The 91st-ranked Thai is projected to rise to at least No 87 after she reached round two of the grass Major for the first time in her career. Her highest career ranking was No 85, achieved in October in 2014.

The 24-year-old is still in the tournament as she made amends for the singles defeat by teaming up with Chinese Xinyun Han to rout Maria Sakkari of Greece and Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-0 6-0 in the doubles first round.

Luksika and Han will play 17th seeded Vania King of the US and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia in the next round.

The 30-year-old Peterson, who is playing in his second Asian Tour event after taking a six-week break, stayed ahead of the chasing pack on 14-under-par 130 at the inaugural Asian Tour event.

The in-form Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand kept up his chase for a second successive victory after posting a 66 to share second place with John Catlin of the United States (65) and Kevin Lee of Korea (65).

Thai legend Thammanoon Sriroj produced the tournament’s first hole-in-one when he aced the par-three eighth hole with a pitching wedge from 137 yards. He ended the day on a 73 to make the cut on the number. A total of 72 players qualified for the last two rounds on 141.

A recharged Peterson fired six birdies against one bogey but the highlight of his round came when he holed a clutch 20-foot birdie putt on the eighth hole. He was delighted to rediscover his form after visiting his family in the United States.

Jazz is on track to become the first player to win back-to-back titles on the Asian Tour since Lee Westwood in 2011. The young Thai eagled the 17th hole from 24 feet to trail Peterson by two shots.

The teams meet in Kazan on Friday evening with Brazil the favourites, despite the quality in a Belgian side captained by Hazard, who plays with Willian at Chelsea.

“He is a very humble player and I like being with him on a daily basis at club level. But now it is time for each of us to defend our corner and I hope to come out on top,” Willian said at Brazil’s training base in Sochi on Wednesday.

“He is one of the best players in the world, but now I am on a different side and I want to do everything to win. I know we will remain friends after,” added the 29-year-old, who will also be facing Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Willian is expected to keep his place in coach Tite’s starting line-up for the game after producing his best performance at the World Cup so far in Monday’s 2-0 victory against Mexico.

It was a performance which suggested the five-time winners of the trophy were comfortable with their tag as favourites, having recorded three straight wins since an opening 1-1 draw against Switzerland.

“The team has evolved since the first game,” Willian added. “There was nervousness in that first match, a more complicated start against Switzerland, and we have grown step by step. I think we are at the same level as in the qualifiers.”

He added that Neymar is getting better by the game, but the same can be said of Willian himself, who is one of the few survivors from the 2014 squad.

“I am more mature and have more experience than at the last World Cup, and the team is more consistent,” insisted Willian, who appeared from the bench in the 7-1 semi-final humiliation against Germany in 2014.

Brazil will leave their base on Russia’s Black Sea coast for the final time on Thursday to head to Kazan for Friday’s game.

With Marcelo and Douglas Costa having shaken off injuries, it is the first time in this World Cup that Tite has had his whole squad fit.

However, Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro will miss the match due to suspension, with Fernandinho expected to replace him.

The 1986 World Cup winner said England’s win was a “monumental robbery” after Gareth Southgate’s men edged through a bad-tempered encounter on penalties on Tuesday.

“I apologise to all the Colombian people, but the players are not to blame — here is a gentleman (FIFA referees boss Pierluigi Collina) who decides to choose a referee who, by googling him, can’t be used for a match of this magnitude,” Maradona told Venezuelan TV channel Telesur.

Maradona was at the match as a guest of FIFA and was pictured before the game wearing a Colombia shirt.

Football’s world governing body responded, saying it was “extremely sorry” to read the comments from “a players who has written the history of our game”.

“Following comments made by Diego Armando Maradona in relation to yesterday’s round of 16 game, Colombia v England, FIFA strongly rebukes the criticism of the performance of the match officials which it considers to have been positive in a tough and highly emotional match,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a statement.

“Furthermore, it also considers the additional comments and insinuations made as being entirely inappropriate and completely unfounded.”

