LONDON: Eight-time Wimbledon singles champion Roger Federer posted yet more landmarks on Saturday, registering a record 350th win in Grand Slam matches in his 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) victory over Lucas Pouille of France and in the process reached the fourth round for an unprecedented 17th time.

“It’s a nice number to achieve. I’ve enjoyed my time at the Slams,” said Federer, who next plays Matteo Berrettini of Italy, of his Grand Slam record. “It’s been nice winning that much.”

In the other late matches on Saturday, Andy Murray’s hopes of men’s doubles glory ended early as he and French partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert went out in the second round.

However, he was to end the day on a celebratory note as his star partnership with Serena Williams eased into the second round of the mixed doubles beating Germany’s Andreas Mies and Alexa Guarachi of Chile 6-4, 6-1.

After the traditional middle Sunday off, action resumes Monday with all fourth-round men’s and women’s singles matches.

Serena, who is seeded 11th, will face 30th seed Carla Suarez Navarro, while the other matchups on the top half of the women’s field established on Saturday are world number one Ash Barty, who has a 15-match winning streak, against unseeded Alison Riske of the US; 21st-seeded Elise Mertens against Barbora Strycova; and two-time champion Petra Kvitova against 19th seed Johanna Konta of Britain.

On the bottom half, it will be the 15-year-old American sensation Coco Gauff against seventh seed Simona Halep; third seed Karolina Pliskova against Karolina Muchova; eighth-seeded Elina Svitolina up against 24th seed Petra Martic; and Dayana Yastremska versus Shuai Zhang.

In the men’s draw, apart from Federer’s clash against Berrettini, two-time winner Rafael Nadal meets unseeded Joao Sousa, eighth seed

Kei Nishikori meets Mikhail Kukushkin, and Sam Querrey plays Tennys Sandgren in the first second week matchup at Wimbledon between two American men since Pete Sampras beat Jan-Michael Gambill in the 2000 quarter-finals.

World number one Novak Djokovic faces 21-year-old Ugo Humbert from France, who is playing in his first Wimbledon, for a place in the quarter-finals while the other last-16 men’s matchups see 15th seed Milos Raonic, the 2016 Wimbledon runner-up, tackle 26th seed Guido Pella, Belgian 21st seed David Goffin against 37th-ranked Fernando Verdasco and Roberto Bautista Agut, the Spanish 23rd seed, facing French 28th seed Benoit Paire.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2019