Federer offers no guarantees he will be back at Wimbledon

LONDON - Having reclaimed his place on Wimbledon's throne and indelibly etched his name in the tournament's record books, Roger Federer dangled the unpalatable possibility that he may never grace its fabled lawns again.

Fourteen years after a pony-tailed Swiss starlet first soared into the tennis ether at The All England Club, Federer returned on Sunday as a 35-year-old veteran to confirm his place as the greatest man ever to play the grasscourt slam with a record eighth title.

The 6-3 6-1 6-4 victory over Marin Cilic was a brutal demolition job, as the Croat's blistered feet rendered him easy pickings.

Yet, having delivered a 19th major title for his army of fans on Centre Court, Federer admitted that his advancing age and last year's injury issues meant he could not say for certain that he would be back to defend his crown next year.


"I hope that I'm back, but there's never a guarantee, especially not at 35," he told reporters.

Federer's resurgence to the game's summit will go down as one of sport's most remarkable comeback tales.

When he exited Wimbledon last year, he spent six months out of tennis through injury. Even the great man himself had doubts as to whether he could ever rekindle the magic that had delivered his last major title in 2012.

However, after the doubts were swept away by a sensational victory at the Australian Open in January, Federer made a game-changing career move to skip the claycourt season and focus on his favourite surface.

And few calls have ever been vindicated with such a resounding affirmation.

"I guess you would have laughed if I told you I was going to win two slams this year," he said. "I also didn't believe that I was going to win two.

"But, it's incredible. I don't know how much longer it's going to last... But I have just got to always remind myself that health comes first at this point. If I do that, maybe things are actually possible I didn't think were."

A lot has changed in the years since Federer clinched his first grand slam trophy at Wimbledon.

The long hair has gone and the fresh face that snatched the title in 2003 has been replaced by the filled-out features of a tour veteran.

Yet, as he marched to this year's crown without dropping a set, it was clear that the dazzling array of shots and sheer, balletic brilliance of tennis's greatest male player are all still in evidence.

Having surpassed Pete Sampras and William Renshaw, who both had seven titles, Federer has earned his place in the record books at a tournament whose history is so important to him.

"Wimbledon was always my favorite tournament, will always be my favorite tournament," he said. "My heroes walked the grounds here and walked the courts here. Because of them, I think I became a better player.

"To make history here at Wimbledon really means a lot to me just because of all of that really. It's that simple."


(Reporting by Toby Davis; Editing by Rex Gowar)

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Garbine Muguruza stuns Venus Williams to win 1st Wimbledon title

Garbine Muguruza stormed to her first Wimbledon title and shattered Venus Williams' history bid with a majestic 7-5, 6-0 victory in Saturday's final.

Muguruza overwhelmed Williams with a supreme display of power hitting in 77 minutes on Centre Court to become only the second Spanish woman to win Wimbledon.

Watched from the Royal Box by King Juan Carlos of Spain, the 23-year-old finally got her hands on the Venus Rosewater Dish two years after losing to the Venus' sister Serena in her maiden Wimbledon final.

Fittingly, it was Muguruza's current coach Conchita Martinez who was the first woman to raise the Spanish flag at Wimbledon in 1994 when she defeated Martina Navratilova.

"The first set was tough. We both had a lot of chances. I'm glad I took mine," Muguruza said.

"Two years ago I lost in the final against Serena and she told me I would win one day. Here I am. Finally!"

Venezuela-born Muguruza's second Grand Slam title, following her French Open triumph last year, denied Williams, 37, in her attempt to become the oldest Wimbledon champion in the Open era.

Back in the Wimbledon final after an eight-year absence, Williams had hoped to clinch a sixth All England Club title, nine years after she last lifted the trophy.

Instead, she paid the price for a surprisingly nerve-ridden display that condemned her to a second Grand Slam disappointment this year following her Australian Open final loss against Serena.

"Congratulations Garbine. I know how hard you work," Williams said.

"I tried my best to do the things Serena does, but I think there will be other opportunities."

Since winning her maiden Grand Slam title in Paris, Muguruza had endured something of a sophomore slump as her ranking dropped out of the top 10.

But she has rediscovered her mojo on grass and will climb to fifth when the new rankings are confirmed next week.

Remarkably, of her four tour-level titles, two are now Grand Slams.

With persistent drizzle blanketing the All England Club, Williams and Muguruza were competing in the first Wimbledon final to begin under the roof, watched by a sell-out crowd including Hollywood actress Hilary Swank.

Twenty years ago, Williams admitted she was a bundle of nerves when she made a losing Wimbledon debut against Magdalena Grzybowska and, in her ninth All England Club final, once again there was anxiety coursing through her error-strewn display.

Fortified by a cross-court winner to bring up break point at 3-2, Williams looked poised to seize control, but instead a tame forehand into the net to let Muguruza off the hook.

- Barrage -

It was the first of a series of vital escapes for Muguruza, who was matching Williams blow for blow in a series of bruising baseline rallies.

Gifted two set points at 4-5, Williams couldn't deliver the knockout blow and Muguruza over-powered her in a gripping rally to save the first before scrambling out of trouble on the second.

Muguruza had the momentum now, her piercing ground-strokes gradually moving Williams into enough awkward areas to land the crucial first break at 5-5.

Williams was rattled by Muguruza's barrage, fatally allowing the Spaniard's lob to drop in and present her with set points that she gleefully gobbled up.

Muguruza was just 6 when Williams first won Wimbledon and the 23-year-old's third major final appearance was dwarfed by Williams' 16 Grand Slam title matches.

Still reeling from the shock of losing the first set, she served up a limp double fault on break point to hand Muguruza the lead at the start of the second set.

Williams was shattered and Muguruza went for the kill so ruthlessly that in the blink of an eye she had broken twice more to take a 5-0 lead.