Colombian captain Radamel Falcao also criticised American official Geiger, calling his performance a “disgrace”.

Geiger awarded England a second-half penalty after midfielder Carlos Sanchez wrestled Harry Kane to the ground, but also punished an apparent headbutt by Colombia’s Wilmar Barrios on Jordan Henderson with only a yellow card.

“It was clear that in the 50-50 calls, he always sided with England and this is a disgrace in the round of 16,” said Falcao.

Geiger was suspended from international football for six months after several controversial decisions during a 2015 Gold Cup semi-final between Panama and Mexico.

He also refereed Colombia’s 3-0 group-stage win over Greece at the 2014 World Cup.

Former England striker Gary Lineker laughed off Maradona’s comments on Twitter, referencing the Argentinian’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 quarter-finals.

“The sheer effrontery from the fella who punched one in. You’ve got to hand it to him.”

England face Sweden in the last eight in Samara on Saturday.

With Wimbledon’s two-week tournament running at the same time as the World Cup, many of tennis’s top stars are dividing their time between their own title aspirations and those of the footballers in Russia.

The World Cup is the talk of the locker room, according to Frenchman Monfils, with players putting aside on-court rivalries to gather round when matches are on television.

“The World Cup is definitely different. We have been chatting in the locker room, and for sure I have some comments. I watched the games actually in the locker room,” Monfils said.

The flamboyant Monfils took his World Cup fixation one step further, venturing into London to watch some of England’s dramatic last 16 win over Colombia on Tuesday.

Spotting a packed pub, Monfils stepped inside to see the tense penalty shoot-out finale and couldn’t believe how raucous the atmosphere was.

“I saw on the phone it was the shootout and I saw a pub, so I just went in and watched it,” he said.

“Unbelievable. Crazy, crazy! I can’t describe it. I was scared to have my phone.

“It was jumping, screaming. Everything. Beers, everything. It was great.”

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer, also a father of four children, has managed to find room in his busy schedule to watch the World Cup.

But the Swiss great was left frustrated on Tuesday when his country were eliminated after a 1-0 defeat by Sweden.

“I was disappointed. I expected more from the team. But that’s the thing with knock-out,” he said after routing Lukas Lacko.

“I felt it’s an opportunity missed. I think we had our chance against Sweden.

“I think we deserved what we got. Maybe we’re not part of the best eight in the world.”

With England’s hopes of winning the World Cup for the first time since 1966 in mind, Federer was told by a reporter there was only one team he should support now Switzerland are out.

“Is there? I don’t know who I’m going to root for yet. I have to check it out,” he said with a smile.

“But my favourite team is gone, so it won’t be the same any more for me.”

American 10th seed Madison Keys, whose country didn’t qualify, wasn’t so reticent about joining England’s World Cup cause — thanks to her noisy evening watching the Colombia match with former junior Wimbledon champion Laura Robson.

“I watched England play last night. I was actually watching with Laura. She was singing the “it’s coming home” song consistently for two-and-a-half hours,” Keys said.

“Where I am in the village I can hear the Rose & Crown. My TV was ahead of theirs, so something would happen and Laura would scream, and then, like, five seconds later the whole pub would scream.

“I was actually into it at the very end. So now I’m cheering for England.”

But the World Cup could also pose a scheduling problem for two players as the final in Russia is scheduled to kick off just hours after the Wimbledon men’s title match on July 15.

Mick Desmond, commercial and media director at the All England Club, said there were no plans to change the Wimbledon timetable after discussions with football governing body FIFA.

“It’s slightly surprising FIFA had the idea of kick-off at four o’clock. It’s not something they’ve done in the past, but that’s the decision,” he said.

“You know, our final always starts at two o’clock – we’ll start at two o’clock.”

With France facing Uruguay in the quarter-finals on Friday, that means there’s a chance world number 44 Monfils — a second round winner on Wednesday — could be double-booked on finals day.

“I’d be the first player to walk over to see the World Cup!” he joked.

While Uruguay sweat on the fitness of striker Edinson Cavani, it should be remembered that La Celeste’s progress in Russia has been built upon their defence as much as their A-list attack.

