I’m going to leave it here. What a long day! Roger Federer was out of here quickly, of course. Lucky him. Serena Williams was also safely through in straight sets. But we’ve seen some upsets elsewhere and the emergence of Britain’s Katie Swan. A fine start to the fortnight, then, and it’s set to get even better tomorrow. We’ll have Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Kyle Edmund, Johanna Konta, Petra Kvitova and Garbine Muguruza to keep us entertained. Not bad. Until then. Thanks for reading and commenting. Bye.
Tatjana Maria beats Elina Svitolina 7-6, 4-6, 6-1!
A huge moment for the unseeded German, who has a modest grand slam record, and a dismal one for the fifth seed. That’s a rough one for Svitolina, who was out of sorts for much of the match.
Tatjana Maria is a game away from causing a major upset. The unseeded German leads 7-6, 4-6, 5-0 against a stunned Elina Svitolina, who isn’t playing like the fifth seed.
Agnieszka Radwanska beats Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 4-6, 7-5!
Ruse had six match points at 5-4. Now look. Radwanska volleys superbly to earn two of her own, having broken in the previous game. An error from Ruse is all the very relieved 32nd seed needs. What a match.
Julia Goerges has beaten Monica Puig 6-4, 7-6. A good win for the 13th seed. Another seed’s in serious peril, though. Over on Court 2, Elina Svitolina finds herself a break down to Tatjana Maria in the third set.
Aljaz Bedene beats Cameron Norrie 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4!
What a glorious day for Britain! Oh.
Elena-Gabriela Ruse has spurned six match points against Agnieszka Radwanska. Six!
Into the second round goes Barbora Strycova, the 23rd seed, a 7-6, 7-6 victor over Svetlana Kuznetosva. Meanwhile Agnieszka Radwanska is slugging it out with Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Court 1. The 32nd seed has saved several match points, but she’s under severe pressure.
Elina Svitolina wins the second 6-4 to level against Tatjana Maria!
The fifth seed is doing it the hard way - but she’s doing it.
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Roger Federer’s second-round opponent? Lucas Lacko. He’s seen off Benjamin Bonzi, the French qualifier, 4-6, 6-3 7-6, 6-4.
Some win for Ruben Bemelmans, the Belgian qualifier. He’s beaten the USA’s Steve Johnson 7-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7, 8-6. Bemelmans beat Bernard Tomic in the last round of qualifying. He’s finished in time to watch the end of Belgium v Japan!
It’s all done on Court 17. Lucie Safarova has beaten Kateryna Bondarenko 6-4, 6-4.
It’s starting to look grim for Cameron Norrie, who trails Aljaz Bedene 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 on Court 14. Bedene, the former Brit, has stuck to his task with dogged tennis.
Katerina Siniakova beats Coco Vandeweghe 6-7, 6-3, 8-6!
That one’s going to smart for the 16th seed.
Katie Swan plays either Aryna Sabalenka or Mihaela Buzarnescu in round. The former’s a set up against the 29th seed.
On Court 18, the 13th seed Julia Goerges took the first set 6-4 against the tricky Monica Puig. Elsewhere Agnieszka Radwanska has gone a break up in the third set against Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Court 1, while Viktoriya Tomova has earned a second-round match against Serena Williams after beating Tereza Smitkova 7-6, 6-1 on Court 4.
Tatjana Maria wins the first set 7-6 against Elina Svitolina
The German gets there in the end. She served for the set twice; she lost her nerve twice. But she’s dominant in the tie-break and a clever sliced forehand draws a poor error from the fifth seed, who’ll have to come from a set down if she’s going to make it past round one.
On Court 3, Coco Vandeweghe has the crucial break in the third set against Katerina Siniakova. She leads 7-6, 3-6, 4-2.
Pablo Carreno Busta, the 20th seed, has never won a match on grass before. That deserves an exclamation mark. Pablo Carreno Busta, the 20th seed, has never won a match on grass before! And the Spaniard isn’t looking too clever at the moment. He’s lost the second set 6-0 to Moldova’s Radu Albot, who leads 3-6, 6-0, 2-1 on Court 8. They’re on serve.
Elina Svitolina was 5-2 down to Tatjana Maria on Court 2. She’s just rattled off three straight games. How the pendulum swings.
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Elina Svitolina’s fighting against Tatjana Maria, saving two set points and breaking to keep the set alive. The fifth seed will serve at 3-5 in the first set and her German opponent must be starting to feel a bit edgy now.
Aljaz Bedene wins the second set 7-6 to level against Cameron Norrie
Norrie isn’t happy. He’s in a battle now and he’s chuntering at the umpire during the changeover on Court 14.
Agnieszka Radwanska is a set up on Court 1 against Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Over on Court 2, meanwhile, Elina Svitolina, is struggling early on against Tatjana Maria. The fifth seed’s a break down.
Katie Swan was asked how she plans to spend her prize money after her win over Irina-Camelia Begu.
I definitely need a new phone case, that’s the first thing. My phone case is, like, falling apart. That’s what I’m going to do first.”
Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas has withdrawn with a knee injury. The USA’s Caroline Dolehide will take her place.
