Wozniacki becomes latest seed to fall to Zahlova Strycova

Tuesday, 1 July 2014 00:29 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki became the third Wimbledon seed to fall at the hands of the Czech Republic’s Barbora Zahlova

Strycova, dumped out of the fourth round 6-2 7-5 on Monday. The 16th-seeded Dane has yet to reach the quarter-finals at the All England Club and the 23-year-old must wait at least another year after world No.43 Zahlova Strycova claimed another notable scalp, having sent second seed Li Na packing in the previous round. After a quick surrender of the opening set, Wozniacki dug deeper in the second, saving five match points before Zahlova Strycova booked her first grand slam quarter-final. Zahlova Strycova next meets either fellow Czech Petra Kvitova, the sixth seed, or China’s Peng Shuai for a place in the last four.

Lisicki holds nerve to sweep past Ivanovic

Reuters: Big serving from last year’s runner-up Sabine Lisicki propelled the German into Wimbledon’s fourth round on Monday, claiming a stop-go 6-4 3-6 6-1 victory over 11th seed Ana Ivanovic.

Lisicki, seeded 19, had the first set in the bag when the match was called off after much discussion between players and officials about the gathering gloom on Saturday evening. Former world No.1 Ivanovic came out fighting as the match resumed on a chilly Monday morning, producing some telling returns on the Lisicki serve. But the duo were again forced off court for more than an hour by a shower, with Ivanovic leading 5-2 and deuce in the second. The Serb kept her concentration to wrap up the set, but the ever-smiling Lisicki calmed her nerves and found range and power on her returns to break Ivanovic’s serve twice and win the match with a seventh booming ace. Lisicki meets Yaroslava Shvedova of Kasakhastan in the fourth round.

Safarova first player through to Wimbledon quarter-finals

Reuters: Lucie Safarova became the first player to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday when she walloped 175th ranked qualifier Tereza Smitkova 6-0 6-2 in an all-Czech showdown.

For the first time in the professional era, four women from the Czech Republic reached the last 16 of a grand slam and Safarova could be joined in the last eight by compatriots Barbora Zahlavova Strycova and 2011 champion Petra Kvitova, who are in fourth round action later on Monday. Safarova, seeded 23rd, needed just 48 minutes to end Smitkova’s bid to become the lowest-ranked woman to reach the quarter-finals. She will next meet either Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska or Ekaterina Makarova of Russia for a place in the semi-finals.