On that note, I’m afraid it’s time for us to go. Thanks for your company through another memorable day – we’ll be back tomorrow for yet more joy and love. But until then, peace out.
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I guess Dimitrov will have to tell himself that if he played like that, against that opponent, on that stage, at 34, he can do it at 35. His serve and forehand aren’t going anywhere, and he’s got the tools to ride this kind of setback because he’s done similarly before. But tonight, he’ll feel empty – us too.
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One of the many things we love about sport is that it makes us feel, and we’re all going through it now. The work these people put in to hit physical, mental and technical peaks; the love and agony they expend for our entertainment, sacrificing their youth and their family life in search of a moment of release. Dimitrov emptied his soul on that court – every single piece of effort expended over the years was evident in the brilliance of that performance … was building to that performance. I ache for him.
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There’s an eerie silence as Sinner does his interview. “I don’t know what to say,” he says, praising an “incredible player” and good friend “who’s been so unlucky in the past.”
He hopes Dimitrov has a speedy recovery, he doesn’t take it as a win at all, and this is a very unfortunate moment to witness. In the last slams, he knows his mate has struggled with injury and seeing it is very tough – we saw in his reaction how much he cares about the sport and few people work as hard.
Finally, he encourages the crowed to applaud Griggzy and his team, then slinks off to sign autographs. He’s dodged one here, and he knows it.
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Jannik Sinner (1) beats Grigor Dimitrov (19) 3-6 5-7 2-2
Oh man. Usually it’s my privilege to being you the joy and ephemera of it all, but this is just heartbreaking. Dimitrov was playing the match of his life, at a time of his life when he might’ve felt such thing was beyond him, only for his body to fail him just as things were intensifying. He may never again get such a good look at the final stages of a slam, and that is unbearably brutal and cruel. Godspeed, old mate.
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We just had the strange scene of Sinner crouching down while Dimitrov was getting medical advice – I’m not sure i’ve ever seen that before.
Dimitrov goes off for treatment
Gosh, this really would be a terrible end to things. Oor Griggzy has the look of a man assimilating a miserable new circumstance into his psyche and though I expect him to at least try to keep going and I’m naturally an optimist, I’m fearing the worst.
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“Given Dimitrov is in the twilight of his career, given his nationality and given the location of the tournament, begins Ben Mcfarland, “I’m hoping, assuming he wins, tomorrow’s headline writers do something clever with Great Uncle Bulgaria, Wimbledon and, you know, that kind of thing.”
I too would appreciate that but, as I type, Dimitrov thunders down an ace that earns him a hold to 15, he goes down immediately, holding his right pec, and gosh, could this be the end? Sinner immediately comes around the net to check on him, but he’s in a lot of pain. Let’s hope he recovers, but I’m afraid the signs are not good, his laughter resigned at the cruel absurdity of it all.
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For the first time in the match, it feels like Sinner’s dictating, but if he’s smart, Dimitrov won’t mind. It was likely if not inevitable that he’d not be able to win without suffering so, in line with therapeutic thinking, his best course of action is to acknowledge an event he could have foreseen, experience it in that context, and come out firing once it’s passed. The world no 1 holds for 2-1 in the third.
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Now then! From 40-0, Sinner battles back to deuce and there’s a different feel to this now. But Dimitrov doesn’t care, powering through to hold, Sinner slipping in the process and showing he’s still feeling discomfort in his elbow. It’s 1-1 in the third.
Having fought back from 30-0 to 30-all. Dimitrov nets a backhand slice, and he’ll be rueing that; he’ll know he deserved it oo, hitting a rally-ball instead of something more active. He soon nets again, and I wonder if the break plus closed roof have changed the look of things for Sinner, who trails 0-2 but leads 1-0.
“Have always loved watching Dimitrov play,” begins Gregory Phillips. “Would love see him maintain his level — and, crucially, his self-belief — long enough to produce his best in a slam final. If he can wrap this up, maybe there’s still time...”
Same same. He wasn’t ready mentally when he was there physically and technically, but he’s now the best he’s ever been, and serving like this he’s a problem for anyone.
Righto, we’re good to go again, Sinner to serve, two sets down. These are not words we read or type often.
So why is Sinner losing? We might explain it simply by virtue of his injury, in tandem with a canny, skilful opponent serving like a dream and hitting huge forehands. But has he truly recovered from his French Open final catastrophe? Before it, he was almost impregnable, and though he’s been good enough here, this is his first serious test, and perhaps his confidence isn’t quite where it was.
The roof is being closed, so we’ll take a 10-minute break. Thinking for Sinner to do, while Dimitrov just needs to keep doing what he’s doing.
Grigor Dimitrov wins the second set 7-5 to lead Jannik Sinner by 2-0
Dimitrov’s first serves are only at 22% this set, but he annihilates an ace for advantage … only to float a slice long. No matter! He makes advantage again, Sinner swats a backhand wide, and the world no 1 trails by two sets!
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At 30-15, a net cord nobbles Dimitrov, Sinner’s ball clambering over, just, and the pressure ramps up … all the more so when he misses a first serve. You get the sense that this could be the match here, and when a deep second serve elicits a return that falls long, Oor Griggzy has set point … only to net a backhand. To deuce we go, and this is compelling stuff.
While that’s going on, Dimitrov makes 0-40, and though Sinner saves one break point, a tremendous backhand return, on the stretch, goes deep, Sinner can’t adjust, and at 6-3 6-5 he’ll now serve for set two a second time! This is brilliant from the Bulgarian.
Siwatek says she started poorly with double faults, but is happy with her performance – though she knows Tauson wasn’t well, so hopes she’ll be fine.
