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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Katy Murrells at Wimbledon and Niall McVeigh (briefly)

Wimbledon 2019: Gauff fights back to beat Hercog on Centre Court – as it happened

Cori Gauff celebrates winning against Polona Hercog.
Cori Gauff celebrates winning against Polona Hercog. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

It’s curtains for Auger-Aliassime, who has lost in straight sets to Humbert, whose “reward” for that win is a fourth-round match against Novak Djokovic. Meanwhile, here’s the scene in Coco Gauff’s home town:

Auger-Aliassime and Humbert are still going on No 1 in the only remaining third-round match, with Humbert well in control, 6-4, 7-5, 4-2. Here’s the story of the rest of today’s action:

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Sure, Hercog blinked in that second set, but this is still a remarkable achievement. To put it into context, Gauff’s ranked 313th in the world. This is her first Wimbledon and her first grand slam. She’s the talk not only of Wimbledon but also the United States. And just in case it passed you by, she’s ONLY 15. She’s the youngest player to reach the fourth round here since Jennifer Capriati in 1991. Capriati was defeated at that stage by Steffi Graf. Up next for Gauff: the former world No 1 Simona Halep.

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Here comes Coco:

Right now I’m just super relieved it’s over. People say Court 1 is my court but maybe Centre could be now. I always knew I could come back, I just went for my shots. I’m just happy that slice down the line went in. even when I was down match point, the crowd were still cheering me on. I’m not going to think about [the next round]. I think I have a mixed doubles match tomorrow so I’m going to focus on that.”

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Gauff defeats Hercog 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5!

Felix Auger-Aliassime, the other new kid on the block making headlines here, is in trouble on No 1 Court. He trails Ugo Humbert 6-4, 7-5. No such problems for Gauff, though, who moves to 30-all on Hercog’s serve. Will it be match point? No, because Gauff blazes a backhand out. 40-30. Deuce. Again, Gauff is potentially two points from victory. Can she carve out a first match point? Yes, with plenty of help from Hercog, who tamely nets! Hercog’s drop shot draws Gauff forward, Hercog attempts the lob ... and it’s out! Gauff jumps up and down repeatedly, her parents do the same in the players’ box, almost every spectator is on their feet, and the only way for Coco continues to be up! The 15-year-old’s through to the second week of Wimbledon having saved two match points, as her dream debut continues!

Gauff celebrates her win!
Gauff celebrates her win! Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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Gauff’s dad is on his feet for the 623rd time today when his daughter claims another love hold. It’s 6-5 ...

You wouldn’t know Gauff is playing only the third three-set match of her career on Tour given the way she races out of the blocks in the ninth game. It may as well be the first game of the match, given the energy she has as she charges through to love. It leaves Hercog serving to stay in the match. The Slovenian looks set to hold at 40-30 when she sets up the point perfectly ... but plants her volley into the net! Deuce. Gauff celebrates the mistake as though it were her own winner. But then it’s her turn to make an unforced error. Hercog’s advantage. Deuce. Hercog’s advantage. And the Slovenian’s first ace of the set makes it game. 5-5.

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Hercog holds for 4-4. Meanwhile one Murray did at least make it on to court in the mixed doubles this evening. Jamie Murray has reached round two with his American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands, defeating Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Katy Dunne 7-5, 7-6 (8).

Gauff is indeed bothered by Hercog’s more carefree approach, and there’s another twist to this absorbing plot when the American slides 0-40 down. Gauff nets with a backhand on the second break point and we’re back on serve! Hercog treats herself to a massage from the trainer at the changeover, while Gauff is left to ponder how the pressure of being the frontrunner got to her.

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Hercog, with almost nothing to lose now, has decided to chisel that concrete out of her trainers and have a few free swings at the ball. She holds to love to at least plant a seed of doubt in Gauff’s mind. It’s 3-6, 7-6 (7), 4-2 Gauff.

Gauff has a break point at 2-1, 30-40. She can’t take it. Gauff has another break point at her advantage. She does take it! Hercog’s shoes look as if they’re filled with concrete as the Slovenian’s forehand goes long. Gauff then backs up the break in double quick time for 3-6, 7-6 (7), 4-1. For the first time in this match she is very much in the ascendancy.

The scene on Centre Court as the sun goes down.
The scene on Centre Court as the sun goes down. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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But back to current matters. There’s little giving at the start of the decider, in which Gauff is serving first. Gauff leads 2-1. Meanwhile on No 1, the other most-talked about teen in tennis, Felix Auger-Aliassime, having lost the first set, 6-4, to France’s Ugo Humbert (who’s a positively ancient 21), has stormed back in the second and leads 3-0.

We’re hearing that Andy Murray and Serena Williams will now not play tonight. A sensible decision to cancel given that Williams is up first on No 1 Court in the singles tomorrow.

“I agree with you about being able to better than Serandy... It simply sounds like Ser (Sir) Andy,” emails Aditi Modi.

We knew Gauff had the talent, now we know she’s got the fight. Hercog did give her a little hand but the teenager will have won even more fans with the way she came from 5-2 down, saving those two match points. Though she may have also upset a few spectators, because a third set means Andy Murray and Serena Williams will be detained in the locker room for a little longer. And Serena, I imagine, is someone who doesn’t like to be kept waiting, especially when she’s playing singles at 1pm tomorrow.

