Serena, Li reach fourth round
Source: Agencies |
June 27, 2010, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Defending champion Serena Williams put on a serving clinic at Wimbledon yesterday, hitting 20 aces in a straight-sets win over Dominika Cibulkova that sets up a possible fourth-round matchup with former champion Maria Sharapova.
The top-seeded American had at least two aces in each of her eight service games and overpowered the 46th-ranked Slovak 6-0, 7-5 in the day's first match on Centre Court.
Williams won 37 of 43 service points and held at love five times. She won 19 of her first 20 service points, with Cibulkova putting only four returns in play in that stretch.
The first set lasted just 18 minutes, with Williams winning 25 of 31 points, serving six aces and hitting 12 winners. She finished the match with 37 winners.
Cibulkova, a semifinalist at the French Open last year, finally got on the scoreboard when she held serve for 1-1 in the second set. From then on, she kept the match competitive by holding serve, although she couldn't cope with Williams' serves.
Cibulkova saved a match point while serving at 4-5 with a crosscourt backhand winner, but Williams broke in the 12th game to close out the match. Cibulkova -- generously listed at 1.61 meters -- looked tiny and fragile next to the imposing physique of the 1.75-meter Williams.
Williams, chasing her fourth Wimbledon title and 13th grand slam crown, will next face the winner of the match between Sharapova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. Sharapova beat Williams in the 2004 final, and is coming back into top form after right shoulder surgery in 2008.
Li Na of China also eased into the fourth round by brushing aside Australian Anastasia Rodionova, the ninth seed winning 6-1, 6-3.
Also yesterday, seventh-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska advanced with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Sara Errani of Italy. In a mild upset, 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka -- a quarterfinalist here last year -- squandered a chance to serve out the first set and was ousted 5-7, 0-6 by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.
In the men's, Robin Soderling bulldozed his way into the second week of Wimbledon for the second year running with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 win over 25th seed Thomaz Bellucci.
Soderling, bidding to be the first Swede to reach the final here since Stefan Edberg in 1990, dashed through the second in 31 minutes and continued his run through the draw without losing a set when the Brazilian thrashed a backhand long.
He will face ninth seed David Ferrer for a place in the quarterfinals. The Spaniard beat France's Jeremy Chardy 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 7-5.
The top-seeded American had at least two aces in each of her eight service games and overpowered the 46th-ranked Slovak 6-0, 7-5 in the day's first match on Centre Court.
Williams won 37 of 43 service points and held at love five times. She won 19 of her first 20 service points, with Cibulkova putting only four returns in play in that stretch.
The first set lasted just 18 minutes, with Williams winning 25 of 31 points, serving six aces and hitting 12 winners. She finished the match with 37 winners.
Cibulkova, a semifinalist at the French Open last year, finally got on the scoreboard when she held serve for 1-1 in the second set. From then on, she kept the match competitive by holding serve, although she couldn't cope with Williams' serves.
Cibulkova saved a match point while serving at 4-5 with a crosscourt backhand winner, but Williams broke in the 12th game to close out the match. Cibulkova -- generously listed at 1.61 meters -- looked tiny and fragile next to the imposing physique of the 1.75-meter Williams.
Williams, chasing her fourth Wimbledon title and 13th grand slam crown, will next face the winner of the match between Sharapova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova. Sharapova beat Williams in the 2004 final, and is coming back into top form after right shoulder surgery in 2008.
Li Na of China also eased into the fourth round by brushing aside Australian Anastasia Rodionova, the ninth seed winning 6-1, 6-3.
Also yesterday, seventh-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska advanced with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Sara Errani of Italy. In a mild upset, 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka -- a quarterfinalist here last year -- squandered a chance to serve out the first set and was ousted 5-7, 0-6 by Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.
In the men's, Robin Soderling bulldozed his way into the second week of Wimbledon for the second year running with a 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 win over 25th seed Thomaz Bellucci.
Soderling, bidding to be the first Swede to reach the final here since Stefan Edberg in 1990, dashed through the second in 31 minutes and continued his run through the draw without losing a set when the Brazilian thrashed a backhand long.
He will face ninth seed David Ferrer for a place in the quarterfinals. The Spaniard beat France's Jeremy Chardy 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 7-5.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
