Wimbledon Show Court Schedules

Vera Zvonareva (21), Russia, vs. Tsvetana Pironkova, Bulgaria

Serena Williams (1), United States, vs. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic

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Cech rejects Real linkFrench Open Show Court Schedules

Federer full of 'excuses' after Wimbledon loss

WIMBLEDON, England - For the first time in eight years, Roger Federer won’t be striding onto Centre Court for the Wimbledon final.

The six-time champion was upset in the quarterfinals by big-hitting Tomas Berdych on Wednesday, stopping his bid for a record-tying seventh title at the All England Club and extending his recent stretch of disappointing play.

The 12th-seeded Berdych used his big serve and forehand to beat Federer 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, on Centre Court for the biggest victory of the Czech’s career.

Berdych will meet No. 3 Novak Djokovic for a spot in the final, with No. 2 Rafael Nadal facing No. 4 Andy Murray in the other semifinal.

It’s the first time since 2002 that Federer has failed to reach the final. Since losing in the first round eight years ago, Federer had played in the championship match a record seven consecutive times. He won the title six times and finished runner-up once, bolstering his reputation as the greatest player of all-time.

Winner of a record 16 Grand Slam titles, Federer said he was unable to play his best tennis Wednesday because of pain in his back and right leg.

“I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play,” said Federer, who had been chasing the record of seven titles won by Pete Sampras and 19th-century player William Renshaw. “I am struggling with a little bit of a back and a leg issue. That just doesn’t quite allow me to play the way I would like to play. It’s frustrating, to say the least.”

 Video highlights 

 

Murray delights crowd with victory
After dropping the first set, Andy Murray raised his level of play to beat Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga in the quarterfinals.

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Federer was clearly outplayed Wednesday by a man who has always possessed enormous talent but often failed to live up to expectations.

The 6-foot-5 (1.96 m) Berdych was on the offensive for most of the match, smacking first serves consistently in the 130s mph (above 210 kph), winding up to rip forehand winners and not buckling under pressure. He hit 51 winners, compared to 44 for Federer.

“He played well when he had to,” Federer said. “It was brutal for me. Every time he had a chance, he took it. On the break points, he played great on those. ... When I did have chances, I played poorly. It was just a frustrating match the way it all went.”

Berdych broke Federer four times, with the final break coming in the seventh game of the fourth set. Berdych served 12 aces, was broken just once and saved seven of eight break points.

 Video highlights 

Federer full of ‘excuses’ after Wimbledon lossFabiano to miss cup final

Federer full of 'excuses' after Wimbledon loss

WIMBLEDON, England - For the first time in eight years, Roger Federer won’t be striding onto Centre Court for the Wimbledon final.

The six-time champion was upset in the quarterfinals by big-hitting Tomas Berdych on Wednesday, stopping his bid for a record-tying seventh title at the All England Club and extending his recent stretch of disappointing play.

The 12th-seeded Berdych used his big serve and forehand to beat Federer 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, on Centre Court for the biggest victory of the Czech’s career.

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Berdych will meet No. 3 Novak Djokovic for a spot in the final, with No. 2 Rafael Nadal facing No. 4 Andy Murray in the other semifinal.

It’s the first time since 2002 that Federer has failed to reach the final. Since losing in the first round eight years ago, Federer had played in the championship match a record seven consecutive times. He won the title six times and finished runner-up once, bolstering his reputation as the greatest player of all-time.

Winner of a record 16 Grand Slam titles, Federer said he was unable to play his best tennis Wednesday because of pain in his back and right leg.

“I couldn’t play the way I wanted to play,” said Federer, who had been chasing the record of seven titles won by Pete Sampras and 19th-century player William Renshaw. “I am struggling with a little bit of a back and a leg issue. That just doesn’t quite allow me to play the way I would like to play. It’s frustrating, to say the least.”

