Walkover gives Murray mixed semi spot

Jamie Murray Britain's Jamie Murray is two matches away from another Wimbledon title - two years on from his famous win alongside Jelena Jankovic - after he and mixed doubles partner Liezel Huber had a walkover into the mixed doubles semi-finals. The pairing's prospective opponents, 15th seeds Lukas Dlouhy and Iveta Benesova, both from the Czech Republic, withdrew prior to their quarter-final. But there was plenty of other quarter-final action. Top seeds Leander Paes of India and Zimbabwean Cara Black made short work of their quarter-final against 11th seeds Andre Sa of Brazil and Japan’s Ai Sugiyama, winning in just over an hour, 6-3, 6-3. Paes and Black started with an immediate break to build an early lead. They came under severe pressure in a long eighth game, but hung on to their serve. Then, with Sa serving at 3-5, some fierce returning gave the No.1 seeds the advantage and the set. Paes who opened service at the beginning of the second set and the pair never looked like losing their momentum. The 2nd seeds, and defending champions, Bob Bryan and Samantha Stosur were not so successful. In a tough contest, it was the 9th seeds Mark Knowles of the Bahamas and German Anna-Lena Groenefeld, who won in three sets, 0-6, 7-5, 6-3. The first set was over in the blink of a tennis eye, in 19 minutes, as the 2nd seeds refused to let the 9th seeds take a game. But 37-year-old Knowles and 24-year-old Groenefeld were not to be pushed over so easily. The second set was full of closely-fought points, fine angles, and the odd ferocious volley. This time, the 9th seeds forced a deciding set. And they pushed home their advantage, as Bryan and Stosur faded just a little. The reigning champions were unable to dig deep enough to pull out the win. Stosur served a safe game at 2-5 to keep the pair’s hopes alive, despite a fierce tight angled cross court winner from wide of the baseline by Knowles. It was Knowles who could then serve out at 5-3. He and Groenefeld raced to three match points, of which they needed only the first. The 4th seeds were also defeated by lower ranked opposition in a gritty match lasting 2 hours, 13 minutes. Kevin Ullyett of Zimbabwe and Su-Wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei were put out by 12th seeds, Australian Stephen Huss and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain, in three sets, 6-3, 5-7, 9-7. After consistent play in the opening set by both pairs, with plenty of elegant, angular tennis, it was a break in the 8th game that gave Huss the pleasure of serving for the first set. The 12th seeds needed only one of the two set points they had carefully engineered. The 4th seeds came out fighting in the second set, making an early break. But the Aussie/Spanish pair broke back after fast-running net play by the men, and a long return by Su-Wei Hsieh which Huss shouted at Virginia Ruano Pascual to leave. The match was levelled at 4-4, but come the end, the 4th seeds need only one break point to take the set. The final set was filled with powerful ground strokes and delicately-angled volleys. And it wasn’t until the 15th game that Huss and Ruano Pascual broke serve, leaving the Spaniard to serve for the match. They worked up two match points thanks to some sterling net smashes by Huss. Another net poach by Huss with an acute angle gave the pair a place in the semi-final.

