Wimbledon became the latest major sporting event targeted by protesters after two people wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts ran on to Court 18 on the third day of the Championships.

The first-round match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov was suspended after two protesters got onto the grass court and threw orange confetti glitter on to the surface.

“Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted the Wimbledon Tennis Championships,” a statement from the climate activists read.

“At around 14:10 two Just Stop Oil supporters ran on to Court 18, disrupting the match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov.

“The supporters threw environmentally-friendly orange confetti glitter and jigsaw pieces on to the courts, before being removed. Play was briefly delayed whilst marshals picked up the pieces.”

Deborah Wilde, 68, a retired teacher from London, who was one of the protesters who ran on the court, said: “I’m just an ordinary grandmother in resistance to this government’s policy of serving us new oil and gas licences. In normal circumstances this sort of disruption would be entirely unacceptable, but these aren’t normal circumstances.

“We’ve just had the hottest June on record, breaking the previous record by nearly a whole degree. We don’t need Hawk-eye to see that our government issuing over 100 new fossil fuel licences is a very bad line-call.

“Forget strawberries and cream, scientists are warning of impending food shortages, mass displacement and war. We are facing new pandemics, economic inflation and increasingly authoritarian governments who will attempt to crush civil unrest.

“This is a crisis and it needs a crisis response. I want a safe future, not just for my grandchildren but for all children around the world and the generations to come.”

The other Just Stop Oil protester who invaded Court 18 at Wimbledon was Simon Milner-Edwards, 66, a retired musician, from Manchester.

He said: “I’m here for my grandchildren and everybody else’s. I’m not prepared to let our politicians wreck everything and leave the next generation to pick up the pieces.

“The last thing I want to do is spoil people’s enjoyment of Wimbledon, but right now, on Centre Court, it’s humanity versus oil and gas – and the umpire is getting every call wrong.

“How long are we going to take this before we see a McEnroe-level meltdown?”

Wimbledon became the latest major sporting event targeted by protesters after two people wearing Just Stop Oil T-shirts ran on to Court 18 on the third day of the Championships.

The first-round match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov was suspended after two protesters got onto the grass court and threw orange confetti glitter on to the surface.

“Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted the Wimbledon Tennis Championships,” a statement from the climate activist read.

“At around 14:10 two Just Stop Oil supporters ran onto Court 18, disrupting the match between Sho Shimabukuro and Grigor Dimitrov.

“The supporters threw environmentally-friendly orange confetti glitter and jigsaw pieces onto the courts, before being removed. Play was briefly delayed whilst marshals picked up the pieces.”

Tournament organisers were presented with more scheduling headaches after another hour and a half was lost due to rain at Wimbledon on Wednesday.

All play on the outside courts was washed out just after midday on Tuesday, which led to 87 matches being scheduled on day three in a bid to clear the backlog of matches.

But more inclement weather arrived at 10.30am, just 30 minutes before play was due to get under way, meaning there was no action before 12.30pm.

The dark clouds were replaced with blue skies at lunchtime, but it is almost certain that a number of matches will be cancelled later in the day, leaving the tournament playing catch-up for the next few days.

There are still some matches that were initially scheduled for Monday that have yet to be played, while a number of matches that started on Tuesday also need to be finished.

Only eight matches were completed on Tuesday with all of the Centre Court and Court One schedule played under the roof.

Wimbledon organisers will try to play catch-up on day three after only eight matches were completed on a rain-soaked Tuesday.

Schedulers have had their work cut out devising an order of play for Wednesday, combining unplayed first-round matches with some second-round contests.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what promises to be an exciting day’s action.

Jodie’s Centre stage

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Jodie Burrage’s reward for registering her first win at Wimbledon is opening up Centre Court’s schedule on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old was best known for her affiliation with the Percy Pig sweets after offering some to a stricken ball boy at last year’s event but it is her tennis that is attracting attention this year.

She will have it tough in the second round against 11th seed Daria Kasatkina, but she is playing with confidence after an excellent grass-court season and a partisan home crowd could help deliver one of her best career wins.

Brit watch

Burrage is one of seven home players in action in a packed schedule around the grounds. Youngster Arthur Fery gets the honour of opening Court One against Daniil Medvedev and Heather Watson follows in a tough assignment against 10th seed Barbora Krejcikova.

