US Open: Djokovic in final, comeback to end Federer title bid

Tennis fans got exactly what they were hoping for on Super Saturday, when the semifinal showdown between world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and the winningest player in tennis history, Roger Federer, went to five sets on Arthur Ashe, with Djokovic coming back from a two-sets-to-love deficit to win 6-7(7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.

After a slow start from Djokovic, Federer took the first two sets by repeatedly attacking the Serbian’s backhand. But just as Djokovic found his groove and an answer for Federer’s strategy, Federer cooled off
and dropped the third and fourth 0sets, shocking the crowd, who was behind the five-time US Open
champion throughout the match. It was in the fifth set when the fans got the battle they were looking for,
with long rallies, angled shots and impressive gamesmanship from both players.

The fifth set began just like the first, with both men holding serve and posting nearly identical stats, until Djokovic began serving in the eighth game. Federer took the first two service points from Djokovic, reading the court perfectly and blasting two winners. Djokovic then double-faulted and followed that mistake with a critical unforced error -- a forehand hit wide -- handing Federer the opportunity to serve for the match.

But Federer couldn't capitalize on the opportunity, and serving at 5-3, allowed Djokovic to break him back,
squandering two match points and putting the set back on serve. Djokovic then went on to hold serve and break Federer one more time, before taking a 6-5 lead and serving for the match.

In what will be his third appearance in the US Open Finals, Djokovic will face the winner of the Rafael Nadal
vs. Andy Murray semifinal match taking place today on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Wimbledon: Tsonga sends Federer out

Roger Federer was eliminated in the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the second straight year on Wednesday, squandering a two-set lead for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament and losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

The six-time Wimbledon champion barely looked challenged while winning the first two sets against the 12th-seeded Frenchman. But Federer, who had been 178-0 in matches in which he had won the opening two sets at a major tournament, was broken one time in each of the last three sets.

In the semifinals, Tsonga will face second-seeded Novak Djokovic, who defeated 18-year-old Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Federer was seeking a record-equaling seventh Wimbledon title this year. He breezed through his opening four matches, losing only one set, and played his usual elegant game against Tsonga.
In the first set, Federer earned his one and only break point of the match in Tsonga's first service game, and converted it. He held the rest of the way, and then won the second set in the tiebreaker.

But Tsonga finally got his first break in the third set, and another in the fourth and another in the fifth.

Those were the Frenchman's only three breaks, and they were just the amount he needed to send Federer home early again.

Later on Wednesday, defending champion Rafael Nadal was playing Mardy Fish, while No. 4 Andy Murray was scheduled to take on Feliciano Lopez on Centre Court.

Wimbledon: Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Murray reach quarters

Reigning champion Rafael Nadal, Australian Open titlist Novak Djokovic, six-time Wimbledon champ Roger Federer and heavy British crowd favorite Andy Murray highlighted Monday's fourth-round winners at The Championships.

The world No. 1 Nadal won his 11th straight Grand Slam match, and his 18th straight Wimbledon outing, with a hard-fought victory over 24th-seeded Argentine slugger Juan Martin del Potro, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 on the grass on the famed Centre Court.

The highly-anticipated match did not disappoint on Monday.

Nadal ultimately snuck past del Potro in 3 hours, 52 minutes, as both players battled injuries in the heavyweight bout.

The great Nadal took a nine-minute medical timeout to have his left foot wrapped just before the start of the opening-set tiebreak, which the Spaniard went on to win.

"For a moment at the end of the first set, I thought that I had to retire (from the match)," Nadal said. "I didn't know what's going on. After that, the pain goes a little bit down and finally I was ready to play."

And del Potro, who played great tennis en route to a routine second-set victory, left the court to have his left hip treated after he took a spill in the third set, which Nadal snuck out via another tiebreak.

In the fourth set, Nadal finally got his first service break of the day with a massive forehand winner, as he grabbed a 3-2 lead in the stanza. The Spaniard consolidated the break with a big hold and held on from there.

Nadal is now 6-3 lifetime against the former world No. 4 and former U.S. Open champion del Potro, who missed Wimbledon last year while recovering from wrist surgery.

The fierce Nadal captured the French Open title earlier this month and is also the reigning Wimbledon and U.S. Open champ. He hasn't lost at the All England Club since losing to Federer in the 2007 final. Nadal beat Federer in their classic final here in 2008, skipped the 2009 edition of the tournament due to injury, and titled here again last year.

The 25-year-old Nadal is now 33-4 for his career at the All England Club.

The 10-time major champion Nadal will face American Mardy Fish in the round of eight. The Spaniard is 5-0 lifetime against the American, including an opening-round Wimbledon victory four years ago.

