Andy Murray’s heartbreaking loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas capped a day of misery for British players at Wimbledon.

The raucous delight of Thursday night’s Centre Court crowd, who had seen Murray go two sets to one up when the 11pm curfew came into play, ebbed away on Friday afternoon as Tsitsipas fought back to win 7-6 (3) 6-7 (2) 4-6 7-6 (3) 6-4.

It was a hugely disappointing way for Murray to mark the 10th anniversary of his career-defining first Wimbledon title, and he offered no guarantees that he would be back at the All England Club in a competitive capacity in a very downbeat press conference.

The 36-year-old is not yet ready to hang up his racket but it was clear how much this one hurt, and he said: “Motivation is obviously a big thing. Continuing having early losses in tournaments like this don’t necessarily help with that.

“It’s similar to, I guess, last year. I had a long think about things, spoke to my family, decided to keep on going.

“I don’t plan to stop right now. But this one will take a little while to get over. Hopefully (I’ll) find the motivation again to keep training, keep pushing, try and keep getting better.”

Murray’s exit swiftly followed that of British number one Cameron Norrie, who was beaten 6-3 3-6 6-2 7-6 (3) by unseeded American Chris Eubanks.

It was a third disappointing slam defeat of the year for Norrie, who had hoped to match or even surpass last year’s brilliant run to the semi-finals.

He gave credit to his big-hitting opponent, for whom this was a breakthrough moment, saying: “I think credit to Chris on that one. He played unbelievable.

“Served well. Came out, was hitting the ball huge. Didn’t miss at all. I got outplayed. I couldn’t really get into the match how I wanted. Wasn’t feeling the ball that well today.

“I fought as hard as I could. I came up against someone who was really confident. He played great. So he definitely deserved to win the match.

“I wanted to play well at the slams. It’s not quite working out for me right now. I’m preparing as well as I can, leaving no stone unturned with my team, my preparation and everything. More than anything, I’m disappointed.”

Liam Broady was the only British man to make the third round but his singles campaign ended 90 minutes after Norrie’s with a 4-6 6-2 7-5 7-5 loss to Denis Shapovalov.

He took no comfort from going the furthest, saying: “It kind of makes it worse that we’ve all lost on the same day. Obviously I’d have preferred for us all to have won. Probably would have felt a bit better if we’d staggered what days we lost on, whereas now it’s a bit of a Debbie Downer, isn’t it?”

The 29-year-old can reflect on a very positive week overall, though, after knocking out fourth seed Casper Ruud in the second round, and he is targeting a top-100 breakthrough for the first time in his career.

“The hard court season now is an amazing opportunity for me,” he said. “Even if I could win one of the Challengers or have a deep run at one of the ATPs, I could be top 100 before the US (Open). That’s the goal.”

The trio of defeats mean Katie Boulter, who takes on defending women’s champion Elena Rybakina in the third round on Saturday, is the only British player left in singles.

Liam Broady described the 90 minutes where he, Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie all exited Wimbledon as a “Debbie Downer”.

Broady’s impressive journey ended in the third round after he was unable to produce a repeat of his shock victory of Casper Ruud when beaten 4-6 6-2 7-5 7-5 by Denis Shapovalov.

The defeat ended British interest in the men’s singles as Broady followed Murray and Norrie out on a chastening afternoon for the male home players.

He did get further than his two compatriots, who both went out in the second round, as he matched his best performance at a grand slam, but says that did not count for much.

Asked if he could take any pride out of that, he said: “Not particularly, no. It kind of makes it worse that we’ve all lost on the same day, as well.

“Obviously I’d have preferred for us all to have won. Probably would have felt a bit better if we’d staggered what days we lost on, whereas now it’s a bit of a Debbie Downer, isn’t it?

“For all three of those results to happen on the same day is pretty rough.”

Broady will perhaps have some regrets as he served to go two sets to one up against Shapovalov, but will leave the tournament feeling proud of his efforts as the British man who got the furthest.