Stan Wawrinka speaks! “It’s a great feeling to win a match like that. Last year I played my last match of the season here. To move that well and beat a player like Grigor, it was great. I’m really happy. I was a bit surprised to fight that well after losing the first set 6-1, but I knew it was the only way. I have been practising so hard to play at that level on Centre Court. I will do everything to be ready for the next one. For sure I am going to be tired. I will have a little fatigue tomorrow. When you win it always helps you to recover. I am looking forward to the next one [against Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano].”
Andy Murray walloped Stan Wawrinka in Eastbourne last week. A penny for Murray’s thoughts right now. I wonder if he’s questioning the wisdom of his withdrawal after seeing a man with one good knee stun the sixth seed.
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Stan Wawrinka beats Grigor Dimitrov 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4!
With a look of something verging on pure terror in his eyes, the sixth-seeded Dimitrov steps up to serve. He knows how defeat is going to look and he seems powerless to avoid a grisly fate. The game goes to 15-all. But two errors from Dimitrov gift Wawrinka two match points. He can’t take the first, netting a slice. But Dimitrov makes the same mistake as he did when facing set point in the third set: he challenges Wawrinka to pass him with a backhand. Er, Grigor? Hello? Do you know who you’re playing? Grigor? Anyone there? He attacks the net and Wawrinka picks him off to seal an unlikely victory, much to the delight of the crowd on Centre Court! That is gutsy in the extreme from Wawrinka, who looked down and out after the first set, and very embarrassing for the ever unreliable Dimitrov.
Stan Wawrinka holds to love to lead 1-6, 7-6, 7-6, 5-4 on Centre Court. Grigor Dimitrov will hold to keep the match alive.
There’s a chance Grigor Dimitrov is made out of fluff. Stan Wawrinka holds to lead 1-6, 7-6, 7-6, 4-3 on Centre Court and Dimitrov is looking demoralised. He knows losing this one won’t look good.
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Gael Monfils might not have hit a 150mph serve, but he’s hit enough winners to reach the second round. Richard Gasquet, the 23rd seed, steps aside after losing 7-6, 7-5, 6-4. There was little between the two Frenchmen, but Monfils had the edge in each set.
Watch out for Stefanos Tsitsipas, the exciting young Greek. The 19-year-old has his first Wimbledon win in the bag, outlasting Gregoire Barrere 6-3, 6-5, 6-7, 7-5. That’s a big moment for Tsitsipas. He was under pressure near the end, but he’s through to face the USA’s Jared Donaldson, another Next Gen member.
Cameron Norrie wins the first set 6-4 against Aljaz Bedene!
Everything’s coming up Britian!
Gael Monfils had a serve recorded at 150mph during his match against Richard Gasquet, who trails by two sets on Court 2. That would have been the fastest server ever recorded at Wimbledon. However it seems that it was down to an excitable speed gun and has since been revised to 135mph. Taylor Dent’s record of 148mph remains intact.
Coco Vandeweghe, who’s always a threat with her big game, has taken the first set 7-6 off Katerina Siniakova on Court 3. Meanwhile Agnieszka Radwanksa, the 32nd seed and former finalist, has been granted a spot on Court 1 with Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse, who’ll need quite the plan to beat the Pole based on the initial evidence.
Kevin Anderson, the eighth seed, is through to the second round after a routine 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Slovakia’s Norbert Gombos. Just the 20 aces from the South African.
Stan Wawrinka wins the third set to lead 1-6, 7-6, 7-6 against Grigor Dimitrov!
Stan Wawrinka wallops a forehand down the line to earn two set points! He was down a mini-break, but look at him now! To think some clown was writing off his fitness earlier. Now he has a chance to take a 2-1 lead in sets. Yet Dimitrov keeps fighting and a good return forces an error from Dimitrov. The Bulgarian will serve at 5-6. He punches a forehand deep into the left corner and challenges Wawrinka to pass him. Er, Grigor. Like, hello? You have heard about the Wawrinka backhand, right? You have heard about that shot? Apparently not. Wawrinka sees him coming, draws back his racquet and flings a vintage one-hander down the line to send Centre Court wild!
Here’s Sean Ingle on Katie Swan’s breakthrough win.
Stan Wawrinka saves two set points to force another tie-break. Oh Grigor. Don’t do this to yourself Grigor.
Serena Williams speaks! “I’m happy to get through that. She played unbelievable today. That’s the game. You have to be ready for everything. I didn’t play my best but I’ll get there. I’ll take it one match at a time. It’s a great feeling. It’s been two years since I played on grass. It’s good. It’s different. I’m definitely finding my bearings out there.”
Over to the Frustration Department, which is headed up by Mr Grigor Dimitrov, who’s blown a third-set advantage against Stan Wawrinka. They’re back on serve on Centre Court.
Serena Williams beats Arantxa Rus 7-5, 6-3!
With a crucial break in the bag, Williams steps up to serve for the match. The venomous, grinding accuracy of her groundstrokes is starting to tell and she earns two match points when she runs forward to put a forehand away. She can’t take the first, missing a backhand, and the pesky Rus saves the second, forcing deuce. Williams carves out a third opportunity, but she pulls a forehand wide under pressure. She carves out a fourth chance and Rus wipes it out again. A huge forehand sets Williams up again. Fifth time lucky? Not if she can’t find her first serve. This is brilliantly stubborn from Rus, who drags it back to deuce. Not for long, though. Match point No6 is the one we’ve been waiting for, Rus finally cracking and netting a limp backhand. That’s it. Williams is into the second round. There were a few holes in her game today, but everything’s a work in progress for her at the moment and she’ll be dangerous once she gains some momentum.