Muguruza had spoken eloquently this week of etching her name onto the Wimbledon honours board alongside Venus, Serena and the other All England Club icons.

It took one last blizzard of thunderous winners to ensure her dream would come true.

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Roger Federer marches on to Wimbledon final for shot at 8th title

LONDON — Roger Federer's relentless pursuit of a record eighth Wimbledon title continued as he beat stubborn Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-4 to reach the final for the 11th time on Friday.

The 35-year-old Swiss was given his toughest test yet by the 11th seed, who beat him at the quarter-final stage in 2010, but he raised his game at the crucial moments to become the oldest men's singles finalist here since Ken Rosewall in 1974.

Rosewall, the aged 39, went on to lose to Jimmy Connors but Federer will be a huge favourite to reclaim the title he last won in 2012 against big-serving Croatian Marin Cilic on Sunday.

Federer has now reached 29 grand slam finals and for the third time in his career has reach the Wimbledon final without dropping a set, having also achieved the feat in 2006 and 2008.

"I feel very privileged to be in another final," Federer, who received a standing ovation at the end, said.

"I've got the pleasure to play on Centre Court another time. I can't believe it's almost true again. I'm happy to have a day off to reflect on what I've done at the tournament."

Twelve months ago here Federer lost to Milos Raonic in the semi-finals - his legs looking heavy and the years finally appearing to catch up with him - but this year he has rolled back the clock in glorious fashion.

MAJOR PRIZES

He now is one-match away from holding two of the game's major four prizes for the first time since 2010 having begun the year by claiming the Australian Open title.

Berdych, who reached the semifinal after second seed Novak Djokovic retired hurt in the quarters, is not a man to be taken lightly and Federer was never able to truly relax.

Federer, contesting a record 12th Wimbledon semi-final, broke serve in the fifth game when he whipped away a forehand.

Out of nowhere Berdych broke back for 4-4 when Federer — to gasps from the crowd — double-faulted at break point down.

Berdych needed to get his nose in front by winning the first set tiebreak but a terrible forehand at 3-4 gave Federer control and it was the third seed who moved ahead.

Federer served consecutive aces to fend off two break points at 2-3 in a second set which drifted to another tiebreak.

Again Berdych's spirit was crushed as he watched three consecutive forehand winners fly by as Federer again proved ruthless on the way to moving two sets clear.

The 31-year-old Berdych refused to throw in the towel, however, and had break points at 3-3 in the third set, only for Federer to smash down three aces and an unreturnable serve.

Right on cue Federer broke in the next game and the end came quickly as he held serve at 5-4 to seal his 90th win at the All England Club — and yet another notch in the history books.

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History-maker Konta bests Halep in quarter-final epic

LONDON - Johanna Konta won a place at the Wimbledon semi-final table on Tuesday in a feast of tension-filled tennis, powering past Simona Halep in three epic sets to become the first British woman to reach the last four in almost 40 years.

In a match dripping with tension towards the business end of one of the most open women's grasscourt grand slams in years Konta rode a wave of home support to win 6-7(2) 7-6(5) 6-4.

The sixth seed and second-seeded Halep were facing each other for the first time since a turbulent Fed Cup tie in April.

Serving up the only tennis show in town as the rain drummed down outside the roofed-in Centre Court and avoiding eye contact at changeovers, the pair also had the extra weight of history to contend with.

Konta, working hard to keep her opponent pinned behind the baseline, was bidding to book a date with Venus Williams on Thursday as the first home semi-finalist since Virginia Wade in 1978, the year after Wade won the title.

Halep, scampering from wing to wing as she soaked up the pressure, was one match from becoming the first Romanian to top the computerised world rankings - a distinction that, following her defeat, passed to Czech Karolina Pliskova.

The refined surroundings of the main showcourt were a world away from the tiny stadium on the Black Sea where the two players last met, Halep winning that encounter in straight sets.

Konta became tearful during her other singles match in that Fed Cup tie, against Sorana Cirstea, blaming what she called a hostile reception from Romanian fans who Halep this week described as "very fair".

On Tuesday the Australia-born Briton struggled to take it all in too -- but for altogether different reasons.

"Right now it's a little bit surreal," she told the BBC after sealing victory in just under two-and-three-quarter hours.

"Simona... was really not going to give me much for free so I definitely had to be the one out there to create my own chances and I felt I did that."

Konta said she was "excited and humble" to be facing Venus Williams, a match that Wade predicted the Briton would win.

"It’s fine to be the last British women’s winner (at) ...Wimbledon, but it’s better to have plenty of British players to win," Wade said in comments released by the All England Club.

"If I get a chance I will tell (Johanna) how well she played and wish her good luck."



FINAL SCREAM

The match closed on a surreal note, when the final point was punctuated by a spectator's scream, Halep lamely netting a forehand as she appealed in vain for a let.

In a nod to that episode, Konta described the crowd as incredible, adding: I think they were a little over-enthusiastic in parts, but I definitely cannot complain with the amount of support and general good feeling they were wishing my way."

Defying the cheers and cries of "C'mon Jo" echoing around the arena, where only the Royal Box had seats to spare, Halep shaded the early exchanges.

She pounced on any error and broke serve to lead 3-0 as the sixth-seeded Briton, close to brimming over with nervous energy, struggled to keep her searing groundstrokes in court.

But Konta fought back, cranking up her serve and winning eight straight points to draw level at 4-4.

Halep won the first set on a tiebreak with Konta, having squandered a clutch of break points, returning the favour in the second.

The intensity moved up a notch in the third set before Konta broke in the fifth game and held her nerve to serve the match out.

The stadium erupted and, out on Henman Hill, the umbrellas of the fans massed in front of the big screen twirled.