The £131,000 payday and rankings boost will make a tangible difference to his career, starting with the prospect of him making the US Open main draw next month.

“Obviously to make third round, being ranked 140 in the world, beating Constant Lestienne first round, that’s an upset in itself. Doing it in straight sets was amazing as well.

“Then obviously to beat Casper on Centre yesterday, it feels like it was a week ago already.

“Then really it’s difficult going on court less than 24 hours after you finish a five-set match on Centre in that way. Such an emotional and stressful match. Then straight back out there against a top, top grass-court player.

“Denis was just the better player, better man out there today. But, again, I think I can take the positives from it.

“The hard court season now is an amazing opportunity for me. Even if I could win one of the Challengers or have a deep run at one of the ATPs, I could be top 100 before the US Open.

“That’s the goal at the end of the day.”

Katie Boulter’s love match with boyfriend Alex De Minaur ended in an impressive first-round victory in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon.

The couple, playing together competitively for the first time, beat Australian duo Storm Hunter and John Peers 6-2 6-4.

It was an uplifting end to a tough day for De Minaur, who lost in three sets to Matteo Berrettini in the singles.

British number one Boulter, who won her first title in Nottingham last month, faces defending champion Elena Rybakina in the third round on Saturday.

De Minaur may be ranked 17 in the world, but he believes his partner’s recent success should be a lesson to him.

“Since the moment I met her I knew she had it in her,” he said.

“I’ve always thought she’s such a high-quality player, and it’s been amazing and great to see how she’s developed. She’s got that self-belief and what she’s been able to accomplish.

“I mean, the way she’s been handling the spotlight, the pressures, it’s been pretty astounding to me. You know, now it’s probably my turn to start learning from her.

“But yeah, she’s been playing amazing. She’s been doing amazing. She’s shown again this week that she deserves to be where she’s at, and I think, genuinely think, that it’s only the beginning.

“Hopefully she can keep on going and finish off a great year.”

Iga Swiatek overcame a late start and the lack of a Centre Court crowd to progress into the fourth round of Wimbledon with a straight-sets win over Petra Martic.

Swiatek had been scheduled to play second on the biggest venue at the All England Club on Friday, but Andy Murray’s unfinished match with Stefanos Tsitsipas had to be squeezed in before she did battle with the 30th seed.

By the time Swiatek walked out just before 6.30pm, the majority of the crowd had exited following Murray’s five-set defeat.

But the world number one showed why she is a four-time grand-slam champion with a professional display in a 6-2 7-5 victory that equals her best showing in SW19.

After a long wait to begin her quest to make the last-16 for a second time, Swiatek had to save three break points and needed six minutes to hold in her first service game.

It was a sign of things to come with three consecutive breaks following before the Polish right-hander ended the sequence to go 4-2 up.

A powerful backhand winner from behind the baseline clinched a third break and despite being troubled by an insect on her foot at set point, Swiatek closed out the opener 6-2.

The final score did not tell the full story with Martic forcing more break point opportunities but only converting one from four.

More spectators filtered into Centre Court ahead of the second set and Swiatek started to up her level, showing impressive agility to land a volley before she repeated the trick to end a thrilling net exchange with a glorious passing winner.

Another change of ends, with Martic leading 3-2 on serve, saw the attendance increase and those new to their green seats were welcomed with an exquisite backhand from Swiatek.

Swiatek was in the zone now and a rocket of a return brought up break point and another flush forehand sealed it.

Two more winners followed in an easy hold that put her a game away from round four, but Martic, who has made the last-16 on three occasions in SW19, suddenly dug in.

One match point was saved by the Croatian, who after a dogged hold went on to break Swiatek to make it 5-5.

It allowed more fans to flood back in with Centre Court closer to capacity now and they were treated to two more games, the first featuring a sumptuous backhand return that helped Swiatek break again before she booked her spot in the last-16 for only a second time at Wimbledon.

Next up is 14th seed and Olympic champion Belinda Bencic, but Swiatek feels there is more to come from her on the English lawn.