Top four seeds in ladies' doubles semis

Cara Black and Liezel Huber The ladies’ quarter-finals went entirely with the form-book today, with all of the top four partnerships through to the semis. After a bit of a scare, it was the number one seeds, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, who eventually won through their match against 11th seeds Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, both of Spain, in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. An early break in the first set by the Spaniards was not relinquished as the 11th seeds outplayed the top seeds, who seemed out of sorts early on, failing to make much of an impact. Not even a new set could break the pattern of play as Martinez Sanchez and Llagostera Vives raced to a 3-1 lead in the second. But this was to be the lowest point for the Zimbabwean and American pair. Black and Huber saw the chances of reclaiming their 2007 doubles crown disappearing and began to fight back, dominating the court. They came back from the brink in a style befitting their first seed status, winning the next 11 games on the trot. By the third set, they looked a completely different pair from the one that had begun the match. By now they were dancing around on court between points, with high fives and punching the air. They raced through the set without losing a game and Huber served out the match. (She returned to the same court later in the day for her mixed doubles match with Jamie Murray). Black and Huber will now face the Williams sisters in the semi-finals after the American pair beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Vania King in straight sets. Spain took the chance to redeem itself in the form of experienced number two seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual. In a closely-fought tussle, they got the better of Russian pairing 19-year-old Alisa Kleybanova and 21-year-old Ekaterina Makarova, winning 6-4, 7-5. The second seeds bided their time in the first set, waiting until the ninth game to make the break of service that counted, enabling the Spaniards to close the set out on 26-year-old Medina Garrigues’s serve. The Russian pair played confidently in the second set and looked as though they might take it to a final set, as 35-year-old Ruano Pascual served to stay in the set at 4-5. But, having held to level the set, agile all-court play by the second seeds worked a break point. It was the only one they needed for a 6-5 lead. The Spaniards had to save three break points on the Medina Garrigues serve, which they did with some aplomb, before claiming the match. In the other quarter-final match, third-seeded Aussie pair Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs eventually came through against unseeded opponents Kristina Barrois and Tathiana Garbin, winning 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. In part, the match followed a similar pattern to that of the first seeds. The number three seeds appeared lacklustre in the first set, quickly losing the first three games and only managing to win a Stubbs serve in the entire set. The pairing of Germany’s Barrois and Italy’s Garbin looked much the stronger. Fortunes changed in the second set. The third seeds started serving in a more focused and determined manner, preventing their European opponents from getting a true foothold in the set. The Australian pair broke in the fourth game and kept up the pressure. By the time 25-year-old Stosur served out the second set to love, they were back in the ascendancy. But it was short-lived as the final set turned into a mini-thriller, full of tight tennis, short shots, long lobs and spinning serves. A medical time-out after the third game for 31-year-old Tathiana Garbin for left thigh pain only heightened the tension. The third seeds finally made the critical break in the nine game, leaving Stosur to serve out to love, much as she had done in the second set.

Federer and Graf ahead in champions' poll

Roger Federer Figures released today reveal the current standing in the public vote on the greatest Wimbledon champion of all time, with Roger Federer and Steffi Graf leading the men’s and women’s divisions respectively. The HSBC Champions of Wimbledon poll was launched earlier this month and tennis fans across the world have been voting in their tens of thousands on the Wimbledon website (www.wimbledon.org/hsbcchampions). Nearly 60,000 combined votes for the men’s and women’s champions have been cast and Federer has amassed an incredible 74 per cent of the men’s vote. The voting remains open until midnight on 3 July so there is still time for all the Sampras and Borg fans to turn the tables. It’s proving harder to pick a clear winner in the women’s vote, with Graf edging just ahead of Martina Navratilova. The current women’s Wimbledon Champion, Venus Williams, is not far behind either and a strong performance in this year’s Championships might attract enough votes to take top spot. Nine-times Wimbledon champion and HSBC ambassador Martina Navratilova is a strong believer in the statistics, saying “numbers don’t lie”. With voting open until the end of the week, time will tell if this is reflected in the voting.

'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.”

One to watch: Ivo Karlovic

Ivo Karlovic Ivo Karlovic knows what people say about him. They say he has just one shot – his serve. Statistics bear this out. This tournament, the Croat has served 102 aces. Andy Roddick, another player with a big serve, has hit 72. At the French Open this year, Karlovic set the record for most aces in a match – 55 against Lleyton Hewitt – in a game he lost. It is a simple case of physics really. Karlovic at 6’10”, is the tallest player in professional tennis, and his fastest serve has been recorded at 153mph. When a tennis ball is coming at you that fast from that height, it doesn’t matter if your name is Roger Federer, you are going to have trouble getting it back. That is the whole point of watching Karlovic. In the modern era when people complain that no one plays serve and volley tennis, he plays serve and volley tennis. It’s just that most times he does not have to volley because his serve does enough to win the point. Nobody has broken Karlovic’s serve at Wimbledon this year. In fact, of his three opponents, only one has created a break point opportunity – Lukas Lacko, who won none of the four he won. On grass, he can be impossible to play. In 2003, Karlovic, then was ranked 203 in the world, became the first player since 1965 to beat the defending Wimbledon champion on the opening day when he beat Lleyton Hewitt. Alternatively, he is very beatable. Between 2005 and 2008, he did not win a match at the All England Club. In an era when people complain that everyone plays from the baseline, Karlovic offers something different. No one is saying that it is the prettiest style of tennis, but it is different. Ask Karlovic how he feels to be called a one-shot wonder and he replies: “I like it, because if I can win with only one shot, I'm, I don't know, a genius, so I like it.”