And while France pin their hopes on Kylian Mbappe, it is unlikely that the teenage superstar has encountered a defence quite like Uruguay’s.

The mouth-watering last-eight tie in Nizhny Novgorod is likely to be decided by a battle between Uruguay’s stifling backline and the speed of Mbappe, 19.

Led by captain Diego Godin, and including Jose Gimenez, Martin Caceres and Diego Laxalt, along with goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, Uruguay’s defence have the joint-best record at the World Cup.

They passed through the group stage without conceding a goal, and the only player to score against Uruguay was Portugal’s Pepe in the last 16, and that was ultimately in vain.

Brazil are the only other team to have conceded just the solitary goal so far.

Uruguay have conceded three fewer goals than France. Both teams have scored seven times.

Between them, the experienced defence have over 350 international caps between them. They are supremely well-organised and have already served notice that Mbappe will not have the same kind of freedom he enjoyed against Argentina.

“If you let France have space it will be very difficult,” Uruguay’s coach Oscar Tabarez said after securing a place in the quarter-finals.

And he has also insisted that he is happy to cede possession to France in a bid to make the last four.

France’s conundrum against Uruguay is knowing best how to utilise Mbappe and his fellow attacking danger, Antoine Griezmann.

The French limped through their group stage but burst to life in their exhilarating 4-3 last-16 win over Argentina, inspired by Paris Saint-Germain’s $220 million (188-million-euro) Mbappe.

Didier Deschamps, France’s coach, has already indicated that he is expecting a different kind of game from “solid” Uruguay from the seven-goal thriller in Kazan.

The match is likely to be unsurprising, if not only for tactics, but also because of those involved.

Whoever — and however — decides the match is likely to have to get one over on a domestic teammate.

Cavani, who may play some part despite his calf injury, plays with Mbappe and PSG.

Godin and Gimenez are colleagues — and close friends — with Griezmann, Rodrigo Bentancur and Blaise Matuidi play for Juventus, while Luiz Suarez and French defender Samuel Umtiti play for Barcelona.

But the nation’s “Golden Generation” have been reminded that the match against the favourites could represent the last chance for them to shine on the world stage.

“It’s a dream match for our players,” Martinez told Belgian press after sealing qualification for the last eight with a last-gasp 3-2 victory over Japan in the first phase of the knockout rounds.

“There won’t be many secrets to the game. We have to defend as well as we can and then punish them when we have the ball.

“It’s that simple, and this team is ready for that.”

On paper, a Belgium side containing the talents of Chelsea’s Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City and Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku have the potential to cause a World Cup upset.

But despite sailing through the group stage, Martinez’s ambitious Red Devils have their work cut out if they are to go all the way to the July 15 final in Moscow.

Third-ranked Belgium reached the quarter-finals in 2014 in Brazil but before that the last time they got so far was in 1986, when ‘Little Prince’ Frank Vercauteren steered them to the semi-finals before a Diego Maradona double ended their hopes in a 2-0 defeat in Mexico.

Vercauteren said before the tournament that Russia represented “perhaps one of the last chances for this generation of players to live up to expectations, because in 2022 a lot of them won’t be there”.

On Monday, Belgium mounted a stirring fightback to beat Japan, with Nacer Chadli scoring the winner in the 94th minute.

Becoming the first team in 48 years to overcome a 2-0 deficit in a World Cup knockout match was a “proud” moment for Martinez, who said: “That was a test for the team and its character.”

– Neymar threat –

Despite scoring nine times in wins over Panama (3-0), Tunisia (5-2) and England (1-0) before the Japan game, Belgium will have to lift their game significantly to beat a well-drilled Brazil side increasingly dancing to the tune of star forward Neymar.

Neymar signalled he had well and truly put a recent injury lay-off behind him with an incisive performance in a 2-0 win over Mexico in Samara, where he scored the opener and set up Roberto Firmino for his maiden World Cup goal.

