Jun 27, 2008 12:01 pm US/Pacific
Ivanovic Falls; Williams, Federer Win At Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) ―
Top-seeded Ana Ivanovic was knocked out in the third round of Wimbledon on Friday by 133rd-ranked Zheng Jie of China, extending a spate of stunning upsets at the All England Club.
Two-time champion Serena Williams has defeated 2006 winner Amelie Mauresmo to advance to the fourth round at Wimbledon. Earlier in the day, five-time champion Roger Federer advanced with a straight-set win over Marc Gicquel of France.
Ivanovic, who took over the No. 1 ranking after winning the French Open earlier this month, slumped to a 6-1, 6-4 loss to the wild-card entry and doubles specialist.
Ivanovic, who saved two match points before overcoming Nathalie Dechy in three sets on Wednesday, had no answer for the hard-hitting Zheng.
"It's a surprise for me," said the 24-year-old Zheng, who won the Wimbledon doubles title in 2006. "Thanks to Wimbledon, (which) gave me a wild card. I just tried my best and had to keep going, going."
It was the earliest exit by a women's top-seeded player at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis lost in the first round to Jelena Dokic in 2001.
Also Friday, the last remaining American in the men's draw, Bobby Reynolds, lost to Spain's Feliciano Lopez, 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Ivanovic went out a day after 2004 champion and third-seeded Maria Sharapova was ousted by 154th-ranked Alla Kudryavtseva and two-time men's runner-up Andy Roddick was bounced by Janko Tipsarevic. A day earlier, Australian Open champion and No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic fell to Marat Safin.
Ivanovic committed 17 unforced errors, converted only one of seven break-point chances and lost serve four times. She could lose the No. 1 ranking depending on how far No. 2 Jelena Jankovic and No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova advance in the tournament.
The match ended with Zheng's serve hitting the service line and Ivanovic shanking her forehand return into the Court 1 stands.
"She played really well today and it was a tough match for me," Ivanovic said. "I'm disappointed with my loss but I still look at it as a learning experience.
"It was a very emotional last couple of weeks for me and it took a bit of a toll," she added. "I didn't have great preparation."
Zheng has won 11 tour doubles titles, including the 2006 Wimbledon and Australian Open championships with Yan Zi. She has captured three career singles titles, in relatively small events at Hobart in 2005 and Estoril and Stockholm in 2006.
In 2004, Zheng reached the round of 16 at the French Open to become the first Chinese woman to make the fourth round of a Grand Slam. She reached a career high singles ranking of No. 27 in 2006.
Zheng will play singles and doubles for China at the Beijing Olympics in August.
"I felt today the match gave me more belief for the Olympics," she said.
Other title favorites fared better Friday.
Two-time champion Serena Williams defeated 2006 winner Amelie Mauresmo to advance to the fourth round at Wimbledon.
After letting an early break slip before winning the first set in a tiebreaker, Williams went on a five-game streak en route to a 7-6 (5), 6-1 win Friday in the third-round match.
Williams, who won the title in 2002 and 2003, broke Mauresmo six times and clinched the match with a forehand winner on her second match point.
Earlier in the day, Roger Federer continued his march toward a sixth straight Wimbledon title by beating Marc Gicquel in straight sets, setting up a fourth-round matchup with the last man to win the championship before him.
After the first rain delay of the tournament, Federer overwhelmed the 53rd-ranked Frenchman 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 on Centre Court for his 62nd consecutive win on grass and 37th straight at the All England Club.
His next opponent will be Lleyton Hewitt, who won Wimbledon in 2002 - the year before the Swiss star began his run of five straight titles.
Federer surprisingly dropped serve in the opening game. But he immediately broke back and was in control the rest of the way as he sailed to victory in 1 hour, 21 minutes. The rain delay before the match lasted longer - 1 hour, 41 minutes - the first rain of the tournament.
"Again, difficult conditions, tricky opponent," Federer said. "The wind was swirling. I got down a break in the first game and had to rally back. I played really well throughout the match considering the circumstances."
Federer hasn't dropped a set so far in the tournament.
"It's always nice," he said. "Couple of days off now. Hope I play as well next week. It's important to try to keep the game where it is."
Hewitt, who has been troubled by a chronic hip injury and is seeded No. 20, served 14 aces and beat Italy's Simone Bolelli 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (2).
Federer leads Hewitt 13-7 in career meetings and has won 11 straight going back to the Australian Open in 2004. They have played twice before at Wimbledon, with Federer winning in the quarterfinals in 2004 and semifinals in 2005.
"The next round will be much more difficult," Federer said. "We've played maybe over 16 times. He's a former No. 1 and Grand Slam champion. Should be a great match."
The 31-year-old Gicquel, who had never gone beyond the first round at Wimbledon, has a big serve and strong forehand but couldn't trouble Federer. Gicquel saved a set point on his own serve at 3-5, but Federer closed it out in the next game with a 129 mph ace.
On the final point of the second set, Federer whipped a forehand that left Gicquel lunging and doing the splits. Federer cruised through the third set in 20 minutes.
In women's play, advancing in early third-round matches were No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 8 Anna Chakvetadze and No. 18 Nicole Vaidisova.
Two of Federer's main challengers are already out of the tournament. No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open champion who had loomed as a possible semifinal opponent, was upset in the second round by Marat Safin. Two-time finalist Andy Roddick was bounced out Thursday by Janko Tipsarevic.
Roddick was in the bottom half of the draw along with No. 2 Rafael Nadal, who has lost to Federer in the last two finals.
Roddick wasn't the only big upset victim Thursday. Earlier in the day, 2004 champion Maria Sharapova was stunned 6-2, 6-4 by 154th-ranked Alla Kudryavtseva, her earliest loss in a Grand Slam tournament since her first full year on the tour in 2003.
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