"We've been to every (other) Konta match," said Glenda Powell from Farnham. "She gives the British people heart."

(Reporting by John Stonestreet; editing by Ken Ferris)

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Wimbledon: Venus Williams rises again to stop Ostapenko in her tracks

Venus Williams handed out another lesson to one of Wimbledon's young upstarts when she beat Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 7-5 on Tuesday to become the oldest women's semi-finalist for 23 years.

The five-time champion, who turned 37 last month, tamed the big-hitting Latvian with a rock-solid performance under the Centre Court roof, winning with something to spare.

Ostapenko turned women's tennis upside down when she rocketed out of the pack to claim her first professional title at the French Open last month and the feisty 20-year-old appeared to be gathering momentum on the All England Club lawns.

A rare French Open/Wimbledon double looked within reach for Ostapenko who had struck 121 winners en route to the last eight.

But old maestro Williams, who had already schooled a 21-year-old and two teenagers en route to her 38th grand slam quarter-final, has seen it all before and barely flinched.

There was a wobble when she dropped serve with a double-fault in the second set -- giving Ostapenko renewed belief -- but she never look ruffled as she reached the semi-finals here for the 10th time in 20 visits.

Making her Centre Court debut Ostapenko was a little more subdued than normal but received a glowing report from the veteran of 75 grand slam campaigns.

"She went for a lot of shots. She competed really well. She kept herself really in the game with her attitude. I thought she just did a lot of things really well and kept it close," Williams, who made her Wimbledon debut in 1997, a few weeks after Ostapenko was born, told reporters.

"I never played her. Didn't really know what to expect. I was really happy to come out on top."


SLOW START

Ostapenko, who three years ago served notice of her talent by winning the Wimbledon junior title, said she paid for the slow start which allowed Williams to sprint into a 3-0 lead.

"I was missing a little bit," Ostapenko, who tasted defeat for the first time in 12 grand slam singles matches, said.

"I was not playing bad, but I was just not playing the way I wanted to play today. I wasn't serving so well."

Ostapenko shoveled a backhand into the net in the second game to gift Williams a break and the American breezed through the opener in 29 minutes -- sealing it when Ostapenko completely missed an attempted service return.

Williams secured an early break in the second set but a double-fault allowed Ostapenko to break back and briefly the Latvian livewire looked dangerous with some bludgeoning winners.

Ostapenko was two points from squaring the match when 10th seed Williams served at 4-5 but narrowly missed the line with a forehand howitzer at 30-30, to the relief of her opponent.

Williams capitalized on some errors to break in the next game and held to love to claim victory.

Since winning Wimbledon in 2008, her seventh major, Williams has only reached the final here once, losing to Serena in 2009.

But without her younger sibling for company this time, however, a sixth title beckons. (Editing by Ed Osmond and Pritha Sarkar)

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Djokovic muscles in on women's quarter-final day

LONDON - It is women's quarter-finals day at Wimbledon on Tuesday, with Johanna Konta, Simona Halep and Jelena Ostapenko among those looking to make their mark, but Novak Djokovic gets the action underway on Centre Court (1100 GMT) in a fourth round match pushed back from Monday.

The Serbian second seed's match against France's Adrian Mannarino was delayed because of the epic five-setter between Gilles Muller and Rafa Nadal.

From then on, it is women's quarters all the way.

Five-times champion Venus Williams is, at 37, the oldest player in more than two decades to reach the last eight. The American faces 20-year-old French Open champion Ostapenko from Latvia.

Next up is second seed Halep, who will become the first Romanian woman to reach world number one if she beats Konta. The British sixth seed is looking to become the first home women's champion for 40 years.

On Court One, Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova - in the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time in 10 years - will go up against Spain's Garbine Muguruza, who eliminated world number one Angelique Kerber on Monday.

Wrapping up the women's quarter-finals, big-hitting Coco Vandeweghe from the United States will hope her new coach Pat Cash, a former Wimbledon champion, will give her the edge as she takes on Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova.

(Reporting by Pravin Char; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Wimbledon: Muller ousts Nadal; Murray, Federer coast to next round

Rafael Nadal's bittersweet relationship with Wimbledon endured another twist Monday when he was knocked out in a five-set, fourth round epic by Luxembourg journeyman Gilles Muller.

Nadal's stunning 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 15-13 defeat came after defending champion Andy Murray and seven-time winner Roger Federer had cruised into the last-eight in straight sets.

The four hour and 48-minute stunner on Court One had the knock-on effect of pushing Novak Djokovic's last-16 clash against France's Adrian Mannarino back to Tuesday.

Djokovic had been the last match scheduled on the court but officials chose to postpone the tie instead of shifting it to Centre Court where it could, if necessary, have been completed under lights.

Just weeks after winning his 10th French Open title, Nadal was condemned to his fifth exit before the quarter-finals in his last five visits to Wimbledon.

"It was not my best match against a very uncomfortable opponent," said world number two Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion.

"Well done to him. He played great, especially in the fifth set but I fought to the last ball."

Muller tired but thrilled

Nadal converted just two of 16 break points, while Muller fired 30 aces and 95 winners.

Muller, seeded 16th, will make his first Wimbledon quarter-final appearance against former US Open champion Marin Cilic on Wednesday.

"Tired! It was a long match. I did really well in the first two sets then Rafa stepped it up and in the end it was just a big battle," said Muller, who won on a fifth match point, more than an hour and a half after his first.

In a pulsating final set, which stretched to 95 minutes, Nadal saved two match points in the 10th game and two more in the 20th.

In between, Muller had to fight off a break point in the 13th game and four more in the 19th.

Nadal was always chasing the score and he finally cracked in the 28th game of the decider when he went long with a return.

"I said, 'just give it a shot, go 100 percent', and it's a great feeling to be winning that match," added Muller whose only other win over the great Spaniard also came at Wimbledon, 12 years ago.

