Graveyard claims Serena

“The words that I can only use are all foul. It wouldn’t be proper for me to use those words,” she mumbled as she looked at her feet, a third-round loser at Wimbledon for only the second time in her career.

Twice champion and runner-up last year, Serena had not lost as early as the third round since her debut in 1998. “Today I just… I didn’t do anything right,” she sniffed. “I just kept making errors, so… I think I would have been better off staying home, to be honest. For sure.

“I was really off today and I didn’t play the way I normally can play. Even if I’m playing bad, I normally play better than this.”

Fourth seed Serena, who had been lined up to play elder sister and fellow twice champion Venus had little praise for her 85th-ranked opponent. “I think she just got balls back. She didn’t do anything… she didn’t have to do anything exceptionally well today.

“She just pretty much had to show up and I couldn’t win a service game in the first set. Then it was just downhill,” she added before sobbing again. “I need a tissue because my eyes are watering,” she said. “I’m just used to winning these kind of matches and it’s hard when you go out there and you can’t make a shot and you’ve been making them for years.”

Serena is backing Venus to wreak revenge. “I think Venus is playing well here,” she said. “Obviously I’m not trying to be negative on my opponent or anything but I think Venus will pretty much win the next round.” Reuters

Ferrero targets Federer

LONDON: Ravaged by injuries and dispossessed of his No.1 ranking, Juan Carlos Ferrero could have plenty to grumble about. But that is not the style of the Spaniard who won the French Open and topped the world in 2003. He is determined to claw his way back into the elite and says Monday’s Wimbledon fourth-round clash against twice champion Roger Federer would provide the perfect launch-pad.

“Roger Federer is the biggest player on grass right now … if I pass the fourth round, it will be the first time I’ll be in quarter-finals here,” he said.

“I came here playing really good this year. I start 90 in the ranking, (now) I’m 31. “It’s very important to get the (ranking) points … it’s a very important match.”

The 25-year-old finished 2004 out of the top 1 0 for the first time in five years after three consecutive top-10 finishes.