Elena Vesnina hits the shot of the day during the second set of her thrilling win over Dominkia Cibulkova in their quarter-final at Wimbledon.
WATCH MORE:Vesnina overpowers Cibulkova to make semis
READ MORE: Serena Williams beats Svetlana Kuznetsova
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Nick Kyrgios needs to see a psychologist if he is to fulfil his talent, according to six-time Wimbledon doubles champion Mark Woodforde.
The 21-year-old Australian’s attitude was questioned after he lost convincingly to Andy Murray in the fourth round at Wimbledon on Monday.
Kyrgios later revealed he played computer games on the morning of the match.
“Some of the choices he is making are quite questionable,” said Woodforde.
“Look at his preparation yesterday, getting up and playing computer games. Not what you would expect from a future champion.”
Kyrgios has not employed a coach for over a year, but Woodforde said: “Maybe it is not a coach, maybe it is a psychologist or doctor of some sort who can help him with issues because I think it does start off the court with him.”
Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe has also said the world number 18 “doesn’t understand” what it takes to become a Grand Slam champion.
The 1987 champion Pat Cash, meanwhile, said Kyrgios needs “some rewiring”.
He added: “I don’t think he is trying sometimes, there’s no doubt about it.”
A number of former players have been suggested as a coach for Kyrgios, including 2002 Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt, Australia’s current Davis Cup captain.
Asked if he would coach his compatriot, Woodforde said it would be a “big no” for him.
“I wouldn’t be sitting in the stand being told to stand up and down, clap, and being spoken to in that manner,” he added.
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Veteran Berdych will face 22-year-old Pouille
Tomas Berdych won a one-set decider on Tuesday to complete the quarter-final line-up at The Championships.
Resuming at two sets-all, Berdych beat his Czech compatriot Jiri Vesely to complete a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(10), 6-7(9), 6-3 victory over three hours and 56 minutes on No. 3 Court at Wimbledon.
Having regrouped overnight, Berdych won eight of the first 10 points to take a 2-0 lead in the fifth set. Vesely, celebrating his 23rd birthday today, fought hard by by striking powerful and deep groundstrokes to break to 30 for 3-3. But Berdych, the 2010 finalist, held his nerve to break in the seventh and ninth games.
Tenth seed Berdych, who is through to the Wimbledon last eight for the fourth time, will next face first-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist Lucas Pouille.
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Five-time champion Venus Williams reached the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time since 2009 with victory over Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova.
Eighth seed Williams – at 36 the oldest Grand Slam semi-finalist for 22 years – beat unseeded Shvedova 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.
An all-Williams final remains possible after top seed Serena beat Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4 6-4.
In Thursday’s semis, Serena will play Russia’s Elena Vesnina and Venus will take on Germany’s Angelique Kerber.
“We don’t really talk too much about it but we are playing doubles later, so we are just happy to be in the semi-finals,” Serena told BBC Sport.
Asked about a potential final meeting, she added: “It will be great. Venus is such a tough opponent I want her to win so bad – not in the final if I am there, but if I’m not, I do.”
Kerber, the fourth seed, beat Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep 7-5 7-6 (7-2) in the opening match on Centre Court.
Unseeded Russian Vesnina thrashed Slovakian 19th seed Cibulkova 6-2 6-2 in the remaining quarter-final on court one.
Venus Williams showed she remains a real threat on the All England Club grass with an impressive win over world number 96 Shvedova.
The champion in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008 made it through to her first Grand Slam semi-final since the 2010 US Open.
At 36, she is the oldest major semi-finalist since Martina Navratilova finished runner-up at Wimbledon in 1994.
“I love playing the game,” Williams told BBC Sport. “When you’re winning matches it makes it that much sweeter.”
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The American, who played her first Wimbledon in 1997, recovered from losing an early break to win the opening set tie-break from 5-2 down.
She then dominated the second set, racing into a 5-1 lead and holding off signs of a Shvedova comeback to serve out the win.
