The previously-unheralded Czech has been the talk of the tournament since his sensational second-round dumping of Nadal on Thursday night, and there was not a spare seat to be had as he took on the experienced German on Court 12.
But it proved to be a game too far for the 26-year-old as he surrendered 6-2 6-3 7-6 (8/6) and, although his reputation has been enhanced, he leaves London still having failed to progress beyond the third round of a grand slam.
FORMER world No1 Ana Ivanovic gave the perfect response to her critics as she battled into the fourth round with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win against Germany’s Julia Goerges.
Ivanovic, the 14th seed, was once regarded as the female game’s brightest young star after winning the 2008 French Open just months after reaching the Australian Open final.
The 24-year-old has failed to get past the fourth round in her 17 Grand Slam appearances since that triumph in Paris.
But she is now within touching distance of finally returning to the last eight of a Grand Slam after showing impressive grit to hold off the talented Goerges.
Ivanovic will play second seed Victoria Azarenka or Slovakian qualifier Jana Cepelova for a place in the quarter-finals.
DEFENDING champion Petra Kvitova sailed into the second week of Wimbledon courtesy of her most accomplished performance of the tournament so far.
The fourth seed dropped just one game on her way to a 6-1 6-0 win over Uzbekistan-born American Varvara Lepchenko, setting up a fourth-round meeting with Francesca Schiavone in the process.
BRIAN BAKER'S fairytale Wimbledon continued as he reached the fourth round with a four-set win over France’s Benoit Paire.
The American, once one of the world’s best juniors, only returned to professional tennis last July after almost six years out with a succession of injuries.
Today he was a 6-4 4-6 6-1 6-3 winner.
SERENA WILLIAMS powered down a record 23 aces as she fought back from one set down to edge past China’s Jie Zheng in an epic encounter.
Williams previously held a 5-0 win-loss record over Zheng, but the 25th seed produced some excellent tennis to make the American look ordinary at times.
A series of bruising serves prevented Williams from following sister Venus out of the tournament as the 30-year-old clinched a 6-7 6-2 9-7 win.
ANDY RODDICK made a third-round exit from Wimbledon for the second year in a row as his challenge petered out at the hands of Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer.
Three times a Wimbledon runner-up, never the champion, Roddick will turn 30 during the US Open later this year and his days as a serious contender for grand slams may be behind him.
Roddick took the first set but once the tie-break got away from him in the second the momentum was with Ferrer who sealed a 2-6 7-6 6-4 6-3 victory.
Source: www.thesun.co.uk
Wimbledon Tennis pigeon-scaring hawk stolen - BBC News
A hawk used to scare pigeons away at Wimbledon's tennis championships has been stolen.
Police said the bird, named Rufus, was stolen with his cage overnight on Thursday.
The bird was in a car parked on a private drive in Dunstall Road, Wimbledon, with the rear window open for ventilation.
Officers said Rufus was a family pet and described his owners as very "distressed" over the theft.
Police said the working bird of prey deters pigeons by its presence at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
A spokesman said that one of Rufus's "pals", Hector, had been drafted in so there was no increased risk of pigeons becoming a nuisance on Centre Court.
Avian celebrityRufus is something of a Wimbledon fixture with his own Facebook page and Twitter account with 257 followers.
Owner and handler Imogen Davies, of Avian Environmental Consultants, which supplies birds of prey to control birds, said: "It's hard to get your head around. We just want to know he's ok."
She said the four-year-old bird had been left in the car as Ms Davies was based in Corby, Northamptonshire, and needed to start work with Rufus at the All England Club at 05:30 BST every morning.
She said it was the first year she had stayed in Wimbledon instead of commuting each day.
"I thought it was something that was going to be fine for him and secure. If I could change something I would. If I could, I would have put him next to my bed."
She said a falconry glove and hood were also stolen but expensive radio scanning equipment used to track him and binoculars were left behind.
Asked about the value of the bird, she said: "It would cost about £250 to buy a bird like Rufus but you couldn't put a value on him to us."
She said the roof of Centre Court was particularly appealing to pigeons but Rufus's presence immediately scared the birds away and stopped them roosting.
