Novak Djokovic cruised into the quarter-finals of Wimbledon with a routine straight-sets win over Cristian Garin.

Djokovic is bidding to tie Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with a record 20th grand slam championship by defending his 2019 title.

Since losing the opening set of the tournament to Jack Draper, Djokovic has been imperious form and he eased past Garin on Centre Court on Monday.

This was not vintage Djokovic, but his consistency on serve, strength on the return and remarkable movement skills helped him secure a 6-2 6-4 6-2 triumph to set up a last-eight meeting with Andrey Rublev or Marton Fucsovics.

Djokovic raced into a commanding position in the first set, winning the opening eight points of the match.

Indeed, Garin, aiming to reach the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the first time, appeared overmatched, winning only 10 points on serve as Djokovic took the first set with ease.

But the Chilean warmed to the occasion and displayed his resilience by saving three break points to hold for a 4-3 lead in a game that lasted over 10 minutes.

Garin's resistance was broken in his next service game through some deft Djokovic touch at the net and, after serving out the second, he broke in style in the first game of the third and raced through to a 50th grand slam quarter-final.

Data Slam: First serve fires Djokovic to half-century

Djokovic faced two break points in a one-sided contest, with Garin rarely able to threaten his first serve.

Indeed, Garin won 13 points on return and only three of those came against the Serbian's first serve in a performance he will surely want to forget.

By contrast, Djokovic won 48 per cent of points on Garin's serve and, save for the second set, rarely had to expend much energy in bringing up his half-century.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Djokovic – 28/23
Garin – 14/26

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Djokovic – 9/1
Garin – 2/5

BREAK POINTS WON

Djokovic – 5/12
Garin – 0/2

Unseeded Sebastian Korda agonisingly missed out on a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals after a crazy fifth set against Karen Khachanov.

Korda has attracted headlines with his run to the last 16 given his family's sporting success - his sister Nelly recently won the Women's PGA Championship while his father Petr is a former Australian Open champion.

The American had seen off seeds in Alex de Minaur and Dan Evans to reach this stage, almost repeating the trick on his 21st birthday against Khachanov on Monday.

However, he ultimately fell to defeat as Khachanov won 3-6 6-4 6-3 5-7 10-8 in a classic clash that lasted just short of four hours.

After Korda had forced a decider, there were 13 breaks of serve in a remarkable final set on Court 18.

Khachanov had a break advantage at 5-4, 6-5 and 7-6 but Korda – who racked up 56 winners - denied him from serving it out for victory on each occasion.

The Russian finally was able to get over the line after breaking his American opponent at 8-8 and finally holding serve.

Following his gruelling win, Khachanov will play Denis Shapovalov next after the Canadian - conqueror of Andy Murray in the previous round - saw off Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets.

Shapovalov won 6-1 6-3 7-5 to eliminate the eighth seed and reach his second grand slam quarter-final.

Elsewhere, seventh seed Matteo Berrettini continued his serene progress at Wimbledon, thrashing Ilya Ivashka 6-4 6-3 6-1.

Champion at Queen's prior to the tournament, Berrettini lost serve just once in the contest and has not dropped a set since doing so in his first-round win over Guido Pella.

He will face Alexander Zverev or Felix Auger Aliassime for a place in the semi-finals.

Top seed Ash Barty ended Barbora Krejcikova's long winning run to reach her first Wimbledon singles quarter-final.

Krejcikova had reeled off 15 consecutive singles victories but the French Open champion was beaten 7-5 6-3 in an entertaining contest on No.1 Court.

World number one Barty came from a break down to take the opening set and was pushed hard by the 14th seed in the second on 'Manic Monday', but sealed her spot in the last eight at the All England Club.

The 2019 Roland Garros champion will face either British teenager Emma Raducanu or fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic for a place in the semi-finals.

Krejcikova, making her main draw debut in singles at SW19, held to love in a commanding first service game and went a break up at 2-1 when Barty pushed a cross-court shot long.