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

Solid Safina into second week

Safina backhand Top seed Dinara Safina overcame spirited early resistance from Belgian outsider Kirsten Flipkens to win 7-5, 6-1 and book her place in the fourth round for the first time at Wimbledon. While her serve was not always reliable, she dug deep to save four break points, and her returning by the end of the match was simply stunning. Flipkens ousted No.30 seed Agnes Szavay in the first round, and with Nicole Vaidisova also going out in her opener, it meant that world number one and top seed Safina has faced opponents of descending rank as the first week has worn on. The Belgian had only won seven tour-level singles matches in her career – two of them this week – and the match was seen more of a guide to Safina’s mental fortitude as opposed to a real test. Flipkens elected to serve and held the opener despite facing a raft of break points, and then the focus moved on to the Safina serve. The first double fault came as early as the second point, neither attempt threatening the net cord, let alone the service box, but after that she settled into a better rhythm for the first half of the set. Her left knee is troubling her and requiring regular doses of pain-killers, and she is unable to push off from it as she would like on service, but this has led to her sacrificing a little raw power – a quality she has in abundance – in favour of more subtlety. That, along with a dose of plain old confidence, is what has prevented her from securing her first major. The Belgian rode her punchy, serve and occasional volley-style throughout the first set and her deep, powerful returns even saw her carve out a break point in the eighth game, which Safina saved with a kicking second serve into the body, before serving out with an ace. She had a second bite of the cherry two games later as the Russian’s radar went badly awry on the first service, but again she was unable to capitalise and missed the chance to pocket the set. A tiebreak looked on the cards until Safina did what a top seed should, upping her game at the right time. Two wonderful backhands – one down the line, one cross-court – sandwiched a double fault and the Muscovite went from 30-40 to a break up at 6-5. The onus was then on her to serve out, and when Flipkens missed a volley with the court at her mercy that would have made it 0-30 in her favour, Dinara could even afford herself a rare wry smile. Safina was on a roll, and took four games in a row to seal the first set 7-5 and pull away 2-0 in the second, helped in no small part by two double faults from Flipkens. A sea-change was never too far away, however, and she again faced a break point at 2-1. Her first point kicked up chalk-dust but on the wrong line, and after a wait for the Hawkeye challenge, she showed incredible fortitude in then firing an ace at 105 mph straight down the middle. More deuces ensued. Dinara cursed, while her coach Zelkjo Krajan remained impassive. Flipkens ran around forehands and painted the corners with returns but Safina finally held to lead 3-1 with a volley at the net that seemed long but just clipped the baseline. Half-an-inch the other way and who knows how the set might have panned out, but now Dinara was brimming with confidence. She broke to love, held serve at a canter and then sealed the match with another break to give the score line a flattering look. She will now face Amelie Mauresmo in the fourth round – a woman who, like Safina, ascended to the top of the rankings before winning a Slam. It will be a battle between the old and the new guard, between Dinara’s booming forehands and Amelie’s sliced backhands. An intriguing tie awaits. Court 2 - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round Dinara Safina RUS (1) 7 6 Kirsten Flipkens BEL 5 1

