Andy Murray has "done it all" and should be acclaimed in the same vein as greats Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, according to Mark Philippoussis.
Friday marked the 10-year anniversary of Murray capturing the first of his two Wimbledon titles, with the Scot beating Djokovic in straight sets to win the 2013 final.
Murray's return of three major titles fails to compare to those of the 'Big Three', with Djokovic, Nadal and Federer boasting 23, 22 and 20 grand slam singles triumphs respectively.
However, Murray can also count two Olympic gold medals – won in 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio de Janeiro – among his achievements.
While Nadal won gold in the singles tournament at the 2008 Games, the now-retired Federer only captured gold in the doubles event, alongside Stan Wawrinka in 2008.
Djokovic, meanwhile, took singles bronze in Beijing but is yet to win gold, and Philippoussis feels Murray's record across various tournaments means he should be considered among the greats.
Asked about Murray's accomplishments, two-time grand slam finalist Philippoussis told Stats Perform: "If you look at the numbers, as far as what he's won, he's actually one of the only guys to win everything.
"He's won [a] grand slam, he's won the Davis Cup, he's won an Olympic gold.
"He's done it all, and when you talk about the greats like Djokovic, Federer and Rafa, they haven't all won every single thing.
"I think Roger has won the Davis Cup and he's won gold, but I think he won it in doubles, not singles, if I'm not mistaken.
"He [Murray] is one of the only ones who have done that, and to win your home slam as a Brit at Wimbledon – the biggest one – the pressure must have been incredible, then to have done it at home with the Olympic gold as well."
Murray was unable to mark the anniversary of his maiden Wimbledon triumph with a win, as he slipped to a 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 4-6 defeat to fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a delayed second-round contest on Centre Court.
Novak Djokovic beat Stan Wawrinka and the Wimbledon curfew to book his place in the fourth round.
The match did not begin until 8.40pm, an hour later than Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas got under way on Thursday, but Djokovic finished a 6-3 6-1 7-6 (5) victory with 14 minutes to spare.
It certainly did Wawrinka no favours that Djokovic was against the clock as he clicked straight into top gear and pushed the pace at every opportunity.
It was a 31st consecutive victory for Djokovic at the All England Club, equalling Pete Sampras’ best, and the seven-time champion said: “He was two points away from extending this match to another day. Coming to the court we knew it was going to be really tight.
“I know I can always play better, I always have a couple of gears that I can go higher. Hopefully as the tournament progresses I can play better and better.”
This was a 27th meeting between the pair and, although Djokovic led 20-6, at grand slams they were tied at 4-4, with two of Wawrinka’s three titles coming after victories over the Serbian in finals.
Both were some years ago now, though, and it has been a long road back to the top 100 for 38-year-old Wawrinka after knee and foot surgeries.
Wimbledon has been by some distance his weakest slam and he cheerfully wrote off his chances completely ahead of a first grass-court meeting with Djokovic.
That proved to be realistic rather than pessimistic as Djokovic pounded precision groundstrokes into the corners, time and again drawing errors from his opponent after thumping exchanges.
Wawrinka’s statistics did not make pretty reading but it would be harsh to criticise the veteran too much, aside from a very low first-serve percentage, given the barrage of quality coming from the other end.
He served much better in the third set and fought exceptionally hard to force a tie-break.
Djokovic had won his last 11 tie-breaks at grand slams, famously not making an unforced error in six at the French Open. That record was in danger here when Wawrinka went 5-3 up but he was unable to send the contest to a second day as Djokovic booked a date with Hubert Hurkacz.
British participation in the men’s singles came to an end on day five at Wimbledon with painful defeats for Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie and Liam Broady.
The trio exited the tournament within a 90-minute window on a Friday evening that also saw victories for French Open champions Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek on Centre Court.
Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka, two of the favourites for the respective singles titles at the All England Club, were the other notable winners on a bumper day of the Championships where temperatures hit 29C.
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British hopes were high heading into day five, with Murray two sets to one up against Tsitsipas, Cameron Norrie set to face the unseeded Chris Eubanks and Liam Broady on a high ahead of facing 26th Denis Shapovalov.
Amid plenty of twists and turns, that hope turned to despair when each home favourite exited Wimbledon between 5.59pm and 7.29pm.
Norrie suffered the first knockout blow, going down to the canvas and never getting back up in four sets to Eubanks before Murray endured five-set heartbreak 18 minutes later.
Broady wrapped up the hour-and-a-half of pain as he missed the chance to serve for a two set to one lead before eventually losing in four.
It means Katie Boulter, who teamed up with boyfriend Alex De Minaur to good success in the mixed doubles on day five, remains the latest British singles’ player in the tournament.
And she faces the small task of trying to take out the defending champion Elena Rybakina on Centre Court on Saturday.
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.
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from July 7.
FootballThoughts were with Edwin van der Sar.
England’s players arrived in Australia ahead of the Women’s World Cup.
Harry Kane wished England Under-21s luck ahead of their final.
Wilfried Zaha’s life was complete.
Pre-season training has well and truly begun.