George Loffhagen will finish his match against Holger Rune, finding himself a set down after Tuesday’s play, while Katie Boulter completes her contest with Daria Saville that began 24 hours previously.

Jan Choinski is also scheduled to play his former doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz.

Clearing the backlog

It will have been a nightmare for tournament officials to plan, but punters will get value for money as the schedule is packed following Tuesday’s effective washout.

There are a host of first-round matches that have yet to even start, while all of Tuesday’s outside court matches need to be finished.

With 18 second-round clashes also due to get under way, some courts are set to host five matches should the weather stay fair.

Iga and Novak hoping for calm

Amid all the chaos of matches elsewhere, big hitters Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek will be hoping to go about their business in serene fashion on Centre Court.

Women’s world number one Swiatek, in search of her first title at SW19, follows Burrage against Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo, against whom she should have few problems.

Djokovic is seemingly invincible on Centre Court, unbeaten in the arena since the 2013 final against Andy Murray, and Australian Jordan Thompson seems unlikely to be the man who is going to end that record.

Match of the day

The rain robbed fans of a potential classic clash between fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem on Tuesday as the heavens opened midway through the second set.

They will return to finish on Wednesday and it is even more intriguing given Thiem won the opening set on his first outing at SW19 since 2019.

Tsitsipas is hardly rich in pedigree on the grass having never gone past the fourth round.

Murray will be among those looking on with interest as he will face the winner in the second round.

Order of playWeather

Dan Evans admitted switching off from tennis for a little while would help him get over more first-round disappointment at Wimbledon.

The British number two exited SW19 at the first hurdle for a fifth time in eight main draw appearances following a 6-2 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-4 defeat to France’s Quentin Halys.

Evans was knocked out by Australian Jason Kubler in round one last year and quickly found himself in the familiar position of being two sets down at the All England Club on Monday, but had to return on Tuesday to complete his match.

Rain produced a further delay and when all of the outside court matches were cancelled, Evans saw his clash moved to Centre Court where he pulled a set back.

But there would be no late-night heroics with Halys able to clinch his place in the second round with a booming forehand winner.

“I think now it’s important to spend time with family, friends. Tennis won’t be on my agenda for a little while,” Evans reflected after an underwhelming grass-court campaign.

“You know, it’s been a long six months or seven months, whatever it is. It’s important to recharge and get ready for a good swing in America, which I enjoy, but it’s important to rest as well. Yeah, that’s all I’m really going to do for a bit and then start back up.

“I think it’s important to totally switch off now. You know, it’s important to step away sometimes, to live a bit of a normal life and get away from living out of a suitcase for a long time.”

World number 30 Evans was at a loss to explain his flat display on Monday against a player who only made his Wimbledon debut in 2022.

After waiting all day to begin his comeback quest, Evans edged a third-set tie-breaker, much to the delight of those still in attendance on Centre Court.

Break points had been hard to come by for the Birmingham right-hander and when he was presented with an opportunity in the seventh game of the fourth set, Evans sent his forehand long and Halys claimed victory with his first match point to inflict a seventh defeat in eight for the 33-year-old home favourite.

Evans added: “I have done nothing different, so yeah it’s disappointing, but, you know, they’re good players out there. I think everyone is guilty of having opinions on certain players you should beat, you shouldn’t beat.

“I think when the draw came out, I must have had that many messages saying, ‘Quentin Halys is a clay court player’. It’s very easy to overlook people.

“They’re all good players on the tour and you have to put them away, that’s what I try and do but if I’m losing, which I am at the minute, you know – I wouldn’t say I’ve hit a wall. It’s frustrating, it’s annoying, it’s whatever.

“But I’m not sure what else you can do. You’ve just got to keep competing. It is no good practising, I tried that. I tried to take Eastbourne off and took Nottingham off, and first round, first round, it’s incredibly frustrating.”

Having not dropped outside of the top-40 since 2020, Evans will hope to bounce back for the hard-court US swing in August.

He will have to spend some of the next few weeks working out his coaching team after splitting with Sebastian Prieto last month.

“I’ve got to look at that,” Evans acknowledged.

“You know, I’ll leave incredibly frustrated after tonight, to work hard and then serve a double at 30-all.

“But like I said previously, it’s important to switch off. When I feel it’s right, I’ll start thinking about it.”

