LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) – Fifth seed Robin Soderling lost 6-1 6-4 7-5 to 18-year-old Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic on Saturday in the biggest upset so far in the men’s singles at Wimbledon.

The youngest player in the men’s draw, poised to end Lleyton Hewitt’s 11-year reign as Australian number one, produced a brilliant all-round display to stun the ailing Swede, who fought back from two sets down to beat Hewitt in the last round.

“Most definitely the best achievement that I’ve done in my career so far and I’m really happy,” the Australian qualifier told reporters after a standing ovation on Court One.    “I’ll always remember this is the first time I’ve really done well at a grand slam,” added Tomic, who came from two sets down to beat Igor Andreev in the second round having knocked out number 29 seed Nikolay Davydenko in the first.

The world number 158 showed no signs of fatigue from that match, however, and raced through the first set in just 17 minutes, before mixing rasping groundstrokes with delicate volleys and lobs to seal victory inside two hours.

Soderling, in contrast, appeared off the boil from the beginning, regularly draping his towel around his neck during changes of end and taking deep breaths as he ambled around the baseline between points.

“I felt weak. I felt a little bit dizzy. It just wasn’t a good day,” the 26-year-old told reporters.

“Yesterday and today I’ve been a little bit low on energy. I had some stomach problems.”

LONDON (Reuters) – Last year’s runner-up Tomas Berdych coasted into the last 16 at Wimbledon Saturday and his smooth progress through the draw continued to go almost unnoticed outside the Czech Republic.

He faced a barrage of questions in his native language at a post-match news conference and then politely answered one in English about the lack of interest in him.

“It’s kind of funny. Maybe I need to win more matches for the English-speaking media to come,” joked the 25-year-old Czech sixth seed after his 6-2 6-4 6-3 win over American Alex Bogomolov Jr. which was carried over from Friday.

Since his journey to last year’s final against world number one Rafa Nadal, during which he upset Roger Federer in the last eight and Novak Djokovic in the semis, Berdych has not won a tournament.

After a grasscourt masterclass lasting just 103 minutes his beaten opponent was in no doubt, however, that Berdych is peaking at just the right time and that the world number seven is good enough to win a maiden grand slam title.

“He got to the finals last year for a reason. He’s playing really well on grass and hitting some incredible shots on the run. They’re flat, they stay very low to the ground, and you can’t really play offence against him,” Bogomolov Jr. said.

Berdych will next face another American in Mardy Fish and should he win that he would set up a possible quarter-final clash with top seed Nadal.

LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) – Last year’s runner-up Tomas Berdych coasted into the last 16 at Wimbledon on Saturday and his smooth progress through the draw continued to go almost unnoticed outside the Czech Republic.

He faced a barrage of questions in his native language at a post-match news conference and then politely answered one in English about the lack of interest in him.

“It’s kind of funny. Maybe I need to win more matches for the English-speaking media to come,” joked the 25-year-old Czech sixth seed after his 6-2 6-4 6-3 win over American Alex Bogomolov Jr. which was carried over from Friday.

Since his journey to last year’s final against world number one Rafa Nadal, during which he upset Roger Federer in the last eight and Novak Djokovic in the semis, Berdych has not won a tournament.

After a grasscourt masterclass lasting just 103 minutes his beaten opponent was in no doubt, however, that Berdych is peaking at just the right time and that the world number seven is good enough to win a maiden grand slam title.

“He got to the finals last year for a reason. He’s playing really well on grass and hitting some incredible shots on the run. They’re flat, they stay very low to the ground, and you can’t really play offence against him,” Bogomolov Jr. said.

Berdych will next face another American in Mardy Fish and should he win that he would set up a possible quarter-final clash with top seed Nadal.

LONDON (Reuters) – Not many players can say they scare Roger Federer but the six-times Wimbledon champion’s next opponent David Nalbandian is one of a select bunch as the Swiss master continues his bid to win his 17th grand slam title on Saturday.

