- News>
- Tennis
Sharapova triumphs over 11th seeded Dokic
London, June 29: Both women`s and men`s 11th seeds have been knocked out of Wimbledon, while Andre Agassi overcame determined opposition and defending champion Serena Williams won easily.
London, June 29: Both women's and men's 11th seeds have been knocked out of Wimbledon, while Andre Agassi overcame determined opposition and defending champion Serena Williams won easily.
Russian teenage sensation Maria Sharapova went into the last 16 of the women's singles on Saturday (June 28) with a 6-4 6-4 demolition of 11th seed Jelena Dokic.
The 16-year-old unseeded Siberian, a girls singles finalist at Wimbledon last year, showed scant regard for reputations as she out-hit and out-thought the 2000 semi-finalist, who is struggling to emerge from a deepening rut of form.
After breaking her Yugoslav opponent in the first game, Sharapova dominated the baseline rallies with her potent forehand, raising her game whenever she was threatened.
The 20-year-old Dokic squandered two break points when Sharapova served for the first set at 5-4 and from that moment on there was only one likely outcome.
A searing backhand pass gave her another break to lead 4-2 in the second set. An increasingly despondent Dokic was put out of her misery when Sharapova fired down her fifth ace to clinch the most impressive victory of her career.
Sharapova will next play fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova. Unseeded Alexander Popp of Germany knocked out 11th seed Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3). Popp will play Belgium's Olivier Rochus in the next round.
Second seed Andre Agassi needed time to warm up on Saturday, taking three hours 13 minutes to overcome Moroccan Younis El Aynaoui 5-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 and reach Wimbledon's fourth round.
The 33-year-old world number one, seeking a second Wimbledon title after an 11-year gap, looked out of sorts on Centre Court in the first set, making uncharacteristc errors even on his signature two-handed backhand.
The 1.93-metre El Aynaoui, ranked 22 in the world, has not beaten Agassi in five meetings although he served with power and precision to produce 19 aces and keep the American on his toes.
Agassi's class and temperament showed in the fourth set which he won 7-4 in the tiebreak after saving three set points in the 12th game. The second seed next meets another big server, Australia's Mark Philippoussis.
Defending champion Serena Williams produced glimpses of her best tennis to beat fellow American Laura Granville 6-3 6-1 and move into the last 16.
After a slow start, Granville tested the top seed with a string of brilliant attacking shots but Williams replied in kind and was irresistible in the second set. Williams will meet Russia's Elena Dementieva, seeded 15, in the fourth round.
Eighth seed Jennifer Capriati of the United States beat unseeded Akiko Morigami of Japan 6-4 6-4. Tim Henman carried British hopes into the second week of Wimbledon by outclassing Swedish qualifier Robin Soderling 6-3 6-1 6-4.
He will play last year's losing finalist, David Nalbandian of Argentina. The sixth seed took almost four-and-a-half hours to beat Slovakia's Karol Kucera 6-4 5-7 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-2.
Bureau Report
A searing backhand pass gave her another break to lead 4-2 in the second set. An increasingly despondent Dokic was put out of her misery when Sharapova fired down her fifth ace to clinch the most impressive victory of her career.
Sharapova will next play fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova. Unseeded Alexander Popp of Germany knocked out 11th seed Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3). Popp will play Belgium's Olivier Rochus in the next round.
Second seed Andre Agassi needed time to warm up on Saturday, taking three hours 13 minutes to overcome Moroccan Younis El Aynaoui 5-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 and reach Wimbledon's fourth round.
The 33-year-old world number one, seeking a second Wimbledon title after an 11-year gap, looked out of sorts on Centre Court in the first set, making uncharacteristc errors even on his signature two-handed backhand.
The 1.93-metre El Aynaoui, ranked 22 in the world, has not beaten Agassi in five meetings although he served with power and precision to produce 19 aces and keep the American on his toes.
Agassi's class and temperament showed in the fourth set which he won 7-4 in the tiebreak after saving three set points in the 12th game. The second seed next meets another big server, Australia's Mark Philippoussis.
Defending champion Serena Williams produced glimpses of her best tennis to beat fellow American Laura Granville 6-3 6-1 and move into the last 16.
After a slow start, Granville tested the top seed with a string of brilliant attacking shots but Williams replied in kind and was irresistible in the second set. Williams will meet Russia's Elena Dementieva, seeded 15, in the fourth round.
Eighth seed Jennifer Capriati of the United States beat unseeded Akiko Morigami of Japan 6-4 6-4. Tim Henman carried British hopes into the second week of Wimbledon by outclassing Swedish qualifier Robin Soderling 6-3 6-1 6-4.
He will play last year's losing finalist, David Nalbandian of Argentina. The sixth seed took almost four-and-a-half hours to beat Slovakia's Karol Kucera 6-4 5-7 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 6-2.
Bureau Report