There was a gasp from the crowd when Krejcikova showed great skill and agility to put away a winner at her feet, but they were back on serve at 4-4 following an error-strewn game from the Czech.

Barty missed a chance to wrap up the set when she sent a forehand long but the 25-year-old pumped her fist after breaking to love, avoiding a tie-break after making an uncertain start.

Both players stood firm when they faced early break points in the second set but Barty was scenting the quarter-finals when her opponent sprayed a forehand wide to go 4-2 down.

Krejcikova – who also won a doubles title in Paris last month – took that setback in her stride, working Barty from side to side before putting away a backhand winner in the next game as she broke back immediately.

Yet Barty ground Krejcikova down again to restore her two-game advantage and fended off a break point before serving out the match to move into new territory at the grass-court grand slam.

Data Slam: Krejcikova's hot streak ends

Krejcikova had not suffered a singles defeat since May, winning a title in Strasbourg before her maiden grand slam triumph at Roland Garros.

Her magnificent winning streak came to an end in London, but the Brno native looks set to make further major strides.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Barty – 22/24
Krejcikova – 19/22

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Barty –7/5
Krejcikova – 4/4

BREAK POINTS WON
Barty – 4/7
Krejcikova – 2/10

Former French Open champion Iga Swiatek has been knocked out of Wimbledon after losing an entertaining fourth-round battle with Ons Jabeur.

Jabeur had never been past the second round at Wimbledon before the 2021 tournament but will now face second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals.

The Tunisian stormed back from behind on Court 2 to defeat seventh seed Swiatek 5-7 6-1 6-1 on Monday.

Jabeur sealed her victory with a ninth ace of the match and let out a passionate roar.

She was fantastic at key moments, converting all seven of the break-point opportunities she created and firing 30 winners to 23 unforced errors.

Swiatek, by contrast, racked up 15 break-point chances but could only take three of them. The Pole only had a first-serve percentage of 46 and struggled to find her rhythm.

Jabeur, seeded 21st, also impressively saw off Garbine Muguruza in a comeback victory in the previous round.

She has now matched her best grand slam result, achieved when she reached the last eight at the Australian Open last year.

Sabalenka, meanwhile, survived a scare but ultimately prevailed in three tough sets against Elena Rybakina.

A 6-3 4-6 6-3 win in just under two hours gave Sabalenka her first-ever appearance at a slam quarter-final.

Wimbledon will open up to full-capacity crowds on Centre Court and Court One from Tuesday, after being given the go-ahead by the UK government.

The tournament operated at 50 per cent capacity on its main show courts during the first week of the championships, with it being designated a pandemic era pilot event.

Now Wimbledon is poised to welcome a full house on its two biggest stadiums from the start of the quarter-finals. The women's last-eight matches are due to take place on Tuesday.

It had previously been stated that Centre Court would function at full capacity on finals weekend, July 10-11, but the plan has been brought forward.

It means there will be full outdoor stadiums at a major sporting event in the UK for the first time since COVID-19 triggered a lockdown in March 2020.

The World Snooker Championship, an indoor event, welcomed a capacity crowd for its two-day final in May at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield.

In a statement, Wimbledon hosts the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said: "Following the successful staging of the first week of the championships, as agreed with the government's events research programme and in consultation with our local authority in Merton, the AELTC is pleased to confirm that Centre and Number One Court will feature 100 per cent capacity crowds for the quarter-finals, with Centre Court also at 100 per cent for the semi-finals and finals.

"This marks the first full outdoor stadiums at a sporting event in the UK since the pandemic began. The capacity of Centre Court is 14,979, and the capacity of Number One Court is 12,345. Capacity across the rest of the grounds will be reduced according to the number of courts in play.

"Ticket-holders will continue to be required to show proof of their COVID status on arrival, and are asked to observe the guidance around wearing face coverings on the move and supporting any additional mitigation measures in place."