The second-seeded Djokovic improved to an amazing 45-1 this year with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 pasting of 19th-seeded French lefthander Michael Llodra on Court 1. The super Serb advanced in 1 hour, 41 minutes by playing ultra-clean tennis, which featured a mere six unforced errors and only one double fault. Djokovic broke Llodra four times, while the helpless Frenchman was unable to break the two-time Grand Slam champion on Day 7.

Djokovic already owns a whopping seven titles this year. His lone loss came against Federer in the French Open semifinals earlier this month. That setback halted a 43-match winning streak.

The two-time Wimbledon semifinalist Djokovic, who was also last year's U.S. Open runner-up, has never reached a Wimbledon final. He's now a four-time quarterfinalist at the AEC.

Up next for the Serbian slugger will be upstart Aussie Bernard Tomic in Wednesday's quarterfinals.

The third-seeded former world No. 1 Federer came back to best 18th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 on Court 1. The Swiss great needed just over three hours to advance, which he did with the help of 14 aces among 54 winners and six service breaks. Youzhny settled for only one break on Day 7.

Federer is now 11-0 lifetime against Youzhny, including 3-0 at the majors, and will appear in a remarkable 29th straight Grand Slam quarterfinal.

"I forgot completely (the 29th quarterfinal) was on the line to be quite honest, especially once you're in the heat of the moment, of the battle," Federer said. "I thought I played a good match overall."

The 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer has won six of the last eight Wimbledon titles and is now 59-6 lifetime at the world's most prestigious tennis event. His victory on Monday marked his 100th on grass.

Federer hasn't captured a major title since last year's Aussie Open. He lost to Nadal in the finale at Roland Garros earlier this month.

The 29-year-old Federer will face flashy Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday.

A fourth-seeded Murray, meanwhile, handled 17th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 6-2 on Centre Court. The Brit smacked 14 aces and was not broken by the nifty Gasquet.

Murray and Gasquet played in front of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- Prince William and his new wife Kate -- on Monday.

"If I'd known they were coming, I would have shaved," Murray said. "I was thinking to myself as I came off I was sweaty and very hairy. I said to them, 'I'm sorry, I'm a bit sweaty.' But it was really nice."

Murray, who has now reached the Wimbledon quarters four years running, is a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, including this year's Aussie Open. The Dunblane, Scotland native reached the Wimbledon semifinals the last two years and is trying to give Britain its first male Wimbledon champ since Fred Perry in 1936.

Up next for Murray will be Spanish lefthander Feliciano Lopez.

A 10th-seeded Fish straight-setted last year's Wimbledon runner-up, Tomas Berdych, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4. Fish is the last American standing here, male or female, after closing Berdych out with an overhead smash into a wide-open court after 2 hours, 22 minutes on Court 2.

The Minnesota native Fish swatted 23 aces and was not broken on Day 7.

Berdych, seeded sixth this year, succumbed to Nadal in last year's Wimbledon finale.

The 29-year-old Fish will now appear in his first-ever Wimbledon quarterfinal and his third career Grand Slam quarterfinal. His last round-of-eight appearance at a major came three years ago in New York.

A 12fth-seeded Tsonga reached his second straight Wimbledon quarterfinal by taking out seventh-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1). Tsonga popped 12 aces and was not broken in the straight-set triumph.

The 26-year-old Tsonga is a former Aussie Open runner-up.

The promising Tomic punched his ticket to his first-ever Grand Slam quarterfinal by beating Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse 6-1, 7-5, 6-4. Tomic held his quality serve throughout on Court 18.

Malisse was a semifinalist here back in 2002.

The 18-year-old qualifier Tomic is the youngest men's quarterfinalist at Wimbledon since former German great Boris Becker back in 1986.

"What a feeling and what a tournament it's been for me," Tomic said. "I'm at a position now where I've never been happier. I'm looking forward to playing on Wednesday."

Tomic is looking forward to playing Djokovic.

"He's a cool guy. One of the nicest guys out there on the tour," Tomic said. "To play against a guy like him that's (No.) 2 in the world, it doesn't get really better than that."

Lopez continued his fine play at the All England Club with a grueling come- from-behind victory over fellow non-seed Lukasz Kubot, 3-6, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (9-7), 7-5, 7-5. Lopez needed 4 hours, 18 minutes to complete his Day-7 comeback. The slugfest featured 55 aces, including 28 from the winner, and only seven breaks of serve, including four for the Spaniard. Both players fired 80 winners in the marathon.

All four men's quarterfinals will be held on Wednesday, as Tuesday will be an off day for the men in singles.

Pics: Celebs at Wimbledon 2011

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is introduced to the Centre Court crowd on the sixth day of the 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club.

