LONDON: Roger Federer extended his flawless winning streak at Wimbledon to 26 consecutive sets as the defending champion crushed Lukas Lacko, while Venus Williams battled back to beat Alexandra Dulgheru in Wednesday’s second round action.

Federer delivered a Centre Court masterclass lasting 89 minutes as the Swiss star hit 48 winners and 16 aces in his 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 victory.

The 36-year-old is now on his joint second longest streak of sets won at Wimbledon — his best was 34 between the third round in 2005 to the 2006 final.

Next up for Federer is a third round tie against 39-year-old Croatian Ivo Karlovic or Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.

In his 20th Wimbledon appearance, top seed Federer, a 20-time major winner, is bidding to become only the second player to claim nine singles titles at the All England Club after Martina Navratilova.

Caroline Wozniacki, meanwhile, suffered fresh Wimbledon woe as the world number two suffered a shock 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 defeat against Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova. The Dane saved five match points but has now failed to get past the last 16 in 12 visits to the All England Club.

Five-time champion Venus Williams battled into the third round with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 win over Romanian qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru.

Venus reached her ninth Wimbledon final last year, but the American star was denied a sixth title by Garbine Muguruza.

Making her 21st Wimbledon appearance, 38-year-old Venus is the oldest woman in this year’s tournament.

But she didn’t look her age in making it 89 career match wins at Wimbledon by demolishing Dulgheru in the final two sets.

Venus next faces Dutch 20th seed Kiki Bertens, who beat Russian world number 107 Anna Blinkova 6-4, 6-0.

Milos Raonic slammed 34 aces as the 2016 Wimbledon finalist won 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4) against Australia’s John Millman.

The Canadian 13th seed will play Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak, who beat French 17th seed Lucas Pouille 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (8-10), 3-6, 6-2.

Sam Querrey, the 11th seed, stepped up his bid to emulate last year’s run to the semi-finals with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-3 win against Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky.

Querrey’s fellow American Madison Keys, seeded 10th, celebrated US Independence Day with a 6-4, 6-3 win against Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum.

Wednesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Second round: Daniil Medvedev (Russia) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; 11-Sam Querrey (US) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 6-3; Dennis Novak (Austria) bt 17-Lucas Pouille (France) 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (8-10), 3-6, 6-2; 13-Milos Raonic (Canada) bt John Millman (Australia) 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4).

Women’s singles:

Second round: Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) bt 2-Caorline Wozniacki (Denmark) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5; 7-Karolna Pliskova (Czech Republic) bt Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 6-3, 6-3; 29-Mihaela Buzarnescu (Romania) bt Katie Swan (Great Britain) 6-0, 6-3; 9-Venus Williams (US) bt Alexandra Dulgheru (Romania) 4-6, 6-0, 6-1; Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) bt Andrea Petkovic (Germany) 6-4, 6-3; Donna Vekic (Croatia) bt Rebecca Peterson (Sweden) 7-5, 6-4; Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) bt Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; 10-Madison Keys (US) bt Luksika Kumkhum (Thailand) 6-4, 6-3.

Tuesday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

First round: Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) bt 7-Dominic Thiem (Austria) 6-4, 7-5, 2-0 — Thiem retired; Karen Khachanov (Russia) bt David Ferrer (Spain) 6-1, 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 7-5; Julien Benneteau (France) bt Marton Fucsovics (Hungary) 7-5, 7-5, 6-3; Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) bt Guido Andreozzi (Argentina) 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-4; 12-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Tennys Sandgren (US) 6-3, 6-1, 6-2; Benoit Paire (France) bt Jason Jung (Taiwan) 7-5, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4; 26-Denis Shapovalov (Canada) bt Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4; Matteo Berrettini (Italy) bt 18-Jack Sock (US) 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-2; Gilles Simon (France) bt Nikoloz Basilashvili (Georgia) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1; 19-Fabio Fognini (Italy) bt Taro Daniel (Japan) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Alex De Minaur (Australia) bt 29-Marco Cecchinato (Italy) 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Pierre-Hugues Herbert (France) bt Mischa Zverev (Germany) 6-4, 6-3, 6-4; Mikhail Kukushkin (Kazakhstan) bt Vasek Pospisil (Canada) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Women’s singles:

First round: 1-Simona Halep (Romania) bt Kurumi Nara (Japan) 6-2, 6-4; Zheng Saisai (China) bt Wang Qiang (China) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Sachia Vickery (US) bt Marketa Vondrousova (Czech Republic) 6-1, 6-2; 15-Elise Mertens (Belgium) bt Danielle Collins (US) 6-3, 6-2; 12-Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia) bt Katy Dunne (Great Britain) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); Sofia Kenin (US) bt Maria Sakkari (Greece) 6-4, 1-6, 6-1; Vitalia Diatchenko (Russia) bt 24-Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) bt Magda Linette (Poland) 6-3, 3-6, 10-8; Katie Boulter (Great Britain) bt Veronica Cepede Royg (Paraguay) 6-4, 5-7, 6-4; 18-Naomi Osaka (Japan) bt Monica Niculescu (Romania) 6-4, 6-1; 27-Carla Suarez (Spain) bt Carina Witthoeft (Germany) 6-2, 6-4; Sara Sorribes (Spain) bt Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1; Alison Riske (US) bt Mariana Duque (Colombia) 6-1, 6-1; Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) bt 6-Caroline Garcia (France) 7-6 (7-2), 6-3.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2018