Rufus usually patrols between 05:30 and 09:00 BST before the public arrives.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Wimbledon ace Andy Murray spends time with family ahead of crunch match - Daily Record
Jun 30 2012 By Stuart MacDonald
andy murray Image 2
WHEN you’re aiming for that elusive first Wimbledon title, it’s nice to see your family rally round.
And Scots star Andy Murray looked delighted to be spending some time with his young cousin, Cora Erskine, yesterday as he practised for his next match.
Cora, nine, came to the Wimbledon practice courts with Andy’s mum Judy to wish him luck in today’s third round match against Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.
But he will be hoping she brings better luck to him than she did to his brother Jamie.
She and her twin sister Ailsa were sporting sweatshirts reading “Go Jamie” in support of Andy’s older brother, who was competing in the men’s doubles.
Judy tweeted a picture of the twins in their sweatshirts, writing: “All set for the Jamie Murray Show. Too cute!”
Sadly, Jamie, 26, and partner Eric Butorac crashed out of the tournament.
Earlier, 25-year-old Andy had spoken of how having his family around helped take his mind off the pressure.
The Dunblane-born star’s grandparents Roy and Mary Erskine have been at Wimbledon this week and his dad Willie will be on Centre Court today to see his son in action.
Andy said: “It’s been nice having family around.
“I don’t get to spend much time with them during the tournament, but when it’s finished, I’ll have a few days with them.”
Pundits are saying Andy’s prospects of winning Wimbledon have improved with the shock exit of Rafael Nadal to Lukas Rosol.
But he is taking nothing for granted, saying: “I’ve got a tough opponent like Baghdatis. Maybe tomorrow he has a performance like Rosol, so I’ve just got to be prepared.”
And if it all gets too exciting, at least Andy’s coach Ivan Lendl is prepared.
The famously vocal Judy has revealed Lendl has requested EARPLUGS if she’s sitting behind him again.
Source: www.dailyrecord.co.uk
Shvedova into history books with first Wimbledon perfect set on way to convincing Errani win - Daily Mail
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Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova made history at Wimbledon today by becoming the first player to win a set in a grand slam without conceding a point.
The unseeded 24-year-old achieved the feat - known as a golden set - at the start of her third-round victory over French Open runner-up Sara Errani on Court Three.
She held serve three times and broke 10th seed Errani each time to take 24 consecutive points in 15 minutes.
Magic moment: Yaroslava Shvedova made history on Court Three
Errani staged a fightback at the start of the second set and in an unforeseen twist she broke Shvedova's serve.
But Shvedova stepped up her game to tie up a 6-0, 6-4 victory.
'Today I laid a golden egg!' she wrote on Twitter.
The International Tennis Federation confirmed the feat was unique in grand slams, citing only one previous example of a golden set in the history of the professional game.
In the swing: Shvedova
American Bill Scanlon is the only known player to have had a perfect 6-0 game before, in the second set of his 6-2, 6-0 victory over Marcos Hocevar of Brazil at a tournament in Delray Beach in 1983.
Remarkably, Shvedova won 23 consecutive points at the start of her match against American Amy Frazier in round two at Memphis in 2006, and took the set 6-1.
More remarkably, she lost that match 1-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Shvedova took a locker-room break after her tussle with Errani before heading into a mixed doubles match, also on Court Three.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Wimbledon 2012: Centre Court roof closed when skies are clear - The Guardian
In the first two years of its existence, the retractable roof over Centre Court attracted little attention, which must have been quite galling for the All England Club, having spent an estimated £80m on it. This year its frequent deployment has not been universally liked. Rafael Nadal was bewildered when it took 43 minutes to close the roof and restart play in his match against Lukas Rosol on Thursday, a match he went on to lose in the deciding set.
"It is a completely new stadium with a new roof so the normal thing is to cover the roof in five or 10 minutes," he said. "So it was a big surprise for me when they told me they need 30 to 45 minutes."
The bone of contention is when the roof is used when it is not raining. On Friday, Novak Djokovic's match with Radek Stepanek began under the roof because it had been raining and according to the rules, had to remain closed. But the next two matches were played "indoors" even though the sun was shining. A Wimbledon spokesman said the decision was made on the grounds "of certainty", although the forecast showers never materialised.
