Novak Djokovic continued to match title rival Andy Murray stride for stride with a nonchalant march into the last 16 in the Wimbledon sunshine on Saturday.
The Serbian world No. 1 neutralized Frenchman Jeremy Chardy with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory in 86 minutes and, like Murray, has now won all nine sets he has played.
American Serena Williams, bidding to defending her women’s singles title, has also been blemish-free, offering no concessions to 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm.
Photo: AFP
The women’s top seed was scheduled last on Court One, but with other matches dragging on she was switched across to Centre Court where she dispatched the Japanese veteran 6-2, 6-0.
After a week of shocks surprises were thinner on the ground on Day Six with men’s fourth seed David Ferrer coming closest to defeat before battling back to beat Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov in five sets to reach the fourth round.
He was joined there by Tomas Berdych, the Czech seventh seed, who beat South African Kevin Anderson, and Argentine No. 8 seed Juan Martin del Potro, who overpowered Slovenian Grega Zemlja.
As in the men’s draw, only six of the top 16 women have reached today’s fourth round.
Australian 14th seed Samantha Stosur was the main casualty in the women’s singles on Saturday, losing to Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, but there was better news for fellow Australian Bernard Tomic who knocked out French ninth seed Richard Gasquet.
Women’s fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland ended the run of US teenager Madison Keys in a tough three-setter, while sixth-seeded Chinese Li Na remained in contention after also being taken the distance by Klara Zakopalova.
Meanwhile, in the second round of the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Peng Shuai of China, the No. 8 seeds, defeated Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France and Eva Hrdinova of the Czech Republic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In the first round of the mixed doubles Robert Farah of Colombia and Darija Jurak of Croatia beat Australia’s Paul Hanley and Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan, 6-2, 6-4.
Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands and Vera Dushevina of Russia were leading Jamie Murray of Britain and Hsieh 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 5-3 when their match was suspended.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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