Serena Williams put her shock over the death of Michael Jackson and a snub from Wimbledon organisers to one side to power into the last 16 of the women’s singles on Friday.
The American, who admitted she had been left speechless by the news of Jackson’s death from a heart attack, continued her flawless procession towards a potential final meeting with sister Venus by setting up a last-16 clash with Daniela Hantuchova.
Hantuchova, a former world number five who has shown signs of returning to her best form here, will certainly put up greater resistance than Italy’s Roberta Vinci.
A 6-3, 6-4 win ensured Williams has yet to drop a set this year and the evidence presented by her 200th Grand Slam match backed up her claim that she is in the mood to add to the two singles titles she won here in 2002 and 2003.
It was the death of Jackson however that dominated her post-match press conference and Williams, who had met the self-styled King of Pop several times, paid tribute to his legacy as a cultural icon and musical innovator.
”He was a great guy and a complete icon,” she said. ”Words can’t express my shock and horror.
”He was definitely the ultimate celebrity. Any celebrity who met him was completely in awe. I know I was.”
Williams went on to make it clear she had not been impressed by the Wimbledon organisers’ decision to put her out on the new Court No. 2.
Asked if she was happy with the scheduling, the 26-year-old responded tartly: ”I’m happy to have got my match over and done with,” before comparing her treatment to that afforded to Roger Federer, who was playing his third successive match on centre court.
”Number two is not a court for Roger but it is definitely one for me,” she said. ”I have not won it five times [like Federer], I’ve won it twice and I guess it is not enough.”
Hantuchova, who lost to Serena Williams in the quarter-finals here in 2002, advanced at the expense of her doubles partner, Ai Sugiyama, with a 6-4, 6-3 victory.
Elena Dementieva, the Russian who is scheduled to face Williams at the semifinal stage, made light work of qualifier and compatriot Regina Kulikova, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 win.
The fourth seed now plays either French Open semifinalist Dominika Cibulkova or another Russian, Elena Vesnina, for a place in the quarter-finals.
Vera Zvonareva saw her tournament ended by an ankle injury.
The Russian seventh seed withdrew shortly before the start of her scheduled third round meeting with Virginie Razzano of France, who now faces either compatriot Marion Bartoli, seeded 12th, or Italy’s Francesca Schiavone.
Zvonareva reached the semi-finals of this year’s Australian Open but she has struggled since suffering an injury to her right ankle in April which sidelined her for eight weeks and meant she missed the French Open. — AFP
