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LONDON: Former world No. 1 Marat Safin sent third
seed Novak Djokovic crashing out of Wimbledon on Wednesday while
Serbian compatriot Ana Ivanovic narrowly escaped the same All
England Club black hole.
Safin, a US Open and Australian
Open champion during his glory days before a slump sent his career
into freefall, stunned the 21-year-old world No. 3 6-4, 7-6 (7/3),
6-2 with a magical Centre Court display.
On Court One, women’s top seed
Ivanovic, buoyed by her French Open triumph, had to save two match
points in extraordinary circumstances to see off France’s
experienced Nathalie Dechy 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/3), 10-8.
There were no such dramas for
five-time men’s champion Roger Federer, who eased into the last 32
with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) win over Robin Soderling.
It was the world number one’s
seventh win in seven meetings with the 23-year-old Swede and the
comfortable manner of his victory would have been aided by having
seen dangerman Djokovic removed from his side of the draw.
“I’m very happy with the
win,” said Federer who was watched from the players’ box by
American pop star Gwen Stefani and will next meet France’s Marc
Gicquel for a place in the fourth round.
Reigning Australian Open Djokovic,
who had reached the third round at least in his last nine Grand Slam
appearances, and was runner-up to Rafael Nadal at Queen’s two
weeks ago, sent down 10 double faults and 28 unforced errors.
“It was a very bad day. I
didn’t do anything I was supposed to do. I made too many mistakes
and had no momentum,” said the 21-year-old Djokovic, a
semifinalist last year.
“Marat was one of my idols when
I was a junior. I have a lot of respect for him and maybe that
played a role today.”
Safin, struggling at No. 75 in
the world, said the win came at the right time for him.
“I’ve been lacking confidence
but to beat Djokovic on Centre Court is a great victory,” said
Safin who has endured a miserable 2008, only twice winning
back-to-back matches before Wimbledon.
Safin goes on to face Italian
29th seed Andreas Seppi for a place in the last 16.
Djokovic was almost joined on the
scrap heap by world No. 1 Ivanovic, who saw off 29-year-old Dechy in
a three-and-a-half-hour thriller and will now face China’s Zheng
Jie for a place in the fourth round.
Ivanovic admitted that she was
fortunate to escape after a lucky net cord on the second match point
in the 10th game of the second set saw the ball flop onto Dechy’s
side of the net.
“She played very well. When I
saw the ball roll over the net on the second match point, I thought
that was my second chance,” said Ivanovic. “My heart missed a
beat when it went on the other side.”
Former double champion Serena
Williams moved on with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Polish teenager Urszula
Radwanska and will next face 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo of
France.
Australia’s 2002 champion
Lleyton Hewitt saw off Spain’s Albert Montanes 7-6 (7/4), 6-0, 6-2
and will face Italy’s Simone Bolelli who put out Chilean 15th seed
Fernando Gonzalez 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (9/7), 3-6, 7-6 (7/4).
--AFP
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