 Video highlights 

 

Murray delights crowd with victory
After dropping the first set, Andy Murray raised his level of play to beat Jo-Wilfriend Tsonga in the quarterfinals.

NBCSports.com

 

 

Federer was clearly outplayed Wednesday by a man who has always possessed enormous talent but often failed to live up to expectations.

The 6-foot-5 (1.96 m) Berdych was on the offensive for most of the match, smacking first serves consistently in the 130s mph (above 210 kph), winding up to rip forehand winners and not buckling under pressure. He hit 51 winners, compared to 44 for Federer.

“He played well when he had to,” Federer said. “It was brutal for me. Every time he had a chance, he took it. On the break points, he played great on those. ... When I did have chances, I played poorly. It was just a frustrating match the way it all went.”

Berdych broke Federer four times, with the final break coming in the seventh game of the fourth set. Berdych served 12 aces, was broken just once and saved seven of eight break points.

 Video highlights 

Unseeded Lu upsets Roddick in 5-set marathonUche to have final say

Unseeded Lu upsets Roddick in 5-set marathon

WIMBLEDON, England - Three-time finalist Andy Roddick was stunned in the fourth round at Wimbledon on Monday by an 82nd-ranked Taiwanese player who hadn’t won a match at the All England Club the past four years.

The fifth-seeded Roddick was ousted 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 9-7 by Yen-hsun Lu on Monday in a match that lasted over 4½ hours.

Lu sealed the victory in the 16th game of the fifth set with his only service break of the match.

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The 26-year-old Lu had lost in the first round at Wimbledon four straight times and failed to win a match in his last five Grand Slams.

He’s the first Asian man to reach the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam since Shuzo Matsuoka of Japan did it at Wimbledon in 1995.

Roddick had 38 aces but converted only one of eight break-point chances.

Roger Federer reached the quarterfinals at a 25th consecutive Grand Slam tournament by easily beating Jurgen Melzer.

The top-seeded Federer, seeking his record-tying seventh championship at the All England Club, swept past No. 16 Melzer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in Monday’s first match on Centre Court.

The top-seeded Federer was broken once but lost only 15 of 63 points on serve.

“I thought I played great,” he said. “Aggressive right from the start.”  

Melzer was playing in Wimbledon’s fourth round for the first time, but he did reach the semifinals at this month’s French Open. Federer did not make it that far in Paris: He lost in the quarterfinals there to Robin Soderling, ending a streak of reaching the semifinals at a record 23 major tournaments in a row.

Federer’s win over Melzer makes him 80-2 on grass since 2003. He’s played in the Wimbledon final seven years in a row.

Later in the day, top-ranked Rafael Nadal beat Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in 2 hours.

Also, third-seeded Novak Djokovic beat former champion Lleyton Hewitt 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, and Britain's hopes stayed alive as No. 4 Andy Murray swept No. 18 Sam Querrey 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.

Djokovic, who also eliminated Hewitt in the fourth round in 2007, needed just a single break of serve to win each of the first two sets.

 Video highlights 

Guardiola fined for ref rantFederer gets tested again at Wimbledon

Right knee вЂnot bad’ after practice, Nadal says

WIMBLEDON, England - Rafael Nadal’s bothersome right knee held up fine during a 40-minute practice at the All England Club on Sunday.

Walking briskly while toting his racket bag after his light workout, Nadal told The Associated Press that his knee felt “good, good; not bad.”

Toni Nadal, Rafael’s uncle and coach, was more expansive, saying, “The knee is so much better” than it was Saturday, when the 2008 Wimbledon champion received treatment from a trainer during changeovers while coming back to beat No. 33-seeded Philipp Petzschner of Germany 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3 in the third round.

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That was Nadal’s second consecutive five-set victory, the first time he’s ever had two matches go the distance this early at a major tournament.

