Defending Champs through to Fourth Round

Wimbledon Review

Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, the defending Wimbledon singles titleholders, progressed through to the fourth round at the Championships overnight. Federer and 2nd seed Andy Roddick kept alive the possibility of a rematch from last year’s final with third round wins but there will be no rematch in the womens event, fourth seed and former champion Serena Williams eliminated in one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far.

Results on day six went mostly according to script until the last match scheduled on court two when Williams, runner up to Sharapova last year, was stunned by fellow American Jill Craybas 6-3 7-6. Craybas will have to repeat the dose next round when she tackles Serena’s older sister Venus, a 7-5 6-3 winner over Daniela Hantuchova, for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Federer was tested during his match with 25th seed Nicolas Kiefer, the German winning a tiebreak in the second set then holding a 5-3 lead in the fourth. But the world No.1 lifted his game to wrap up the match 6-2 6-7 6-1 7-5 and set up a fourth round clash with Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Putting the controversy over his delayed third round five-setter against Italian Daniele Bracciali behind him, Roddick looked untroubled during his straight sets win over Russian Igor Andreev. The big-hitting American now meets Argentine Guillermo Coria, who is looking more at home on grass after knocking off Austrian Jurgen Melzer in five sets.

Former Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian joins countryman Coria in the last sixteen, recovering from two sets down to end the campaign of Britain’s Andrew Murray. Two Frenchmen, 9th seed Sebastian Grosjean and Richard Gasquet, also advanced, Gasquet to meet Nalbandian in the next round.

In the womens draw, defending champion Sharapova brushed aside Katarina Srebotnik 6-2 6-4 but faces her biggest test to date in 16th seed Nathalie Dechy next round. With Serena Williams eliminated, top seed Lindsay Davenport shapes as Sharapova’s biggest threat.

Davenport blasted Dinara Safina off the court with a 6-2 6-1 win but with Belgium’s Kim Clijsters her next opponent, will need to produce her best tennis to remain in the tournament.

The renaissance of Mary Pierce continues, the French Open runner-up defeating Ana Ivanovic 6-1 6-4 and setting up a fourth round match with Italian Flavia Pannetti. Other third-round winners in the womens singles were 8th seed Nadia Petrova of Russia and unseeded Czech Kveta Peschke, who eliminated Spanish veteran Conchita Martinez.

Day Six Results

Men Third Round:

23-Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) bt Florian Mayer (GER) 3-6 6-2 6-1 6-1
1-Roger Federer (SUI) bt 25-Nicolas Kiefer (GER) 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-1 7-5
31-Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) bt Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 7-5 6-3 3-6 7-6 (9)
Max Mirnyi (BLR) bt 28-Jiri Novak (CZE) 5-7 7-5 6-4 7-6 (2)
Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) bt Alexander Popp (GER) 5-7 7-6 (5) 6-2 6-2
9-Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) bt Novak Djokovic (SEM) 7-5 6-4 5-7 6-4
12-Thomas Johansson (SWE) bt Janko Tipsarevic (SEM) 6-2 6-3 6-1
27-Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Gilles Muller (LUX) 7-6 (3) 6-3 6-3
15-Guillermo Coria (ARG) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 3-6 3-6 6-2 6-2 6-4
18-David Nalbandian (ARG) bt Andrew Murray (GBR) 6-7 (4) 1-6 6-0 6-4 6-1
2-Andy Roddick (USA) bt Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-2 6-2 7-6(4)

Women Third Round:

2-Maria Sharapova (RUS) bt Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) 6-2 6-4
8-Nadia Petrova (RUS) bt Cara Black (ZIM) 6-4 6-3
12-Mary Pierce (FRA) bt Ana Ivanovic (SEM) 6-1 6-4
Kveta Peschke (CZE) bt Conchita Martinez (ESP) 6-4 6-1
1-Lindsay Davenport (USA) bt 30-Dinara Safina (RUS) 6-2 6-1
16-Nathalie Dechy (FRA) bt Alyona Bondarenko (UKR) 6-1 6-4
15-Kim Clijsters (BEL) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA) 6-3 6-4
14-Venus Williams (USA) bt 20-Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 7-5 6-3
26-Flavia Pennetta (ITA) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 6-4 6-3
Jill Craybas (USA) bt 4-Serena Williams (USA) 6-3 7-6 (4)

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