Andy Murray survived a shoulder injury scare to make the Wimbledon last 16 on Saturday with a 6-2, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 win over Italy’s Andreas Seppi.
Murray, the 2013 champion, required a medical time-out for treatment on his right shoulder after dropping the first game of the fourth set.
But the third seed then reeled off six games in succession to set-up a clash against Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic for a place in the quarter-finals.
Jankovic ecstatic after win over Kvitova
Defending champion Petra Kvitova crashed out of Wimbledon in a stunning upset on Saturday as Jelena Jankovic won their Centre Court duel.
It seemed that No 2 seed Kvitova was in complete control when she led by a set and 3-1, but Serbian Jankovic turned the match on its head to reach the fourth round.
Jankovic, seeded 28th, won 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 and will face Agnieszka Radwanska next.
After her victory, Jankovic said: “I don’t know what to say. I am overwhelmed and so excited. I have played so poorly the last couple of years and playing on Centre Court against the defending champion was unbelievable. The crowd was really great.
“My opponent was in great form, no doubt about it, I just tried to stay in there, stay positive and fight and I made it. I have to keep going.
“I am glad I was able to win against a two-time Wimbledon champion. I could not believe it. Beating Petra gives me a lot of confidence for the tournament.”
Federer glad to get through ‘hot first week’ at Wimbledon
Seven-time champion Roger Federer defeated big-serving Australian Sam Groth to reach the last 16, while Dustin Brown, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal, returned to earth with a bump.
No 2 seed Federer clinched a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 victory over world No 69 Groth.
Federer will next face Spanish 20th seed Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the quarter-finals.
“I am very happy. It has been a hot week the first week, but thankfully I have had easy matches going through without too many long four or five setters,” Federer said.
“Now we are looking ahead and there are only big matches.”
Cilic outlasts Isner
Earlier, US Open champion Marin Cilic took just two games to see off John Isner on Saturday after returning to finish their Wimbledon match poised at 10-10 in the final set.
The big-serving duo have been involved in the two longest matches played at Wimbledon, so it was no surprise that their third-round encounter rumbled on into a second day after being called off for bad light on Friday.
Croatian Cilic, the ninth seed, beat the US 17th seed 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-7, 12-10 on Court One in a match that lasted four hours and 31 minutes in total.
“I was playing yesterday really good and I was close to finishing it off, and I think throughout all the match I was the one who was putting more pressure on the returns,” Cilic said after winning on a fifth match point.
“I was hoping today I was going to continue with that, but you never know. It’s a new day, new conditions and I’m lucky that I broke him the first game.
“At these situations you have to keep your calmness and I was really focused to hold my serve.”
Cilic sent down 35 aces, while Isner hit 37. He finally won on an Isner double fault on Cilic’s fourth match point.
He faces US wildcard Denis Kudla for a place in the quarter-finals.
Five years ago, Isner beat Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in the longest tennis match ever played. The contest took 11 hours and five minutes of play over three days, with the American winning 70-68 in the final set.
In 2012, Cilic beat Sam Querrey in a match that took five hours and 31 minutes, the Croat claiming the fifth set 17-15 in the second-longest match ever at Wimbledon.
No luck for Brown after win over Nadal
Dreadlocked German qualifier Brown was unable to follow his triumph over Nadal when he slumped to a 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 defeat to Serbian 22nd seed Viktor Troicki.
Brown joins Lukas Rosol, Steve Darcis and Nick Kyrgios, who all lost their next match at Wimbledon after knocking out Nadal over the last four years.
Troicki goes on to face Canada’s Vasek Pospisil for a place in the quarter-finals.
It is the 29-year-old Serb’s first last-16 run at Wimbledon since 2012 and his best performance at a grand slam since returning from a 12-month drugs ban in July last year.
Brown came through qualifying at Wimbledon, but defeat on Saturday meant a swift return to the daily grind.
“The schedule is to go to the airport and take the earliest flight, because tomorrow morning, I have club matches in Cologne, Germany,” said Brown, 30.
Wozniacki keeps her composure
Danish fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki reached the last 16 for the fourth time with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over Italy’s Camila Giorgi.
“I was very happy to win this one. I know that Camila is such a tricky opponent. She hits so hard. I was just trying to get every ball back. I was really pleased how I managed to keep my composure,” Wozniacki said.
Muguruza shocks Kerber
Wozniacki, the former world No 1, will face Spain’s Garbine Muguruza after the 20th seed shocked 2012 semi-finalist Angelique Kerber 7-6, 1-6, 6-2.
Muguruza, who made the French Open quarter-finals this year, saved nine set points in the opener on her way to a first appearance in the second week at Wimbledon.
Romania’s Monica Niculescu also made the last 16 for the first time, beating Czech world No 134 Kristyna Plískova 6-3, 7-5.
She will face Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky, who put out 2013 runner-up Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 6-2 to book a spot in the last 16 for the first time.
Scores
Men’s draw
22-V Troicki bt D Brown 6-4, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
20-R Agut bt N Basilashvili 7-6, 6-0, 6-1
9-M Cilic bt 17-J Isner 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-7, 12-10
2-R Federer bt S Groth 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2
23-I Karlovic bt 13-JW Tsonga 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6
V Pospisil bt J Ward 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 8-6
6-T Berdych bt P Andujar 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-6
3-A Murray bt 25-A Seppi 6-2, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
Women’s draw
20-G Muguruza bt 10-A Kerber 7-6, 1-6, 6-2
M Niculescu bt K Pliskova 6-3, 7-5
5-C Wozniacki bt 31-C Giorgi 6-2, 6-2
13-A Radwanska bt C Dellacqua 6-1, 6-4
21-M Keys bt T Maria 6-4, 6-4
15-T Bacsinszky bt 18-S Lisicki 6-3, 6-2
O Govortsova bt M Rybarikova 7-6, 6-3
28-J Jankovic bt 2-P Kvitova 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
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