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Rediff.com  » Sports » PHOTOS: Federer slayer Stakhovsky sent packing by Melzer
This article was first published 10 years ago

PHOTOS: Federer slayer Stakhovsky sent packing by Melzer

Last updated on: June 28, 2013 22:50 IST

Image: Jurgen Melzer of Austria celebrates after winning a point against Sergiy Stakhovsky
Photographs: by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Being the man who toppled seven-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer counted for nothing as Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky lost his next match to Austrian veteran Jurgen Melzer on Friday.

Unseeded Stakhovsky, desperate to avoid the one-hit wonder tag, showed none of the sharpness that sent Federer spinning out in the second round in one of Wimbledon's greatest shocks, losing 6-2, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Stakhovsky failed to reproduce the form he displayed against Federer

Image: Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine hits a backhand
Photographs: by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

It was a workmanlike performance from the dogged Melzer and 116th-ranked Stakhovsky, clearly drained by the greatest victory of his career, could never get in an effective blow against the 37th ranked Austrian.

On Wednesday Stakhovsky had played like a man possessed to end Federer's run of reaching 36 consecutive quarter-finals in Grand Slam play but he never reached those heights again on a dismal and cloudy day. 

Dimitrov follows girlfriend Sharapova out

Image: Grega Zemlja of Slovenia celebrates a point
Photographs: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Grigor Dimitrov ended up on the second round scrapheap along with girlfriend Maria Sharapova after losing a rain-interrupted five-setter against Grega Zemlja.

The Bulgarian 29th seed joined the long list of big names to fall as Slovenian Zemlja held his nerve to claim a 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9 victory on Court Three.

Dimitrov, who twice led by a set, had trailed 8-9 in the decider when play was stopped by rain on Thursday.

After another rain delay on Friday, the match finally resumed but took a bizarre twist when, serving at 30-30, Dimitrov slipped over after launching a serve and, despite a valiant attempt to play his next shot on his knees, went match point down.

Zemlja held his nerve to emerge triumphant

Image: Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria stretches to play a backhand
Photographs: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

With Sharapova watching on from the front row of seats behind the baseline, he immediately walked to his chair and told the umpire the court was too greasy to continue playing.

With light drizzle still in the air, the players sat on their chairs for a long time while 22-year-old Dimitrov, once labelled "Baby Federer" because of his stylish game, contemplated trying to stay in the tournament.

When play started again he saved the match point with a hefty first serve which Zemlja returned into the net tape.

He then saved two more match points to level at 9-9.

Zemlja saved a break point in the following game to move 10-9 in front and when his fourth match point of the day arrived he converted with a superb running forehand pass.

The 55th-ranked Zemlja will play eighth seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro in the third round. 

Robson delivers rare success for British women

Image: Laura Robson hits a forehand
Photographs: Julian Finney/Getty Images

Laura Robson was the toast of Wimbledon again on Friday as she reached the third round for the first time, five years after being dubbed the "next big thing" in British women's tennis.

Robson, who won the junior Wimbledon title as a 14-year-old, was given the unexpected honour of playing on Centre Court after her match was postponed by rain on Thursday and surfed a wave of home support to beat Colombian qualifier Mariana Duque-Marino 6-4, 6-1.

With the rest of Wimbledon under rain covers all eyes were on Robson but after a nervy start she eventually dealt with the occasion, and the unexpected position of starting favourite, superbly and Duque-Marino had no answers to the 19-year-old's forehand fusillade.

"It was a great atmosphere out there today and the roof being closed just makes it louder which is really exciting," said Robson who faces New Zealander Marina Erakovic in the next round with a real chance of making the last 16.

Ferrer wins all-Spanish clash

Image: David Ferrer (R) shakes hands with defeated countryman Roberto Bautista
Photographs: Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images

David Ferrer came out on top in an all-Spanish second round match, getting the better of a baseline battle to beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4) 7-5.

When fourth seed Ferrer claimed the first set after 43 minutes, there was no hint that the 60th-ranked Bautista Agut could upset the country's pecking order and reach the third round of a grand slam for the first time.

But his clever shot-making drew a string of unforced errors from this year's French Open finalist Ferrer in the second set and he tenaciously dug-in to take the third set to a tiebreak.

However, Ferrer kept his nerve to regain the lead, broke in the 11th game of the fourth set and closed it out to set up a third-round match against Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov.