Jankovic wilts as fans wait for Murray

By Pritha Sarkar
LONDON (Reuters) - Jelena Jankovic`s challenge melted away in soaring temperatures at Wimbledon Saturday while Andy Murray fans tried to stay cool as they waited for their hero`s prime time appearance on Center Court.
Before attention turned to Murray`s bid to become Britain`s first men`s singles champion in 73 years, spectators flocking into the grounds saw Serbia`s sixth seed looking dazed and confused as she needed medical attention for heat exhaustion.
It was all too much for ex-world number one Jankovic who was stifled 6-7 7-5 6-2 in the third round by 124th-ranked teenage American qualifier Melanie Oudin on a roasting Court Three.
Jankovic`s compatriot Ana Ivanovic and five-times champion Venus Williams faced no such problems.
However, Ivanovic wisely opted not to spend too much time topping up her tan on Court Two as she hurried past Australian Samantha Stosur 7-5 6-2 in just 70 minutes to reach the last 16.
Next up for the 13th seed is world number three Williams.
"It`s going to be a huge challenge. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to play her because in my first match I was half gone," Ivanovic, cheered on by Australian golfer Adam Scott, said referring to her opening win from match points down.
FLORIDA HEAT
She cannot afford any lapses Monday as American Williams chalked up her 17th successive win at the grasscourt major with a 6-0 6-4 walloping of Carla Suarez Navarro and then declared the weather was not hot enough for "a Florida girl."
"You don`t understand the heat in Florida. I needed a sweater out there," grinned the third seed.
Men`s 12th seed Nikolay Davydenko joined Jankovic at the exit door after being outclassed 6-2 6-3 6-2 by Czech Tomas Berdych.
Germany`s Tommy Haas, stranded at 6-6 in the fifth set overnight, needed to toil in the sun for another six games on Saturday before completing a 7-5 7-5 1-6 6-7 10-8 win over Croatian 11th seed Marin Cilic.
"It has never happened to me that we stopped playing at six-all in the fifth," said Haas, whose match was suspended in near-darkness at 0933 local time (0833 GMT) Friday.
"We should have a tiebreak at six-all like in the U.S. Open. When you`ve played so much tennis... it`s really draining."
As the temperature edged above 28 degrees Celsius many people struggled to cope with the stifling heat.  Continued...
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