She said in her on-court interview: “Well for sure, it wasn’t easy. Petra was playing well, I tried to be focused from beginning to the end.

“I am happy to win in two sets and happy with my performance.

“There is always something to improve. I am still 22 so I feel I have a lot to learn. I hope I will get better and better every year. That is my ambition.

“Belinda is playing a great game, we all know she can play great tennis but fourth round of a slam, really looking forward to that match.”

Cameron Norrie admitted he was well beaten after suffering a second-round knockout to Chris Eubanks at Wimbledon.

The British number one was left dazed by American Eubanks’ powerful hitting and his haymaker of a serve in a punishing 6-3 3-6 6-2 7-6 (3) defeat.

“I think credit to Chris on that one. He played unbelievable. Served well. Came out, was hitting the ball huge. Didn’t miss at all,” said Norrie.

“I got outplayed. I couldn’t really get into the match how I wanted. Wasn’t feeling the ball that well today.

“I fought as hard as I could. I came up against someone who was really confident. He played great. So he definitely deserved to win the match. I told him that. Everything went his way today, and he deserved it.

“He completely took the racket out of my hand today. I did what I could, but it wasn’t enough.”

The first 20 points of the contest all went with serve, including nine aces, seven from the arm of Eubanks.

And it was the world number 43 who landed the first blow, breaking Norrie to love on his way to taking the opening set.

Norrie, the 12th seed and a semi-finalist last year, had barely laid a glove on his opponent, winning just three points on the Eubanks serve.

But the South African-born southpaw hauled himself off the canvas and secured an early break in the second set to level the match.

However, Norrie has looked ring-rusty in recent months and Eubanks, a grass-court title-winner in Mallorca in June, took advantage by breaking twice for the third set.

Eubanks dropped his guard in the fourth, losing his serve to love, but he hit back for 4-4 to leave Norrie on the ropes.

Norrie survived a match point on serve when a Eubanks forehand thudded into the net.

But Eubanks was too strong in the tie-break, a quick one-two of a booming forehand and delicate volley leaving Norrie out for the count.

“It’s the biggest win of my career, no question, by far,” said the 27-year-old.

“Considering the moment, considering the stage, who I was playing, where I played him. By far the biggest win of my career.”

Prior to his Mallorca win, Eubanks had texted former grand slam champion Kim Clisters, saying grass was “the stupidest surface to play tennis on”.

He added: “That’s a very different person now, I can tell you that much. I’m loving the grass right now. That person who texted Kim was not too high on it. Very different.”

A devastated Andy Murray was left questioning his motivation to keep going after Stefanos Tsitsipas fought back to win their delayed second-round clash on Centre Court.

The Scot was two sets to one up overnight after the 11pm curfew came into play but he was unable to complete the job, with fifth seed Tsitsipas battling to a 7-6 (3) 6-7 (2) 4-6 7-6 (3) 6-4 victory.

It was a hugely disappointing way for Murray to mark the 10th anniversary of his career-defining first Wimbledon title, and he is all too aware that his chances for another deep run here are ebbing away.

The 36-year-old is not yet ready to hang up his racket but it was clear how much this one hurt, and he said: “Motivation is obviously a big thing. Continuing having early losses in tournaments like this don’t necessarily help with that.

“It’s similar to, I guess, last year. I had a long think about things, spoke to my family, decided to keep on going.

“I don’t plan to stop right now. But this one will take a little while to get over. Hopefully (I’ll) find the motivation again to keep training, keep pushing, try and keep getting better.”

Murray missed the French Open to focus on his grass-court preparations and arrived at the All England Club feeling confident and healthy for the first time since winning his second title in 2016.

He was unfortunate to run into a top seed so early, and there were many aspects of his performance that were positive, but he clearly fancied his chances against Tsitsipas on grass.

For all his incredible efforts at the Australian Open this year and other close calls, he has not gone beyond the third round at a grand slam since his hip problems began back in 2017.

There was very little to choose between the pair throughout this contest, with both players dropping serve just once.

