Hugs and smiles all around as the players make their way up to the Royal Box to receive their trophies. What an afternoon for British tennis! That’s all from me. Thanks for reading and enjoy your evening.
Updated
Game, set and match Watson and Kontinen, 7-6, 6-4!
Second set: Watson/Kontinen*7-6 (7-5), 6-4 Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
What a game from Kontinen! The Finn shows no signs of faltering, serving out to 15 to the delight of the Centre Court crowd. Heather Watson is beside herself with excitement, and well she might be. That was an outstanding performance.
Updated
Second set: Watson/Kontinen 7-6 (7-5), 5-4 Groenefeld/Farah* (*denotes server)
Farah keeps the contest alive with a swift hold. But it’s Kontinen to serve for the match next. He has yet to be broken. Will this be a moment to remember for Heather Watson?
Updated
Second set: Watson*/Kontinen 7-6 (7-5), 5-3 Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
Watson holds with an ace. It came after some more sprightly interceptions from Kontinen at the net, and it leaves the unseeded pair a game away from the title.
Updated
Second set: Watson/Kontinen 7-6 (7-5), 4-3 Groenefeld*/Farah (*denotes server)
Ladies and gentlemen, we have the first break, Groenefeld sending a second serve long on game point. Perhaps she was looking for added depth on the delivery, because Watson has been causing the seeded pair some real problems with her returning. It was Kontinen who set up the chance, body-lining Farah with a brilliant backhand return.
Updated
Second set: Watson/Kontinen* 7-6 (7-5), 3-3 Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
Not to be outdone by Farah, Kontinen replies in kind with a quick hold. The ebullient Finn serves out to 15.
Updated
Second set: Watson/Kontinen 7-6 (7-5), 2-3 Groenefeld/Farah* (*denotes server)
The first love game of the match – perhaps curiously, given that there have been no breaks so far – goes the way of the seeded pair, Farah holding with something to spare. Nice serving there from the Colombian.
Updated
Second set: Watson*/Kontinen 7-6 (7-5), 2-2 Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
There’s been so much heartbreak for Heather Watson at Wimbledon, what with her tearful defeat to Mathilde Johansson in 2011 and that thrilling near miss against Serena Williams last year – to name but two of her many lowlights – but the British No2 is looking a much happier camper here. Aided and abetted by some fine work at the net by Kontinen, she holds to 15.
Updated
Second set: Watson/Kontinen 7-6 (7-5), 1-2 Groenefeld*/Farah (*denotes server)
Pressure, what pressure? The German, once ranked as high as 14th in singles, and with Wimbledon and French Open mixed titles on her CV, holds after being taken to deuce, Watson netting a forehand. Nimm das, as they might say in her native Nordhorn – or at least, that’s what Google translate tells me.
Updated
Second set: Watson/Kontinen* 7-6 (7-5), 1-1 Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
Good stuff from Kontinen, who ensures there is no hangover from that missed opportunity in the previous game. He holds to love and the pressure reverts to the Groenefeld serve.
Updated
Second set: Watson/Kontinen 7-6 (7-5), 0-1 Groenefeld/Farah*(*denotes server)
A chance missed by Watson and Kontinen, and then some. Farah was 0-40 down there, but somehow dug out a gutsy hold to keep the seeded pair’s challenge on hold. They’ll be kicking themselves, will Watson and Kontinen.
Updated
Watson and Kontinen win the first set 7-6!
First set: Watson/Kontinen 7-6 (7-5) Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
A good start to the tiebreak by Watson and Kontinen gets even better when the Finn drives a low backhand return down the middle for 3-0. Watson safely negotiates her two service points, sealing the second with an ace, and the prospect of further British glory on Centre Court hoves firmly into view as the Anglo-Finnish pairing moves to 5-0. The advantage is wiped out in a trice, however, the seeded pair reeling off five successive points to level. But two successive missed volleys from Groenefeld, the second off a sizzling Watson backhand, leave the crowd favourites firmly in the driving seat. Watson and Kontinen a set to the good.
Updated
First set: Watson/Kontinen 6-6 Groenefeld*/Farah (*denotes server)
Groenefeld races to 40-0 before a moment of hesitancy brings a double-fault. She makes amends with a solid serve down the centre that Kontinen drives wide. We’re into a tiebreak.
