That’s it from me for today, and I’m quite grateful for the Wimbledon curfew tbh, given the England-induced lack of sleep last night. I’ll rest well tonight that’s for sure, as will most of the nation no doubt, but Zverev may not, wishing he could have got the job done sooner. Thanks for your company as always, and do join us for the start of the quarter-finals tomorrow. Bye!
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The current schedule for tomorrow is this, but Part II of Zverev v Lehecka is likely to be squeezed between Pegula v Gauff and FAA v Djokovic on Centre:
Centre Court (1.30pm BST)
Jessica Pegula (US, 4) v Coco Gauff (US, 7)
Felix Auger-Aliassime (Can, 3) v Novak Djokovic (Srb, 7)
No 1 Court (1pm)
Jannik Sinner (Ita, 1) v Jan-Lennard Struff (Ger)
Naomi Osaka (Jpn, 14) v Karolina Muchova (Cze, 10)
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Play suspended for the day
From 30-all, Zverev bends the game to his will, bashing his way through the next two points, but he can’t bend time to his will, because the Wimbledon curfew is in a few minutes, and they won’t be able to carry on. So Zverev will have to come back tomorrow, leading 6-4, 7-5, 3-3. The second seed must be frustrated, but he still signs some autographs on his way off court. He must just wish he was signing them as a winner.
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The net gods are on Zverev’s side as he gets to 30-all on Lehecka’s serve, but he can advance no further. Lehecka, still looking so determined despite the scoreline, marches back to his chair. He’s such a hard worker, even though he now has a more healthy outlook on tennis, which happened after he was cut down by a back injury in 2024. He says he saw some very sick children when he was going to hospital for treatment but that they were still happy, enjoying life, while he thought his injury was the end of the world. He says it helped him to realise that tennis isn’t everything.
Lehecka lamps a forehand past Zverev after sprinting to the drop shot for 15-all. And he hits another winner into the exact same spot – deep to Zverev’s right – for 15-30. And now here’s two break points! Zverev, perhaps too keen to get this wrapped up tonight, has lost his rhythm a little, but his trusty serve gets him out of a hole, and it’s soon deuce. Zverev’s second serve has nearly as much bite as his first as he brings up his advantage. And an ace closes out the game. Zverev leads 6-4, 7-5, 2-2.
Lehecka returns, with 28 minutes to go until the 11pm curfew. He’s serving first in the third set, and opens with a hold to 15, finishing Zverev off with a brutal hit one way and then the other, the closed roof making the crack of the ball sound even louder. He’s hitting nearly as hard as Zverev, but just doesn’t have the consistency of the French Open champion.
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Zverev checks his blood glucose levels at the break between sets because of his diabetes. He’s also allergic to grass, not that you’d know it from the way he’s playing on it this year. I wonder what his secret is; I’m a wheezing wreck whenever I go near it. Lehecka has left the court, which is halting Zverev’s victory charge, and the German is pacing up and down around the baseline desperate to get the third set going.
Zverev, standing closer to the baseline than he has in previous years, rips a forehand winner for 15-0. And a 137mph ace out wide for 30-0. Lehecka then runs like lightning to get to Zverev’s volley, which he does, but his forehand flies wide. 40-0, three set points. And Zverev rounds things off with an inside-out forehand winner from inside the service box! He’s 6-4, 7-5 ahead with 32 minutes left to play. Can he beat the clock?
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A potentially costly double fault from Lehecka at 5-5, 40-30, which gives Zverev a route back into the game at deuce. Lehecka’s shot clips the tape and the ball sits up invitingly … and Zverev biffs a backhand winner down the line. Advantage Zverev … take this and he’ll be serving for a two sets to love lead … so maybe he can gets this done tonight. Zverev bashes into the net but gets another break point shortly after, and this time he makes no mistake! Zverev leads 6-4, 6-5, and the way he’s been serving, it’s almost impossible to see a way back for Lehecka in this second set.
With Zverev serving at 6-4, 3-4, Lehecka hits a rasping volley with as much gusto as a 50-yard Dan Burn header, and it takes the Czech to 0-15 on the German’s serve. But that’s as good as it gets for Lehecka, as Zverev bashes down another ace en route to a comfortable hold.
Just as Zverev and Lehecka are bumped off BBC Two, Lehecka makes things interesting, advancing to 0-30 and then 15-40 on Zverev’s serve. These are the first break points the Czech has had since Zverev’s opening service game – Zverev has been particularly miserly on serve tonight even by his standards – and the German quickly reverts to type, saving both BPs, the second after a lung-busting rally. And Zverev secures the hold from deuce for 6-4, 3-3.