She’s feeling good and like she can just play her game then, asked if she wanted a particular chair, explains that it’s not a superstition, rather she was trying to liven herself up having waited a long time to play.
Otherwise, she knows Samsonova can play well on fast surfaces and trust what her coach says about her opponent while she focuses on herself. She then signs a few autographs while a child nags her for her hat; what a curious new feature of sport this is. Nausing someone you’ve never met for their clothes, goodness me.
Dimitrov makes 30-15 but when he nets, he’s under pressure; can Sinner, who returned the last ball well, make him play again? He can, and when a forehand goes long, he has break-back point, spanking a return, and though Griggzy does everything possible to stop in the rally, a booming forehand is too good, and might that be a turning point? Dimitrov leads 6-3 5-5…
Iga Swiatek (8) beats Claras Tauson (23) 6-4 6-1
Easy for Iga, who’s coming to a fearsome boil. Next for her: Liudmila Samsonova.
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Oh and Sinner powers through a hold for 3-6 4-5, meaning Dimitrov must now serve for a two-set lead.
Tauson looks like she’s feeling fairly sorry for herself now, stepping gingerly on her left leg as she faces 4-6 1-4 0-30. There’s no sense whatsoever that a comeback is even on her mind, and when a backhand return down the line earns another break, Swiatek is a game away and will shortly serve for the match.
There’s not a physio alive who can cure sinner of Dimitrov’s serve, and an emphatic love hold underscores the point. He leads 6-3 4-2 and, like the rest of those left, will be appraising a significant opportunity – indeed more than most of the others, coming as he does from the passed-over generation, none of them able to win slams because Federer, Djokovic and Nadal were still snaffling them all.
Sinner holds then calls a medical timeout, his right arm causing him aggravation; he fell in the first game while we were mopping up interviews. So he’s given a painkiller while, on No 1, Swiatek makes 0-40. Tauson, though, saves the first two and is dominating the next rally … only for brilliant de-fence to be followed by a superb backhand pass and the no 8 seed now leads by a set and a break at 6-4 3-1.
Hold tight Clara Tauson. Looking seriously miserable, she holds in the kind of game that, had she been broken in it, you’d think heralded the beginning of the end. But she’s soon got to go again because Swiatek powers through a hold of her own to lead 6-4 2-1.
A pick-up error from Dimitrov gives Sinner a sniff at 15-30, and the Bulgarian then misses a first serve, not something we’ve seen him do often so far today, especially not on big points. Sinner, though, doesn’t make the most of the opportunity, tamely surrendering the point. And though a double brings us to deuce, he soon hooks a forehand miles from anywhere, subsequently pointing to his elbow and asking the umpire to call the trainer. Dimitrov leads 6-3 3-1.
All of a sudden Tauson looks very forlorn, barely moving as Swiatek spanks a forehand by her for 40-0, and she soon deposits an overhead to lead 6-4 1-0. I’ not certain we’re going to see the full match here; I’m not sure what’s up with Tauson, but whatever it is, it isn’t good – you only need to look at her body language.
Tauson summons the trainer and takes a medical timeout; Dimitrov endorses his break for 6-3 2-0, and Sinner’s in big trouble.
Iga Swiatek takes the first set against Clara Tauson 6-4
We wind up at 30-all while Dimitrov makes 0-30 on the Sinner serve. Swiatek then assaults a poor serve, after which Tauson goes long; at 30-40, she faces set point. But a big backhand cross earns her deuce just as Sinner sends down a double, and at 0-40 he directs a forehand into the tape! Sinner is broken at the start of set two and Griggzy leads 6-3 1-0! Then, back with our other match, Swiatek again makes advantage and this time Tauson, who wasn’t far off a double last time she faced set point, makes it happen. I hate to say it, but that was extremely predictable.
Now a big test for Tauson who, serving at 4-5, is seeking to stay in set one. It’s the kind of game that, if I’m honest, I expect her to lose.
Grigor Dimitrov takes the first set against Jannik Sinner 6-3
Brilliant from Dimitrov, who serves it out to love, and the world no 1 loses his first set of the championships. He’s in a proper match here.
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Griggzy is so ready for this. He lands a first serve and finishes the point with an overhead for 15-0; another big delivery offers a simple clean-up for 30-0. An ace – at 141mph – follows, and he’s making this look very easy. It is not easy.
Dimitrov has been impressive so far, but here comes the first major test: at 5-3, he must now try and serve out the first set. In our other match, it’s 4-4.
I have, though, been wondering if Swiatek has what it takes to win here. Mentally, she’s absolutely nails, she’s also pretty nifty when the balls bounce low, and looks to be getting her confidence back after a ropey year. With so many big names gone, she’ll surely fancy herself as one of few remaining who knows how to win.
My sense is that Tauson doesn’t have what it takes to beart Swiatek on this stage and both players know it. At 15-40, she meekly surrenders her break and we’re back level at 3-3.
Sinner is into this now, holding for 1-3 then, at 40-30, he nails a vicious cross-court pass for deuce. But when he makes advantage, a service winner hauls him back and from there, a third big delivery in a row secures a 4-1 lead. Meanwhile, on No 1, Tauson breaks Swiatek again and is now serving at 3-2 in the first.
Also going on:
Dimitrov consolidates for 3-0, while on No 1, Swiatek and Tauson swap breaks, the former now serving at 1-1.
Is it just me who thinks this year’s Adidas gear looks not unlike your 90s market Adihash classic?
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And he starts well, making 30-40, blocking back a return … and Sinner nets. He’s broken for the first time in the championships and Griggzy leads 2-0.
On Centre, we’re under way, Dimitrov pushed hard for his hold by Sinner, before making 0-30. He’ll need to play close to his best to win this, but if he can serve well and keep Sinner moving, he’s a chance.
