Key events
Comesana continues like he never stopped, holding for 5-1 in set two; Rublev needs two immediate breaks to avoid going behind again.
And I’ve also switched off Zverev, because he too is in total charge at 6-2 6-4 2-1 with a break; we can return if need be, but Korda and Mpetshi Perricard are playing a fifth-set breaker – words I’ll always baulk before typing – but here we are.
Djokovic holds for 4-2, and I think I’m going to watch a bit of Boulter, as Jim Bowen might’ve said, because this match is only going one way.
Rublev and Comesana are back out on No 2 Court, so should soon be back playing while, on No 1, another Zverev ace seals a game ion which he’d had to return from 0-40. He leads 6-2 6-4 2-0.
(And after that match, it’s Cameron Norrie v Facundo Díaz Acosta.)
Coming up on No 3 Court, as soon as we resume, is Katie Boulter (5) v Tatjana Maria. You may recall the latter from 2022 – she reached the last four, the first mother-of-two so to do since Margaret Court in 1975.
Ridiculous behaviour from Djokovic who, almost doing the splits, punishes a backhand down the line, securing a break in set two; he leads Kopriva 6-1 2-1.
As we cunningly predicted, Zverev serves out, securing the set via brutal ace out wide, and he leads Carballes Baena 6-2 6-4.
On No 2 Court, the net has gone up, so we’ll soon have tennis.
Well done Roberto Carballes Baena! He eventually serves out, forcing Zverev to serve for set two; I daresay he doesn’t mind.
Kopriva is once again fighting for a hold at 1-6 0-0 … and he manages to, just. Carballes Baena, meanwhile, is serving to stay in set two down 2-6 3-5, and a murderous forehand return gives him 30-40; a body-serve yanks him back to deuce.
Er yeah, Djokovic serves out to love for a 6-1 set and Zverev holds to lead 6-2 4-2. Or, in other words, we need our outside courts back because we know exactly how these matches are going.
Up break point, a fantastic forehand from Zverev, on the chase and from the corner, turns a rally in which he’s behind and a few shots later, a battered overhead secures the game for a 6-2 3-2 lead. Oh and as I type, Djokovic breaks Kopriva again and at 5-1 will now serve for the first set.
Ach, Kopriva eventually succumbs, a drop earning advantage, then, when Djokovic slips, the Czech thinks he’s got the scope to win the point, but he nets and trails 1-3.
Carballes Baena, meanwhile, is also fighting his arse off to hold, finally hanging on for 2-6 2-1.
Djokovic, a brace on his knee, is starting to piece Kopriva up. But after the Czech saves two break points, Djokovic forces a third with a glorious backhand winner down the line … only to shank another wide to restore deuce. And when he saves advantage a few minutes later, it means this is our sixth.
The covers are coming off! Bring it on!
Badish news: no play before 4pm BST. BST! Pahahahahaha!
Rain stops play
And already it looks set-in. So we’re down to two matches for the next bit – hopefully not for long.
Oh Andrey. He’s broken again, an unforced error handing Comesana a 4-1 second-set lead, and takes it out on his knee, assaulting himself with his racket and drawing blood. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen that – he did it in Turin at the tour finals – and in Dubai, he was disqualified for shouting in a line judge’s face. I hope someone’s offering him some help.
Hubert Hurkacz (7) beats Radu Albot 5-7 6-4 6-3 6-4
A scare for Big Hubes, but he’s through and meets Fils or Stricker next.
On Centre, Kopriva and Djokovic are under way, so I’ve binned Korda v Mpetshi Perricard, at least for now. Zverev, meanwhile, has broken Carballes Baena again, so leads 5-2, and Jubb leads Seyboth Wild 2-1 4-3 on serve.
Jacob Fearnley, another British wildcard who beat both Alcaraz and Sinner in juniors, has taken the first set against Moro Canas 7-5. He’s been through a lot to get to here – his injuries were so bad he could barely serve and used to send down double after double – but he rebuilt his action and now look!