Murray through

Defending champion Murray reached a 10th successive Wimbledon quarter-final with a 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-4 win over France's Benoit Paire.

World number one Murray will face Sam Querrey for a place in the semi-finals.

"I thought I played well. Maybe a couple of sloppy service games in the first set but that was by far the best I'd hit the ball so far in the tournament. So I'm really pleased with that," said Murray.

Only Federer and Jimmy Connors (11 each) have reached more consecutive Wimbledon quarter-finals than Murray.

Murray's win meant that with Johanna Konta also making the last-eight in the women's tournament, it is the first time since 1973 that Britain has two players in the quarter-finals.

Federer reached his 50th Grand Slam quarter-final and 15th at Wimbledon with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 win over Grigor Dimitrov.

The Swiss star will now face Milos Raonic, the 2016 runner-up, after the sixth-seeded Canadian clinched a 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over Alexander Zverev of Germany, the 10th seed.

Raonic defeated Federer in the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2016.

Federer, 35, is the second oldest man to make the quarter-finals at Wimbledon behind Ken Rosewall who was 39 when he reached the last-eight in 1971.

"I'm thrilled to be back in the quarters again," said Federer who took his record over Dimitrov to 6-0.

Safety issue

The All England Club defended the decision not to switch Djokovic against Mannarino to Centre Court.

"It was determined the match could not be moved to Centre Court due to the number of spectators remaining in the grounds," said a statement.

"As late as 8:30pm, 30,000 people still remained in the grounds, and therefore moving the match would have created a significant safety issue.

"Both players were explained the rationale of postponing the match."

Querrey, the US 24th seed who knocked out Djokovic in 2016, made the quarter-finals for a second successive year with a 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-7 (13/11), 6-3 over unseeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa.

Seventh seeded Cilic downed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

Cilic will look to reach his first semi-final at the All England Club when he faces Muller.

Czech 11th seed Tomas Berdych downed eighth-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria 6-3, 6-7 (1/7), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Berdych, the 2010 runner-up, will face either three-time champion Djokovic or Mannarino for a place in the semi-finals.

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Wimbledon takes time to chill before the fizz of Manic Monday

LONDON - The All England Club was strangely silent on Sunday as Wimbledon took a pause for breath before the most intense day of the tournament - Manic Monday.

While it seems odd for one of the world's biggest sports events to take a day off in the middle of competition, there is a good rationale for the schedule and a reward for the restraint.

Just as a fine bottle of wine benefits from being given time to breathe, the Wimbledon vintage is just that little more special after a day off.

On Monday every player, men and women, remaining in the tournament, takes to the court to fight for a place in the quarter-finals.

It's the business end of the tournament and instead of the early stages messily merging into the last 16 match-ups, the tournament presses the re-set button and the pause amplifies the sense of drama to come.

   
"It's unlike other grand slams. Wimbledon is very unique because it's not played on middle Sunday. So Monday is a big day for all the players, both men and women," said Novak Djokovic who takes on France's Adrian Mannarino.

"It is even more so for the tournament and fans. It's one of the days where you can get probably the most quality matches, both singles and doubles, men and women, that you can have throughout the entire tournament," said the Serb, a three-times Wimbledon winner.

Eleventh seed Tomas Berdych, beaten finalist in 2010, has an intriguing match against Austria's rising star Dominic Thiem on Court Three and the Czech believes fans with tickets for Monday have chosen wisely.

"I would say it's the best day of tennis that you can see," says Berdych.

"I think if anybody asked me for a day that they want to go to the tennis, I would say the second Monday of the Wimbledon, because you see men's, women's, you see last 16.

"So you see a lot of matches so you can also go to the ground courts and you're still going to see a great match up. I think it's the best day in tennis," he said.

Indeed, away from big stadium courts, fans can see title contenders such as French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko taking on fourth-seed Elina Svitolina on Court 12.

Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov has prime billing on Centre Court against seven-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer and while he is relishing that prospect he savoured the silence of Sunday.

"Everything is so calm. It's just us, the players. All you can hear is the hitting of the ball. You can just hear how the ball sits on the strings. You just hear that.

"Honestly, it's a pretty special feeling. It puts a huge smile on my face."

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

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I was helpless, admits Kerber

LONDON -- Defeated Wimbledon finalist Angelique Kerber admitted she was helpless to prevent the Serena Williams onslaught which powered the American to a seventh Wimbledon and record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title.

The fourth seed, bidding to become the first German to win the Wimbledon crown since Steffi Graf in 1996, slipped to a battling 7-5, 6-3 loss in one of the better All England Club finals in recent years.

Kerber carved out just one break point in the 81-minute final in the seventh game of the second set.

But in a flash, it was gone as the 34-year-old American fired a 117 mph ace and then another at 124 mph to restore order.

"This is how Serena is playing. I had one break point, and I couldn't do nothing," said Kerber, who had defeated Williams for her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.

"I was trying to be tough, to stay in the match, trying to fight until the last point.

"But Serena was the one who won the match. I played my best, did what I could. At the end, she deserved it."

Williams finished on 39 winners and 13 aces which absorbed the 21 unforced errors she had committed.

She ended the tournament with 74 aces, more than twice as many as second-placed Elena Vesnina who managed a comparatively meagre 31.

Kerber hit just 12 winners on Saturday and was unable to fire one ace past her opponent.

"I think I played what I could today. Serena was serving unbelievable. I tried everything," said the 28-year-old, who had not lost a set at the tournament before Saturday.

She had also knocked out five-time champion Venus Williams in the semi-finals.

"She really played an unbelievable match. I think we both played on a really high level.

"I think I was not the one who lost the match, I think she won the match."

Kerber will move to number two in the world in the rankings next week behind Williams.

