Wimbledon 2018, Day 8: Serena, Del Potro advance

Serena Williams cruised into the Wimbledon semis for the 11th time while Del Potro set up a quarterfinal clash with Rafael Nadal.

Updated : Jul 11, 2018 00:48 IST

Seven-time singles champion Serena Williams.
Seven-time singles champion Serena Williams.
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Seven-time singles champion Serena Williams.

That would be all from our side. Join us tomorrow for the men's quarterfinals. Good bye and Good Night!

11:24pm: India's Divij Sharan and New Zealand's A. Sitak lose to J. Sock and M. Bryan 6-7, 6-7, 7-6, 4-6.

10:38pm: Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares win the opening set 7-5 in a tiebreak against Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus on Centre Court.

On the No.3 Court, Divij Sharan and Artem Sitak win the third but trail Mike Bryan and Jack Sock by two sets to one.

On Court 14, mixed doubles top seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Mate Pavić trail home favourites Harriet Dart and Jay Clarke 1-4 in the opening set.

10:05pm: Inglot and Škugor win the opening set 6-3 against Lindstedt and Haase.

10:03pm: We have the first of the men's doubles semifinalists. Joe Salisbury and Frederik Nielsen win 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4) against Ben McLachlan and Jan-Lennard Struff.

9:55pm: Inglot and Škugor rush into an early 4-1 lead against Lindstedt and Haase.

9:42pm: Bryan and Sock win the second set to lead 7-6, 7-6 against the pair of Sharan and Sitak.

MATCH REPORT: Goerges downs Bertens to set up Wimbledon semi with Serena

9:34pm: Bryan and Sock take the second set into a tiebreak against Sharan and Sitak.

9:23pm: The action's not over for the day. We await the outcome of four men's doubles quarterfinals and three third-round matches in the mixed doubles.

Mike Bryan and Jack Sock lead 7-6, 4-4 against Divij Sharan and Artem Sitak on Court 3.

On the No.2 Court, Joe Salisbury and Frederik Nielsen are up 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 against Ben McLachlan and Jan-Lennard Struff.

On Centre Court, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares will be playing Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus soon.

On the No.1 Court, Dominic Inglot and Franko Škugor face Robert Lindstedt and Robin Haase.

9:18pm: That's it for the women's quarterfinals.

The first semifinal on Thursday will see Angelique Kerber, the 2016 Australian Open and US Open champion and Wimbledon runner-up, take on Jeļena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open winner.

In the second, Serena Williams, aiming to match Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, will face Julia Görges, the only semifinalist here without a Grand Slam to her name.

9:15pm: Julia Görges sets up a semifinal clash with Serena Williams with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 over Kiki Bertens.

9:12pm: Serena Williams is into the Wimbledon semifinals for the 11th time.

Camila Giorgi had the early advantage, winning the first set 6-3, but Williams upped her game and aggression to win the next two 6-3, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Julia Görges is running away with the third set at 5-1. She's serving for the match against Kiki Bertens.

9:11pm: Serena Williams sends down ace to set up three match points.

9:08pm: Julia Görges leads 4-1 against Kiki Bertens in the third set.

On Centre Court, Camila Giorgi holds serve again, but Serena Williams will serve for the match.

9:06pm: Serena Williams holds to love. She's one game away from the semis now.

9:03pm: Camila Giorgi holds serve, but Serena leads 4-3 in the third set.

8:48pm:  Serena Williams breaks Camila Giorgi to love to go up 2-1 in the third set! The seven-time singles champion goes ahead for the first time in the match.

8:47pm:  Julia Görges breaks Kiki Bertens to win the second set 7-5. We're into the decider.

8.43 pm:  Giorgi doesn't drop her serve. She takes the 1-0 lead in the third set with an ace.

8.38 pm:  Serena forces the third set by taking the second 6-3.

8.31 pm:  5-2 to Serena in the second set and she is a game away from levelling this quarterfinal.