Andy Murray brushed aside Ryan Peniston in front of his old rival Roger Federer while Cameron Norrie battled his way into round two at Wimbledon.

Federer, whose career had been celebrated with a short video prior to the start of play, and the Princess of Wales made sure they were back in their seats in the front row of the Royal Box in time for the first shot of the all-British clash between Murray and Peniston.

Playing his 15th Wimbledon campaign, equalling the British record for a man held by Jeremy Bates, Murray claimed his second most convincing win ever at the All England Club, beating Essex player Peniston 6-3 6-0 6-1.

Federer gave Murray a thumbs up for his performance and the Scot enjoyed competing in front of the man who was on the other side of the net for some of the most significant moments of his career.

“It’s obviously brilliant to have him around the event,” said Murray. “I’m sure he will be around the sport a lot. I know he loves tennis.

“I didn’t find it strange. It was nice to have him there. I think (Pete) Sampras has sat up there and watched Roger and Rafa (Nadal). I’ve sat and Rod Laver has been at a bunch of matches at the Australian Open.”

Murray can relax on Wednesday while he waits to find out who he plays in round two, with Dominic Thiem a set up on fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas when rain intervened.

British number one Norrie also benefited from playing under cover, returning to the scene of last year’s memorable triumphs for a 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-4 victory over Czech qualifier Tomas Machac on Court One.

“It was a lot of fun coming out to that court, so special, a lot of good memories there,” said the 12th seed. “It was really fun to come out and see the audience and just good sensations.

“I played, I reckon, a really good match, with some normal drops in there, but a lot to learn from and take from that match. But a good day and nice to get the win.”

Dan Evans was a late addition to the Centre Court schedule to complete his match against France’s Quentin Halys.

Evans, seeded 27th but having a torrid season, was two sets down after a poor start to the contest on Court Two on Monday.

He rallied under the roof, winning the third set against the big-serving Frenchman, but was unable to force a decider, losing out 6-2 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-4.

“Yesterday I wasn’t very good at all,” said Evans. “I have to give him credit. He played very well, and it’s frustrating, but that’s why I have to keep coming back and putting my game on the court, competing.”

The other British players scheduled all fell foul of the bad weather, with Katie Boulter and debutant George Loffhagen the only two to make it on to court.

New British number one Boulter was 5-6 down to Australian Daria Saville when the rain came while 22-year-old Loffhagen was edged out 7-4 in a first-set tie-break by sixth seed Holger Rune.

Cameron Norrie reaped the benefits of not being Wimbledon’s rain man as he got his campaign up and running with a four-set victory over Tomas Machac.

The 27-year-old dropped the second set but went on to record a 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-4 win over the tricky Czech youngster under the roof on Court One.

While play on the outside courts was virtually wiped out due to persistent rain, Norrie is safely into round two – unlike the vast majority of his rivals.

Last year Norrie had to deal with two rain delays as he eventually beat first-round opponent Pablo Andujar, but as the 12th seed and British number one – and a semi-finalist last year – he has earned the right to play on the show courts and stay in the dry.

“Yeah that’s, for me, such a big advantage – to win, first of all, and to finish my match and know that I’m going to play,” he said.

“I looked at the weather this morning and I knew it was raining. (But) I knew I could plan as per usual to play.

“Yeah, it’s difficult. There are some guys still in the first round, and I was obviously fortunate enough to play, which is a big thanks to the club.

“I felt that I earned the right to play on that court, and I was able to hit on that court before I played, so I think that was a good advantage as well.

“So, yeah, it was nice to be through in four tough sets. He made it really tricky for me. He played great, I thought.”

Machac, ranked 108 in the world, was making his Wimbledon debut and playing the first Tour level match on grass of his career.

But nevertheless the 22-year-old was a dangerous first-round opponent who beat Norrie’s compatriot Dan Evans in the Davis Cup and took Novak Djokovic to a deciding-set tie-break earlier this year.

There was no drama for Norrie in the opening set, though, as he secured a break for 3-2 and another to wrap it up.

The 12th seed is still sporting the tape on his knee that he wore throughout Queen’s, but whatever the issue is it was not bothering him unduly.

However, things unravelled in the second with Norrie twice pointing an accusatory finger at the grass after misreading the bounce of the ball and dumping forehands into the net before Machac levelled the match.

But Norrie got back on track in the third, securing a double break to take the set in just 24 minutes.

