Wimbledon Day 7 highlights: Djokovic tops Tsonga

NOVAK DJOKOVIC
2012 photo by Paul Bauman

   Match of the day -- Novak Djokovic looked vulnerable entering his fourth-round match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Djokovic, the top seed and 2011 champion, had hurt his left shoulder on Friday in the third round. Tsonga, seeded 14th, reached the semifinals in 2011 (beating Roger Federer) and 2012. Djokovic, however, defeated Tsonga for the ninth straight time, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5).

   Biggest upset -- No. 22 seed Ekaterina Makarova of Russia pounded No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 runner-up from Poland, 6-3, 6-0 in 53 minutes to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Radwanska's loss makes sixth-seeded Petra Kvitova, the 2011 champion, the strong favorite to gain the final in the bottom half of the draw.
   Notable -- Third seed and defending champion Andy Murray beat 6-foot-8 (2.03-meter) Kevin Anderson of South Africa 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (6) to set up a much-anticipated quarterfinal against rising star Grigor Dimitrov, a 23-year-old Bulgarian. ...
   Barbora Zahlavova Strycova knocked off her third straight seed, No. 16 Caroline Wozniacki, to advance to her first major quarterfinal. Zahlavova Strycova, a 28-year-old Czech who stands only 5-foot-4 1/2 (1.64 meters), had ousted No. 32 Elena Vesnina in the second round and No. 2 Li Na in the third round. ...
   No. 25 Alize Cornet, coming off a stunning victory over Serena Williams, lost to No. 20 Eugenie Bouchard of Canada 7-6 (5), 7-5. Bouchard, 20, is the only woman to have reached the semifinals of both previous Grand Slams this year. She will face either No. 5 Maria Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion and reigning French Open titlist, or No. 9 Angelique Kerber of Germany in the quarters. ...
   Rain again delayed play for much of the day. However, the forecast calls for a zero percent chance of rain until Saturday, when there's a 70 percent chance of precipitation. But Centre Court has a retractable roof, so the women's final is not in danger.
   U.S. report -- For the first time since 1911, no American man or woman reached the fourth round of singles at Wimbledon. No. 9 John Isner lost to No. 19 Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-7 (8), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3), 7-5, and Madison Keys, 19, was unable to resume her match against Yaroslava Shvedova because of a leg injury. Shvedova led 7-6 (7), 6-6 when play was suspended by darkness on Saturday.
   Northern California connection -- Former Stanford stars Bob and Mike Bryan, the top seeds and defending champions in men's doubles, coasted into the round of 16. ... Dmitry Tursunov, a Russian who trains in the Sacramento area, and Oleksandr Nedovyesov of Kazakhstan lost to ninth-seeded Julian Knowle, a 40-year-old Austrian, and Marcelo Melo of Brazil 6-1, 7-6 (9), 6-3 in the second round. Knowle, one of the few players who uses two hands on both sides, won the 2007 U.S. Open with Simon Aspelin of Sweden and reached the 2004 Wimbledon final with Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia. Melo, 6-foot-8 (2.03 meters), and Ivan Dodig of Croatia lost to the Bryan twins in last year's Wimbledon final.
   Fast fact -- Three Czechs, all women, reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time: Kvitova, Zahlavova Strycova and No. 23 Lucie Safarova. Kvitova and Safarova are left-handed.
   Quote -- Bouchard: "You can ask my coach or my parents or anyone that I can be a princess. I can be moody in the morning. My fitness trainer carries my tennis bag around. But that's so I don't get tired because I want to save all my energy for the match. I can demand a few things once in a while, but I do it with love (smiling)."