This is the only remaining fourth-round match, meaning the men’s and women’s quarter-finals look like this:
Sinner (1) v Struff
Auger-Aliassime (3) v Djokovic (7)
Cobolli (9) v Fery (!!!)
Fritz (6) v Lehecka (13) or Zverev (2)
Osaka (14) v Muchova (10)
Pegula (4) v Gauff (7)
Kostyuk (12) v Paolini (13)
Noskova (9) v Mertens (25)
Lehecka looks as if he may crack in the next game, twice having to save break point at Zverev’s advantage, but he gamely holds, before having to soak up another love hold from Zverev, who leads 6-4, 2-2.
So 42 minutes for the first set: if Zverev keeps this up, he may win his race against the clock and settle matters without having to return tomorrow. Another flawless service game from the second seed – he’s dropped only five points on serve so far, and three of those were right at the start – and he is now 6-4, 1-1 ahead. There’s so much pressure on Lehecka to hold in every game, because he just can’t do any damage when the games are on Zverev’s racket.
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A first break! At 30-40 on Lehecka’s serve, Zverev decides he’s had enough of duking it out from the baseline, and he throws in a drop shot, which is chased down by Lehecka, before Zverev slightly mis-hits his lob, making it more awkward for the Czech, and Lehecka’s effort limps into the net. Zverev will serve for the opener … and gets the job done with the minimum of fuss. His serve has been nearly untouchable since he survived those three break points in the opening service game, landing 73% of his first serves and winning 95% of those points. Zverev leads 6-4.
If you’re just tuning in, the main headlines today are the wildcard Arthur Fery pulling off another unlikely five-set comeback, this time against the former semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov, to become only the sixth British man in the open era to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals; Taylor Fritz underlining his title credentials again by breezing past Alexander Bublik; French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli defeating an out-of-sorts Alex de Minaur; Jasmine Paolini ending the historic run of the young Filipina Alexandra Eala, the conqueror of Iga Swiatek; along with wins for the impressive Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova, plus Elise Mertens.
Two games without any serving jeopardy as Lehecka holds to love and Zverev does the same. So the scoreboard ticks over to 3-3. And while the Royal Box has virtually cleared out after Fery’s famous win, there is one notable face who remains: a certain R Federer. Not sure if this is because he just can’t get enough tennis or whether he thinks he’ll be named and shamed if he departs. He does get to enjoy a beautiful backhand volley from Lehecka at deuce in the seventh game, and the Czech holds from there for 4-3.
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Zverev stumbles out of the blocks, as Lehecka holds to 30, before Zverev falls 0-40 down on serve. But the German then starts to accelerate, an ace and forehand winner helping him to deuce, and he takes the next two points too. It’s 1-1 … and then 2-2, with Zverev having firmly hit his serving stride.
And the day isn’t done yet … because there’s still the matter of Alexander Zverev v Jiri Lehecka, who’ve been waiting all day to get on to Centre. The Wimbledon curfew is 11pm, so Zverev, like Coco Gauff last night, will have a race against the clock to finish this evening. And victory is no gimme. Yes, Zverev has been lifted by his new status as a grand slam champion, winning 13 of his past 14 matches on clay and grass, but Lehecka, the Czech 13th seed, has a 1-1 head-to-head record against the second seed, and has a big serve and forehand that can test him on grass.
Here’s Tumaini’s take on Fery’s heroics:
Nearly four hours into the most significant occasion of his career, deep into a fifth set tie-break against a storied opponent he has spent his lifetime watching, what did Arthur Fery have left for a home crowd on his Centre Court debut? At six points all, after a long change of ends provided him with ample opportunity to overthink his next steps, Fery stepped up to the baseline and fired an ace down the T.
The moment required that amount of courage and more as Fery went toe-to-toe with one of the best players of the past decade, a former world No 3, and he emerged from the stadium of his dreams with a victory that will define his career for years to come. After twice trailing by a break in the fourth set, Fery recovered to produce an astonishing 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7) win over Grigor Dimitrov in the battle of two wildcards to catapult him into the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the first time, where he will face No 9 seed Flavio Cobolli.
Over the past week, as he navigated his path to the second week, Fery had the unusual benefit for a home player of handling his business under the radar. Even as the last Briton alive in either singles draw since the conclusion of round two, the 23-year-old still played his third-round match with the understated confines of Court 18. Suddenly, he was thrust on to Centre Court as its headliner.
