Serena wins the battle of sisters

London, July 6

It was yet another awkward encounter that is unlikely to live long in the memory but Venus Williams showed that she was no sore loser when she whispered some “sisterly words” into Serena’s ear as they embraced at the net at Wimbledon on Monday.

A contest featuring siblings, who between them have hoisted the Rosewater Dish 10 times, should have been a blockbuster but, as has been the case in the majority of their previous 25 meetings, it turned out to be an anti-climax that ended in a 6-4 6-3 fourth round triumph for younger sister Serena.

“It’s hard to feel excited about (beating) someone you root for all the time no matter what and you love so much and is your best friend in the world,” Serena said as she inched closer to a sixth Wimbledon title and a 21st major.

“It’s never easy but you just play for the competition and enjoy the moment.” No one named Williams, however, appeared to be enjoying “the moment” on Monday.

Mum Oracene, a regular in the players’ box for all of her daughters’ battles, was missing from Centre Court. And the match lacked the usual roars and swinging fist pumps that have long been Serena’s hallmark. Instead, the 68-minute blur started with Serena rattling through the first eight points, which prompted one male voice to shout “Come on Williams” to laughter from the Centre Court crowd. “She’s a champion. What else could you say about that? The ultimate,” summed up seven-times Grand Slam winner Venus.

Sharapova tested

Maria Sharapova came through a spirited test from Zarina Diyas to reach the quarterfinals, eventually subduing the tenacious scrambler from Kazakhstan 6-4 6-4 after a brief scare in the second set. The Russian, who had not been past the fourth round since 2011 at the tournament she won only once 11 years ago, will now face American Coco Vandeweghe in the last eight.

Murray makes quarters

Third seed Andy Murray dropped a set but emerged unharmed from the sights of bullet-serving Croat Ivo Karlovic to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the eighth consecutive time with a 7-6(7), 6-4, 5-7 6-4 victory. The towering Karlovic had walloped down 136 aces in his first three matches and regularly fired down 130mph missiles, but looked on his way out as Murray took a two-set lead. A cat-and-mouse third set, however, was decided when Karlovic broke in the 12th game, injecting some much-needed life into the match on Centre Court. Murray, however, had too much guile for the Croat and broke in the seventh game of the fourth, before serving out to set up quarters clash against Canada’s Vasek Pospisil.

Wawrinka on course

Stanislas Wawrinka continued his pursuit of a rare double with an air of calm authority, beating dangerous Belgian David Goffin 7-6(3) 7-6(6) 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals. The barrel-chested fourth seed, bidding to emulate fellow Swiss Roger Federer and become only the fifth man in the professional era to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back, turned on the style on a sun-swept Court One. — Reuters