On No 1, Zverev has broken Carballes Baena for 4-2 in set one, while Comesana has done likewise against Rublev to lead 2-1 in the third – sealing the deal with a violent overhead. Rublev, of course, is taking his fury out on himself.
Righto, let’s have a look at what’s going on. Rublev has levelled his match against Comesana at a set apiece, taking the second 7-5; Hurkacz is up a break against Albot in set four and at 3-2 might soon be home; Jubb broke Seyboth Wild back so now leads 2-1 3-2; Munar leads Harris 502 in the fourth, so looks good to force a decider; and Shelton is up a break in his decider against Bellucci.
Next on Centre Court: Vit Kopriva v Novak Djokovic (2).
Oh man, looking at Maneiro’s face again after match point, a mixture of shock, ecstasy and wonder. This is what it’s all about – people experiencing the moments of their loves, for good or for bad, and us enjoying it vicariously while frantically trying to make about ourselves. Brilliant.
Good news: the rain seems to have chilled.
Sport is incredible. “I’m really happy”, says Maneiro with ludicrous understatement – she’s just beaten the champ on Centre Court having never played Wimbledon before! Imagine how she’s feeling! Imagine ever feeling anything remotely comparable to that! She thanks the crowd, saying it’s the “most beautiful tournament she’s played in her life, and asked how she managed to win having only played once on grass in her life, she says she just wanted to enjoy the moment, no pressure, :”just trying to be free”. There’s a lesson for all of us there.’
She’s surprised at herself that though she was nervous at the start, after a game she was fine because everything is so nice, she felt at home. She’ll celebrate with her team because they’ve had a lot of tournaments and tough times, but they’ve been working for this.
What a lovely individual she seems.
Jessica Bouzas Maneiro beats Marketa Vondrousova (6) 6-4 6-2
Wow wow wow! A backhand winner down the line, a hold to 15, and the champion has been shocked by a brilliant coming-out performance! Maneiro meets Bucsa or Bogdan next – they’re 2-2 in the third.
Rublev, who treated the crowd to a tantrum earlier in this set, leads 5-4 in set two … but there’s a bit of rain. I fear we may be losing play on outside courts shortly.
Oh my days! Vondrousova just can’t get going, and she’s absolutely hating life here. She’s got an issue with her right hip, but Maneiro who’s never won a main-draw match at a slam before, has just broken again and, at 5-2 in the second, will now serve for the match!
Out on Court 18, Ben Shelton, seeded 14, has won the fourth set against Monica Mattia Bellucci so they’ll soon start a decider; Billy Harris has won the third against Jaume Munar to trail 1-2; Mpetshi Perricard has taken a breaker to lead Korda, seeded 20, 2-1; Seyboth Wild has broken Jubb at the start of set four and now looks to have the momentum; Choinski, though, has taken the third set off Darderi to lead 2-1; Hurkacz, seeded seven, now leads Albot 2-1; and Maniero still has her second-set break against Vondrousova, leading 6-4 3-2.
A little while ago, our commentators on the Seyboth Wild match were discussing what a majestic country Brazil is, and they’ll be relieved to learn that I concur. In particular, I heartily recommend the north-east region, and if ever you’ve a chance to visit Fernando de Noronha or Lençóis Chapada Diamantina, do it.
Comesana has only ever played one match on a grass court. But he’s finding it to be to his liking – Rublev broke him at the first time of asking in set two, but the Argentinian immediately retrieved the situation. Meantime on Court 14, the tightest line-call imaginable is enough for Seyboth Wild to take his breaker against Jubb – the Brazilian is playing much better now – so the Brit leads 2-1 going into the fourth.
Oh dear, oh dear. Vondousova cedes another break in tame fashion to trail Maneiro 4-6 0-1, and if she doesn’t find herself soon, she’s done. Hold tight the youngster, though, who’s playing the match of her life … so far.
