Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas are set to renew their rivalry at Wimbledon after Tsitsipas secured a hard-fought victory over Dominic Thiem in the first round. Their previous encounters, including the contentious US Open match where Murray accused Tsitsipas of cheating with his prolonged bathroom breaks, have added fuel to the anticipated clash.
Due to rain delays, Tsitsipas and Thiem's match spilled over into the third day of The Championships. Play resumed with Tsitsipas leading 4-3 in the second set, while Murray had already won his opening match under the closed roof of Centre Court.
Thiem faced a set point at 4-5 when play resumed, but he managed to take the set to a tiebreak. Tsitsipas dominated the breaker, winning it 7-6(1) to level the match at one set apiece., reports the Express.
In the third set, Tsitsipas gained an early advantage, leading 4-2, and continued to pressurise Thiem. The Austrian fended off break points, but Tsitsipas eventually converted one to take a 2-1 sets lead with an ace.
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The fourth set remained closely contested, resulting in a tiebreak where Thiem secured the crucial mini-break and forced a deciding fifth set by winning the tiebreak 7-6(5). Thiem showed resilience in the fifth set, and at 3-3, he had a break point opportunity, which was correctly challenged by Tsitsipas.
Despite the drama, Tsitsipas held his serve, and the match headed into a first-to-10-point tiebreak. The tiebreak saw both players exchanging mini-breaks, with Tsitsipas eventually prevailing 10-8 on a decisive winner, sealing the victory.
The win sets up the third encounter between Tsitsipas and Murray, promising an exciting showdown for fans. Their first meeting occurred two years ago at the US Open, where Murray accused Tsitsipas of cheating due to a lengthy bathroom break. The incident led to tightened rules regarding off-court breaks.
After their US Open clash, Murray expressed his lack of respect for Tsitsipas, but he avenged that defeat by defeating him in straight sets at Stuttgart last year. The upcoming match between the two is expected to be highly anticipated and full of drama.
When is Murray vs Tsitsipas?
Murray vs Tsitsipas takes place on Thursday, July 6th. It is the third and final match on Centre Court today with an estimated start time of 4:45pm.
You can tune into live TV coverage on BBC TV or live stream the match on the BBC iPlayer.
