LONDON, (Reuters) – Defending champion Andy Murray and two-time winner Rafael Nadal booked their places in the fourth round at Wimbledon yesterday.
Top seed Murray recovered impressively, winning five consecutive games in the fourth set to claim a 6-2 4-6 6-1 7-5 win over Italian Fabio Fognini.
Spanish fourth seed Nadal kept up his bid for a third Wimbledon and French Open double in style, racing past Karen Khachanov to the last 16 with a 6-1 6-4 7-6(3) win.
In the women’s draw, sixth seed Johanna Konta boosted her credentials as a title contender with a 6-4 6-1 third-round victory over Maria Sakkari, while five-time champion Venus Williams needed just an hour and 25 minutes to beat Japan’s Naomi Osaka 7-6(3) 6-4.
New mother Victoria Azarenka reached the last 16 with a nerve-jangling 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory over British wildcard Heather Watson.
Play was suspended due to bad light with 12th seed Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 5-6 down in the fifth set against American Sam Querrey on Court Two.
French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko needed an hour and 20 minutes to see off Italian Camila Giorgi 7-5 7-5 in the third round while sixth seed Johanna Konta beat Greece’s Maria Sakkari 6-4 6-1 in front of the home support on Court One.
The 26-year-old Briton hit an impressive tally of 17 winners on her way to reach the fourth round for the first time at the championships.
Fourth seed Elina Svitolina took the last three games to record a 6-1 7-5 win over German Carina Witthoeft in the third round match on Court Three.
Second seed Simona Halep claimed a 6-4 7-6(7) victory over China’s Peng Shuai to book a fourth round spot for the second consecutive year at the championships.
The Romanian will meet two-time semi-finalist Victoria Azarenka in the next round.
Croatian Ana Konjuh’s aggressive approach paid off as she knocked out eighth seed Dominika Cibulkova 7-6(3) 3-6 6-4 on Court 12.
Konjuh, seeded 27th, hit 54 winners and broke the Slovakian’s serve five times to secure a fourth round spot for the first time at the championships.
Seventh seed Marin Cilic needed just over two hours to beat American Steve Johnson 6-4 7-6(3) 6-4 on Court One.
The Croatian hit 40 winners to reach the round of 16 for the sixth time at Wimbledon.
Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut beat ninth seed Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-4 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3 after three hours and 20 minutes of play on Court Three.
Bautista Agut, the 18th seed, reached the fourth round to equal his best run at the championships in 2015.
Gilles Muller, the 16th seed from Luxembourg, beat Britain’s Aljaz Bedene 7-6(4) 7-5 6-4 to reach the fourth round for the first time in 10 appearances at Wimbledon.
France’s Caroline Garcia, the 21st seed, reached the fourth round of the championships for the first time, defeating American Madison Brengle 6-4 6-3.