The elephant in the room is night tennis, which happens at both the US Open and Australian Open and which is set to occur when the French Open rebuilds its main stadium in time for 2017. Wimbledon has always insisted that night tennis is not in its plans and local council rules say play must end at 11pm.
Scheduling a men's match to start at, say 7pm, would be a risk but such is the power of TV that anything is possible. ESPN, which this year began a 10-year deal to show Wimbledon live in the US, has said that it "did not make any demands".
But John Skipper, the president of ESPN, said recently that the idea was intriguing. "If they wanted to do some evening matches, we're excited about that," he told thetennisspace.com.
The Club's "Wimbledon 2020" plan includes consideration for a Court One roof. Whether by design or by circumstance, night tennis could yet become a part of the fabric.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Wimbledon: Marin Cilic beats Querrey in second-longest match - scotsman.com
Marin Cilic triumphed in the second longest match in Wimbledon history as he saw off Sam Querrey.
It went to a final set that Cilic eventually won after he broke serve in the 31st game and then held on his own delivery.
Cilic, who won the Aegon Championship at Queen’s two weeks ago, slumped in his chair with relief after five hours and 30 minutes of play that ended with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-7 (3/7) 17-15 win for the 16th seed.
Cilic broke through in the 11th game when Querrey punched a forehand long after a tense rally. But, serving for the match, the Croatian buckled under pressure, handing Querrey two break points and the American grabbed the first opportunity when his opponent cleared the baseline with a forehand.
Both players held firm until that 31st game when Querrey netted at 30-40.
Cilic held his nerve to win a 29-stroke rally at 30-30 in the next game and the 6ft 6in player punched the air after his American opponent hit a woeful backhand long.
Andy Roddick made a third-round exit for the second year in a row as his challenge petered out at the hands of Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer, who sealed a 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Ninth seed Juan Martin del Potro also went through, seeing off Kei Nishikori in straight sets, and he now meets Ferrer, while Mardy Fish and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will meet in a tasty-looking encounter.
Fish was a routine winner over David Goffin 6-3, 7-6 (8/6,) 7-6 (8/6) while Tsonga was largely untroubled in getting past Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
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Source: www.scotsman.com
Wimbledon 2012: Federer comeback denies Benneteau - BBC News
Six-time champion Roger Federer overcame a major scare to beat Julien Benneteau in five sets and advance to the fourth round of Wimbledon.
A day after Rafael Nadal crashed out, Federer recovered from two sets down to win 4-6 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 7-6 (8-6) 6-1.
Federer struggled against the power of the 29th seed in the first two sets.
"I did start to play better and better as the match went on, that's kind of what I expected of myself once a set down," Federer said.
"That I guess comes with experience, but experience alone is not going to win you the match. I had to push deep and extremely hard, and I'm very happy with the way things sort of happened at the end."
Having clawed his way back to parity, Federer took advantage of an injury to his French opponent to sweep through the final set in 26 minutes.
Benneteau on Federer
"Mentally he's a rock. He's two sets down and he doesn't show anything. After that, if your level is a little bit lower, right here, right now, he takes the opportunity."
Third seed Federer plays Belgian Xavier Malisse on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.
Federer, 30, went into the match a red-hot favourite having dropped only nine games in his first two matches.
But Nadal's loss to world number 100 Lukas Rosol, arguably the biggest upset in Wimbledon history, showed that no player is safe on the grass of SW19.
Benneteau, also 30, reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2010 but has never won an ATP Tour event.
However, he beat Federer the last time they met, on the hard courts of Paris in 2009, and the underdog came out swinging under the Centre Court roof.
Behind a booming serve and thunderous groundstrokes, Benneteau ambushed Federer in the first set, breaking him at 4-4 before holding serve.
The players exchanged breaks at the start of the second set and when Benneteau won the tie-break 7-3, Federer was contemplating his first third-round exit at a Grand Slam tournament since the French Open of 2004.
But Federer made short work of the third set before coming through a nerve-jangling fourth-set tie-break.
With a raucous crowd contemplating an epic deciding set, disaster struck for Benneteau when he succumbed to an injury in his first service game.
