Katie Boulter was the sole British winner at Wimbledon on a day affected by rain and protesters.

The British number one saw her match disrupted by the second Just Stop Oil incursion of the day on to Court 18 but it did not hamper Boulter, who won five points in a row when play resumed to take the first set against Daria Saville.

The pair had begun their match on Tuesday morning before rain intervened and picked it up again with Boulter 6-5 down in the opening set.

Having come through the tie-break against Australian Saville, who is working her way back from a serious knee injury, Boulter pulled away to win 7-6 (4) 6-2.

She said of the protest, which saw a man run on to the court and scatter confetti and jigsaw pieces: “It was obviously a little bit of a shock to the system. I think we both handled it really well. It’s a really unfortunate situation for everyone.”

Boulter’s good friend Jodie Burrage was the first British player in action in round two but her Centre Court debut ended rather too swiftly in a 6-0 6-2 loss to 11th seed Daria Kasatkina.

“It was a good experience,” she said. “Obviously not the result that I wanted. The first set was pretty brutal. But all in all, you dream to be out on Centre Court.”

Arthur Fery acquitted himself very well on his Wimbledon debut, pushing third seed Daniil Medvedev in an entertaining clash on Court One before going down 7-5 6-4 6-3.

The 20-year-old is likely to skip his final year of studies at Stanford University to turn professional, saying: “Experiences like I had today make me push towards going pro.

“I feel like it could be a pretty standard thing in the coming years to play in these tournaments on the big courts. I feel more and more ready as the years go by to switch to the pro career.”

Fellow wild card George Loffhagen was unable to quite match his first-set efforts on Tuesday as he fell to a 7-6 (4) 6-3 6-2 loss to sixth seed Holger Rune but the 22-year-old’s appetite has also been whetted.

“To just see guys like this, that you see on the TV all the time, it definitely gives you a lot of motivation to work hard and hopefully one day get here without wild cards or anything,” he said.

Heather Watson reached the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time here last year but she was also a first-round faller, beaten 6-2 7-5 by 10th seed Barbora Krejcikova.

“I feel like I was playing much better this year than I was last year,” said Watson. “It just happens with draws sometimes.”

Sonay Kartal was the final home singles player to make it out on to court and she was overpowered by 25th seed Madison Keys in a 6-0 6-3 defeat.

Lee Carsley backed his England Under-21s to create history after reaching the Euro 2023 final.

Morgan Gibbs-White, Cole Palmer and Cameron Archer eased England past Israel 3-0 and they will face Spain in Georgia on Saturday.

It is the first time since 2009 they have made the European final and have not won the tournament since 1984.

“It’s a great achievement for the players. We spoke about creating our own history,” Carsley told a press conference.

“We’ve done well up till now, but the next thing is the biggest thing. It comes in three days, so recovery will be important now.

“I still think we’ve still got a lot of improving to do. There’s still another level for this team to go. They’ve really grown as a group and they’re getting everything they deserve.

“I’m so, so pleased for them because I’m a big believer that we’ve got so much quality and they just need the opportunity.

“To watch how they’ve developed on and off the pitch has been brilliant. We sometimes take for granted the level of players we’re producing.

“We’ve now mainly got to recover, and for the lads to get a bit of down time, and then look ahead to the final. They’re so motivated to do well, I’m so lucky.

“All the credit goes to the squad, they’re a very determined bunch. They have a lot of pride in possession, but also in the blocks and clearances. But there are still a lot of things we can sharpen up ahead of the next game.”

Gibbs-White missed a 17th-minute penalty after Anthony Gordon was fouled – following a lengthy VAR check – with Emile Smith Rowe having a shot cleared off the line and hitting the post seconds before.

But the Nottingham Forest midfielder headed in from 12 yards with three minutes of the first half left to atone for his error.

Palmer made it 2-0 just after the hour when he converted Smith Rowe’s cross, although the Manchester City player needed to wait for a VAR check.

The midfielder then laid the ball on for Archer to add a third in stoppage time as the Young Lions reached the final without conceding a goal.

Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted play on the third day of the Championships as Katie Boulter’s straight-sets victory provided the only cheer for British hopefuls at Wimbledon.

