Tension will be replaced by appreciation when Elina Svitolina takes on Iga Swiatek for a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Tuesday.
The All England Club can have barely heard a reaction like the chorus of booing that accompanied Victoria Azarenka off Court One following her narrow defeat by Svitolina on Sunday evening.
Ukrainian players refuse to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents at the end of matches as a result of the invasion of their country and there has been significant locker room rancour about how the issue has affected tennis.
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The WTA has been criticised for not offering enough support to its Ukrainian members, who feel the rights of their Russian and Belarusian counterparts have been prioritised.
An exception to that has been Swiatek, with the Pole using her voice and platform to speak up for Ukraine and organising a charity exhibition event last summer.
“She’s a great champion, also a great person,” said Svitolina. “I’m really thankful for her support of Ukrainians, Ukraine, doing everything what is in her power, being vocal about that.”
Swiatek wears a blue and yellow ribbon to show she is still thinking about Ukraine, and she said of Svitolina: “For sure we respect each other. We like each other. It’s all pretty positive.
“It’s good to have these kind of players on tour that are nice and they have good values, I think. I’m happy that she’s back after becoming a mother. I don’t know how tough it is, but I’m sure it’s really tough.
“I’m happy that she’s playing a solid game. I think it’s going to be interesting.”
Svitolina has now reached back-to-back grand slam quarter-finals having only returned to the tour in April following the birth of daughter Skai in October.
The former world number three has made two grand slam semi-finals, at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2019, while Swiatek, who saved match points against Belinda Bencic in round four, is having her best run here.
Seventh seed Andrey Rublev dived into the quarter-finals of Wimbledon with an extraordinary shot to bring up match point against Alexander Bublik.
Rublev was in the middle of the baseline when Bublik hit what he, and everyone else on Centre Court, thought was a clean winner down the line.
But the Russian dived forward, got a racket on the ball and somehow floated it over the net.
“That is one of the great shots we’ve seen here in years,” exclaimed John McEnroe on commentary as Bublik scratched his head in disbelief.
Rublev, who had been two sets ahead but was pegged back by his opponent from Kazakhstan, went on to seal a 7-5 6-3 6-7 (6) 6-7 (5) 6-4 win after one of the most entertaining matches of the Championships.
“It was the most lucky shot ever,” said the 25-year-old. “It was luck, nothing else. I don’t think I can do it one more time.”
Rublev, in the last eight at Wimbledon for the first time, was joined by fellow Russian Roman Safiullin, who became the lowest ranked male quarter-finalist here since Nick Kyrgios in 2014.
The world number 92 upset Canada’s 26th seed Dennis Shapovalov 3-6 6-3 6-1 6-3.
He will face Italian sixth seed Jannik Sinner, who beat Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia in straight sets.
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva continued her dream start to life on grass by storming into the last-16 at Wimbledon with a 6-2 7-5 victory over Anastasia Potapova.
Qualifier Andreeva, the youngest woman in the main draw at 16-years-old, had to wait a day to begin her third-round match but again showed why she is the talk of the tennis world with an accomplished display.
Andreeva’s victory in one hour and 35 minutes over her more experienced compatriot means her impressive grand-slam showing of reaching round three at Roland Garros in June has now been bettered.
She had never competed on grass before she started qualifying at Roehampton last week, but was able to chalk up a sixth consecutive win on the English lawn.
Potapova edged their first meeting in three sets last October and despite breaks being exchanged early on, Andreeva took control and won five of the last six games of the first set.
Further breaks were shared at the start of a much closer second set before Potapova moved 4-1 up.
Andreeva showed impeccable poise to keep calm and fought back to break in the seventh and 11th games of the second set to book a fourth-round meeting with Madison Keys.
An emotional Andreeva, who has made no secret of her affection for two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, said on-court: “Of course I am really happy I managed to win this match.
“It was an amazing battle, she played really well and congrats to her and her team because they did a good job.
“I did everything I could. I gave my all and I come back in the second set from 1-4 so of course I feel great.
“I have been working on (my emotions) really hard with my coaches, with my parents, we talked a lot. Now I know it is easier or better to control my emotions on court.
“But today honestly even if I wanted to show some emotions, I couldn’t because I was out of breath on every point!
“I do enjoy the atmosphere, it is just amazing here. You see all the pro players, you see (Novak) Djokovic, you see Murray… yes the atmosphere is great and I hope next year I will be in a different locker room (for seeds) that is the level above!”