But Tsitsipas’ break in the third game of the deciding set proved the crucial one after the Greek had withstood pressure from Murray to force another tie-break in the fourth.

The crowd willed Murray to find a way back into the match and he saved two match points in the final game, but Tsitsipas clinched his third with an ace to set up a very winnable third round against Laslo Djere.

“You never know how many opportunities you’re going to get to play here,” said Murray. “The defeats maybe feel a bit tougher. But every year that Wimbledon’s not gone how I would like, it’s been hard.

“Obviously it’s brilliant to play in great atmospheres. It makes playing the matches more enjoyable and creates certainly better memories.

“But ultimately this was an opportunity for me. I had a good chance of having a proper run for the first time in a long time at a slam. I didn’t take it. Regardless of the atmosphere and those things, it’s still very, very disappointing to be sitting here right now.”

Murray looked on the verge of tears when he was informed during his press conference that a return he hit at 15-30 that was called out in fact clipped the line.

“That’s obviously frustrating because I remember,” he said. “I think it was a backhand cross-court return, very short. I probably would have won the point.”

Murray could have challenged the call but he criticised umpire Aurelie Tourte for not spotting the mistake.

“It was right underneath the umpire’s nose,” he said. “They shouldn’t be missing that. I assumed the umpire would have made the right call.”

Tennis is increasingly moving towards automated line calls, and Murray added: “Right now I obviously would rather it was done automatically. It’s a hard one because I probably prefer having the line judges on the court. It feels nicer to me.”

Murray had no complaints about the match being halted 20 minutes before the curfew on Thursday at the end of the third set or the fact it resumed with the roof open, changing the conditions.

“My opinion is that this is an outdoor tournament,” he said. “They should be trying their hardest to play as much tennis outdoors as possible.”

Murray, meanwhile, had sparked alarm right before the close of play on Thursday by screaming in pain and going down clutching his left hip, but there was no sign of any discomfort in the final two sets.

“I wouldn’t describe it as an injury,” he said. “I obviously slipped, had some initial pain and discomfort. It’s like sort of a jarring of the joint. It can be a little bit sore. I pulled up OK today.”

Liam Broady’s impressive Wimbledon journey is over after he was beaten in the third round by Denis Shapovalov.

The British number five enjoyed a dream Centre Court victory over fourth seed Casper Ruud on Thursday but he was unable to produce another shock, going down 4-6 6-2 7-5 7-5.

The defeat ended British interest in the men’s singles as Broady followed Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie out on a chastening afternoon for the male home players.

He will perhaps have some regrets as he served to go two sets to one up against Shapovalov, but will leave the tournament feeling proud of his efforts as the British man who got the furthest.

He matched his best performance at a grand slam and the £131,000 payday and rankings boost will make a tangible difference to his career, starting with the prospect of him making the US Open main draw next month.

There were questions over how he would pull up after Thursday’s five-setter, and with Shapovalov also playing on Thursday both men made an inauspicious start as there were four breaks of serve by the time it got to 3-3.

Broady began to find his rhythm against the below-par Canadian and pounced at 4-5, breaking for the third time to take the first set.

It was a typically erratic performance from the 26th seed, one moment ripping an unplayable one-handed backhand, the next missing an open-court volley but he managed get two breaks in the second set to level things up.

Helped by some more wayward Shapovalov hitting the Briton manoeuvred himself into a commanding position in the third set and he served for it at 5-3.

But the Canadian regained his level and reeled off four successive games to take a set that looked to have gone.

To his credit, Broady stuck with it in the fourth set, but Shapovalov struck at 5-5 and then served it out to end British hopes for another year, with all three men going out within an hour and a half of each other.

Matteo Berrettini proved he is the nightmare draw for Wimbledon’s seeds after pulverising Alex De Minaur in straight sets.

Italian Berrettini, the runner-up in 2021, missed last year’s Championships with coronavirus and has endured an injury-hit season, meaning he was unable to defend his Queen’s Club title in the build-up to the Championships.