Daniil Medvedev vowed not to let his fifth-set lead slip after a stunning Wimbledon comeback against Marin Cilic – even though he admitted he was "basically destroyed" in the first two sets on Saturday.

Cilic, the runner-up at the 2017 championships, was two sets to the good in the third-round match on Court 1 against the second seed.

Yet Medvedev, who won his first Tour title on grass in Mallorca this year, responded in style to win a grand-slam match after losing the opening two sets for the first time.

The Russian triumphed 6-7 (3-7) 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-2 to stretch his grass-court winning streak to seven matches and reach Wimbledon's second week for the first time in his career.

Medvedev took David Goffin to five sets at this tournament two years ago only to suffer defeat, and he was worried such a scenario could repeat itself when his 5-0 lead in the decider quickly became 5-2.

"It was an unbelievable match," he said on court. "I think tennis fans always enjoy watching players come back from two-sets-to-love down and for it to be five sets. I certainly do so when I watch tennis on the TV.

"It's my first comeback [from two sets down], and actually what's amazing is against David Goffin at Wimbledon in 2019, I was two-sets-to-love down and I had a break in the fifth set, but I lost. So when I left the court after the fourth set today, I told myself, 'It's not going to be another one of those'.

"So I'm really happy. When I was 5-0, 40-0 up at the end and Marin came back to 2-5, I thought to myself, 'Again!' Marin is an amazing player and for the first two sets he basically destroyed me."

Medvedev joined compatriots Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov in the second week, making this the first year in which three Russian men have reached this stage at Wimbledon in the Open Era.

Medvedev will face 14th seed Hubert Hurkacz next and could meet Roger Federer in the quarter-finals.

Roger Federer is loving being in contention at Wimbledon, pointing out that doing it shortly before his 40th birthday makes the experience even more special.

The eight-time champion, who turns 40 next month, won an entertaining third-round encounter against home hope Cameron Norrie on Saturday.

Federer triumphed 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-4 in two hours and 35 minutes, needing some impressive play to see off a battling Norrie.

The Swiss star, seeded sixth, ended up with 48 winners as he reached the second week at All England Club for a remarkable 18th time.

Federer will play Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the fourth round and he sees every step as a bonus at this stage, having recovered from two knee surgeries.

"I'm very, very pleased and super relieved," Federer said after his victory.

"It is a nice stat to hear. I've loved every minute and I hope there's a little bit more tennis left in me. 

"It is an absolute pleasure still playing right now at this age. And this is special as it's my last slam before I hit the big 40, so it feels really good. 

"It’s all a bonus, and we will see how far I can go here."

Federer had seven aces and zero double faults, while converting four of his 11 break points.

Seven double faults proved costly for Norrie, who was only able to force four break opportunities but did convert two of them.

Federer had kind words for Norrie, who has made the third round at all three grand slams so far this year, only to be unfortunate with his draws.

Norrie had to play Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open and French Open and now another grand slam legend in Federer.

"That was a tough battle with Cam," added Federer. "He deserved that third set. He played excellent. 

"But I felt I was able to keep a high level of play and can be very happy with how I played. 

"He got the good break at the end of the third that cost me the set but overall I can be very happy."

Roger Federer fought off spirited home hope Cameron Norrie to set up a fourth-round meeting with Lorenzo Sonego at Wimbledon.

The 39-year-old, an eight-time champion at the All England Club, overcame a third-set wobble to secure a 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-4 triumph amid the familiar surroundings of Centre Court on Saturday.

British number two Norrie, enjoying a career-best run at the grass-court grand slam, tallied four double faults in a first set decided by one break of serve in favour of the Swiss maestro.

Federer's supremacy was first challenged when he faced two break points in his opening service game of the second set, but he clicked into gear to snuff out the threat with four points on the spin.

Finding the fluency that is such a hallmark of his game, Federer looked at ease on a court where success has come so readily to him, the crowd favourite executing his game plan to leave Norrie chasing shadows at the other end.

