Defending champion Andy Murray and two-time winner Rafael Nadal booked their places in the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Andy Murray. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Top seed Murray saved five break points in the fourth set, before winning five successive games to beat 28th seed Fabio Fognini of Italy to prevent himself being dragged into an energy-sapping decider that would have put further strain on the niggling hip injury he has been nursing.
"I didn't feel like I played my best tennis," Murray said. "But I won and I got through it. You know, that's a really positive thing."
It is the 10th successive year Murray has reached the last 16 at Wimbledon and he had never lost at this stage to somebody ranked as low as Fognini.
Spanish fourth seed Nadal kept up his bid for a third Wimbledon and French Open double in style, racing past Karen Khachanov of Russia to the last 16 with a 6-1 6-4 7-6(3) win.
In the women's draw, sixth seed Johanna Konta boosted her credentials as a title contender with a 6-4 6-1 third-round victory over Maria Sakkari, while five-time champion Venus Williams needed just an hour and 25 minutes to beat Japan's Naomi Osaka 7-6(3) 6-4.
New mother Victoria Azarenka reached the last 16 with a nerve-jangling 3-6 6-1 6-4 victory over British wildcard Heather Watson.
Play was suspended due to bad light with 12th seed Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 5-6 down in the fifth set against American Sam Querrey on Court Two.
New Zealanders Marcus Daniel and Artem Sitak both won their respective second round doubles matches, while Sitak also won his mixed doubles match.
-Reuters