Boulter’s victory over Daria Saville was one of two matches on Court 18 targeted by the climate activists, who threw orange confetti and jigsaw pieces on the lawn.

There were no such disruptions for Novak Djokovic or Iga Swiatek on Centre Court after they cruised through in quick time to make the third round.

British number one Jodie Burrage had opened up proceedings on the venue but lost emphatically in her second-round match while compatriots Arthur Fery, George Loffhagen, Heather Watson and Sonay Kartal all suffered first-round exits.

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If Wimbledon organisers were left cursing the weather after day two of the Championships, Wednesday brought even more problems with rain and protests.

Light morning rain meant a delay on the outside courts and when play did get under way just after 12.30pm, it barely lasted half an hour before players were forced off again.

Live tennis should still have been on the menu, but the questionable decision to keep the roof open on Court One resulted in a delay to Daniil Medvedev and Fery’s first-round clash starting.

Just Stop Oil protesters then caused havoc on Court 18, with Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov’s match disrupted shortly before another rain delay, and the climate activists also targeted Boulter’s contest later in the day on the same court.

With a number of cancellations and other matches moved, only to subsequently be suspended, it proved to be a challenging day for organisers, who will hope the only orange spotted in SW19 on Thursday is the sun.

England kept alive their hopes of regaining the Ashes with a three-run victory in the second T20 international at the Kia Oval.

After falling 6-0 behind on points in the multi-format series following Saturday’s loss at Edgbaston, the hosts looked on the ropes when they suffered a collapse midway through the first innings, losing four wickets in 13 balls and handing the tourists the initiative as they sought the win that would ensure they kept hold of the Ashes.

But Danni Wyatt’s brilliant 76 from just 46 balls saw England roar back and set Australia a target of 187 which, despite a fast start with the bat and a spirited finish, proved beyond them.

Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry hit 37 and 51 respectively as the holders gave England a scare and Georgia Wareham put up a brave fight at the death with a flurry of big hits to offer hope.

But she was bowled superbly by Lauren Bell to dent Australia’s late charge and, despite two sixes from Perry in the final over, England won out to keep the series alive ahead of the final T20 at Lord’s on Saturday.

England had begun confidently, losing only Sophia Dunkley in the first 11 overs to rack up a commanding score midway through the innings.

But they capitulated fast, going from 100 for one in the 12th over to 112 for five in the 14th as Australia hit them with a flurry of quick wickets.

First, Nat Sciver-Brunt was caught by Annabel Sutherland at long-on, the England vice-captain gone for 23, before Sutherland took over with the ball and dismissed Alice Capsey for five and Heather Knight for a duck off consecutive balls.

From a position of strength, England suddenly looked vulnerable and soon Amy Jones had joined her captain back in the pavilion after she sought to chip Tahlia McGrath’s delivery to mid-wicket and was caught by Sutherland.

Late call-up Danielle Gibson fared little better as she was out for one but Wyatt marched on undeterred by the tumble of wickets around her as she led the revival late in the innings, as England took 25 off the 16th over to reach 150 for seven.

Wyatt’s innings was ended by Sutherland but Sarah Glenn and Sophie Ecclestone ensured England finished with a flourish – with Ecclestone smashing 22 from just 12 balls to help the hosts reach 186 for nine.

Australia set about their business with purpose, needing just over five overs to move onto 50 without loss with Healy and Beth Mooney putting up a strong opening partnership.

Healy’s departure for 37, bowled by Glen, triggered a flurry of wickets as Charlie Dean recovered brilliantly from a dropped catch to run out McGrath.

Gibson took a first international wicket when Wyatt caught Mooney for 22, followed quickly by another as Ecclestone caught and bowled Ashleigh Gardner to leave Australia needing 112 off just over 10 overs.

The tourists had a required run rate of over 11 and their task was made harder still when Grace Harris was bowled by Dean to make it 96 for five.

Sutherland was next to go, caught by Knight at mid-off to leave Australia on the brink.

Perry ensured the tourists went down fighting with back-to-back sixes to finish, but England saw the win out to keep the series alive.