“What a tough day on the court,” Williams added. “The tie-breaker, it felt like she would win. I felt like my opponent was on fire.
“I felt like the crowd enjoyed all the great points. She got them involved in the last game. We gave them good tennis today.”
Kerber edged past Halep in a contest of terrific rallying, with returns very much dominating over serves.
There were eight successive breaks in the first set, and 13 in total, but the Centre Court crowd was thrilled by much of the shot-making.
Halep was always coming from behind before ultimately succumbing with a double-fault to hand over the first set, and despite twice recovering breaks in the second, a rash of errors gave Kerber a deserved win in the tie-break.
“I think actually it was a good match, on a really high level from both of us,” said the German.
“There were a lot of breaks but I think because we are both great return players, it was not so easy to serve actually. It was a really high level match.”
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Photo Ray Giubilo Given the inconsistencies of some players on the women’s side of the draw, there has been a tendency…
As expected, Serena Williams continues her march to the final after victory on Monday but it won’t be an all-American…
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Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers held a sit-down protest after receiving warnings for threatening to urinate in a can and hitting a ball out of court.
The doubles pair lost Monday’s third-round match 6-3 4-6 6-4 3-6 14-12 to Jonny Marray and Adil Shamasdin.
The first code violation came after umpire Aurelie Tourte refused Cuevas a toilet break; the Uruguayan then showed his frustration at double-faulting.
“You have to take bad calls on the chin at some point,” said Britain’s Marray.
The earlier code violation was handed to Cuevas for unsportsmanlike behaviour when he threatened to urinate into a ball can after being told he could not leave the court to visit the bathroom.
He then angrily smashed a ball out of the court following a double fault and the 15th seeds were docked a point, resulting in Cuevas and his partner sitting down and refusing to play the final game.
A supervisor had to be called.
“I went to the bathroom twice during the match and obviously the fifth set was a long one. I think you should be allowed an extra toilet break if it’s five sets,” said Marray.
“You have to respect the officials regardless of whatever happened in the match. You can have a word or two but they’re trying to do a job and you have to respect that.”
Shamasdin added: “I don’t think the chair umpire really had the match controlled. She made a few mistakes early on at both ends. We were all on her and she was definitely flustered. I don’t think she handled it correctly.”
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The Italian is the second seed this week in Todi
Some players feel pressure playing in front a home crowd, but Marco Cecchinato truly thrives on local support on the ATP Challenger Tour.
The 23 year old is the No. 2 seed at this week’s ATP Challenger Tour event in Todi. He prevailed two weeks at the Challenger in Milan, dropping an average of just six games per match on his way to the title.
“It was a very important victory for me,” said Cecchinato. “After a bad period in which I lost many matches, I’m finally satisfied and finding the right sensations in my game. The tournament was in a very good location and everything was fantastic there.”
All three of Cecchinato’s ATP Challenger Tour titles have come in Italy. Out of the 19 ATP Challenger Tour events that he has reached the semi-finals or better in, 17 of them have come on home soil.
“I’m a man from the south, I need to feel the support of the people because it exalts me,” said Cecchinato. “I always like to play in Italy even if I know that the level of the tournaments here is usually higher. Being at home is fantastic for me.”
Top seeds Herbert/Mahut advance on Monday
After nearly five hours of tennis, third seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares weren’t able to finish their third-round match on Monday at Wimbledon. The pair were deadlocked with No. 16 seeds Mate Pavic and Michael Venus when the match was called due to darkness at 6-3, 7-6(4), 4-6, 4-6, 13-13.
Murray and Soares were unable to serve out the match at 5-3 or convert two match point opportunities at 13-12. The winner of this match will play the winner of eighth seeds Vasek Pospisil/Jack Sock and Julien Benneteau/Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Jonathan Marray, the 2013 Wimbledon doubles champion, and Adil Shamadsin advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating No. 15 seeds Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 14-12. Cuevas and Granollers couldn’t serve out the match at 5-4 in the deciding set. Marray and Shamadsin defeated No. 4 seeds and defending champions Jean Julien-Rojer and Horia Tecau in the opening round. Next up for them are No. 12 seeds Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi, who overcame Oliver Marach and Fabrice Martin, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(3).
