Federer, Williams sisters in quarterfinals

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(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-30 09:22

LONDON: Second seed Roger Federer continued to scythe through the men's draw with a 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 fourth-round victory over Sweden's Robin Soderling yesterday.

Federer, Williams sisters in quarterfinals

Ana Ivanovic of Serbia cries as she retires from her match against Venus Williams of the US during their match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, June 29, 2009. [Agencies]

Federer beat Soderling in the French Open final earlier this month and the Swede had been expected to give the five-time champion his first test of the fortnight, but the Swiss maestro never looked flustered as he booked his quarterfinal berth. Federer took the opening set 6-4 courtesy of the only break of the match and wrapped up the second 7-5 in the tiebreak. He won the third, again 7-5 in the breaker.

In the women's draw, Venus and Serena Williams hardly broke sweat in the sizzling Wimbledon heat as they cruised into the quarterfinals.

Defending champion Venus easily won the first set against former world No 1 Ana Ivanovic, who retired hurt in floods of tears, as temperatures shot past 30 degrees at the All England Club. Serena strolled through against Daniela Hantuchova.

Five-time champion Venus is bidding to become the first woman to win a hat-trick of Wimbledon singles' titles since Steffi Graf claimed three in a row from 1991 to 1993.

The third seed cruised through the first set 6-1 in half an hour, after which Serbia's Ivanovic had her left thigh strapped up. The 2008 French Open champion won the first game of the second set, but the pain was too much and she had no choice but to pull out, leaving Court 1 in a stream of tears.

"I felt really sad for her actually. She was really upset," said Venus who faces Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska who beat American teenager Melanie Oudin in straight sets, for a place in the semifinals.

"This is Wimbledon. It's the last place you want to have an injury that you can't overcome.

"She didn't have a lot of opportunities in that first set - and not because she wasn't playing well; I think I was just on top of the ball," the Californian added.

Younger sister Serena, the second seed, beat Hantuchova 6-3, 6-1 in 56 minutes on Court 2. She now tackles Belarusian Victoria Azarenka.

Reuters/AFP