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... and Hercog breaks again for 4-3, before strengthening her grip at 5-3. But again, the Slovenian is overcome by anxiety. Hercog jumps up and down on the spot, trying to shake out those nerves. It doesn’t work. From 5-3 down, Gauff brings up a set point at 6-5 with the overhead! Hercog’s first serve is long ... she lands the second and proceeds to slice Gauff into submission! 6-6. Hercog stops mid-rally to challenge when she thinks Gauff’s shot has drifted long. Big mistake. Hawk-Eye shows it got the line. 7-6, a second set point. A never-ending rally, in which neither player wants to pull the trigger, ends when Gauff goes long. 7-7. 8-7, a third set point. Hercog is slicing every shot right now, this is so cagey, and Gauff eventually, eventually pulls the trigger! The 15-year-old takes the tie-break 9-7. We’re going the distance!

Gauff celebrates after taking the second set.
Gauff celebrates after taking the second set. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
The crowd reacts after that second set.
The crowd reacts after that second set. Photograph: Ben Curtis/AP

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This is the first tie-break Gauff has played in her six matches on Tour. With so much on the line, both players are struggling to hit through their shots, and their feet look heavy. At 2-2 a bird decides to interrupt proceedings, just to add to the drama. A gruelling fifth point is won by Gauff with a fortunate net cord, which she celebrates by raising her arms in the air. That’s the first mini-break, but Gauff concedes it immediately. 3-3 at the change of ends ...

Hercog holds to stem the tide, stopping a run of three games against her. The Slovenian leads 6-5. Maybe that’ll shake away the nerves. But an absolute howler from Hercog on the first point of Gauff’s serve suggests she’s still struggling. However Gauff’s feeling the pressure too. At 40-30 it looks as if she’s hit a double fault and, although Hawk-Eye comes to her rescue, she then smacks her forehand into the net! Deuce. The teenager scrambles through from there and this absorbing set will be settled by a tie-break.

Hercog is alternating between the tightest of shots and terrific winners. Error. 15-0. Winner. 15-all. Gauff then decides to become the dictator, moving to 30-15, 40-15 and game. It’s 5-5. Belgium’s David Goffin, meanwhile, has defeated Daniil Medvedev, the 11th seed and rising Russian who goes the way that his fellow hotly tipped talents Alex Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas did before him. The score was 4-6, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Goffin plays Verdasco in the last 16.

However Hercog is serving for the match at 6-3, 5-3. Gauff, in two minds on the return, hits long and it’s 30-0. Hercog then overcooks a shot too. 30-15. Hercog has Gauff moving right and left and right and left and right on the next point, Gauff chases every ball down before punishing the short ball. 30-all. If Gauff could break here they’d be back on serve. But Hercog’s timing is impeccable. She comes up with an ace to secure a second match point. But then balances it out with a double fault! Deuce. Some superb retrieving from Gauff combined with an awful, edgy error from Hercog and it’s break point, Gauff’s first of the match! This time Hercog keeps her nerves in check with a forehand winner down the line. But Gauff comes back at her with another break point ... and this one she takes when Hercog nets! Gauff has saved two match points and somehow they’re back on serve!

Gauff reacts as she fights back.
Gauff reacts as she fights back. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

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Thanks Niall. There’s an almost funereal atmosphere on Centre as Gauff steps up to serve with new balls to stay in the match. Did no one give Hercog the script? However amid all the focus on Gauff, it’s easy to forget this would be a great achievement for Hercog, reaching the fourth round of a slam for the first time at the age of 28. A heavily-tattooed Hercog, who also has a sleeve on her right arm like Kyrgios and Raonic of old, takes the first point. 0-15. Gauff steadies herself for 15-all. And then 30-all. But Hercog has a match point at 30-40. A rallying cry from the stands for Gauff. It does the trick – just – as the American’s backhand swerving slice clips the line. Deuce. Advantage Gauff. Game Gauff. Gutsy.

No signs of a wobble from Hercog, who holds with the minimum of fuss to move one game away. She has been very solid, and now leads 6-3, 5-2. Time to hand back to Katy...

At 30-all on serve, Gauff moves into the net to close out a point. Gutsy stuff, and she closes out the game when Hercog’s return drifts long. Jamie Murray and Mattek-Sands are trailing 4-3 in the first set against Salisbury and Dunne, who sound like an upmarket furniture shop.

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Hercog rattles through another service for her sixth game on the spin. Gauff has to get back on the board and does so, holding to cut the gap to 3-1 in the second set. Will Hercog feel the nerves at any stage? She struggles a touch with her first serve, but finds a big second serve to close out the game. 4-1, and closing in on victory.

Djokovic beats Hurkacz 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4!

The defending champion drops his first set of the tournament but still eases through to the second week. Felix Auger-Aliassime will pose an interesting test if he gets through his third-round match, but beyond that, it’s hard to see who could stop him returning to the final.

Djokovic reacts after victory.
Djokovic reacts after victory. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA

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Hercog is doing everything right, though, just keeping the ball in court, knowing that her young opponent is struggling to find her rhythm. Gauff takes her to deuce on her serve, but a couple of forced errors let her off. Hercog then cranks up the pressure, racing to two break points on Gauff’s serve. She saves the first, but nets a forehand as the ball sits up, and drops her racket in frustration.

From Gauff to Goffin, and the Belgian has broken back against Daniil Medvedev. Djokovic is getting there on No 1 court – he’s about to serve for the match at 5-4 in the fourth.

“Do you have a comment on Cilic and Anderson losing during the first week despite being bumped up in their rankings here?” asks Olga Grkavac.

I don’t know if I can offer much, beyond the fact that Wimbledon should probably just stick with the rankings these days. Players who perform well on grass should have an advantage anyway, and the depth of quality means moving up a few places isn’t likely to compensate for a lack of form or match fitness.