Heather Watson was grateful for the support of Sue Barker during her match with 10th seed Barbora Krejcikova but left deflated after suffering a first round exit at Wimbledon.

British number five Watson made the last-16 in 2022, her best run at the All England Club, but came unstuck at the first hurdle this time as she went down 6-2 7-5 to former French Open winner Krejcikova on Court One.

Watson was watched from the stands by Barker, who left her role as lead anchor of the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage last summer but promised to return to SW19 to see the 31-year-old in action.

While unaware at that time, Watson was delighted to discover she had been in the presence of a true stalwart of the Championships on her 13th appearance at Wimbledon.

“No, I didn’t know. I only look at my box really and there was one young girl on that opposite side that I just, I don’t know, I kept hearing her, so I started fist pumping to her, using her energy, as well,” Watson said.

“I didn’t know Sue was there, but I absolutely adore her. She’s such an amazing person.

“I didn’t know, but I love her. I admire her so much. I think she’s absolutely brilliant. She’s someone I really look up to.

“Yeah, she’s so supportive of me. She sends me messages during the year in support. I’m really grateful for that. I will text her now.”

World number 144 Watson had arrived in SW19 in good form after a strong grass-court season that saw her make the semi-finals of the Rothesay Open in Nottingham last month.

The draw was not kind, however, with 2021 Roland Garros winner Krejcikova having makde the Rothesay Classic final in Birmingham two weeks ago.

Krejcikova immediately came out the traps fast and stormed to a one-sided first set in 35 minutes, before Watson fought back.

She pushed the Czech player all the way in the second, forcing two break points in the ninth game, but they could not be taken and the 10th seed later broke to seal a straight-sets victory.

A philosophical Watson admitted: “I feel like I was playing much better this year than I was last year. You know, it just happens with draws sometimes.

“On the day, yeah, she was much better today. She was really, really good. It’s disappointing, because I know how well I’m playing. But I need a little bit of luck along the way.

“I mean initially coming off the court, really upset. I felt deflated, disappointed. I look forward to these moments so much now.

“For it to be over in the first round, this is just not how I envisaged it, not what I want, but it was tough. It was always going to be a tough ask, tough match against, you know, 10th in the world, grand slam champion.”

Watson’s Wimbledon adventure is not over yet, though with the Guernsey ace set to compete in the doubles and mixed doubles.

Andy Murray will take on fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on Centre Court on Thursday after the fifth seed came through a five-set battle against Dominic Thiem.

A match that started at 11am on Tuesday finally finished just before 8pm on Wednesday with Tsitsipas claiming a 3-6 7-6 (1) 6-2 6-7 (5) 7-6 (8) victory after three hours and 56 minutes of on-court action.

That will certainly have done Murray’s chances no harm given the two-time former champion was able to relax on Wednesday having wrapped up an easy win over Ryan Peniston under the roof 24 hours previously.

Murray and Tsitsipas have met twice previously – a five-set epic at the US Open in 2021 that went the Greek’s way and an encounter on grass in Stuttgart last summer where Murray claimed one of his best wins since his hip surgery.

Tsitsipas said of facing Murray: “I’m not expecting anyone supporting (me). It’s not my first rodeo.”

It is almost exactly 10 years since the Scot first lifted the trophy in SW19, and Tsitsipas said: “I remember witnessing his first Wimbledon title. Thinking about it now gives me goosebumps because I sort of felt what he went through because it was so difficult for him to close that last game.

“Every time I see that again it gives me shivers. He’s someone who’s done so much for the sport and I’ll go into it with a lot of respect for him. He’s such a tough competitor. That (Centre Court) is almost like his living room.”

It has been an up-and-down season for Tsitsipas, who reached his second grand slam final at the Australian Open but was brushed aside by Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the French Open and has won only two of his five matches on grass.

He resumed on Wednesday a set down to former US Open champion Thiem, who has now lost in the first round of grand slams six consecutive times as he continues to try to return to his former glories following a wrist injury.

The Austrian is at least getting closer and this match was right in the balance until the end of the deciding tie-break.

Tsitsipas’ girlfriend Paula Badosa came out to support him after winning her opening match and a final forehand pass proved to be the crucial moment.