Having slipped down the rankings to 37, Berrettini is unseeded at SW19, but he showed his grass-court pedigree by dispatching Australian 15th seed De Minaur, who reached the Queen’s final this year, 6-3 6-4 6-4.

“Last year, what happened last year is something that I think it didn’t heal yet. It’s a really sharp pain, if I think about it,” he said.

“I probably was in the best shape in my career, especially feeling great on grass. I wanted to enjoy the tournament. Such a special tournament for me.

“Not being able to play was something that, even when I was better physically, was really tough mentally to overcome.

“That’s why I’m here this year, because I missed last year. I was really sad. Even playing like a few points would have been good this year.

“That’s why I’m really happy. I’m really glad. I know it’s the third round, but it feels like way more.”

Third seed Daniil Medvedev wasted little time finishing off his match against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

The Russian was angry when play was suspended on Thursday evening while he led by two sets with the score at 4-4 in the third.

Medvedev returned to Court Two and duly completed a 6-3 6-3 7-6 (5) victory to set up a third-round meeting with Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.

“It’s not easy to play two different days. The last time I had it, I lost to (Hubert) Hurkacz here two years ago,” he said.

“At 4-4, it’s never easy. Straight away you’re nervous, you don’t want to lose this set because the momentum of the match can change.

“So I’m happy that I managed to close it out on the tie-break. Happy that I managed to push it through and be here tomorrow.”

World number one Carlos Alcaraz toasted a “special” maiden win on Wimbledon’s Centre Court before he fired a warning to his rivals.

Alcaraz had to work hard to beat France’s Alexandre Muller 6-4 7-6 (2) 6-3 in a tough second-round contest that lasted two hours and 33 minutes on the main stage at the All England Club.

The Spaniard lost on Centre Court to Jannik Sinner last summer and despite combining 31 winners alongside 42 unforced errors against Muller, this latest victory made it seven successes in a row on the grass.

US Open champion Alcaraz has won his last 16 sets on English grass, but feels even better is to come ahead of a third-round meeting with Chilean Nicolas Jarry.

“Yeah, I feel that I can be better. Today I’m going to say it wasn’t my best match on grass, but I feel great,” Alcaraz insisted.

“I always say that doesn’t matter if you play a perfect match, you can be better. It’s my case.

“Of course it is really special to have my first win on Centre Court here in Wimbledon. A really beautiful court. I really wanted to have my first one.

“I feel that I belong in that court. I feel like I’m ready to play more matches, to play more great matches on that court.”

Nerves did appear to be present for Alcaraz during the early exchanges and he sprayed 10 unforced errors in the opening half an hour, but a 135mph ace seemed to ease his tension before he clinched a break in the next game as he edged a tight first set.

Muller, ranked 84 in the world, continued to take the match to Alcaraz, who saw four break points come and go at the start of the second set.

Alcaraz eventually had to go to a tie-break and he reserved his best tennis for the crunch moment. A volley at the net got him off the mark and he followed up with a succession of drops shots that helped him claim the second set.

More break point opportunities were squandered by the 20-year-old in sweltering heat with the roof open on Centre Court, but he eventually did break for only the second time in the match at 4-3 up in the third.

Match point was brought up with a 116mph ace and, although Muller briefly stole the show with a stunning backhand return, another big forehand winner from Alcaraz confirmed his 42nd win of the season.

The first seed added: “A little bit (nervous) at the beginning, but the experience that I had last year help me a lot to manage the nerves better than the last year.

“Of course, the round is different, playing the fourth round against Sinner. It was different. This time I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it a lot.

“I felt different from Centre Court than the Court One. I felt the Centre Court is faster for me than the Court One. It was different for me.

“At the beginning the match was long, let’s say, and I adjust very well until the end.”

Victory for Alcaraz means he remains on collision course to meet defending champion Novak Djokovic, who is chasing a record-equalling eighth title in SW19, in the final on July 14.

But the 20-year-old said: “It would be amazing for me to play a final here in Wimbledon, even better if it is against Novak obviously, but there’s a lot of great players playing here on grass, that feel really, really comfortable on grass.

