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Rediff.com  » Sports » Wimbledon images Day 5: Exhausted Isner beaten in 74 minutes

Wimbledon images Day 5: Exhausted Isner beaten in 74 minutes

Last updated on: June 25, 2010 22:12 IST

Image: John Isner congratulates Thiemo De Bakker
Photographs: Reuters

Exhausted American John Isner, whose epic first-round match broke all tennis records at 11 hours and five minutes, was beaten in just 74 minutes by Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker at Wimbledon on Friday..

Isner held serve 69 consecutive times in the final set of his record-breaking three-day match against Nicolas Mahut which ended on Thursday, but lost his first four service games in his second-round match at the All England Club.

He called a medical timeout for treatment to his neck and shoulders after De Bakker powered to the opener 6-0 and seemed weary and off the pace throughout the encounter on Court Five.

He consulted with a trainer at most of the changes of ends, and ate bananas and bars to try and boost his energy levels but De Bakker completed a 6-0, 6-3, 6-2 rout.

Djokovic powers into last 16

Image: Serbia's Novak Djokovic shakes hands with Spain's Albert Montanes

Serbia's Novak Djokovic showed the full array of stroke-making needed to go deep into Wimbledon's second week against Albert Montanes, crushing the Spaniard 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round.

Djokovic, whose one semi-final at Wimbledon is a poor return on his fine all-round game, never took his foot off the throttle against the 28th seed, racing through the opener in just 26 minutes with some neat drops and athletic volleys.

Another blockbusting serve, he struck 11 aces, settled it in Djokovic's favour after an hour and 41 minutes when Montanes spooned his backhand return wide.

Clijsters too good for Kirilenko

Image: Clijsters hits a return to Kirilenko

Kim Clijsters did her bit to set up an eagerly anticipated fourth-round clash with fellow-Belgian Justine Henin by crushing Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 6-3 in her third-round match.

Clijsters, twice a semi-finalist at Wimbledon, blitzed her way to the opener in 27 minutes on a sunbaked Court Two at the All England Club.

Kirilenko, the world number 28, recovered an early break to draw level at 3-3 in the second but eighth seed Clijsters forged ahead again, breaking twice more and sealed victory after 62 minutes when the Russian double faulted.

Henin swats aside Petrova

Image: Justine Henin celebrates defeating Petrova

Henin, who like Clijsters came out of retirement to try and win an elusive Wimbledon crown, made sure she kept up her end of the bargain by swatting aside Russian 12th seed Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-4.

Jankovic stifles Bondarenko

Image: Jankovic celebrates defeating Bondarenko

Jelena Jankovic did not expend any unnecessary energy on a sweltering day as she stifled Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-0, 6-3 to reach the fourth round.

While fans and officials were seen grabbing programmes and any scraps of paper to fan themselves on a sun-baked Court Two, Jankovic had no problem turning up the heat on Bondarenko who succumbed to her 11th defeat in 12 meetings with the Serb.

The fourth seed, who turned up on her day off at Wimbledon for a royal appointment with Queen Elizabeth on Thursday, will be hoping to produce another regal performance when she faces either Vera Zvonareva or Yanina Wickmayer on Monday.