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Nishikori knocked out

Spain's Bautista Agut ousts Japanese; Nadal, Halep advance
Last Updated 07 July 2017, 20:08 IST
Spain's 'Mr Consistent' Roberto Bautista Agut reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the seventh time in his last nine attempts with a shock victory over Japanese ninth seed Kei Nishikori on Friday.

The 29-year-old proved too solid for a listless Nishikori, winning 6-4, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3 on Court Three.

It has been a mediocre year for Nishikori who is struggling to build on the promise he showed when he reached the 2014 US Open final, losing to Marin Cilic.

After reaching the final in two of his first three tournaments of 2017 he has not made one since and has been suffering with niggling injuries.

Agut faces seventh seed Marin Cilic next, who swept into the fourth round with a 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over American Steve Johnson on Friday to end an imperious opening week with a third consecutive straight sets victory.

Nadal powers through Rafael Nadal kept up his bid for a third Wimbledon, putting on an ominous show to beat Karen Khachanov 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (3) and reach the last 16.

The Spanish fourth seed scorched his way through the first set, threatening to sizzle the parched Centre Court grass with the pace of some of his shots, and while the Russian 30th seed regrouped in sets two and three, the damage had been done.

Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller ended the hopes of Britain's Aljaz Bedene to reach the fourth round for the first time.

Slovenia-born Bedene received loud support on a sun-baked Court Two but could make little impression against the 34-year-old grasscourt specialist who won 7-6 (4), 7-5, 6-4.

Second seed Simona Halep brought the women's draw to order after recent upsets with a 6-4, 7-6 (7) win over China's Peng Shuai.

The 25-year-old Romanian wore down her 31-year-old opponent with heavy groundstrokes from the baseline, clipping the lines with her penetrating forehands.

Halep meets former world number one Victoria Azarenka in the last 16.

New mother Azarenka secured a nerve-jangling 3-6 6-1 6-4 win over home favourite Heather Watson.

Johanna Konta kept the flag flying for British women on Friday, reaching the last 16 with a comfortable 6-4 6-1 victory over Greece's Maria Sakkari.

The 26-year-old, who will next play France's Caroline Garcia, is one of the favourites to lift the title.

Roger Federer has risen above mere mortals on Wimbledon's lawns over the past 14 years so it was almost comforting to learn the king of cool had an attack of nerves before his second-round match on Thursday.

The 35-year-old Swiss beat 79th-ranked Serb Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (0), 6-3, 6-2. Federer will face German serve-and-volleyer Mischa Zverev in round three.

Latvian Ernests Gulbis deprived Wimbledon of a sequel to one of the best men's singles matches in recent years when he knocked out Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro. Gulbis won 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (3).

If Angelique Kerber was hoping for a dominant second-round victory at Wimbledon to settle fears about her poor form, then she would have been sorely disappointed by her battle to overcome Kirsten Flipkens.

While the German, who reached last year's final, did eventually suppress the Belgian's unorthodox game to win 7-5, 7-5, she again showed signs of the vulnerability that has dogged her in 2017.

Indian challenge ends Purav Raja and Divij Sharan turned it around after losing the first two sets but eventually fell short, shortly after Rohan Bopanna also lost his men’s doubles second round at the Wimbledon.

Raja and Sharan lost 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6), 8-10 to seventh seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram in the second round.

Rohan Bopanna’s campaign also ended after he and Edouard Roger-Vasselin suffered a 6-7 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (5), 3-6 defeat against Ken and Neal Skupski from Great Britain.

Agencies

Results (prefix denotes seeding): round 3: 4-Rafa Nadal (Esp) bt 30-Karen Khachanov (Rus) 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (3); Benoit Paire (Fra) bt Jerzy Janowicz (Pol) 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-3; 7-Marin Cilic (Cro) bt 26-Steve Johnson (US) 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4; 18-Roberto Bautista (Esp) bt 9-Kei Nishikori (Jpn) 6-4, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3; 16-Gilles Muller (Lux) bt Aljaz Bedene (Gbr) 7-6 (4), 7-5, 6-4.

Women: 13-Jelena Ostapenko (Lat) bt Camila Giorgi (Ita) 7-5, 7-5; 6-Johanna Konta (Gbr) bt Maria Sakkari (Gre) 6-4, 6-1; 4-Elina Svitolina (Ukr) bt Carina Witthoeft (Ger) 6-1, 7-5; 2-Simona Halep (Rom) bt Peng Shuai (Chn) 6-4, 7-6 (7); 27-Ana Konjuh (Cro) bt 8-Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4; Victoria Azarenka (Blr) bt Heather Watson (Gbr) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; 21-Caroline Garcia (Fra) bt Madison Brengle (US) 6-4, 6-3.
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(Published 07 July 2017, 20:01 IST)

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