The third set was a more keenly contested affair as Norrie threw caution to the wind, unleashing some lethal forehand strikes to finally put Federer under some strain, with the seasoned champion broken at the vital moment.

An exchange of breaks early in the fourth suggested a degree of parity in the contest, but Federer accelerated to the finish line to end British interest in the men's draw at this year's tournament.

Data Slam: Double trouble for Norrie

Federer does not need any favours from his opponents but Norrie was all too forthcoming with them on his own serve, despite an otherwise excellent display. 

Norrie, ranked 34 in the world, racked up seven double faults and you can scarcely afford to be so charitable against such formidable opposition. 

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Federer – 48/33
Norrie – 34/32

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Federer –7/0
Norrie – 12/7

BREAK POINTS WON

Federer – 4/11
Norrie – 2/4

Wimbledon crowd favourite Nick Kyrgios retired hurt in his third-round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Saturday, hailing his opponent as a "hell of a player".

Kyrgios made headlines in the week with complaints over the condition of the grass courts at the All England Club, though the divisive Australian had looked sharp in wins over Ugo Humbert and Gianluca Mager.

He carried that form into his second career meeting with Canada's Auger-Aliassime, but as he charged to a 6-2 lead in the first set, Kyrgios sustained an apparent abdominal injury.

The 26-year-old received treatment on court, yet was clearly in distress as he attempted to continue, with Auger-Aliassime capitalising to take the second set 6-1 in just 22 minutes.

It signalled the end of the road for Kyrgios, who handed the win to the world number 19.

Despite his withdrawal, Kyrgios remained in good spirits.

Explaining his decision, Kyrgios said: "I haven't played this level of tennis in a long time, and obviously playing someone as good as Felix, my main weapon – my serve – to be firing on all cylinders and I just felt my abs, definitely did something in the first set.

"That's the way it goes. He's a hell of a player, he's going to do special things in this sport. Playing out here, having this support, has made me have a second wind. I reckon I'm going to come back and play for a bit longer.

"I did all I could to get here. I beat a heck of a player in the first round, played a great second round and just to get out here again, two sets, tried to play as long as I could, sorry I couldn't give you more today. But you'll see a lot of [Auger-Aliassime] in the future, and he's better looking too!"

For his part, Auger-Aliassime was equally as frustrated not to be able to see out what promised to be an entertaining match up.

"First of all, sorry for Nick, he was playing so good in the first set. It's really unfortunate in front of a packed crowd," he said.

"I think there were big expectations for this match, we were hoping to put on a good show, entertain the crowd, so it's unfortunate he had to retire. I hope it’s nothing too serious and he’ll be back on the US swing."

Andy Murray raised doubts over his future after losing in the third round at Wimbledon, leaving the grand slam with one question: "Is it worth it?".

Murray's Wimbledon journey came to an end on Friday following the former world number one's 6-4 6-2 6-2 loss to 10th seed Denis Shapovalov on Centre Court.

Making his first appearance in the main draw since he was the defending champion at Wimbledon in 2017, Murray's career has been devastated by injuries.

Murray underwent hip resurfacing in 2019 but the three-time grand slam champion has continued to be plagued by fitness problems.

After suffering his earliest Wimbledon exit since 2005, Murray was in a downbeat mood as he was left to ponder his next move.

"It was great playing in front of the crowds again," the 34-year-old said. "I got amazing support here. I'm very thankful for that. Something I have missed. It kind of reminds you why you do all of the work and everything.

"But then, on the flip side of that, the positive part is getting through the matches and feeling OK physically and not getting injured.

"That's good but then there is a part of me that feels a bit like I have put in so much work the last three months and ultimately didn't play how I would want and expect, and it’s like, is it worth it?

"Is all of that training and everything that you're doing in the gym, unless you're able to practise and improve your game and get matches and get a run of tournaments, is it worth all of the work that you're doing?

"There is part of me that feels like, yes, it is, because I had great memories and stuff from this event and playing in some brilliant atmospheres. But I finished the match tonight and I'm saying to my team, 'I'm just not happy with how I played'.

