Murray beats clock, US endure mixed emotions
Date published :
30 Jun 2012 - 23:47:08
Andy Murray reached the last 16 in the latest finish in Wimbledon history on Saturday while Serena Williams and Andy Roddick, two warhorses of American tennis, endured conflicting fortunes.
On another dramatic day at Wimbledon, Marin Cilic triumphed in the second longest match in tournament history to set-up a fourth round clash with British fourth seed Murray.
Murray clinched a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 win over Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in a match which finished just past the 11pm Centre Court curfew.
The Scot triumphed at 11:02pm (2202GMT) under the roof on Centre Court, two minutes beyond the deadline set by the local municipality for health and safety reasons.
Murray had broken to lead 5-1 just as the clock hit 11pm and so was allowed to serve out the match.
"When I got up at 4-1 I tried not to sit down. I don't know what the rules are, maybe the first time that's happened here," he said.
Four-time champion Williams clinched a three-set win over China's Zheng Jie to reach the last 16 but three-times runner-up Roddick crashed to a second successive third round defeat, sparking more doubts over his future.
Compatriot Brian Baker, who missed six years of action through a variety of injuries and operations, made the last 16 as his fairytale comeback gathered momentum.
But fellow American Sam Querrey was the fall guy to Cilic's epic efforts, losing in five gruelling sets.
Sixth-seed Williams saw off 25th-seed Zheng 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 9-7 and will tackle Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan for a place in the quarter-finals.
"It was good to win. I needed a tough match and she's always playing me incredibly well," said Williams, who unleashed a Wimbledon women's record 23 aces.
Wildcard Shvedova will go into Monday's fourth round tie having made history as the first woman at a Grand Slam to achieve a Golden Set.
She won all 24 points in a first set 6-0 wipeout of Italian 10th seed, and French Open runner-up, Sara Errani on her way to the last 16 for the first time. Shvedova took the second set 6-4.
Roddick, like Williams a former world number one, slumped to a 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4, 6-3 defeat to Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer and left Centre Court blowing kisses to his fans.
The 29-year-old suffered three agonising final defeats to Roger Federer in 2004, 2005 and 2009, the last of which ended 16-14 in the final set, was Roddick's last memorable campaign at the All England Club.
"I don't have a definitive answer, I can't give you much else," said 2003 US Open champion Roddick, when asked if Saturday was his last farewell to Wimbledon.
Baker's Wimbledon debut got even better as he enjoyed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over France's Benoit Paire.
Baker lost six years of his career to an assortment of injuries that left him needing five different operations on a hernia, left and right hips and right elbow.
Cilic, the 16th seeded Croat, beat Querrey 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 6-7 (7/2), 6-7 (7/3), 17-15 in a match that lasted five hours and 31 minutes.
It was the second longest match in Wimbledon history, but remains a long way behind the world record 11 hours and five minutes it took John Isner to beat Nicolas Mahut in 2010.
Tenth-seeded American Mardy Fish, playing his first tournament since undergoing a heart operation, beat Belgian wildcard David Goffin 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (8/6).
Fish will face French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who beat Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Czech world 100 Lukas Rosol, who caused one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport when he beat world number two Rafael Nadal in the second round, saw his adventure end out on Court 12.
German 27th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber eased to a 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) win over the giantkiller and will next tackle Baker.
Argentine ninth seed Juan Martin del Potro defeated Kei Nishikori, the first Japanese man since 1995 to reach the third round, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 and will face Ferrer.
Defending women's champion Petra Kvitova crushed Varvara Lepchenko of the United States 6-1, 6-0 and will play 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone for a place in the quarter-finals.
Former world number one Ana Ivanovic, the 14th seed, reached the last 16, coming from behind to clinch a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win against Germany's Julia Goerges.
Ivanovic will play second seed Victoria Azarenka, a semi-finalist in 2011, who put out world number 178 Jana Cepelova, a Slovak qualifier, 6-3, 6-3.