Serena Williams is creaking, but she’s broken back in the second set against Arantxa Rus. Now she’s held to lead 7-5, 4-3. She hasn’t been at her best, but her persistence is wearing Rus down.
Swan Fever is sweeping Britain. This will surely serve as all the inspiration England need against Colombia tomorrow.
Katie Swan beats Irina-Camelia Begu 6-2, 6-2!
Katie Swan earns two match points. A hush falls over Court 14. She can’t take the first, though, netting a forehand. But soon the 19-year-old has a look of pure glee on her face. All she has to do is wait for a double-fault from Irina-Camelia Begu! That’s Swan’s first ever win in a grand slam and it’s come in her home tournament. Quick, everybody, time to learn everything there is to know about Katie Swan.
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Over on Court 14, Katie Swan is a game away from her first ever grand slam win! Irina-Camelia Begu will serve to stay in it, with Swan leading 6-2, 5-2.
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It’s not all going Serena Williams’s way. Far from it. Arantxa Rus leads by a break in the second set on Court 1. Meanwhile Grigor Dimitrov has restored a semblance of order on Centre Court, where he leads 6-1, 6-7, 2-0 against Stan Wawrinka.
In the all-French affair on Court 2, it’s Gael Monfils who’s in control. He might be the unseeded player, but that didn’t stop him edging a first-set tie-break with Richard Gasquet.
Stan Wawrinka wins the second set 7-6 to level against Grigor Dimitrov!
He might be one good leg, old Stan, but he’s still got the heart of a champion, and he proves it by dominating the tie-break. He only dropped three points. “Allez!” he cries. Allez indeed! But from Dimitrov’s perspective, this is a major oversight.
Serena Williams wins the first set 7-5 against Arantxa Rus!
Serving at 5-6, Rus soon finds herself in a hole at 15-40. The Dutch left-hander saves the first set point. She should save the second as well. But while she has Williams running in the opposite direction, her simple forehand flies past the baseline to hand the American the opening set! Oh dear.
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“Come on!!!” Serena Williams roars. And all she’s done is hold to 30 to lead 6-5 in the first set. Imagine what she’ll do if she wins this first-round match against Arantxa Rus. Imagine wanting it that much when you’ve already won so much. Professional athletes, eh? They’re not wired like the rest of us.
Katie Swan wins the first set 6-2 against Irina-Camelia Begu!
The 19-year-old British wild card stands one set away from her first ever grand slam win!
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Katie Swan, the British wild card, is having fun on Court 14. The 19-year-old leads 5-2 in the first set against Irina-Camelia Begu.
Serena Williams flaps her arms and looks in the ground in disgust after netting a forehand. Her game isn’t flowing yet. Arantxa Rus holds for 4-4.
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Serena Williams is starting to work the vocal chords on Court 1, a sign she’s in a bit of a struggle and wants to gee herself up. She comes up with a couple of excellent points to hold for 4-3 in the first set. Arantxa Rus is giving a good account of herself at the moment; they’ve shared a couple of early breaks. Speaking of which Grigor Dimitrov has broken back in the second set against Stan Wawrinka on Centre Court.
USA! USA! USA! John Isner, seeded ninth, has beaten Yannick Maden 6-2, 7-6, 7-5 and Madison Brengle has beaten Aleksandra Krunic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
You can always rely on Grigor Dimitrov for a needless loss of focus. The Bulgarian is capable of making a meal out of nothing. He was so comfortable in the first set against Stan Wawrinka, but now he’s a break down in the second after a lame slice dribbles into the net, giving the Swiss a glimmer of hope.
Big Ivo Karlovic has fought back from a set down to beat Mikhail Youzhny 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-3. Only one tie-break! Impressive from the Croatian, who’ll hope this is a sign that his country will win their World Cup quarter-final against Russia on Saturday.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, the highly promising young Greek, has started well against Grégoire Barrère on Court 18. He’s taken the first set 6-3 off the French qualifier.
Roger Federer was asked about his RF logo now he’s with Uniqlo. The logo currently belongs to Nike.
The RF logo is with Nike at the moment, but it will come to me at some point. I hope rather sooner than later, that Nike can be nice and helpful in the process to bring it over to me. It’s also something that was very important for me, for the fans really.
Look, it’s the process. But the good news is that it will come with me at one point. They are my initials. They are mine. The good thing is it’s not theirs forever. In a short period of time, it will come to me.
Obviously we also need to figure out with Uniqlo when at one point we can start selling clothes for the public as well. All this has just gotten underway. We’re hopeful the beginning of next year people can also start buying my stuff. For the moment, as fast at retailing as they are, as great as they are, it just needs a bit of time.
The first set goes to Grigor Dimitrov. 6-1. This isn’t a match. Wawrinka can barely move.
Kiki Bertens, the 20th seed, has beaten Barbora Slefkova 6-2, 6-3. No surprises there.
