“It is a big blow to the tournament but he must have his reasons. I don’t know if it was his knee or his preparation wasn’t good enough.” -Photo by Reuters

LONDON: Wimbledon champion Roger Federer admits he was shocked to hear Rafael Nadal had opted not to defend his Olympic gold medal, but he expects his great rival to return to action soon.

Nadal pulled out of the Games last week after claiming he was “not in condition” to compete following a recurrence of the knee problems which have troubled him for several years.

The 26-year-old struggled with the injury throughout his French Open title-winning campaign and looked well short of his best in a stunning Wimbledon second round defeat against unheralded Czech Lukas Rosol.

The Spaniard’s latest fitness issues led some to question whether he will be able to continue competing at the highest level, but Federer believes Nadal will find a way to get back in action in time for the American hardcourt season, which starts soon after the Olympics and culminates with the US Open.

“It was a big surprise to see Rafa pull out of the Olympics as the defending champion from four years ago,” Federer said.

“It is a big blow to the tournament but he must have his reasons. I don’t know if it was his knee or his preparation wasn’t good enough.

“I thought it was more his preparation and that would mean he is probably close to coming back on tour. He is only missing maybe a week or two here.”

Asked if Nadal had talked to Federer about dealing with his injury problems, the world number one added: “I haven’t spoken to him. I don’t think he will call to discuss his problems with me! We are close but I wouldn’t do that with him either.

“I’m sure he would have wanted to be here (at the Olympics). I wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully we will see him on the tour again soon.”

Nadal’s absence is a significant boost to Federer’s hopes of winning singles gold for the first time and the 30-year-old, who returned to world number one after winning Wimbledon earlier this month, is strong favourite to triumph in the Olympic event, which gets underway at the All England Club on Saturday.

But Federer is adamant Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, beaten by Federer in the Wimbledon final, will pose a strong challenge.

“It’s exciting for the rest of the field regardless of Rafa is here or not,” Federer added.

“Novak has a good chance after such a wonderful run over the last year and Andy Murray has played so well at Wimbledon recently.”

People react as they watch the men’s singles final tennis match between Andy Murray of Britain and Roger Federer of Switzerland at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, on a television screen in a pub in Murray’s hometown of Dunblane, Scotland. -Photo by Reuters

LONDON: More than a quarter of the British population tuned in to watch home favourite Andy Murray in the Wimbledon men’s final, figures released Monday showed.

Murray’s failed bid Sunday to become the first British Wimbledon men’s singles champion since 1936 drew the highest domestic television audience for a Wimbledon final since at least 1990, the BBC said.

The British Broadcasting Corporation said viewing figures for the nailbiting match peaked at 16.9 million.

The Office for National Statistics’ latest population estimate, for mid-2010, gives a figure of 62.262 million, meaning that around 27 percent of the British population tuned in to watch the match.

Murray, the first British Wimbledon men’s finalist since 1938, was beaten 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 by Swiss great Roger Federer, who won his seventh Wimbledon crown and returned to the top of the world rankings.

Emotionally drained, the British number one broke down in tears during his post-match interview on court.

Figures showed that an average of 11.4 million viewers tuned in for the duration of the BBC’s coverage.

The match lasted three hours and 24 minutes, excluding a rain break.

Serena’s success has its foundations in a serve so powerful and accurate that John McEnroe describes it as the greatest the women’s game has ever seen. -Photo by AP

LONDON: Serena Williams was crowned Wimbledon champion for the fifth time on Saturday as the American subdued a brave fightback from Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska to win 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 in a dramatic final.

Serena, who pockets a cheque for #1.15 milllion ($1.78 million), is the first woman over 30 to win Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1990 and she needed all the experience gathered over her illustrious career to survive a remarkable revival from Radwanska.

After being completely out-classed for the first set and a half of her maiden Grand Slam final, Radwanska had Serena on the ropes before the sixth seed finally recovered her composure to reclaim the Venus Rosewater Dish in just over two hours on Centre Court.

Williams has now equalled her sister Venus’s tally of five titles at the All England Club, but more significantly the 30-year-old’s 14th Grand Slam crown is her first at the majors since her last Wimbledon triumph in 2010.

Inspired by the painful memories of her shock French Open first round exit against Virginie Razzano last month and a spell in hospital with a serious illness 18 months ago, Serena has been determined to reestablish her primacy.

It is mission accomplished, but only just.

“I can’t even describe it. I almost didn’t make it a few years ago when I was in hospital. Now I’m here again and I’m so happy,” a tearful Serena said.

“I just really never dreamed of being here again after being so down. It just shows you should never give up.