Hercog takes the first set! That set unravelled quickly for Coco Gauff after being broken. Hercog immediately held to love, before a disastrous ninth game where Gauff double-faulted three times, and was broken to love. Let’s remember that she’s 15 years old – playing on Centre Court is understandably causing some nerves.

Gauff struggles in the first set against Hercog.
Gauff struggles in the first set against Hercog. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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A couple more potentially decisive breaks – Djokovic has moved 3-1 up on Hurkacz in the fourth set, and Medvedev has edged ahead against Goffin. Jamie Murray is just starting his mixed doubles first-round match alongside US player Bethanie Mattek-Sands. They’re playing two Brits in Joe Salisbury and Katy Dunne.

Gauff looks in a spot of bother on her serve, but an air shot from Hercog at 30-all lets her off. She nets on the next point, though, and her opponent dominates the next rally. A drifting slice from Hercog is called out, but Hawkeye shows it clipped the line, and on the next point, Gauff hangs on in a long rally but is undone by a forehand that lands plum on the baseline. Hercog breaks to lead 4-3!

Back on Centre, a correct challenge on Hercog’s serve keeps Gauff in the game, but the Slovenian finds another winner to hold. It’s 3-3 in the first set. This is, of course, a big occasion for Hercog too – she’s never reached the second week of a slam.

Thanks Katy. Let’s take a quick trip around the grounds: On No 3 Court, Fernando Verdasco has followed up his win over Kyle Edmund with a straight-sets win over Thomas Fabbiano. Verdasco will play the winner of a blockbuster on No 2, where Daniil Medvedev and David Goffin are locked in a deciding set.

I’m off for a break. I’ll leave you in the very capable hands of Niall McVeigh ...

Gauff has taken no time at all to adapt to her new surroundings and is enjoying being the Centre of attention. She’s soon 2-1 up on serve. Meanwhile Djokovic has poured water on Hurkacz’s fire, reacting to losing that second-set tie-break by charging 5-1 up in the third in a matter of minutes. Djokovic has two set points at 40-15. Hurkacz makes little effort to get his return back into play. Drama? What drama? Says Djokovic, the man who stares adversity in the face and laughs right back at it. He’s restored his lead and it’s 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-1.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic restores his supremacy. Photograph: Javier García/BPI/REX/Shutterstock

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And here comes Coco. The 15-year-old sensation arrives for her first and certainly not last visit to Centre Court and is greeted by big cheers. Though she may not have heard them given she’s got her headphones on. Gauff, having accounted for the five-times champion Venus Williams in the first round and the 2017 semi-finalist Magdalena Rybarikova in the second, now has her sights set on the Slovenian world No 60, Polona Hercog, as she aims to become the youngest player to reach the fourth round here since Jennifer Capriati in 1991.

Coco Gauff arrives on Centre Court.
Coco Gauff arrives on Centre Court. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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“It hasn’t been as easy as the score shows,” says Halep after her win over Azarenka. “I felt really great on court. She is a tough opponent. I gave everything I had and was confident. The first two games were not easy but I feel better and I’m looking forward to the next one.

“My coach is going to watch this match [between Coco Gauff and Polona Hercog]. I will recover my body and just chill. I have a day off. I don’t look at the draw. I just take it match by match.”

Halep’s timing is good because we can get back to Djokovic v Hurkacz and that second-set tie-break. Hurkacz pulls off some more acrobatics at the net to get the mini-break for 2-1. The crowd are loving his style. Djokovic breaks back. They change ends at 3-3 ... another mini-break or two or three follow – I make that seven for the breaker so far – and Hurkacz has a set point at 6-5, on his serve ... he serves out wide ... and then thunders away a winner at the net! A massive set from the 6ft 5in Pole. He’s taken it 7-5 in the tie-break and is level with Djokovic at one set all.

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Halep beats Azarenka 6-3, 6-1

A match that promised so much on Centre Court has sadly failed to deliver. Halep is hurtling towards the finish line, leading Azarenka 6-3, 5-1 and serving at 15-0. 30-0. 40-0. Three match points. Azarenka unleashes a forehand winner – before putting her next in the net. Halep, having been 3-1 down, won 11 of the next 12 games and is through to the last 16, where she’ll face the winner of the next match between Coco Gauff and Polona Hercog! Azarenka hit 33 unforced errors.

Halep celebrates a point in her straight sets win.
Halep celebrates a point in her straight sets win. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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Karolina Pliskova says it how it is:

Hurkacz has got himself at least a tie-break in this second set. The world No 48 leads the world No 1 6-5 on serve. Djokovic quickly moves 30-0 ahead in the next game. But look here, it’s now 30-all. Can Hurkacz get himself a set point? Yes, when Djokovic drills wide! After all those break points Djokovic had earlier in this set, Hurkacz now has the chance to level this match. But he can’t take it. Deuce. Hurkacz then dives Boris Becker-style at the net and here’s another set point! Hurkacz gets tight on the forehand. Deuce. Advantage Djokovic. Double fault! Deuce. Advantage Djokovic, after a draining exchange. Game Djokovic. Phew.

So Halep has the first set 6-3. Djokovic, meanwhile, who many probably thought would pull away against Hurkacz after that tight first set, is level at 4-4 in the second. He’s had his chances to break, though. Elsewhere Daniil Medvedev, the Russian 11th seed, is tied at a set all against Belgium’s David Goffin, while Fernardo Verdasco is a set up, 6-4, in the match of the shot-makers with Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano. It was Fabbiano who took out Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round; Verdasco was the villain of the piece on Wednesday when he came from two sets down to defeat the tiring British No 1, Kyle Edmund.