Even more is expected from Neymar, whose pace, technique and all-round vision allied to Willian’s slick movement gave Brazil another dimension.

For all Brazil’s attacking riches, Belgium’s biggest problem could be piercing a robust defence that has conceded just once, in their 1-1 opening draw with Switzerland.

Brazil centre-back pairing Joao Miranda and Thiago Silva have been solid and will aim to keep it that way as the five-time champions target a place in the semi-finals and a match with either France or Uruguay.

“We’re progressing, that’s evident,” Silva said after their win over Mexico. “It was a complicated match against a dangerous side, but we were solid at the back.”

Mistakes such as the ones that allowed Japan to grab a two-goal lead are sure to be punished by Neymar but it is Brazil’s defence that is also catching the eye of observers.

“As a former defender, I love watching Silva and Miranda play,” former France defender William Gallas said in his role as a consultant for French radio station RMC.

“They’re the best centre back partnership of this World Cup.”

While Federer and Serena strolled, Caroline Wozniacki suffered fresh Wimbledon woe as the world number two suffered a shock 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 defeat against Ekaterina Makarova.

Federer delivered a Centre Court masterclass lasting 89 minutes as the Swiss star hit 48 winners and 16 aces in his 6-4, 6-4, 6-1 victory.

The 36-year-old is now on his joint second longest streak of sets won at Wimbledon — his best was 34 between the third round in 2005 to the 2006 final.

Next up for Federer is a third round tie against German world number 64 Jan-Lennard Struff who came back from two sets down to defeat 39-year-old Ivo Karlovic 13-11 in the final set.

In his 20th Wimbledon appearance, top seed Federer, a 20-time major winner, is bidding to become only the second player to claim nine singles titles at the All England Club after Martina Navratilova.

On the evidence of his ruthless demolition of Slovakian world number 73 Lacko, it will take something special to stop Federer making more Wimbledon history.

“I played very well. I felt good out there, less nerves than in the first round,” Federer said.

“I’m happy how I am hitting the ball, good concentration on my service games and able to mix it up with some slices.

“Of course, you sometimes play the percentages, but if you do that too much it becomes boring, so I like to mix it up.”

Federer wasn’t the only former champion in peak form on Centre Court as seven-time winner Serena routed Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova 6-1, 6-4.

Williams brushed aside Tomova in just 66 minutes with 24 winners and four aces to extend her streak of consecutive match wins at the All England Club.

“It was better than the first round. I’m happy I’m going in the right direction,” Serena said.

“I’m getting there. I expect to get there, not only for Wimbledon but for the tournaments in the future.”

– ‘Eating bugs’ –

The 36-year-old, whose winning run encompasses her Wimbledon titles in 2015 and 2016, missed the grass-court Grand Slam last year while she prepared to give birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September.

Serena, seeded 25th after her return from maternity leave, faces France’s Kristina Mladenovic for a place in the last 16.

Wozniacki, plagued by an invasion of flying ants during the Court One clash, saved five match points but has now failed to get past the last 16 in 12 visits to the All England Club.

It was a bitter defeat for the 27-year-old Dane, who was expected to challenge for the Wimbledon title after winning her maiden Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open in January.

With flying ants stuck in Wozniacki’s hair and dive-bombing her throughout the match, the former world number one asked the umpire if there was something that could be sprayed to keep the bugs away.

“They’re in my mouth and in my hair and everywhere — we need to do something. Is there a spray?” she said.

“I want to be here to focus on tennis, not eating bugs.”

Five-time champion Venus Williams battled into the third round with a 4-6, 6-0, 6-1 win over Romanian qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru.

Venus reached her ninth Wimbledon final last year, but the American star was denied a sixth title by Garbine Muguruza.

Making her 21st Wimbledon appearance, 38-year-old Venus is the oldest woman in this year’s tournament.

But she didn’t look her age in making it 89 career match wins at Wimbledon by demolishing Dulgheru in the final two sets.

Asked if her wealth of Wimbledon experience was a key factor, Venus said: “I’d love to have that extra advantage. If that’s working for me I’m all for it.

