Novak Djokovic the world no 1 beat, Radek Stepanek 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in the third round at Wimbledon. Wimbledon was not quite ready for another Czech earthquake after the rude dismissal of Rafael Nadal.However, for the duration of a set on Centre Court, the prospect of losing the defending champion on day five sent a shiver through the tournament that did not seem altogether out of kilter with the prevailing mood.If Novak Djokovic thought he might be the next aristocrat tossed on to the tumbril after his stuttering start against the oldest man left in the draw, the 33-year-old Czech Radek Stepanek, before going on to win comfortably in four sets, he expressed no such concerns later.But did he not think for a second that Stepanek might be about to emulate his compatriot Lukas Rosol, Nadal's conqueror, when he saved five break points to take the first set?"Not really," he said. "Obviously I had a lot of chances in the opening set but, being aware of his qualities and experience, I wasn't too surprised with the way he played in important moments. He was mentally very composed. He was out there to win a match. I was a set down but managed to make the crucial break in the opening game of the second set, and then I thought I played really well."Once settled, Djokovic looked his old self, improving by the shot on his way to winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in 11 minutes short of three hours, a decent workout that tuned him up nicely for a fourth‑round match against his fellow Serb, Viktor Troicki, who beat Juan Monaco 7-5, 7-5, 6-3.Dropping a set against the Czech (he has beaten eight of them in a row since losing to Tomas Berdych here in the semi-finals two years ago) did not presage doom as it did with Nadal against Rosol in that barely believable second‑round match under the roof the night before. Yet there is insurrection in the air this year.Wimbledon has taken on a fresh dynamic, and it is no bad thing – one enlivened by the force of unfamiliar personnel, either sneaking up on their betters and tweaking a few noses or folding meekly before heading for the travel agents.And the old boy Stepanek, probably on his farewell visit to Centre Court, briefly defied the stats and years before Djokovic was roused. At deuce in the ninth game, Stepanek slipped – but Djokovic blew yet another chance, and retreated to the baseline muttering. His mood darkened when Stepanek held his racket firm at the net and let Djokovic's firm reply bounce back into the open court to hold, and went on to take the set.But he cracked at the start of the second, as the defending champion found a rhythm at last. It was still an engaging contest, with Stepanek going stroke for stroke with Djokovic in several high-quality rallies; but, when the Serb ramped up the power, he finally stamped his identity on the match.He was, as John McEnroe observed, merciless at the death, "stringing him along, like a little puppet". That is the Djokovic we know, the predatory assassin, killer of points and hopes. He took just 48 seconds to go to 5-1 in the fourth set before cruising home. Talk about the quick and the dead.What chance, then, for Andy Murray, now that Nadal is missing from his side of the draw? "You can't underestimate any opponent," Djokovic said. "I don't think Rafa did, and I'm sure Andy is aware of that. [Rosol] can serve as an example for everybody that anything is possible in this sport – even though myself, Rafa, Roger [Federer], Murray, a couple other players, have been dominant in grand slams the last couple of years, and it's expected for us to reach the last four. But tennis is improving."Yet there is a perceptible power shift in the game. Nadal has stumbled, and his peers are not blind. Djokovic too has come down from the top of the mountain, failing to grab a piece of history at the French Open with a fourth straight slam title. Miserable evidence though that might be of a revolution, tennis might finally be getting a glimpse.
Roger Federer the six time Wimbledon Champion was pushed to five sets Friday by Julien Benneteau of France,Federer pulled out a 4-6, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 victory.Federer had not lost in the third round of a major tournament since being bounced from the 2004 French Open. On Thursday, Nadal, the No. 2 seed, fell to 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol, a shocker that Federer said wasn’t on his mind.“You focus on your match and Julien was playing amazing. ... I knew it was going to be a difficult match,” Federer told the BBC. “He played so well, he was making me doubt obviously for most of the match and that’s a credit to him. He just played amazing, I thought.”In winning his second-round match, Federer had been impressive, winning 37 of 41 points on his first serve and 21 of 23 points at the net against Fabio Fognini, but he struggled to assert that dominance against Benneteau.“It was a tough match,” Federer said. “It was brutal. A bit of luck maybe on my side, who knows? I tried hard, I fought until the very end . Obviously he was hurt [a trainer had come out to attend to Benneteau], I guess, in some way in the fifth set. I tried in the third, fourth and fifth just to stay alive and come back.”In other men’s matches, the tournament’s top seed, Novak Djokovic, Djokovic advanced with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Radek Stepanek.
Bulgaria’s best tennis player Tsvetana Pironkova defeated Agnieshka Radvanska with 6-2, 6-4 in a game of the tournament in London. The Polish player Radvanska is №3 in the world rank list, which is her record ranking, and since the beginning of the season she has won the tournaments in Dubai, Miami and Brussels.This is the eight victory for Tsvetana Pironkova.
Richard GASQUET beat. Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-4, 6-4Third round interest between two high-seeded teams - Almagro is the number 12 seed, Gasquet on 14 - and between two players with different characteristics, because Spanish is a great colpitore, while French has provided a very elegant collection of tennis and diversified. Gasquet and Almagro have in common rather one-handed backhands finest, along with Federer, the men's tennis. First set, against all odds, no exchanges and break Gasquet in the first game: just enough to win the first leg, although Almagro earned a break point, but the line judge calling the messes out of a full line of Spanish forcing him to repeat the point. With 5-second set break point to hand Gasquet another crucial game at 2-2.Almagro would have the opportunity to replace with three break points, but the French cancels with the first winning ace serve and volley and proving their day. Unlike Almagro, who sells the service in the decisive third set with volleys on the tape, right out in the open field and a double foul. Gasquet beats Almagro for the first time as a professional: it could not happen on the grass.
Sam QUERREY beat. Milos RAONIC 6-7 (3), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (8), 6-4There is a great game one between Sam Querrey and Milos Raonic and lasts longer than expected for a number of factors. The first is the basic balance, the second is the dark and the third is the rain.Suspended for darkness at 3-3 in the third set, the match to resume in late Friday morning due to bad weather and when you return to the field is little difference between the two players remain so. thus arrives at the third of three tiebreak sets, Querrey after winning a good defense by Raonic. The Canadian transition to a vacuum and you do the break in the opening set and the fourth will be the key turning point, why not give Querrey and nothing is going to win. In the third round will face Marin Cilic.
Xavier Malisse b. Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 4-6 6-3It might seem an obvious match for what it had begun between Fernando Verdasco and Xavier Malisse, but it does not. Verdasco the fact very strong and in half an hour trimming a sharp opponent 6-1, however, that he recovers and fights like a lion in the second set, despite a sore left knee that required the intervention of a physiotherapist. It is the tiebreaker, won the Belgian dive 7-5. In comeback, Malisse fore the result of the first set 6-1 and won the third practically without leaving the Spaniard to play, and again it seems obvious the trend of the match. But no, because Verdasco pulls out the pride and immediately break the opponent does, that he fails to recover and Verdasco will then close the set 6-4. To proceed in equal fifth to the eighth game, when there is a break Malisse, who then serves for the match and closes the meeting.
OTHER RESULTS
Vicktor Troicki is the first to enter the second round by eliminating Juan Monaco in three sets, seeded 15, with a score of 7-5 7-5 6-3, Mikhail Youzhny in four sets eliminates the seeded 8, Janko Tipsarevic, with the final 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. D. Istomin b. A. Falla 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6.