“It was really tough. Aggie played so well. But I’ve always wanted everything that Venus has. Sorry I had to copy you again Venus!”

Radwanska added: “I’m still shaking so much. I had the best two weeks of my life. Of course Serena was playing too good today but I’m just happy to be here in the final.

“I was unlucky to play a few matches in the cold and rain. That didn’t help me. It was not my day. I will try again next year.”

Radwanska had been so severely affected by an upper respiratory illness over the last few days that she withdrew from the doubles and cancelled her pre-match media commitments.

The 23-year-old, the first Pole to reach a Grand Slam final for 73 years, recovered sufficiently to play, but she might have wished she was back in her sick bed in the first set.

Serena bludgeoned the first of 17 aces — taking her final tally for the tournament to a remarkable 102 — to clinch the opening game and she was equally powerful with her groundstrokes, converting her third break point for a 2-0 lead.

She broke again in the fourth game and, although sympathetic cheers echoed around Centre Court when Radwanska finally got on the scoreboard, it wasn’t long before Williams closed out the set in just 36 minutes.

After looking out of sorts in the first set, a brief rain delay offered Radwanska a chance to regroup, yet it seemed any hopes of a revival had been snuffed out when Serena broke to love in the third game of the second set.

But to her credit Radwanska kept fighting and, finally unfurling the subtle shots which have proved so effective over the last fortnight, she converted her first break point to level in the eighth game.

Serena looked vexed by the Pole’s changes of pace and nerves seemed to get the better of her as she surrendered the set with a succession of errors at 5-6.

On cruise control for so long, Williams was now being forced to battle for every point.

She thumped down four successive aces to hold serve and stepped up the power to land the decisive break for a 3-2 lead.

When she bagged another break with a delicate drop-shot, Serena punched the air as though the title was hers.

Moments later it was and she was soon clambering into the players’ box to celebrate with Venus and the rest of her family.

Belarus’s Victoria Azarenka serves during her women’s singles semi-final match against US player Serena Williams. -Photo by AFP

LONDON: Four-time champion Serena Williams buried Victoria Azarenka under a record firestorm of 24 aces to reach her seventh Wimbledon final on Thursday.

The 30-year-old American claimed a 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) semi-final win and will on Saturday tackle third seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, the first Pole in a Grand Slam final in 73 years, aiming to claim her 14th major.

As well as a record 24 aces, beating her own best of 23 set against Zheng Jie in the third round, Williams also fired a whopping 45 winners.

She has now hit a total of 85 aces in the tournament.

Williams will start as the hot favourite on Saturday having beaten world number three Radwanska in their two meetings without dropping a set, including the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2008, where the American lost just four games.

“I’ve been working so hard, I really wanted it,” said Williams, the first 30-year-old to reach the All England Club final since Steffi Graf in 1999.

“She was playing well and I got a little tight in the second set. I was looking too far in the future. I was so close, but I can’t do that. I was happy to get through that second set tie-break.”

Williams, who won the first of her four Wimbledons 10 years ago, insisted that the destination of the 2012 crown is far from a foregone conclusion even though she is widely expected to overwhelm the slender Radwanska.

The Pole made the final with a 6-3, 6-4 win over German eighth seed Angelique Kerber.

“She’s doing unbelievable. She’s playing so great. Wow, she’s going to get every ball back,” said the American, whose serving prowess would not look out of place in the men’s game.

Only Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, who made the quarter-finals, has hit more aces with 98.

Williams’s 85 is one more than American men’s 10th seed Mardy Fish who finished his campaign on 84.

Serena played two doubles matches on Wednesday with sister Venus, but showed no signs of fatigue against Azarenka, taking the first set courtesy of eight aces and 20 winners, while allowing her opponent just four points on serve.

That was the first set dropped by the 22-year-old Belarusian at the tournament.

Buoyed by a 7-1 winning record against the Australian Open champion, who could have retaken the world number one spot had she won, Williams broke for a 2-1 lead in the second set, secured with a sweeping forehand service return.

Azarenka hit back to level at 3-3 and then saved a match point in the tiebreak. But the record 24th ace, blitzed right down the middle to give Williams a deserved win.

Switzerland’s Roger Federer plays a backhand shot during his men’s singles quarter-final victory over Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny on day nine of the Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon. -Photo by AFP

LONDON: Australian legend Rod Laver on Thursday proclaimed Roger Federer as the greatest player of all time, but with Rafael Nadal not far behind.

“Roger Federer certainly is my claim to be the best of all time if there is such a thing,” said the 73-year-old Australian.

“Roger’s got all the shots, his anticipation is unbelievable, his timing off the ground strokes with his shots, his single-handed backhand is one of the best there is.