The American has been top of the pile since February 2013.

But Kerber acknowledges that she still feels a long way behind the great American in terms of achievement.

After all, Williams now has 71 career titles; Kerber has nine and has the best part of $70 million less in the bank.

"It's tough to follow in her footsteps. Let's see one day. But I think it's still a long way," she said.

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History calls as Serena and Kerber face off in final

LONDON - When Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber walk onto Wimbledon's Centre Court for the women's final on Saturday, the legacy of Steffi Graf will loom large.

The showdown will see world number one Williams try to equal Graf's professional era record of 22 grand slam singles titles, while Kerber will seek to become the first German woman to lift the Wimbledon singles crown since her idol Graf 20 years ago.

If Kerber prevails, completing a daunting double over the Williams sisters at the tournament, it could also signal a changing of the guard at the top the women's game.

It would be the second time this year she had beaten the American in a grand slam final, having triumphed at the Australian Open in January.

Kerber, 28, would also become the first woman apart from Williams to win two grand slams in a season since Justine Henin in 2007, when the Belgian player was world number one.

Williams, who turns 35 in September, is a six-times Wimbledon champion and the clear bookmakers' favourite. But the Graf milestone is nevertheless sure to be weighing on her mind.

She has flatly refused to discuss it at this year's championships, on one occasion testily telling reporters: "I'm not talking about that anymore. Sorry."

Kerber, free of such weight of expectation and history, has been happy to discuss her ambitions to emulate Graf.

"She was always an idol for me, I have watched a lot of her matches, on YouTube sometimes," she said after dispatching Williams' sister Venus in the last four. "I met her a few times -- the last time she told me, just believe in yourself.

"I will try to be the next one to win here after Steffi."

'SHE WILL NOT MISS'

Both players, who have never played each other on grass, have been in fine form at the tournament.

Defending champion Williams has dropped just one set on her way to the final, culminating in her 48-minute demolition of Elena Vesnina in the last four. Kerber has not dropped a set, and impressively outgunned Williams' sister Venus in the semis.

Williams leads left-handed Kerber 5-2 in matches since their first meeting nine years ago, and last season she won three of the four majors, including Wimbledon, only to stumble with a calendar-year Grand Slam in sight at the U.S. Open.

After Kerber denied her Graf's milestone at the Australian Open, Williams lost to Spain's Garbine Muguruza in the French Open final.

Her experience is almost unparalleled though: this is her 28th grand slam singles final, and ninth at Wimbledon, compared with her opponent's solitary major final appearance in Melbourne.

Whatever happens in Saturday's final, Williams will retain her number one ranking while Kerber will move onto her shoulder into second spot, from fourth.

If the match is anything like the 6-4 3-6 6-4 Australian Open encounter, the Centre Crowd is in for a nail-biting classic with both players stretching each other to their limits.

Kerber knows what she must do to thwart the champion's march on history once again.

"I have to be aggressive, go for it, try to win the match and not hope she will miss. She will not miss." (Reporting by Pravin Char; editing by Martyn Herman)

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WIMBLEDON: Federer ends Willis dream, Djokovic sets Slam record

LONDON -- Marcus Willis's brief flirtation with Wimbledon fame was ended by Roger Federer as Novak Djokovic racked-up an Open era record of 30 successive Grand Slam wins on a day when torrential rain caused more havoc to the schedule.

Willis, the world number 772 who had already played seven matches just to make a dream second round clash on Centre Court, went down 6-0, 6-3, 6-4.

"It sounds funny but I am disappointed to lose," admitted the Englishman.

"It's daunting. I was playing alright at first, I settled into the match. I was enjoying it. If I was playing well and competing with Roger for a couple of sets I was doing well. I've earned myself a beer now."

Only Federer and Djokovic managed to complete their second round matches on Wednesday after just 90 minutes of action was possible on the rain-lashed outside courts. Only 18 of the 62 ties scheduled for the day were completed.

Willis, who makes his living coaching children and senior citizens at a rowing club in the English midlands, has provided the feelgood factor of a wet, cold week in south-west London.

Having never played a tour match before Wimbledon, the sturdily-built left-hander, dubbed 'Cartman' after a portly character from cartoon series South Park, found himself facing a man who had won 79 matches more than him at the All England Club.

In an indication of the two different worlds they inhabit, Federer has career earnings just shy of $100 million while Willis had banked just $200 this year and still lives with his parents.

But the $63,000 he earned for his magical run will ease the burden of a player who took to the court even wearing a shirt bearing Federer's 'RG' monogram.

Willis was far from embarrassed by Federer despite shipping the first set in just 24 minutes.

Roared on by his friends, who unleashed a series of adapted pop songs for his benefit, as well as his beauty queen-turned-dentist in the players box, Willis got on the scoreboard in the second game of the second set.

The 25-year-old left-hander had cheekily lobbed the seven-time Wimbledon champion earlier in the match.

But Federer, the holder of a record 17 majors, was never in trouble, facing just two break points in the 84-minute match and he took victory when Willis went long with an approach.

"Marcus brought some unbelievable energy to the court with the fans, his play and his personality as well," said 34-year-old Federer who next faces either Dan Evans of Britain or Alexander Dolgopolov of Ukraine.

"It was very refreshing."

- Very pleasing -

Defending champion Djokovic brushed aside Adrian Mannarino, who was celebrating his 28th birthday, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) to reach the third round.

The top seed, bidding for a third consecutive title at the All England Club and fourth in all, will face either American 28th seed Sam Querrey or Thomaz Bellucci for a place in the last 16.

It was Djokovic's 30th successive win at Grand Slams, beating the modern day mark of Rod Laver and putting him just seven behind the 37 of Don Budge set in 1938.