Benneteau received a vigorous massage but could not be fully revived, allowing Federer to sweep into the last 16 for the eighth year in a row.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Hailsham takes the lead helping vulnerable people - Lewes Today
A PIONEERING new scheme has been signed up by 22 shops, businesses and various other organisations in Hailsham – to help people with learning difficulties who might be in distress.
The cutting edge initiative has been organised by East Sussex County Council and backed by other authorities including Hailsham Town Council.
Hailsham is the first town in the county to sign up to the scheme which aims to help people with learning difficulties feel safer when out-and-about.
A County Spokesman explained: “If a person with learning disabilities who has a ‘I need help’ card enters a ‘Safe Place’ because they are distressed, the staff in the safe place can assist them - by either offering them somewhere to sit until they feel better/happier, or talking to them and making them feel welcome, and contacting the emergency contact found on the individuals ‘I need help’ card.
“Or if necessary the ‘Safe Place’ may support the individual in contacting the emergency services or contact them on their behalf if they are unable to do so.”
The county council is promoting the scheme following last week’s ‘Learning Disability Week which ran from June 18 to 24.
Other shops, businesses and organisations have been urged to join the scheme.
County Cllr Carl Maynard said: “I’m delighted that so many businesses, which include shops, leisure centres and restaurants, and organisations such the town council have already signed up and I look forward to others getting involved soon.”
His colleague, County Cllr Bill Bentley, who is also a town councillor,added: “Safe Places is a national initiative and I’m really pleased that Hailsham is the first town in East Sussex to join. We’ve got involved in this scheme in response to the views and experiences expressed by people with learning disabilities in East Sussex.”
Hailsham businesses and organisations joining the Safe Places scheme will be given an information pack and logo and stickers to display at their premises. The scheme was officially launched in Hailsham High Street yesterday, June 28.
To find out more about the scheme phone: 01323 464481 or email hollie.farley@eastsussex.gov.uk for more information.
Source: www.sussexexpress.co.uk
Baker goes from hit-and-giggle on grass to Wimbledon last 16 as fairytale continues - Daily Mail
By Peter Higgs
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Comeback story of the championships must surely belong to Brian Baker, a 27-year-old American who started the year ranked 458th in the world.
The former world No 2 junior spent six years battling against injury, during which time he underwent five operations - three hip, one elbow and one hernia - and his career looked over.
Wonderful week: Baker
He went into coaching, rebuilt his life by taking a degree in business and finance and, 12 months ago, was playing low-level tennis alongside his father and uncle in the Middle Tennessee Tennis League.
But, as his physical condition improved, Baker decided to give the circuit a second try.
He won a tournament in Savannah, Georgia, followed up by reaching a final in Nice and was given a wild card into the French Open - his first Grand Slam for seven years - where he reached the second round.
In England, he came through the qualifying and followed up with three victories in the main draw to go through to the second week.
After seeing off Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 on Saturday to move into the fourth round, he said: 'I think of this as a second career - but I never totally gave up.'
Fortunately his family have already extended their stay in London to include Monday, when he will face 27th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber for a place in the quarter-finals.
Into the second week: Baker will play Phillip Kohlschreiber in the last 16
'I think they had to change their flights twice, they weren't that confident in me starting out,' said Baker, smiling.
'I was just excited that they were able to come back over. They came over for the French Open, so it's nice to see my dad was able to take time off work again.
'It makes it a lot more special to be able to share it with my family and girlfriend than it is if you're just doing it on your own.'
Baker's comeback began on the golf course last summer.
That was when the Nashville resident found out he had been given a wild card into a Futures tournament in Pittsburgh, only his third event since 2005. Not only did he qualify, he won the tournament.
Racket head: Benoit Paire returns a shot during his third round match
The former French Open boys' finalist has said repeatedly that he never doubted his ability, and he really came back onto the radar when he won a Challenger tournament in April that earned him a wild card into the French Open.
A week before Roland Garros he qualified for his first ATP World Tour event in almost seven years, in Nice, and then beat the likes of Gael Monfils and Nikolay Davydenko to reach the final.
French farce: It's behind you, Benoit!
There were calls for Baker to be given a wild card for Wimbledon, but now he is through to the last 16, the American is grateful that did not happen.