Matteo Berrettini would have “signed with my blood” to have the Wimbledon run he is putting together.
The 2021 finalist has been struggling with a recurring abdominal problem that forced him to miss the defence of his Queen’s Club title but is through to the fourth round after convincing victories over Alex De Minaur and Alexander Zverev.
Berrettini, who was forced out of Wimbledon last year by Covid, said on court after his third-round victory that he had spent many days crying in his bed as he fought to get healthy again.
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“If they told me a few weeks ago you’re going to play five days in a row in Wimbledon, I would have signed with my blood,” the Italian said later.
“I really spent days in bed thinking about the tournaments that I missed, the injuries that I had, sadness that I was feeling. I was like, ‘I have to come back and feel alive when I play’.
“That’s the energy I have right now. It doesn’t matter how tired I am. In the morning, go there, enjoy. I find that extra energy that maybe a few years ago I took for granted.”
Berrettini is unseeded with his ranking having dropped to 38 and he revealed he arrived in London with serious fears he may have to miss Wimbledon for a second year in a row.
“I wasn’t sure even if I was going to play,” he said. “I flew here and I said maybe the atmosphere is going to help me a little bit.
“I was really not sure about it. Not because I didn’t want to. In order to play a slam, you have to be ready physically, emotionally, mentally. There are many things.
“The will is not enough. But then I have to say I did a great job with my team. We worked really hard. They let me decide. A few days before, I thought, ‘I’m not ready’.
“But then I missed too many events in the last years. I couldn’t leave this place without trying. That’s what I said to myself. I think this place has something special. I feel a kind of energy I don’t feel anywhere else.”
Berrettini is one of the best grass-court players in the draw and he will next try to upset top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who is yet to go beyond the fourth round at the All England Club.
The Italian, who beat Alcaraz over five sets at the Australian Open last year, is looking forward to the challenge, saying: “In a way it’s what you want, right? You want to play against the best players in the world.
“Playing against Carlos, it’s always been a pleasure, a great fight. He’s the best player in the world. It’s going to be a great challenge. But I’m so glad that I have this opportunity right now.
“I remember watching him play at Roland Garros from my TV. Now it’s going to be me against him. I’m really happy for that. I think this is going to help me to go there and enjoy and find that extra energy that I was talking about.”
Zverev certainly would not be surprised to see Berrettini come out on top, with the German saying: “I told him that he can win the tournament if he plays like this.
“Of course there are other players that are great. He’s playing Alcaraz next. I think he’s a great player as well. But, if he plays like this, he has chances against anybody.”
Elina Svitolina and Victoria Azarenka go head to head on Court One as Wimbledon hosts scheduled play on the middle Sunday for just the second year.
Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek headline the action on Centre Court as the singles competitions continue without the presence of any Britons.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at day seven’s action.
Svitolina set for Azarenka battle
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Elina Svitolina had planned to watch Harry Styles in Vienna this weekend. Instead, the Ukrainian will once again be under the spotlight for taking on a player from Belarus.
Svitolina beat two Russian players at the French Open before falling to Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals. But she was booed in Paris for sticking to the Ukrainian position of not shaking hands with opponents from the two countries due to the ongoing war.
On Sunday, she faces Victoria Azarenka in the first Wimbledon match between someone from Ukraine and one from either Russia and Belarus since the war started.
Svitolina is well aware of the significance of the clash, saying: “A lot of Ukrainians will be watching, will be supporting me. I will go out there and put the fighting spirit on and just really fight for every single point.”
Middle Sunday action
For just the second time in its long history, Wimbledon will host scheduled action on the middle Sunday.
Up until last year it was always a day of rest, leading to ‘Manic Monday’ when all 16 fourth-round matches were played on one day.
This year’s play will be particularly welcome as the tournament is still playing catch up from indifferent weather in the first week.
There are some third-round matches still to be completed while a host of doubles and junior matches were cancelled on Saturday.
Match of the day
Hubert Hurkacz is the man who ended Roger Federer’s Wimbledon career when he won their quarter-final in 2021.
The Pole was then beaten by Matteo Berrettini in the semi-final, but he gets the chance to take down another big gun when he faces Novak Djokovic.
