.” She added: “I’ve felt like every match I was playing better and better, and that's what you want to feel going into the second week of a Grand Slam.” Ivanovic will undoubtedly need to draw on that newly-found maturity if she wants to get past Venus, although she is optimistic. “She's a very dangerous opponent, but I think I have a great chance and I feel very comfortable going into that match.”

Quick-witted Roddick raises a smile

American No. 1 Andy Roddick keeps his eye on the ball to drive a forehand past his third round opponent Jurgen Melzer. Andy Roddick has two habits when he enters a post-match press conference. The first is to walk in quickly, clutching a match statistics sheet. The second is to fire off quick-witted answers at the press pack. Catch him on a bad day and you know about it – his witty tongue turns sharp and acidic. Catch him on a good day and he will split your sides, which is exactly what happened this afternoon as he addressed the media following his four-set defeat of Jurgen Melzer. Sure enough A-Rod walked in holding the familiar piece of paper and sure enough he got asked questions about it. The newly-wed revealed he closely studies his first-serve percentage and points won receiving second serves. “The other one is just feeding my curiosity,” he said. When asked whether he thought there were any stats in tennis that weren’t so useful, he answered no. That was until another reporter piped up, “Federer is one of the worst challengers. Does that surprise you?” to which Roddick quipped: “I just found an irrelevant stat.” The newsroom was in stitches. On the subject of whether the American liked or disliked the press, the 26-year-old shot back “Depends on the person.” The journalist in question quickly retorted that a press conference is made up of several people. A-Rod quipped: “Thank you for clarifying,” prompting much amusement. But for a moment, the American turned serious and admitted that he has a “pretty good time” with the media. “I appreciate the banter,” he said. “I hate to give all of you big heads, but I appreciate your place. I think we’re all under the same roof on trying – no pun intended – of trying to get the game out there. I definitely understand the give-and-take between the two.” And he couldn’t help but smile when one journalist pointed out his great tiebreak record this year and asked whether Roddick felt a little mojo when he gets to that stage in a match. “I don’t know if I agree with your word usage, but that was cute,” he laughed. To which end, he hurried out of the interview room still analysing that piece of paper.

Oudin keeps dream alive

Battling Melanie Oudin upsets the 6th seed Jelena Jankovic in the 3rd round. After seeing Venus and Serena Williams playing at Wimbledon as a girl, Melanie Oudin said to her mum: “I really want to play there one day.” Not only has the 17-year-old’s dream come true – this is the American’s maiden main draw appearance ¬ she is on course for a potential meeting with Venus Williams after claiming the scalp of sixth seed Jelena Jankovic 6-7, 7-5, 6-2. It has been an incredible run for the 17-year-old, who 12 months ago bowed out to eventual winner Laura Robson in the junior event. Only last week she was competing in the qualifying event. Now she finds herself in the second week of Wimbledon. So how did she handle the pressure of playing on Court 3 against a former world No. 1? “Really well,” she insists. “I was just thinking that she was any other player and this was any other match and I was at any other tournament, not on the biggest stage at Wimbledon playing my first top 10 player. “I just went out there today and I did my best. It ended up being good enough today, so I’m thrilled. “My goal has always been, since I was little, to become No. 1 in the world one day. But I know that it’s going to take a lot more work and I’m going to have to get better and better. But I’m willing to work on it.” Ouden admits she is a big admirer of Justine Henin, the former world No. 1. At 5ft 6in the American is just one inch taller than Henin and it is for this reason that she looks up, or might that be down, to the Belgian. “She’s proven that you don’t have to be six feet tall to be No. 1 in the world and win so many Grand Slams. Her footwork is amazing. Just everything about her.” Fortunately, Oudin has youth on her side. She has now won six singles matches on the trot, and every main draw match has been a three-setter so the teenager will no doubt relish the middle Sunday rest day. She is remaining upbeat, claiming that every match has fuelled her confidence. It’s the right attitude to have. Her next opponent is 11th seed Agnieszka Radwanska and if victorious, Ouden could set up a potential all-American quarter-final with Venus Williams if the defending champion wins through. In fact, Williams was very complimentary about her compatriot. “[She’s] super nice. Just so enthusiastic about tennis and about life, enjoying herself. Very well adjusted. Obviously I saw her Fed Cup win earlier this year. It was really exciting. It was huge in helping us get to the finals. So she’s done some great things.” The five-time Wimbledon title holder also had some useful words of advice for the potential teenage star. “Just enjoy yourself and keep working hard and doing the things that got you to where you were.”