Here comes Serena! And Arantxa Rus! The third match on Court 1 will be underway shortly. Meanwhile Grigor Dimitrov is punishing Stan Wawrinka’s rusty movement on Centre Court, breaking with a sublime backhand to lead 4-0 in the first set. This is tough to watch. It’s hard to see Wawrinka lasting the distance.
Milos Raonic beats Liam Broady 7-5, 6-0, 6-1!
I pity anyone on Britwatch today.
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Grigor Dimitrov already leads by a break on Centre Court. This, sadly, is not the Stan Wawrinka we know and love.
Borna Coric warmed up for Wimbledon by beating Roger Federer in Halle. There are worse ways to gear up for the grass at SW19. Or so you’d think. There was plenty of excitement around the 16th seed, but he has let himself down today, losing 7-6, 6-2, 6-2 to Daniil Medvedev. Coric made 30 unforced errors, which sums up his performance. Take nothing away from Medvedev, though. It’s another big win at Wimbledon for the rising Russian.
Here’s Kevin Mitchell on Andy Murray.
Venus Williams beats Johanna Larsson 6-7, 6-2, 6-1!
Panic over for the ninth seed and five-times champion. Venus Williams is safely into the second round after fighting back from a set down against a Swedish opponent who imploded once the going got tough. Perhaps it was to be expected. While Larsson has never won here, that was Williams’s 88th victory at SW19.
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Victoria Azarenka skips merrily into round two after a 7-6, 6-3 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova. The former Australian Open probably lacks the sharpness to go far here, but it’s just good to see her competing after so many setbacks.
Next on Centre Court, it’s Grigor Dimitrov and Stan Wawrinka. On paper it looks like a great match. In reality Wawrinka is playing on one good leg. How long will the Swiss last against the talented Bulgarian? Dimitrov will regard this as a wonderful opportunity to extend his head-to-head record over Wawrinka to 5-2.
Caroline Wozniacki beats Varvara Lepchenko 6-0, 6-3!
Another exhibition match comes to a close on Centre Court. The second seed was never in trouble against her American opponent. Nothing to see here, other than a loud statement of intent from the increasingly impressive Wozniacki.
It’s turning into a tough day for the Brits. Milos Raonic’s crunching power is making Liam Broady cower now. After a solid effort in the first set, the 24-year-old left-hander has collapsed in the second and Raonic leads 7-5, 6-0.
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Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum has beaten the USA’s Bernarda Pera 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Meanwhile Daniil Medvedev leads by two sets and a break against Borna Coric.
Johanna Larsson bellows after another error, prompting the umpire to give her a warning for an audible obscenity. The umpire smiles, rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
Here’s Simon Cambers on Sloane Stephens crashing out to Donna Vekic.
Johanna Larsson spanks a ball into the air and earns a reprimand from the umpire after dropping her serve at the start of the third set. The Swede’s unravelling. Venus Williams breaks to lead 6-7, 6-2, 1-0. That was her fifth straight game. Larsson could not be more frustrated with herself at the moment.
Drama on Centre Court? It's not really what the first week crowd are there for is it @JacobSteinberg? My experience there suggests that they'd be happy if Roger simply stood there and farted out the melody of "Livin' Doll".
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 2, 2018
Venus Williams wins the second set 6-2 to force a decider against Johanna Larsson
The American holds to love to level the match. Her serve’s clicking now.
Borna Coric is fading fast. The 16th seed trails 7-6, 6-2 against Daniil Medvedev.
Here’s Kevin Mitchell’s report on Roger Federer’s win over Dusan Lajovic.
She might be down a set, but Venus Williams is starting to turn on the style against Johanna Larsson. The American leads by two breaks in the second set and will serve to force a third at 5-2. She’s looking much more comfortable.
Liam Broady, far too passive, floats a backhand slice long to hand Milos Raonic two set points. He saves the first, but he’s almost blown off the court when Raonic unleashes a huge forehand to convert the second. The Canadian takes it 7-5.
Serena Williams isn’t the only mother in the women’s draw, you know. Victoria Azarenka’s another notable entrant and the Belarusian has taken the first set 7-6 against Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Caroline Wozniacki sweeps to the first set against Varvara Lepchenko, taking it 6-0. At this rate they might move Cameron Norrie versus Aljaz Bedene on there.
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Liam Broady keeps passing the little tests on Court 1, holding the latest one to make it 5-5. The fear, however, is that he’ll be no match for Milos Raonic in a tie-break.
You have to say that’s magnificent from Jan-Lennard Struff. The unseeded German trailed by two sets to Leo Mayer, the 32nd seeded - but he’s only gone and roared back to beat the Argentinian 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-1! Meanwhile another five-setter’s done and dusted on Court 7, where Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller has seen of the USA’s Michael Mmoh 7-5, 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-1.
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Fans on Centre Court aren’t being treated to much drama so far. Roger Federer’s already crushed Dusan Lajovic and now Caroline Wozniacki, the second seed, is threatening to destroy Varvara Lepchenko, who trails 4-0 in the first set.
Daniil Medvedev bounces back to his chair with the first set in the bag. Borna Coric had a set point at 6-5 in the tie-break, but his Russian foe rattled off the next three points to move into the lead.
