LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) – Novak Djokovic’s first outing since he won the Wimbledon crown ended in disappointment when he and Nenad Zimonjic failed to earn Davis Cup champions Serbia the winning point in their quarter-final tie against Sweden on Saturday.

Six days after conquering the All England Club, world number one Djokovic would have fancied his chances of wrapping up the tie for Serbia as his team mates had won both of the opening singles.

However, Djokovic, who sat out Friday’s action with a knee niggle, and Zimonjic stumbled and stuttered to a 6-4 7-6 7-5 defeat by Simon Aspelin and Robert Lindstedt in Halmstad.

Serbia will now hope Djokovic will be back in action on Sunday as they need to win one of the two reverse singles if they are to keep alive their chances of defending their title.

In Stuttgart, France secured their passage into the last four when Michael Llodra and Jo Wilfried Tsonga eased past Germany’s Christopher Kas and Philipp Petzschner 7-6 6-4 6-4 to give the nine-times champions an unbeatable 3-0 lead.

“I knew the tie was going to be close and difficult, even though we’ve won by Saturday night – all the matches were really tight, and I’m really glad the French players took it so seriously and played with a lot of heart,” France captain Guy Forget told reporters.

In the semi-finals, which will take place in September, France will face either Spain or the United States.

LONDON (Reuters) – A small mountain of dirty towels, stray underwear left in the washing machine or a pile of well-worn tennis shoes are some of the souvenirs landlords in southwest London often find when they return home after letting out their houses to players competing at Wimbledon.

They are the lucky ones.

“A Swedish player, who is now a coach, once left the house (he was renting) suddenly without informing anyone that he was leaving early,” Joanna Doniger, who runs a short-term letting agency that specialises in renting out private homes to players during the Wimbledon fortnight, told Reuters in an interview.

“The owner went back five days later and saw that there was an infestation of flies as it was a really hot summer and food had been left out to rot.

“She then went into what had been her white bathroom and it had turned green because there was mould growing everywhere. The player had left the hot shower running and the steam caused the mould growth. The owner was very, very upset and beyond angry.”

Surely that scene must have convinced the owner never to let out her house again?

“Of course not. Not when the homeowners can earn three times the going rate for a short-term let,” added the bubbly Doniger, who rents out around 150 properties every June through her company Tennis London.

LONDON (Reuters) – A small mountain of dirty towels, stray underwear left in the washing machine or a pile of well-worn tennis shoes are some of the souvenirs landlords in southwest London often find when they return home after letting out their houses to players competing at Wimbledon.

They are the lucky ones.

“A Swedish player, who is now a coach, once left the house (he was renting) suddenly without informing anyone that he was leaving early,” Joanna Doniger, who runs a short-term letting agency that specialises in renting out private homes to players during the Wimbledon fortnight, told Reuters in an interview.

“The owner went back five days later and saw that there was an infestation of flies as it was a really hot summer and food had been left out to rot.

“She then went into what had been her white bathroom and it had turned green because there was mold growing everywhere. The player had left the hot shower running and the steam caused the mold growth. The owner was very, very upset and beyond angry.”

Surely that scene must have convinced the owner never to let out her house again?

“Of course not. Not when the homeowners can earn three times the going rate for a short-term let,” added the bubbly Doniger, who rents out around 150 properties every June through her company Tennis London.

LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) – A small mountain of dirty towels, stray underwear left in the washing machine or a pile of well-worn tennis shoes are some of the souvenirs landlords in southwest London often find when they return home after letting out their houses to players competing at Wimbledon.

They are the lucky ones.

“A Swedish player, who is now a coach, once left the house (he was renting) suddenly without informing anyone that he was leaving early,” Joanna Doniger, who runs a short-term letting agency that specialises in renting out private homes to players during the Wimbledon fortnight, told Reuters in an interview.

“The owner went back five days later and saw that there was an infestation of flies as it was a really hot summer and food had been left out to rot.

“She then went into what had been her white bathroom and it had turned green because there was mould growing everywhere. The player had left the hot shower running and the steam caused the mould growth. The owner was very, very upset and beyond angry.”

Surely that scene must have convinced the owner never to let out her house again?

“Of course not. Not when the homeowners can earn three times the going rate for a short-term let,” added the bubbly Doniger, who rents out around 150 properties every June through her company Tennis London.

LONDON (Reuters) – Bjorn Borg sunk to his knees, Pat Cash clambered up the stands to hug friends and family in the players’ box and Novak Djokovic celebrated his first Wimbledon triumph on Sunday by chewing grass.

That is grass he uprooted from Center Court.

Moments after watching Rafa Nadal’s backhand sail long, Djokovic collapsed on to his back as 15,000 fans rose to their feet to salute Serbia’s first Wimbledon singles champion.

For the next minute, Djokovic’s victory celebrations followed a pattern seen many times before on the most famous stage in tennis.

He held his arms aloft and tested the limits of his lungs with a long roar into a corner.

As Serbian president Boris Tadic leapt off his seat in the Royal Box and punched the air in delight, Djokovic crouched down, inspected the worn out grass court in front of him.

Then in a scene never before witnessed at Wimbledon, he tore up a tuft of grass and popped it into his mouth, savoring the taste of his triumph.

LONDON, July 3 (Reuters) – Bjorn Borg sunk to his knees, Pat Cash clambered up the stands to hug friends and family in the players’ box and Novak Djokovic celebrated his first Wimbledon triumph on Sunday by chewing grass.

