Tomic outgunned – Williams in shock exit
Bernard Tomic battled hard but found Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych too tough as his Wimbledon campaign came to an end in the fourth round this morning.
He wasn’t alone – women’s number one and hot favourite Serena Williams was also sent packing.
Tomic missed a chance to set up a quarter-final with world No.1 Novak Djokovic as Berdych won 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 in a high-quality encounter lasting almost three hours.
The defeat ends Australia’s involvement in singles at the grass-court grand slam.
World No.59 Tomic was bidding for his second quarter-final appearance at the All England Club, having upset ninth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet to reach the last 16.
He was again impressive but couldn’t break down the big Czech in a match that was decided on a handful of key moments.
“I had my chances,” Tomic said.
“He’s a very difficult player to play against here at Wimbledon.
“I feel like I had my chance in the third set, and also in the first I had a set point but I couldn’t take it.
“Unfortunately he got me today but it was good tennis and I was happy with the way I played.”
The 20-year-old still took plenty of encouragement from his run at the tournament, which came on the back of a dramatic few months in with he struggled with his fitness and the drama surrounding his coach and father.
“It’s a very good week I think overall,” said Tomic, whose ranking should improve to around 45.
“To get to the position where I’ve gotten fourth round here at Wimbledon is huge.
“You know, I’m still 20, so to look back knowing you’ve got to the quarters here and a fourth round and you’re only 20 is a very good feeling.
“Hopefully I can keep doing well and get myself in a position to do well to the end of the year.”
Despite father John Tomic being banned from the event, Bernard had showed great composure in his run into the second week and it was the same case early against Berdych.
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He dug himself out of several holes on serve and earned a set point on Berdych’s serve but couldn’t convert, with the Czech prevailing in the tie-breaker.
The second set was similarly tight before Tomic pulled ahead 6-3 in another tie-breaker with a series of superb passing shots.
He squandered two set points but clinched the set when Berdych hit a forehand long.
Berdych secured the first break of the game early in the third set but a sloppy service game allowed Tomic to hit straight back to level at 2-2.
The Czech broke again though to go 4-3 up but this time Tomic didn’t have an answer as he again went a set behind.
The Australian admitted he tired in the fourth set.
An early break allowed Berdych to get in front and he served strongly on his way to victory.
Berdych, a 2010 Wimbledon finalist, will face Djokovic on Wednesday after the Serbian downed veteran German Tommy Haas 6-1 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
“Bernard is a great player and he’s using all the skills you can possibly use on grass,” Berdych said.
“That’s why it’s so tough to play him and that makes me feel even better to be here as the winner.”
In the women’s draw Sabine Lisicki ended Serena Williams’ reign as Wimbledon champion as the German 23rd seed clinched a stunning 6-2 1-6 6-4 victory over the world No.1 in the fourth round on Monday.
Lisicki, who plays Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi for a place in the last four, has an impressive Wimbledon record, reaching the quarter-finals three times and the last four in 2011, but this upset on Centre Court was by far her greatest achievement at the All England Club.
The 23-year-old has failed to make it past the fourth round in 16 grand slam appearances outside Wimbledon, but she comes alive on the grass-courts of south-west London.
“I’m still shaking, I’m so happy”, said Lisicki, breaking into tears.
“Serena played a fantastic match. She’s such a tough opponent and it’s just an amazing feeling to win.
“The crowd was so amazing. I love this court so much, it’s such a special place for me.
Her remarkable victory was no fluke.
Despite facing the most ferocious hitter in the history of women’s tennis, Lisicki matched Serena blow for blow, unloading more winners and serving more aces than the five-time Wimbledon champion in two hours and four minutes of high drama.
In a tournament most memorable this year for the fall of its biggest stars, this was arguably the most astonishing result of all.
Since an embarrassing first round loss against Virginie Razzano at last year’s French Open, Williams had simply been unstoppable, winning 77 of her 80 matches and collecting the Wimbledon, US Open, French Open and Olympic titles in the process.
Lisicki took out the first set before Williams hit back, breaking to love in the third game of the second set during a run of 14 successive points for the American.
She took the set with two more breaks and by the time Williams moved into a 3-0 lead in the deciding set she had won nine consecutive games.
But Williams’ concentration wavered with the finish line in sight, allowing Lisicki a lifeline as the German broke in the fifth game.
Even when Williams’ broke straight back, Lisicki wouldn’t surrender and another break from the German made it 4-4.
Incredibly, Lisicki was back on top and she broke for a 5-4 lead when Williams sent a smash just beyond the baseline before taking out the clash on her second match point the following game.
In other matches American Sloane Stephens reached her second grand slam quarterfinal of the year, beating 19-year-old Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 4-6 7-5 6-1.
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Britain’s dreams of a first woman in the Wimbledon quarter-finals for 29 years were shattered when Laura Robson bowed out in tears after falling to Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi.
Though roared on in a closely-fought match in the 11,000-seater Court One bowl, Kanepi just had the edge in the crucial points to win their fourth round clash 7-6 (8-6) 7-5.
And Chinese sixth seed Li Na raced into the last eight with a 6-2 6-0 demolition of Italian 11th seed Roberta Vinci.
In the remaining mens matches overnight Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer reached the quarter-finals for the second successive year while Jerzy Janowicz and Lukasz Kubot set-up an all-Polish showdown for a place in the last four.
Ferrer fired 53 winners in his 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 6-1 win over Croatia’s unseeded Ivan Dodig and goes on to tackle either Argentine eighth seed Juan Martin del Potro or Andreas Seppi, the 23rd seeded Italian.
The 31-year-old Ferrer, who was defeated in the French Open final by compatriot Rafael Nadal last month, will be playing in his seventh consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final.
Ferrer insists that the ankle injury which he has carried into Wimbledon will not be a problem.
“There is a little bit of pain, but it’s normal. It’s impossible to play without any pain,” he said.
Janowicz, the 24th seed, defeated 31-year-old Jurgen Melzer, who was hoping to become the first Austrian man to reach the last eight.
The 22-year-old Janowicz’s 3-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 4-6 6-4 win was based on 16 aces and 34 winners as he reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
He was joined in the last eight just moments later by 31-year-old Kubot, the lowest-ranked player left at 130 in the world, who defeated France’s 111th-ranked Adrian Mannarino, 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4.
The last Pole to reach the last-eight at Wimbledon was Wojtek Fibak in 1980.
Spain’s Fernando Verdasco also reached the quarterfinals with a 6-4 6-4 6-4 of Frenchman Kenny De Schepper.
HOW THE AUSTRALIANS FARED ON DAY SEVEN AT WIMBLEDON
Men’s singles, fourth round
Bernard Tomic lost to 7-Tomas Berdych (Cze) 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4
Ladies doubles, third round
12-Ashleigh Barty/Casey Dellacqua bt 5-Raquel Kops-Jones (Usa)/Abigail Spears 6-4 6-1
Mixed doubles, second round
13-Scott Lipsky (Usa)/Casey Dellacqua bt Fabio Fognini (Ita)/Flavia Pennetta (Ita) on walkover
Boy’s singles, first round
1-Nick Kyrgios bt Evan Hoyt (Gbr) 6-4 6-3
Harry Bourchier lost to Julian Cash (Gbr) 6-4 6-2
Jay Andrijicv lost to Yoshihito Nishioka (Jpn) 6-4 6-4
Girls singles, first round
Lizette Cabrera lost to 16-Ipek Soylu (Tur) 6-3 6-4
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