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali are introduced to the Centre Court crowd on the sixth day of the 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club.

Former Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, center, talks to Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali prior to the match on centre court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon

Britain's cricket captain Andrew Strauss, front center, and his wife Ruth, front left, sit with All England Lawn Tennis Club Chairman Philip Brook, front right, and cricketers Kevin Pietersen, center second row, Ian Bell and their wives as they watch play on Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon.

Britain's cricketer Kevin Pietersen watches play on Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon.

French player Adrian Mannarino serves to Swiss player Roger during the men's single at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London on June 22.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US arrives on court prior to her match against Japan's Misaki Doi at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon

French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga celebrates after beating Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov in a Men's Singles match at the 2011 Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in south-west London, on June 23, 2011.

Mirka Vavrinec, wife of Swiss player Roger Federer arrives for his game with French player Adrian Mannarino during the men's single at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London on June 22, 2011.

Swiss player Roger Federer's shoes are seen as he plays with French player Adrian Mannarino during the men's single at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London.

German player Sabine Lisicki cries after beating Chinese player Li Na during the women's single at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Tennis Club, in southwest London.

See the Slideshow here

Wimbledon: Serena, Nadal, Federer and Sharapova roll

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams— players with a combined 12 Wimbledon titles — all won in straight sets Saturday to move into the fourth round and keep up their pursuit of even more championship trophies at the All England Club.

Six-time champion Federer beat David Nalbandian 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 to move closer to equaling Pete Sampras' record of seven Wimbledon titles.

Two-time winner and defending champion Rafael Nadal committed only three unforced errors in a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 6-0 victory over Gilles Muller, a 92nd-ranked wild card from Luxembourg.

Williams, chasing a third straight title and fifth overall in her comeback from nearly a year out with serious health problems, served 10 aces in beating 26th-seeded Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 6-2.

Muller is the last player other than Roger Federer to beat Nadal at Wimbledon, in the second round in 2005.

Nadal will next face another Grand Slam champion, 2009 U.S. Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, who beat Gilles Simon 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.

"He's a fantastic player. He's one of the best players of the world," Nadal said of the Argentine, who missed most of 2010 after surgery on his right wrist. "He had an important injury last year, but he's here now all the time and he's at his top level.

Rafael Nadal returns a shot during his third- round match against Gilles Muller of Luxembourg. Nadal will play Juan Martin del Potro in the fourth round.

"It will be a very difficult match. It will be a fantastic test and I have to be playing my best if I want to have chances, and that's what I'm going to try."

In other women's play, 2004 champion Maria Sharapova and top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki won in straights set to reach the round of 16.

Nadal, who saved two break points in the first set Friday against Muller, was credited with zero unforced errors Saturday in the second set. But Muller managed to stay even until he sliced a backhand into the net after a long rally to give Nadal a 6-5 edge in the tiebreaker. The Spaniard closed out the set in the next game with a forehand winner, then won six straight games, finishing with an ace.

"It was a very difficult match to play, especially the first two sets, when I had not one chance to break him," Nadal said. "It's like a lottery. I'm happy about how I played the tiebreaks, very solid with my serve. … I feel like in the third set I started to play really, really good."

Nadal said he felt discomfort in his right leg, but that it was not related to the two heavy falls he took at the baseline during the match.

"I started to feel the leg a little bit more tired than usual," he said. "But I played today without problems, and now I (have) one day and a half to rest and recover. I hope it will be perfect for Monday."

Sharapova, the 2004 champion, struggled with her game but reached the fourth round by beating Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-3.

The fifth-seeded Russian, the only champion in the women's draw other than the Williams sisters, had 21 unforced errors and four double-faults in an inconsistent baseline performance in windy conditions on Court 2.

But, after falling behind 3-1 in the second set, Sharapova lifted her game to win five games in a row to finish off the 35th-ranked Czech player.

Zakopalova struggled with her footing, slipping at least four times along the baseline.

Sharapova pumped her fist and shouted "Come on!" after hitting a forehand service return winner to break for 5-3 in the second set, then finished the match in the next game with another forehand winner down the line.

Sharapova hasn't reached the semifinals since 2006. She will next face 20th-seeded Peng Shuai of China, who beat Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-2, 7-6 (7-5).

Wozniacki, still looking for her first Grand Slam title, swept Jarmila Gajdosova 6-3, 6-2 to reach the fourth round for the third straight year. Wimbledon is the only major championship where the Dane has not reached at least the quarterfinals.

Also reaching the final 16 among the men was last year's runner-up Tomas Berdych. The sixth-seeded Czech needed only seven points to complete a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 win over Alex Bogomolov Jr. of the United States. The match had been suspended by rain with Berdych leading 4-3, 15-0 in the third set Friday.