Next on No 1 Court: Iga Swiatek (8) v Clara Tauson (23).
Shelton says it was a difficult match, and every time he needed a big point, Sonego came up with something. He loves playing on No 1 Court and had been told that Wimbledon crowds were quieter than elsewhere, but it didn’t feel that way today.
Before that magical last game , he was thinking he didn’t want to play another breaker and found his best returning – which he’ll need for the rest of the tournament.
Otherwise, asked about his grass-court inspirations, he of course names his dad, who made the round of 16 31 years ago, was a big serve-volleyer and would like to see him come forward more often. But he’s better from the back than his dad was, though he relies on him for gameplanning.
Finally, though he enjoyed playing team sports as a kid – he was, Annabel tells us a “quarterbacker” – he now plays an individual sport, but is still surrounded by a team comprised of people he loves. His charisma oozes through the screen and I can’t wait to see him in the last eight.
Next on Centre Court: Jannik Sinner (1) v Grigor Dimitrov (19).
Right, interviews. We’ll start with Andreeva, who says she was really nervous before playing on Centre for the first time, so she tried not to look at the royal box because she thought she’d lose her focus. But she saw Roger and Mirka and doing that in real life was one of her dreams; she then compliments the latter on her outfit, in typical style.
During the match, she kept telling herself she was losing or down break point, so she forgot the score which is why she didn’t react when she’d won – she didn’t know.
She was happy with her serve today, which got her some free points, and otherwise she told herself to play one point at a time, then asked how her coach, Conchita Martinez would evaluate her performance, she thinks it’ll be 50-50. She also plans to coach the coach in the legends’ competition, to get her own back. Their relationship is so lovely, and it looks like they have an absolute blast together – though I bet she drives Martinez mad on a regular. Such is ridiculous talent.
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Ben Shelton (10) beats Lorenzo Sonego 3-6 6-1 7-6(1) 7-5
Brilliant from Shelton, who personalitied Sonego off the court. He’s so much fun to watch – the competitive charisma is off the scale, and you could tell he’d decided the match was getting finished here and now, so he made it happen. Great stuff and next for him it’s Sinner or Dimitrov.
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Sonego makes 15-30 but then, during the next rally, the irrepressible Shelton takes control with huge, looping forehands, a riposte goes long, and he has two match poinst!
And have a look! First, Shelton retrieves a ball from way behind the baseline, while falling, and Sonego, trying a tweener, misses; then the American slips again, gallops in after a drop, crashes a forehand winner down the line and carries on running like he’s scored a goal. At 0-30, he’s two points from the quarters…
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We’ll do her interview in a moment, but on No 1, Sonego is again serving to stay in the match at 1-2 5-6.
Mirra Andreeva (7) beats Emma Navarro (10) 6-2 6-3
A(nother) superb win for the 18-year-old, who doesn’t realise she’s won but moves into the last eight where she’ll meet Belinda Bencic. You have to fancy her to sort that one too.
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…but Songeo powers through deuce for his hold. We’re level at 5-5 in the fourth, Shelton by two sets to one.
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Andreeva has such good anticipation – she’s reading Navarro like a picture book, breezing to a love hold that takes her a game away at 6-2 5-3. On No 1, meantime, Shelton forces Sonego to deuce at 5-4, meaning he’s two points from victory…
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Shelton holds for 5-4 and Trinity Rodman, USWMNT star and also his girlfriend, likes it very much. Sonego will now serve to stay in the match…
“Greetings from Miami, Florida,” brags Jose. “Reading your updates as I sip a mojito. Your comments on Andreeva are spot on. If she wins here, getting through Bencic and then maybe Swiatec is not out of the question.”
She’s already better than various recent slam winners – Barbora Krejcikova, say – but she may well have to beat Swiatek and Sabalenka in consecutive matches. And, though it won’t be easy, make no mistake – she’s capable.
Scary hours for Navarro who, serving at 2-6 1-3 deuce, knows she’s close to the door. and when she doesn’t do enough with a swing-volley, she stands in the middle of the court almost waiting to be passed … which she duly is. Andreeva is so good at those shots, and when Navarro tamely nets once again, the double-break is secure and the match is going the same way.
Back on No 1, Shelton leads 2-1 3-3, bringing laughs from the crowd when he taps over the net with Sonego having run past it. The two share what looks like a fraternal moment, which is nice given the needle of earlier (not that we wouldn’t welcome its reappearance). Shelton holds for 4-3 in the fourth.
But as I type, Navarro earns break-back point … only to net a forehand she shouldn’t, and when a forehand slice goes long, she bends double, feeling the match slipping away, and another dumped forehand means Andreeva leads 6-2 3-1.
I’m not surprised Andreeva is making such short work of Navarro; she is still exploring her talent, whereas Navarro has, I think, reached the limits of hers. If you’d asked me before the tournament whether I thought Andreeva could win it, I’d probably have said no, but the way things are going, I now think she’s a really good chance. She breaks for 2-1 in set two, and it’s not easy to see a way she loses from here.
Thanks Will and hi again everyone. Class is telling everywhere today…
Thanks for joining me. Daniel Harris is lurking to take you through the next few hours of action.
Shelton smashes an ace down the middle to make it 2-1 with serve in the fourth. Remember the American is 2-1 in sets.
Andreeva is very much in control here, breaking Navarro at the first time of asking in the second. There is a long rally - and she gets a bit of luck – but Andreeva knocks the ball into space to win.
Andreeva is moving around the court superbly, sends a drop shot over that Navarro cannot return. Despite looking comfortable, Navarro drags the game to Deuce, then Andreeva loops one out to give the advantage to the American. She need not worry as the next serve is returned to the net. Two more fine serves win the set for Andreeva, 6-2.