Novak Djokovic reached yet another milestone as he continued his quest for an eighth Wimbledon title.

Victory for the Serbian over Australia’s Jordan Thompson in the second round meant he became only the third player in history, along with Roger Federer and Serena Williams, to clock up 350 match wins at grand slams.

The 23-time major champion, bidding to equal Federer’s record of eight titles in SW19, was never at full throttle against world number 70 Thompson.

He broke serve just twice but still registered a relatively routine 6-3 7-6 (4) 7-5 victory, extending his record Centre Court winning streak to 41 matches – his last defeat coming to Andy Murray in the 2013 final.

Djokovic, also chasing the calendar grand slam and bidding to become Wimbledon’s oldest men’s singles champion at 36, said: “Centre Court has been the most special court for our tennis history. I truly try to marvel and enjoy every moment I spend on the court.

“It’s a huge privilege at this stage of my career when I’m trying to push the young guns. We have a very special, romantic relationship, me and this court.”

Djokovic will face either Tomas Martin Etcheverry or former grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka in round three.

Federer, who retired last year and visited Wimbledon on Tuesday, has no doubt his mark is about to be equalled by Djokovic.

He told CNN: “I think he’s the big, big favourite. Honestly, I think it’s great for him. I had my moments.

“For me, having won my eighth or my fifth in a row or whatever it may be, that was my moment.

“So if somebody equals that or passes that, this is their thing, their moment.”

Ninth seed Taylor Fritz finally won his first-round match, two days after it started.

Bad light, and then Tuesday’s rain, meant the American and Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann resumed on Wednesday at 3-2 in the fifth set, and Fritz took it 6-4 2-6 4-6 7-5 6-3.

Former world number three Dominic Thiem was a set up on Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas when the rain forced them off at lunchtime on Tuesday.

But in a late evening thriller on Court Two, Tsitsipas won a deciding match tie-break at 6-6 in the fifth set to set up a second-round meeting with Andy Murray.

American Frances Tiafoe, seeded 10, was a straight-sets winner over Wu Yibing of China.

But while they are through to round two and Djokovic is already safely in round three, spare a thought for Alexander Zverev, the 19th seed who is still yet to play his first-round match against Gijs Brouwer.

Katie Boulter expects Wimbledon to beef up their security after her first-round match with Daria Saville was disrupted by the second Just Stop Oil protest of the day.

The British number one was on Court 18 when an activist ran on and threw orange confetti and jigsaw pieces just two hours after two people had done the same thing.

It came at a tricky moment for her as she trailed 4-2 in a first-set tie-break, but, having helped with the clean-up operation on the court, Boulter won the first nine points after the resumption which set up a 7-6 (4) 6-2 victory.

She admitted to being in “shock” at what happened, but thinks the tournament will react accordingly.

Asked if she was worried, the 26-year-old replied: “Definitely, you never know what it is. I think I heard the crowd before I saw anything.

“Then I realised what it was because I saw it in the previous match.

“It was obviously a little bit of a shock to the system. I think we both handled it really well. It’s a really unfortunate situation for everyone.

“I wouldn’t say I felt in danger. I was quite far away from it. I was walking the opposite side.

“I’m pretty sure there will be a reaction to what’s been happening and there will be more security in place or whatever they need to do to ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

“I’m not worried about it. I’m just going to be focusing on myself. I’m going to keep playing tennis. That’s where I’m going to be. Yeah, hopefully we roll into a few more days.”

Boulter was followed on to Court 18 later in the day by her boyfriend Alex De Minaur after it was announced the pair would be playing mixed doubles together.

She is hoping to avoid any on-court domestics but thinks their relationship might be tested.

“I was privileged enough to ask him and he said yes,” Boulter said. “I think it’s something we’ve both wanted to do for quite some time.

“I think we’re both going to really enjoy it and cherish it. It’s not often that you get to have that experience together, especially at Wimbledon.

“We’re going to go out there and have a swing. We’ve got nothing to lose, so I’m looking forward to it.

“I think it’s going to be a experience. It’s going to test our relationship. I don’t doubt that for a minute.