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This from Serena Williams’s coach. Surely we can do better than Serandy?

Nothing is going Azarenka’s way right now. Serving to stay in the set, she receives a warning from the umpire for whacking her racket into the grass after her 18th unforced error. She promptly slumps 0-30 down. The Belarusian probably deserves a bit of a luck when a net cord gets her back to 30-all. But she inexplicably fires a forehand into the net when she should have put it away for the winner. Set point, 30-40. And Azarenka again misfires. Halep, having weathered that early storm, is getting everything back and tying Azarenka up in knots.

Azarenka cuts a frustrated figure.
Azarenka cuts a frustrated figure. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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Azarenka, a former semi-finalist here as is Halep, seems to struggle for consistency these days, probably because she’s not playing as many matches, and after that superb start the errors are piling up. Halep breaks back – and then breaks again to go ahead for the first time in this match. It’s 4-3. Halep shows her tremendous athleticism as she’s dragged out wide and pulls off the forehand winner. 40-0. Game. It’s now 5-3 and Azarenka must hold serve to detain Halep for any longer in this set.

Over on Centre the battle of the former world No 1s and potential match of the day has begun, between the 2018 French Open champion Simona Halep and the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka. Halep won when they last played each other here in 2017 but that was only six months after Azarenka had given birth to her son. Azarenka’s second career has yet to fully catch fire but victory over Halep would perhaps provide the ignition she needs to go deep at a grand slam once more. It’s Azarenka who’s the aggressor from the start, pushing in Halep’s opening service game and then grabbing the break in the Romanian’s second. Azarenka leads 3-1.

Djokovic, at 5-5 in the first set against Hurkacz, decides he’s had his fun and that it’s time to get serious. He breaks after a lengthy exchange and will serve to secure the set, which he does from deuce. The No 1 leads 7-5 on No 1.

Djokovic returns as he takes the first set against Hubert Hurkacz.
Djokovic returns as he takes the first set against Hubert Hurkacz. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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That point in the Pella-Anderson tie-break:

That result throws that section of the draw wide open and means either Pella, Milos Raonic, Roberto Bautista Agut or Benoit Paire will reach the semi-final. Which seems like a good moment to bring in Abhijato Sensarma. “Outside the trio of usual suspects who has the best chances of winning the men’s singles?”

Um. Can I say no one?! There’s much talk about Felix Auger-Aliassime, of course, but he could play Djokovic in the last 16, and you feel that match would come too soon for the 18-year-old. Daniil Medvedev could take a set or two off Djokovic in the quarters, perhaps, but I can’t see him winning. Raonic, a possible last-four opponent for Djokovic, is the only remaining player outside the Big Three to have reached a Wimbledon final, but has had injury problems this year. And over in the other half of the draw, I’m really struggling to look beyond a Nadal v Federer semi-final. It’s been several years since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nadal’s next opponent, has done any damage at a major, Sam Querrey may make it through to a quarter-final against the Spaniard, while Federer’s seeded to meet Kei Nishikori in the last eight, a player who’s never done much damage on grass.

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“I don’t know how to describe this moment,” says a beaming Pella. “This was unbelievable. I was focused the entire match. It was amazing. That point [at 5-4 in the tie-break] belonged to me. It was an unbelievable point.”

Pella celebrates after his straights sets win over Anderson.
Pella celebrates after his straights sets win over Anderson. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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Pella puts out Anderson 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (4)

An absolutely ridiculous point between Kevin Anderson and Guido Pella on Centre Court, and it comes at a crucial moment! With Anderson fighting for his life, two sets to love and 5-4 down in the tie-break to Pella, the pair fire volley after volley after volley after volley at each other, with Pella prevailing! 6-4, two match points. And again Pella emerges victorious at the net! Anderson, last year’s finalist is out, and Pella is through to the second week at a grand slam for the first time!

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Novak Djokovic has advanced with the minimum of fuss so far as he chases a fifth Wimbledon title that would draw him level with Bjorn Borg. Arguably the biggest challenge he’s faced this week is dealing with the current turmoil at the ATP player council, of which he is the president. Today the world No 1 and defending champion’s victim sorry opponent is the young Pole Hubert Hurkacz, who Djokovic defeated for the loss of only eight games at the French Open five weeks ago. Four games in Hurkacz is already a quarter of a way towards that his Roland Garros total. It’s 2-2 on No 1 Court.

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When the draw for the men’s doubles was made, talk was of the Murray brothers meeting in the third round. But it’s not meant to be. Jamie and his fellow Brit Neal Skupski have gone out in the first round, losing 2-6, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a match that was suspended in the gloam last night and ended in the 28-degree heat of this afternoon.

Pliskova will next take on Karolina Muchova in an all-Czech battle on Manic Monday, when all the last 16 matches, as is tradition, will take place. Muchova had defeated Anett Kontaveit, the 20th seed who beat Britain’s Heather Watson two days ago, 7-6 (7), 6-3.

Saturday's order of play

We’re hearing that Ashleigh Barty, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will play on Centre, with Serena Wiliams, Johanna Konta and Dan Evans on No 1. So Barty, the world No 1 and French Open champion, finally gets her moment on Centre.

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Pliskova beats Hsieh 6-3, 2-6, 6-4

Up steps Pliskova to serve for a place in the fourth round, which would match her best performance here. And the tall Czech produces the perfect game, starting with a one-two punch, backing it up with an unreturned serve and then her 14th ace, and then finishing it with a forehand down the line that Hsieh can’t get back!