On Court 12, a fascinating duel between two young contenders. Borna Coric, the 16th-seeded Croatian, beat Roger Federer in the Halle final a week ago, a sign that he might finally be about to bring the various pieces of his game together. But he’s got a tricky assignment against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev today. Medvedev stunned an admittedly wounded Stan Wawrinka in the first round last year. The two youngsters are locked in a tense tie-break in the first set.
Johanna Larsson wins the first set 7-6 against Venus Williams!
Two double faults from last year’s finalist gifts Larsson, the world No58, three set points. She’s already seen two come and go. This time, though, she makes no mistake. She reaches a short ball and batters a forehand over the net. Williams is there with a volley, but the ball flies long and we’ve got a big upset on the cards!
On Court 1, Britain’s Liam Broady faces a stern test against Milos Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the 2016 final. Broady, a left-hander, is ranked 173rd in the world and he’s only made it past the second round once. He’ll need to return well if he’s to stand any chance against the Canadian.
What a choke from Johanna Larsson! She wastes two set points and then butchers a forehand at the net on break point, gifting Venus William a reprieve! The Swede served for the first set, but Williams has forced a tie-break.
Hello again. Madison Keys has just stuffed Australia’s Alja Tomljanovic 6-4, 6-2 on Court 3. That’s a very productive workout for the American.
What’s coming up? Caroline Wozniacki will be out next on Centre Court, while Wawrinka v Dimitrov will follow that one. A little earlier, 6ft 6 in Marin Cilic dispatched 5ft 7in Yoshihito Nishioka, of Japan, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. It was a mismatch from the start. Jacob’s back from fuelling up and will guide you through the rest of the action ...
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Federer beats Lajovic 6-1, 6-3, 6-4!
That was nice and simple, a 79-minute breeze for the Swiss. He’s done and dusted and, before you know it, he’s signing autographs for his worshipping fans, most of whom have been paying homage to the No 1 seed on Centre Court. There’s a young girl with a luminous homemade sign reading: “Can I have your headband pleaaasseee?” in block capitals. Federer obliges, of course. “I felt right at home again,” Federer says.
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Over on a baking Centre Court, Federer is 5-4 up against Lajovic in the third set and closing on a place in the second round ...
Sloane Stephens out in straight sets!
We have our first upset. Donna Vekić makes fairly light work of the US Open champion, beating the No 4 seed 6-1, 6-3 who struggled from the first serve. For a player who has enjoyed plenty of recent success, Stephens seemed to lack confidence, while Vekić, the 22-year-old girlfriend of Stan Wawrinka played some lovely stuff. The ninth and final game proved a real slog, with six deuces and four match points, the last of which was the killer blow. “I’m sure it’s only going to get tougher from here,” says the Croatian, the No 55.
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Sloane Stephens, the No 4 seed, is in real trouble on Court 1. Donna Vekić took the first set no problem and is eking towards the second, 5-3 up. Stephens just lost the last game with a weak, half-hearted forehand diving into the net. She’s all over the place.
This feels like the beginning of the end of Lajovic, with the Serb surrendering the first games of the third set against Federer. The latter is well into his stride, soaking up the sun’s glaze and going through the motions, really. Federer leads 6-1, 6-3, 2-0 ...
Federer takes the second set 6-3 against Dusan Lajovic, and new balls are on the way. The stats are pretty damning, with the Swiss winning 94% on his first serve. Lajovic, it is fair to say, has an uphill battle on his hands. Over on the No 3 Court, Madison Keys is leading Ajla Tomljanović in the first, with the No 10 5-4 up.
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A quick glance around the courts, then. Roger Federer is cruising on Centre Court, surely about to rack up the second set against Lajovic, while Sloane Stephens is up against it on No 1 Court. Venus Williams, meanwhile, has just taken the first game against Johanna Larsson. There have been a few routine matches, with Sam Querrey, the 11th seed, among those through in straight sets, after getting the better of Jordan Thompson, of Australia.
I’m going to head off in search of some lunch. Ben Fisher will step in for a bit.
Karolina Pliskova slaps a hard serve away and Harriet Dart can’t do anything with her return. That’s that: Pliskova is through to the second round after a 7-6, 2-6, 6-1 win over the world No171. But what an effort from Dart, who will probably look back on those break points she failed to convert at the start of the final set. She shouldn’t dwell on them too long, though, because that was a mighty performance on her Wimbledon debut. There’s no shame in losing to a player as good as Pliskova. Dart can be proud of herself. The challenge now is to use this experience as a positive and keep progressing.
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Roger Federer has put a shirt back on. Excitement over.
ROGER FEDERER HAS JUST REMOVED HIS UNIQLO TOP. ROGER FEDERER IS CURRENTLY TOPLESS.
Harriet Dart’s brave, gutsy fight seems to be fizzling out. Karolina Pliskova has remembered that she’s a former world No1 and is turning up the heat. The British youngster’s starting to melt away. Pliskova breaks to 30 to lead 5-1 in the third set. She’ll serve for it.
Roger Federer’s racing away with it on Centre Court. He leads 6-1, 3-0 against Dusan Lajovic. Here are a couple of ominous statistics: Federer has won 88% of first serve points and has got 94% of his returns back in play.
Harriet Dart had three break points in the first game of the third set. She couldn’t take any of them and since then the pressure has started to build, culminating in the double-fault that’s just gifted Karolina Pliskova a 3-1 lead. There might be no coming back from that for Dart.