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

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

Ferrero produces vintage display

Juan Carlos Ferrero Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former world number one, came through an extraordinary match to beat the number 10 seed Fernando Gonzalez on No.1 Court. Ferrero, playing as a wild card because his ranking was not high enough to justify automatic entry into the draw, emerged victorious from a see-saw encounter 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. He will play Gilles Simon in Monday’s last 16. This match had a curious feel to it. It was as if there should be a great gulf between the two players, partly because of their respective rankings (Ferrero was number 115 on May 11, the date of Wimbledon’s entry cut-off, although he is now number 70) but also because of their ages. It feels somehow that Gonzalez is a much newer face, and that Ferrero is definitely the veteran. But actually there is less than six months between them, with Gonzalez turning 29 at the end of July. Early in the first set the Chilean – playing with a heavily-strapped right knee – broke the Ferrero serve. Even then it felt as if this would be the blueprint for the match – that Ferrero had done well to make the third round, but that he could not make it into the second week. Gonzalez was to go on and capture that first set 6-4, but the next two sets unexpectedly upset what felt like the pattern. The second set felt much tighter. Gonzalez had an early break point but sent a wild forehand wide. Then just when a tiebreak looked inevitable, right at the death, with Ferrero 6-5 on serve, the Spaniard grabbed and converted break point. It was a bolt from the blue, and Ferrero greeted it with a Nadal-like cry of: “Vamos!” The third was every bit as tight, although quicker to wind up to its climax – and once again the outcome felt wholly unexpected. Ferrero was at 5-4 on serve when a half-volley forced a backhand error for double set point. Heroically, Gonzalez saved both. Ferrero would not yield, seizing a wonderful crosscourt return off a slow second serve for another set point. The Chilean’s face was bleak with regret as he watched the ball whistle past him, and when Ferrero sent a marvellous passing shot down the line to make it two sets to one, it was too much. Gonzalez smashed his racked twice into the turf, earning a code violation from umpire Fergus Murphy. As you might expect, Ferrero – who had won just one of his 10 previous encounters against top 10 players – selected this moment for a toilet break. Gonzalez’s foul temper receded as quickly as it had arrived, and he waited for his opponent sitting comically on his upended racket on the baseline, grinning and waving at the applauding crowd. But a long opening game proved that he still meant business. He out-thought Ferrero to take the break at once, and clenched his fist to show that the clowning was over. Then just as Ferrero was preparing to serve at 2-4, an announcement came unexpectedly over the public address system that the match might be completed on Centre Court later in the evening. It was all rather confusing – certainly to Gonzalez, who went over to the umpire to ask him to explain what had been said. Ferrero also seemed unsettled, but it did not affect the outcome of the set (although over on Centre Court the roof had closed, and many people were waiting patiently with no more matches scheduled there). Gonzalez closed it out 6-4. Far from tiring, the two players were going at it with renewed vigour, much to the delight of the crowd (with whom, understandably, the announcement that this match might switch to the Centre Court had not been terribly popular). Amid light drizzle, Ferrero saved break points. But the set stayed on serve until the Spaniard was at 5-4, when – typically of this encounter – the end came out of nowhere. Gonzalez put the ball in the net and suddenly it was match point, whereupon he double faulted. Ferrero fell to the ground before the players embraced at the net, and with supreme courtesy Gonzalez waited for his opponent so they could exit the court together. The crowd rose to them. Court 1 - Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round Fernando Gonzalez CHI (10) 6 5 4 6 4 Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP 4 7 6 4 6

Berdych crushes Russian seed

Tomas Berdych Czech Tomas Berdych finally broke his hoodoo against Nikolay Davydenko, taking just 107 minutes to crush the Russian No.12 seed for the first time in nine meetings. Of course, this was the perfect place for Berdych to reverse those fortunes. As a reliable performer at Wimbledon in recent years - he was a quarter-finalist in 2007 - he would have been confident that he could find the tactics to send the Russian packing in Wimbledon's first week for the seventh time in eight years. And so he did, with an impressive all-court game which had the Russian rattled. Of course, Davydenko’s error-strewn and lethargic display also had a lot to do with it. Berdych, the 20th seed, looked impressive from the outset and secured an early break to lead 3-1 after a baseline exchange ended with a forehand winner down the line. While cruising on his own serve, he was also asserting his dominance on his opponent and picked off returns at ease. The towering Czech player also showed a volleying competence which could be a force in the second week of The Championships. A cute angled backhand shot which he dug out from his feet brought up set point. Berdych duly took it after another thundering return at the feet of Davydenko forced another wild forehand. By now the difference between the two players' performances, and apparently their mindsets, was obvious. Berdych was excitedly waving his clenched fists at his faithful followers, while Davydenko looked like he wanted to be anywhere other than No.1 Court. Berdych was now beginning to stroll it and took an easy break early in the second set to lead 3-1. Davydenko was briefly stunned him into life following a confrontation with the referee which enabled him to close the gap to 3-2 after gaining his one and only break of the Berdych serve. However Berdych immediately regained the advantage when he capitalised on another dismal service game by the Russian. With the score standing at 5-3, Berdych then saved two break-points before sealing the second set with an ace. The third set followed a similar and uneventful pattern, with Berdych sealing breaks in the first and seventh games before serving out the set to love. Berdych admits the surface was a factor in helping him end Davydenko's winning streak. He said: "I think the grass suits me more than him, and it's better for my game. He was the favorite because he won all the matches before and he's higher in the rankings. But I think this was one of my best matches so far this year, and especially that the opponent was Nikolay Davydenko." And the Czech player says he's already looking forward to meeting Andy Roddick in the 4th round on Monday. Berdych added: “I can’t wait till next week. This was by my best match and performance this year. I played very well and believe I’m getting better and better with each match.” Court 1 - Gentlemen's Singles - 3rd Round Nikolay Davydenko RUS (12) 2 3 2 Tomas Berdych CZE (20) 6 6 6

