QPlay: Serena vs Sharapova in SF, The Ashes Begin Today & More
All the latest sports news in The Quint’s morning wrap.
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1. Serena Overpowers Azarenka, Sets Up SF Clash Against Sharapova
Serena Williams’ latest Grand Slam match against Victoria Azarenka ended the same way as the previous nine — with Williams walking off as the winner.
The top-ranked American fought back from a set down to beat Azarenka 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 and reach the Wimbledon semifinals.
Serena’s next opponent will be 2004 champion Maria Sharapova, who beat unseeded American CoCo Vandeweghe in three sets. The Russian was pushed all the way by the feisty American before emerging a 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 winner in her quarterfinal fixture.
Others QF Results
Agnieszka Radwanska beat Madison Keys 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3
Garbine Muguruza Blanco beat Timea Bacsinszky 7-5 6-3
2. Top Seed Djokovic Pulls Off The Great Escape
Top seed and reigning champion Novak Djokovic pulled off a great escape at Wimbledon in beating South African Kevin Anderson on Tuesday after five tense sets to reach his 25th successive grand slam quarter-final.
In a match spanning two days, with the top seed fighting back to two sets all in fading light on Monday before play was stopped and carried over, Djokovic walked away a mightily relieved man with a 6-7(6) 6-7(6) 6-1 6-4 7-5 win.
I think he served exceptionally well. This was one of the most difficult matches I have played at Wimbledon and maybe in my career.
– Novak Djokovic
Djokovic next faces U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia in the last eight on Tuesday.
3. Victories for All Indians On Day 8
Leander Paes and Martina Hingis breezed into the mixed doubles quarterfinals after drubbing Artem Sitak and Anastasia Rodionova in straight sets on Tuesday.
The seventh seeded Indo-Swiss pair needed only 48 minutes to thrash the Kiwi-Australian team 6-2 6-2.
Sania Mirza and her Brazilian partner Bruno Soares beat Ana Konjuh and Marin Draganja 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 for a spot in the quarters.
In the men’s doubles draw, 9th seeds Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea beat top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan 5-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 in the quarters.
4. KP Predicts 2-1 Aussie Win as Teams Get Set for Cardiff Test
After what seems an even longer than usual ‘phoney war’, England and Australia will get down to the actual business of contesting the Ashes when the first Test in Cardiff starts on Wednesday.
Australia may have won 5-0 on home soil when they last faced England in a Test series in 2013/14 but it is 14 years since they last tasted Ashes glory in Britain.
For Australia captain Michael Clarke, winning an away Ashes series after three losing tours would fill a gap in his illustrious CV. Meanwhile for England, in their first series under new Australian coach Trevor Bayliss, the challenge is to see if they can continue to play the aggressive brand of cricket that served them so well during their recent one-day series win over New Zealand -- the team that Australia beat in this year’s World Cup final.
Read a full preview of the The Ashes here.
5. Club Cricketer Dies in England After Blow To Chest
Twenty-four-year-old Bavalan Pathmanathan died after being hit in the chest while batting in a local league match in Surrey. He had turned up for Manipay Parish Sports Club in the British Tamil League at Long Ditton recreation ground.
Pathmanathan’s teammate, who was batting at the other end, said he initially looked alright after being hit before collapsing on the field.
“When he received the hit I asked from the other end if he is alright. He gave a thumb-up and nodded to indicate he was alright, while pressing his chest. He took a couple of steps behind the stumps and collapsed,” the teammate was quoted as saying by the Colombo Mirror.
6. Rio Will Be My Last Olympics: Sushil Kumar
Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar said that the 2016 edition of the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will be his last appearance at the quadrennial extravaganza, but he will take a final call on his retirement post the Brazil games.
2016 Olympics in Rio will be my final appearance as far as Olympics are concerned. Right now my full concentration and focus is on Rio and have been preparing hard for it.
– Sushil Kumar
Sushil will be missing the upcoming World Championship due to an injury as he also opted out of the trials held today.
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