Next on No 1 Court: Roberto Carballes Baena v Alexander Zverev (4).
Elena Rybakina (4) beats Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3 6-1
She meets Lara Siegemund next.
Alex de Minaur, the number nine seed, has just taken second breaker off James Duckworth to lead 2-0, while Jubb and Seyboth Wild are playing one now to decide their third-set. Meantime, Maneiro has held to love to take the first set off Vondroudsova, who’s having a shocker – 17 unforced errors so far.
Vondrousova almost lost to Volynets in the first round at Roland Garros and she’s in trouble here, down 4-3 having been broken. Gary Anderson once told me he’d never been as nervous as when he came to Ally Pally as defending champ and had to play a first-round match. He was desperate not to embarrass himself by losing, which wasn’t something I’d considered previously – I assumed that, his achievement eternal, he was spieling with house money subsequently. Not so.
Ruse calls for the trainer, so I’m going to accept that Rybakina is moving on and, with Andrey Rublev, the number six seed, now a set down to Santi Comesaña, I’m going to move to that.
I’m on Korda v Mpetshi Perricard, by the way, because the former was expected to be something special, but at 23 he’s struggling to convert potential to kinetic, and because the Frenchman is a brilliant prospect who might just do something ere and nar.
So, which matches to watch? For now, I’m on Jubb v Seyboth Wild – that’s 4-4 in the third, the Brit leading by two sets to love; Vondrousova, the champ, leads Maneiro 3-2 on serve; Mpetshi Perricard leads Korda 2-1 on serve in the third, the first two srts having been split; and Rybakina, the 2022 champ, leads Ruse 6-3 4-0.
Thanks Tom and greetings all. First things first, though: I saw ANOHNI and the Johnsons last evening. If you ever get the chance to do so, don’t think about it, just do it. The music and the voice, obviously, but also the trip through 70s and 80s New York queer culture and characters. Brilliant, moving and unique.
And with that I’ll hand you over to Daniel Harris, who’ll escort you through a busy afternoon. Thanks for following.
Vondrousova breaks back. The defending champ beginning to find her feet, her most dominant point culminating in a backhand volley to set up a break point, which she converts when Maneiro’s backhand drops just out. 2-2, first set.
Some more Murray reaction, from the punters at the All England Club:
“It’s a goodbye to an entire generation,” said Bowden. “You look at Stan Wawrinka, Gael Monfils, Novak Djokovic – he’s 37 and injured. It’s potentially an end to a whole generation who I grew up watching. This might be the last year for a lot of players, not just Andy Murray.”
Ethell hopes Murray has a speedy recovery. “I want him to play well in his doubles with Jamie,” she said. The pair plan to remaining camped out until Murray bids farewell to the tournament, if he is well enough to do so. “It’s going to be hard. It’s tiring waking up at 5am but it’ll be good,” she added.
Rybakina wins first set against Ruse 6-3. The Kazakh has suddenly found another gear after a poor start to take the first set. It’s all a bit scrappy, meanwhile, on Centre, with errors aplenty but Maneiro did hold serve to lead the 2023 champion, Vondrousova, 2-0 in the first.
And Choinski has won the second set 6-4 to level things up against Darderi.
Brit watch: Harris has lost the second set to Munar 6-4, and has a mountain to climb, and the first moment of adversity for Paul Jubb, who’s been pegged back to 2-2 in the third against Sorboth Wild. Jan Choinksi though is a break up, if a set down, in the second set against Luciano Darderi at 4-3.
They’re up and running on Centre Court now, with the defending champion Marketa Vondrousava broken straight away in a rather scratchy opening service game, double faulting then overhitting a wild forehand to give Maneiro a break point, which she converts thanks to another double fault from the Czech.
And while I was looking in on all that, Rybakina has broken back against Ruse. It’s 3-3, first set.
