5 Jul 2018

Wozniacki out of Wimbledon

6:39 am on 5 July 2018

Caroline Wozniacki's honeymoon on grass was short-lived as she became the 11th women's seed to fall on the first three days at Wimbledon in a 6-4 1-6 7-5 second-round defeat by Ekaterina Makarova.

Caroline Wozniacki.

Caroline Wozniacki. Photo: All Rights Reserved

The Danish second seed, who won the Eastbourne tournament last week, fought to the bitter end against the tenacious Russian, succumbing on the sixth match point after an absorbing match lasting two hours and nine minutes on Court One.

Makarova, three days short of her 30th birthday, broke early to take command of the first set.

Wozniacki complained about a swarm of insects on court and asked for repellent spray which seemed to sting her into action as she won five games in a row before claiming the second set.

Makarova came back strongly, however, and looked poised for an easy victory when she led 5-1 in the third.

Wozniacki produced her best tennis, though, to save three match points when 5-3 and 40-0 behind and saved another before breaking to level the set.

With both women playing fine tennis and moving each other all round the court, Makarova earned three more match points and converted the second.

Meanwhile seven-times champion Serena Williams moved up a gear to beat Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova 6-1 6-4 and reach the third round.

The 36-year-old American barely broke sweat in a one-sided first set but was tested by the world number 135 in the second without ever looking troubled.

While the Centre Court crowd clearly appreciated the sight of Williams in full flow they took a shine to the plucky Tomova who battled hard to make a match of it.

Even ultimate warrior Williams applauded a couple of her opponent's winners late in the second set before completing victory in 66 minutes.

The 25th seed will face the winner of the match that followed her on Centre Court between Germany's Tatjana Maria and France's Kristina Mladenovic.

Roger Federer

Swiss tennis star Roger Federer in action at Wimbledon. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

In the men's draw, Roger Federer was back making a style statement with his dazzling tennis as he gave Lukas Lacko a 6-4 6-4 6-1 dressing down to reach the third round.

The Swiss champion was at his breath-taking best as he crafted 48 exquisite winners during a 90-minute match that seemed more an exhibition of his shot-making than a charge towards a record ninth Wimbledon title.

When Federer turned up to defend his crown in 2013, he suffered a shock second-round humbling by Sergiy Stakhovsky.

There was no danger of a repeat performance against Slovakia's Lacko, however, and a forehand swish on match point gave the top seed a 26th consecutive set at the grasscourt major.

Federer will face either Croatian Ivo Karlovic or Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff for a place in the fourth round.

-Reuters