“Nalbandian used to be my dark horse. I think it’s a wonderful third round. I wish I could have had an easier one maybe, but I know the danger against him. He can prove his point,” Federer said after his late-night victory in the second round.

Nalbandian is not without grasscourt credentials, having reached the 2002 Wimbledon final, but the former world number three lies 23rd in the rankings and Federer will take some stopping as he bids to match the seven Wimbledon titles of American Pete Sampras.

Defending champion Rafa Nadal, a set up in his revenge match against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller who is the only man to have beaten him at Wimbledon since 2005 apart from Federer, opens proceedings on Court One.

Another multiple Wimbledon champion in Serena Williams follows Nadal against Russian Maria Kirilenko, while Center Court fans could be in for another late night treat as Novak Djokovic and Marcos Baghdatis prepare to slug it out again.

The pair met in the quarter-finals in 2007 in a match lasting five hours, leaving Djokovic with blisters so bad he had to pull out of his semi-final against Nadal despite winning the first set.

LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) – Not many players can say they scare Roger Federer but the six-times Wimbledon champion’s next opponent David Nalbandian is one of a select bunch as the Swiss master continues his bid to win his 17th grand slam title on Saturday.

“Nalbandian used to be my dark horse. I think it’s a wonderful third round. I wish I could have had an easier one maybe, but I know the danger against him. He can prove his point,” Federer said after his late-night victory in the second round.

Nalbandian is not without grasscourt credentials, having reached the 2002 Wimbledon final, but the former world number three lies 23rd in the rankings and Federer will take some stopping as he bids to match the seven Wimbledon titles of American Pete Sampras.

Defending champion Rafa Nadal, a set up in his revenge match against Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller who is the only man to have beaten him at Wimbledon since 2005 apart from Federer, opens proceedings on Court One.

Another multiple Wimbledon champion in Serena Williams follows Nadal against Russian Maria Kirilenko, while Centre Court fans could be in for another late night treat as Novak Djokovic and Marcos Baghdatis prepare to slug it out again.

The pair met in the quarter-finals in 2007 in a match lasting five hours, leaving Djokovic with blisters so bad he had to pull out of his semi-final against Nadal despite winning the first set.

(Editing by xx)

LONDON (Reuters) – Revenge will be on the minds of Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray on Friday when they seek to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon and banish memories of defeats by their next opponents.

Top seed Nadal faces Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, the Spaniard’s conqueror in the second round at Wimbledon in 2005, while the dangerous Ivan Ljubicic awaits home hope Murray, the Croatian having won their last meeting in Beijing last year.

Since that 2005 defeat world number one Nadal has only lost twice at Wimbledon, to Roger Federer in the final, so although 92nd-ranked Muller is fresh having played just five games in his second-round match before Milos Raonic pulled out injured he will face an almighty task to topple Nadal.

World number four Murray, chasing his first grand slam after three losses in finals, will enjoy a considerable home advantage against veteran Ljubicic on Center Court.

“It’s the only court on earth I haven’t played on,” said the Croatian world number 33 after setting up the clash.

Elsewhere on Friday, five-times champion Venus Williams takes on Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Court One after British teenager Laura Robson meets 2004 winner Maria Sharapova in a second-round match carried over from Thursday.

Big-serving American Andy Roddick opens proceedings on Center Court against Spanish serve volleyer Feliciano Lopez.

LONDON, June 24 (Reuters) – Revenge will be on the minds of Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray on Friday when they seek to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon and banish memories of defeats by their next opponents.

Top seed Nadal faces Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller, the Spaniard’s conqueror in the second round at Wimbledon in 2005, while the dangerous Ivan Ljubicic awaits home hope Murray, the Croatian having won their last meeting in Beijing last year.

