Djokovic flattens Troicki to move into quarterfinals

LONDON, July 3: Defending champion Novak Djokovic,  Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Philipp Kohlschreiber reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

World number four Andy Murray ignored the fuss over his Centre Court snub to sweep into the Wimbledon quarterfinals with a ruthless 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Croatia’s Marin Cilic on Tuesday.

With rain disrupting the second week, Wimbledon officials provoked howls of criticism after scheduling home favourite Murray on Court One rather than the covered Centre Court. That meant Murray, bidding to end Britain’s 76-year wait for a male singles champion at Wimbledon, was forced to endure several rain interruptions on Monday while his title rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer coasted through under the Centre Court roof.

Rafael Nadal’s shock exit last week has given Murray, beaten in the Wimbledon semi-finals for the last three years, a golden opportunity to become the first British male finalist at the All England Club since Bunny Austin in 1938.

It helped Murray’s cause that Cilic had to survive the second longest match in the tournament’s history to get past Sam Querrey in the last round.

That 5 hour 31 minute epic appeared to have left the 16th seed a spent force and when play was suspended due to rain on Monday afternoon, Murray had taken a firm grip with a 7-5, 3-1 lead.

Despite the scheduling storm, Wimbledon chiefs stuck to their guns and Murray was back on Court One on Tuesday for an earlier than usual 1100GMT start under ominous grey skies.

Murray led 40-0 on his serve from the previous evening and he quickly finished off the game as drizzle began to fall again.

The interruptions had no effect on Murray, who was in a rich vein of form, producing two fabulous backhand winners to break again and take the second set.

Even when Murray faced four break points in the first game of the third set, he produced a perfectly-placed ace on each occasion to get out of trouble.

Murray landed the knock-out blow in the fourth game when he unleashed a superb passing shot down the line to break for a 3-1 lead.

The Scot was soon celebrating a comfortable win that sealed his place in the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the fifth successive year.

Seventh-seeded David Ferrer of Spain reached his first Wimbledon quarterfinal by beating No. 9 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday under the Centre Court roof.

Ferrer had lost three previous times in the fourth round at the All England Club. He’s now made it to at least the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

Next for Ferrer is a matchup against No. 4 Andy Murray of Britain. They’ve split 10 previous head-to-head meetings.

Philipp Kohlschreiber made it into the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time, ending US qualifier Brian Baker’s fairytale run in a straight sets .

The German 27th seed won 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 in an hour and 55 minutes on Court 12.

Baker lost six years of his career after five different operations on a hernia, then his left and right hips and finally his right elbow.

He eventually felt ready to return to tennis in July 2011 and the 27-year-old has enjoyed a remarkably successful time back on the circuit.

Baker started the year ranked 458 but the world number 126 will break into the top 100 after his Wimbledon run, with the American likely to enter at around 77.

Kohlschreiber goes fourth on the list of the most Grand Slams played before reaching the last eight, having got there on the 33rd attempt.

Fabrice Santoro holds the unenviable record at 54, followed by Australian doubles duo Mark Woodforde on 38 and Todd Woodbridge on 34.

The German made it into the last eight thanks to some 23 aces and superb net play.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached  quarterfinals with a crushing 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 win over childhood friend Viktor Troicki on Monday.

It was Djokovic’s most convincing display of the tournament so far.

Gasquet, the French 18th seed, was 6-3, 2-1 down against Germany’s Mayer when play was called off.

“I played really well for the whole match,” said top seed Djokovic, who enjoyed the luxury of finishing his match under the Centre Court roof.

“We know each other so well. We first played when I was eight and he was nine at a junior tournament in Serbia. We don’t have any secrets but there has to be one loser and one winner.”

The win was Djokovic’s 12th successive win against his Davis Cup partner with Troicki’s only success coming in the pair’s first meeting, in Umag in 2007. Agencies