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Shelton greets winning the first point against serve with a roar. He is at his best when the pressure is on. He follows it up with a decent serve but Sonego gets into a decent shape to whack one past him down the line, only to send it very long. An incredible backhand volley from Shelton when moving backwards makes it 3-0. Sonego sends one long immediately after and this is only going one way. Shelton takes the tie-break 7-1 and the set 7-6 to go 2-1 up.
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And we are heading into a tie-break in the third. Shelton powers a forehand into space and Sonego does not even bother to go after it.
Andreeva breaks again! She is playing some lovely tennis and Navarro is struggling with it, sending a backhand into the bottom of the net. 4-1 in the first to Andreeva.
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It was a little nervous but Sonego eventually holds to lump the pressure back on Shelton. The American is overzealous with a backhand and is once again serving to stay in the set.
Shelton is not giving up the set, levelling things at 5-5 by winning the game to love. He also completes the win with an ace.
Andreeva is the first to break. She perfectly sends a backhand down the line into space as Navarro’s head drops. 2-1 in the first.
Sonego then does well to hold with some big serves. Completing the job with an ace down the middle. Shelton is serving to stay in the set.
Sonego breaks back! Shelton sends a backhand volley long to level things at 4-4 in the third and 1-1 in sets.
Andreeva v Navarro has begun! Navarro is first up and looks set for a straightforward hold until a fightback takes us to deuce. Andreeva miscues a backhand from the baseline, top edging it wide and then sends one into the net to give Navarro the hold.
Shelton breaks in the third! Sonego plays some tired looking shots and Shelton gleefully accepts the gifts, eventually getting the break when Sonego volleys meekly into the net. 4-3 to Shelton in the third.
The defending Wimbledon men’s doubles champion has been handed the largest fine so far at this year’s championships after allegedly verbally abusing a member of staff.
Djokovic: “I did not have many solutions but I reset myself in the second. It was a very tough game. It was a lot of cat and mouse play, he is possibly the quickest player on the tour. He exposes all your weakness, if you are not feeling it. I hung in tough to win it.
“I loving winning in straight sets but on days like this, as you progress, the matches are only going to get tougher. He is very tough on this surface, I was slightly nervous coming into this match. It was a very difficult encounter, challenging moments for me. I wish I had Federer’s serve and volley touch, that would help. I can’t complain, I still have to run a lot. I tried to mix it up as I didn’t feel the ball well but I started to feel it as the game went on.”
Shelton v Sonego is where it is at now. It is 1-1 in sets and Sonego has just gone 2-1 in the third.
Djokovic certainly enjoyed this one, knowing it took plenty of effort and a strong mentality to see off his challenge. He does his pumping it up ritual to his fans but mainly for his kids.
Novak Djokovic beats Alex De Minaur (1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4)
It was certainly not peak Djokovic but he has eventually got the job done. Amid all there errors, there has been plenty of grit and gritting of teeth to help him through. He breezes into a 30-0 lead in the final game, and then comes to the net for an open court forehand winner. The job is completed with ease.
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The pressure is on De Minaur to hold here. A smash from the Australian at the net makes it 15-15 but he miscues soon after to give Djokovic a sense of victory, which is heightened when De Minaur whacks one into the net. Two Break Points … but Djokovic one needs one. Djokovic to serve for the match.
The momentum is back with Djokovic, who is 2-1 up in sets. The Serb wins the first two points as he looks to hold to level the fourth set. He forces De Minaur to chase the ball around and he can only loop a backhand long from the baseline. Djokovic makes it 4-4 in the fourth when De Minaur fails to return a serve down the middle.
Djokovic gets two Break Points. This feels significant. De Minaur composes himself and sends his first serve into the net. Things get better for the Australian as a Djokovic backhand head back at an obtuse angle and out and then another long. We are at Deuce again. Djokovic gets the advantage and then moves De Minaur all over the court before hitting a forehand into space. We are back on serve.
Samsonova beats Bouzas Maneiro. 7-5, 7-5
It is a straight sets victory for Samsonova but it was never easy against Bouzas Maneiro.
Samsonova whacks a forehand into space and it is too quick for Bouzas Maneiro to get the advantage and then wins the game with an easy smash at the net. It is 6-5 in the second to Samonova. Bouzas Maneiro is once again serving to save the match.
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Djokovic is taken to Deuce on his service game. De Minaur gets the advantage but caressed volley takes us back to square one. The Australian pings a backhand wide and Djokovic does not need any more encouragement to hold. 4-2 in the fourth.
Bouzas Maneiro, serving to save the match, double faults to make it 0-30 to Samsonova with the score at 5-4. She need not worry, as things are soon level and completes the turnaround to level the second set at 5-5.
Djokovic gives himself some false hope by winning the first point of the game but De Minaur is aggressive in response and the Serb cannot cope with it. He brings Djokovic to the net but he can’t reach the volley and it trickles off the racket. 4-1 to De Minaur.
Djokovic pulls himself to get for his next service game and wins it to love. De Minaur with the break lead in the fourth, might be conserving his energy for his own serves.
Samsonova gets to a 4-3 lead against Bouzas Maneiro in the second and it is all going with serve.
De Minaur has the momentum and Djokovic is back to looking irritated with himself. When in control of the game, the Australian double faults, not that he should worry as Djokovic pings one long from the baseline to gift the hold.
Djokovic double faults first up, something he blames on the sun. De Minaur then hits a decent winner to put the pressure on Djokovic, which is further increased when Australian gets the better in a rally of volleys. Djokovic just about stays in the game when his latest volley clips the top of the net and sheepishly falls on the other side. But he is broken again when a timid backhand breezes into the net.