“It’s a totally different vibe going on the court with him. I think we bring the best out of each other, in terms of tennis, on and off the court. I think we’re going to have a couple of smiles on our faces, enjoying ourselves.”

England Under-21s breezed into the Euro 2023 final to move to the brink of ending their 39-year drought.

The Young Lions last won the competition in 1984 but eased past Israel 3-0 to reach Saturday’s final, where they will play Spain or Ukraine.

Morgan Gibbs-White – after he missed a penalty – Cole Palmer and Cameron Archer netted to secure a final spot, England’s first since 2009, with Lee Carsley’s side yet to concede in Georgia.

Having already beaten Israel 2-0 in the group stage, the Young Lions were confident with Levi Colwill nodding over Gibbs-White’s early free-kick.

But they should have taken the lead when Gibbs-White missed from the spot after 17 minutes.

It took four minutes for VAR to rule Anthony Gordon was fouled by Karm Jaber – after Emile Smith Rowe had a shot cleared off the line before hitting the post – only for Gibbs-White to fire wide.

It boosted Israel’s belief with England frustrated but Carsley’s men maintained their composure and Gibbs-White atoned for his miss three minutes before the break.

The Nottingham Forest midfielder ghosted in late to reach Palmer’s delivery and rose between two Israel defenders to nod the ball into the top corner from 12 yards.

The half ended with Israel refusing to press and England keeping the ball, barely moving, and they remained in control after the restart.

Smith Rowe scuffed a shot and Gordon saw an effort deflect wide but Palmer finally doubled the lead after 64 minutes.

Gibbs-White found Smith Rowe, who crossed for Manchester City forward Palmer to convert – only for the goal to initially be ruled out for offside.

Another long VAR check again went in England’s favour as Smith Rowe was adjudged to be onside and the goal stood.

There was still time for substitute Archer to add a third in stoppage time when he smashed in Palmer’s pass.

British number five Heather Watson exited Wimbledon in round one after a 6-2 7-5 defeat to 10th seed Barbora Krejcikova.

Watson made the fourth round in 2022, her best run at the All England Club, and enjoyed herself on Court One last summer but it was a different story this time.

Former French Open winner Krejcikova showed her growing confidence on grass with a dominant display to send the home favourite packing after one hour and 38 minutes.

Watson’s first-round tie had been scheduled for Court Two on Tuesday evening, but poor weather wiped out the majority of the second day and saw her match bumped up to Court One.

It was familiar territory for the British number five, who won two of her three matches last year on on the court, but opponent Krejcikova was in no mood to offer out freebies and barely dropped a point during the opening exchanges.

Plenty of green seats were visible as Watson quickly found herself 3-0 down and despite being able to get on the board before holding again following an eight-minute game, the 10th seed broke with a sweet backhand winner to clinch a one-sided opener in 35 minutes.

More fans had filtered in and the sun was beginning to break through with Sue Barker, who fronted the BBC’s Wimbledon coverage for 30 years until she left the role last summer, in the stands to offer support for Watson.

A roaring comeback had kick-started Watson’s campaign in 2022 and she made a strong start to the second set against a player who made the Rothesay Classic final in Birmingham last month.

The pivotal moment arrived in the ninth game when Watson forced two break-point opportunities, but neither could be taken.

Krejcikova needed a medical time-out for treatment on her left foot at 6-5 in the second set, which proved to only delay the inevitable.

Three match points came and went on Watson’s serve before finally the stubborn defence of the Briton was breached to send the seeded Czech through to round two.

Arthur Fery is considering turning professional after showing his potential on his Wimbledon debut in a narrow defeat to third seed Daniil Medvedev.

The 20-year-old, ranked 391, matched his illustrious opponent in the first set before a rain delay disrupted things and eventually fell to a 7-5 6-4 6-3 loss.

Fery has followed Cameron Norrie’s route by taking a scholarship to a US college – Stanford in his case – and has to decide soon whether to complete his degree or pursue his sporting dreams immediately.

“I’ve still got a fourth year to do,” he said. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet regarding that. I’ll have to choose, decide over the summer what I do.