"The record that I managed to break today is one of the better ones because as a professional tennis player, you always aim to play your best in Grand Slams," said Djokovic who holds all four Grand Slam titles.

"Knowing that I won 30 in a row, it's very pleasing. I want to keep on going. Let's see where it takes me."

Also under the Centre Court roof, Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska reached the last 64 with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ukraine's Kateryna Kozlova to preserve her record of having never lost in the first round at Wimbledon.

Radwanska, the 2012 runner-up, will next face Ana Konjuh of Croatia.

Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych, the runner-up in 2010, just had enough time to complete his first round tie held over from Tuesday.

He defeated Croatia's Ivan Dodig 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) and next faces Germany's Benjamin Becker.

There were also wins for promising Austrian eighth seed Dominic Thiem who beat Halle champion Florian Mayer 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 while German teenager Alexander Zverev, seeded 24, saw off French veteran Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Two-time women's champion Petra Kvitova, the 10th seeded Czech, brushed aside Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-4 after needing just 15 minutes to take the first set.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Serena battles rivals, self-doubt at Wimbledon

LONDON -- Serena Williams finds herself under siege from revitalized rivals and an army of doubters as the defending champion starts her bid for a seventh Wimbledon title and a record-equaling 22nd Grand Slam crown.

Since she walked off Wimbledon's Centre Court cradling the Venus Rosewater Dish awarded to the women's champion nearly 12 months ago, Williams has found herself engaged in a losing battle with the history books.

That Wimbledon final victory over Garbine Muguruza meant Williams had won all three of the year's major titles, putting her within touching distance of becoming the first woman to secure a calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988.

But Williams' historic bid came to stunning end in the US Open semi-finals when she was beaten by 300-1 outsider Roberta Vinci.

In the aftermath of that chastening September day in New York, Williams has appeared a more vulnerable figure.

For so long, Williams' power game and competitive instincts intimidated opponents into submission, but this year she has won only one of her five tournaments, in Rome in May, while enduring a pair of shock defeats in the Australian and French Open finals.

There is a growing sense the emotional scars from the US Open haven't fully healed for Williams and Germany's Angelique Kerber took advantage to shock her in Melbourne in January, while Spain's Muguruza avenged her Wimbledon loss by beating Serena in Paris earlier this month.

Falling at the final hurdle twice this year has left Williams still stuck on 21 Grand Slam titles -- one short of Graf's Open era record of 22 and three behind the all-time record of 24 set by Margaret Court -- ahead of Wimbledon, which gets underway on Monday.

- Twilight -

The 34-year-old is the oldest woman to be ranked number one in the world and, with off-court interests including the fashion industry and a recent appearance in a video for pop-star Beyonce's 'Lemonade' single, critics have claimed Serena is no longer so focused on her tennis in the twilight of her glittering career.

Given Williams compiled a remarkable 53–3 match record in 2015, even she had to admit 2016 has been a disappointment by her sky-high standards.

"Not as great as I want it to be," Williams said when asked to assess her year so far. "I could do better. But honestly, that's how I felt about 2015."

In the circumstances, Williams will be relieved to feel grass under her feet as she returns to the venue where she won the first of her six Wimbledon titles in 2002.

"I've had people put me down because I didn't look like them," Williams said in a recent documentary.

"I've had people look past me because of the color of my skin. I've had people overlook me because I was a woman. I'm still going."

With Maria Sharapova absent as she appeals against a two-year ban for doping, the main challengers for Serena's crown should be second ranked Muguruza, former Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska and the likes of Kerber, Simona Halep and Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Williams in the Indian Wells final in March.

Muguruza, who last year became the first Spanish woman to reach the Wimbledon final since 1994, is the pick of the bunch after winning her maiden Grand Slam title in such composed and combative fashion at Roland Garros.

The Venezuela-born 22-year-old's first round exit in last week's Mallorca Open was a setback but she is now fully focused on Wimbledon.

"The truth is I'm disappointed, but now I'm just training harder to arrive ready for Wimbledon," Muguruza said.

"It feels like ages since I last stepped on grass, but it brings me great memories, even though it isn't a surface I've always liked.

"I've learned to love it more lately and then reaching the final at Wimbledon, that was something so special."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Steel-plated Djokovic a step too far for Federer

LONDON - Novak Djokovic again revealed the true depth of his steely core to grind Wimbledon idol Roger Federer's hopes of a record eighth title into Centre Court's baseline dust on Sunday.

With a sell-out crowd urging Federer to scale the same dizzy heights he reached in eclipsing Britain's Andy Murray in Friday's semi-final, Djokovic shrugged off losing a stomach-churning second-set tiebreak to prevail 7-6(1) 6-7(10) 6-4 6-3.

After swiping away a forehand winner to end a two hour 56 minute contest that crackled into life midway through but then fizzled out, top seed Djokovic roared to the grey London sky before kneeling down and nibbling some of the cherished turf.

"In the end when I finished the last point, I took out everything that was in me," Djokovic, who has rebounded magnificently from losing the French Open final to Stanislas Wawrinka and missing out on a full set of majors, said.

"It's a great achievement. Even though it's the third title here, it feels like the first.

"Obviously, I was disappointed and heartbroken (to lose the French), but if there is one thing that I learned in the sport it's to recover fast and to leave things behind and move on."

For the second year running in the All England Club's showpiece final Federer played majestically but could not break down the defences of the game's ultimate warrior.

Twelve months ago he pushed the Serb to five sets. This time the Swiss maestro's challenge fizzled out in anti-climactic fashion and Djokovic dominated the third and fourth sets of his 17th grand slam final with clinical precision.

THREE TITLES

World number one Djokovic now has three Wimbledon titles, the same as his coach Boris Becker, and moves above the likes of Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Ken Rosewall in the all-time list of grand slam collectors.

