William sisters reign supreme as Sharapova bows out

LONDON: Defending champion Serena Williams ensured there was no repeat result from the 2004 final when she beat Maria Sharapova 7-6 6-4 in a tense fourth-round contest at Wimbledon.

Defending champion Serena was taken to a first-set tie-break by Sharapova, who made her name by winning the 2004 Wimbledon title against the American. The Russian 16th seed led 5-3 and had three set points but a double fault at 9/9 proved costly and Williams dug in to win the first set 7-6 (11/9).

Williams then broke Sharapova to take the second set 6-4 and will play China’s ninth seed Li Na for a place in the semi-finals

Meanwhile, the other Williams sister and five-time champion Venus battled into the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) win over Australia’s gritty Jarmila Groth.

Federer turns up the heat

World number two Roger Federer took an easy ride in to the last eight through his 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over Austrian 16th-seed Jurgen Melzer. Federer sprinted into a 3-0 lead in the opening set and although Melzer managed to break back quickly that was as close as got, after which Meltzer broke down under the top-seeds serves.

Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic retired from her fourth round clash at 6-1, 3-0 down to Russia’s Vera Zvonareva. Jankovic lost the first set within 24 minutes on Court 12 and had been broken twice in the second set when she decided to quit.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Julien Benneteau 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 and third-seed Caroline Wozniacki was wiped out 6-2, 6-0 by unseeded Czech Petra Kvitova in the biggest shock of the tournament so far.

Henin dumped by Clijsters

Kim Clijsters downed Justine Henin 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in an all-Belgian clash. Clijsters fought back from a set down, breaking her compatriot in fourth and eighth games of the second set to level the match and again in the eighth game of the third set for a crucial advantage.

Third seed Novak Djokovic fended off a typically gritty charge from Lleyton Hewitt to win their fourth-round contest 7-5 6-4 3-6 6-4.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2010.