Tennis: Defending champion Angelique Kerber knocked out of Wimbledon

Angelique Kerber's defense of her Wimbledon title came to an early end after being knocked out in the second round by lucky loser Lauren Davis 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 on Thursday.

The 31-year-old German, who came into the tournament in form having reached the final at Eastbourne, made her earliest exit since losing in the same round in 2013.

Davis has now equaled her best previous performance at Wimbledon in reaching the third round where she will play Spanish 30th seed Carla Suarez Navarro for a place in the last 16.

"This means everything as it is what I work for," said Davis.

"I was a bit nervous and I slid and hurt my foot in the first set.

"I am so happy to win, it is almost surreal."

Davis, who had strapping on her leg and shoulder, had been ranked outside the top 250 earlier this year but has risen back into the top 100.

"Yeah its been a tough journey and a process of learning and growing as a player and person," she said.

"The drop in ranking has made this win even more fulfilling."

Davis said of course doubts had set in but deep down she always had belief she could succeed.

"I believe in my ability," she said.

"For me in the match the turning point was when I was 3-2 up in the second set and I said to myself you belong here, you can do this."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Brave Halep wins marathon to reach fourth round

MELBOURNE - A courageous Simona Halep overcame three match points and throbbing ankle pain to edge out Lauren Davis 4-6 6-4 15-13 in a thrilling third round marathon at the Australian Open on Saturday.

The world number one fought back from the brink at 11-10 in the epic deciding set before finally serving out the contest on her fourth attempt after a taxing three hours and 44 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.

She sealed the win on her first match point when 76th-ranked Davis fired a forehand into the tramlines, as the hard-hitting American coughed up a mind-boggling 73rd unforced error.

A shattered Halep declared herself "almost dead" in the wake of a 142-minute deciding set featuring more twists than the Transfagarasan mountain highway in her native Romania.

It was a win, said the French Open finalist, that might have slipped through her fingers in years past.

"I think now I'm much stronger (mentally)," the 26-year-old told reporters. "I was a little bit frustrated because of the leg. I felt the pain all match, but I didn't give up.

"I could resist like for every moment in the match. That makes me very happy, and I think the big win is that I could handle it."

While consistently haunting the women's top five, a grand slam title has proven elusive for Halep, fanning doubts about her big match temperament.

But her brave effort against an inspired opponent can only help her self-belief for bigger tests to come.

The ankle remains a problem, though, and Halep said she would do precisely "nothing" on her rest day before a fourth round clash against home hope Ashleigh Barty or Japan's Naomi Osaka.

"After this match I think tomorrow (the ankle) is going to be worse, but I just push, push myself, and we will see what's going to happen," said Halep, a quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park in 2014 and 2015.

TOENAIL FAIL 

The diminutive Davis, a baby-faced 24-year-old with a monster forehand, was majestic in defeat.

She broke Halep three times when the Romanian had served for the match and came within an whisker of the biggest win of her career.

Swooping forward to pounce on a speculative drop-shot, she fired a pass by Halep to earn three match points at 11-10, but her victory push was hampered by jammed-up toenails.

"Yeah, that first match point just, I felt something and I couldn't really put any pressure -- it was my right toe, and then it eventually was my left toe, also," she said.

As Davis struggled with her feet, Halep nervelessly saved all three match points for a galvanising hold before Davis removed her footwear and walked gingerly to her chair.

She took a medical timeout that stalled Halep's momentum and the Romanian stared balefully from the baseline while the trainer worked on Davis.

Halep moved in for the kill but the American saved five break points, and later thanked the net cord for helping her hold again at 12-12.

Halep finally breached Davis's serve to move 14-13 ahead and steeled herself to close it out.

Dictating terms to the American in a 17-shot rally, Halep held on for a well earned victory when Davis misfired twice in a desperate late flurry.

"At 13-all when I took the game, I said 'it's my lucky number. So it's going to be two in a row now'," Halep said with a smile. (Editing by Greg Stutchbury/John O'Brien)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

TENNIS WRAP: Federer defuses Dimitrov challenge to seal 300th slam win

MELBOURNE - A patient Roger Federer weathered a second set storm from Grigor Dimitrov before slapping down the Bulgarian challenger 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open and clinch his 300th win in grand slams.

Long in the shadow of the Swiss master, Dimitrov played some irresistible tennis to prise a set but was powerless to maintain the intensity under a closed roof at Rod Laver Arena.

Federer, however, simply lifted a gear, taming an occasionally wayward forehand before speeding away from the Bulgarian player nicknamed 'Baby Fed'.

Capturing an early break in the final set, four-time champion Federer sealed the match with an imperious forehand to set up a clash with another young gun in Belgian David Goffin. (Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Patrick Johnston)

Sharapova re-dresses for success to reach fourth round

Former champion Maria Sharapova found inspiration in a change of dress to put away unseeded American Lauren Davis 6-1 6-7(5) 6-0 at the Australian Open on Friday and set up an intriguing fourth round match with rising Swiss talent Belinda Bencic.

Up 2-0 in the second set and closing in on victory, the Russian's serve crumbled, allowing Davis to reel off five consecutive games and eventually capture a tense second set tiebreak.

Fifth seed Sharapova left the court for a lengthy comfort break between sets but re-emerged with a fresh outfit and a renewed focus, and proceeded to hammer the hapless American.

Bashing consecutive aces with her first two serves, Sharapova roared through without dropping a game, closing out the match when her 103rd-ranked opponent swiped a backhand long.

"I don't have a chat in the mirror, I think I get fined for that," Sharapova said courtside of her trip to the locker-room.

"I changed my dress and felt a little bit lighter which made me move better. But other than that, that's all I can share."

Pain-free Nishikori earns chance to avenge Tsonga loss

Japan's Kei Nishikori played down a problem with his right wrist after outlasting Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5 2-6 6-3 6-4 to move into the last 16 of the Australian Open on Friday.

The seventh seed had some trouble with the joint in the early part of the match when his Spanish opponent mounted his sternest challenge but by the end of the two hour, 12 minute encounter, was playing at his free-flowing best.

"It was little bit sore in the beginning, but after the treatment it was fine. I'm sure it's going to be okay," he said.

"It was a really tough match. There were many long rallies. I have to give a lot of credit to him, because he was hitting really hard. I thought he was going to hit more spin, but he was hitting a lot of flat balls and it was going in. It was tough to play."

The 26-year-old served out to love for victory, a fierce forehand winner to the left, a sumptuous top-spin forehand winner to the right and an ace giving him three-match points, the first of which he converted when Garcia-Lopez netted.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com