London (AFP)

The challenge was immense. But Tsonga was no match for Nadal, boxing for just under two hours on Saturday at Wimbledon, and Lucas Pouille, more daring, also did not find the key against Federer: their road stops at the doors of the 8th finals.

- Tsonga helpless -

Yet he had reason to believe it. The 34-year-old Manceau had already beaten Nadal (4-time), who is on grass at Queen's in 2011 in their only game on this surface. He had mostly beaten him in their last match four years ago in Shanghai. Two weeks before the London fortnight, he had seriously hung King Federer at Halle. And since the beginning of the tournament, the 72nd World, which tries to regain the peaks after a year almost white in 2018 following his knee surgery, seemed in a good dynamic.

But there. He came across a monstrous Nadal, sharp, surgical, which left him no chance. The Frenchman has tried to get around all the problems that the Spaniard has asked him, but in vain, a hard-fought 6-2, 6-3, 6-2.

"I played my match, it was difficult because he did not give me anything, he made a big game, from there I tried to find solutions, but it was complicated. and every time I tried something new, he was there too, "summarized Tsonga, rather fatalistic.

"I did not feel very good on the court, because I did not have a solution, he clearly prevented me from doing things, he played perfectly, there is nothing wrong", he estimated.

When Nadal plays like that, there is actually not much to do, except "shake hands and say bravo," Tsonga synthesized. Nadal had little taste of being seeded N.3 here despite his 2nd place in the world, but finally, his delicate draw does not change much for him.

"It's important after a draw difficult to be capaple to clear a path in the second week," he said.

A month after his 12th title in Paris, the double Roland-Garros / Wimbledon, which he has already achieved twice (2008, 2010), seems every day less and less far-fetched, even if the road is still long.

- Apulia tried -

The Northerner had never crossed the Wimbledon Central. He will necessarily remember it. Faced with the Master of the places, eight times winner at the All England Club, his rating was obviously not very good. And what was to happen happened. A defeat in three sets, logical, but with the animated physiognomy 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (4), index of the interesting opposition that issued the 28th world player.

The player coached by Amélie Mauresmo has even clearly shoved Roger Federer, but he certainly missed the boat at 5-5 in the first set. Leaving with a set late against Federer Roger Federer does not make it easy. "It's frustrating because there are small opportunities, which are not huge, where I can maybe do a little better," said Apulia.

The Swiss pursues his quest for a 21st historic Grand Slam in his garden. There he is, as planned, in the second week, for the 65th time in his career, a 17th Grand Slam, the 17th time at Wimbledon.

- Serena gets closer to Barty -

The roads of Serena Williams and Ashleigh Barty, the N.1 world title at Roland Garros, are supposed to meet in the quarterfinals. And so far, the plan runs smoothly. A single match separates them from a confrontation that would have everything a final before the time.

The seven-time title holder had, as often in recent times, left a mixed impression after her second round. Faced with an unknown player from qualifying, she had dropped a set before recovering. She set the record straight against Germany's Julia Görges, whom she had beaten last year here in the semifinals. The 37-year-old American gave him one more game, delivering a reassuring game, 6-3, 6-4.

For the Australian, the task was simpler against the Harriet Dart, 182nd world, shipped in less than an hour 6-1, 6-1.

? 2019 AFP