Hamilton aims Belgium to ‘home’ in on strike sinks US Rosberg’s F1 lead

THURSDAY, JULY 3, 201417 18

Deschamps: Dream, but the reality is Germany Page 19

WIMBLEDON: Britain’s returns to Bulgaria’s during their men’s singles quarter-final match on day nine of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Club. — AFP Murray crashes at Wimbledon

Dimitrov, Djokovic and Federer reach semi-finals

LONDON: Defending champion Andy Murray joined Rafael Nadal Djokovic, the 2011 champion, defeated Croatia’s Marin Cilic for play good tennis.” After years of struggling to live up to the vast sets I regained control, swung through the ball, had more stability at the Wimbledon exit door yesterday when he was sent crashing the 10th time in 10 meetings, clinching a battling 6-1, 3-6, 6-7 (4/7), potential that has earned him numerous comparisons with Roger on the ground and I was getting my returns back. by Grigor Dimitrov who stormed into a semi-final clash with top 6-2, 6-2 triumph on Court One. Federer-and the nickname ‘Baby Fed’-this was a thrilling perform- “Even though I allowed him back in, I am happy that I managed seed . Dimitrov, the 11th seed, clinched a sensa- Murray had hoped to become the first British man to success- ance from a man who finally secured his first win over a top-10 to find the right pace.” Federer reached his 35th semi- tional 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 victory on Centre Court just 24 hours after fully defend the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry in 1936 but the player at a Grand Slam at the fifth attempt. final with victory over Wawrinka who ran out of steam having world number one and two-time champion Nadal had been 27-year-old’s defeat snapped his 17-match winning streak at the All The world number 13 was playing in his first All England Club played three times in three days. knocked out in the fourth round by Australian teenager Nick England Club. “I’m very disappointed with the way I started. I felt quarter-final, but he is a former junior Wimbledon champion and “Stan played great in the first two sets but maybe he struggled Kyrgios. that gave him confidence at the beginning,” said Murray, who had underlined his grasscourt pedigree by winning the Queen’s with his fitness a little,” said Federer who admitted he has been Seven-time champion reached his ninth All hasn’t reached a final since his 2013 Wimbledon triumph. Club title last month. especially motivated at Wimbledon this year following his surprise England Club semi-final with a 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4 victory over “He played a very solid match, making few mistakes and a lot of Victory also assured him of making the top 10 next week, the second round loss to Sergiy Stakhovsky 12 months ago. compatriot , his 14th win in 16 meetings against the returns. I just wish I’d made it tougher for him. It wasn’t a great day.” first Bulgarian man to achieve such lofty status. Six-time major win- “Last year was a disappointment as Wimbledon is always a champion. Dimitrov said he was pleased to get the job done in straight ner Djokovic went level with Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal by highlight of the year for me. I didn’t come close and I was very Federer will play either Kyrgios, the world number 144, or sets. “I am excited and happy to win through in straight sets. It’s making the last-four at a major for the 23rd time. deflated.” Canadian eighth seed for a place in the final. never easy against Andy in front of his home crowd but today I was “It was a tough five-setter. I knew that Marin would be aggres- Wednesday’s win was the 17-time Grand Slam champion’s The 23-year-old Dimitrov will be playing in his first Grand Slam fortunate,” Dimitrov said. sive. I took the first set and had chances to break in the second but 72nd match win at the All England Club, which moved him into semi-final against Djokovic who will be appearing his 23rd and “I sensed in the warm up that his game was not at the highest didn’t take them,” said Djokovic. second place on the all-time list ahead of Boris Becker and behind 16th in his last 17 majors. level but I was already confident I could play at a high level and “I dropped serve and the momentum shifted but in the last two only Jimmy Connors. — AFP Bouchard aims to make up England recall Stokes for semi-final heartache for India Test opener LONDON: Rising Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard I’ve got to this stage,” she said. LONDON: Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes about Ben,” added Whitaker, in an indication has vowed to make amends for her Grand Slam “I like grass, but it was difficult at the beginning was recalled by England in a 13-man squad Stokes would make the XI at Trent Bridge, semi-final heartache by finally reaching her first of the tournament because I didn’t have the timing. yesterday for next week’s first Test against probably at the expense of fellow all- major final at Wimbledon. Then match by match and day to day I’ve got better.” India at Trent Bridge, with national selector rounder Chris Jordan, who has yet to deliver Bouchard, the 13th seed, will make her maiden In the other semi-final, Petra Kvitova believes her James Whitaker saying the 23-year-old had a substantial performance at this early last four appearance at the All England Club today experience of winning the Wimbledon title three the “X factor”. stage of his Test career. Stokes was the only addition to the 12- Chris Woakes, another seam-bowling all- after cruising to a 6-3, 6-4 win over Germany’s years ago could be the decisive factor when she man party chosen for England’s recent 1-0 rounder who was in the squad for the Sri