He retrieved an early break in the fourth with a forehand which left a flagging Machac in a heap on the baseline.

Further break points went back and forth but it was Norrie who made one stick to complete an encouraging victory in two hours and 32 minutes.

Dan Evans suffered more Wimbledon disappointment after he exited the tournament in the first round for the second year in a row.

World number 30 Evans had started his match with Quentin Halys on Monday and quickly found himself two sets down, but had to wait until Tuesday to try and mount a comeback.

Rain from lunchtime onwards on day two forced a further delay before his tie was eventually moved to Centre Court and despite winning the third set, Evans exited 6-2 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-4.

Evans had been scheduled to be second up on Court Two on Tuesday but the wet weather arrived just after midday and subsequently saw all play on the outside courts cancelled for the day.

The British number two was made to wait before he was switched to Centre Court after women’s second seed Aryna Sabalenka beat Panna Udvardy in 62 minutes – allowing him to complete his round one match on the big stage under the roof.

Pumped up in front of a decent-sized home crowd, Evans watched his French opponent Halys take an early tumble in the third game of set three.

Halys grimaced in pain after he twisted his left ankle and would later call for the trainer, but he was fine to resume as the set stayed on serve.

The nip-and-tuck nature of the match extended into a tie-break and a backhand into the net from Halys saw Evans force a fourth set.

Break points were still hard to come by for the Birmingham right-hander, playing in the main draw for an eighth time, but an opportunity finally presented itself in the seventh game.

Evans wheeled off three points in a row after trailing 30-0 but his attempted forehand winner down the line landed long and his French opponent held after a super drop shot was combined with a fine winner behind the baseline.

It felt decisive and proved to be with Halys able to book his place in the second round on his first match point with a booming forehand winner to inflict another early exit on Evans, who has now lost seven of his last eight matches.

World number two Aryna Sabalenka says her return to Wimbledon inspired her to play her best tennis in a first-round romp.

The Belarusian was not permitted to enter last year’s tournament in response to her country’s part in Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, but she is back and looks like meaning business after dispatching Panna Udvardy 6-3 6-1 in little over an hour on Centre Court.

Sabalenka is part of the unofficial ‘big three’ in the women’s game along with world number one Iga Swiatek and defending champion Elena Rybakina and is happy to be back challenging again.

She said in her on-court interview: “I didn’t realise how much I missed this place until this match. Thank you for everyone coming and supporting, it really means a lot to me.

“It was a great match, I was trying to do my best in every point, I was enjoying the experience. I think I missed this place a lot, that is why I played my best tennis today.

“I mean, I feel great. It is really good to be one of the favourite at this beautiful tournament and I will try my best to make sure I reach as far as I can at Wimbledon.

“I really love Wimbledon. I have great memories from two years ago. I made semi-finals. I always enjoy my game here at Wimbledon, enjoy the atmosphere.

“It was a really tough period for me last year. I was just super happy to be here this year. I really enjoyed every second today on court.”

Rybakina overcame a slow start to the defence of her title to beat Shelby Rogers in three sets.

Rybakina was playing on Centre Court for the first time since winning her maiden grand slam title 12 months ago and American Rogers threatened to produce some Independence Day fireworks as she took the opening set in style.

But, despite a recent illness which saw her pull out of the Eastbourne tournament last week, she found her feet and reminded everyone why she triumphed here last year by overrunning her opponent in the final two sets to claim a 4-6 6-1 6-2 victory.

She entered the court after eight-time men’s champion Roger Federer had been welcomed by the crowd and did not start well as Shelby broke her serve in the opening game of the match.

Rogers was able to save a break-back point at 2-1 and then produced some fine hitting that enabled her to take the advantage.

But that was as good as it got as Rybakina kicked into gear and raced away with the second set, breaking serve twice to take it in 29 minutes.

An early break in the decider proved key and Rybakina was able to move safely into the second round.

She said: “It was really tough for me today, I was pretty nervous, I cannot even hide it. The double fault said it all in the first game of the match. I am really pleased to get to another round.

“I am feeling much better. Hopefully this win gives me more confidence for the next round.”

Last year’s beaten finalist Ons Jabeur might have something to say about the winner coming from one of the top three seeds.

She delivered a convincing win against Magdalena Frech on Court One, needing just 76 minutes to post a 6-3 6-3 triumph.