Sonego is serving for the first set against Shelton. He gets to Set Point but sends one long to give Shelton a sniff when it comes to Deuce. The vested American whacks a backhand well wide but a volley at the net means we start again. It gets to a fourth Deuce, at which point Sonego puts Shelton out of his misery, taking the opener 6-3.
It is a tense opener service game from De Minaur in the fourth set. Djokovic takes him to Deuce, and he is sweating when the Serb had the advantage and De Minaur’s volley just kisses the baseline. The Australian then has a chance to hold but it ends with him smashing a hot dog into his own thigh. He need not worry, completing the hold soon after.
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It all starts very smoothly for Djokovic as he takes the first couple of points but, as has been typical today, he randomly sends one needlessly into the net. Djokovic is making a lot of unforced errors, following up by sending one impressively long for no reason. When De Minaur makes a mistake of his own, Djokovic shouts and pumps his fist ahead of Set Point. After a very long rally, Djokovic event seals the third set to go 2-1 up.
Djokovic makes 0-30, sand though he then makes a mess of a drop he oughtn’t to have hit a fine forehand to the corner allows him to glance away the eventuating volley, raising two break points in the process. De Minaur saves the first, but going inside-out on the forehand, he thwacks wide, and at 1-1 5-4, Djokovic will now serve for the third set. But I’m off for a break, so here’s Will Unwin to bring it to you.
“So, England’s greatest ever batter is having a day off at the tennis?” asks an aghast Simon McMahon. “How dare he. I mean, what next, dinner with his family? A vanilla bullshit latte cappa thing coffee with James Anderson? Get back to work, slacker. Not like those royals, who deserve a day off, eh?”
It’s like it’s a joke to him.
Up 4-3 in the third, De Minaur gets to 30-all … then, second later, Djokovic seals his hold with an ace on to the T. And back on No 1, Sonego endorses hos break to lead Shelton 4-1 in the first.
Now then! Huge turnaround on No 2, where Samsonova, leading 6-5, breaks Bouzas Maneiro to confirm a 7-5 set. She’s not hitting it as hard, but she is playing the big points better.
De Minaur holds to 30, and now leads 1-1 4-3; Shelton hands Sonego a break for 3-1 in the first.
I love it when mates become mates with mates.
Roger Federer is in the royal box – really, the royals should be in the Federer box. Was his hair always this hue?
Bouzas Maneiro clouts a forehand winner to save break-back point, but Samsonova sticks with it and a nails a backhand into the net that clambers over; we’re back level at 5-5 in the first, while on Centre i’s 3-2 De Minaur in the third and on No 1, Shelton and sonego are level at 1-1 in the first.
Bouzas Maneiro breaks Samsonova for 5-4, so will now serve for the first set; Djokovic holds for 2-2 in the third and comfortably too. I wonder if De Minaur has missed his chance by not winning the second of their match.
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Shelton has a lot of potential – good serve, excellent athlete, fine forehand, loads of power, great temperament – but his backhand is wack. Until he sorts it, if he sorts it, he’ll be a last-eight kind of guy, but at 22 he’s got time.
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On No 1, Shelton and Sonego are out, and I’m looking forward to this one. These two met in both Melbourne and Paris, Shelton winning the first in four and the second in five.
I nip out for a comfort break, returning to see that Djokovic has held for 1-1 1-1, while Bouzas Maneiro and Samsonova are 4-4 in the first.
Samsonova breaks Bouzas Maneiro back for 3-3; De Minaur holds for 1-1 1-0, but it takes more than six minutes for him to secure the hold. On the one hand, you sense Djokovic is coming; on the other, he’s still missing balls you think he can’t.
Next on No 1 Court: Ben Shelton (10) v Lorenzo Sonego.
Bencic talks about “the biggest stress” trying to serve it out, the body not listening to what the mind was saying. Having lost to Alexandrova recently, she says this time she tried to be braver, but it’s difficult playing someone who hits the ball so cleanly, and though it may not have been apparent, she really enjoyed the match.
Previously, she’s always got stuck in the fourth round, so to make the last eight is a dream come true, especially as she used to watch the tournament growing up.
Finally, asked about motherhood, she says it’s been really amazing to travel with her daughter and to share the memories with her. she’s “juggling it like every mum does – props to the mums!” She and her daughter both enjoy strawberries, but there’s no cream for her until after the competition.
What a lovely woman she seems to be.
On No2 Court, Bouzas Maneiro has an early break, leading Samsonova 3-1. I think she’s got something – plenty of shots, plenty of power, and a bit of competitive charisma.
Novak Djokovic wins the second set 6-4 to level his match with Alex de Minaur at one set all
De Minaur forces Djokovic to deuce, then a netted forehand means break-back point. And have a look! The Demon nails his return, comes in … and larrups his clean-up long! If he loses the set from here, he’ll feel extremely poorly – rightly so – and when a return flies long, that’s exactly what happens. You just cannot give this man that kind of reprieve.
Belinda Bencic beats Ekaterina Alexandrova (18) 7-6(4) 6-4
Yup, Bencic gets it done and immediately, her face crumples into tears. She too has made her first Wimbledon quarter, many years later than she’ll have expected to. In that sense, the nerves which crippled her as she tried to serve out were understandable, but she’ll need to sort them before her next match, against Emma Navarro or Mirra Andreeva. She gave birth in April 2024!
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De Minaur holds, forcing Djokovic to serve for the second set at 5-4, in which regard we’ve an email.
“Alex is literally the same height as Alcaraz,” emails Dave. “Also the same height as Wawrinka. Only 2cm shorter than Nadal and Federer. Don’t know if height is the reason for the gap to date between him and the top handful.”
