LONDON • Roger Federer reached his 14th Wimbledon quarter-final and tied Martina Navratilova's all-time Grand Slam record of 306 match wins yesterday.
The seven-time champion achieved his double landmark by seeing off Steve Johnson of the United States 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in the fourth round on Centre Court.
The Swiss tennis player, the third seed, next takes on Croatia's Marin Cilic for a place in the semi-finals.
Cilic, the ninth-seeded Croatian, progressed to his third Wimbledon quarter-final when Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori pulled out of their last-16 clash with a rib injury while trailing 1-6, 1-5.
Federer has a 6-1 record over Cilic but the big Croatian stunned the Swiss in the US Open semi-finals in 2014 on his way to his maiden Grand Slam title.
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RESULTS
Selected (at press time)
Men's 4th rd: Sam Querrey (USA) bt Nicolas Mahut (Fra) 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. Roger Federer (Sui) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 6-2 6-3 7-5, Marin Cilic (Cro) bt Kei Nishikori (Jpn) 6-1 5-1 ret.
Women's 4th rd: Serena Williams (USA) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) 7-5 6-0, Simona Halep (Rom) bt Madison Keys (USA) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-3, Angelique Kerber (Ger) bt Misaki Doi (Jpn) 6-3 6-1, Venus Williams (USA) bt Carla Suarez Navarro (Esp) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.
"He brushed me off the court in the US Open a few years ago and I hope to get him back," said Federer.
Earlier, Sam Querrey followed up his shock defeat of Novak Djokovic by beating French veteran Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
The 28th seed will face either Canada's Milos Raonic or David Goffin of Belgium for a place in the semi-finals.
In the women's draw, world No. 1 Serena Williams was forced to overcome a rain delay and a spirited Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first set before racing away to a 7-5, 6-0 fourth-round win.
Russian Kuznetsova served for the first set leading 5-4, but was broken back before rain tumbled down and the players were forced to take a break as the roof over Centre Court was pressed into action.
The brief interval seemed to benefit Williams as she came bouncing out with some of her very best form to overwhelm Kuznetsova.
Williams will face another Russian today in the form of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-3.
Before that, bride-to-be Dominika Cibulkova beat world No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 5-7, 9-7 to secure her first Wimbledon quarter-final berth since 2011.
The 27-year-old will play Russia's Elena Vesnina or Ekaterina Makarova for a place in her first Wimbledon semi-final.
German fourth seed Angelique Kerber cruised into her third Wimbledon quarter-final with a 6-3, 6-1 thrashing of Japanese world No. 49 Misaki Doi.
Kerber could leave Wimbledon as the world No. 1 if she wins the title and Williams fails to make the semi-finals.
She next plays Romania's Simona Halep, who fought back to reach her second Wimbledon quarter-final with a 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3 victory over American ninth seed Madison Keys.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
WIMBLEDON
Day 9: Singtel TV Ch114/116 & StarHub Ch208/210, 8pm
