Wimbledon Day 8: Serena and Novak light up the day with thrilling comebacks

Here’s all the action from Wimbledon Day 8, featuring the Women’s Quarter-Finals. But starting off, we go to the Men’s 4th Round match which was left unfinished the previous day between World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and South African Kevin Anderson.

#1. Novak Djokovic beat Kevin Anderson
6-7 6-7 6-4 6-1 7-5

Novak Djokovic battled rain and the big serving South African Kevin Anderson to book a place in the quarter finals. The defending champion was down two sets to love yesterday evening but made an incredible comeback to level the match before bad light stopped the play.

The fifth set that began today saw Anderson serving big yet again and at 3-2 had two break points. Djokovic looked frustrated at times, having no answer to his opponent’s serve. But he showed why he’s the best in the business and saved them to make it 3 all. The mighty serve that had kept Anderson in the match proved to be his undoing, when he hit two consecutive double faults to give Novak double break points at 5-5 .

It was more than enough to capitalize on and Djokovic, for the fourth time in his career, came from two sets to love down to win a Grand Slam match.

Djokovic applauded Anderson’s effort and said, “It was probably one of the most difficult matches I’ve played at Wimbledon .” The Serb will now face the US Open champion Marin Cilic.
#2. Maria Sharapova beat Coco Vendeweghe
6-3 6-7 6-2

The 2004 Champion Maria Sharapova also looked in fine touch as she weathered the attack of the unseeded American Coco Vendeweghe.

A match that in its early parts hardly saw any rallies, it was all about the serves, returns or shots in the net. Maria needed two breaks to take the first set. She couldn’t hold on to her serve after breaking Coco in the fourth game of the match.

The American after making a stunning comeback in the second set fell apart as Maria’s consistent baseline shots proved a bit too much for her.

Sharapova is through to another Wimbledon Semi-Final after 4 years.

#3. Serena Williams beat Victoria Azarenka
3-6 6-2 6-3

Victoria Azarenka had all the answers to the intimidating Serena’s shots in the first set and went on to take the set 6-3. There were some incredible exchanges between the World Number One and the former numero uno. The Centre Court was as intense as if it was the Final.

The thing that turned the fortunes for Serena was Azarenka’s inability to make the first serves in the second set and Williams brutally punished her second serve – hitting a return winner on almost every single one of them. Azarenka had to save break points in most of her service games and her defense was finally breached by the lady who was gunning for fourth straight slam.

Serena broke early in the third to go 3-0 up – something that looked unlikely an hour ago. Azarenka still looked animated, pushing herself with regular shouts of C’mon. Serena kept on rushing with her service games with huge aces and powerful 1-2 play. Azarenka hung on with Serena and made it 3-5. Serena had to serve it out. 3 aces and an unreturned serve gave Serena the match point and another forehand error from Azarenka ended this high quality match- probably the best of the tournament.

Serena v Sharapova – this mouth watering fixture is all set for a grand Thursday.

#4. Garbine Murguruza beat Timea Bacsinszky
7-5 6-3

#5. Agnieszka Radwanska beat Madison Keys
7-6 3-6 6-3

The Spanish Murguruza entered her first Grand Slam semi-final after continuing her solid run against her Swiss opponent. Both of them, relatively unknown about what a quarter final at Wimbledon means, showed no signs of nerves and displayed some solid tennis. But it was the 21-year old Murguruza who broke through to take the opener 7-5.

It was almost a one way traffic from there on, as the Swiss never really looked like making a comeback.

Spaniard wrapped up the set 6-3 and made a bit of history for herself.

Aga Radwanska, strived forward in an attempt to rebuilt her career and reach the top where she once stood. She defeated American Madison Keys in a high quality encounter. Keys troubled the former World Number 3 with her aggressive play and was in the mix for most of the first set, before losing it in the tiebreak. But she then went on to dominate the second set and won it with ease. But Radwanska’s big match temperament was the decisive factor as she wrapped up the set to enter her third consecutive Wimbledon semi-final.

“It was very tight, point by point, game by game,” Radwanska said “The serve was the key. It came down to one break.”