Williams sisters head doubles winners

The Williams sisters team uP When Venus Williams strolled onto No.2 Court with sister Serena for her ladies’ doubles second round match against Sabine Lisicki and Aleksandra Wozniak you couldn’t help but notice the mammoth taping operation that had taken place on her left leg. She had warned the press the previous day that she would be wearing the sticky stuff purely for “support purposes” and it certainly did the trick. The movement of the defending Wimbledon champion – in both singles and doubles - was not hindered in the slightest in the second round encounter and the siblings, seeded fourth, worked like clockwork to pick off a straightforward 6-1, 6-4 victory in just under an hour. Elsewhere, another family affair took place when the top-seeded Bryan brothers took on Johan Brunstrom and Jean-Julien Rojer. The brotherhood proved to be in devastating form winning 82% of points on their first serve and wrapped up the match in a little over an hour. Coach David Macpherson, who was watching at the side of the court, said: “They [Bob and Mike] respected the guys and knew they almost defeated Bupathi and Knowles in Paris. But their returning was really sharp right from the beginning, they poached well and seemed to be really focused.” The ladies No.1 seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber had more of a battle on their hands against Poles Klaudia Jans and Alicja Rosolska but stood their ground to clinch the first set 7-5 and take the second 6-2 as the evening closed in. There was also cause for celebration for the British contingent as wild cards James Auckland and Elena Baltacha disposed of Travis Parrott and Kateryna Bondarenko 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 to book a place in the second round.

Seeds too strong for Robson/Stoop

Kuznetsova and Mauresmo Svetlana Kuznetsova and Amelie Mauresmo ended British interest in the women’s doubles with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Laura Robson and Georgie Stoop in the second round. The British pair set up the clash with the 16th seeds after beating fellow Brits Jade Curtis and Anna Smith 6-4, 3-6, 13-11 on Wednesday in an epic first round match. And while they put up a dogged fight against Kuznetsova and Mauresmo, the experience of their opponents, who have five Grand Slams titles between them, eventually shone through on a packed Court 12. While the energetic Stoop smiled and bounded around the court, Robson’s body language was a different story. The reigning junior Wimbledon champion looked forlornly at her camp after almost every error that came off her racket and while her supporters tried their best to gee the 16-year-old up, they were rewarded with only a few flashes of genius. Her downfall was her volley, which was frequently knocked long or without purpose. Stoop, a relative unknown with British fans until the wild card gave Vera Zvonereva a scare in the first round, played solidly throughout, frequently enjoying – and winning – powerful exchanges with Kuztnetsova from the back of the court. The French/Russian pairing took the first set on their third set point when Stoop netted after a fierce drive by Kuztnetsova, who lifted the Roland Garros singles title three weeks ago. The British pair hit back in the second set, opening up a 3-0 lead after a mini slip-up from their opposition. For a brief period Robson appeared a little happier, reminding fans of her potential as she relaxed to whip a couple of forehand winners crosscourt to help break the Kuztnetsova serve . Sensing a decider could be on the cards, the crowd eagerly willed on the home talent. However, their inexperience showed as they tensed up and allowed Mauresmo and Kuztnetsova to peg the score back level to 3-3. A frustrated Robson then handed her opponents a further 5-4 advantage courtesy of a poor service game, which included two double faults. Kutznetsova then held serve easily for victory, which booked a place in the third round against third seeds Rennee Stubbs and Samantha Stosur. Court 12 - Ladies' Doubles - 2nd Round Svetlana Kuznetsova RUS (16)/ Amelie Mauresmo FRA (16) 6 6 Laura Robson GBR / Georgie Stoop GBR 3 4