Since that 2005 defeat world number one Nadal has only lost twice at Wimbledon, to Roger Federer in the final, so although 92nd-ranked Muller is fresh having played just five games in his second-round match before Milos Raonic pulled out injured he will face an almighty task to topple Nadal.

World number four Murray, chasing his first grand slam after three losses in finals, will enjoy a considerable home advantage against veteran Ljubicic on Centre Court.

“It’s the only court on earth I haven’t played on,” said the Croatian world number 33 after setting up the clash.

Elsewhere on Friday, five-times champion Venus Williams takes on Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Court One after British teenager Laura Robson meets 2004 winner Maria Sharapova in a second-round match carried over from Thursday.

Big-serving American Andy Roddick opens proceedings on Centre Court against Spanish serve volleyer Feliciano Lopez.

LONDON (Reuters) – Serena Williams displayed her tender side again on Thursday when she spoke of her meeting with five-year-old cancer sufferer Jack Marshall during this year’s championship.

“I kind of met him on Twitter. His mum Tracey wrote to me. I read his story, and my heart kind of went out for him,” the 13-times grand slam champion told reporters after securing a place in the third round by beating Romania’s Simona Halep.

“I thought if I made it to Wimbledon, I wanted to invite Jack out. I got to meet him yesterday. We spent some time together,” she said of Manchester United fan Jack, who lives in the north of England.

“They gave me one of his bands that I can wear and you can help him. It’s just been so amazing, his whole story, to be so small to have such courage. He calls me his best bud, so I love it.”

After a year battling a serious foot injury and then suffering life-threatening blood clots Williams has been in a serene mood since returning at Eastbourne last week.

The emotional effects of her longest ever break from tennis caught up with her on Tuesday when she wept on court after beating Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai in round one.

(Editing by Martyn Herman)

LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) – Serena Williams displayed her tender side again on Thursday when she spoke of her meeting with five-year-old cancer sufferer Jack Marshall during this year’s championship.

“I kind of met him on Twitter. His mum Tracey wrote to me. I read his story, and my heart kind of went out for him,” the 13-times grand slam champion told reporters after securing a place in the third round by beating Romania’s Simona Halep.

“I thought if I made it to Wimbledon, I wanted to invite Jack out. I got to meet him yesterday. We spent some time together,” she said of Manchester United fan Jack, who lives in the north of England.

“They gave me one of his bands that I can wear and you can help him. It’s just been so amazing, his whole story, to be so small to have such courage. He calls me his best bud, so I love it.”

After a year battling a serious foot injury and then suffering life-threatening blood clots Williams has been in a serene mood since returning at Eastbourne last week.

The emotional effects of her longest ever break from tennis caught up with her on Tuesday when she wept on court after beating Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai in round one.

(Editing by Martyn Herman)

LONDON (Reuters) – A picture of Goran Ivanisevic holding up the 2001 Wimbledon trophy hangs outside one of the All England Club’s interview rooms and a glimpse of it still evokes powerful memories for his fellow Croatians.

Ivan Ljubicic knows the towering left-hander better than most and as he entered the small cubicle after his first-round win over compatriot Marin Cilic it did not take the world number 33 long to recall Ivanisevic’s triumph.

“For me, and I’m sure for a lot of Croatians, it was the biggest emotional moment of my life. Definitely tennis and career-wise,” the 32-year-old told Reuters.

“Everybody I know cried when he won,” added Ljubicic, who escaped war-torn Bosnia aged 13 in 1992 and was one of several players taken to Italy by a club that was reaching out to help children.

Ivanisevic’s famous Monday victory over Australian Pat Rafter, the pinnacle of the Croatian’s career after three losses in Wimbledon finals, gave his countrymen hope.

“For us it broke the ice. I had to go through all the small steps to break through,” said Ljubicic, who climbed from world number 91 to 37 in the year of Ivanisevic’s win.

“Then the others followed. Ivo Karlovic, Zeljko Krajan, then of course Mario Ancic and Ivan Dodig and Cilic now.”