The Serbian is seemingly invincible on Centre Court so Hurkacz is going to have to channel that performance against Federer if he has any hope of prevailing and ending Djokovic’s reign.
Order of playCentre Court
Andrey Rublev v Alexander Bublik
Iga Swiatek v Belinda Bencic
Hubert Hurkacz v Novak Djokovic
Court One
Jessica Pegula v Lesia Tsurenko
Jannick Sinner v Daniel Galan
Victoria Azarenka v Elina Svitolina
Weather
Early thunderstorms will give way to more settled conditions
Katie Boulter conceded she was beaten by the “much better player” as her Wimbledon run came to an end with a crushing loss to defending champion Elena Rybakina.
Boulter cemented her new-found status as British number one by reaching the last-32 for a second successive year, and there were high hopes she could at least give third seed Rybakina a match.
Boulter has shown many times that she loves the big stage but, having waited until nearly 9pm to walk out on Centre Court, she managed to detain Rybakina for only 56 minutes in a 6-1 6-1 hammering that ends home singles hopes at Wimbledon.
“Obviously a really tough match against a tough competitor,” said the 26-year-old. “I gave it my best today. I wouldn’t say I really felt like I got into the match fully.
“She’s clearly the defending champion for a reason, and I learned a lot today and that’s what I’m going to have to take from today’s match.”
After some positive results earlier in the week it has been a chastening two days for British tennis, with Andy Murray, Cameron Norrie and Liam Broady all falling on Friday.
Boulter pulled off the best win of her career in the second round here last year, defeating former finalist Karolina Pliskova, and in seven previous matches against top-10 players had only failed to win at least a set on one occasion.
Rybakina had not been convincing in the first two rounds after coming into the tournament under-cooked because of illness but she hit her stride straight away and the match quickly got away from Boulter.
The Kazakh possesses probably the fiercest strike in the women’s game, as well as the best serve following Serena Williams’ retirement, and she lost only nine points on serve throughout the match while hitting 20 winners.
Boulter admitted she has never faced a ball-strike quite like Rybakina’s before, saying: “Obviously it’s a lot quicker and the majority of girls, they don’t quite hit the ball like that. It’s quite flat. You don’t really see where she’s going. She disguises it very well.
“I struggled with it a lot today. It felt like I got into it a little bit at times and I started to pick up her ball but she was relentless at the end of the day. She was the much better player.”
Having to wait until so late to go on court after two long matches and a rain delay probably did not help Boulter, who nevertheless insisted she enjoyed the occasion.
“It was quite late,” she said. “Obviously it was my first match playing under lights. It was a little bit different and it took time for me to adjust on serve especially. I don’t think I quite found it.
“I will always reflect back on something positive. The crowd are incredible. I wanted to give them a bit more today, but unfortunately I couldn’t do that. But I appreciated them every single second I was out there.”
There are certainly positives to take from the grass-court season for Boulter, who won her first WTA Tour event in Nottingham last month, while she will be at a career-high ranking just outside the top 70 a week on Monday.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a tough night but I’m going to sit here tomorrow morning and tell you that I’m at a career high,” she said.
“I’ve had some seriously positive weeks. I’ve come off the back of five long weeks with no injuries, no issues.
“I’ve got a great rest of the year ahead of me. I’ve got not many points to defend. It’s a really good opportunity for me to keep pushing my ranking up and really make a statement and play many more matches like today. They’re the matches that I want to be playing.”
It is not the end of Boulter’s Wimbledon, meanwhile, with the Leicestershire player due to contest her second-round mixed doubles match alongside boyfriend Alex De Minaur on Sunday.
“I’m sure tonight Alex will be giving me some words of wisdom,” she said. “I’m going to be ready to go tomorrow and enjoying myself and having fun. It will be a great way to end Wimbledon, for sure.”
Rybakina was delighted with her performance and she moves on to a fourth-round clash against 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Aryna Sabalenka acknowledged there would only be a “little celebration” for making the second week at Wimbledon this time with her eyes firmly set on another grand slam title.
Australian Open champion Sabalenka marched into the fourth round at the All England Club on Saturday with a routine 6-2 6-3 victory over Moscow-born Anna Blinkova, hitting 30 winners in an 81-minute breeze on Court One.
Second seed Sabalenka is at the top of her game having made it to at least the semi-final stage of her last three grand slams, but it was at Wimbledon two summers ago where she made her big breakthrough at a major.