“But at the same time, I look at Rafael Nadal and what he’s done to win seven French Open titles and Wimbledon.

“Being able to play with somewhat of a suspect knee, his way of motoring around the court and tracking shots down is quite uncanny.

“They’re very close. Are they great champions and do they have equal abilities? I’d say ‘yes’, they’re pretty much equal.”

Meanwhile, four-time Wimbledon champion Laver, the last man to complete a calendar Grand Slam in 1969, has told Andy Murray that he must be more aggressive if he wants to end Britain’s 76-year wait for a male Grand Slam champion.

“He plays a safe game a little bit too long,” Laver told the BBC.

“That allows an opponent to be more aggressive, rather than continually putting pressure on an opponent.”

Murray will face France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday bidding to become Britain’s first male finalist at Wimbledon since Bunny Austin in 1938.

“Murray gets in a position where he’s maybe up a break or in a position to win a game, and he just plays it back,” added the great Australian.

“That’s when you put your foot down and make sure you win that point so you get either two breaks or you get a break back.

“”That’s the one thing I think maybe he’s missing, being able to say ‘I’ve got to win this point’ or ‘I’ve got to break serve here’ or ‘If I get a chance I’m not just going to play it back, I’m going to be aggressive’.”

Djokovic said he will be wary of the dangers posed by Federer on the Wimbledon grass where the Swiss star’s record now stands at 64 wins against just seven losses in his 14 visits. -Photo by AFP

LONDON: Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have met 26 times, but Friday’s potentially epic Wimbledon semi-final will be a first clash on grass in their rollercoaster, six-year rivalry.

Defending champion Djokovic has won the pair’s last three meetings, in straight sets on clay this year in Rome and in the semi-finals of the French Open.

Those wins followed a morale-sapping semi-final loss for Federer at the US Open where the Serb, for the second successive year, saved match points before driving another dagger into the great Swiss.

Both men go into Friday’s clash having racked up impressive numbers.

Djokovic, the US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, is in a ninth successive Grand Slam semi-final and has played in four of the last finals at the majors.

Federer is in a record 32nd semi-final of a Grand Slam.

On paper, the grass of Centre Court should favour Federer, the six-time champion desperate to equal the record seven set by Pete Sampras.

But the 16-time Grand Slam title winner is playing down the significance of the surface.

“Things are not that drastic of a change anymore from clay, hard court, indoor, to grass. But it is interesting that this is our first grass court match,” said Federer.

“I’m just happy that I’m around further than I’ve been the last couple of years. So it’s been a good tournament for me. It gives me confidence going into a big match against Novak.”

Federer has enjoyed the morale boost of getting to the last four having lost in the quarter-finals in the last two years, a crucial step for those who have written him off as past his best.

He eased past Mikhail Youzhny in straight sets in his quarter-final, showing no signs of the back pain that dogged him in the previous round or the struggles of the third round when he was two sets to love down before beating Julien Benneteau.

But top seed Djokovic has been untroubled, dropping just one set en route to the last four, a run capped by a comfortable straight sets win over Florian Mayer in his quarter-final.

Djokovic said he will be wary of the dangers posed by Federer on the Wimbledon grass where the Swiss star’s record now stands at 64 wins against just seven losses in his 14 visits.

“Maybe he uses the grass court better because of his slice. He has a really smart game for this surface,” said the Serb.

“But I have improved playing on grass in the last couple of years. I won the title here last year, got to another semi-final this year, so I’m feeling good about this surface, about myself on the court. I really have nothing to lose.”

Friday’s other semi-final sees fourth seed Andy Murray, bidding to become Britain’s first finalist since Bunny Austin in 1938, and first winner since Fred Perry in 1936, taking on French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The 25-year-old Scot will be playing in a fourth successive Wimbledon semi-final, comforted slightly by knowing that Rafael Nadal, who beat him in the last four in 2010 and 2011, was knocked out in the second round.

But Murray, playing in his 10th Grand Slam semi-final, is adamant that just because the Spaniard is out, the final is his to take.

“When I played Roddick in the semis (2009) that was also a good chance. I had a good record against him before I played him,” said Murray.

“I’m in a good position, that’s for sure. Whether it’s the best chance or not, I’m not sure. But I’ve been in this position a few times now and want to push on.”

Tsonga is in the semi-finals for the second successive year, but will start as underdog having won just one of six meetings against Murray.

That came in the first round of the Australian Open in 2008 while Murray triumphed in four sets in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon two years ago.

The 27-year-old said that he doesn’t envy the constant home pressure on Murray to deliver.

