Relegated to ‘Graveyard’, Williams siblings advance
WIMBLEDON, England – While Roger Federer glided to another victory on Centre Court, and Rafael Nadal won despite a scary stumble on Court 1, the Williams sisters found themselves playing back to back Monday on cozy, clattery Court 2, known as the “Graveyard of Champions.”
What in the name of lawn tennis were they doing out there?
“It wasn’t what I would have liked to see,” Serena Williams said. “Initially I thought, ‘OK, is this the right schedule?’ I thought maybe there was a mistake.”
The sisters’ mother and coach, Oracene Price, suspected more than a mere mistake by tournament organizers.
“I guess they wanted to put them on the jinx court so they could lose,” Price said.
Even after Venus and Serena spent the day at the Graveyard, their title hopes remained very much alive.
Four-time champion Venus played first, making a high-noon entrance on the court known for its history of upsets and beating Alisa Kleybanova 6-3, 6-4. Ninety minutes later, two-time Serena joined her older sister in the quarterfinals by defeating American Bethanie Mattek 6-3, 6-3.
No. 2-seeded Jelena Jankovic, slowed by a knee injury she suffered in the previous round, lost to No. 60-ranked Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-3, 6-2. No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova was beaten by No. 14-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.
Their defeats ensure Ana Ivanovic of retaining the No. 1 ranking next week, even though she was beaten by Zheng Jie in the third round. The No. 133-ranked Zheng, who needed a wild card to enter the tournament, became a first-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist by beating No. 15-seeded Agnes Szavay 6-3, 6-4.
Alla Kudryavtseva, who upset No. 3-seeded Maria Sharapova in the second round, was eliminated by Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-4.
Tanasugarn will play Venus Williams on Tuesday. The 19-year-old Radwanska will face Serena Williams.
Almost as unpredictable is the men’s draw, with eight of the top 10 players eliminated. But the No. 1-ranked Federer and No. 2 Nadal remain on course to meet in the final for the third consecutive year.
While Federer beat 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt for the 12th time in a row Monday, Nadal hurt his right leg against Mikhail Youzhny and stopped in the middle of the second game for treatment by a trainer.
Nadal slipped on worn turf behind the baseline while stretching for a shot, and his right leg bent awkwardly. He said he felt a crack behind the knee.
After the trainer wrapped Nadal’s leg below the knee, the Spaniard showed no sign the injury bothered him the rest of the way, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
Nadal will next play No. 12-seeded Andy Murray, trying to become the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936. He thrilled a partisan Centre Court crowd by completing a comeback win just before dark against No. 8 Richard Gasquet, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-4.
Marat Safin reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal for the first time since winning the 2005 Australian Open, beating No. 13 Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1. Safin’s opponent Wednesday will be No. 31 Feliciano Lopez, who overcame three match points to defeat No. 10 Marcos Baghdatis 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 8-6.
Federer will next play the last man to beat him at Wimbledon, Mario Ancic. Federer overcame some shaky moments in the first-set tiebreaker to defeat Hewitt 7-6 (7), 6-2, 6-4, while Ancic outlasted Fernando Verdasco 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 13-11.