Fri Jun 27 13:30:04 2008

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Top-seed Ivanovic falls at Wimbledon

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Wimbledon, England (Sports Network) - Jie Zheng of China stunned top-seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic, while Americans Serena Williams and Bethanie Mattek advanced in third-round action at Wimbledon on Friday.

Zheng, ranked No. 133 in the world, jumped all over Ivanovic in the first set and held on from there to win 6-1, 6-4.

The world No. 1 Ivanovic had also struggled earlier in the week, barely surviving her second-round match against France's Nathalie Dechy here on Wednesday.

The sixth-seeded Williams, a two-time Wimbledon champion, edged 29th-seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo in a hard-fought first set before dominating things in the second frame to win 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

Meanwhile, Mattek stunned 11th-seeded Marion Bartoli of France, the 2007 Wimbledon runner-up, in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1. Bartoli needed a medical time out for a stiff shoulder late in the first set and never recovered.

After rain forced play to be delayed for 90 minutes in the morning, fourth- seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova and No. 8 Anna Chakvetadze of Russia both moved on in straight sets. The U.S. Open runner-up Kuznetsova dispensed of Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-4, while Chakvetadze downed countrywoman Evgeniya Rodina, 6-4, 6-3, at the All England Club.

In other action, 14th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland waltzed by Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-3, 6-2; No. 15 Agnes Szavay of Hungary outlasted Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-2; and 18th-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 win over Casey Dellacqua of Australia.