Sloane Stephens is looking forlorn and flat on Court 1. She’s being thoroughly outplayed by Donna Vekic, who seals the first set 6-1 when her American opponent slashes an ugly forehand way past the baseline. I apologise for saying this one was a potential classic. Stephens, who was so impressive in reaching the French Open final, isn’t at the races at all.
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Roger Federer has been on Centre Court for all of two seconds and he’s already got the first set in the bag. Dusan Lajovic was allowed no more than one game. That set flew by.
Marin Cilic is heading back to the locker room in time for Brazil v Mexico. He’s walloped Yoshihito Nishioka 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.
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Sloane Stephens is the fourth seed, but it won’t go down as an upset if she loses today. She’s up against one of the toughest unseeded players, which is already abundantly clear on Court 1, where Donna Vekic leads 4-1 in the first set.
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While one Pliskova struggles, another has just made her exit. Krystina Pliskova is out after losing 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 to Romania’s Alexandra Dulgheru. Over on Court 12, meanwhile, Karolina Pliskova has been dragged into one hell of a battle with Harriet Dart, who’s pressing hard at the start of the third set.
Uniqlo’s Roger Federer breaks again for a 4-1 lead on Centre Court. He’s toying with Fila’s Dusan Lajovic.
In the interest of balance, Dusan Lajovic is wearing Fila. He doesn’t have a DL logo, though.
By the way, Federer’s wearing Uniqlo today after ending his long association with Nike. Which means he can’t sport his famous RF logo. The price you pay for more money, eh?
UNIQLO is honoured to welcome Roger Federer as our new Global Brand Ambassador!#UniqloRF #Uniqlo #LifeWear #RogerFederer #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Xn4R4H4GVV
— UNIQLO UK (@UNIQLO_UK) July 2, 2018
Dusan Lajovic broke early against Roger Federer last year. This time it’s Federer with the early breakthrough on Centre Court. Presumably that means Lajovic will win in straight sets.
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Harriet Dart wins the second set 6-2 to level against Karolina Pliskova!
The Wimbledon debutant fell to earth with an untimely thud - but she got back to her feet, dusted herself down, shook off any pain in her right knee and took the second set off the seventh seed on Court 12! They’re going to a decider.
Seed down! Seed down! Magdalena Rybarikova, the 19th seed and a semi-finalist last year, has lost 7-5, 6-3 to Romania’s Sorana Cirstea. That’s one gone. Sam Querrey had no problems dealing with Jordan Thompson, though. The American’s completed a comfortable 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 win over the Australian.
Blimey. Harriet Dart immediately has to save two break points. That she does and then she belts a backhand down the line to hold for 5-1, lifting the Wimbledon a game away from forcing a decider against a slightly baffled Karolina Pliskova.
After a long delay, Harriet Dart returns, much to the crowd’s relief. She will resume at 6-7, 4-1 and is serving at 15-30.
The first match on Court 1 could be something special. It’s Sloane Stephens, the brilliant US Open champion, against Donna Vekic, the highly talented Croatian youngster. Stephens is the obvious favourite, but Vekic has plenty of weapons. She took part in a classic with Johanna Konta last year, losing 7-6 (4), 4-6, 10-8 to the British No1 in three hours and 10 minutes.
Harriet Dart has left Court 12 for further treatment after that fall. It would be a dreadful shame if she’s forced into an early retirement. She was playing so well against Karolina Pliskova.
He’s here. Roger Federer has arrived on Centre Court. The crowd treats the champion to a typically reverent welcome. They’ll be hoping for a Federer masterclass against Dusan Lajovic. The Serbian briefly inconvenienced Federer last year, breaking early before succumbing in three sets.
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Harriet Dart has called for the trainer. Let’s hope it’s nothing serious. She took a bang to her right knee.
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Harriet Dart has just suffered a heavy fall near the baseline on Court 12. She’s serving at 15-30. There’s plenty of concern. Her parents looked worried. The umpire’s come down from his chair to check if Dart’s okay. She stays down for a while and eventually gets up to walk to her chair. Hopefully she hasn’t picked up an injury.
Marin Cilic is cruising. The third seed leads 6-1, 6-4 against Yoshihito Nishioka on Court 2. Elsewhere Lucas Pouille leads 6-3, 6-3 against Denis Kudla, Philipp Kohlschreiber leads 6-2, 6-4 against Evgeny Donskoy and Leo Mayer leads 6-3, 7-6 against Jan-Lennard Struff.
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Harriet Dart is playing some astonishingly good tennis, breaking again to lead 4-1 in the second set. She dropped her serve at 3-0, but she’s broken Karolina Pliskova for the fourth consecutive game. Better news for the Pliskova family on Court 6, though: Krystina has levelled it against Alexandra Dulgheru.
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I’ve just been flicking through the media guide and have found some VERY INTERESTING STATISTICS from last year’s tournament. While players consumed 2,195kg of bananas, punters consume, 21,917 bottles of champagne, 17,170 portions of fish and chips, 76,603 ice creams, 307,277 glasses of Pimm’s, 72,142 baguettes, 110,225 scones, 307,277 cups of tea and coffee and 166,055 portions of strawberries and cream.