He’s much slighter than they are, though. Generally speaking, 6”2 is the bench mark for a male tenniser – anything less is short. I was talking to an agent once about a young player I was trying to set up with hi, and the first thing he wanted to know was the height. Obviously the greats can override that – Agassi was no Robert Wadlow either – but it’s important.
Bencic nets a forehand and Alexandrova, who went for her shots in that game just as her opponent did the opposite, is still in the match. Bencic leads 7-6 5-4 and, the type of match this is, I’d not be surprised if she sealed it with a break.
What’s going on on Centre? Djokovic breaks De Minaur to love for the third time to lead 4-3 in the second, but I was focused on No 1, where Bencic and Alexandrova are each antagonising themselves: the former is serving so weakly to make sure she doesn’t miss, the latter missing various break-back opportunities. Ogh, and while all that’s going on, a pair of aces help Djokovic hold for 5-3 in the second.
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Meantime, De Minaur beaks Djokovic back a second time in set two. He now leads 6-1 3-3, but after losing a 30-stroke rally, he’s down 0-30 on his own serve, while Bencic has burned another match point but also saved a break point.
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Next on No 2 Court: Liudmila Samsonova (19) v Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Alexandrova, though, doesn’t dwell on the situation; rather, she takes advantage of a miserable second serve, takes control of the point, and wallops a forehand winner down the line for deuce. She’s still in dis ting.
While we were finishing off, Bencic broke Alexandrova, so at 7-6 5-3 is now serving for the match. It’s nice to see her – and Clara Tauson – making good on their promise, but we’re at 30-all, then Alexandrova overhits a backhand putaway! If she loses the next point, she’ll regret that oversight for a very long time.
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Ah man, that was a lot. It takes so much to make it any sport, but tennis is especially difficult, and if the parents among us consider what it takes to make us feel emotional about our nippers, we can probably accept that “making the last eight at Wimbledon” outranks the vast majority of what has us greeting our eyes out/
Cobolli always dreamed of playing this tournament, and says we can’t imagine his emotion at this moment – I’m certain he’s not wrong. He’s very proud of himself and his team, his dad is crying right now, and his brother, and his big friends are also here, so this is a moment he can’t forget. He’s looking forward to the quarter and hopes to play on a big court as he never has and thinks he deserves it. But now it’s time to rest as this was a hard match and Marin is a great player, so it was a pleasure to face a legend of the sport. He tried to be aggressive, solid and focused – but now it’s time to rest. Biggup!
Flavio Cobolli (22) beats Marin Cilic 6-4 6-4 (4)6-7 7-6(3)
Cobolli reaches his frist grand slam quarter-final and what a moment! His dad’s eyeballs are sweating away and rightly so, imagine how proud he is of his boy; all the sacrifices he and his family have made to get him to this point, every single one of them worth it. Next for him: Djokovic or De Minaur.
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Cobolli hits a streak! Cilic nets, handing over a mini-break at 4-3, a return sails long for 5-3, and a serve is backed up by a monstrous forehand , meaning 6-3 and three match points! as that’s happening, Djokovic breaks De Minaur again, sealing the seal at the end of a 34-strike rally, the longest of the tournament!
“So, this is how the world ends, eh?” wondrs Krishnamoorthy V. Not with a bang! But with a 11th-seeded player brushing Djoker aside as if he is just a mere inconvenience to be swatted away. When was the last time Djoker ever lost a set 6-1?
Er, I’m afraid I can answer that, and it was recent: against Botic van der Zandschulp at India Wells in March.
a miserable volley from Djokovic allows De Minaur to clean up, in the process raising his sixth break-back point … and ohhhh yes! A brilliant return allows the Demon to hare in, he puts away a deft volley, and this is maturing into a fantastic match. De Minaur leads 6-1 1-1 while, on 2, Cilic and Cobolli are level at 3-3 in their fourth-set breaker. This is already a fantastic match.
Djokovic is having to do everything simply to hold, just about outwitting De Minaur at the net to save another break point; De Minaur applauds his effort and even that suggests a man more comfortably in his surroundings, handing out flowers to the greatest there’s ever been. On No 1, meanwhile, Alexandrova has just saved two break points and served out; she now trails Bencic 6-7 2-2.
Now De Minaur forces break point, and he’s doing a really good job of varying angles, spins and speeds – exactly what he has to do to against Djokovic. He can’t, though, convert, tamely netting a forehand return and, though he’s given another go when Djokovic overhits a forehand, we’re soon back to deuce. At 6-1 0-1, this feels like a crucial game while, on No 2, Cobolli and Cilic are about to begin a fourth-set breaker, the latter looking for force a fifth set.
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And Djokovic breaks De Minaur immediately in set two, but he can’t quite close out, forced to and from advantage. Mac notes that he’s never seen Demon look so relaxed against a top player, and it’s true that he rarely looks like he believes he can win in these situations, mainly because he almost never does – he’s already pushing the top of his athletic and technical ability, and his diminutive stature means he’s never going to have power to cover up other weaknesses. But after having to pull out of a scheduled quarter-final against Djokovic last year, he’ll feel the game owes him this.
Aha, just what we need, Calv Betton, our resident coach, messages in on Cobolli – I actually remember him telling me how good he was the first time he saw him play. Anyroad up, he says: “Very, very, very fast. Great for the game, great lad, great fun – charismatic –kind of shot-maker, plenty of flair, and he’ll eventually be a top-10, top-15 player.”
And while I’m transcribing that, the man himself breaks Cilic straight back, then holds for 2-1 5-4.
“Why is Joe Root swanning at the tennis?” wonders Mark Page. “Did we just not get thumped in thes econd Test? “Not sure this is the best use of his time. The optics alone are really bad.”
