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Federer crushes the dream of big-hitting Groth

Roger Federer and US Open champ Marin Cilic are among the winners on the men’s side of the draw at Wimbledon.

Seven-time champion Roger Federer has defeated big-serving Australian Sam Groth to reach the Wimbledon last 16 while Dustin Brown, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal, returned to earth with a bump.

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Local hope Andy Murray also emerged victorious on Saturday.

Second seed Federer clinched a 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 victory over world number 69 Groth, who fired a 147mph ace in the third game.

Federer will next face Spanish 20th seed Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I am very happy. It has been a hot week the first week but thankfully I have had easy matches going through without too many long four or five setters,” said Federer.

“Now we are looking ahead and there are only big matches.”

Dreadlocked German qualifier Brown was unable to follow his triumph over Nadal when he slumped to a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-3 defeat to Serbian 22nd seed Viktor Troicki.

Brown joins Lukas Rosol, Steve Darcis and Nick Kyrgios who all lost their next match at Wimbledon after knocking out Nadal over the last four years.

Troicki goes on to face either British wildcard James Ward or Canada’s Vasek Pospisil for a place in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Murray survived a shoulder injury scare to make the last 16 with a 6-2 6-2 1-6 6-1 win over Italy’s Andreas Seppi.

Murray, the 2013 champion, required a medical time-out for treatment on his right shoulder after dropping the first game of the fourth set.

But the world number three then reeled off six games in succession to set up a clash against Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.

“The shoulder is fine. The trainer came out and manipulated my back. He gave it a few good cracks,” said Murray.

“It’s a 90-kilo guy lying on top of me so it’s not that pleasant.”

Karlovic became the oldest man in 39 years to reach the last 16 when he beat French 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

The 36-year-old giant fired 41 aces in a 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (11-9) win.

The 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych, the Czech sixth seed, saw off Spain’s Pablo Andujar 4-6 6-0 6-3 7-6 (7-3).

He next faces either Gilles Simon or Gael Monfils.

US Open champion Marin Cilic took just two games to see off John Isner on Saturday after returning to finish off their third round match poised at 10-10 in the final set.

Croatian Cilic, the ninth seed, beat the US 17th seed 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 12-10 on Court One in a match that lasted four hours and 31 minutes in total after it had been suspended late on Friday due to bad light.

“I was playing yesterday really good and I was close to finishing it off. I think throughout all the match I was the one who was putting more pressure on the returns,” Cilic said after winning on a fifth match point having had a first match point in the 12th game of the decider on Friday.

Cilic sent down 35 aces to Isner’s 37 and next faces wildcard Denis Kudla, the last American man in the tournament, for a place in the quarter-finals.

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