He said: 'I wasn't that disappointed that I didn't get one. I needed the match practice on the courts. My only grass-court match was at Queen's qualifying and I lost. I didn't feel I was comfortable on the stuff.
'There's actually two grass courts at the club where I grew up at back in Nashville. I think I once played hit-and-giggle tennis on that. I played a pro-am doubles tournament up in the Hamptons with a buddy from Nashville on grass.
Serving for the match: Brian Baker
'But those courts are nothing compared to these. They're a lot softer. It had been seven years since I played on a similar style grass court.'
Baker's victory, over an opponent who badly lost his cool in the third and fourth sets, ensures he will break into the top 100 for the first time in his career.
Asked if he still has to pinch himself, Baker said: 'I'm sure I will. It's been unreal. When I'm on the court I know I definitely have nerves. Closing out the match you definitely know what's on the table, what you can accomplish.
'I missed a few shots at the end that I probably wouldn't miss if it was the quarters of a Challenger and not trying to get to the round of 16 at Wimbledon.
'It is crazy, what's going on. But I'm still trying to stay focused on the task at hand and not get too wrapped up in it.
'Because once you do that, I think it's tough to be able to play your best tennis once you're happy that you've been there.
'So I'm trying every match to go in there hungry and try to win the next one instead of thinking, "I'm in the round of 16 of Wimbledon, this is awesome".'
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Wimbledon 2012: Serena Williams taken all the way by Jie Zheng before seeing out thriller - Daily Telegraph
So it was remarkable that this match began to take on the dynamic of a big-serving contest, as if it were being played between Boris Becker and Goran Ivanisevic. Lose your serve once, and that was probably the set gone for good.
“I just wasn’t making my returns,” said Williams, who enjoyed the support of actor Dustin Hoffman in her player’s box. “I hit so many errors. So my serve definitely helped me out today, and it was good to know that I could rely on that.” As the third set went into overtime, Zheng had a couple of moments when she stood within two points of victory, just as Julien Benneteau had against Roger Federer on Friday night. But that was as close as she came, as Williams managed to find her focus whenever the situation grew desperate.
That was the big difference between this win and her first-round exit at the hands of France’s Virginie Razzano in Paris last month — another match where her service return turned dysfunctional.
“I was definitely way more calm today than I was in my last long match and the loss,” she said afterwards. “I thought, ‘Serena, just relax and be calm’. I never felt like I was going to lose this match.” It may have helped Williams that the Centre Court crowd gave her plenty of encouragement yesterday, whereas the Parisians had been entirely against her.
The whole mood of this match summed up the difference between Roland Garros - with its fanaticism and its unhinged passion - and the serene, patrician acres of Wimbledon.
Not that Williams was at all blasé about the outcome. As she started to turn the screw on Zheng in the final moments, we saw her jackknife over as if stricken by stomach cramps - though in fact this was an extreme version of the doubled-up fist-pump popularised by Maria Sharapova among others.
When she finally closed it out, floating a volley into the open court on her third match point, she leapt high into the air, giving the photographers a dramatic view of her natty purple undershorts.
Next up will be Yaroslava Shvedova, the Kazakh who has had a magnificent month after reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open. And Williams had better make sure she has calibrated her service return by then, because Shvedova is one of the heavier hitters on the women’s tour.
Yesterday Shvedova caught everyone’s attention by whitewashing Sara Errani by 24 points to zero in the first set of their match. It was a remarkable statistical achievement that Williams took a moment or two to compute.
“Sascha [Bajin, the rapper] was like, ‘She got a golden set.’ I was like, What does that mean? I immediately thought, ‘She won all four in a row and the Olympics?’ That’s the only golden thing I know of.
“She’s such a solid player,” Williams added. “So I look forward to it.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to win a point in the set. That will be my first goal, and then I’ll go from there.”
So the dream final of Williams v Sharapova is still a possibility. Perhaps this match will be the narrow escape that kicks Williams’s whole game - and not just her serve - into the grass-court groove she used to find without thinking.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Ha ha the person who predictably said this sums up women's tennis: I assume you didn't read the article as it says the only other person to achieve a "golden set" was......a man!
- Elsie, Glasgow, 01/7/2012 03:47
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