As in that victory two days earlier, when the world No 114 trailed Zizou Bergs 1-4 in both the fourth and fifth sets before finding a way to win, Fery’s grit and heart was a revelation. Here, the unenviable position of trailing Dimitrov by a break in the fourth set simply inspired Fery’s very best tennis as he dragged himself into a final set.
A common refrain from figures involved with British tennis is that Fery carries himself with immense self-belief. This was clear from the first games of his Centre Court bow as he immediately settled, his excellent serving allowing him to immediately build momentum and confidence. He barely made a mistake for a set and a half, pairing his immaculate shot tolerance and depth with well-timed injections of pace and forays to the net, where he is so comfortable. His two-handed backhand was supreme.
You can read the full report here:
So next for Fery in the last eight it’s the French Open runner-up Cobolli, and while the Italian is having the summer of his life, is the significantly higher-ranked opponent and will be the heavy favourite to win, there is some good news for the Brit: he did, as a qualifier, defeat the Italian in straight sets in their only previous meeting, in the Australian Open first round this year. It was his first match win at a grand slam away from Wimbledon.
As for Dimitrov, there’s no other way to put it: he blinked. At two sets to one and 4-3 ahead with the break, he should have got the job done, by far the more experienced of the two. Apparently he cried for two hours in the locker room after injury cruelly cut him down when two sets to love up against Jannik Sinner at the same stage last year; this defeat will cut deep too. As a member of the lost generation, the 1990s-born players who were tipped for greatness but failed to win any slams in the Big Three era and were then superseded by the Big Two of Sinner and Alcaraz, perhaps the 35-year-old will never get such a good chance again to go deep at Wimbledon.
15,000 spectators are still on their feet, including Federer, who then applauds Fery off the court. What a pinch-me moment for the 23-year-old – but he seems so calm with it. He looked to be in a state of disbelief during the interview, but not fazed by the attention at all. He’s emulated England’s heroics against Mexico by reaching the quarter-finals and surely it more than makes up for all the British destruction in the first round. That seems a distant memory now.
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“I’ve no words,” Fery says, shaking his head. “It’s incredibly tough to put words to what I’ve just felt on the tennis court, in front of you guys. The support was just phenomenal. I won’t swear again! I grew up five minutes from here, coming to watch matches on this court, we’ve got probably the greatest of all time watching in the front row [cue some applause from Federer] and [me] winning; it’s just unbelievable. I just kept fighting [when two games from defeat in the fourth set] and it paid off.”
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Fery defeats Dimitrov 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7)!
Now 9-7 Fery – TWO MATCH POINTS!!! – after a nerveless, brilliant backhand – absolutely clutch given the high stakes – and Dimitrov dumps his return into the net on the first match point! Fery gets a bit sweary with his box before shaking his head in disbelief; Dimitrov looks even more stunned. Now Fery is looking up to the Wimbledon skies – the local hero, who grew up just five minutes away from the All England Club, is improbably, implausibly into the Wimbledon quarter-finals! There’s been much talk the past couple of days about whether Dimitrov could do a Goran and emulate Ivanisevic’s wildcard run to the final and title 25 years ago. That hope is now over for the Bulgarian – but it’s still, quite ridiculously, a possibility for the British wildcard. Yes, the classy Flavio Cobolli is up next, but that can wait until Wednesday; right now Fery can revel in the best moment of his career.
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… Fery is a wall at the net, he looks like he’s still enjoying himself out there, relishing every moment in the match of his life, but Dimitrov has, of course, the far greater experience and should have the nous to finish the Brit off from here. But he froze in the fourth set … and an ace from Fery, followed by a forehand that just whistles wide from Dimitrov and it’s 8-6 Fery … !
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… and now Dimitrov blinks, just as he did in the fourth set when leading by two sets to one and 4-3 with the break, and he double faults! So they’re back on serve with Dimitrov 6-5 ahead …
… but concedes the mini break two points later when Dimitrov decides to take matters into his own hands, coming to the net and knifing a winning volley. Fery’s forehand then flops into the net – a collective Wimblegroan follows – and Dimitrov moves 5-4 ahead, with two serves to come …
Thanks Daniel. Right, no time to lose, so let’s get on with this. As it’s the fifth set this breaker will be first to 10 rather than seven, and the first three points go the server’s way, with Dimitrov taking a 2-1 lead. Dimitrov slices into the tramlines and it’s 2-2. Cue a “LET’S GO ARTHUR, LET’S GO.” At least it’s not “all aboard the Fery” again. Fery makes it 3-2 … before the first glimmer appears for Fery, when Dimitrov dumps into the net after an aggressive ploy from Fery, hitting a stinging return off the second serve before charging forward and drawing the error! So Fery leads 4-2 …
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Righto, Katy is here to take over from me, so she’ll croon you through the thrill of of it all; enjoy!
