Ruthless Federer marches on

London, July 6 

Top seed and defending champion Roger Federer advanced to the Wimbledon last 16 without dropping a set after a 6-3 7-5 6-2 win over German Jan-Lennard Struff on Friday.

Federer, seeking a record ninth Wimbledon title, eased through the first set before the big-serving Struff put up more of a fight in the second.

But Federer clinched it with a superb service game that included a wonderful volley at the end of a long rally followed by a winning drive down the line. The 36-year-old Swiss proceeded to win his 29th consecutive set at the All England Club and wrap up victory on Centre Court in just over one and a half hours.

Serena moves on, Venus ousted

Seven-times champion Serena Williams moved ominously into the last 16 at Wimbledon when she recovered from a sluggish start to beat France's Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 7-6(1).

However, there was no great escape for Venus Williams as the five-times champion became the latest top-10 seed to perish at Wimbledon after she was beaten 6-2 6-7(5) 8-6 in a pulsating third-round match by Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens.

The American, at 38 the oldest woman in the draw, had to recover from a set down in her first two matches but her days of living dangerously were ended by a opponent who simply would not give up.

The result meant both last year’s finalists have lost before the fourth round, with Venus following 2017 champion Garbine Muguruza out of the tournament. Her demise also continued the horror show for women’s seeds as only two of the top 10 — world No. 1 Simona Halep and No. 7 Karolina Pliskova — are still in the tournament. It is the worst showing by the women’s seeds in the professional era.  — Reuters

Bopanna-Vasseli exit

Rohan Bopanna and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin crashed out of the Wimbledon Championships after they retired mid-way from their second round contest against Frederik Nielsen Joe Salisbury on Friday. The 14th seeds were trailing 4-6 6-7(4) 

1-2 when they conceded their second round match after Bopanna suffered an injury. The result means that only three Indians are now surviving in the men’s doubles draw --- debutants Vishnu Vardhan and N Sriram Balaji and Divij Sharan and his partner Artem Sitak. — PTI

Third round results 

Women: Karolina Pliskova bt  Mihaela Buzarnescu 3-6 7-6(3) 6-1, Kiki Bertens bt  Venus Williams 6-2 6-7(5) 8-6, Julia Goerges bt Barbora Strycova 7-6(3) 3-6 10-8, Donna Vekic bt  Yanina Wickmayer 7-6(2) 6-1, Serena Williams bt  Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 7-6(2), Evgeniya Rodina bt Madison Keys 7-5 5-7 6-4, Camila Giorgi bt  Katerina Siniakova 3-6 7-6(6) 6-2, Ekaterina Makarova bt  Lucie Safarova 4-6 6-4 6-1

Men: Gael Monfils bt Sam Querrey 5-7 6-4 6-4 6-2, Roger Federer bt Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3 7-5 6-2, Adrian Mannarino bt Daniil Medvedev 6-4 6-3 4-6 5-7 6-3, Kevin Anderson bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3 7-5 7-5, John Isner bt Radu Albot 6-3 6-3 6-4, Adrian Mannarino bt Daniil Medvedev 6-4 6-3 4-6 5-7 6-3