The Latest: Tiafoe wastes 2-set lead at Wimbledon

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The Latest from Wimbledon (all times local):

6:55 p.m.

Frances Tiafoe let a two-set lead slip as he failed to become the youngest American male since 1990 to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon.

The 20-year-old Tiafoe lost to Karen Khachanov of Russia 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-1 after struggling through the last two sets.

He was trying to become the youngest American in the round of 16 at the All England Club since Michael Chang 28 years ago.

At 22, Khachanov is the youngest Russian in the fourth round since Mikhail Youzhny in 2002.

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5:25 p.m.

Former finalist Angelique Kerber advanced to the fourth round at Wimbledon without facing a break point after beating 18th-seeded Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4.

Kerber, a two-time Grand Slam champion, who was runner-up to Serena Williams at the All England Club in 2016, hit 23 winners and made just five unforced errors against her Japanese opponent.

As well as being one of only two former finalists — along with Williams — to make it through to the fourth round, 11th-seeded Kerber is the second highest seed remaining in the women’s draw. Seventh-seeded Karolina Pliskova is the only top-10 player to have advanced to the second week.

Kerber of Germany will next face 56th-ranked Belinda Bencic of Switzerland.

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3:45 p.m.

Rafael Nadal guaranteed he will stay No. 1 in the rankings after Wimbledon as he reached the fourth round with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 victory over 19-year-old Australian Alex de Minaur.

Nadal hasn’t dropped a set so far in the tournament. Against de Minaur, he faced only three break points and saved them all, while producing nearly twice as many winners, 30-17.

This is Nadal’s eighth trip to the round of 16 at the All England Club, where he has won two of his 17 Grand Slam titles. A year ago, the Spaniard lost at that stage.

He and Roger Federer have swapped the No. 1 ranking a half-dozen times this season, the most since there were eight changes in 1999.

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3:35 p.m.

Top-ranked Simona Halep has been knocked out by Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan at Wimbledon, losing 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the third round.

Halep’s exit means only one of the women’s top-10 seeds remains in the tournament — No. 7 Karolina Pliskova.

Halep served for the match at 5-3 in the final set and had a match point in the next game, but the French Open champion couldn’t capitalize on her chances. Hsieh saved the match point with a backhand winner before holding for 5-5 and broke Halep in the next game. The Romanian had two more break points at 6-5 but couldn’t take advantage.

The match featured a total of 14 breaks of serve — seven for each player — including five straight to open the first set.

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2:40 p.m.

Juan Martin del Potro overcame a hot-tempered display from Benoit Paire to reach the second week at Wimbledon, winning their third-round match 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Paire slammed his racket and shouted loudly at the chair umpire and himself after losing the second set, and his antics had del Potro shaking his head in return. The Argentine, who had crossed the net to help Paire back on his feet after a fall during the second set, still took a 3-0 lead in the third before the Frenchman fought back to level it at 3-3.

The match was then interrupted for about 10 minutes with Paire facing another break point at 4-3 while medical staff treated a spectator who had fainted in the heat. When play resumed, Paire saved that point with a service winner but was eventually broken when he netted a backhand, allowing del Potro to serve out the match.

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2:10 p.m.

Milos Raonic reached Wimbledon’s fourth round for the third consecutive year, finishing off a 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory over 171st-ranked qualifier Dennis Novak of Austria in a match suspended because of fading light the night before.

Play was halted with Novak about to serve while trailing 6-5 in the third set, and Raonic got off to a perfect start when they resumed Saturday by breaking to take that set.

The 13th-seeded Canadian was the runner-up at the All England Club in 2016, losing to Andy Murray in the final. Raonic lost to eventual champion Roger Federer in last year’s quarterfinals.

On Monday, Raonic will face 103rd-ranked Mackenzie McDonald of the United States for a quarterfinal berth.

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12:15 p.m.

Playing at Wimbledon comes at a price when you’re a new mother.

Serena Williams says she missed her daughter Olympia’s first steps while she was practicing at the All England Club on Saturday.

Williams tweeted : “She took her first steps… I was training and missed it. I cried.”

Williams became a mother in September and missed last year’s Wimbledon because of her pregnancy. She’s back looking for her eighth title at the tournament and reached the fourth round on Friday.

She has brought Olympia with her, and a photo on the baby’s Instagram account last week showed her sitting on one of the grass courts.

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11:45 a.m.

Play is underway on Day 6 at Wimbledon.

No. 5 Juan Martin del Potro was the highest-seeded player in early action, playing Benoit Paire of France on No. 2 Court. The former U.S. Open champion is trying to make the fourth round for the fourth time at the All England Club, having reached the semifinals as his best result in 2013.

Also, Gilles Simon of France was playing Matthew Ebden of Australia.

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11:05 a.m.

Top-ranked duo Rafael Nadal and Simona Halep are back on court at Wimbledon on Saturday as they try to reach the fourth round of the grass-court Grand Slam.

Nadal is playing Australian teenager Alex de Minaur on Centre Court, with Halep facing Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan on No. 1 Court.

Nadal is looking to win Wimbledon for the third time while Halep is trying to follow up her maiden Grand Slam triumph at the French Open with a first title at the All England Club. She is one of only two top-10 seeds remaining in the women’s draw.

Three-time champion Novak Djokovic is also in action, facing British hopeful Kyle Edmund. Djokovic is looking to reach the round of 16 at a Grand Slam for the 44th time, which would put him in sole second place on the all-time list behind Roger Federer. Djokovic and Jimmy Connors are tied on 43 last-16 appearances.

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