A difficult spell for Holger Rune continued as the Dane was beaten by Jordan Thompson in the first round of the Queen's Club Championships on Monday.
Rune has fallen from a high of four down to number 15 in the ATP rankings and was unable to hold on to a lead in his match with Thompson in London.
Australian Thompson fought back to prevail 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in an entertaining encounter against the seventh seed.
Rune made the semi-finals at Queen's and the quarter-finals of Wimbledon last year, but is now seriously lacking momentum as the third grand slam of 2024 fast approaches.
Elsewhere at the ATP 500 event, third seed Grigor Dimitrov is safely through after cruising past Adrian Mannarino 6-1 6-2 in only 63 minutes.
Dimitrov will face either Sebastian Korda or Karen Khachanov in the last 16.
Top seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz starts his campaign against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo on Tuesday.
That is also when Thompson’s compatriot and last year’s runner-up Alex de Minaur begins his tournament with what could be a testing clash against Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
Data Debrief: Thompson's serve sees off Rune
In the first career meeting between the two players, both Rune and Thompson were strong on serve. The three sets only produced two breaks – one from each player – in a battle that topped the two-hour mark.
Thompson came into the tournament on a five-match losing streak, but has often impressed on grass, with this being his 64th career win on the surface.
He had eight aces to just one double fault and crucially won 69 per cent (20/29) of his second-serve points, affording Rune just one break-point opportunity across the whole match.
Thompson added 27 winners and could face home hope Andy Murray next round if the Briton can defeat Alexei Popyrin.
As for Dimitrov, he recorded 28 winners and only five unforced errors in his impressive win over Mannarino. Having made the quarter-finals at the French Open, the Bulgarian looks poised to enter Wimbledon in good form.
Raducanu breezes into second round at Eastbourne
Emma Raducanu is through to the second round at Eastbourne after a commanding straight-sets victory over Sloane Stephens on Tuesday.
Despite an early scare, Raducanu cruised through, winning 6-4 6-0 in just one hour 17 minutes.
Raducanu and Stephens traded blows early on in the first set, with both getting double breaks to stay neck-and-neck before the Briton edged it in the final game by breaking the American's serve once more.
She then brushed Stephens aside in just 25 minutes for the second without dropping a single game, to set up a meeting with Jessica Pegula in the next round.
Data Debrief: Raducanu in control
Raducanu finished off the match in style, winning the last nine games in a row, and broke Sloane's serve six times.
The 21-year-old finished with 23 winners to just 13 unforced errors to tee up a marquee match-up in the second round.
Djokovic will only play Wimbledon if title in reach after surgery
Novak Djokovic will only play at Wimbledon if he feels he has a chance of winning the tournament, with a decision on his involvement to be made before Friday's draw.
Djokovic tore the medial meniscus in his right knee at the French Open earlier this month, withdrawing ahead of a scheduled quarter-final against Casper Ruud.
He underwent surgery on the injury less than three weeks ago but still travelled to SW19 on Monday and was seen out on the practice courts.
However, the Serbian will only participate if he feels he has a realistic chance of an eighth Wimbledon crown, which would equal Roger Federer's all-time record.
"I didn't come here to play a few rounds," Djokovic told BBC Sport. "You can never know 100% what is going to happen at a tournament, but I'm going to make a decision based on the feeling that I have.
"If I know I can play close to my maximum or at maximum, then I'll play. If not, then I'll give somebody else a chance to play."
Asked if his maximum meant a title push, Djokovic replied: "That's why I'm here.
"I don't plan to retire or for this to be my last Wimbledon. The injury happened at an unfortunate moment but it's part of the sport."
Having gone through a two-hour session with bandaging on his affected knee on Monday, Djokovic added his recovery is going well and said he will give himself as much time as possible to make a decision.
"It's been going well. Rehab is going in the right direction every single day, a few per cent better and better. That's what's giving me hope and encouragement," he said.
"I still have a week left, which is plenty of time. I'm going to give my best to have a clear understanding of where I am before the draw is made, and we'll take it from there.
"I'm taking things gradually. I'm not pushing myself 100% yet but I'm hoping that's going to come in the next few days."
Raducanu 'grateful' and 'excited' having 'rekindled the love for tennis'
Emma Raducanu is thrilled to have "rekindled" her love for tennis, with the former US Open champion admitting she is "in a lot better spirits on and off the court".
The world number 168, who had not played since the Madrid Open in April, marked her return from injury with a run to the Nottingham Open semi-finals just over a week ago.
Last year, Raducanu underwent wrist and ankle surgery that, at one point, confined her to a mobility scooter, but she has prioritised fitness over competition during the 2024 season.
Having missed the French Open to focus on preparing for the grass-court season, she has also opted not to participate for Great Britain in the forthcoming Olympics.
The 21-year-old is now stepping up her preparations for Wimbledon, which continue when she faces Sloane Stephens in Eastbourne on Tuesday.
And Raducanu will enter the contest against her fellow former Flushing Meadows champion with a real spring in her step.
"I really feel like I'm in a lot better spirits on and off the court," she told BBC TV. "It's a nice feeling for me because it hasn't always been the case.
"I'm very happy to have rekindled the love for tennis and just enjoying the challenges that come with it and not getting so down about it, just trying a way to go around.
"I'm just really grateful to have this feeling again because it's something that I feel like I've been missing in a way for the last few years.
"I haven't felt this good about my tennis and excited about it and passionate for a long, long time."
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