My best guess is that he’s an adult and so are his bosses. He’s allowed to enjoy himself, and a bit of relaxation is probably what he needs. I’m fairly sure that a man with 155 Tests and 13115 Test runs treats his cricket with requisite seriousness.
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Elsewhere, Bencic has taken the first set against Alexandrova 7-6(4), while Cilic is on the comeback on No 2, breaking Cobolli to trail 1-2 in sets but lead 4-3 in games – it’s only the second time the Italian has lost his serve all tournament. He’s two holds away from forcing a decider that looked exceedingly unlikely an hour ago.
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Sixteen unforced errors from Djokovic in set one, versus five for D-Min. "It’s incredible to see him play like this,” grouses Mac.
Alex de Minaur takes the first set against Novak Djokovic 6-1
And there it is! I cannot say I saw it coming; I doubt De Minaur saw it coming. But it’s here, and the greatest of all time has some questions to answer.
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I’m delighted we’ve got Tood Woodbridge on comms for this. Regular readers of this blog will perhaps remember my regular complaints about how far tennis analysis lags behind what other sports give us; well, less so now. This breakdown of Cilic’s win over Draper is terrific, and I urge you to enjoy it; back on court, De Minaur is up 40-0 and holds three set points.
Thanks Bryan and greetings everyone. Djokovic has played beautifully until this point, and I must say I didn’t expect him to struggle today – pretty much everything De Minaur does well, he does better. And yet here we are, the Demon up 4-1 and, as I type, he holds for 5-1. Real talk, he’s not actually playing that well, Djokovic is just enduring a shocker.
What a surprise on Centre Court. Djokovic falls behind 0-40 and triple break point down on his serve. He’s able to save the first with a 126mph service winner out wide, but follows it with his second double fault of the day to fall behind a double break.
And with that, I’ll hand you over to the capable hands of Daniel Harris to carry you through the afternoon.
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Alexandrova is back in business in the opening frame on No 1 Court. While serving for the set at 5-4, Bencic quickly fell triple break point down. She erased the first with a deft forehand at the net and the second with a forehand winner from the baseline early in the rally, but Alexandrova seized on the third with a forehand baseline winner to get back on level terms at 5-all.
De Minaur consolidates the break from 0-30 down for a 2-0 lead, but Djokovic makes him work for it in a game spanning 10 points over eight minutes. Meanwhile, Bencic will serve for the first set at 5-4 after the change of ends on No 1 Court, while Cilic and Cobolli have traded holds to open their fourth set on No 2 Court.
It’s a dream start for De Minaur, who breaks Djokovic to start their match on Centre Court. The seven-time Wimbledon champion fell behind 30-40, double-faulting twice along the way, before making a pair of unforced errors off the forehand side to gift his Australian foe the break.
De Minaur had won the toss and elected to return, a decision which seems to have paid off.
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Cilic has just pulled out the third-set tiebreaker, winning six of the last eight points. He trails 4-6, 4-6, 7-6(4) but the quality on both ends has really lifted over the last 20 minutes.
On No 1 Court, Bencic leads 3-1 over Alexandrova in a match that’s required 24 minutes to play four games.
And Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur have taken Centre Court for their warm-up.
Cobolli and Cilic are headed for a third-set tiebreaker after the Croatian frittered away three set points in that last Cobolli service game.
It’s a promising start for Bencic on No 1 Court. The unseeded Swiss rattled off four quick points to break Alexandrova from 30-0 in the opening game, then consolidated with a hard-fought hold where she saved a pair of break points, including one that required a grueling 21-shot rally.
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Over on No 1 Court, the No 18 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova and Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic have just gotten under way. It’s all square at 4-4 in the head-to-head between these two as they battle for a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
For Alexandrova, this is becoming familiar territory: she’s into the second week at a slam for the third time and the second major in a row after reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros last month. Now 30, she’s bidding to break new ground and reach her first major quarter-final. The two-time ‘s-Hertogenbosch champion is among the most consistent grass-court performers of recent years with 37 wins on the surface since 2019, second only to Ons Jabeur in that span.
Bencic, meanwhile, is also looking to make a breakthrough in her ninth Wimbledon appearance. The former Eastbourne champion has reached one slam quarter-final before, during her run to the 2019 US Open semis, but never progressed this far at SW19. A win today would make her just the fourth Swiss woman in the Open era to reach the last eight here, joining Martina Hingis, Timea Bacsinszky and Viktorija Golubic. Now a mother and back on court after maternity leave, the Tokyo Olympic champion is on the brink of one of her career-best achievements.
Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has returned to SW19 and is set to take his seat in the Royal Box to watch today’s action on Centre Court. Federer arrived on site a short while ago alongside his wife, Mirka.
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Unsurprisingly, Laura Siegemund has just withdrawn from the women’s doubles alongside Beatriz Haddad Maia to proiritize her surprise quarter-final run in the singles. The 37-year-old German, currently ranked 104th, will face world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Tuesday with a chance of reaching her first career grand slam semi-final. The withdrawal has given the Belgian team of Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens a free pass to the quarters.
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Cilic has won from two sets down on eight previous occasions, but not since 2020 and never at Wimbledon. Four of them came at the US Open, three at the Australian Open and one in Davis Cup play. Oddly enough, he’s managed it twice against former Wimbledon semi-finalist Jerzy Janowicz.
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Cobolli closes out the second set with a 131mph ace down the middle. He’s taken a 6-4, 6-4 lead over Cilic after 73 minutes. More impeccable serving from the Italian, who has won 19 of the last 20 points on his racket.