They were the only three women’s matches able to be completed on a rain-soaked day at Wimbledon where play was unable to continue on the outdoor courts from just after midday.

Andy Murray raced through his first-round match with fellow Briton Ryan Peniston to provide some cheer for Wimbledon fans on a rain-soaked day two of the Championships.

Play on the outside courts was stopped just after midday and there would be no return due to the wet conditions in SW19.

But the roofs on Centre Court and Court One allowed defending champion Elena Rybakina and second seed Aryna Sabalenka to open their accounts on the grass at the All England Club.

Cameron Norrie and world number one Carlos Alcaraz were also victorious on a drab day where the presence of Roger Federer and the Princess of Wales in the Royal Box helped lift spirits.

Tweet of the dayPicture of the dayQuote of the dayShot of the dayStat of the dayRoyalty on Centre Court

Two different types of royalty graced Centre Court on a wet second day of the Championships with Kate and eight-time Wimbledon winner Federer, who both recently put on a training session for ball girls and boys, in the Royal Box.

Federer received a special ovation and watched a video of his highlights on his first return to SW19 since confirming his retirement in September. It showed he remains the king of the All England Club despite playing the last of his 22 tournaments here in 2021.

Federer sat next to Kate, who wore a lime green blazer and had mixed with the Court 18 crowd during Katie Boulter’s match against Daria Saville before rain brought an early end to proceedings.

With the roof on Centre, the pair were able to witness the victories of Rybakina and Murray.

British number one Cameron Norrie got his Wimbledon campaign up and running with a four-set victory over tricky Czech youngster Tomas Machac.

The 27-year-old, a semi-finalist here last year, dropped the second set but went on to record a 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-4 win under the roof on Court One.

Machac, ranked 108 in the world, was making his Wimbledon debut and playing the first Tour level match on grass of his career.

But nevertheless the 22-year-old was a dangerous first-round opponent who beat Norrie’s compatriot Dan Evans in the Davis Cup and took Novak Djokovic to a deciding-set tie-break earlier this year.

There was no drama for Norrie in the opening set, though, as he secured a break for 3-2 and another to wrap it up.

The 12th seed is still sporting the tape on his knee that he wore throughout Queen’s, but whatever the issue is it was not bothering him unduly.

However, things unravelled in the second with Norrie twice pointing an accusatory finger at the grass after misreading the bounce of the ball and dumping forehands into the net before Machac levelled the match.

But Norrie got back on track in the third, securing a double break to take the set in just 24 minutes.

He retrieved an early break in the fourth with a forehand which left a flagging Machac in a heap on the baseline.

Further break points went back and forth but it was Norrie who made one stick to complete an encouraging victory in two hours and 32 minutes.

“The last two years that was me waiting around in the rain,” said Norrie. “So it was nice to have a run last year and then to be able to play on this court.

“It’s nice to get it done and get the first one out of the way.”

Andy Murray put on a Centre Court show for the Princess of Wales and old foe Roger Federer.

The two-time champion took apart countryman Ryan Peniston with a 6-3 6-0 6-1 victory under the roof to ease into the second round of Wimbledon for the 15th consecutive time.

Federer, whose career had been celebrated with a short video prior to the start of play, and Kate made sure they were back in their seats in the front row of the Royal Box in time for the first shot of the all-British clash.

It is 11 years since a tearful Murray was beaten by the great Swiss in his first Wimbledon final, and he sincerely believes that his days of challenging for the title here are not over.

He missed the French Open to focus on his grass-court preparations, winning back-to-back Challenger Tour titles in Surbiton and Nottingham, and was rewarded with his first straight-sets win at Wimbledon since 2017 and his most convincing victory here in nine years.

By starting a 15th campaign, he matched the open era record for a British man set by Jeremy Bates, and he would have taken confidence from knowing that in nearly 1,000 tour-level matches he had never lost to a player ranked as low as Peniston’s 268.

The 27-year-old from Essex, who survived cancer as a toddler, had a breakthrough year in 2022, particularly on the grass, and won his first-round match at Wimbledon.

He settled well on his Centre Court debut and was the better of the two for much of the first set but he was unable to take either of two early chances to break the Murray serve and paid for one loose game.

By the second set, the Scot, who went on to win the title after his only previous match against another British player here when he beat Liam Broady in 2016, was playing much better.