A moment of magic from new Southampton manager Russell Martin.
Ruben Dias was enjoying his break.
Bernardo Silva was impressed.
John Terry was gutted to see his former team-mate leave Chelsea.
Trevoh Chalobah felt a similar way.
CricketFormer captain Michael Vaughan had his say on England’s Ashes performance.
Gary Lineker knows his cricket.
KP was optimistic.
BoxingChris Eubank Jr remembered his late brother.
Rugby leagueThe Canberra Raiders players gave a nod to a controversial Ashes moment during their try celebration.
And Australian snooker star Neil Robertson enjoyed a twist in the tale…
but also made a point about the standard of cricket in the series.
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.
The highly anticipated and renowned MCOBA-Lindy Delapenha Golf Classic, one of the biggest charity golf tournaments, is set to take place next weekend at the Caymanas Golf & Country Club. Organized by the Munro College Old Boys Association (MCOBA), this event serves as their primary fundraising initiative for the school.
Tournament Manager, Telroy Morgan, elaborated on the allocation of funds raised, emphasizing their impact within the school community. "This annual event commemorates the life and legacy of Lindy Delapenha, an exceptional schoolboy and legendary sportsman in Jamaica. Moreover, it provides us with an opportunity to raise funds that will greatly contribute to the educational, sports, and infrastructural development of Munro College," he stated.
Scheduled to commence on Saturday, July 15th at 8:00 a.m., the tournament will feature a "ShotGun Start," where all golfers will simultaneously tee off from the 18 tee-boxes spread across the golf course. The event will adopt the 7/8th handicap stableford format and offer a range of exciting prizes, including luxurious weekends for two at esteemed hotels on the island's north coast. Competitors will compete in various categories, namely Ladies, Men (up to 50), Men's Senior (50 - 60), and Men's Super Senior.
Nicole Touzalin, the Operating Principal of title sponsors Keller Williams Realty Jamaica, expressed her delight in supporting the event and highlighted the shared values between her company and Munro College. "We are privileged to be a part of this tournament as it perfectly aligns with our core values and vision. At KW, we understand the significance of giving back and strive to positively impact the lives of others. By supporting events like this, we aim to promote an active lifestyle, foster friendly competition, and create networking and connection opportunities," she explained. Touzalin further emphasized that Keller Williams Realty Jamaica's sponsorship represents their commitment to Munro College on behalf of their late founder, Rory Marsh, and the Marsh family.
Victor Tomlinson, President of MCOBA, anticipates the participation of Jamaica's top amateur golfers, both male and female, exceeding 80 participants. He also announced the return of the event highlights, including a luncheon and presentation ceremony following the competition.
Looking back at the 2022 edition, Diane Hudson emerged as the Overall Champion, becoming the first female winner. Regrettably, Hudson will not be available to defend her title this year.
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.
Lewis Hamilton finished only 15th in practice on a troubling day for the home favourite at the British Grand Prix.
As a dominant Max Verstappen carried over his crushing form to a sizzling Silverstone by completing an ominous practice double, Hamilton’s Mercedes team laboured in the heat.
Hamilton finished 12th in the opening running, and then ended the day three places further back, 1.2 seconds adrift of Verstappen.
Fellow Briton George Russell was a few places better off in 12th in the other Mercedes.
Carlos Sainz took second for Ferrari, 0.022 sec behind Verstappen, with Alex Albon an impressive third in his Williams. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez finished fourth, with Albon’s Williams team-mate Logan Sargeant fifth.
Verstappen, a winner at seven of the opening nine rounds of a one-sided campaign, has already established a commanding 81-point lead in his pursuit of a hat-trick of world championships.
The Dutch driver cruised to the chequered flag a week ago at Red Bull’s home race in Austria, and he will head into the remainder of the weekend as the driver to beat following an emphatic start at Silverstone.
Hamilton has won seven of the last 10 races staged here, but the Mercedes man will have to upset the odds to add to his tally on Sunday.
Hamilton has a new front wing as Mercedes hope to claw back the deficit to their rivals. But their star driver was on the radio complaining about the bouncing his machine was suffering from, while Russell was also on the intercom to bemoan his unruly Mercedes.
“I have no grip,” reported Russell. “The car is sliding all over the place.”
Hamilton is in the midst of another up-and-down campaign. He arrived at the last round in Spielberg following consecutive podium finishes, but Mercedes struggled at the Red Bull Ring.
Hamilton crossed the line in seventh and was demoted to eighth following a second timed penalty, and on the evidence of practice, he may be braced for another underwhelming weekend.
Despite the threat of action from Just Stop Oil protesters, both practice sessions passed off without incident.
However, F1 bosses, Silverstone and Northamptonshire Police remain on high alert that a protest could yet disrupt qualifying on Saturday and Sunday’s 52-lap race where 150,000 spectators are expected to attend.
Elsewhere, Lando Norris was only 14th for McLaren, while Charles Leclerc finished rooted to the bottom of the order.
The Monegasque was ruled out of the second running with an electrical failure on his Ferrari.
