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Nadal joins Wozniacki, Federer in 4th round
Source: Agencies |
June 26, 2011, Sunday
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DEFENDING champion Rafael Nadal beat Gilles Muller in straight sets yesterday to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon, committing only three unforced errors in a masterful display that keeps the Spaniard on course for a third title at the All England Club in London.
In a match that had been suspended by darkness on Friday after the first set, Nadal hit 36 winners and never lost serve to defeat the 92nd-ranked wildcard from Luxembourg 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-0 on Court 1.
Muller is the last player other than Roger Federer to beat Nadal at Wimbledon, in the second round in 2005.
Nadal will next face another grand slam champion, 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, who beat Gilles Simon 7-6 (8), 7-6 (5), 7-5.
"He's a fantastic player. He's one of the best players of the world," Nadal said of the Argentine, who missed most of 2010 after surgery on his right wrist. "He had an important injury last year, but he's here now all the time and he's at his top level."
Federer also advanced to the fourth round by beating del Potro's compatriot and 2002 runner-up David Nalbandian 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Federer is bidding to equal the record of seven Wimbledon titles, held by Pete Sampras and Willie Renshaw.
In women's play, defending champion Serena Williams, 2004 champion Maria Sharapova and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki won in straights set to reach the round of 16.
Nadal, who saved two break points in the first set on Friday against Muller, was credited with zero unforced errors yesterday in the second set. But Muller managed to stay even until he sliced a backhand into the net after a long rally to give Nadal a 6-5 edge in the tiebreaker. The Spaniard closed out the set in the next game with a forehand winner, then won six straight games, finishing with an ace.
Four-time champion Williams advanced by beating 26th-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia 6-3, 6-2.
It was Williams' first straight-set victory in five matches since she returned this month after being away from the tour for nearly a year because of a series of health scares, including blood clots in her lungs. Seventh-seeded Williams now faces No. 9 Marion Bartoli, the 2007 Wimbledon runner-up.
Sharapova, the 2004 champion, struggled with her game but advanced by beating Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-3.
The fifth-seeded Russian, the only champion in the women's draw other than the Williams sisters, had 21 unforced errors and four double-faults in an inconsistent baseline performance in windy conditions on Court 2.
Sharapova hasn't reached the semifinals since 2006. She will next face 20th-seeded Peng Shuai of China, who beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-2, 7-6 (5).
Wozniacki, still looking for her first grand slam title, swept Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3, 6-2 to reach the fourth round for the third straight year. Wimbledon is the only major championship where the Dane has not reached at least the quarterfinals.
Also reaching the final 16 among the men was last year's runner-up Tomas Berdych. The sixth-seeded Czech needed only seven points to complete a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 win over Alex Bogomolov Jr of the United States. The match had been suspended by rain with Berdych leading 4-3, 15-0 in the third set on Friday.
Ninth-seeded Gael Monfils lost to 93rd-ranked Polish qualifier Lukasz Kubot, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 3-6.
In a match that had been suspended by darkness on Friday after the first set, Nadal hit 36 winners and never lost serve to defeat the 92nd-ranked wildcard from Luxembourg 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-0 on Court 1.
Muller is the last player other than Roger Federer to beat Nadal at Wimbledon, in the second round in 2005.
Nadal will next face another grand slam champion, 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, who beat Gilles Simon 7-6 (8), 7-6 (5), 7-5.
"He's a fantastic player. He's one of the best players of the world," Nadal said of the Argentine, who missed most of 2010 after surgery on his right wrist. "He had an important injury last year, but he's here now all the time and he's at his top level."
Federer also advanced to the fourth round by beating del Potro's compatriot and 2002 runner-up David Nalbandian 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.
Federer is bidding to equal the record of seven Wimbledon titles, held by Pete Sampras and Willie Renshaw.
In women's play, defending champion Serena Williams, 2004 champion Maria Sharapova and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki won in straights set to reach the round of 16.
Nadal, who saved two break points in the first set on Friday against Muller, was credited with zero unforced errors yesterday in the second set. But Muller managed to stay even until he sliced a backhand into the net after a long rally to give Nadal a 6-5 edge in the tiebreaker. The Spaniard closed out the set in the next game with a forehand winner, then won six straight games, finishing with an ace.
Four-time champion Williams advanced by beating 26th-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia 6-3, 6-2.
It was Williams' first straight-set victory in five matches since she returned this month after being away from the tour for nearly a year because of a series of health scares, including blood clots in her lungs. Seventh-seeded Williams now faces No. 9 Marion Bartoli, the 2007 Wimbledon runner-up.
Sharapova, the 2004 champion, struggled with her game but advanced by beating Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-3.
The fifth-seeded Russian, the only champion in the women's draw other than the Williams sisters, had 21 unforced errors and four double-faults in an inconsistent baseline performance in windy conditions on Court 2.
Sharapova hasn't reached the semifinals since 2006. She will next face 20th-seeded Peng Shuai of China, who beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-2, 7-6 (5).
Wozniacki, still looking for her first grand slam title, swept Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3, 6-2 to reach the fourth round for the third straight year. Wimbledon is the only major championship where the Dane has not reached at least the quarterfinals.
Also reaching the final 16 among the men was last year's runner-up Tomas Berdych. The sixth-seeded Czech needed only seven points to complete a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 win over Alex Bogomolov Jr of the United States. The match had been suspended by rain with Berdych leading 4-3, 15-0 in the third set on Friday.
Ninth-seeded Gael Monfils lost to 93rd-ranked Polish qualifier Lukasz Kubot, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 3-6.
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