“I have to be really, really focused until the final. It’s a lot of matches ahead. I have to play my best in every match.

“Let’s see if I reach the final or not.”

Andy Murray suffered more Wimbledon heartache with a five-set defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas in their delayed second-round clash.

The Scot was two sets to one up overnight when the 11pm curfew came into play but he was unable to complete the job, with fifth seed Tsitsipas fighting back to win 7-6 (3) 6-7 (2) 4-6 7-6 (3) 6-4.

It was a hugely disappointing way for Murray to mark the 10th anniversary of his career-defining first Wimbledon title, and he is all too aware that his chances for another deep run here are ebbing away.

He missed the French Open to focus on his grass-court preparations and arrived at the All England Club feeling confident and healthy for the first time since winning his second title in 2016.

He was unfortunate to run into a top seed so early, and there were many aspects of his performance that were positive, but he would have fancied his chances against Tsitsipas on grass and this one will sting.

The match began under the roof on Thursday but there were blue skies above on the hottest day of the tournament so far when the players returned to Centre Court.

Murray had sparked alarm right at the end of the set by screaming in pain and going down clutching his left groin but he practised as normal ahead of the match and there was no sign of any discomfort.

The breezy conditions perhaps contributed to more errors from both than was the case in the first part of the match, while nerves were sure to play their part with the contest already so close to its conclusion.

Tsitsipas’ backhand leaked a substantial number of errors but his serve was again working beautifully and Murray was unable to force a break point, the 36-year-old smacking the net in frustration as another close game got away.

He had clearly been eager to avoid the lottery of another tie-break and, in a repeat of the first-set shoot-out, it was Tsitsipas who won the final four points.

Murray’s strategy to relentlessly probe the Greek’s backhand was perhaps becoming a little predictable, and he was in serious trouble when Tsitsipas created three break points in the third game of the deciding set, taking the third to break serve for the first time.

Willed on by the crowd, Murray tried to find a way back but Tsitsipas continued to serve very strongly.

Still there was hope as the home favourite saved two match points but he clinched it on his third chance with his 17th ace to book a third-round clash with Laslo Djere.

Cameron Norrie suffered a second-round knockout to Chris Eubanks to end his Wimbledon hopes.

The British number one was left dazed by American Eubanks’ powerful hitting and his haymaker of a serve in a punishing 6-3 3-6 6-2 7-6 (3) defeat.

In a heavyweight start to the contest, the first 20 points all went with serve including nine aces, seven from the arm of Eubanks.

And it was the world number 43 who landed the first blow, breaking Norrie to love on his way to taking the opening set.

Norrie, the 12th seed and a semi-finalist last year, had barely laid a glove on his opponent, winning just three points on the Eubanks serve.

But the South-African-born southpaw hauled himself off the canvas and secured an early break in the second set to level the match.

However, Norrie has looked ring-rusty in recent months and Eubanks, a grass-court title-winner in Mallorca in June, took advantage by breaking twice for the third set.

Eubanks dropped his guard in the fourth, losing his serve to love, but he hit back for 4-4 to leave Norrie on the ropes.

Norrie survived a match point on serve when a Eubanks forehand thudded into the net.

But Eubanks was too strong in the tie-break, a quick one-two of a booming forehand and delicate volley leaving Norrie out for the count.

Anne Keothavong has backed Katie Boulter to give “vulnerable” defending champion Elena Rybakina a run for her money at Wimbledon.

The British number one is through to the third round for the second year in a row and has been rewarded with a plum tie against the third seed.

Rybakina has built impressively on her first grand slam title, reaching the final of the Australian Open and winning the big events in Indian Wells and Rome, but she came into the event under-cooked after illness and has looked shaky at times in her opening two matches.

Keothavong, the captain of Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup team, said of Boulter, who won her first WTA Tour event in Nottingham last month: “She’s been playing some fantastic tennis.

“It’s not just this tournament but over the last few weeks. It’s taken time for all of that to come together. And the biggest thing is she’s been able to remain fit and healthy for a long period of time, which for Katie has always been a challenge.

