LONDON: Four-time Wimbledon winner Serena Williams reached the semifinals at the All England Club on Tuesday with a 6-3, 7-5 defeat of defending champion Petra Kvitova.
The US sixth seed brought all her experience to bear as she punished the Czech title-holder for missing a chance to take the second set.
Williams fired 23 aces – a Wimbledon women’s singles record – to make it into the last 16 and was raining down booming serves against Kvitova.
The Czech seemed more determined in the second set, winning a tough battle for the seventh game and securing her first break point of the match to make it set point at 5-4. But she could only put her next return into the net and Williams made her pay by taking that game and the following two to win the match.
The second ladies’ quarterfinal saw a brutal struggle between Germans Angelique Kerber and Sabine Lisicki, who defeated Maria Sharapova on Monday.
Kerber took the first set 6-3 and an early break in the second, but Lisicki dug in, broke back and later won the tiebreak after saving three match points.
Breaks were traded in the third set, but the match remained in the balance before Kerber broke again and then served out the match, winning 6-3, 6-7 (7), 7-5 to reach her first semis.
Djokovic wins indoors
Novak Djokovic’s bid to retain his Wimbledon title is swiftly turning into a campaign to win the first ever indoor version of the grasscourt grand slam.
With grizzly grey skies encircling the All England Club, the Serb brushed aside compatriot Viktor Troicki 6-3 6-1 6-3 in his third consecutive match under the cover of the Centre Court roof late on Monday.
“I find it a bit easier to return the serve. Obviously when you’re playing on grass against a big server like Viktor, under these conditions you can neutralise the serve and get more into the rallies, so that was good for me.”
Murray made to wait
World number four Andy Murray ignored the fuss over his Centre Court snub to sweep into the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a ruthless 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Croatia’s Marin Cilic on Tuesday.
With rain disrupting the second week, Wimbledon officials provoked howls of criticism after scheduling home favourite Murray on Court One rather than the covered Centre Court.
That meant Murray was forced to endure several rain interruptions on Monday and wait until Tuesday afternoon before he was finally able to finish off Cilic in between more showers and the 25-year-old will be back in action against David Ferrer 24 hours later.
Other results from Tuesday include Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s four-set victory over Mardy Fish 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4, in a match carried over from Monday. German Florian Mayer also required four sets to get past Richard Gasquet for his first Wimbledon quarterfinal, while David Ferrer took care of Juan Martin Del Potro in three comfortable sets, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. (Agencies)