Dimitrov ends Murray’s dream of defending crown

In-form 11th seed ousts Wimbledon champion in straight sets.


Afp July 02, 2014

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 outdone 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 am excited and happy to win through in straight sets,” said 11th seeded Dimitrov. “It’s never easy against Murray in front of his home crowd but today [Wednesday] I was fortunate.

“In the first set I had good rhythm and held my ground in the tie-break, which was crucial, and in 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.

Bouchard books semis with Halep

Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard reached her first Wimbledon semi-final and ensured a move into the world top 10 by beating Germany’s Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-4.

Bouchard, who will rise to number eight in the world next week to equal the record high ranking achieved by a Canadian, will face third seed Simona Halep on Thursday for a place in the final.

“It was definitely a tough battle,” said Bouchard. “I’ve played her [Kerber] a few times and it’s always been tough, so I knew it wasn’t over. I tried to keep fighting and thankfully I did it in the end.”

Meanwhile, Halep swept into her first Wimbledon semi-final with a crushing 6-4, 6-0 victory over former finalist Sabine Lisicki.

‘No drama’ as Nadal refuses to give up

Rafael Nadal won’t turn his back on Wimbledon despite a third successive flop engineered by a 19-year-old Nick Kyrgios in a frightening glimpse of what the future may hold for the 14-time Grand Slam winner.

Champion in 2008 and 2010 and runner-up for a third time in 2011, Nadal was beaten in the second round in 2012, the first round last year and fell in the last-16 to Australian rookie Kyrgios on Tuesday, losing 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 3-6 in a stunning Centre Court upset.

“I tried my best to win,” said Nadal. “I competed and I think I competed very well. It was not enough, but that’s sport. The opponent, Kyrgios, was better than me. Life continues.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2014.

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