Meanwhile, the British doubles team of Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash are first-time Wimbledon quarter-finalists after a 6-3, 6-4 win over Argentina’s Guido Andreozzi and Brazil’s Marcelo Demoliner on No 3 Court. That’s 11 straight wins for the pair including their runs to the Queen’s Club and Eastbourne titles.
In a shock turn Cilic is broken from 40-0. He drops five straight points from there in an unfortunate patch of error-strewn play, while serving with new balls, and Cobolli will serve at 6-4, 4-3 after the change of ends. The Croatian is already up to 27 unforced errors on the day compared to 16 winners.
Cobolli goes on to breeze through a love hold, extending a run of nine straight points won. Now Cilic will serve to stay in the second set.
A deft escape from Cobolli, who holds for 6-4, 1-1 from 30-40 down. Cilic will rue that missed opportunity in a game where the Italian only managed to get one of eight first serves in. Remember: Cobolli has dropped serve only once in this tournament and has yet to lose a set.
Cobolli has taken the first set from Cilic, 6-4, after 36 minutes. The break in the Croatian’s second service game was the difference. It was a comprehensive performance on serve for the young Italian: he got 83% of his first serves in, won 17 of 20 points behind the first serve (85%) and has only dropped four points on his racket so far.
Cobolli has drawn first blood against Cilic on a windswept Court No 2, breaking for 3-1 early in the first set. The Croatian saved a break point in his opening service game then another serving at 1-2, 30-40 after the Italian misfired a backhand. But Cobolli finally broke through moments later when Cilic netted a backhand from behind the baseline early in a rally.
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Jordan Thompson has withdrawn from the men’s doubles due to the hamstring injury that forced him to retire from his fourth-round singles match with Taylor Fritz on Sunday. Wimbledon Radio reports the Australian attempted a warm-up this morning in the practice courts but couldn’t continue. Thompson and partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert were scheduled to face defending champions Henry Patten of Great Britain and Harri Heliovaara of Finland in the third round. The match was set for Court 12 but was called off minutes before it began.
Heliovaara and Patten advance to the quarter-finals by a walkover, a boost for Patten, the Manningtree native enjoying another dream run on home soil. The duo are hunting a third slam title at their fifth major having only joined up in April 2024.
It’s youth versus experience on No 2 Court as Italy’s Flavio Cobolli faces 2014 US Open champion Marin Čilić in their first-ever meeting on grass. Their previous two encounters, both on clay, ended in one-sided wins for Cobolli, most recently a 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 thrashing at Roland Garros just five weeks ago. But Wimbledon is a different arena, and Cilic, a former finalist here, has the grass-court pedigree to make this a much tighter affair.
As recently as last August, while the tour’s elite were competing at the US Open in New York, Cilic was toiling away at a Challenger in Manacor, ranked 1,084th in the world and fighting his way back from knee surgery. Less than a year later, he’s back in the second week of a slam and looking dangerous again.
Cobolli, 23, is enjoying the best season of his young career. He’s won titles in Bucharest and Hamburg, cracked the top 25, and is now through to the second week of a major for the first time without dropping a set. A win on Monday would make him just the eighth Italian man ever to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals – and potentially part of a historic trio with Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Sonego should all three advance.
Cilic, now 36, upset No 4 seed Jack Draper in round two and remains a formidable force on grass, where he owns three career titles and a 34-13 Wimbledon record. He’s spent over two hours more on court than Cobolli this week, but brings a wealth of big-match experience, including 28 five-set wins and 15 slam quarter-final appearances.
The players are finishing up their warm-ups at the moment and should be under way in a couple of minutes.
Today's order of play
Here’s a look at today’s men’s and women’s singles matches in the round of 16:
Centre Court (1.30pm BST/8.30am ET)
• Alex de Minaur (11) v Novak Djokovic (6)
• Mirra Andreeva (7) v Emma Navarro (10)
• Jannik Sinner (1) v Grigor Dimitrov (19)
No 1 Court (1pm BST/8am ET)
• Ekaterina Alexandrova (18) v Belinda Bencic
• Ben Shelton (10) v Lorenzo Sonego
• Iga Świątek (8) v Clara Tauson (23)
No 2 Court (11am BST/6am ET)
• Marin Čilić v Flavio Cobolli (22)
• Liudmila Samsonova (19) v Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
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Preamble
The round of 16 continues today on the eighth day of the Championships at SW19 as the second week of the tournament gets into full swing and the quarterfinal picture begins to take shape.
Among the headliners, Novak Djokovic returns to Centre Court chasing history. At 38, and just months removed from knee surgery, the seven-time Wimbledon champion has looked sharp and assured: diving volleys, dancing celebrations and all. He faces the tireless Alex de Minaur, whose speed and grit could test even Djokovic’s legendary flexibility and composure. A win today would edge the Serbian one step closer to becoming the oldest grand slam singles champion in the Open era – and to his 25th major title.
Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, has been nothing short of clinical. The world No 1 hasn’t dropped serve through three rounds, and has surrendered just 17 games en route to the fourth round – a joint record in the Open era. He faces Grigor Dimitrov in a potentially stylish clash of clean ball-strikers on Centre Court.
On the women’s side, Iga Świątek continues her steady push toward a first Wimbledon title. The five-time major winner, who lifted the girls’ trophy here in 2018, faces Denmark’s Clara Tauson on No 1 Court. With all former champions already eliminated, the world No 1 is the only woman left in the bottom half of the draw who knows what it takes to win a Slam.
Elsewhere, teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva takes on Emma Navarro, while 2017 finalist Marin Čilić tries to keep his run alive against Italy’s Flavio Cobolli.
By the end of play, the eight quarter-finalists in each draw will be fixed. The business end of Wimbledon has well and truly begun.