Day 6: Review of the Day

Venus Williams will be coming back next week after her straight sets victory over Carla Suarez Navarro. After a week of relative calm at Wimbledon, the storm clouds gathered ominously above the courts of the All England Club on middle Saturday. Despite rumblings of thunder in the distance there were no shocks today on Centre Court with Andy Murray, Andy Roddick and Venus Williams all progressing comfortably to the fourth round. Murray in particular was in fine form beating Viktor Troicki in straight sets and a little over 90 minutes. Venus Williams too looked strong, avenging a defeat by Carla Suarez Navarro at the Australian Open earlier in the year with a comfortable 6-0, 6-4 victory. Roddick was made to work harder for his win over Jurgen Meltzer but eventually came through in four sets. The same could not be said elsewhere though, with seeds five and six in the ladies’ singles both crashing out today to unfancied teenage opponents. Sixth seed Jelena Jankovic went out to 17-year-old qualifier Melanie Oudin on Court 3 and French Open winner and fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova crashing out to 19-year-old Sabine Lisicki on No.1 Court. Jankovic received lengthy on-court treatment after feeling dizzy. "I thought I was gonna end up in hospital," she said after her 6-7, 7-5. 6-2 defeat. “I started to shake, I was losing consciousness. I was like a ghost, white in the face, I didn't know where I was. It was a really strange feeling and I started to cry." Kuznetsova’s 6-2, 7-5 defeat came on the day of her 24th birthday. "I wasn't feeling my comfort at all. I was not moving much and I was not doing my thing," admitted Kuznetsova. "You have got to be quick and at maximum level all the time and I haven't done so today. That's why I lost." In the men’s draw, seeds 10, 11 and 12 all fell but their defeats were less surprising, with 11th seed Marin Cilic losing his continued match from Friday to Tommy Haas and Nikolay Davydenko beaten by Tomas Berdych seeded only eight places below him at 20. In the day's last encounter on No.1 Court, tenth seeded Fernando Gonzalez was defeated by wild card Juan Carlos Ferrero in a five-setter that for a while looked like it could be the first match of the tournament to be played under the Centre Court retractable roof. Wimbledon officials announced that the match could be completed under a roof-covered Centre Court, should the weather intervene. However, the move was not required as rain and bad light stayed away, with Ferrero breaking Gonzalez at 5-4 in the deciding set to secure his place in the final 16. Elsewhere, there were straight sets wins for eighth seed Gilles Simon and Lleyton Hewitt who continued his good run at this year’s Championships. In the ladies’ event, current No.1 Dinara Safina defeated Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, while former world No.1’s Amelie Mauresmo and Ana Ivanovic also got through to Monday’s fourth round.

Jankovic crashes out to young qualifier

Melanie Oudin A 17-year-old American qualifier ranked 124 dumped the former world number one Jelena Jankovic out of Wimbledon this afternoon. Jankovic, who received prolonged treatment for heat exhaustion and problems with both feet, edged a close first set but then sensationally lost her third round match against the unheralded Melanie Oudin, who won 6-7 (6-8), 7-5, 6-2. There was little doubt that, on paper, this was a match that should have been an absolute breeze for Jankovic, despite the rather extraordinary fact that Oudin had won 19 of her previous 21 matches. By making the third round here, the former world junior number two is already certain to debut in the top 100 when the new rankings are released after Wimbledon. But, nonetheless, this is her first appearance in SW19, and she was facing a huge step-up in class by playing six seed Jankovic. On the other hand, Oudin had absolutely nothing to lose and, after early nerves allowed Jankovic to break her in the first game, she played as if unburdened by expectation. She was aided by two double faults from the 24-year-old Serb in her own opening service game, which helped Oudin gain a confidence-boosting break back. The American began showing off her assured groundstrokes and, if either player seemed edgy, it was Jankovic, dumping a smash into the net and complaining to the umpire about spectator noise. At 3-3 Oudin had a poor game. Successive double faults and a weak second serve permitted the break, and at 5-3 Jankovic saw a set point go by. She was making so many unforced errors that she let Oudin back in for 5-5, which prompted more complaints from Jankovic to the umpire, this time about the ballboys and girls. Jankovic was holding ice to the back of her neck and appeared to be in tears Meanwhile, Oudin was pounding away most effectively with groundstrokes, pumping her fist and loudly urging herself on with every point won. She even had a set point at 6-5 but it passed, even as Jankovic berated herself about the weakness of her first serve. Oudin was constructing points well, just occasionally failing with the killer blow. Frankly, Jankovic was lucky to reach the tiebreak, and when she did it was Oudin’s rawness rather than her own experience that saw her home. The American had three set points before she ran out of steam and lost a set in which she produced three times as many winners as her opponent. Then, quite unexpectedly, at the changeover, the trainer was called and a doctor too. Jankovic was holding ice to the back of her neck and appeared to be in tears. The trainer laid her on a towel and elevated her feet on a chair, taking her pulse and blood pressure. It appeared that Jankovic was feeling the heat and play was halted for more than 10 minutes. At the resumption, neither player could hold serve until Oudin made it 4-3. At 5-5, despite doughty defence from Jankovic, the American broke through and she made it stick to level the match. Jankovic called the trainer again and this time received treatment to the toes on both her feet. A marathon opening game of the third set saw Oudin pull off a wonderful drop shot for break point and then force the error from Jankovic for the break. This time she didn’t give it back. Jankovic seemed to be hating every point, and Oudin even broke again for 5-2, screeching her loudest yet: “Come on!” There was no coming back for Jankovic. Court 3 - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round Melanie Oudin USA 68 7 6 Jelena Jankovic SRB (6) 710 5 2