Conchita Martinez, Pliskova’s coach and the Wimbledon champion 25 years ago, looks mightily impressed with her charge, as she should; Hsieh was a tricky test who chased down every ball, but Pliskova’s power proved decisive. Martinez coached Garbine Muguruza to the Wimbledon title in 2017. Could she do the same with Pliskova this year?

An impressive Karolina Pliskova takes her place in the fourth round.
An impressive Karolina Pliskova takes her place in the fourth round. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

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Roberto Bautista Agut, the Spaniard who we all thought had put Andy Murray into retirement at the Australian Open in January, has taken out the 10th seed, Karen Khachanov, ruthlessly dismissing the dangerous Russian 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-1. Bautista Agut didn’t face a single break point and will play Benoit Paire next. Also through:

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Over on No 1 Court, Pliskova is holding on to that break in the decider. Leading 4-3, she seems determined to avoid the fate that has befallen her in Wimbledons gone by, when she lost to a succession of lower-ranked opponents. She may be the third seed here but she’s never been beyond the last 16, despite possessing what seems to be the perfect game for grass.

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In more hilarity:

Thanks John. No Pimm’s for me, only salad. My body is a temple, you know. News of Benoit Paire’s win makes me think of his epic racket-smashing rampage in Washington last year. They don’t get much better than this:

Right, that’s quite enough from me. Katy is back, fed, watered and Pimms-ed for the action at SW19.

Pliskova breaks in the third! Hsieh and Pliskova both win their opening service games of the final set before Hsieh has another of those wobbles. She reaches for the towel at 0-30 down and that seems to do the trick, as she plays an expert drop shot to get back to 30-30. The next point sees her fail to repeat her success, and then a brutal winner takes the break point. A primal scream and a big smile plus the punch of the air from Conchita Martinez in the stand.

Pliskova takes control against Hsieh.
Pliskova takes control against Hsieh. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA

Updated

Oh dear, Karen Khachanov, one of the outside bets for the tournament, is two sets down to Roberto Bautista Agut, having lost the second in a tie-break. The Russian winner of last year’s Paris Masters has a long way to go to get back into this one.

Karen Khachanov
Karen Khachanov is being stretched by Roberto Bautista Agut. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

Updated

Pella, looking to go 4-1 up, is taken to deuce by Anderson, and then had an advantage, only for Anderson to come out on top in a lengthy rally of baseline hammerings once he comes to the net. Then, Pella has a huge chance for a winner with Anderson lost all at sea, and misses the winner. It’s back to 3-2 to Pella with Big Kev to serve next.

Tsieh wins the second set, and Pliskova takes a comfort break ahead of the decider.

Pella stretches to return to Anderson.
Pella stretches to return to Anderson. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated

Pella is really taking this away from Anderson, and is 3-1 up in the second set. Anderson, who has not played much tennis this year, looks rusty.

Hsieh looked to be motoring towards winning an equalising set, but then got all nervous when 4-2 up. She surrenders two break points to Pliskova, winning the first and then, after a long rally, forcing an error from her opponent. Eventually, after the trading of repeated deuces, she wins the game and goes up to 5-2.

Jamie Murray, meanwhile, is warming up in his men’s doubles match with Neal Skupski as they ready themselves to play Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek, having had the match held over from last night. They are 2-1 up in sets, the Brit pair.

Updated

On Court 18, Benoit Paire, the 28th seed from France, has just beaten Jiri Vesely, the Czech who calls Ras Al Khaimah home. The score? 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (2).

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Gary Naylor makes a salient point: “The clapping at Wimbledon when the screen goes to a review is infantile, irritating and disrespectful to players whose championship may depend on the point.”

Yes, tennis VAR has been around a bit. Do the hoi polloi still need to greet the video footage like kids watching rockets go off on Bonfire Night?

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Pella wins the first set! Anderson has a real wobble and initially faces two set points from Pella. He serves the first one out, then goes full gun for the second, missing his first serve. Still, his second forces the chance to smash the ball to kingdom come. Then Anderson makes a mess of a backhand volley to offer up a third set point. “Come on,” bellows Anderson as he saves that with a bullying winner. But he can’t repeat that and Pella has broken him. Drama. And not even the need for a tie-break.

It was going with serve between Hsieh and Pliskova, by the way, but then Hsieh seized her first set point of the match to go 3-1 up in the second set.

Kevin Anderson struggles in the first set against Guido Pella.
Kevin Anderson struggles in the first set against Guido Pella. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Updated

Anderson forces a break point at 4-4 in the battle of the biffers with Pella, but blows it with a wild shot. Pella gets to advantage at deuce but then commits a double fault. He then serves it out, and via a very decent skidding serve. It’s at 5-4.

Updated

Pliskova won the first set with some ease, 6-3 but lost the first game of the second set 1-0. Hsieh has recovered her step a little.

More biffs on Centre Court. It continues to go with serve between Anderson and Pella. A brief glimpse at Henman Hill, where they don’t appear to be watching this one too closely. It’s lunchtime and the hampers are being emptied, scotch eggs-a-go-go, with lashings and lashings of avocado.

Some of that classic Wimbledon hilarity as a bird - a wagtail - dances across Court 1. Everyone laughs just that little bit too hard at that, as is the way at SW19. On that court, away from the jolly japes, Hsieh and Pliskova was going with serve at 3-3, but now Pliskova has broken, and then served to love. It’s 5-3 and she will serve for the first set.