"So, unless me and my team can find a way of keeping me on the court for a consistent period of time and allow me to practise the way that I need to to compete with these guys, that's when the discussions about what I do next will come in.

"Because I have genuinely put a lot into this to get to this point, but I'm not being able to practise and prepare how I need to to perform how I would like at these events.

"I’m not expecting and saying I would beat Denis Shapovalov. He's a brilliant player. But I feel like I can do a lot better than what I did this evening."

Andy Murray's Wimbledon adventure is over – for this year at least – after Denis Shapovalov put an end to his challenge in a one-sided Centre Court clash.

The doughty two-time former champion insists retirement is not at the forefront of his mind, but a 6-4 6-2 6-2 loss to 10th seed Shapovalov was a fresh reminder of his current place in the tennis pecking order.

After hip resurfacing surgery gave Murray another shot at the career that at one stage looked all but over, it was a Wimbledon return which was high on his list of priorities.

This was Murray's first appearance in the singles since 2017, the year he was last defending champion.

Earlier this year the former world number one spoke of a belief that he could win the tournament for a third time, but he will be 35 by the time next year's championships come around and many have doubts about whether he will still be playing. He came into this fortnight at 118th in the rankings.

Not even the closure of the Centre Court roof could save Murray this time. That had been the spur, coincidentally or not, for his two previous late-night matches to swing around in the Scot's favour, as he saw off Nikoloz Basilashvili and then the unheralded German Oscar Otte to reach this last-32 stage.

Murray and Shapovalov went off after the second set of this contest, as evening turned to night in south-west London and the lights came on, but Murray did not return with super-human strengths this time, and his opponent raced to victory.

Shapovalov told Murray at the net that the Scot was his hero, and spoke eloquently about his appreciation of his comeback, and perhaps Murray would have quietly admired the Canadian's skill in moving in for the kill.

This match had been all one way for much of the first set too, but then Murray found a spark and pulled back from 5-1 adrift to 5-4, the crowd beginning to believe it could be his day again.

Murray believed too, of course, but this match proved a step too far for the champion of 2013 and 2016. There were flickers of Murray at his best, and he will represent Great Britain at the upcoming Olympics, where he is a two-time defending champion, but Murray's days of being a grand slam contender are, on the balance of probabilities, pretty much over.

His career has been a spectacular affair, and there was a familiar ovation as he departed Centre Court.

Shapovalov had rammed down an ace on match point, clinical in his despatching of the crowd's favourite.

Speaking at the end of the match, Shapovalov said in an on-court interview: "This is a dream come true for me.

"I've put countless years of hard work into every practice so that one day maybe I could play on Centre Court – to play against a legend like Andy today, to play a match like this. First of all, huge shout-outs to him. What he is doing nobody has ever done. He's truly an inspiration to many people, including me.

"I just told him at the net that he's my hero. Achievements aside, what he's been able to do in the sport with an injury like this and to play the tennis he's playing and moving the way he's moving.

"In his second match it was like vintage Andy and it was just so much fun to see as a fan. I was really excited and the first set today was super, super intense.

"It's incredible what he's done to make it to the third round like this and he's just starting back up so it's going to be amazing to see what he can do."

Novak Djokovic drew on "wolf energy" as he fended off American Denis Kudla to reach the Wimbledon fourth round.

The man with the Golden Slam in his sights took out Kudla in straight sets on Court One, but a 6-4 6-3 7-6 (9-7) victory was not entirely routine.

Qualifier Kudla broke the Serbian's serve twice and kept it a largely tight contest, showing the form that took him to the fourth round six years ago.

After roaring to glory at the Australian Open and French Open, Djokovic could become just the second player in history to win all four grand slams and an Olympic gold medal in the same year, after Steffi Graf's 1988 feat.

There can be no easy sauntering to glory on that scale, so after a pair of relatively easy wins over Jack Draper – albeit after a first-set hiccup – and Kevin Anderson, this was more of a taxing clash that could benefit Djokovic in the long run.