Make that two breaks. Harriet Dart’s punchy game has caused Karolina Pliskova to lose the plot. Pliskova sends an easy forehand long and Dart breaks again to lead 3-0 in the second set. Is a story brewing?
Harriet Dart hasn’t let that botched tie-break throw her off course! She’s broken for a 2-0 lead over Karolina Pliskova on Court 12. The youngster doesn’t look overawed and she’s posing the seventh seed a few problems.
You’ll recall that Sam Querrey sent a limping Andy Murray out of Wimbledon last year, earning himself a first semi-final appearance. He’s a threat on this surface and he’s dominating against Jordan Thompson, who trails 6-2, 6-4 on Court 3.
Experience tells in the tie-break on Court 12. Karolina Pliskova wins it 7-2 to leave Harriet Dart disappointed. The seventh seed snatches the first set 7-6, although she’s been made to work for it by the plucky young Brit, who shouldn’t feel too disheartened just yet.
Another seed in trouble: Magdalena Rybarikova, the 19th seed, is a set down against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea, who edged it 7-5.
If you’re a seed, the last thing you’d want is to be drawn against Germany’s Andrea Petkovic. She’s one of those dangerous floaters in the draw, as she’s demonstrating on Court 17, where she’s a set up against China’s Shuai Zhang. However the 31st seed is fighting back in the second set, breaking for a 2-0 lead. “Afternoon Jacob,” Simon McMahon says. “I suspect that, like most people, Boris’s relationship with Central African Republic extends no further than the TV game show Pointless. Which is what Andy Murray’s participation this year in SW19 would have been if he’s still not right. Next year will be his year. 2013, 2016, 2019. And Sweden v England you say? It’s been a hard job predicting this World Cup so far, so good luck with that ...”
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Harriet Dart saves a break point and then she nails an ace out wide to hold for 6-5! She’s a game away from taking the first set on her Wimbledon debut.
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Speaking of Krystina Pliskova, she’s a set down to Romania’s Alexandra Dulgheru, a qualifier. And over on Court 12, Harriet Dart’s threatening an unlikely comeback, nailing a forehand down the line to earn three break points! She trades baseline blows with Karolina Pliskova, whose movement doesn’t look too clever, and forces the error from the Czech to break back for 5-5 at the business end of the first set!
One seed’s looking good - Lucas Poille takes the first set 6-3 against Denis Kudla. Another’s looking bad - Filip Krajinovic drops the first set to Chile’s Nicolas Jarry.
The BBC commentators are wondering whether Karolina Pliskova could get her twin Krystina to take a driving test for her. Harriet Dart must be wishing it was Krystina rather than Karolina on the other side of the net. Krystina isn’t quite as good as her sister, although Dart’s still battling gamely, holding to trail 5-4 in the first set. Pliskova is about to serve for it, though.
Not that Marin Cilic had to wait long. He’s cruising against Yoshihit Nishioka, taking the first set 6-1. An upset looks unlikely on Court 2. Meanwhile another seed’s faring well - Philipp Kohlschreiber, the veteran German, has taken the first set 6-2 against Evgeny Donskoy on Court 16. Kohlschreiber, the 32nd seed, is still going strong at the age of 34. He’s such a fine player to watch. You have to admire his longevity.
The race to win the first set of the tournament goes to Sam Querrey, who’s proving too good for Jordan Thompson on Court 3. The American took it 6-2. Although there’s a chance he might have been beaten to it by Leonardo Mayer, the 32nd seed, who’s also a set up against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. Hmm. This is the burning question of the day. Who got there first: Mayer or Querrey? We must know! All we know for sure is they got there before Marin Cilic.
A sympathetic sigh ripples round Court 12 as Harriet Dart fails in her quest to break Karolina Pliskova, who holds for 4-2 despite being taken to deuce. The seventh seed is looking too strong on serve.
Unlike Croatia last night, Marin Cilic is in a hurry. Maybe he doesn’t want to stay out in the heat too long. The Croatian has broken again to lead 4-0 on Court 2. He’s looking far too powerful for Yoshihito Nishioka. Elsewhere Sam Querrey, the 11th seed, is a break up against Australia’s Jordan Thompson, while Lucas Pouille’s in control against Denis Kudla on Court 18.
A glum mood falls over Court 12, where Karolina Pliskova has made an ominously quick start against Britain’s Harriet Dart, breaking for a 2-1 lead in the first set. “Come on, Harriet!” someone in the crowd shouts. But it’s already a struggle.
An early break for Marin Cilic on Court 2. It’s already looking grim for his Japanese opponent.
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Marin Cilic, who beat Novak Djokovic in the Queen’s final, is up first on Court 2. The third seed, who must be in with a serious chance of winning his first title here, having reached last year’s final, should make short work of Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka.
Turns out I tuned in too late to hear any Central African Republic chat. Bah! Still, how very cheeky from Sue. I didn’t think she had it in her. Now I have a newfound respect for her and will never say anything bad about A Question of Sport again.
Sue Barker's first question to Boris Becker on the BBC: "What is your association with the Central African Republic?"
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) July 2, 2018
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And ... play! Wimbledon 2018 is up and running! For now, it’s anyone’s to win. Ah, optimism.
On BBC2, Boris Becker is having a chat with Sue Barker. Not heard anything about the Central African Republic yet.