“I think here for Andy it’s difficult because he’s alone. In France it’s okay.    We have many players and that’s fine, but here for him it’s really difficult because all eyes are on him,” he said.

Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer during their third-round match at Wimbledon. Qureshi and Rojer were knocked out of the tournament in the fourth round. – Photo by AFP

LONDON: Pakistan ace Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and his Dutch partner Jean-Julien Rojer crashed out of the Wimbledon Championships after a closely-fought fourth-round match against the duo of Britain’s Jonathan Marray and Denmark’s Frederick Nielsen at the All England Club here on Tuesday.

Aisam and Rojer lost the marathon four-hour game 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (4-7), 5-7, 7-5 after the match resumed on Tuesday with rain halting the game in the third-set on Monday with the third set at 4-3 in favour of the winners.

However, Aisam and Rojer hit back on Tuesday to win the third set and their momentum continued in the fourth which they won convincingly.

The match went into the final set with Aisam and Rojer having the psychological advantage but the Sheffield ace Marray, whose former partner was Andy Murray’s brother Jamie, and Nielsen kept their composure and with the score at 5-5, they broke the serve of their eighth-ranked opponents.

After a couple of double faults at 6-5, Nielsen’s serve gave the duo a well-earned victory and ensured that for the first time there will be Danish representation in the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles at Wimbledon.—Agencies

Spain’s David Ferrer plays a difficult shot in his second round match. Ferrer is set to face England’s Andy Murray in the quarter-finals. -Photo by AP

LONDON: Andy Murray on Tuesday reached a fifth successive Wimbledon quarter-final where he will meet Spanish bulldozer David Ferrer who has made the last eight for the first time at the 10th attempt.

British fourth seed Murray beat Croatian 16th seed Marin Cilic 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 as organisers scrambled to make up for lost time caused by heavy rain.

He will now attempt to go on to a fourth All England Club semi-final on the trot, but will first have to get past seventh-seeded Ferrer who put out former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

Also making the quarter-finals were Florian Mayer and Philipp Kohlschreiber.

It’s the first time since Wimbledon in 1997 that two German men have made the last eight of a Grand Slam.

Mayer, the 31st seed, defeated Richard Gasquet of France, 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 in another match which was held over from Monday.

For 27th-seeded Kohlschreiber, it was a particularly memorable day as he reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at the 33rd attempt by clinching a 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win over American qualifier Brian Baker.

Murray had led Queen’s Club winner Cilic, against whom he was defending a 5-1 career record, 7-5, 3-1 overnight when play was suspended due to Monday’s downpours.

They played two games Tuesday before more rain sent them off Court One for an hour.

But on the resumption, the Scot was rarely troubled as Cilic struggled with his opponent and the damp, chilly conditions.

Murray was playing his last-16 tie against a background of controversy after it was suggested that, as the country’s best hope for a finalist since Bunny Austin in 1938, he should play all his matches on Centre Court.

“I honestly don’t care which court I play on. It makes no difference but obviously every player would rather be on Centre Court because you know you are going to get your match in regardless of the weather,” Murray said.

“I don’t think I deserve to play every match on Centre Court. It’s just annoying when the weather is bad.

“I haven’t always dealt with rain delays that well in the past, so it’s good experience for me. Probably from now on I will play on Centre so it won’t be a problem.”

Only three of the scheduled last 16 men’s ties had been completed on Monday with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Mikhail Youzhny able to enjoy a day off before Wednesday’s quarter-finals.

Federer will play Youzhny looking for a 14th win in 14 matches against the Russian.

Defending champion Djokovic will tackle Mayer, who has reached the quarter-finals for the second time, eight years after his first appearance, with his victory over Gasquet.

It was Mayer’s first win over 2007 semi-finalist Gasquet since 2004 and was sweet revenge for losing a Davis Cup quarter-final rubber to the French player in 2011 after being two sets to love ahead.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. Eight years ago I was here in the quarters, and now eight years later it’s happened again. So it’s a wonderful dream for me,” said Mayer.

Ferrer never got the chance to start his match on Monday, but the 30-year-old, now carrying Spain’s hopes after the shock elimination of Rafael Nadal, wasted no time against ninth seed Del Potro, racing home beneath the Centre Court roof in under two hours.

Del Potro, who had also made the last 16 in 2011, was undone by 20 unforced errors compared to Ferrer’s more conservative eight.

“Of course I prefer Rafael or another Spaniard here with me because I am only with my team,” said Ferrer, who is tied 5-5 in career meetings with Murray.

Kohlschreiber will face French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who reached the last eight for the third successive year by defeating American 10th seed Mardy Fish 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4.