8:24pm: Serena holds for a 4-1 lead.

8:20pm: Serena has two break points to go up 3-1 in the second set. She sends the first one long. A winner on the second wins the game for her.

8:15pm: Julia Görges breaks Kiki Bertens to lead 3-1 in the second set.

8:11pm: Camila Giorgi, who's struggled with her serve for most of her career, sends down a 117mph ace to make it one-all in the second set. Serena had sent a 122mph one down in the previous game.

MATCH REPORT: Del Potro sets up Nadal clash in quarterfinals

8:07pm: On Court 3, Mike Bryan and Jack Sock are playing the pair of Divij Sharan and Artem Sitak.

Mike Bryan is playing his second Grand Slam without twin brother Bob, who's been out to injury since May. The Bryan brothers' run of 76 Grand Slam appearances ended at the French Open earlier this year, where Mike lost in the opening round while partnering Sam Querrey.

8:03pm: Camila Giorgi wins the first set 6-3 against Serena Williams in 35 minutes.

The last time Serena lost a set at Wimbledon was in the second round of the 2016 edition. Of course, she went on win that match and the title.

8:02pm: Kiki Bertens wins the opening set against Julia Görges 6-3.

And Giorgi has two sets points on her own serve against Serena.

7:57pm: Camila Giorgi holds for a 5-2 lead against Serena Williams, who is yet to drop a set on her return to Wimbledon after missing last year's tournament.

Serena Williams, though far from her best, is on an 18-match winning streak at the All-England Club. She won in 2015 and 2016, and has dropped just three sets here since losing to Alize Cornet in the third round of the 2014 tournament.

7:56pm: Fantastic tennis as Giorgi saves break points 3 and 4.

7:53pm: Serena has three break points. Giorgi saves the first two.

7:52pm: Bertens breaks Görges, the German 13th seed, to serve for the opening set at 5-3.

The Dutch 20th seed leads their head-to-head 2-0.

MATCH REPORT: Former finalist Kerber downs Kasatkina to make Wimbledon semis

7:50pm: Camila Giorgi has two break points against Serena Williams. And it's Giorgi with the first break!

The two have met thrice before, with the seven-time Wimbledon singles champion winning in straight sets all three times.

7:45pm: Nicole Melichar and Alexander Peya are the first through to the mixed doubles quarters with a marathon 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 9-7 win over Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková and Édouard Roger-Vasselin.

7:35pm: It's two-all in the opening set between Julia Görges and Kiki Bertens.

7:25pm: Serena Williams is about to begin her quarterfinal match against Camila Giorgi on Centre Court.

MATCH REPORT: Ostapenko first Latvian woman in Wimbledon semis

7:08pm: Angelique Kerber, the 11th seed, wins a hard-fought 6-3, 7-5 match against Daria Kasatkina.

A standing ovation for both players. Don't let the final score fool you. Kasatkina matched Kerber, a former world No.1, throughout the match. This was Kasatkina's second Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance, the first coming at the French Open earlier this year.

Up next for the German left-hander in the semis is another power hitter: Jeļena Ostapenko.

7:07pm: Kasatkina gifts Kerber a seventh match point as she sends a wild backhand into the net.

7:05pm: What athleticism!! What tennis!! The point of the tournament and Kerber has one more match point.

7:04pm: Jeļena Ostapenko is through to the semis with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Dominika Cibulková.

A netcord helps Kerber get a fifth match point, but Kasatkina saves that too!

7:03pm: Kerber has match point No.4, and Kasatkina sends a CROSS-COURT DROP SHOT!!

Phew. This is still on.

7:00pm: Kasatkina saves another match point. The 21-year-old Russian has not led this match at any point of time, but it's taken all of Kerber's experience to hold on.

6:59pm: The match of the tournament!! Kasatkina saves one match point. Kerber has another on her own serve.

