22 Wednesday, July 12, 2017 SPORTS Djokovic survives injury, blasts state Konta ends London three games of the opening set. hree-time champion Novak “We’ll see on the shoulder. It Djokovic overcame an injury is something which I have been scareT to reach the Wimbledon dragging back and forth for a quarter-finals for the ninth time while but I am still managing to yesterday and then lashed out at play,” he added. Britain’s the Centre Court, claiming a hole Djokovic will face the Czech has opened up on the famous Republic’s Tomas Berdych on surface. Wednesday for a semi-final spot, The second seed needed boasting a 25-2 career record over treatment on his long-standing the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up. right shoulder injury during Berdych will have had a day long wait his 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 win over more to rest up for the match France’s Adrian Mannarino. as Djokovic and Mannarino were London “I knew Simona was not warm-up event. But as well as worrying about scheduled to have played ohanna Konta became the going to give me much for Standing in Konta’s the state of his shoulder, the their last-16 match on first British woman to reach free. I had to be the one to way is world number 11 30-year-old slammed the poor Monday. Jthe Wimbledon semi-finals for create my own chances. I feel Williams, who was beaten quality of the All England Club However, their tie 39 years yesterday. fortunate enough that I took a in this year’s Australian courts. was pushed back to Konta thrilled the patriotic few of them.” Open final and is chasing “I told the chair umpire Tuesday after Gilles Centre Court crowd with a Born in Australia to a first major title since that there was a hole in Muller and Rafael pulsating 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/5), Hungarian parents, Konta winning Wimbledon in the middle of the court on Nadal played out a 6-4 victory that ended second didn’t move to England until 2008. (AFP) the service line. I showed marathon fourth round seed Simona Halep’s bid to she was 14, switching her him and he was not very match which lasted a shade become the new world number allegiance from the country of pleased about it,” said under five hours. one. her birth to Britain when she Djokovic. Djokovic and Mannarino In a potentially classic semi- gained citizenship in 2012. “The courts are were first up under the final on Thursday, Konta faces Adapting to the grass courts not great this year Centre Court roof as rain American star Venus. of south-west London and many of the fell on the courts. Konta, 26, is the first Briton hadn’t been so easy players feel the “It was a long day since Virginia Wade in 1978 to for Konta, who same. I am sure yesterday for both of make the women’s semi-finals. won just the groundsmen us waiting for an entire Wade, the last British one match are the best in day. It is what it is. woman to win Wimbledon in in her the world, but We got on the 1977, was watching from the previous grass is the most court today Royal Box as Konta reached five complex surface to and we could the second Grand Slam semi- visits to maintain. play under final of her career, the other “I have played the roof,” said ending in a 2016 Australian Wimbledon. on better courts.” Djokovic. Open defeat against Kerber. Those failures will seem a Djokovic “I’m glad it’s all done “Right now it’s a little bit lifetime ago to Konta now. needed treatment and looking forward surreal just because it’s quite If she wins Wimbledon it on his right to the next one. incredible how quickly will be the first grass-court shoulder after the (AFP) things go in tennis. title of her career, coming just fifth game of the I’m definitely two weeks after she feared third set and a digesting things her participation in the medical timeout a little bit still,” tournament might at 4-3 to treat the said Konta, be ruined by a same problem. who was ranked back injury Britain’s Johanna Konta He had already outside the top suffered in the summoned the 150 two years ago. Eastbourne doctor after just Serbia’s Novak Djokovic Rybarikova makes first Pliskova new world no.1 Wimbledon semi-final after Simona Halep loss London year and has won four tour London arolina Pliskova became titles in the last calendar year: lovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova the new world number one Cincinnati, Brisbane, Doha became the lowest ranked woman to Kyesterday -- despite tumbling and Eastbourne. Sreach the Wimbledon semi-finals for nine out of Wimbledon in the second Halep would have become years as the world number 87 shocked 24th round and never having won a the new number one had she seed Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-3 yesterday. Grand Slam. beaten Konta and made the In her first Grand Slam semi-final, The 25-year-old Czech will semi-finals. Rybarikova faces former French Open jump up from third place to “To be crowned the champion Garbine Muguruza on the top of the post-Wimbledon WTA number one player Thursday. rankings on Monday after in the world is the ultimate Rybarikova is the lowest ranked woman world number two Simona accolade in our sport, and to make the semi-finals of any Grand Slam Halep lost to Johanna Konta in Karolina Pliskova I would like to send my since Angelique Kerber, then the world the Wimbledon quarter-finals. warmest congratulations to number 92, at the 2011 US Open. Combined with current Pliskova becomes number Karolina on this incredible The 28-year-old, who had lost in the world number one Angelique one without ever having lifted achievement,” said WTA first round in eight of her previous nine Kerber falling in the fourth one of the four majors in chairman Steve Simon. visits to Wimbledon, is the first Slovakian round, Pliskova’s points for tennis. “Karolina is an exemplary woman to make the last four at the All reaching round two are enough She nonetheless reached the athlete on and off the court and England Club. (AFP) to see her scrape to the top of US Open final last year, the she truly deserves this fantastic Magdalena Rybarikova the world rankings. French Open semi-finals this moment in her career.” (AFP)