Wimbledon 2015: Serena Williams wins duel of sisters

London: Serena Williams sank her sister Venus in a battle of the all-conquering Wimbledon titans on Monday as Maria Sharapova dug deep to join the World No.1 in reaching the quarterfinals.

The Williams sisters have won the title five times each out of the last 15 at the All England Club but it was Serena who triumphed in their first Grand Slam clash since the 2009 Wimbledon final.

Meanwhile, 2004 Wimbledon champion Sharapova, 2012 beaten finalist Agnieszka Radwanska and two-time Grand Slam winner Victoria Azarenka also booked their places in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.

All eight Wimbledon quarter-finalists from last year are out of the tournament, while Serena and Sharapova are the only two from the world’s top 12 who are still standing. US duo Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe, Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky and Garbine Muguruza of Spain also made it to the last eight.

Serena secured her 14th win in 26 clashes with Venus and the sisters hugged at the net after the match on Centre Court finished 6-4, 6-3. (Photo: AP)

Azarenka awaits for Serena:

Serena faces Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion, in the quarterfinals after the Belarusian 23rd seed saw off the in-form Belinda Bencic, on a career-high ranking of 22, 6-2, 6-3.

Sharapova endured her toughest test so far but still made it through to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Kazakhstan’s unseeded Zarina Diyas. She faces Vandeweghe in the quarter-finals after the US World No.47 edged out Czech sixth seed Lucie Safarova, last month’s beaten French Open finalist, 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/4).

Vandeweghe had never been beyond the third round of a Grand Slam before this year’s Wimbledon. While Serena, Sharapova and Azarenka have 27 Grand Slam titles between them, there are no major winners at all in the bottom half of the draw, where 13th seed Radwanska is the highest-ranking player still standing after Caroline Wozniacki crashed out.

The Danish fifth seed, blew her chance to make the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to 20th seed Muguruza. Polish 13th seed Radwanska booked her spot in the quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Serbian 28th seed Jelena Jankovic.

Meanwhile, Richard Gasquet reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second time with a stormy win over volatile Nick Kyrgios while Vasek Pospisil became only the third Canadian man to make the last-eight.

Key results:
(x denotes seeding):

Men’s 4th round

Richard Gasquet (FRA x21) bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS x26) 7-5, 6-1, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (8/6);    Vasek Pospisil (CAN) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB x22) 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-3, 6-3

Women’s 4th round

Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Venus Williams (USA x16) 6-4, 6-3; Victoria Azarenka (BLR x23) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI x30) 6-2, 6-3; Maria Sharapova (RUS x4) bt Zarina Diyas (KAZ) 6-4, 6-4; Coco Vandeweghe (USA) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE x6) 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/4); Garbiñe Muguruza (ESP x20) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x5) 6-4, 6-4;  Madison Keys (USA x21) bt Olga Govortsova (BLR) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1