Jankovic blames defeat on dizzy spell

Jelena Jankovic during her hard fought match with Melanie Oudin. At the start of the 2009 season, Serbia's Jelena Jankovic stood at the summit of women's tennis. Never mind that Serena Williams, who she had replaced as world number one in October 2008, had pointed out rather tartly that Jankovic had still to win a Grand Slam title. Since then, the 24-year-old from Belgrade, who makes her home in Bradenton, Florida, has slipped from that summit to sixth in the rankings and at Wimbledon today that slip turned into a tumble when she was knocked out in the third round by a 17-year-old American qualifier, Melanie Oudin. Today's humiliation is the low point of a depressing season, but Jankovic, who received lengthy on-court treatment after winning the first set on the tiebreak, put it down to what she called "some woman problems", adding: "It's not easy being a woman sometimes." She explained that after the first set she started to feel dizzy. "I thought I was gonna end up in hospital," she said. “I started to shake, I was losing consciousness. I was like a ghost, white in the face, I didn't know where I was. It was a really strange feeling and I started to cry." Afterwards, she claimed, she lacked the energy to go after her opponent's shots. "No power. I wasn't the same player." Three years ago this very weekend at the 2006 Championships marked the turn-around point of Jankovic's career. Having lost 10 successive matches earlier in the year and contemplated giving up tennis, she defeated the reigning champion Venus Williams in the third round. She ended that year 12th best in the women's game and 12 months later was ranked third. Last August, Jankovic became the 18th player in the history of the women's tour to ascend to number one. She was displaced a week later by her compatriot, Ana Ivanovic, who then ceded the position to Serena Williams until the first week of October, when Jankovic took over for the rest of the year. Jankovic has not been in that form for much of this year. "My goal was to start 2009 even better than 2008, to be fitter, to be stronger, to bring my tennis game to the next level,” she said. “But I started the year in a very bad way, I felt so slow. "I added some muscle, maybe seven kilos more than I have now, and it didn't really give me results. I didn't feel comfortable on the court. When you don't move well you don't have the balance to hit the ball, it's difficult to stay in the game, which has become much, much stronger than before . "So then the confidence goes down a little bit as well. I also had some personal problems. When you add all these things together, it doesn't give good results. But I'm just trying to stay positive, trying to get back to the position where I can play good tennis and compete and have fun out there."