A run to the last four for the current world number two in 2021 was the first time she made the second week at a grand slam and the Belarusian has not looked back since and is focused on lasting the distance on grass this time.
“Yeah, I have really great memories from here. It was my first breakthrough,” Sabalenka said, having missed last year’s tournament due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian players competing due to the war in Ukraine.
“I was very happy two years ago to be able to get to the second week. Yeah, since that I kind of had more belief in myself in the grand slams.
“I don’t think anymore about the second week of the grand slam, you know? I kind of felt a little relief after that breakthrough.
“I’m still happy. It’s still a little celebration because of making the second week, but the goal is to go as far as I can. I’m trying to stay focused.”
Back-to-back aces booked Sabalenka her place in the last-16, after surviving an entertaining 14-minute seventh game of the second set to hold.
The 25-year-old will face another Russian next after Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 21st seed, was the first female winner on day six with a 6-0 6-4 victory over Dalma Galfi on Court 18.
Last year’s Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur survived a scare and a lengthy stoppage due to a wet Centre Court surface to progress into the fourth round with a battling 3-6 6-3 6-4 win over Bianca Andreescu.
After Jabeur hit back from losing the first set to level, the Tunisian found herself 3-1 down in the decider, but crucially broke back against the former US Open winner before heavy rain arrived at 7.36pm.
With the Centre Court roof open, the grass surface briefly took a hammering of rain and a 50-minute delay occurred while it was left to dry.
But once play resumed, Jabeur showed her mettle on her first return to the venue since last year’s final.
Two break points were held by the world number six in her first service game after the resumption before she broke to love in the ninth game and sealed her place in round four with an ace.
“I felt like I didn’t play my best today, I wanted to be more aggressive and play my game but I am playing against a grand slam champion,” Jabeur said before admitting to almost asking spectator Billie Jean King for advice mid-match.
“You have to do what you do and Billie was watching so I was going to ask her what should I do. I swear I was going to turn to her.
“Very emotional coming back here after a great final last year. It is one of, if not my favourite court. I love the grass, love the energy and hopefully I can come back and play more matches here.”
The wet weather disrupted some of the early play on Saturday but Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia beat the rain to down Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-2 on Court Three before a suspension meant there was no time for an on-court interview.
When play did resume in SW19, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova finished the run of qualifier Natalija Stevanovic in straight sets.
Madison Keys, who won the Rothesay International in Eastbourne last week, continued her fine form with a 6-4 6-1 victory over Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina insisted he had no regrets despite an ill-advised underarm serve virtually handing victory to Holger Rune in their third-round clash at Wimbledon.
The Spaniard had let an 8-5 lead slip in the deciding first-to-10-point tie-break when, at 8-8, he decided to pull out an underarm serve, which sixth seed Rune easily put away before clinching a 6-3 4-6 3-6 6-4 7-6 (8) win on the next point.
Davidovich Fokina was unrepentant, though, calling the shot simply “another serve”. Asked if he would make the same decision again, he added: “Why not?”
The 24-year-old, who is ranked 34, insisted he would look back on the match positively, saying: “I won’t regret anything.
“I’m happy for this match that I did because I was struggling on grass and how I played today I convinced myself that I have a lot of things in myself.”
It is the third time in his last five matches at Wimbledon that Davidovich Fokina has shot himself in the foot with highly questionable decisions.
In a first-round meeting with Hubert Hurkacz 12 months ago, he was 40-0 up serving for the match in the third set when he tried an unnecessary tweener.
Davidovich Fokina did eventually come through that one in a deciding fifth-set tie-break only to lose to Jiri Vesely in another tie-break in the second round when he smashed a ball out of the court while match point down and was given a point penalty.
Rune has had plenty of dramatic moments in grand slams himself this season and has now played a match tie-break at each event – losing to Andrey Rublev in Australia before beating Francisco Cerundolo in Paris.
He certainly was not complaining about Davidovich Fokina’s moment of madness, saying: “I was not expecting for sure that that was going to come.
“Actually it was nice because he was serving unbelievable so I was like, ‘OK’, it was a chance to get a match point. I had to be fast with the feet. Wow, what a match.”
Rune next faces either Frances Tiafoe or Grigor Dimitrov, who was leading by two sets to love when rain forced an early end to the day’s play on the outside courts.
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.
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.