“It doesn’t get any easier again but Rybakina hasn’t really come into this year’s champs playing lots of tennis. I think this is a good time for Katie to play against her, or for anyone really to play against her, she has looked vulnerable at times.

“And, if you were to be in Rybakina’s shoes, you’re up against a British number one who is popular, who the British public are now familiar with, who will have the majority of that crowd supporting her, which is a situation I don’t think Rybakina has found herself in really anywhere around the world too often.

“Katie, she’s a big-match player, she will absolutely love it. It won’t be a daunting experience for her, which I think is a big thing. It’s not the first time for her going out on Centre Court. Having had that previous experience, that will help carry her.

“It’s a great opportunity. And it’s one where she can swing with freedom and go out there and play.”

Boulter claimed the biggest victory of her career so far in the second round last year against former finalist Karolina Pliskova on Centre Court.

“I think I’ve got the whole entire thing in my memory,” she said. “It was an incredible match. I still think about the time that I served it out. That’s something that I draw on.

“I’m already excited to play against a top player and have a go. I think they’re the moments I get excited for because ultimately it’s a time for me to test myself.”

Boulter will hit a career-high ranking around 70 even if she loses on Saturday and Keothavong highlighted the greater variety she has added to her game under coach Biljana Veselinovic as a key factor in her progress.

“You can see she’s trying to use the drop shot more often, she is trying to look to use width more often,” said Keothavong. “So it’s not just straight flat-ball hitting through the court.

“And that’s the work she has been doing and focusing on with Biljana. And I do think Biljana has been fantastic for her. The team she has around her, they’re all good people. And she’s had some consistency there in that area.”

Boulter is also very settled in her personal life and was out on Court 18 on Friday watching long-term boyfriend Alex De Minaur in his second-round loss to Matteo Berrettini.

Boulter has spoken about how much she has learned from the Australian’s grounded nature, and Keothavong believes they are a good influence on each other.

“Alex is so down to earth and so lovely,” said the former British number one. “They are sickly in a very cute kind of way.

“You can tell how much they care for each other and how much they support each other and it was great to see him court-side supporting her after his match and you see it within their families as well.

“It’s hard enough being a tennis player, the emotional highs and lows. You need people around you who are going to stay level-headed and not look too far ahead or get too excited but help you keep your feet on the ground.”

Rybakina does not expect the partisan atmosphere to be too much of a challenge, saying: “For sure the atmosphere is going to be a bit different. The crowd won’t be supporting me that much.

“I’m sure it’s going to be good. Just hopefully I’m going to win this match. I’ll try my best. She’s a tough player. Her game is aggressive. Also she has a good serve. It’s going to be tough one.”

World number one Carlos Alcaraz had to work hard on his second Centre Court appearance at Wimbledon to earn a straight-sets victory over Alexandre Muller in round two.

Alcaraz was given a stern examination by France’s Muller during a contest that lasted two hours and 33 minutes, but ultimately progressed 6-4 7-6 (2) 6-3.

It made it seven consecutive wins on grass for the top seed, who is viewed by many as the most likely candidate to stop defending champion Novak Djokovic in his pursuit of a record-equalling eighth title at the All England Club.

Alcaraz quickly dismantled Jeremy Chardy in round one, making it 13 sets in a row for the Spaniard on grass after he won at Queen’s last month.

Nerves appeared to be present for the world number one on only his second appearance on Wimbledon’s main stage having lost there to Jannik Sinner last summer.

Despite a classy forehand winner on the run from the second point of the contest, Alcaraz struggled early on and had to save three break points during his second service game.

First seed Alcaraz sprayed 10 unforced errors in the opening half an hour, but a 135mph ace seemed to ease his tension and he clinched a break in the next game as he edged a tight opener.

Muller, ranked 84 in the world, continued to take the match to Alcaraz, who saw four break points come and go at the start of the second set.