6:56pm: Another break of serve! Kerber will serve for the match for a second time at 6-5 in the second.

On the No.1 Court, Cibulková is serving at 3-5 in the second set to stay in the match.

6:51pm: Juan Martín del Potro wins!!

The fifth seed, his frustration showing since he took to the court today, is the last man into the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 7-6 (7-5) win over Gilles Simon. The Argentine took four hours and 24 minutes to overcome the Frenchman's challenge. His reward: a quarterfinal match against Rafael Nadal.

6:48pm: Kastakina looks the fresher of the two by far, but Angelique Kerber gets the break to lead 5-4 in the second set!! The German is a game away from the semis.

6:43pm: Kasatkina brings up a third break point with a deft drop shot, then sends Kerber across the court as she breaks. It's four-all.

On Court No.2, del Potro holds serve to take the fourth set into a tiebreak.

6:40: Ostapenko goes up 2-1 in the second set, but loses her serve to love as Cibulková fights back to draw level.

6:38pm: Simon breaks del Potro, who was serving for the match. It's five-all in the fourth set.

Delpo must be ruing his chances. He had three match points in that game.

6:37pm: Kerber breaks Kasatkina immediately after being broken to lead 4-3 in the second set as the German closes in on a semifinal spot.

6:32pm: Del Potro is making heavy work of this. He's squandered two match points and had to save a break point for Simon.

6:25pm: Ostapenko wins nine points in a row as she takes the opening set 7-5 against Cibulková. Neither player had dropped a set going into the quarterfinals.

6:24pm: Del Potro breaks Simon to go up 5-4 in the fourth set. The fifth seed will serve for the match.

On Centre Court, Kerber breaks Kasatkina to lead the second set 2-1.

6:22pm: Ostapenko holds three break points, but just needs one. The Latvian will serve for the set.

6:21pm: In mixed doubles action, Nicole Melichar and Alexander Peya win the first set against Édouard Roger-Vasselin and Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková 7-5 in a tiebreak.

6:20pm: Ostapenko holds for 5-5 against Cibulková.

6:12pm: Kerber races through the last couple of games against Kasatkina to take the first set 6-3.

On the No.2 Court, del Potro levels the fourth set at 3-3 after going down a break to Simon.

6:05pm: Kasatkina breaks Kerber back to take the first set back on serve.

6:00pm: Ostapenko breaks back and will serve at 2-3. This match has already seen four breaks of serve.

On Centre Court, Kerber is serving at 4-2 against Kasatkina.

5:57pm: Cibulková breaks Ostapenko to take an early 3-1 lead in the first set.

5:52pm: Juan Martín del Potro, the fifth seed, is out on the No.2 Court, to complete his fourth match against Gilles Simon that was suspended on Monday night because of bad light. The 2009 US Open champion leads 7-6, 7-6, 5-7, 1-2.

5:40pm: For the first time in the Open Era of tennis, none of the top 10 seeds reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, as seventh seed Karolína Plíšková – the only one of the top 10 to make the round of 16 – crashed out to Kiki Bertens in straight sets on Monday.

READ: Gone to seed - how the women's top 10 failed to flourish at Wimbledon

The men's draw has more or less stuck to the script. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – who have won 13 of the last 15 Wimbledon titles (Andy Murray, missing this year, won the other two) – are into the quarterfinals, which will be played on Wednesday.

5:33pm: We're nearing the business end of the tournament, and the women's singles quarterfinals are being played today.

Serena Williams, the only Wimbledon winner left in the draw, will take on Camila Giorgi later in the evening.

To start things off, 2017 French Open champion Jeļena Ostapenko is facing Dominika Cibulková on the No.1 Court, while Centre Court will see Angelique Kerber, the 2016 Australian Open and US Open winner, take on Daria Kasatkina.

5:30pm: Welcome to Sportstar 's coverage of the action from Day 8 of Wimbledon 2018.

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