Serena wins marathon, Rosol's dream Wimbledon ends

Four-time champion Serena Williams clinched a marathon triumph over China's Zheng Jie to reach the Wimbledon last 16 today as Lukas Rosol, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal, returned to anonymity.

Sixth-seed Williams, playing in her 13th Wimbledon, saw off 25th-seed Zheng, a semi-finalist in 2008, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 9-7 and will tackle Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan for a place in the quarter-finals.

"It was good to win that. I needed a tough match and she's always playing me incredibly well," said Williams.

Wildcard Shvedova will go into Monday's fourth round tie having made history as the first woman at a Grand Slam to achieve a Golden Set.

Shvedova won 24 points and conceded none in a first set 6-0 wipeout of Italian 10th seed, and French Open runner-up,Sara Errani on her way to the last 16 for the first time.

Shvedova, who won 23 points in succession at the Memphis tournament in 2006, took the second set 6-4.

"Today I laid a golden egg," the Kazakh later tweeted.

Czech world 100 Rosol had caused one of the greatest upsets in the history of the sport when he beat world number two Nadal in five sets in the second round under the Centre Court roof on Thursday.

But on a windswept Court 12 on Saturday, normal service was resumed as German 27th seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, who beat Nadal on grass at Halle two weeks ago, eased to a 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) win and a first appearance in the last 16.

Kohlschreiber, who claimed victory on a fourth match point, will tackle American qualifier Brian Baker for a place in the quarter-finals.

Baker's fairytale return hit a new high when he enjoyed a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over France's Benoit Paire.

Baker lost six years of his career to an assortment of injuries that left him needing five different operations on a hernia, left and right hips and right elbow.

... contd.

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