Mark Cavendish hung his head in disappointment after watching Jasper Philipsen blast by him at the last to deny the Manxman a record-breaking Tour de France victory on the line in Bordeaux.
The script seemed perfect for Cavendish to take a 35th career Tour stage win and move clear of Eddy Merckx – 16 years to the day after he made his Tour debut in London in 2007, and in Bordeaux, scene of his 14th win the last time the Tour visited in 2010 and for so long the race’s home of sprinting.
And when he burst down the right-hand side, hugging the barriers, to power into the lead with 200 metres to go it looked like it was going to happen for the 38-year-old, his head down, teeth gritted and legs pumping.
But, with the line in sight, Cavendish’s gears jumped twice and he had to drop back into the saddle, the moment’s pause enough to allow Philipsen to come by and claim a third win from as many sprint stages in this year’s Tour – five from five dating back to last year.
“I was in quite a good position, I looked far back but I was OK in where I wanted to be,” Cavendish said of the twisty run to the long finishing straight. “It was a long straight finish and Cees (Bol) had moved me up with good speed in the last K. I was on the right wheels.
“I kicked a little earlier than I would have liked but still about the same as I did in 2010. But once I kicked, started, the gears jumped from 11 to 12 and I had to sit down, the cadence just whacked up, then it goes back to 11.
“I tried to stand up and it went back to the 12 so I had to sit down, there’s nothing you can do except kind of hope.
“I’m bitterly disappointed, majorly disappointed but we keep on trying. Again we saw an improvement out of the boys so we can be positive.”
Cavendish had stopped for a rear wheel change with around 57km of the stage remaining, a precursor to the mechanical problems that followed. But asked if he could challenge Philipsen on a fully-functioning machine, he said: “I think so.”
The sprint finish to the 170km stage from Mont-de-Marsan meant no major changes at the top of the general classification, in which defending champion Jonas Vingegaard leads from Tadej Pogacar by 25 seconds.
But all eyes had been on the quick men as the race returned to the city which, prior to the Champs-Elysees, was the king of sprinting in the Tour.
And Philipsen is, so far at least, the king of sprinting in this edition, with his Alpecin-Deceuninck lead-out train once again delivering him to the perfect position, navigating what was a very technical final four kilometres disrupted by construction work before the long boulevard finish.
“I think we can’t be proud enough of our team achievement,” the Belgian said. “Without them it would never be possible to get the third stage win already. I’m just really proud of them and how we worked together, how we found each other in the final.
“That leads to success and I’m super happy and proud… I never had to do a big effort before I could launch my sprint and that’s how we win.
“If you told me (three stage wins) one week ago I’d think you were crazy. So far it’s a dream Tour for us and hopefully we can add another one.
“(Cavendish) was really strong. I would also have loved to see him win, I think everybody would, but I’m sure he will keep on trying. He’s up there, in good condition, and it will be hard.”
Tom Marquand guided Savvy Victory from last to first to land a decisive blow in the Davies Insurance Solutions Gala Stakes at Sandown.
The Sean Woods-trained four-year-old for this Listed contest seeking compensation for a luckless run at Royal Ascot when badly hampered at a vital stage in the Wolferton Stakes.
Sent off the 17-2 outsider, Marquand was in no rush aboard the son of New Bay as Ryan Moore aboard the King and Queen’s Saga led the select quartet in the opening stages.
Marquand was still anchored in rear when 6-4 favourite Poker Face cruised into contention in the home straight and appeared the most likely winner when moving alongside Saga.
But with his challenge petering out and Saga’s petrol tank also emptying in the closing stages, it was left to Savvy Victory to surge his way to victory and register a going-away two-and-three-quarter-length success.
It was Woods’ second Listed success since returning to the UK training ranks from Hong Kong. But while Savvy Victory was cut to 16-1 from 33s by Paddy Power for the John Smith’s Cup at York later this month, he is unlikely to be seen on the Knavesmire.
Woods said: “It was a race that was made for us, as he could sit out the back and with four runners, he could come at the race in his own time.
“It is not the ground he likes, but we’ve got away with it today. It is drying all the time. We walked it after the Marathon and if there had been eight or nine runners he wouldn’t have been running today.
“I’m happy that we did and happy that we won, and delighted as the horse really deserves it.
“I think it is perfect ground. I wouldn’t be frightened of galloping anything on it. They made a good print. But he’s a horse that showed us he wants soft ground, he has had a couple of unlucky stories, but he’s grown up so much from three to four.
“I can’t thank the owners enough for leaving him here, because he could be in Hong Kong, but they understood he wants soft ground and they are big supporters. He means a lot to me, this horse.”
He added: “He’s in the John Smith’s and he would have had a very good chance if the ground came, but we chose to come here instead and we’re glad it has worked out. We definitely won’t go to York.
“We’ll be ruled by the weather, because he is a big colt. It is just a pleasure to have him this year, because he has just grown up.
“I’m sure there is a good one in him and it needs to be heavy and run where we don’t get any hard luck stories. It is just patience.”
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