One to watch: Ana Ivanovic

Ivanovic on the attack Ana Ivanovic knew she was under pressure at Wimbledon when she had to save two match points in the first round against Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic in the gloom of the evening on a back court. She moved to a higher ranked court in the second round to defeat the Italian Sara Errani and now has to lift her challenge again to play the 18th seeded Australian, Samantha Stosur, for a place in the last 16 of The Championships. Ivanovic, the girl from Serbia who has the 2008 French title as her major success, has been in the semi-finals once at Wimbledon when she lost to Venus Williams. Now it is a question of whether she can expand her game at this Wimbledon where five days of sunny weather have left the courts quicker than usual. Ivanovic has to be ready for that test, to become a little more adventurous and to do a shade more work in the forecourt if she needs to dominate. She says: “For me, I find that it’s really important to stay in the moment and realise that every day it’s a different opponent and different match and not every day do you feel good. “Even if you feel great, just to go back to basics and work hard for each point.That’s what I was doing the last couple of matches and it makes me feel much more comfortable out there. “I have lots of confidence from my practice session because I have been practising well for a long time but I just never managed to back it up in my matches.But I feel this week that I made some big steps. I just feel I need to allow myself some time and be patient and work hard. “Samantha is obviously on a great roll. She played semis in the French Open and she’s tough opponent, especially on grass. She serves and volleys a lot. It’s going to be a tough game. But I enjoy competing and I enjoy challenges. But serve and volley, I don’t think it’s my style of game.”

Azarenka has edge over young rival

Azarenka swing The Centre Court had an intriguing glimpse into the future today when Victoria Azarenka faced Sorana Cirstea for a place in the third round. These two 19-year-olds may have been new faces to many at Wimbledon but to each other they are very familiar, having jousted many times on their way through the junior rankings. But Azarenka’s six months’ seniority counts for a lot at this level and after a tight first set her extra experience showed as she won 7-6 (7-2), 6-3. Azarenka and Cirstea are joined by another fact – each produced the best Grand Slam performance of their careers at Roland Garros this month by making the quarter-finals. And at senior level these two have a habit already of meeting in Slams. At Roland Garros last year Belarusian Azarenka achieved the dreaded “double bagel” (6-0, 6-0) over Cirstea and one month later at Wimbledon, the Romanian managed just four games in defeat. This first meeting of 2009 was very different. No quarter was given in the first set, and it was clearly about who would blink first. Azarenka’s first serve was formidable. Break points were few and shared almost evenly, but both players held their games together and it stayed on serve. But what emerged clearly – as always when Azarenka is on court – is her signature combative nature. Not only did she routinely rebuke herself, making no attempt to disguise any thought going through her mind, but she hit the ball with every stroke as if she wished to blow it to smithereens. For as long as Cirstea kept returning it, which she did, Azarenka’s frustration grew – and with it her trademark shriek, which reduces Maria Sharapova’s grunt to a murmur by comparison. As often happens, the crowd soon tired of it and began overtly to support her opponent. Azarenka has not only seen all this before but tends actively to thrive on it. If a crowd dislikes her, she can seem to abhor them right back. Certainly by the time they reached the tiebreak there was no doubting who the Centre Court crowd favoured. But that was just the moment when a couple of Cirstea errors tipped the balance Azarenka’s way, and then the Belarusian brought up four set points with a fabulous crosscourt passing shot. A hammer volley snatched the set. In the second set Cirstea had a chance to break in the first game but it went away from her. Thereafter Azarenka’s relentless baseline superiority began to emerge more clearly. She broke at the first opportunity and stretched away to win, greeted by what can only be described as tepid applause from the crowd. It was the first time the Centre Court had witnessed a match between these two, but it will surely not be the last. Azarenka will face Nadia Petrova on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals. Centre Court - Ladies' Singles - 3rd Round Victoria Azarenka BLR (8) 77 6 Sorana Cirstea ROU (28) 62 3