VENUS WILLIAMS WILL become the oldest Wimbledon women’s quarter-finalist for 22 years this week after the five-time champion defeated Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 (7/3), 6-4.
At 36, Williams is the oldest to make the last eight since 37-year-old Martina Navratilova’s run to the final in 1994.
Williams will be making her 12th appearance in the last eight at Wimbledon, and her first since 2010, when she faces Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova for a place in the semi-finals.
Venus, seeded eighth, was broken twice in the first three games of the first set, but recovered from 3-0 and 5-3 down to win it in a tie-break.
The American legend, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2008, needed just one break to win the second set.
On the other side of the draw, younger sister Serena powered into her 12th Wimbledon quarter-final as the defending champ ran out a 7-5, 6-0 winner over Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.
The world number one hit 43 winners and served 14 aces as she won the last nine games on Centre Court to remain on course for a record-equalling 22nd major title and a seventh Wimbledon crown.
The 34-year-old, an eight-time Wimbledon finalist, will play Russian 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a place in the semi-finals.
As for the men, Roger Federer made it 14 Wimbledon quarter-finals and a record equalling (with Navratilova) 306 Grand Slam match wins with a straight sets win over American Steve Johnson.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray stands at 50 Wimbledon wins after his 7 – 5, 6 – 1 6 -4 win over Nick Kyrgios. He’ll meet Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last eight after the Frenchman progressed by virtue of an injury to his compatriot Richard Gasquet.