Venus steps up pace to reach last 16

Venus Williams stretches for a shot from her Spanish opponent Carla Suarez Navarro. As the opening week of the 2009 Championhips drew to a close, Venus Williams visibly upped the pace of her challenge for a sixth women's singles title here. Despite paying the penalty for taking her foot off the accelerator in the second set, the 29-year-old third seed motored past the tiny Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-4 in one hour 21 minutes and had a cheery, positive wave for her Centre Court admirers afterwards. When these two met on the only previous occasion, at the Australian Open six months ago, it was the 5ft 4in Suarez Navarro who inflicted a shock defeat on Williams in their second round match by proving the more durable in the rallies, especially when she was able to bring her potent single-handed backhand into play. Today the roles were emphatically reversed, with Venus assuming the control her reputation at Wimbledon merits, especially in the 33-minute first set. And a strange set it was too, with the Spaniard's failure to win a game by no means a fair reflection of her share of play. Williams was untouchable on serve, conceding just two points, while each of Suarez Navarro's service games was a long deuce affair, especially the opening game, which went on for five minutes. Clearly, Venus was tiring of all this when, at set point, she settled it with an ace. The fact that Venus had her left knee heavily bandaged was matched in the injury precaution stakes by the 20-year-old Suarez Navarro, born in the Canary Islands but now living in Barcelona, whose right knee was similarly swathed. It was the Venus the Bandaged Left Knee who was first to assert control in the second set as she had in the first. Venus opened with a service break (prolonged by the Spaniard once more to deuce) before moving briskly into a 2-0 lead with her second ace. Perhaps the fact that she had won eight straight games persuaded Venus that the match was as good as over, but errors and a little carelessness crept into her play and Suarez Navarro was not slow to spot the opportunity. To a huge cheer, she finally held serve with her first, and only, ace and the subsequent cheers were almost matched by gasps as she then broke the Williams serve, courtesy of three errors from Venus. At the conclusion of a bright spell that saw her capture four games out of five, Suarez Navarro led 4-3 and the prospect of a third set loomed. At this point Venus remembered who she was and where she was. Despite a double fault, she held serve and then capitalised on three woeful Spanish errors as Suarez Navarro faltered at a crucial stage. Required simply to serve out for the match, Venus delivered another double fault, her third, but was ushered home by another flurry of Spanish errors in response to heavy Williams hitting. Centre Court - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round Venus Williams USA (3) 6 6 Carla Suarez Navarro ESP 0 4

Improving Ivanovic downs Stosur

Ana Ivanovic celebrates another winner against Samantha Stosur in their third round match. Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, the 13th seed, finished the first week at Wimbledon far more confidently than she started it. Her 7-5, 6-2 victory over Samantha Stosur of Australia in the mid-day heat on No.2 Court was ample proof that she is ready for the quarter-finals where Venus Williams will be her opponent. Stosur received the usual Australian support from group of yellow-shirted, noisy fans chanting her names but she did little to justify their backing Ivanovic dominated most of the important points in the sunshine. For Stosur to try to out rally Ivanovic was a lost cause in the fast conditions and the shorter ball that might have caused the Serbian a few mobility problems was rarely utilised. Ivanovic has been building her confidence through the first week after being match points down in her opening contest and this match was a further example of her improvement. She took the Australian’s serve in the first game and served three aces in the second to lead 2-0, although she was pulled back to 4-4 in a loose game. Ivanovic’s next break of serve was more significant . Stosur fell behind 6-5 after being beaten by the best backhand drive of the day and then served two double faults. After 37 minutes, the match was virtually over because Stosur’s resistance and confidence faltered as she fell behind 4-0 in the second set. Ivanovic missed a match point at 5-1 but seized her the chance to serve out for victory, hitting four winners in a row. It was a sound and solid display by the Serbian. Nowshe has to go up a gear or two. Court 2 - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round Samantha Stosur AUS (18) 5 2 Ana Ivanovic SRB (13) 7 6

Wozniacki whizzes into week two

Caroline Wozniacki Caroline Wozniacki’s wonderful spell on grass continued as she swept aside Anabel Medina Garrigues in scorching conditions to ensure she will be part of the second-week shake-up in the ladies' singles. The Danish 9th seed, who came into the tournament fresh from winning the pre-Wimbledon tournament at Eastbourne, produced a sizzling display to claim a 6-2, 6-2 victory and earn a fourth round Wimbledon spot for the first time in her career. At the start of the match she gave herself and the camp a scare by looking decidedly rusty and lost her opening service game. However, it turned out to be a minor hiccup as she found her feet to break straight back. Much is said of the 18-year-old’s forehand – which is similar to Steffi Graf’s when she strikes the ball - but it was her backhand that did the talking, with Wozniacki whipping up winners all over the court. The Spaniard, who sported neon pink knee tape on both knees, darted about the turf to little avail. Soon the set belonged to the teenager who broke into the top 10 on May 18, becoming the first Danish woman to reach those heights. As the temperature began to soar, Medina Garrigues appared to melt and in the blink of an eye Wozniacki was in possession of a 3-0 lead. Out came the umbrellas and ice packs at the change of ends, in a bid to keep the players cool, but it did little to help the world number 20. The 2006 Wimbledon junior champion was on fire. Her powerful baseline strokes proved to be the undoing of Medina Garrigues, who managed to defend two match points on serve, but was not so fortunate on the third, netting a volley to hand Wozniacki the match. Court 4 - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round Caroline Wozniacki DEN (9) 6 6 Anabel Medina Garrigues ESP (20) 2 2

