London, July 6

It came as little surprise on when Roger Federer declared that if he had triumphed at Wimbledon without any fans in attendance, it would have felt like a hollow victory.

The eight-time All England Club champion is one of the most-loved athletes around the world, and no matter where he plays, or who he plays — including home favourites — he can always count on crowd support.

Hence he cannot be happier that Wimbledon’s two main showcourts will be full Tuesday onwards, the first time outdoor stadiums will be at 100% capacity at a sporting event in Britain since the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March 2020. Last year’s Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II while the US Open was played behind closed doors.

Day 8: Highlights

Blisskova

It took Karolina Pliskova almost a decade of trying before she finally reached the Wimbledon semifinals with a rapid-fire 6-2 6-2 win over little-known Swiss Viktorija Golubic

Kerber turns on style

Former Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber of Germany put in a strong show to beat an error-prone Karolina Muchova 6-2 6-3

No stopping Sabalenka

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka proved too powerful for Tunisian Ons Jabeur in her 6-4 6-3 victory. Meanwhile, Ashleigh Barty outclassed Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 6-3

“I tried to think back like what would it have meant for me to win Wimbledon with no crowds in a finals... I felt like it probably would have taken 70% or 80% of everything away from me,” the Swiss said after being wildly cheered on during his fourth-round win over Lorenzo Sonego. “Sure, I would have been Wimbledon champion, but it never would have felt the same. That’s why so happy that we have crowds back. I hope it stays this way.”

Hurkacz next

In the quarterfinals, Federer will face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, who ousted second seed Daniil Medvedev after the pair returned on Tuesday to finish their match halted by rain on Monday.

Medvedev was leading Hurkacz by two sets to one on Monday with the fourth set on serve when play was cancelled. But the 24-year-old Hurkacz, seeded 14th, turned the match on it’s head and won 2-6 7-6(2) 3-6 6-3 6-3. — Reuters

Big names defend Raducanu over Wimbledon exit

London: British sports personalities from Andy Murray to Marcus Rashford rallied to the defence of teenage tennis sensation Emma Raducanu today after suggestions she quit her debut Wimbledon because she could not handle the pressure. The 18-year-old was the last of 14 British players standing after three superb wins that had fans on their feet. Reuters