Andy Murray will return to Centre Court trying to finish the job in his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The two-time champion was two sets to one up against the Greek fifth seed when play was halted at around 10.40pm on Thursday night.
His addition to the line-up makes it a bumper day of action, with the British number one, men’s and women’s number ones and the player who has won more grand slam titles than anyone else also playing.
Here, the PA news agency looks ahead at Friday’s play.
More Murray mayhem
All eyes will be on how Andy Murray pulls up in the morning after the injury scare he suffered in the penultimate point of Thursday night’s action.
On set point, the 36-year-old went down screaming when trying to change direction before picking himself up and delivering an unreturnable serve that put him 2-1 up.
The match referee then decided it was too late to start a fourth set, meaning Murray and Tsitsipas must return on Friday afternoon to finish with the Scot leading 6-7 (3) 7-6 (2) 6-4.
Centre’s golden ticket
People with Centre Court tickets will be wondering how they got so lucky as they could hardly have picked a better line-up.
With the bonus of Murray finishing his match with Tsitsipas, those gracing Wimbledon’s main show court on Friday boast a combined 34 grand slam singles titles.
Carlos Alcaraz, who felt sidelined when he could not play on Centre Court in front of Roger Federer on Tuesday, opens against Alexandre Muller before Murray returns to finish his match.
Then women’s top seed Iga Swiatek will play Petra Martic before the headline act between Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka closes a thrilling day’s action.
Match of the day
One of the big rivalries of the last 15 years is reignited on Centre Court as defending champion Djokovic faces Wawrinka in the third round.
The pair have fought it out on the biggest stage over the years with two of Wawrinka’s three grand slam titles coming after beating Djokovic in the final, most memorably in a stunning performance at the French Open in 2015.
But injury has taken its toll on the Swiss in recent years and he is no longer competing at the same level as Djokovic, who has almost got better with age.
Wawrinka has given himself “zero” chance of winning Wimbledon but he will have plenty of support on Centre Court as he eyes a huge upset.
Brit watch
Along with Murray’s match to a finish, Cameron Norrie finally returns to action as he looks for a knockout blow in his second-round match with Chris Eubanks.
The British number one has not been on court since Tuesday due to rain delays so he will be at least rested for his Court One bout with the American.
And Liam Broady will look to follow up his stunning win over fourth seed Casper Ruud when he faces former semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov on Court Two.
Order of play
Centre Court
Carlos Alcaraz v Alexandre Muller
Andy Murray v Stefanos Tsitsipas
Iga Swiatek v Petra Martic
Novak Djokovic v Stan Wawrinka
Court One
Aryna Sabalenka v Varvara Gracheva
Cameron Norrie v Chris Eubanks
Ons Jabeur v Bai Zhuoxuan
Other British singles
Liam Broady v Denis Shapovalov (Court 2)
Weather
Sunny, with highs of 28C.
Liam Broady and Katie Boulter booked their places in the third round of Wimbledon with fine wins on day four, but Andy Murray will have to return on Friday in his attempt to join them.
Murray’s second-round tie under the Centre Court roof with Stefanos Tsitipas had to be suspended just before the 11pm curfew with the two-time champion leading 6-7 (3) 7-6 (2) 6-4.
The two-time Wimbledon winner will hope the fall he suffered on set-point has caused no serious damage and he can resume his efforts to make the last-32 on day five.
Plenty of other matches did get completed on a busy day, with defending champion Elena Rybakina and 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini progressing.
Grand slam champions Daniil Medvedev and Stan Wawrinka were able to win, but Estonian Anett Kontaveit lost in what is the final singles match of her career.
Tweet of the dayPicture of the dayQuote of the dayBrit watchShot of the dayStat of the dayDay of the Comeback
It was comeback central at the All England Club with Broady leading the charge, hitting back from two sets to one down to stun world number four Casper Ruud, but all across the grass courts in SW19 there were marathon fightbacks being completed.
Mikael Ymer roared back from the brink to beat Taylor Fritz in five sets and Yosuke Watanuki was two sets down to Marc-Andrea Huesler before producing an outstanding turnaround triumph.
Perhaps the most epic comeback of day four was reserved for Donna Vekic, who was a set and 5-2 down to Sloane Stephens and heading for an early exit. Instead, the Croatian 20th seed rediscovered her form and won 11 of the next 15 games to clinch victory.