“But experiences like I had today make me push towards going pro. I think I played well and handled my nerves well. I feel like it could be a pretty standard thing in the coming years to play in these tournaments on the big courts. I feel more and more ready as the years go by to switch to the pro career.”

Fery’s natural touch and willingness to come to the net make him well suited to grass and he looked at home on Court One straight away after a rain shower delayed the start.

Fery, who has French parents but grew up in Wimbledon, won his opening two service games to love and forced a break point on the serve of Medvedev – playing his first match at the All England Club since 2021 after last year’s ban.

It was the Russian who made the first move with a break for 3-2 but Fery delighted the crowd by hitting straight back, prompting his excited father Loic – owner of French top division football club Lorient – to leap from his seat punching the air.

Fery held his own until 5-5 when rain again began to fall, calling into serious question the organisers’ decision not to close the roof.

Still it stayed open, and the delay did not help Fery as he dropped his serve on the resumption before Medvedev, who was returning from metres behind the baseline, clinched the opening set.

Listed at a generous 5ft 8in on the ATP website, Fery was giving away nearly a foot to his opponent and Medvedev began to make his longer levers count, drawing more errors from his young opponent.

Medvedev was not exactly water-tight himself and Fery had some help in recovering from 4-2 to 4-4 down in the second set but he was broken again straight away and his opponent gradually pulled away.

“It was obviously an unbelievable experience,” said Fery, who left the court to loud cheers. “The crowd was great. I enjoyed every moment out there.

“Some of the shots he hit today I hadn’t seen before, didn’t think were possible. It definitely widens the spectrum and the realm of things that you can do on a tennis court.

“Now that I know the top players do that, it’s just a great experience. Lots to take out of it that I can take on to my next performance, and hopefully get back on the big courts here against the big players and feel like it’s more of a normal thing.”

Medvedev admitted he was unsure how he would be received as a Russian but he was touched by the warmth towards him.

“There was zero, let’s say, negative energy that I felt,” he said. “I never had such a good reception at Wimbledon. It’s much better than I had before. So that’s great.”

The 27-year-old vowed to try to keep his own negative emotions in check by way of thanks, saying: “Not getting crazy, not being a selfish kid on the court. Sometimes I can be. I’m going to try to give back to people here in Wimbledon and just try to show some good tennis.”

Son Of Corballis defied odds of 25-1 to land the Coolmore Ten Sovereigns Tipperary Stakes.

The two-year-old won on his debut over course and distance in April, but he was well beaten when seventh of 10 starters in the National Stakes at Sandown last time.

That performance clearly was not a fair reflection of his ability, and under Declan McDonogh he broke quickly from the stalls and made all of the running back on home turf.

He was challenged in the closing stages of the five-furlong affair by Aidan O’Brien’s Alabama, the 11-10 favourite, and Diego Dias’ 28-1 shot Gaenari.

Those two horses finished second in a dead heat, with the winner a neck ahead on the line.

Trainer Kieran Cotter said: “If he hadn’t run in Sandown he’d have been second-favourite today.

“He didn’t travel over well to Sandown, got interfered at the start and dropped back to last.

“He was a bit sick when he came home, but we gave him plenty time to recover and knew we had him 100% today.

“He is in the Weatherbys Super Sprint with just 8st 10lb, so that is a nice pot to be heading for after here, if he isn’t sold.

“He is a good, tough horse and should have a good career ahead of him.”

Dylan Levitt has joined Hibernian from Dundee United on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 22-year-old Wales midfielder moved to Tannadice from Manchester United on loan in August 2021, before signing a two-year deal the following summer.

Hibs manager Lee Johnson said: “Dylan adds real quality to our midfield. We have strong competition for places in there now and have a lovely blend of qualities.

“He joins us with good pedigree, has a great passing range, and will fit seamlessly into our evolving squad.

“We are delighted to have secured his services and look forward to working with him.”

Levitt came through the youth ranks at Manchester United and made his debut in the Europa League, before gaining further senior experience on loan at Charlton and Croatian side Istra 1961.

Over his two seasons with Dundee United, he made 62 appearances and scored 11 goals.

Capped 13 times for Wales, he was selected in their 2022 World Cup squad.