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The players are arriving on the outside courts. Play will be underway shortly! Who needs the World Cup! You’ll be watching Wimbledon when England are playing Sweden on Saturday afternoon, won’t you? Guys? Hello?
Roger Federer has quite a kind route to the final, although he did lose to Borna Coric in the final at Halle last Sunday. There are some doubts about his form, which at least offers some hope to the rest of the field. Marin Cilic, who is slated to face Federer in the last four, will be watching with interest.
From a British perspective the early focus will be on Harriet Dart, who’s first on Court 2 against the rangy Karolina Pliskova. Dart is here on a wild card. The 21-year-old is the world No171 and she’s never been in a grand slam before. She might have to make the most of the experience today - Pliskova is the seventh seed and the Czech is a contender for the title.
Perhaps the home fans will get more out of watching Katie Swan, who faces Irina-Camelia Begu in the third match on Court 14. Andy Murray’s a big fan of the 19-year-old. She could cause a stir against the unseeded Romanian.
As for the men, Liam Broady’s second on Court 1. That’s more to do with his opponent, though. The 24-year-old from Stockport faces Milos Raonic, a finalist in 2016. Meanwhile Cameron Norrie, the British No2, faces Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene, who once had GB next to his name. But no more.
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This is a belting Judy Murray interview by Simon Hattenstone.
The gates have opened and the fans are pouring into the All England Club. It is absolutely scorching here. The conditions should favour the serve experts and big hitters.
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It’s ten years since arguably the greatest men’s match of all time: the Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who resisted the Swiss master to claim his first title at SW19 in five glorious sets. The two legends are seeded one and two this year and could meet in the final again, although that will largely depend on whether Nadal’s knees hold up on the grass. The Spaniard won the French Open again, but he skipped Queen’s and it’s seven years since he was in the final here. He’s suffered a string of early exits since then and fell to Gilles Muller in the fourth round last year. Still, we can hope. And while we do, here’s Andy Bull on that 2008 classic. Drown in the nostalgia.
Hello and welcome to day one of Wimbledon 2018!
Unfortunately Andy Murray won’t be joining us. It’s the first time that the two-times champion has missed Wimbledon since 2007, but despite putting his name in the hat he’s decided that his hip still isn’t ready for the rigours of five-set tennis. He’s only played three matches since limping out of last year’s tournament and has erred on the side of caution. Poor guy. You have to feel for him – and pray that we haven’t seen the last of him in these parts.
Still, the show must go on, especially with so many other attractions for us to enjoy over the next fortnight, and although Murray’s not around the player he regards as the greatest of all time has arrived at SW19 for the first time since lifting the women’s title in 2016. Serena Williams has had quite a lot to deal with since then, but the 36-year-old’s back from maternity leave and determined to show that the All England Club was right to ignore her slide to 181st in the world rankings and make her the 25th seed. Dominika Cibulkova, who would have been the 32nd seed, isn’t too happy, but there’s no denying the enduring majesty of Williams, who faces the unheralded Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands in the last match on Court 1.
Williams will expect to win that one with something to spare, although it really is a case of taking it one step at a time for her. Her route to the final is littered with intimidating obstacles and it’s worth remembering that injury forced her to withdraw from her fourth-round match during her comeback at the French Open last month. She had been due to play Maria Sharapova.
Here she is, though, and she’ll know that anything’s possible in the women’s draw. It’s difficult to know where to look today. There’s a Centre Court appearance for Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, with the Australian Open champion meeting Varvara Lepchenko. Serena’s big sister Venus, who reached last year’s final, is still going at the age of 38 and will expect her grass court expertise to be too much for Sweden’s Johanna Larsson. Elina Svitolina, the fifth seed, plays Tatjana Maria, Madison Keys plays Alja Tomljanovic Karolina Pliskova meets Great Britain’s Harriet Dart, Victoria Azarenka meets Ekaterina Alexandrova and there should be fireworks when Sloane Stephens, the US Open champion and French Open finalist, meets the unseeded and highly dangeous Donna Vekic in the first match on Court 1.
That’s enough for now. Time to focus on the men – and where better to start than with Roger Federer? The defending champion, who beat Marin Cilic to claim his eighth title last year, will be raring to go after treating himself to a nice rest during the clay season. He’s the hot favourite and remains as brilliant as ever, as Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic might find out in the first match on Centre Court.
Federer isn’t the only Swiss player who’ll make it on to Centre Court today, though. On paper it’s hard to look beyond Stan Wawrinka versus Grigor Dimitrov, although much could depend on the former’s physical condition. Wawrinka has barely played since knee surgery and was well beaten by, er, Murray in Eastbourne last week. Dimitrov, the sixth seed, should have too much for the three-times grand slam champion. It could be a bit one-sided.
Moving on, then, it’s worth keeping an eye on Cilic, who plays Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the first match on Court 2, where there’ll be plenty of Gallic flair on show when Richard Gasquet meets Gael Monfils later.
Bornca Coric versus Daniil Medvedev promises to be another intriguing encounter and the one thing we can be sure about is the first day here is never short of excitement. The grounds will be packed, the courts will be full, the sun’s out and anticipation is rising. Not long to go now.
Play begins at: 11.30am BST on the outside courts, 1pm BST on the show courts.
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