Hey! A pied wagtail on Court 1!
Hey! A pied wagtail on Court 1! Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

Updated

“No mention of Evan Hoyt and Eden Silva (GB) on Court 16 putting out a former Wimbledon doubles champ and a US Open singles champ? Worth a shout surely,” says Robert Devaney. Leander Paes and Samantha Stosur were the victims.

There is now, Robert, there is now.

Evan Hoyt and Eden Silva put out India’s Leander Paes and Australia’s Samantha Stosur.
Evan Hoyt and Eden Silva put out India’s Leander Paes and Australia’s Samantha Stosur. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA

Updated

Biff! Kevin Anderson and Guido Pella have been exchanging bludgeons on Centre Court and there was a whiff of a break at 1-2 with Anderson serving, but the South African blams his way back to 2-2. Talking of big servers, Karen Khachanov has just lost the first set to Spanish vet Roberto Bautista Agut on Court No.2.

Afternoon, all. Should you wish to get in touch, then @johnbrewin_ or John.Brewin.Casual@theguardian.com....

With that I’m off for some lunch. I’ll leave you with John Brewin. Over to you, John ...

Elina Svitolina could do with some of Villanelle’s ruthlessness right now because she just can’t put Maria Sakkari away. Having had those two match points in the second set, she’s had another three in the third. She leads 6-3, 6-7 (1), 5-2 and is serving at deuce. Here’s a sixth match point. A 74mph powder puff serve is swatted away by Sakkari. Deuce. Advantage Svitolina, a seventh match point. And it’s lucky seven for Svitolina when Sakkari slaps into the net! Svitolina eventually advances 6-3, 6-7 (1), 6-2!

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is in the Royal Box. Let’s hope for everyone’s sake that Villanelle doesn’t join her, otherwise things could get even messier on Centre Court than they did between Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal last night. Though maybe Brian O’Driscoll, who’s also in the Royal Box this afternoon along with Alastair Cook, Katherine Grainger and Christian and Geri Horner, could take her down.

Its Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the Royal Box.
Its Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the Royal Box. Photograph: Steven Paston/PA

Updated

As the clock strikes one, Kevin Anderson, last year’s runner-up, strides on to Centre Court for his meeting with Argentina’s Guido Pella. On No 1 Court it’s Karolina Pliskova, the third seed and many people’s favourite for the title despite never advancing beyond the fourth round, against the unorthodox Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan.

Updated

Raonic wraps up a 7-6 (1), 6-2, 6-1 win over Opelka, who faded alarmingly after a promising start as his serve absolutely deserted him. Injury? Inexperience? Tiredness? He did, remember, go five sets with Wawrinka in the previous round.

Another big name from Wimbledons gone by, Lleyton Hewitt, is toiling in the men’s doubles on Court 14. He and Jordan Thompson trail South Africa’s Raven Klaasen and New Zealand’s Michael Venus 6-3, 7-6 (3), 5-2. Make that 6-2. The 38-year-old and his fellow Australian are out.

Updated

On this day in 2009:

Reilly Opelka served 13 aces in the first set against Milos Raonic. He hasn’t hit a single one since. The 21-year-old who knocked out Stan Wawrinka is getting a bit of a lesson from the former finalist and trails 7-6 (1), 6-2, 4-1. He’s still saying his pleases and thank yous to the ballkids though, the polite young chap. Benoit Paire and Jiri Vesely, meanwhile, are level at one set all.

Updated

Drama on No 3 Court too, where Greece’s Maria Sakkari saved two match points to hold and force a second-set tie-break against the eighth seed, Elina Svitolina, with Sakkari surging through the breaker 7-1. Svitolina’s boyfriend, Gael Monfils, winces from the stands. This one’s going the distance.

Zhang beats Wozniacki 6-4, 6-2!

Wozniacki’s resistance appears futile when Zhang quickly holds and moves 0-30 ahead on the Dane’s serve. Wozniacki works her way to 30-all, but Zhang calmly dispatches a backhand winner down the line to bring up her first match point. Wozniacki cuts Zhang up with a backhand slice. Deuce. Advantage Wozniacki. Deuce. Then Zhang sets up another match point in the exact same way she did her first, with another backhand down the line. This time Zhang knifes away a backhand volley to end a quite draining rally and Wozniacki, the 14th seed and former world No 1, becomes another big name to bite the dust, beaten by a player who had never previously been beyond the first round!

Updated

Wozniacki may be a married woman now but the 28-year-old still has her father cramping her style as her coach. Piotr Wozniacki doesn’t look happy after two calls go against his daughter, and Wozniacki has a long discussion with the umpire. “How are we playing with Hawk-Eye that is this bad?” she asks. “It’s not fair. How am I supposed to play when every single time the ball is overruled? It’s crazy.” Perhaps it helps her shake out some frustration, because she manages to hold, stopping a run of five consecutive service games in which she was broken. Wozniacki trails 6-4, 4-2.

Wozniacki remonstrates with umpire Nacho Forcadell as she struggles against Zhang.
Wozniacki remonstrates with umpire Nacho Forcadell as she struggles against Zhang. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Updated

Wozniacki, who revealed towards the end of last year that she had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, is seemingly fading on No 2 Court. After that perfect 4-0 start, she’s won only one game and trails Zhang 6-4, 4-1. Wozniacki’s husband, David Lee, a former NBA player who she married only last month, looks on anxiously from the stands.

Updated

This happened a little while ago on No 3 Court, drawing a collective gasp when it was then shown on the big screen on Henman Hill/Murray Mound. And there we were thinking Court 12 was going to be the most hazardous place for spectators ...