Lisicki spoils Kuznetsova's party

Lisicki joy Today may be Svetlana Kuznetsova’s 24th birthday but Sabine Lisicki was the only one celebrating after the highly rated teenager beat the French Open champion in straight sets on No.1 Court. Despite riding high on the back of her Grand Slam triumph this month, fifth seed Kuznetsova was slow out of the blocks and failed to recover in time to rescue the match, succumbing to her 19-year-old German opponent 6-2, 7-5. Lisicki said: "It's the first time I'm in the second week and I just kept telling myself, you have nothing to lose, just go for your shots. That's what I did in the end and it turned out to be good. "I just kept fighting. I missed some opportunities at 5-4 but I managed to serve well and just fought to finish up the match," she added. In a nervy opening passage of play both players looked more comfortable on the return with an immediate exchange of breaks. The German capitalised on the early shift of momentum to open up a 4-1 lead in a profitable spell that put her firmly in control of the set. Lisicki’s evident comfort in the dictating proceedings was well backed by a solid all-round game that signified maturity beyond her years.The teenager’s consistently high quality of return and ability to vary her shots unnerved Kuznetsova, who reeled off a series of uncharacteristic unforced errors. "I wasn't feeling my comfort at all. I was not moving much and I was not doing my thing," admitted Kuznetsova. "You have got to be quick and at maximum level all the time and I haven't done so today. That's why I lost." While Kuznetsova was struggling with the racket, she was able to demonstrate impressive football skills, returning a Lisicki let service with a well executed half volley. But her tennis continued to be a cause for concern and she grew increasingly frustrated. The Russian’s yelps of anguish were punctuated by a brief dispute with the umpire over a serve that Kuznetsova believed had clipped the top of the net on its way down but failed to trigger the sensor. With so much animation on the other side of the net Lisicki maintained her composure and continued to pile on the pressure. She was rewarded when she broke serve for a third time to clinch the set 6-2.With the benefit of an extended break between sets, Kuznetsova began to show glimpses of the quality that saw her go all the way at Roland Garros. But still Lisicki looked the more assured and her confidence was justified given her impressive level of consistency on the big stage. With the set seemingly heading to a tie break at 6-5, the 19-year-old raised her game to make the decisive break and spoiled Kuznetsova's birthday celebrations with the win. Court 1 - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round Sabine Lisicki GER 6 7 Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (5) 2 5

Mauresmo survives tough test

Mauresmo Amelie Mauresmo of France, Wimbledon champion two years ago, beat Italy’s Flavia Penetta 7-5 6-3 to reach the fourth round after a fiercely contested match that reflected their close rivalry. Mauresmo was warned by the umpire after firing a ball into the crowd in the last game when the Italian was trying desperately to stay in the match. The warning came at 15-all after Mauresmo had double faulted but the French girl regained her composure to win the next two points to set up two match points. She double faulted on the first, her eighth. But a service winner saw her through to the last 16 in one hour and 30 minutes. On paper, Mauresmo, the 17th seed, and Pennetta, the 15th, were closely matched, each having won two of their previous matches. But they had never played on grass where Mauresmo was certain to feel more at home. Pennetta gave Mauresmo plenty to think about from the start. The French girl had to save five break points in her first service game, before winning what was a six-deuce game. Pennetta certainly looked up for the challenge, hitting back immediately afer losing her serve in the fourth game. But after the Italian failed to convert two break points against Mauresmo’s serve at 5-5 she disastrously lost her serve to love in the following game to lose the set 7-5 in 57 minutes. The hard hitting continued but Mauresmo began to look more in charge midway through the second set and the pressure began to swing on to the Italian. When Mauresmo saved a break point in the seventh game with a service winner, it was a crucial blow and she went on to close out the set 6-3. This was Pennetta’s seventh Wimbledon and the first time she has been in the third round. Mauresmo showed her it was a match too far. Court 3 - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round Amelie Mauresmo FRA (17) 7 6 Flavia Pennetta ITA (15) 5 3