In another marathon third-round match, No. 10 seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers defeated No. 6 seeds Rohan Bopanna and Florian Mergea, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(6), 8-6. Peers reached the final at Wimbledon last year with Murray. They will now play the winner of the match between top seeds Herbert/Mahut and Sam Groth/Robert Lindstedt.
In second-round matches, Herbert and Mahut enjoyed a convincing win over Stephane Robert and Dudi Sela, 6-1, 6-3. The French duo have dropped just five games in their first two matches.
Radek Stepaek and Nenad Zimonjic, the No. 14 seeds, rallied from 3-5 down in the deciding set and saved three match points to defeat Dusan Lajovic and Victor Troicki, 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 10-8. They will now play second seeds and three-time former champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.
Lleyton Hewitt also saw his pro tour comeback end with fellow Australian Jordan Thompson. The pair lost to Pospisil and Sock, 6-4, 6-4.
Australian Nick Kyrgios “doesn’t understand” what it takes to be a Grand Slam winner, says three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe.
Kyrgios, 21, lost 7-5 6-1 6-4 to British number one Andy Murray in Monday’s much-anticipated last-16 tie.
“I hope he sees the writing on the wall before this gets chronic and irreparable,” the American seven-time Grand Slam champion told BBC Sport.
“It’s not just the mental side, he needs to work harder at his game.”
Kyrgios, 21, is the youngest player in the world top 20, but his success has been marred by questions about his attitude.
He rose to fame by beating Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon but has been involved in a number of controversies, such as making remarks about Stan Wawrinka’s girlfriend during a match last year, resulting in a suspended 28-day ban from the Association of Tour Professionals.
“He doesn’t understand what it takes to be someone who wins Grand Slams at this level and that is unfortunate,” McEnroe added.
Kyrgios did not react to McEnroe’s criticism, but asked if he felt he was applying himself the best he could, he replied: “No.”
He added: “When things get tough, I’m just a little bit soft.
“I’ve got experience, but it ultimately comes down to just laying it all out there and competing for a long time. I didn’t do that today at all.”
Kyrgios made 19 unforced errors in the fourth-round match against Murray – three times more than the Scot – and did not earn a break point in the match.
The second set lasted just 26 minutes after a tight first set, which Murray claimed by breaking Kyrgios in the 12th game.
“Kyrgios has to look in the mirror if he wants to become a top player and win Slams,” said McEnroe, who was involved in a number of heated exchanges with umpires during his career. “I still think he will win Slams but not how he did it there.
“You can’t give away points and games against someone as good and focused as Murray. Inexplicable.
“He’s got to ask himself how badly he wants to become the best player in the world.”
Shortly before the match the Australian was pictured courtside as fellow Australian Lleyton Hewitt competed in the doubles competition.
McEnroe said: “What kind of preparation is that – two hours before you’re out on Centre Court you’re watching a doubles match? I know you need to keep nerves down, but come on.”
Kyrgios denied that watching compatriot Hewitt’s match before taking on Murray had hindered his performance.
“Whether I was in the locker room sitting down or sitting down next to the court I don’t think really made a difference,” he said.
Kyrgios’ compatriot Pat Cash described him as a “different sort of kid” but also said he is “definitely talented”.
Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champion, added: “I think that is what frustrates a lot of Australians. To see that much talent, you want it to be utilised better – I just don’t think he is that type of kid.
“He is getting better. He is doing his best to not get in as much trouble this year, though he still has a few fines.
“Nick says he doesn’t really love tennis and I understand that. I didn’t love tennis, I was just good at it and Andre Agassi said the same thing.”