There’s a first-set tie-break on Court 12 between the ace machines Milos Raonic and Reilly Opelka. It was always going to be this way, wasn’t it? Though there again they have shared nine break points, with neither player able to take any. Raonic has a stranglehold on the breaker from the start, rocketing his way to five set points at 6-1. And the set is settled with the rarest of things, a rally, as Opelka’s forehand flies wide. Raonic takes the tie-break 7-1.

Updated

Zhang not only gains parity against Wozniacki, breaking for 4-4 from 4-0 down, she then moves ahead for the first time at 5-4. At 15-all on Wozniacki’s serve, Zhang finishes a 14-stroke rally with an emphatic forehand winner. 15-30. Which two points later is 30-40. Set point. Zhang strikes deep to Wozniacki’s backhand side, and the stumbling Dane is unable to dig that out of the grass! Zhang has won six games on the spin to take the set 6-4!

Elina Svitolina has claimed the first set of the day, 6-3 against Maria Sakkari. The Ukrainian has had a fairly quiet year but a kind draw here suggests she could make some noise.

Determined not to be outdone by Wozniacki, Zhang is now zipping through the games, taking three in a row. The reigning Australian Open women’s doubles champion has shown plenty of prowess at the net to reduce her arrears to 4-3 but Wozniacki still has the break.

Updated

Some more day four highlights:

Think you’ll ever get tired of this? Me neither.

Agnieszka Radwanska, the popular Pole who was beaten in the 2012 final by Serena Williams and retired at the end of last season, is watching her friend Wozniacki on No 2 Court. Radwanska will be liking what she sees. Wozniacki leads 4-0 in the blink of an eye. Or more accurately 15 minutes.

Updated

Also under way in the third round: Caroline Wozniacki, last year’s Australian Open champion, against China’s Zhang Shuai; Elina Svitolina, the stylish eighth seed, against Greece’s Maria Sakkari; and Benoit Paire, the eccentric Frenchman, against the conquering Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely, who took out Alex Zverev in the opening round.

Updated

Milos Raonic has got his serving rifle out of his bag. Reilly Opelka has responded by getting out his bazooka. The spectators have put on their tin hats. They’re all ready. Are you ready? Let’s play. Opelka, the 21-year-old American who is world ranked 63 and won the boys’ singles title here four years ago, opens up with an obligatory hold. Raonic responds with a love game. Just the three aces so far.

The Voice of Wimbledon calmly urges excited spectators every morning not to run around the grounds. But thankfully my mad dash to the press centre following tube trouble seems to have gone unnoticed. Given how hot it is today – with a high of 28 degrees forecast – I could probably do with an ice bath. But Wimbledon waits for no one, the players are making their way to all corners of the grounds and day five will be under way very soon.

Friday's order of play

Centre Court
13:00: (4) Kevin Anderson (Rsa) v (26) Guido Pella (Arg), (7) Simona Halep (Rom) v Victoria Azarenka (Blr), Polona Hercog (Slo) v Cori Gauff (USA)

Court 1
13:00: (28) Su-Wei Hsieh (Tpe) v (3) Karolina Pliskova (Cze), (1) Novak Djokovic (Ser) v Hubert Hurkacz (Pol), (19) Felix Auger-Aliassime (Can) v Ugo Humbert (Fra)

Court 2
11:00: (14) Caroline Wozniacki (Den) v Shuai Zhang (Chn), (10) Karen Khachanov (Rus) v (23) Roberto Bautista Agut (Spa), (11) Daniil Medvedev (Rus) v (21) David Goffin (Bel)

Court 3
11:00: (8) Elina Svitolina (Ukr) v (31) Maria Sakkari (Gre), Karolina Muchova (Cze) v (20) Anett Kontaveit (Est), Fernando Verdasco (Spa) v Thomas Fabbiano (Ita), Jamie Murray (Gbr) & Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) v Joe Salisbury (Gbr) & Katy Dunne (Gbr)

Court 5
11:00: (13) Ying-Ying Duan (Chn) & Saisai Zheng (Chn) v Makoto Ninomiya (Jpn) & Renata Voracova (Cze), Alexander Bublik (Kaz) & Mikhail Kukushkin (Kaz) v (2) Juan Sebastian Cabal (Col) & Robert Farah (Col), Kevin Krawietz (Ger) & Sabrina Santamaria (USA) v Benoit Paire (Fra) & Xenia Knoll (Swi)

Court 6
11:00: Sander Gille (Bel) & Joran Vliegen (Bel) v Marcelo Demoliner (Bra) & Divij Sharan (Ind), Kateryna Kozlova (Ukr) & Anastasia Rodionova (Aus) v (4) Gabriela Dabrowski (Can) & Yi Fan Xu (Chn), Frederik Nielsen (Den) & Kaitlyn Christian (USA) v Joran Vliegen (Bel) & Saisai Zheng (Chn)

Court 7
11:00: Matthew Ebden (Aus) & Vasek Pospisil (Can) v (12) Rajeev Ram (USA) & Joe Salisbury (Gbr), Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Blr) & Lesia Tsurenko (Ukr) v (2) Barbora Krejcikova (Cze) & Katerina Siniakova (Cze)

Court 8
11:00: Desirae Krawczyk (USA) & Giuliana Olmos (Mex) v (7) Nicole Melichar (USA) & Kveta Peschke (Cze), (8) Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Ger) & Demi Schuurs (Ned) v Alicja Rosolska (Pol) & Astra Sharma (Aus), (4) Mate Pavic (Cro) & Bruno Soares (Bra) v Santiago Gonzalez (Mex) & Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi (Pak)

