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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Easy for Serena, Federer

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LONDON: Seven-time champion Serena Williams prevailed in a Centre Court mothers’ meeting on Monday, roaring past Russian qualifier Evgeniya Rodina into the Wimbledon quarterfinals. The 36-year-old American was untroubled in a 6-2 6-2 victory — her 90th singles match win at the All England Club. Rodina, who like Williams combines a tennis career with motherhood, looked overawed at first as she went 3-0 down. With her easy power Williams looked serene as she cruised to victory to set up a clash with Italy’s unseeded Camila Giorgi who beat Ekaterina Makarova. “I’m a perfectionist, I always find something,” the 36-year-old responded when asked about her near-flawless display. “Today was tougher than the scoreline suggested.”


Roger Federer needed just 16 minutes to win the opening set in a 6-0, 7-5, 6-4 defeat of France’s Adrian Mannarino to reach his 16th Wimbledon quarterfinal. Eight-time champion Federer will be playing in his 53rd Grand Slam last-eight when he tackles either Gael Monfils of France or Kevin Anderson, the eighth-seeded South African. Top seed Federer, 36, has now won 32 consecutive sets at Wimbledon, just two behind his record set from the third round in 2005 to his title triumph in 2006. “It was crucial for him to stay in the match at the beginning of the second set and then it got tougher,” said Federer after his sixth win in six meetings against French left-hander Mannarino.


Bertens stops Pliskova


Kiki Bertens ensured a record exodus of seeds when she added Czech Karolina Pliskova to the list of big names to perish before the quarterfinals.


The Dutchwoman’s 6-3 7-6(1) win means that for the first time since seedings were introduced at Wimbledon in 1927 none of the top eight in the women’s draw made the quarterfinals.


Bertens, the first Dutchwoman to reach the last 16 since Michaella Krajicek, sister of former men’s champion Richard, did so in 2007, followed up her win over Venus Williams in the third round with a display of power and poise.


Ostapenko through


Twelfth seed Jelena Ostapenko recovered from 5-2 down in the first set to reach the quarterfinals, channelling her anger from a disputed code violation to crush Aliaksandra Sasnovich 7-6(4) 6-0.


The Latvian former French Open champion looked in trouble with her Belarusian opponent delivering a superb lob to take her to within a game of the opening set.


Ostapenko will be favoured to beat Dominika Cibulkova in the next round.


The Slovakian ended Su-Wei Hsieh’s run after the Taiwanese had upset top seed Simona Halep of Romania.


The Slovakian eventually won 6-4 6-1 but the match will be remembered for a ludicrous umpiring decision at a crucial stage of a tight opening set.


Hsieh was the victim of a glaring mistake by umpire Zhang Juan which only the umpire and Cibulkova did not seem to notice.


Raonic hits 37 aces


Big-serving Milos Raonic fired 37 aces and 74 winners to defeat Mackenzie McDonald of the United States and reach the quarterfinals for the fourth time. The 27-year-old Canadian, who was runner-up to Andy Murray in 2016, triumphed 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2.


German 11th seed Angelique Kerber became the highest-ranked player to reach the women’s quarterfinals after she outclassed Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic 6-3 7-6(5). — Agencies


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