Wimbledon: No. 5 Sharapova stunned in fourth round loss to Kerber
Maria Sharapova survived six match points before losing. (Getty Images)Ninth-seeded Angelique Kerber earned a thrilling, upset victory over No. 5 Maria Sharapova on Tuesday morning, winning 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 despite dropping six match points in the final set. The win earns Kerber a spot in the quarterfinals where she'll face Canada's Eugenie Bouchard.
Down 5-2 in the final set, Sharapova won her next game, then broke Kerber to remain on serve at 5-4. Down 40-0, Sharapova battled back, staving off match point after match point, before she finally drilled a backhand long to give Kerber her first victory over a top-5 opponent at a major.
EPIC point gives Angelique Kerber a seventh match point. This is stupidly fun stuff. #Wimbledon
- Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) July 1, 2014
Kerber withstood an unyielding side-to-side assault from Sharapova, utilizing all sorts of defensive returns to her advantage. Looping shots, low-lining returns. Everything. Somehow, she regained her composure after double-faulting late in the third set to finally earn the victory by breaking Sharapova in the final game. Sharapova's undoing was ultimately her 49 unforced errors, a result of her trying to be too precise against Kerber's relentless returns.
Still, the dizzying, powerful rallies earned a standing ovation from the Center Court crowd as each player seemed to find new heights while the tension continued to build.
'We played on a really high level, everything was so close. I'm just happy that I won. She's a great player, she played so well on grass. I was just fighting and concentrating on myself. I'm so happy to be in the quarters now,' Kerber said.
After Sharapova battled from 40-0 to deuce, it appeared that the momentum had turned completely and that Kerber wouldn't be able to secure the upset. The 26-year-old German showed her mettle, though.
'When I had the three match points in a row, and it was deuce, I just tried to focus on myself and just said to myself, believe in your game. Just try and hit the ball, be aggressive.'
Federer easily prevails
Roger Federer advanced to the quarterfinals on Tuesday. (Getty Images)Roger Federer eased his way into the quarterfinals at Wimbledon on Tuesday with a straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of No. 24 Tommy Robredo. It's a bit of revenge for the Swiss star as Robredo ousted him in straight sets from the US Open last year, preventing Federer from facing Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.
Federer was near flawless on Tuesday, amassing 11 aces as a result of his powerful serve, which averaged 114 MPH. Federer leaned on his always reliant ground strokes while balancing those with precise execution at the net. He scored on 29 of 41 chances at the net, compared to just seven of 13 from Robredo.
'I was able to start off strong and sort of keep that momentum until the end,' he said, having won the match in just over an hour and a half.
Federer will face fellow countryman Stan Wawrinka in the quarters, with a possible semifinal matchup against Nadal looming in the future.
'I feel like my game's right there. It's important not to have any hiccups and any letdowns,' he said. 'You're sort of only in the quarterfinals, and that's really where the tournament starts.'
No. 5 Wawrinka wins in straight sets
Stan Wawrinka advanced in straight sets over Feliciano Lopez, setting up an all-Swiss quarterfinal against Roger Federer. Wawrinka won 7-6, 7-6, 6-3.
Wawrinka had Lopez on his heels all morning as he smashed 31 aces.
No. 3 Halep advances to quarters
Simona Halep, the top remaining seed in the women's draw, advanced to the quarterfinals on Tuesday with a straight sets 6-3, 6-0 victory over Zarina Diyas.
Halep dominated with her serve, scoring on 16 of 19 of her first serve points. Her power and precision bewildered the 72nd-ranked Kazakhstani. Halep, who cleanly dispatched her opponent in just under an hour, will face last year's runner-up Sabine Lisicki in the in the quarters.
Halep is now the favorite after top seed Serena Williams dropped her third round match in three sets and No. 2 Li Na lost to Czech Barbora Zahlova Strycova in two sets.
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