That is grass he uprooted from Centre Court.

Moments after watching Rafa Nadal’s backhand sail long, Djokovic collapsed on to his back as 15,000 fans rose to their feet to salute Serbia’s first Wimbledon singles champion.

For the next minute, Djokovic’s victory celebrations followed a pattern seen many times before on the most famous stage in tennis.

He held his arms aloft and tested the limits of his lungs with a long roar into a corner.

As Serbian president Boris Tadic leapt off his seat in the Royal Box and punched the air in delight, Djokovic crouched down, inspected the worn out grass court in front of him.

Then in a scene never before witnessed at Wimbledon, he tore up a tuft of grass and popped it into his mouth, savouring the taste of his triumph.

LONDON (Reuters) – Richard Gasquet might spend his day off Sunday tracking down a pair of earplugs in Wimbledon Village in preparation for his tantalizing fourth-round showdown with Andy Murray.

Three years ago the duo also clashed at the All England Club at the same stage and the one abiding memory Gasquet has of that encounter is the deafening roar that greeted every winning shot produced by Murray.

“I remember the crowd were very impressive. We’re told all the time, the English, Wimbledon, it’s quiet. But it was incredible. A lot people were cheering for him,” the Frenchman recalled of the tussle which he ended up losing in five sets.

“I remember the third and the fourth and the fifth set it was very difficult for me to play, because there was a lot of noise.”

If Gasquet thought the noise was unbearable three years ago, his eardrums might burst Monday when 15,000 hollering fans on Center Court, along will the rest of Britain, will be backing Murray to get one step closer to ending the home nation’s 75-year wait for a men’s champion.

World number four Murray, at least, has fond memories from their last grasscourt meeting as he fashioned one of his greatest comebacks from two-sets down.

“That was probably the first one that really was a big comeback from me,” the Scot said recalling the 5-7 3-6 7-6 6-2 6-4 win.

LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) – Richard Gasquet might spend his day off on Sunday tracking down a pair of earplugs in Wimbledon Village in preparation for his tantalising fourth-round showdown with Andy Murray.

Three years ago the duo also clashed at the All England Club at the same stage and the one abiding memory Gasquet has of that encounter is the deafening roar that greeted every winning shot produced by Murray.

“I remember the crowd were very impressive. We’re told all the time, the English, Wimbledon, it’s quiet. But it was incredible. A lot people were cheering for him,” the Frenchman recalled of the tussle which he ended up losing in five sets.

“I remember the third and the fourth and the fifth set it was very difficult for me to play, because there was a lot of noise.”

If Gasquet thought the noise was unbearable three years ago, his eardrums might burst on Monday when 15,000 hollering fans on Centre Court, along will the rest of Britain, will be backing Murray to get one step closer to ending the home nation’s 75-year wait for a men’s champion.

World number four Murray, at least, has fond memories from their last grasscourt meeting as he fashioned one of his greatest comebacks from two-sets down.

“That was probably the first one that really was a big comeback from me,” the Scot said recalling the 5-7 3-6 7-6 6-2 6-4 win.

LONDON (Reuters) – The first words Roger Federer thought of when he realised he would face Argentina’s David Nalbandian in the third round at Wimbledon may have been “panic” and “danger.”

But it took Federer less than two minutes on Saturday to realize that he did not need to panic as the man standing opposite him posed no danger to his hopes of winning a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon crown.

The 2011 version of Nalbandian bore little resemblance to the player who tormented and tortured the Swiss in their first five meetings, all of which the Argentine won, and on day six of the championships Federer glided into the last 16 with a delectable 6-4 6-2 6-4 win.

“A guy who has beaten me eight times knows how to beat me again so I am very pleased to go through,” Federer, who has not dropped a set this week, said after setting up a fourth-round date with Nicolas Almagro or Mikhail Youzhny.

“So that’s also where the pressure is greater against a player like him because maybe he’s not going to win the tournament but he can knock you out of the tournament. That’s a danger against a player like him.

“I played well from start to finish. I am playing better than last year — more confident on serve and more relaxed with my returns. I think I played a great match.”

The 19th meeting between the two 29-year-olds was taking place on a Center Court bathed in glorious sunshine but the way Federer opened his account — with three blink-and-you-will-miss missiles — would have sent chills down Nalbandian’s spine.

By Pritha Sarkar

(Reuters) – Andy Murray’s second-round win at Wimbledon over Germany’s Tobias Kamke was so routine that the British number one was barely quizzed about the match on Wednesday.

Instead, the Scot was grilled about what film he had watched on Tuesday (Scream), what movie he plans to watch before his next match (Scream II and Scream III) and what he thinks about the row erupting erupted over a united British soccer team at the London 2012 Olympics.

“I don’t want to get into any of that political stuff. I’ve been involved in the Olympics, played under Great Britain, and it was an unbelievable experience,” fourth seed Murray told reporters after his 6�3 6�3 7�5 win.

“I loved it. It’s not for me to decide. It’s up to the federations, that they can decide.

“Certainly not getting drawn into any political stuff around this time of year, because we know what happens with that,” grinned Murray, who once got into hot water after proclaiming he always backed the team facing England in a football match.

The British Olympic Association angered Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales by trumpeting a ‘historic agreement’ for Britain to field a united team at the London Games after a 52-year absence.