TOP SEEDS across the men and women’s draws all won their matches at Wimbledon on Saturday.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal was out on court early on in a bid to finish off his rain-delayed match against Gilles Muller. The Spaniard needed another tie break to claim the second set from his opponent but found little resistance in the third, eventually winning 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) 6-0.
The win sets up a fourth round clash with 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, who admitted to the BBC that the world number one will have the greater advantage going into the second week of the Grand Slam.
He said:
“Playing on grass, for the South American players, is not easy but I want to be ready. I don’t know if I will have a little chance or not, but I will try to make a good game.”
Six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer had things easier against old rival David Nalbandian, taking an hour and 46 minutes to secure his place in the next round with a 6-4 6-2 6-4 scoreline. The 29-year-old has yet to drop a set in the tournament and feels he is playing much better than this time last year when he was beaten at the quarter-final stage.
Ladies champion Serena Williams had to battle her way past Russian Maria Kirilenko. The American is still trying to find match sharpness after her prolonged spell on the sidelines with injury and came through in straight sets 6-3 6-2.
Another threat for the title, Maria Sharapova, also came through her contest. She defeated the Czech Republic’s Klara Zakopalova 6-2 6-3. “I haven’t really put as much expectations as maybe you guys have on me based on the fact that I haven’t been past the fourth round for a few years,” she told reporters. “I’m happy at this point and hopefully this year I can go a step further and even more.”
One notable exit, however, was that of former number one Ana Ivanovic. The Serb has never looked particularly comfortable on grass but did look in good form during her opening two matches. Despite her promising start, however, she lost her third round contest in two sets to Petra Cetkovska.