Kudla was gifted a 3-0 lead in the third-set tie-break as Djokovic twice double-faulted, but he could not capitalise, chopping a pair of poor drop shots on the way to allowing his opponent to gain the upper hand.

A solid overhead gave Djokovic a first match point, which the five-time Wimbledon champion squandered with a forehand into the net. He soon had a second though, and Djokovic, defending his 2019 title this fortnight after last year's tournament was cancelled, displayed stunning defence on the baseline before Kudla netted on the forehand.

The world number one then spoke of how growing up during the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s had hardened him for a career in sport, when asked at courtside what gave him such a drive to win.

"I think part of it is genes. My family, the way I've grown up in difficult times during the nineties for my country," Djokovic said on the BBC.

"Failure was never on option, For me or anybody for my family. We had to find a way to find the basic needs for us to survive. During those times it was difficult and that has strengthened my character, I would say.

"Part of it also comes from my upbringing in the mountains. I spent a lot of time in the mountains with wolves, so this is a wolf energy."

Data Slam: Shaky serves as Djokovic does enough

Kudla is no stranger to SW19 success, given his 2015 run that was ended by Marin Cilic. And with Djokovic only landing 54 per cent of first serves in court across the contest, that might have opened a door for the American here. Yet Kudla was also struggling with his first delivery, putting just 47 per cent of his first serves into play, and few could hope to beat Djokovic with such a low percentage.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Djokovic – 34/28
Kudla – 30/34

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Djokovic – 8/6
Kudla – 6/3

BREAK POINTS WON

Djokovic – 4/10
Kudla – 2/4

Ons Jabeur ended the Wimbledon title hopes of Garbine Muguruza with a Centre Court triumph she hailed as the biggest moment yet in her career.

The Tunisian followed up a second-round win over veteran five-time champion Venus Williams by eliminating 11th seed Muguruza, brilliantly plotting her path through a treacherous draw.

A 5-7 6-3 6-2 victory for 21st seed Jabeur sets up a stellar fourth-round clash with Iga Swiatek, the 20-year-old Polish rising superstar who scored a sizzling 6-1 6-0 win earlier against Irina-Camelia Begu.

Swiatek won the French Open last year and is the seventh seed at Wimbledon.

Muguruza found a way to win through the opening set against Jabeur, but thereafter she was second best against a player who won her first career title last month in Birmingham.

That Birmingham success had been coming for a long time, with Jabeur becoming an increasing force on the women's tour, but she came to Wimbledon with nothing to call upon in terms of previous success at the grass-court grand slam.

Two first-round exits came either side of a 2018 second-round loss, but Jabeur looked right at home on the big stage against Muguruza, the 2017 champion and former world number one.

"I'm good. I can play another match now, you know!" said Jabeur, almost breathless, immediately after the contest.

"I'm very happy and honestly this is the first time I've been on Centre and it was amazing energy guys, thank you."

Interviewed in front of a crowd who took to her tennis and warm personality, Jabeur was asked whether this was the best day of her career.

The 26-year-old responded: "It is! Seriously. I'm not saying this so you guys can cheer for me for the next round, but this is my favourite centre court I play. The energy's amazing. I'm so, so, so happy."

Jabeur could not take a first match point but then lashed down a serve that Muguruza could barely get a racket to and followed that point by finishing off a baseline rally with a thumping forehand winner into the left corner.

It was some victory for the player who became the first Arab winner on the WTA Tour with that Birmingham final triumph over Daria Kasatkina.

Against Muguruza, Jabeur fired 44 winners against 27 unforced errors, a healthy ratio, and won 18 of 22 points when she went to the net.

As Muguruza trudged off, disappointed, Jabeur reflected on how the match went better than their previous meeting, when the Spaniard won in a deciding-set tie-break at Hobart last year.

"She plays unbelievably on grass and everybody knows that," Jabeur said. "I lost against her last time, but this was my revenge here – in a nice way.