“It’s just about winning the match. If that’s your best or not doesn’t matter.”

Venus next faces Dutch 20th seed Kiki Bertens, who beat Russian world number 107 Anna Blinkova 6-4, 6-0.

Former world number one Karolina Pliskova finally made it to the third round on her seventh visit to Wimbledon after seeing off two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-3.

Former finalist Agnieszka Radwanska lost 7-5, 6-4 to Czech world number 66 Lucie Safarova.

Wozniacki, plagued by an invasion of flying ants during the Court One clash, saved five match points but has now failed to get past the last 16 in 12 visits to the All England Club.

It was a bitter defeat for the 27-year-old Dane, who was expected to challenge for the Wimbledon title after winning her maiden Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open in January.

Wozniacki then told Makarova not to get too optimistic about making a deep run at the All England Club despite the Russian winning the women’s doubles title in 2017.

“I think she played above her level and really raised it and got a little lucky and played well when she needed to,” sniffed Wozniacki who had lost to the 30-year-old in the second round of the US Open last year.

Wozniacki had won all of their seven previous meetings up to that point.

“I don’t know that she would be able to keep up this level for the rest of the tournament,” she added.

Russian world number 35 Makarova, who next faces Czech world number 66 Lucie Safarova, shrugged off Wozniacki’s unflattering summary of her chances.

“I don’t know what to say. Yeah, maybe I was lucky today. Good for me. Thanks God!” she told WTA Insider.

Flying ants also did their best to darken Wozniacki’s mood.

Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 

The former world number one asked the umpire if there was something that could be sprayed to keep the bugs away.

“They’re in my mouth and in my hair and everywhere — we need to do something. Is there a spray?” she said.

“I want to be here to focus on tennis, not eating bugs.”

Wozniacki arrived in south-west London in good form on grass following her victory at the Wimbledon warm-up event in Eastbourne last week.

But once again she exits Wimbledon in embarrassing style, leaving the grass-court Grand Slam as the only one of the four majors at which she has never reached the quarter-finals.

Makarova insisted in the aftermath of her victory that she had tried not to think about the match points slipping away.

“I couldn’t win with a lot of match points, but I kept fighting and playing an aggressive game and finally it worked,” said Makarova who had led 5-1 in the final set.

“I was really nervous, because you need to win this point.

“When it was 5-5 I started thinking about those match points on my serve at 40-0.

“But I told myself ‘no, you are not going to lose this match’. I forgot it and started over.”

Makarova, playing in her 44th consecutive Slam, is hoping to emulate her run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals four years ago when she was beaten by Safarova

The 30-year-old has twice made the semi-finals at a major — both at the US Open in 2014 and 2015.

The 19-year-old former world junior No 1 hung tough against his 32nd-ranked opponent, who beat him two years ago in the Thailand Masters, needing four match points to seal the first-round win in 56 minutes.

The in-form Thai, who knocked out 2016 Olympic champion Chen Long of China last week in Malaysia, will play Dane Hans-Kristian Solberg Vittinghus after his opponent Son Wan Ho of South Korea retired injured in their match.

Thai No 1 Khosit Phetpradab had a tougher task, losing to 2017 Thailand Masters winner Tommy Sugiarto of Indonesia 20-22 21-10 21-16.

On the women’s side, Busanan Ongbamrungphan bounced back from sluggish form in the opening game to oust Pai Yu Po of Taiwan 15-21 21-16 21-13 and will face eighth seeded He Bingjiao of China in the second round, joining Thai No 1 Ratchanok “May” Intanon who won her match on Tuesday. Ratchanok will play Gregoria Mariska Tunjung today. However, Pornpawee Chochuwong went down to world No 3 Sindhu V. Pusarla 15-21 21-19 13-21.

Thailand’s No 1 female doubles duo Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai had no problem ousting American sisters Ariel and Sydney Lee, 21-1 21-5.

Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, who upset third seed Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Taiwan in round one, will play Ricky Karandasuwardi and Debby Susanto of Indonesia in the mixed doubles second round.