Court 10
11:00: (5) Jean-Julien Rojer (Ned) & Horia Tecau (Rom) v Fabrice Martin (Fra) & Hugo Nys (Fra), Denys Molchanov (Ukr) & Galina Voskoboeva (Kaz) v Jurgen Melzer (Aut) & Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Rus)

Court 12
11:00: Reilly Opelka (USA) v (15) Milos Raonic (Can), Dayana Yastremska (Ukr) v Viktorija Golubic (Swi), Rajeev Ram (USA) & Alison Riske (USA) v Luke Bambridge (Gbr) & Asia Muhammad (USA), Scott Clayton (Gbr) & Sarah Grey (Gbr) v Frances Tiafoe (USA) & Venus Williams (USA)

Court 14
11:00: Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) & Jordan Thompson (Aus) v (3) Raven Klaasen (Rsa) & Michael Venus (Nzl), (11) Nicolas Mahut (Fra) & Edouard Roger-Vasselin (Fra) v Leonardo Mayer (Arg) & Joao Sousa (Por), Jonny O’Mara (Gbr) & Naomi Broady (Gbr) v Matwe Middelkoop (Ned) & Zhaoxuan Yang (Chn), Christopher Rungkat (Ina) & Shuko Aoyama (Jpn) v Nicolas Mahut (Fra) & Alize Cornet (Fra)

Court 15
11:00: (16) Robin Haase (Ned) & Frederik Nielsen (Den) v Kenneth Skupski (Gbr) & John-Patrick Smith (Aus), Shuko Aoyama (Jpn) & Aleksandra Krunic (Ser) v (6) Elise Mertens (Bel) & Aryna Sabalenka (Blr), Artem Sitak (Nzl) & Laura Siegemund (Ger) v Kenneth Skupski (Gbr) & Darija Jurak (Cro)

Court 16
11:00: Leander Paes (Ind) & Samantha Stosur (Aus) v Evan Hoyt (Gbr) & Eden Silva (Gbr), (8) Henri Kontinen (Fin) & John Peers (Aus) v Robert Lindstedt (Swe) & Tim Puetz (Ger), (9) Hao-Ching Chan (Tpe) & Latisha Chan (Tpe) v Greet Minnen (Bel) & Alison Van Uytvanck (Bel), Marcelo Demoliner (Bra) & Abigail Spears (USA) v Henri Kontinen (Fin) & Heather Watson (Gbr)

Court 17
11:00: (12) Kirsten Flipkens (Bel) & Johanna Larsson (Swe) v Lyudmyla Kichenok (Ukr) & Abigail Spears (USA), (1) Lukasz Kubot (Pol) & Marcelo Melo (Bra) v Alex De Minaur (Aus) & Matt Reid (Aus)

Court 18
11:00: (28) Benoit Paire (Fra) v Jiri Vesely (Cze), (10) Jamie Murray (Gbr) & Neal Skupski (Gbr) v Ivan Dodig (Cro) & Filip Polasek (Svk), (24) Petra Martic (Cro) v Danielle Collins (USA), Nick Kyrgios (Aus) & Desirae Krawczyk (USA) v Marcus Daniell (Nzl) & Jennifer Brady (USA), Ben McLachlan (Jpn) & Miyu Kato (Jpn) v Cheng-Peng Hsieh (Tpe) & Su-Wei Hsieh (Tpe)

Preamble

An underarm ace followed by an admission of deliberately hitting an opponent with the ball in last night’s gripping grudge match. A 15-year-old prodigy headlining the bill later on Centre Court in only the third test of her grand slam career. And a first-round mixed doubles match yet to even be assigned a court being the most talked-about on today’s schedule.

These are no ordinary times at Wimbledon, but then these are no ordinary protagonists (or in Nick Kyrgios’s case, perhaps that should be antagonist). With the dust yet to fully settle on Kyrgios’s acrimonious arm-wrestle with a victorious Rafael Nadal, the Coco Gauff show arrives on Centre Court as the star of this year’s tournament makes her debut there, while Andy Murray’s courtship with Serena Williams begins.

Gauff, having already accounted for the five-times champion Venus Williams and the 2017 semi-finalist Magdalena Rybarikova, now has her sights set on the Slovenian world No 60, Polona Hercog. Win this and a mouthwatering last-16 meeting with Simona Halep or Victoria Azarenka awaits. Halep and Azarenka meet on Centre before Gauff in a battle of former world No 1s that could turn out to be the most absorbing contest of the day, even though Murray’s link-up with Serena may well be the most entertaining.

The returning two-times home champion and the 23-times grand slam singles winner join forces in what Murray has described as potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “With everything that has gone on the last couple of years, you don’t know what’s coming next,” says Murray nearly six months after his near-retirement. “To play with Serena, one of the best tennis players of all time and one of the greatest female athletes ever – it’s something that I may never get another chance to do. It’s brilliant.”

Novak Djokovic, having made such smooth progress in his title defence so far, is also on the day-five schedule, as is the man he beat up in last year’s final, Kevin Anderson. Other names include Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki and Elina Svitolina, along with the rising talents Felix Auger-Aliassime, Karen Khachanov and Daniil Medvedev.

And hopefully the Court 12 spectators are busy putting on their body armour because first up it’s the serving showdown between Reilly Opelka, the 6ft 11in giant giantkiller of Stan Wawrinka, and the 2016 runner-up Milos Raonic. Play will be getting underway there and around the outside courts at 11am BST, with show time on the show courts at 1pm BST.

Updated

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