LONDON: Angelique Kerber crashed out of Wimbledon and lost her hold on the world No 1 ranking, while five-time champion Venus Williams became the oldest All England Club quarter-finalist in 23 years on Monday.

Men’s singles defending champion Andy Murray, meanwhile, reached a 10th successive quarter-final with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-4 win over Benoit Paire of France.

The world No 1 will face Sam Querrey, who he leads 7-1 in career meetings, for a place in the semi-finals.

Only Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors (11 each) have reached more consecutive Wimbledon quarter-finals than Murray.

The 30-year-old’s progress is particularly noteworthy as he came into the tournament nursing a hip injury.

Williams wasn’t the only star savouring a historic last 16 triumph. Johanna Konta, the bookmakers’ favourite for the title, became the first British woman to reach the quarter-finals since Jo Durie in 1984.

Kerber was beaten 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Spanish 14th seed Garbine Muguruza as the German’s fourth round exit extended a miserable run for last year’s Wimbledon runner-up.

The 29-year-old, who lost to Serena Williams in the final 12 months ago, has failed to make the last eight at any of this year’s three Grand Slams.

Kerber was unfazed by her ranking blow, saying: “I know the feeling already to be No 1. I know the feeling to be No 2, in the top 10. It was the best match for a long time for me, so I think I’m still on a good way even though I lost.”

Kerber, who had taken the top ranking from Serena in March, will be replaced at No 1 by either Karolina Pliskova or Simona Halep.

Halep, the Romanian world No 2, defeated Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 and will be guaranteed top spot if she beats Konta in the last eight.

If Halep, a two-time French Open runner-up, loses to the Briton, then Czech world No 3 Pliskova will be the new No 1 despite losing in the second round.

Muguruza, the 2015 Wimbledon runner-up, goes on to play Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova for a place in the semi-finals.

Former US and French Open champion Kuznetsova, 32, reached her first Wimbledon quarter-final in 10 years with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Polish ninth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

Williams didn’t hang around as she crushed 19-year-old Croatian Ana Konjuh 6-3, 6-2 in 64 minutes on Centre Court.

Williams made her Grand Slam debut at the 1997 French Open, seven months before Konjuh was born. And at 37 years and 29 days, Venus is Wimbledon’s oldest female quarter-finalist since Martina Navratilova in 1994.

Seven-time major winner Venus, who clinched the last of her Wimbledon titles in 2008, will hope to emulate Navratilova, who went on to reach the final 23 years ago.

Williams plays French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the semi-finals.

Ostapenko, the Latvian 13th seed, advanced to her first Wimbledon quarter-final after finally converting her eighth match point to defeat Ukrainian world No 5 Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) on tiny Court 12.

World No 7 Konta defeated France’s Caroline Garcia 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 on Court One.

Monday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Fourth round: 24-Sam Querrey (US) bt Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-7 (11-13), 6-3; 1-Andy Murray (Britain) bt Benoit Paire (France) 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-4; 7-Marin Cilic (Croatia) bt 18-Roberto Bautista (Spain) 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.

Women’s singles:

Fourth round: 2-Simona Halep (Romania) bt Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2; 6-Johanna Konta (Britain) bt 21-Caroline Garcia (France) 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4; 24-CoCo Vandeweghe (US) bt 5-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; 10-Venus Williams (US) bt 27-Ana Konjuh (Croatia) 6-3, 6-2; 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) bt 1-Angelique Kerber (Germany) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) bt Petra Martic (Croatia) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3; 13-Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) bt 4-Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) 6-3, 7-6 (7-6); 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt 9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 6-2, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2017