The Spaniard went out to hit early Sunday afternoon during a star-studded training session. Roger Federer was perhaps 20 feet away on the court to Nadal’s right, and Andy Roddick was to Nadal’s left, while Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling played a tiebreaker for fun nearby.

After Sunday’s day off, Wimbledon resumes Monday with all 16 men’s and women’s fourth-round matches, and the No. 2-seeded Nadal faces 66th-ranked Paul-Henri Mathieu of France.

“I hope and think he can play with no problem,” Toni Nadal said. “We are nervous about the opponent, but not the knee, at the moment.”

His nephew’s knees have been a long-standing issue.

Rafael Nadal skipped the grass-court Grand Slam tournament last year because of tendinitis in both knees, becoming only the fifth player in the history of an event first contested in 1877 to not defend his championship because of an injury.

He stopped playing during his Australian Open quarterfinal against Andy Murray in January because of trouble with the right knee. And Nadal acknowledged Saturday he’s been dealing with knee issues this spring, including during a loss to Andy Roddick at Key Biscayne, Fla., in early April.

“I don’t like to say (anything) in that moment,” Nadal explained, “because when you lose, (it) always looks like an excuse.”

Nadal said he received treatment on his left knee after winning the title on clay at Monte Carlo later in April, but said he did not have time to have the same procedure done on his right knee. He wound up going 22-0 and collecting four titles during the European clay-court circuit, including his fifth French Open and seventh Grand Slam championship overall.

Angel Ruiz Cotorro, a doctor with the Spanish tennis federation who works with Nadal, said Sunday they’ll do the new treatment on the right knee after Wimbledon “to improve the regeneration of the tendon.”

After watching Nadal practice Sunday, the doctor said the right knee is “better, but we will see tomorrow, in the morning.”

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Atletico suffer Asenjo blowFederer hopes Madrid will provide turning point

Wimbledon reviewing whether player spat at crowd

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -Wimbledon is looking into whether to fine No. 31-seeded Victor Hanescu of Romania for allegedly spitting toward the crowd during a match.

Hanescu was warned by the chair umpire for spitting and for swearing during the fifth set of Friday's third-round match against Daniel Brands of Germany. Hanescu stopped playing while trailing 3-0 in that set, and the reason was officially listed by the tournament as a leg injury.

Tournament referee Andrew Jarrett said his office "is reviewing further information from this match."

Police arrested four people at that match's court for disrupting public order. The tournament could not verify whether the episodes were related.

Guardiola fined for ref rantQueen Elizabeth planning to attend Wimbledon

Wimbledon marathon man loses in 75 minutes

WIMBLEDON, England - One day after winning the longest tennis match in history, John Isner lost the shortest men’s match at Wimbledon so far this year.

It was back to normal, meanwhile, for defending champion Roger Federer, who showed he was back at the top of his game by sweeping Arnaud Clement in straight sets to reach the fourth round in his bid for a seventh Wimbledon crown.

Marathon man Isner looked weary from the outset Friday, required treatment for a neck injury and was beaten by unseeded Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.

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The second-round match was over in just 1 hour, 14 minutes, and the five games won by Isner is the fewest by a male player this week.

It was a complete turnaround from Isner’s epic three-day victory over Nicolas Mahut, which lasted 11 hours, 5 minutes and went to 70-68 in the fifth set.

What’s more, Isner served no aces Friday after hitting a record 112 against Mahut.

“I’ve never been this exhausted before,” Isner said. “Mentally and physically, I was obviously a bit drained. I just didn’t have much in the way of my legs. I was just low on fuel out there. Didn’t really have a chance.”

Starting shortly after noon in warm sunshine, Isner received a standing ovation when he walked onto court. He immediately lost his serve — something that didn’t happen once in his never-ending fifth set against Mahut.

“The turnaround time — he just didn’t have enough time to get his body right,” said Isner’s coach, Craig Boynton. “He’s one tired boy.”

 Video 

Isner, Mahut playing longest match in historyGuardiola fined for ref rant