"I tried my best. It was difficult in the first set, we weren't reading our serves, but then after the second set I tried to stay more calm and enjoyed playing here.

"I was more aggressive, trying to do some drop shots and going into the net.

"Sometimes when I play loose and good my forehand gets better, and everything gets better."

Coco Gauff enjoyed a day to remember on Thursday, as she is set to become the youngest Olympic tennis player since 2000, while the 17-year-old also starred at Wimbledon.

Gauff made her name as a 15-year-old prodigy at Wimbledon in 2019.

Two years on, Gauff returned to Centre Court for the first time since her defeat to eventual champion Simona Halep, and marked the occasion with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Elena Vesnina.

Her Wimbledon campaign is not the only thing Gauff will have on her mind, though, with the teenager having also secured a place in the United States' women's tennis team for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which start later this month.

Gauff will become the youngest tennis player in a Games since Mario Ancic and Jelena Docki, aged 16 and 17 respectively, competed at Sydney 2000, while she will also be the second-youngest American Olympian on the court, after 16-year-old Jennfier Capriati, who took gold in Barcelona 29 years ago.

She is joined by Jennifer Brady, Jessica Pegula and Alison Riske in the singles – which is ranked based on the top four players from each country who have opted in  – with Sofia Kenin, Madison Keys and Serena Williams having declined the opportunity to feature, while Venus Williams, the most decorated Olympic tennis player in history, did not qualify.

Nicole Melichar and 2016 gold medalist Bethanie Mattek-Sands were the doubles-only picks.

As she proved again on Thursday, Gauff – who has two singles titles to her name on the WTA Tour – has little trouble in dealing with the big stage.

She needed just 70 minutes to defeat Vesnina and progress to round three at the All England Club, though she admitted her memories of her 2019 efforts at Wimbledon are not the best.

"It did feel a lot different. I honestly was more nervous coming into today's match," she said.

"I think the biggest thing is I don't really remember much from my Centre Court experience in 2019. I don't know, I felt like it was all a blur.

"But going in today I feel like a completely different player and person. It wasn't my best tennis today, but I think mentally I gave a good performance considering how nervous I was.

"I try not to put expectations on myself, at least only put the ones that I can control, and I know I can control how I act on the court and how I carry myself.

"What I will say is my goal I guess is more clear right now than it was in 2019. I think just my belief is a lot stronger now, the feeling that I can go far."

Elina Svitolina admitted she was "not really in a good place" after losing in straight sets to Magda Linette in the second round at Wimbledon.

Third seed Svitolina became the latest big name in the women's draw to exit early at SW19, going down 6-3 6-4 on Thursday.

Linette claimed her first win over a top-10 player in some style, too, the world number 44 needing just 65 minutes to come out on top, aided by converting three of nine break-point chances she created against an out-of-sorts opponent.

For Svitolina, the result comes as she deals with a tough period in her career. The Ukrainian exited in the last 16 at Eastbourne ahead of the third grand slam of the season, while she was knocked out in the third round at the French Open.

"Mentally, I was not really in a good place. When you play a grand slam it's a different kind of pressure. Sometimes it's tough to handle but it's part of the job - it is part of the grand slam," she said after the defeat on grass.

"You have to try to be strong, try to be good to yourself and try to overcome the fears, the difficulties. Today probably I was not fresh mentally to do that.

"Right now I wouldn't say it's very smooth times in my career. It's a tough time, but I have been in these situations in my career a few times."

Svitolina's exit means just four of the top eight seeds are left standing. Sofia Kenin and Bianca Andreescu both went out in the opening round, while Serena Williams was forced to retire due to injury in the first set against Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

However, top seed Ashleigh Barty remains in the running, the Australian seeing off Anna Blinkova in straight sets on Centre Court.

While her serve faltered, Barty had too much power as she clinched a 6-4 6-3 result that sets up a meeting with Katerina Siniakova in the third round.