TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019 16 Djokovic, Nadal ease through

“My plan always is to reach the final stages at Grand Slams,” said Djokovic who converted Barty, Gauff, Pliskova exit as Serena advance through• to quarter-finals five of nine break points yes - AFP | London of Wimbledon after terday. ‘Feel a relief’ beating Ugo Humbert “Wimbledon has been a spe- Williams, whose clay court season was cial tournament that has moti- orld number one Ashleigh Barty’s affected by a knee injury, said the hunger Rafael Nadal vated me throughout my life.” Whopes of becoming the first Aus- for the game and for victory is as strong • Nadal next plays Sam Quer- tralian women’s champion in nearly four as ever. crushes Joao Sousa rey, against whom he holds a decades were dashed yesterday, opening “I always get excited,” said Williams in straight sets to 4-1 record. the way for Serena Williams to potentially after her victory which put her into a 14th reach quarter-finals equal the all-time haul. Wimbledon quarter-final. At the opposite end of the age scale to “I’m a really pumped player. That’s my 37-year-old Williams, 15-year-old Coco personality. Of course I still I want it or AFP | London Gauff could not summon up yet another else I wouldn’t be here.” Novak magical performance as the crowd-pleas- Williams has teamed up with another ovak Djokovic and Djokovic ing American went down 6-3, 6-3, to bat- former world number one in Rafael Nadal eased tle-hardened Romanian Simona Halep. the mixed doubles to accrue more matches Ninto the Wimbledon Having looked assured last week, while and she said that the more she played she quarter-finals yesterday as Williams was not altogether convincing, more she was finding her rhythm. the sport’s Grand Slam heav- it was 23-year-old Australian Barty who “It definitely is good, I know that I can yweights continued to de- cracked and went down in three sets to un- play and now that I’m feeling better phys- liver blow after blow to their seeded American Alison Riske 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. ically, I almost feel a relief more than wilting lightweight rivals. There was one consolation for Barty as anything. US player Serena Williams returns against Spain’s Defending champion and Karolina Pliskova could have taken her “Finally I can play .” Carla Suarez Navarro world number one Novak number one spot but the Williams, who won her first match with Djokovic reached his 11th Czech third seed went after Wimbledon Stephen Amritraj, the Murray on Saturday, said she will not be Wimbledon quarter-fi- out as well in a mar- son of former Indian player taking Riske for granted. nal and 45th at the athon duel beat- Anand -- but extremely well-earned. “Last time I faced a fellow American, I majors with a 6-3, en by compatriot The prospect of playing Williams did not lost,” she said in reference to her loss to 6-2, 6-3 win over Karolina Muchova have her knees knocking together in fear Sofia Kenin at Roland Garros ’s Ugo 4-6, 7-5, 13-11 either: “Bring it on!” “She’s great on the grass and took out Humbert. Williams, bid- Halep unlike Gauff’s previous oppo- the number one player in the world who’s Third seed ding for a 24th nents did not let a partisan crowd nor some just won a grass court tournament (Barty Nadal, the Grand Slam title to audacious strokeplay by the American un- won in Birmingham).” 2008 and 2010 tie with Australian nerve her and always had the upper hand. Zhang Shuai became the first Chinese champion, Margaret Court, will Gauff did save three match points but in woman since Li Na in 2013 to reach the swept to an play Riske next after the end former world number one Halep Wimbledon quarter-finals. easy 6-2, 6-2, trouncing Carla Suzarez had little trouble in closing out the match. World number 50 Zhang defeated 6-2 win over Navarro 6-2, 6-2. The American, though, leaves having Ukraine teenager Dayana Yastremska 6-4, outclassed For Riske it was perhaps an given the women’s game a much-needed 1-6, 6-2 -- a result far from her mind when Joao Sousa unexpected early wedding shot in the arm and announced herself as she was talked out of retiring at her lowest of Portugal to present -- she gets married a future Grand Slam contender. point in 2015. book his place in a seventh quarter-final at the All England In getting to the last eight of eight was his compatriot Rober- Club. ‘Body holding well’ a Grand Slam for the third time, to Bautista Agut who reached his Federer into 17th Wimbledon quarter-final Four-time champion and top The 33-year-old Spaniard is Goffin became the fifth Belgian first Wimbledon quarter-final AFP | London spot in his 55th quarter-final seed Djokovic will face Bel - chasing his 19th title at the ma- man in history to reach the quar- and second at the majors this at the Slams. gium’s for a place jors, which would put him just ter-finals at Wimbledon -- and, year when he defeated France’s oger Federer became the It was also his 99th win at the in the semi-finals. one behind the all-time record along with Xavier Malisse in Benoit Paire 6-3, 7-5, 6-2. Roldest man to reach a All England Club. Djokovic, 32, has a 5-1 career of 20 held by Federer -- his po- 2002, the only one to do so since The 31-year-old world num- Grand Slam quarter-final in 28 At 37, he is the oldest man to record over 21st seed Goffin who tential opponent in the semi-fi- 1924. ber 22 will face either 2016 run- years when he booked his place reach the last eight at the ma- will be playing in his first Wim- nals. “It’s so tough to beat Novak ner-up of Canada in the Wimbledon last-eight for jors since 39-year-old Jimmy bledon quarter-final. Goffin matched his best-ever in the best of five and espe - or Argentina’s Guido Pella for a the 17th time. Connors at the 1991 US Open. Humbert, the world number performance at the majors by cially here on grass,” admitted place in the semi-finals. Eight-time champion Feder- Federer will face either Ja- 66, had never played a match on reaching his first Wimbledon 28-year-old Goffin. With Djokovic, Nadal, Quer- er breezed past Italy’s Matteo pan’s Kei Nishikori or Mikhail grass before this season and was quarter-final. The Belgian beat “Even for Roger, it will prob- rey and Bautista Agut all win- Berrettini 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in just Kukushkin of Kazakhstan for a defeated in just one hour and 42 Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 7-6 ably be the toughest challenge.” ning, there are already four 74 minutes to make sure of a place in the semi-finals. minutes. (11/9), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Also joining Nadal in the last- 30-somethings in the last-eight.

Herrera says he ‘feels very French break open champagne as lucky’ to join PSG from United AFP | Paris club like Manchester United, Alaphilippe bags stage and Tour lead the only places you can go aris Saint-Germain’s latest are those like PSG: the big- Precruit Ander Herrera said gest French club, which has AFP | Epernay, France on Sunday that if he had to some of the best players in the leave Manchester United one world.” ulian Alaphilippe produced That climb where of the only places he could go “I feel very lucky,” he said. Ja magnificent show of power was “one of the most beautiful Herrera was part of the in stage three yesterday to give Alaphilippe went was cities in the world”. United squad that knocked France its first win and take the steep and it was hard, The 29-year-old midfielder, PSG out of the Champions overall lead in the 2019 Tour de but I just knew I didn’t who signed a five-year con- League in the round of 16 last France. have the legs to go for tract with PSG after leaving season. The win means a French rider the bonus sprint. Then United on a free transfer, Asked what he had learned has the overall leader’s yellow it was just a case of talked to AFP the day before from that encounter, the Span- jersey for the first time in five his new club begins pre-sea- iard pointed out that PSG were years. getting to the finish son training. without the injured Neymar The Deceuninck-Quick Step and being safe “When a and Edinson Cavani but won rider took a huge gamble with GERAINT THOMAS club with a 2-0 at Old Trafford in the first his long range effort. big project, in leg playing “extraordinary” He slipped away from the French rider Julian Alaphilippe celebrates his victory didn’t have the legs to go for constant football. pack after vying for bonus sec- the bonus sprint,” Thomas growth, locat- He carefully avoided the onds on the penultimate climb, him in. lead since Tony Gallopin wore said. ed in one of the subject of PSG’s second-leg dis- assuming a daredevil, aerody- “I was really up for it today, so yellow in 2014. Alaphilippe was “Then it was just a most beautiful play as they lost 3-1 at home, namic crouch at the crest and when I saw the chance I went all the toast of France yesterday. case of getting to the cities in the by saying “I don’t want to talk breaking clear. in,” said a red-faced Alaphilippe A small break in the chasing finish and being safe,” world, comes about the past again”. By the time he crossed the after his third ever stage win pack saw defending champion said Thomas, whose In- to you, it is “You know in Europe, there Marne, still an agonising 10km and his first yellow jersey. Geraint Thomas lose five sec- eos team did much of the not very dif- are eight to 10 clubs who want through the champagne vine- “I should have waited until onds to his Team Ineos co-lead- chasing. ficult to make to win it: Juventus, Real Ma- yards from Epernay, he was al- the end, I know, but I just went er Colombian 22-year-old Egan The crowd on the last hill had a decision,” drid, Barcelona, Manchester most a minute ahead. full gas when I saw the gap.” Bernal and to French hope Thi- been expecting a bare-knuckle he said. City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Alaphilippe was strong baut Pinot. struggle, but went wild as Al- “When Munich,” he said. enough to cling on and win by Thomas loses time on last hill “That climb where Al - aphilippe came up alone and y o u “But only one can do it. I 26 seconds, despite a desper- Amazingly, it is the first time a aphilippe went was steep and rose in his saddle to swagger Ander leave think we have to continue to be ate effort from the pack to reel French rider has had the overall it was hard, but I just knew I over the last steep climb. Herrera a big the strongest team in France.”