Peniston was still competing hard and pulling off some crowd-pleasing shots but Murray had cut out the unforced errors – 15 of his total of 24 came in the opening set – and was not giving his opponent anything.

By the time Peniston won another game, he had lost nine in a row and was 2-0 down in the third set.

Much more difficult tests will await, including the winner of the clash between fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem in the second round, but the crispness with which Murray struck the ball off the ground certainly appears to bode well.

Elena Rybakina overcame a slow start to the defence of her Wimbledon title to beat Shelby Rogers in three sets.

Rybakina was playing on Centre Court for the first time since winning her maiden grand slam title 12 months ago and American Rogers threatened to produce some Independence Day fireworks as she took the opening set in style.

But, despite a recent illness which saw her pull out of the Eastbourne tournament last week, she found her feet and reminded everyone why she triumphed here last year by overrunning her opponent in the final two sets to claim a 4-6 6-1 6-2 victory.

She entered the court after eight-time men’s champion Roger Federer had been welcomed by the crowd and did not start well as Shelby broke her serve in the opening game of the match.

Rogers was able to save a break-back point at 2-1 and then produced some fine hitting that enabled her to take the advantage.

But that was as good as it got as Rybakina kicked into gear and raced away with the second set, breaking serve twice to take it in 29 minutes.

An early break in the decider proved key and Rybakina was able to move safely into the second round.

She said in her on-court interview: “It was really tough for me today, I was pretty nervous, I cannot even hide it. The double fault said it all in the first game of the match. I am really pleased to get to another round.

“I am feeling much better. Hopefully this win gives me more confidence for the next round.”

Her victory was the only women’s match able to be completed in the first four-and-a-half hours of play on Tuesday as heavy rain just after midday stopped all action on the outside courts.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz laid down a serious Wimbledon marker with a three-set defeat of Jeremy Chardy in the first round.

The 20-year-old Spaniard is seen as the most realistic challenger to Novak Djokovic’s bid for an eighth title this fortnight.

He proved his blossoming grass-court credentials by winning at Queen’s last weekend, and then produced an impressive all-round display, dismantling Chardy for two sets before digging in to take the third for a 6-0 6-2 7-5 win under the roof on Court One.

Chardy had announced he would retire after the Championships, with the London-based Frenchman calling time on his career 18 years after winning the Wimbledon boys’ title.

The 36-year-old, who reached a career high of 25 in the world, had said beforehand the match would “be a great end, no matter what”.

He may have revised that opinion after a first set which lasted just 22 minutes and in which he could not buy a first serve, throwing in seven double-faults to hand Alcaraz a bagel for lunch.

The match began at just after 1pm, but it was nearly quarter-to-two by the time Chardy finally got a game on the board.

Alcaraz had only ever played six matches on grass before Queen’s. But, all venomous serves, thunderous forehands, sliced backhands and the occasional beautifully disguised drop shot, he now looks ominously at home on the surface.

Chardy was two sets behind after less than an hour, yet, out of the blue and willed on by a crowd wanting to see at least something of a contest, he converted a break point at the fourth attempt to lead 4-2 in the third.

It was a fleeting show of defiance, however, with Alcaraz breaking straight back and going on to complete the victory in an hour and 53 minutes.

“I think I played really well at the beginning of the match but in the third set he showed his level,” said Alcaraz.

“I like to play rallies and battles, let’s say, and I’m really happy to have played at a great level and get through this first round.

“Without the roof and sun it’s better for me and everyone, but I have to be really focused. The sound of the ball with the roof is beautiful.”

Roger Federer showed he is still king of Centre Court after a special welcome marked his record-breaking achievements at Wimbledon.

The 41-year-old was back at the scene of his eight titles for the first time since he retired last September and was celebrated in the Royal Box ahead of the start of play on Tuesday.

Federer, who was fresh from appearing on stage with Coldplay in Zurich over the weekend, received a rapturous standing ovation and was visibly moved before taking his seat next to the Princess of Wales.

The celebration did threaten to upstage Elena Rybakina, the defending women’s champion who began her title defence against American Shelby Rogers.

It was the first of three scheduled matches on the main show court on day two of the Championships, with two-time winner Andy Murray taking on fellow Briton Ryan Peniston later.

Top men’s seed Carlos Alcaraz was in action under the roof on Court One but play elsewhere was suspended due to rain in SW19.