Tsonga needed treatment on a back injury at the end of the second set of a match which was twice stopped for rain after also being halted overnight on Monday with Fish in the ascendancy.

“She did many things much better than me today,” Sharapova, who could lose her world No 1 ranking here, told reporters. -Photo by Reuters

LONDON: Maria Sharapova’s expected challenge for the Wimbledon title turned into a damp squib on Monday as the off-form top seed was outplayed under cloudy skies by Germany’s Sabine Lisicki.

Looking to follow up her French Open title with a second Wimbledon crown, the Russian produced a performance as grey as the weather in a 6-4, 6-3 defeat on Court One.

Four-times champion Serena Williams scrambled through to the quarter-finals at the grasscourt slam for the 10th time in her career although she was given a fright by powerful Kazakh Yaroslava Shvedova in a 6-1, 2-6, 7-5 win on a blustery Court Two.

Williams will now face defending champion from the Czech Republic Petra Kvitova after she hit back from a poor start to beat Italy’s Francesca Schiavone 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.Roger Federer was also off colour against Xavier Malisse and appeared on the verge of retiring with a sore back in the first set before claiming a 7-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory to stay on track for a record-equalling seventh title.

The Swiss needed a lengthy injury time-out in the first set when he was barely moving, but returned to win the opening set tiebreak and after a rain delay, and further treatment at the end of the third set, he found some fluency to reach the quarter-finals despite looking far from his best.

Second Monday at Wimbledon is a unique day among the Grand Slams with all eight men’s and women’s last 16 matches taking place, a day when the top seeds begin to move through the gears.

Sharapova just seemed to be stuck in neutral though. After falling behind and being forced off court by the rain, she failed to find any spark. Despite battling until the end, a Lisicki second serve ace sealed victory for the German and revenge for losing to Sharapova in last year’s semi-finals.

“She did many things much better than me today,” Sharapova, who could lose her world No 1 ranking here, told reporters.
“After the rain delay she came out firing. As tough as it is to sit here after a loss, I take away the positives from the last two months.”

Lisicki was almost overwhelmed with emotion after sealing her first career victory over Sharapova.

“It is just unbelievable for me, I’m just so happy,” Lisicki said after falling to her knees in celebration.

She will face fellow German Angelique Kerber in the quarter-finals after the women’s tour’s most improved player thrashed four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters 6-1, 6-1.

Second seed Victoria Azarenka reached the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-0 mauling of 14th seed Ana Ivanovic.

Clijsters, who has announced she will retire after the US Open, will get one last chance to grace Wimbledon when she returns for the Olympics later this month.

Wildcard Shvedova wrote her name into the Wimbledon record books on Saturday when she won all 24 points in a ‘golden set’ against Sara Errani but she got some of her own medicine as Williams romped through the opener of their fourth round match.

Shvedova, distinctive in her wrap-round sunglasses, recovered superbly, however, and after taking the second set in style she pushed Williams all the way in the third set before the sixth seed showed her quality.

She went toe-to-toe with Williams in the third set as drizzle fell but Williams finally showed her quality, setting up match point with an incredible topspin lob from deep in the corner before pummelling away a forehand to claim the win.

The sight of Federer needing treatment is a rarity as the Swiss’s body has seemed to defy medical belief over a largely injury-free career.

That is why it was such a shock to see him in obvious discomfort against Malisse on Centre Court.

During the first set he could do no more than push his serve into court while his forehand was half paced.

His future in the tournament looked as bleak as the looming clouds when he went off for treatment at 4-3 and then slipped a break down on his return.

He dug deep to break back when Malisse served for the opener and then rattled through the tiebreak.

After another rain delay, when the roof was surprisingly left open, the third seed returned to move two sets ahead and although Malisse won the third and was a break up in the fourth, Federer survived to fight another day.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Men’s singles:
Fourth round: 26-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) bt Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5; 3-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 7-6 (7-1), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

Women’s singles results Fourth round: 2- Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) bt 14-Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-0; 7-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) bt 30-Peng Shuai (China) 6-1, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3; Angelique Kerber (Germany) bt Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 6-1, 6-1; 3-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Camila Giorgi (Italy) 6-2, 6-3; 15-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) bt 1-Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6-4, 6-3; 4-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) bt 24-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; 6-Serena Williams (US) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) 6-1, 2-6, 7-5; Tamira Paszek (Austria) bt 21-Roberta Vinci (Italy) 6-2, 6-2.—Reuters

Another crowd favourite, Kim Clijsters, was rolling back the years with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Serbian 18th seed Jelena Jankovic. — Photos by Agencies