Djokovic storms into Round 4 Novak Djokovic

NOVAK DJOKOVICLONDON. – Defending champion Novak Djokovic (pictured right) yesterday powered into the fourth round at Wimbledon and is yet to drop a set in this year’s tennis championship.

The top seed beat Australian Bernard Tomic 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to set up a meeting with South African Kevin Anderson.

French Open champion Stan Wawrinka also went through but last year’s semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov is out.

Canada’s seventh seed Milos Raonic lost in four sets to 20-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios.

Kyrgios beat Raonic, another 2014 semi-finalist, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 and will play Richard Gasquet for a place in the quarter-final, after the Frenchman beat Bulgarian Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Wawrinka, the Swiss fourth seed, beat Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and faces Belgian 16th seed David Goffin next.

Djokovic has reached the second week of Wimbledon for the seventh year running by winning all nine sets he has contested. As he left the court he was inundated with requests for autographs – including one more unusual one.

“This gentleman gave me his artificial leg and I hope my signature will make him feel good,” he said.

“It has been great so far. I was hoping I could play better and better as the tournament progresses and that is what is happening. As we are moving on, I feel more confident.

“My serve was very good today, I won a lot of free points and that takes away a lot of pressure. Maybe it looks like I haven’t been teste.”

French Open champion Wawrinka reached the fourth round of Wimbledon but last year’s semi-finalist Dimitrov is out.

The Swiss fourth seed beat Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and faces Belgian 16th seed Goffin next.

Bulgarian Dimitrov (24) was unable to repeat last year’s Wimbledon heroics, which saw him beat Andy Murray on his way to the semi-final.

In the women’s section, Maria Sharapova eased into the Wimbledon fourth round with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Romania’s Irina Camelia-Begu.

The fourth seed and 2004 champion will face either Germany’s 14th seed Andrea Petkovic or unseeded Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan for a place in the quarter-finals.

Australia’s controversial Nick Kyrgios and Frenchman Richard Gasquet set up a Wimbledon last-16 clash after knocking out last year’s semi-finalists Milos Raonic and Dimitrov.

Kyrgios, who famously defeated Rafael Nadal in 2014 when he was ranked 144 in the world, avenged his quarter-final loss of 12 months ago to Raonic with a 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 third round victory over the seventh seed.

The 20-year-old Kyrgios hit 34 aces and blasted 61 winners.

“I lost my focus a bit towards the end of the first set, but I knew what my game plan was and I stuck to it. I toughed it out,” Kyrgios said.

“Last year I tried to hit too many winners off his serve. This time I went to the chipped approach and it worked.”

Kyrgios faces another rematch in the fourth round against Gasquet after beating the Frenchman in a dramatic five-setter in the second round last year.

“Last year I came from two sets down against him, but he is a savvy veteran and beat Dimitrov in straight sets today so he must be playing well,” said the 26th-seeded Australian.

Gasquet, a semi-finalist in 2007 and seeded 21 this year, beat 11th seeded Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Dimitrov had defeated 2013 champion Andy Murray on his way to the semi-finals last year, but yesterday’s defeat extended a disappointing Grand Slam season for the 24-year-old Bulgarian who was beaten in the fourth round at the Australian Open before a first round exit at Roland Garros.

Fourth seed Wawrinka reached the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over Verdasco for his first win over the Spaniard in 10 years.

French Open champion Wawrinka will take on Belgium’s Goffin for a place in the quarter-finals.

Goffin, the 16th seed, became only the fourth Belgian man to make the fourth round in the Open era by defeating 2006 semi-finalist Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

It was 24-year-old Goffin’s first win over the Cypriot in four meetings and he has now equalled his best performance at the majors after also making the last 16 at the 2012 French Open as a lucky loser. – BBC Sport/AFP.

 

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