Angelique Kerber in Wednesday’s quarter-final. faces fellow Czech Lucie Safarova. loss in a two-Test series at home to Sri Lanka series but didn’t play, was retained in The 20-year-old plays world number three Sixth seed Kvitova is the only former Grand Slam Lanka. Stokes was not chosen for that short England’s 13. Simona Halep, who defeated Sabine Lisicki 6-4, 6-0 winner left in the women’s draw and that could a campaign while he regained full fitness fol- Alastair Cook, despite a barrage of criti- in the other quarter-final, for a place in Saturday’s crucial advantage at the business end of the tourna- lowing an embarrassingly self-inflicted wrist cism over his tactics during Sri Lanka’s 100- final and is determined to erase the bitter memories ment. injury. run second Test win at Headingley last week of her last-four losses in the Australian and French Thursday’s clash with Safarova will mark Kvitova’s So angry was Stokes at being dismissed and concerns over his own form, retained Opens this year. third appearance in the Wimbledon semi-finals and for a golden duck against the West Indies in the England captaincy. Bouchard, the 2012 junior Wimbledon champion, her fifth last-four match at the majors, while in con- Barbados, he punched a dressing room Although it’s now more than a year since was beaten by Li Na in Melbourne and Maria trast her opponent will be breaking new ground as locker at the Kensington Oval in Cook scored the last of his England record Sharapova at Roland Garros. “I’m excited to be in the she plays in her first Grand Slam last-four tie. Bridgetown and promptly broke a bone in 25 Test hundreds, Whitaker was confident semis. But, of course, I’m never satisfied, so I definite- It is an advantage 2011 Wimbledon champion his hand. That forced him to miss the ICC he would come good again soon. ly want to go a step further,” she said. Kvitova hopes to exploit and she said: “Of course it World Twenty20 in Bangladesh and the “He’s a fine, fine leader. He’s scored 30 “I played some great players when I lost in the can help me that I will know what I’m doing out start of the English season. Since then the international hundreds, over 11,000 runs seamer has taken a career-best seven for 67 and he’s a quality player going through a semis and you don’t win every single time. But I’m there, how nervous I will be, these things. It’s not a for Durham against Sussex-and 10 wickets period where he’s struggling to get beyond going to look forward to playing a little bit like I very typical experience (to be in a semi-final). in the match-although his batting has been 20-25. “He’s got our full backing and we’ll all played today. “Of course, to be in a semi-final of Wimbledon is less impressive with 172 runs at 28.66 in clap our hands when that (turn in form) “I was pretty solid out there and playing the right always great for me. Especially when I won it here, I four Championship matches. does happen.” way on the grass. So that’s going to be a key.” have great memories.”It’s feeling great. I mean, these However, Stokes has already shown his England. in the absence of retired off- Bouchard has played Halep just once-losing in three feelings are always very emotional for me.” Kvitova ability at international level by providing spinner Graeme Swann, again entrusted sets at Indian Wells earlier this year-and she is confi- and Safarova’s advances to the semi-finals means England with rare highlights during their 5- slow bowling duties to Moeen Ali, primarily dent she has learnt enough from that defeat to put there are two Czech women in the last four at a 0 Ashes thrashing in Australia when he a batsman who scored a maiden century in the record straight. “We had a good match at Indian Grand Slam for the first time since Hana Mandlikova scored a maiden hundred in his second Test only his second Test at Headingley. Ali took Wells. I felt like I had chances, it was really close,” she and Helena Sukova at the 1986 . at Perth and took eight wickets in Sydney. three wickets in the Sri Lanka series but said. The pair, both left-handers, are good pals, but “Ben’s been frustrated at the start of the Cook seemed reluctant to use him, thereby “I learnt a little bit about her game. She’s playing having to put aside friendships while on court has season from what happened at the back increasing the workload on his seamers. really well and can change direction really well on become a familiar feeling for Kvitova at this year’s end of the winter,” Whitaker told Sky Sports And with the five Tests against India set the court. “So I’m going to be ready for that and real- tournament. News yesterday. to take place within the space of just 42 “Now he comes in with full vigour into days, a lack of overs from Ali and occasional ly just try to go for it and take my chances.” “It’s going to be my third match against Czech our squad and he fully deserves it. “He is a spinner Joe Root threatens to run the risk of Halep also has unfinished business at the majors girl actually during the Wimbledon, which is unusu- vivacious character, he’s got some ‘X factor’, one of England’s quicks breaking down and WIMBLEDON: Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard serves in after losing to Sharapova in the French Open final al,” Kvitova said. “We played last time in Eastbourne. he’s fantastic on flat wickets and gets some so reduce their chances of a morale-boost- this file photo during the womenís singles match of last month. “Now I have more experience and more It was big fight until the end. I’m expecting a tough movement off the pitch.” “We’re excited ing series win. — AFP confidence in myself because it’s the second time battle again.” — AFP the 2014 Wimbledon Championships. — AFP