Serena Williams has taken another step towards matching Steffi Graf’s Open Era record of 22 grand slam singles titles. The American world number one powered past Annika Beck into the Wimbledon fourth round.
The reigning champion at the All England Club, Williams put on a crushing display to dispatch the unseeded German 6-3 6-0 and chalk up her 300thmajor victory.
The 34-year-old looked in no mood to follow men’s top seed Novak Djokovic out of the tournament following his shock reverse to Sam Querrey on Saturday.
Williams will play old foe Svetlana Kuznetsova in the last 16 after the Russian, a former French and U.S. Open champion, fought back from the brink of defeat to beat American Sloane Stephens 6-7 6-2 8-6.
“Obviously I know Svetlana, I know her game, I kind of feel like I know a little bit of her tactics although she changes it up every time we play,” Williams told reporters.
“Playing someone you’ve not played before is a little bit tricky because they present different things and you’re not quite sure how they play,” she added.
“Going up against someone like Svetlana, she knows my game and I know her game so then it’s just down to who’s going to really fight to win it.”
Tough battle
In a men’s draw still reeling from Djokovic’s stunning exit, 10th-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych ended the hopes of Alexander Zverev, beating the promising German teenager 6-3 6-4 4-6 6-1.
Berdych, the 2010 runner-up, will play compatriot Jiri Vesely for a place in the quarterfinals.
Australian young gun Nick Kyrgios came through a tough four-set battle with experienced Spaniard Feliciano Lopez to set up a clash with second seed Andy Murray.
“Yeah I think I definitely have the tools to do it,” Kyrgios said of his match against Murray.
“In saying that, he’s one of the best players in the world,” added the 21-year-old. “Now I’ll be playing pretty much the ultimate player on grass as well.”
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won a marathon fifth set 19-17 to edge big serving American John Isner.
Tsonga will next play fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet after the seventh seed recovered from dropping the first set to advance past unseeded Spaniard Albert Ramos.
Juan Martin Del Potro took a stumble on his ongoing comeback from injury when the Argentine, a former U.S. Open champion, failed to build on winning the opening set and fell to Lucas Pouille of France.
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