Superb Murray wastes no time in win

Viktor Troicki reaches for a volley during his third round defeat by Britain's Andy Murray. Andy Murray's Wimbledon bandwagon gathered massive momentum as he cruised into the last 16 by crushing Serbia's Viktor Troicki 6-2 6-3 6-4 in 96 minutes. Just as he did in his second round victory over Ernests Gulbis, Murray established immediate ascendancy over the 23-year-old Troicki and rapidly stepped that up to crushing superiority. Troicki, who had suffered two embarrassing defeats previously at the hands of Murray, made his Centre Court debut clearly with the intention of blasting the Scot off the court where he has so far been so comfortable. If the Serb's first serve failed, the second one was also an attempt at a blaster. It was a tactic which brought inevitable double faults, two of which led to a service break which put Murray 4-2 ahead in the first set. Murray cannily also refused to offer Troicki any pace off which he could feed, which further confused the Serb. This, combined with Murray's superior court craft, made for a one-sided match which was only extended by Murray's occasional, and understandable, inclination to indulge in a spot of showboating to offer the Centre Court their money's worth. The danger here was that the hovering clouds might unleash the contents before the job was complete, forcing the closing of the roof with its inevitable long delay. It was a close-run thing as Trocki fought back bravely in the third set but, as the ground staff gathered at courtside Murray finished the job in brilliantly professional style. Having gone one set up in 27 minutes, Murray cleaned up the second one in exactly half an hour. At times Troicki glanced towards the skies. Whether he was looking for heavenly assistance or the intervention of the weather was unclear - perhaps it was both. But on this evening there was nothing that could save him from a hammering. The harder he tried the more errors he made and when he attempted to match Murray for subtlety he was even more outclassed. Murray went 5-2 ahead in the second set by delivering three successive aces, followed by a delicate drop shot and closed out the set with his 12th ace. But he saved his greatest moments for the sixth game of the final set. Leading 3-2, Murray started with an inch-perfect drop shot, followed it with an ace, then executed an unbelievable cross-court winner with his back to the net and won perhaps the most glorious game he had ever played with a cross-court forehand. You could have forgiven Troicki if he had burst into tears at the frustration of opposing this sort of stuff. After that, the end was not long in coming as Murray wrapped it up with another brace of aces, 17 in all. Next up for Murray on Monday is Stanislas Wawrinka, the 19th seed. Between now and then, expect all the talk, hype and expectation about Britain gaining their first Wimbledon men's champion since Fred Perry 73 years ago to reach new levels. Centre Court - Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round Andy Murray GBR (3) 6 6 6 Viktor Troicki SRB (30) 2 3 4

Roddick too good for Melzer

American No. 1 Andy Roddick keeps his eye on the ball to drive a forehand past his third round opponent Jurgen Melzer. Jurgen Melzer must have felt somewhat glum when he realised he was facing Andy Roddick in the third round. Eight times before today they have met, and eight times the American has triumphed. Today was no exception to the rule, the number six seed securing his place in Monday’s last 16 with a 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-3 win over the Austrian. For the first two sets, this was the very definition of a tight match. Just as well (as Roddick posted on Twitter the night before this match) that he chose to go to bed early in order to be well rested, rather than do what he really wanted, which was go to a gig with the doubles-playing Bryan brothers. The first set offered no openings at all and Roddick – twice a finalist here – was frequently on the defensive. But come the tiebreak the American lifted his game and a couple of sloppy errors from 28-year-old Melzer tipped the balance. Roddick took it 7-2. If Melzer was to halt his losing record against 26-year-old Roddick, the likelihood of him doing it here always seemed remote – after all, the American is second only to Federer with the most grasscourt wins among current players. But in this match both players produced some high-class tennis in the second set, with Roddick applauding a beautifully judged lob from Melzer at 4-4. But he, too, was putting together some lovely rallies and in that same game had three separate chances to break. He just could not convert them. Again the set went to the tiebreak. Again Roddick raised his game when it mattered. Again Melzer did not play the important points as well as he might, and when he sent a forehand long it meant even the tiebreak score mirrored the first set – 7-2. Melzer, who had never in his career come back from two sets down in a five-set match, trudged to his chair looking resigned to his fate. Wouldn’t you know, that was just when he began to turn things around. At 2-2 in the third Roddick came to the net to volley – not his strong point in this match – and completely fluffed it to give Melzer the break. The Austrian’s confidence grew almost visibly and he closed out the set 6-4 with a backhand pass. Early in the fourth set Roddick seemed in charge, with break points here and there. At 2-1 Melzer sent an easy winner wide and Roddick led 3-1. Perhaps the American was distracted by the sight of gathering rainclouds overhead, because he lost concentration and Melzer got the set back on serve. But he could not make it stick and Roddick broke right back. This time his focus did not waver and he got the job done. He will face Tomas Berdych in the last 16. Centre Court - Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round Jurgen Melzer AUT (26) 62 62 6 3 Andy Roddick USA (6) 77 77 4 6