First set: Watson*/Kontinen 6-5 Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
Lovely play from Watson, who jams Groenfeld with a vicious body serve before producing an immaculate topspin lob off her favoured backhand side. They enjoyed that one, did the Centre Court crowd. Kontinen cuts off a weak return from Farah to bring up 40-15, and a couple of points later Watson cements the hold with a deep first serve.
Updated
First set: Watson/Kontinen 5-5 Groenefeld/Farah* (*denotes server)
A tight first set continues. With 39 minutes gone, Farah serves out to 15. All eyes on the Watson serve again.
Updated
First set: Watson/Kontinen* 5-4 Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
The stylish Kontinen, who also reached the last eight in the men’s doubles alongside John Peers of Australia, reels off another quick hold. Having been defeated in the 2008 boys’ singles final to a certain Grigor Dimitrov, he’s clearly keen to avoid a second losing appearance in a Wimbledon decider. Farah will have to serve to keep the seeded pair in the set.
Updated
First set: Watson/Kontinen 4-4 Groenefeld*/Farah (*denotes server)
Watson and Kontinen get off to an auspicious start when the Finn nails a forehand winner past Farah at the net, leaving Grönefeld with work to do on her serve. A missed interception by Kontinen gets her back on track, but Grönefeld misses a volley on the next point to land herself in trouble again at 15-30. The German hangs on gamely, though, and at deuce conjures a lovely forehand winner only to be denied by a fine backhand return from Watson on the next point. A couple of deuces ensue before some flamboyant work from Farah at the net seals the deal for the seeded pair.
Updated
First set: Watson*/Kontinen 3-4 Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
The Watson serve is probably the most vulnerable of the four on paper, but it doesn’t show. Serving at 40-30, after a bad miss at the net from Farah on the previous point, she sends down a 107mph ace to hold.
Updated
First set: Watson/Kontinen 3-3 Groenefeld/Farah* (*denotes server)
Robert Farah is no slouch. He’s ranked 28th in the world in singles and, as a former Australian Open quarter-finalist alongside countryman Juan Sebastián Cabal, the classy Colombian knows his way around a doubles court, too. A dominant performance on serve from Farah keeps us all square.
Updated
First set: Watson/Kontinen* 3-2 Groenefeld/Farah (*denotes server)
It’s been quite a ride for the unseeded Watson and Kontinen, who hadn’t played together before the fortnight began. They beat the defending champions Leander Paes and Martina Hingis in round three, having accounted for second seeds Bruno Soares and Elena Vesnina a round earlier, and they haven’t looked back since. The streaky Kontinen isn’t taking any prisoners here, slamming down a succession of big serves to run out a quick hold.
First set: Watson/Kontinen 2-2 Groenefeld*/Farah (*denotes server)
Grönefeld, something of a veteran at 31, survives a deuce game to draw level at two games apiece as Watson nets a backhand return.
Updated
As I say, we’re a bit late to the party with this one. Sorry about that. But I can tell you that it’s going with serve, Watson having survived a couple of break points in the previous game as Anna-Lena Grönefeld steps up for her first service game at 1-2. She’s got pedigree in the mixed, has Grönefeld, having won here in 2009 alongside the retired doubles supremo Mark Knowles. She also won at Roland Garros a couple of years ago in tandem with Jean-Julien Rojer.
Updated
So here we are, albeit somewhat belatedly, for the mixed doubles final. Here’s hoping Heather Watson, who partners Henri Kontinen of Finland, can finally experience a little joy in SW19. They’re up against the 15th seeds, Colombia’s Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Grönefeld from Germany. To get you in the mood, here’s Tim Lewis’s report on how Watson and Kontinen got here.
With shades of Jamie Murray and Jelena Jankovic in 2007, Britain will once again have an interest in the Wimbledon mixed doubles final on Sunday. There was a carnival feel on No1 Court on Saturday afternoon as Guernsey’s Heather Watsonand Henri Kontinen from Finland blew past Oliver Marach and Jelena Ostapenko in their semi-final 7-6, 6-3.
Watson and Kontinen, who had never played together in competition before this tournament, were smiling so much that it was hard to believe that a Wimbledonfinal was at stake. “I’m pretty happy – OK, very happy,” Watson, 24, said later. “I don’t know what to say, but I’m having so much fun on the court with Henri.”
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Kontinen agreed, “and the results are following.”
Updated