Murray will hope to finish off his fightback on Friday.
Andy Murray will try to join Liam Broady and Katie Boulter in the third round of Wimbledon when his compelling duel with Stefanos Tsitsipas resumes on Friday.
On the eve of the 10th anniversary of his first title at the All England Club, Murray rolled back the years with a performance showcasing all his famous grit, skill and grass-court nous to lead 6-7 (3) 7-6 (2) 6-4.
There were boos when it was announced the match would be halted with 20 minutes still to go until the 11pm curfew but Murray was probably not too disappointed after a hugely concerning moment at set point when the Scot screamed in pain and fell to the ground clutching his left groin.
Mercifully he quickly got to his feet and clinched the set with a serve that drew a Tsitsipas error, and the hope must be he has not done anything that could jeopardise his chances.
The match did not begin until gone 7.30pm, mostly as a result of the win of Broady’s life, with the 29-year-old outlasting world number four Ruud to clinch a 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-0 victory.
The win over Ruud, who has made the finals of Roland Garros and the US Open during the past 12 months, was even sweeter for the Stockport left-hander given it took place in front of a buoyant Centre Court crowd.
“It was a pretty terrifying, exhilarating experience coming out at Centre Court on Wimbledon, but it’s been my dream since I was five-years-old,” said Broady.
“I played on Court One in the finals of the juniors (in 2011). I was a set and a break up. I completely choked it, completely guffed it. That has kind of haunted me my entire career, to be honest.
“It always bothered me coming back, playing on the bigger courts and never really feeling like I was comfortable and had performed. That’s why it felt good. I feel like it’s taken a monumental effort for me personally to be able to win a match on Centre Court at Wimbledon.”
Like Broady, British number one Boulter is through to the third round for the second consecutive year after a 6-0 3-6 6-3 win over Viktoriya Tomova, and will meet last year’s winner Elena Rybakina.
“I think it’s a super great opportunity for me,” she said. “I’ve got nothing to lose. She’s clearly the defending champion for a reason.
“I’m going to have a swing and go for it. I’ve got a lot of tennis behind me. It’s time for me to test my skills against an incredible champion. I think I’m playing really well. I feel very comfortable.”
Jan Choinski was the only British singles player to lose, the German-born 27-year-old going out 6-4 6-4 7-6 (3) to his former junior doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz.
Choinski hopes to improve his ranking enough to earn direct entry in 12 months’ time, saying: “I would be very happy coming back next year. Maybe even without needing a wild card for the main draw, try my best to get my ranking to a position where I can enter the tournament by myself.”
Katie Boulter says she will have nothing to lose when she gets a shot at defending champion Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon.
The British number one is through to the third round for the second consecutive year after a 6-0 3-6 6-3 win over Viktoriya Tomova, and will meet last year’s winner, probably on Centre Court, on Saturday.
“I think it’s a super great opportunity for me. I’ve got nothing to lose. She’s clearly the defending champion for a reason,” said British number one Boulter.
“I’m going to have a swing and go for it. I’ve got a lot of tennis behind me. It’s time for me to test my skills against an incredible champion.”
Boulter looked set to breeze through her second-round match against Bulgarian Tomova after wrapping up the first set in 27 minutes.
But the 26-year-old from Leicester put her family, as well as boyfriend and men’s 15th seed Alex De Minaur, through the wringer when Tomova hit back to take the second and level the match.
“Do my family get nervous? I don’t know. I’m sure they do,” added Boulter. “My grandpa spends a lot of time actually cramping with nerves. When I see him walk off, I know he’s struggling!
“Obviously I’ve kind of been in their shoes a little bit more watching Alex. I hate every minute of it because it is so stressful.”
Back-to-back net cords helped Boulter break for 2-0 in the decider and after that second-set wobble, she regained her composure and asserted herself on the contest once more.
The Boulter serve was back on song, but she needed to come out on the right end of an epic 24-shot rally before converting a third match point with her 36th winner to complete a fine victory.
“I think I’m playing really well. I’ve played a lot of matches on the grass. I feel very comfortable,” she said.
“It’s always a tough match on grass when you’re playing people like I am today. They’re going to come back at you with a lot more trouble. I have to find ways to win.
“A lot of it is my self-belief. A lot of matches I’ve really drawn from recently to help me get over the line. I definitely did that again today, as well as the British crowd.”
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