Alcaraz eventually had to go to a tie-break and he reserved his best tennis for the crunch moment. A volley at the net got him off the mark and he followed up with a succession of drops shots that helped him claim the second set.

It had been a hard-fought set for Alcaraz but after nearly two hours on court with the roof open and temperatures hitting 29 degrees, the US Open champion showed his extraordinary athleticism during the opening exchanges of set three.

More break point opportunities were squandered by the 20-year-old, but he eventually did break for only the second time in the match at 4-3 up in the third.

Alcaraz brought up match point with a 116mph ace and, although Muller briefly stole the show with a stunning backhand return, another big forehand winner from Alcaraz confirmed his 42nd win of the season.

During his on-court interview, Alcaraz said: “I am really, really happy. My second match on Centre, my first one I lost last year.

“Really happy to play here again and this time with a win. It is a beautiful court. I wanted to enjoy every single second and I think I did.

“I am playing well, gaining more experience and getting better with every match I play.

“Playing here in Wimbledon, it is something special. It feels different compared to other tournaments so it is very special to play here.

“It is an amazing energy I receive and I hope to keep going like this.”

Paula Badosa had to awkwardly inform a reporter she had lost her second-round match after a back injury ended her Wimbledon campaign.

The Spaniard was forced to retire when trailing 6-2 1-0 to Marta Kostyuk after her troublesome stress fracture flared up and she revealed she will not be able to play the mixed doubles with her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas.

To add insult to injury, news of her fitness struggles on Court 18 had clearly not reached an international reporter, who opened her post-match press conference by congratulating her on her victory, prompting a toe-curling exchange.

Responding to the opening comment, Badosa simply replied: “I lost.”

The reporter did not acknowledge her answer and asked her to talk about her fitness and confidence level, to which she replied: “For your information, I just lost. I didn’t win. So, yeah.”

The moderator then again informed the journalist Badosa had lost, which was received by surprise.

Once the result had been established in the room, Badosa went on to say that she will be withdrawing from the mixed doubles due to the problem, robbing fans of a on-court love story.

Asked whether she would be able to compete: “No, no, I won’t be able. The injury is the same as I have been struggling the past weeks.

“It’s the stress fracture. I tried my best to try to play here, but yesterday when I woke up I already, after my first-round match, felt it again. It’s a little bit worse.

“So I will need a few days off and talk to my team and see what I do in the next days and the next weeks.

“The first match I was pretty happy because I felt OK. After the match I spoke with my team, and I was, like, it wasn’t very bad.

“But yesterday, as I said when I woke up, I was worse. Today was worse. I wanted to give it a try in the match, but I think the smartest thing was to stop.”

Kostyuk will play 25th seed Maddison Keys after the American beat Viktorija Golubic 7-5 6-3 while two-time champion Petra Kvitova beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2 6-2 to reach the third round.

Andy Murray reached the “pinnacle of tennis” on this day in 2013 as he became the first British player to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title for 77 years.

Murray raised a standing ovation on Centre Court, where crowds bellowed their support as he sealed a thrilling victory over world number one Novak Djokovic in straight sets – 6-4 7-5 6-4.

The Scot broke down in tears of joy as he claimed the title that had eluded him for so long as a wave of celebration reverberated across the country.

In the players’ box, his mother Judy Murray wept freely while his girlfriend Kim Sears appeared to fight back tears as the British number one kissed his well-earned trophy. Fred Perry had been the last British men’s singles winner at Wimbledon in 1936.

Murray said: “Winning Wimbledon I think is the pinnacle of tennis.

“The last game almost increased that feeling. I worked so hard in that last game. It’s the hardest few points I’ve had to play in my life.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t get my head around that.

“It was different to last year’s final (against Roger Federer) for sure, and then (at) the end of the match, that was incredibly loud, very noisy.

“I’ve been saying it all week, but it does make a difference. It really helps when the crowd is like that, the atmosphere is like that.”

Murray won the Wimbledon crown again in 2016, beating Canadian Milos Raonic and giving him a third grand slam title following his 2012 US Open success.