At 28, he already has nine majors to his name and, despite the life-changing journey into married life and fatherhood, his hunger for battle remains as voracious as ever.

Nearly six years older, Federer had hoped to become the oldest man to win the Wimbledon title in the professional era.

But, after saving seven set points and coming through a pulsating second-set tiebreak that will go down as one of the tournament's classics, his well of inspiration ran dry.

He will come again, that much is guaranteed, but his chances of winning a record-extending 18th grand slam title are receding.

"You know, I still think I had a great tournament," Federer told reporters. "You can have good tournaments without winning, as well. I still won six matches, lost one. The ratio still remains very good.

"But of course you sort of walk away empty handed. For me a finalist trophy is not the same. Everybody knows that."

FIRST MOVE

Second seed Federer made the first move on Sunday, breaking for a 4-2 lead, only for Djokovic to hit back immediately.

Djokovic escaped at 5-6 when Federer held two set points and then ran away with the tiebreak, winning it 7-1 as Federer's timing, so sweet against third seed Murray, went off a fraction.

Sympathetic "aahhs" greeted Federer's mistakes and he looked in trouble at 4-5 in the second set when Djokovic earned a set point only to waft a loose forehand over the baseline.

The real drama was to come.

The final's second tiebreak was in Djokovic's pocket at 6-3 but Federer summoned some magic, winning a hypnotic 26-stroke rally on the way back to 6-6.

With the crowd on the edge of their seats Federer saved three more set points, one when Djokovic slipped over, and then failed to take one of his own before reeling off three points in a row to win it 12-10.

"It was frustrating obviously not to be able to close it out," said Djokovic, who took his anger out by smashing his racket into his shoes.

"I knew that I could not let this happen against Roger in the finals of Wimbledon because it might be my last chance."

Instead of fretting over missed opportunities, Djokovic simply got back to business and earned a break point at 1-1 by dsplaying his freakish court-covering ability before delivering the coup de grace with a deft drop shot.

Federer then blazed a forehand long and the momentum switched back to Djokovic.

A weather interruption dampened Federer's fire still further and once they returned to the court Djokovic eased through the third set before breaking twice in the fourth. (Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Federer and Kvitova feast on Wimbledon starters

LONDON - When Roger Federer's game flows at Wimbledon and his opponent knows his place you half expect him to slide into a deckchair at changeovers, pour cream on to some strawberries and tuck in.

It was like that on Centre Court on Tuesday as the King of Cool began his quest for an eighth title at the All England Club with a nonchalant dismantling of Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur.

With the mercury soaring into the high 80s Fahrenheit as London prepares for a heatwave, spectators were spared the full glare of the mid-afternoon sun thanks to the welcome shade offered by the partly-extended roof.

For 88th-ranked Dzumhur there was no escape from the dazzling shot-making of the Swiss maestro who won 6-1 6-3 6-3.

It was a similar story earlier as reigning women's champion Petra Kvitova scorched the grass with some searing serves in a 35-minute demolition of Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens.

She dropped only one point on serve in a commanding first-round show of force that augurs well for her chances of repeating her title charge of 12 months ago when she blew Eugenie Bouchard away in a one-sided final.

German 10th seed Angelique Kerber also caught fire, thrashing compatriot Carina Witthoeft 6-0 6-0 to record the third so-called 'double bagel' in the women's singles so far, the most since 1996.

It was not all one-way traffic for fancied players though.

Third seed Simona Halep checked out 5-7 6-4 6-3 in round one against 106th-ranked Slovakian Jana Cepelova to become the highest-profile casualty so far.

Last year's runner-up Bouchard's fall from grace continued as she was bundled out by China's Duan Yingying.

TRICKY MOMENTS

By contrast, all of the top 16 men's seeds are still alive.

Britain's number three seed Andy Murray had some tricky moments before overcoming Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 7-6(3) 6-4 -- dropping serve three times in the second set.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who 2013 champion Murray could play in the last 16, needed five sets to scramble past Luxembourg leftie Gilles Muller.

With umbrellas popping up around the grounds, for shade not falling raindrops, London's hottest day of the year so far seemed to agree with Spain's twice former champion Rafa Nadal.

Lurking in the draw as 10th seed after a poor year, the 29-year-old bludgeoned Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci 6-4 6-2 6-4.

World number two Federer, starting his 63rd consecutive grand slam, which he firmly believes can deliver a long-awaited 18th title, was given carte blanche to go through his exquisite repertoire against the willing Dzumhur -- a player whose first tennis shots were forged in bomb-ravaged Sarajevo.

The 23-year-old Dzumhur pushed Federer harder at the French Open this year, but looked like he had turned up uninvited to a Federer garden party on the world's most famous lawn at times.

He at least finally made Federer sweat, but not much as the free-swinging Swiss fired off graceful winners and raced through service games in the blink of an eye.

"I'm sure in some crazy way he's also enjoying himself, he can look back and say I played on Centre," Federer, who has earned $90 million in prize money compared to the $500,000 banked by his opponent, told reporters.

NADAL IMPROVING

Nadal supporters insist that but for injuries he would already have matched Federer's grand slam haul rather than be three short, though they would struggle to argue that their man makes winning look as easy as his great rival.

But there were hints on Tuesday against Bellucci that Nadal is returning to the kind of form that saw him beat Federer in an epic 2008 final and then regain the title in 2010.

"For me the conditions were great. It's difficult to think about a better day to play tennis here in Wimbledon," said the Spaniard.

He was not getting carried away though, especially with several early blow-outs at Wimbledon fresh in the memory.

"Second round, that's all," said Nadal, who next plays Germany's dreadlocked Dustin Brown who once beat him on grass.

"I am a little bit more confident now than I was a few months ago. Obviously victories help."

(Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Serena plays young Townsend in symbolic US Open opener

NEW YORK - Serena Williams, who opens her quest for a third successive U.S. Open title with a meeting against fellow African American Taylor Townsend on Tuesday, said Arthur Ashe would have been proud.

On Arthur Ashe Kids' Day that drew legions of young hopefuls to the National Tennis Center on Saturday, Williams pondered the significance of her clash against the 18-year-old Townsend and the legacy of Ashe, whose name graces the center court stadium.

"I think he would say it's a great opportunity to see a veteran American player play the future of American tennis," 32-year-old Williams told reporters about her match against the 2012 Australian Open girls' champion.

"He was such an amazing guy. I had an opportunity to meet him. So I think he would be really proud and honored to see so many young African-American players...doing so well and playing so hard and just being role models for the next generation."

Williams said she took a lot from the example set by Ashe, a three-times major winner who claimed the U.S. title in 1968, and died in 1993 from AIDS-related pneumonia.

"I believe he had a great positive spirit," said the world number one. "You know, you have to go through what he went through. He had an incredibly positive spirit and just a positive outlook on everything.

"Obviously I didn't get to know him. I was incredibly young when I met him and it was ever so brief, but his legend absolutely lives on."

The top seed said playing Townsend would be special.

"It's going to be a great match for me. She's such a great player," said Williams, who won her first U.S. title on Arthur Ashe Stadium court in 1999.

"I have been able to see her play a little bit. She does everything really, really well. We're really good friends. We always talk and always text each other. It's going to be a really tough match for me.

TENNIS' FUTURE

"She's a very aggressive player. She comes to the net. She makes her shots. You don't really see that in tennis so much...it's good, refreshing and I think it's the future of tennis."

Williams is determined to end a disappointing grand slam season on a high note.

After a fourth-round loss in the Australian Open, a second-round exit from the French Open and a third-round ouster at Wimbledon, Williams is hungry for victory.

After wobbling away from Wimbledon after an illness forced her to withdraw from a doubles match, Williams has won at Cincinnati and Stanford and reached the semi-finals in Montreal in her U.S. Open run-up events.

"I think those matches were good for me because I haven't played a lot of matches this year. So technically I should be perfectly fine," she said. "I haven't played that much tennis this year."

Victory at Flushing Meadows would give her a sixth U.S. Open crown and lift her career haul of grand slam singles titles to 18, tying her with fellow-Americans Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

Still, echoing Ashe's positive spirit, Williams said if she fell short there would be another opportunity.

"Australian, Wimbledon, and French also could have been 18," she remarked. "Didn't quite happen.

"But there's always next year and the year after, so you don't give up."

(Editing by Gene Cherry)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Champion Murray sent crashing by brilliant Dimitrov

LONDON - Andy Murray's reign as Wimbledon champion came to a stunning end as Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov clinched a sensational 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 victory in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Murray had hoped to become the first British man to successfully defend the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry in 1936, but the Scot was completely out-classed in a two-hour masterclass from 11th seed Dimitrov on Centre Court.

The 27-year-old's unexpected exit snapped his 17-match winning streak at the All England Club, a magical sequence which had brought him Olympic gold and a first Wimbledon title, and also ended his hopes of reaching a sixth consecutive semi-final at the grasscourt Grand Slam.

"I'm very disappointed with the way I started. I felt that gave him confidence at the beginning," Murray said.

"I felt fine in the warm-up but got off to a bad start. It's a lot easier for him to settle down when he's two sets up.

"He played a very solid match, making few mistakes and a lot of returns. I just wish I'd made it tougher for him. It wasn't a great day."

Dimitrov, 23, will play top seed Novak Djokovic or Croatia's Marin Cilic on Friday for a place in the final.

"I am excited and happy to win through in straight sets. It's never easy against Andy in front of his home crowd but today I was fortunate," Dimitrov said.

"I sensed in the warm up that his game was not at the highest level but I was already confident I could play at a high level and play good tennis.

"The first set I had good rhythm and held my ground in the tie-break which was crucial and the third set I had it under control."

Only once before had Murray lost a Wimbledon quarter-final -- against Rafael Nadal in 2008 -- and this was his first defeat against a player ranked outside the top 10 at a Grand Slam since 2010.

- Dimitrov proves potential -

After years of struggling to live up to the vast potential that has earned him numerous comparisons with Roger Federer, this was a thrilling performance from 23-year-old Dimitrov, who finally secured his first win over a top-10 player at a Grand Slam at the fifth attempt.

The world number 13 was playing in his first All England Club quarter-final, but he is a former junior Wimbledon champion and had underlined his grasscourt pedigree by winning the Queen's Club title last month.

He showed no signs of being overawed and secured two break points in the fourth game, converting at the first attempt when he pinned Murray to the baseline then rushed the net to force the Scot to blaze his backhand wide.

By the time Dimitrov broke again for a 5-1 lead a stunned silence had descended on Centre Court and he finished off the set in just 25 minutes.

The shock of dropping a set for the first time in this year's tournament only added to the already-lethargic Murray's malaise.

Murray seemed to have run out of answers when a tame backhand slice drifted out to give the Bulgarian a break for a 4-3 lead in the second set.

The third seed broke back to force a tie-break, but the crucial moment came at 4-4 in the breaker when Murray chose to charge the net behind a weak approach shot.

It was a disastrous gamble as Dimitrov stood his ground and unleashed a blistering backhand winner before serving out the set with a defiant roar.

Murray had been in equally dire straits when he defeated Fernando Verdasco from two sets down in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year.

But he was unable to climbed off the canvas this time.

Murray's game was riddled with mistakes -- he made 37 unforced errors in total -- and it was fitting that virtually his last act as champion was the double fault that gifted Dimitrov a 5-2 lead in the third set.

Dimitrov wasn't going to refuse that gift and he sealed his sensational triumph on his second match point.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com