Berdych will next play 10th-seeded Mardy Fish, the last American man left in the tournament. He advanced when Robin Haase retired at 1-1 in the fourth set because of injuries. Fish was up two sets to one, 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2.

Ninth-seeded Gael Monfils was defeated by 93rd-ranked Polish qualifier Lukasz Kubot, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. The 29-year-old Kubot, who won three qualifying matches to get into the main draw, also reached the round of 16 at the 2010 Australian Open.

No. 18 Ana Ivanovic, a former top-ranked player and 2008 French Open champion, was knocked out by Petra Cetkovska, 6-2, 7-6 (7-0). No. 9 Marion Bartoli beat Flavia Pennetta 5-7, 6-4, 9-7.

Wimbledon: Day 6 preview

Here we are at the sharp end of the first week of the 125th Championships, more or less on schedule despite the nastiness hurled in the direction of this part of London by the weather over the past few days and with remarkably few casualties among the big names.

Andy Roddick has gone, sadly and surprisingly, beaten by a Spaniard he had never lost to in seven previous meetings. So has Li Na, the winner of the French Open women's title, skewered by one of the German girls who are suddenly resurgent. Germany spends years looking for another Steffi Graf and suddenly three come along together.

In addition to Sabine Lisicki, whose recovery from severe ankle problems to ousting Wimbledon's third seed is the stuff of fairy tales, there are Julia Goerges and Andrea Petkovic, all three rising in the rankings.

On the men's side Europe is dominant, with France's and Spain's squads to the fore of players looking forward to a second week at the world's greatest tournament. And then, of course, there is Roger Federer, intent on another Wimbledon title. The fact that it would pull him level at seven with Pete Sampras is, he claims, an irrelevance. Nice to have if it happens, but not what he is working his socks off for this fortnight.

Another title, another chance to hold aloft the greatest trophy in the game, that's what Roger wants and he is in line to take another step towards that ambition with a third round match against David Nalbandian.

To say this pair are old adversaries is quite an understatement. It all kicked off nine years ago on the clay of Monte Carlo, with the Argentine winning for the loss of three games, and this will be their 19th confrontation in a series that Federer leads by 10-8. Nalbandian won the first five, Federer took eight of the next nine and they have split the last four. They have met at the US Open (twice), the Australian Open and the French Open but not, until now, at Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic, Federer's "Big Four" partner in the lower half of the draw, will also be playing his third round and, like the Swiss, is not so much motoring along as flying. So it will be the turn of Marcos Baghdatis, the sort of bloke you would like to meet at a Happy Hour, to attempt to apply the brakes.

The omens are not good since the Serb has won all four of their clashes. Interestingly, though, they had a five-setter at Wimbledon four years ago and Novak squeaked through 7-5 in the fifth after three tie-break sets.

Rafael Nadal, the third of the Four Musketeers, must try to finish his assignment on No.1 Court against Gilles Muller, postponed after one set because of rain. The break will not have come as a disappointment to Rafa, the defending champion, since he took a nasty tumble just before winning that set on a tie-break and had gone off court for treatment when the rain set in.

By that time, Muller, the man from Luxembourg ranked 92, had inflicted a good deal of grief on the world No.1. Perhaps it was the fact that, for a change, Rafa was facing a fellow left-hander but Muller rattled down 89% of his first serves on target, an incredible statistic. Our hero from Majorca will be the better for a nice night's rest before resuming hostilities.

Fifth seed Robin Soderling lurched through his first round match against Germany's Philipp Petzschner on a string of errors and then fell two sets behind against Lleyton Hewitt, the 2002 Wimbledon Champion, before scrambling home in five and falling to his knees, either in relief or disbelief.

Saturday will be a day for revenge, since he now takes on another Australian, Bernard Tomic, who has survived the shot and shell and horrendous weather of the Roehampton qualifying week. So Bernard should be honed and toned against someone he has never even practised with, though he feels his best bet is to be more relaxed than he was in his five-set second round struggle against the Russian, Igor Andreev.

He has also spoken to Lleyton Hewitt's coach and general wise man of the courts, Tony Roche, and in that laconic Aussie way, Bernard says: "Tony gave me a few good advices on how to play him." Good on yer, Tony.

The Great Adventure of the sisters Williams, Venus and Serena, takes another step, with Serena, going for her fifth Wimbledon title, facing Maria Kirilenko of Russia. Three times previously they have met, and three times Serena has beaten her, so the recovery process for the younger Williams sister should inch forward.

In her last match Serena was required to take herself on to No.2 Court and had a bit of a chunter about it. Asked to comment on this, Maria Sharapova said she would be happy to play wherever she was sent. Just as well, since that is where she will be playing on Saturday.