By STEPHEN WILSON, AP
Posted: 5:00 am
June 28, 2008
WIMBLEDON - They're still counting casualties back home, and so when Zheng Jie completed the biggest victory of her career yesterday at Wimbledon, she resisted any temptation to leap or squeal or pump her fist or collapse to the grass in glee.
Instead she merely cracked a slight smile, hoping her family, friends and fans in China could do the same. The 133rd-ranked Zheng beat new No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-4. It was the latest in a series of first-week upsets, and one easy to applaud because Zheng is a native of Cheng Du, the capital of earthquake-stricken Sichuan province.
"Of course I hope to make people happy with my win," Zheng said. "I want more people to have their homes, be fine and happy."
Zheng's third-round victory, her first against a top-10 player, meant the earliest exit by a top-ranked woman at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis lost in the first round in 2001.
Depending on results in the second week of the tournament, the 20-year-old Ivanovic could lose the No. 1 ranking she earned for the first time by winning the French Open three weeks ago.
She was gracious in defeat and said she's still learning how to play on grass.
"Sometimes you need a punch to realize what you have to work on," she said. "You have to accept that not every shot you're going to hit is going to be perfect."
Capricious hops mean unpredictable results, and Ivanovic followed to the sideline fellow Serb Novak Djokovic, two-time runner-up Andy Roddick and second-ranked Maria Sharapova. As usual, the upset trend didn't apply to top-ranked Roger Federer, who won his 37th consecutive match at Wimbledon by beating Marc Gicquel 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Federer, seeking his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title, will play Lleyton Hewitt, the only other former champion to enter the men's draw.
Others advancing included Marat Safin, who upset Djokovic in the second round, and Mario Ancic, the last player to beat Federer at Wimbledon. The last American in the men's field, 102nd-ranked Bobby Reynolds, lost to Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. It is the worst showing by Americans at Wimbledon since 1926.
Bethanie Mattek, one of three American's remaining on the women's side, will next play two-time champion Serena Williams, who defeated 2006 champ Amelie Mauresmo 7-6 (5), 6-1.