Dimitrov quickly makes 30-0, then Fery returns into the net and we’re a point away from a match breaker … which Dimitrov secures to 15, stepping in to dispatch a forehand winner. Here we go!
Has Dimitrov upped it? He makes 0-15 then 15-30 … but from there, Fery secures the hold, I’m just not sure how because my Chrome crashes. At 6-5 in the fifth, Dimitrov must now serve to stay in the competition.
Fery makes 0-15, but Dimitrov fires down an ace then tickles a gorgeous drop on the half-volley, coming in. Oh, but a return to the corner incites the backhand error, Ferry again noising up the crowd, and at 30-all, he’s two points from ridiculousness. So Dimitrov nails a 138mph serve, his fastest of the match, before running around a forehand to dematerialise a winner down the line; that’s 5-5, and this is so much fun it’s silly.
At 15-all, Fery goes unnecessarily wide, but a big serve-volley combo levels the game, then Dimitrov misses a backhand down the line. But a framed forehand takes us to deuce, and these are the moments, the crowd making sure both players are well aware. A first serve goes into the net and then, into the rally, Dimitrov has a chance to send a forehand down the line … but he either pulls back or is too tired to hit it properly, guiding the ball into the tape, and on advantage, Fery does really well to swing a backhand to the corner, coming in to put away a testing volley. He’s enjoying this, saluting the crowd as they go to sit down, and at 4-5, Dimitrov must serve to stay in the championships! What a recovery this has been from the Brit who, not that long ago was down 2-1 and a break.
Taylor Fritz (6) beats Alexander Bublik 7-6(1) 6-4 6-4
Fritz does all that’s asked of him – not much really – and he’s into a last-eight tussle with Alexander Zverev or Jiri Lehecka.
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Fery makes 30-all on the Dimitrov serve, but a forehand winner down the line, followed by a service-winner, secures the hold for 4-4, and this now a test of nerve for both players.
Bublik has battled through two five-setters to not bother turning up here, but at 3-5, 40-15, he enjoys his moment, a trick underarm serve forcing Fritz to serve for the match at 7-6 6-4 5-4.
A stray Fery forehand gives Dimitrov 30-all; pressure. But a decent body-serve can only be blocked back, the forehand that follows concussive, then Dimitrov goes long and at 4-3 in the fifth, The Young BritTM is two games away.
Just as I’m about to type “excellent hold from Dimitrov”, he dumps a putaway volley at 40-15 to increase the pressure he’s under, then Fery steps in to attack a second serve … and overhits it, thrashing way long. We’re level at 3-3min the fifth; Fritz leads Bublik 2-1 4-2.
A brilliant service game from Griggzy, sealed with an ace, has Fery back serving almost as soon as he stoped, at 2-2 in the fifth, and he makes -15 with a vicious forehand which breaks the sideline, tidying it up at net. But when a slice down the line comes back, he can’t respond, then Fery again closes to 30-all, outlasting Dimitrov in the next rally too, the fresher man now, and he salutes the crowd on securing his hold, the match looking therer for him than at any point hitherto. He leads 3-2 in the fifth.
This, I’m afraid, a total no-show from Bublik, who isn’t dialled-in at all and is trying random stuff for the hell of it. Fritz breaks him without having to do all that much and now leads 7-6 6-4 2-1, four holds from the last eight. Fery, meanwhile, holds for 2-1 in the fifth, and if he can keep serving well, the match will come down to a point here and there, giving him a decent chance of snaffling it.
A hold apiece opens set three on Centre and I still think Dimitrov, serving second, will play as well as he needs to to win this. Any more games off, though, and he’ll be in trouble, because Fery is excellent under pressure but second-best for as long as this is a test of skill and power.
Yup, Fritz serves out to love, up 40-0 and offering a simple putaway, so Bublik leaps into it and thrashes way long, then laughs at the hilarity of it all. It’s simplistic, but that is one major difference between these two: one takes it seriously and one doesn’t quite – without the ability to get away with it. Fritz leads 7-6 6-4 and I’d be shocked if he didn’t progress.
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Meantime, Bublik donates a break in a manner we rarely see Fritz do; the American leads 7-6 5-4, and I can’t see him making the same errors Dimitrov did.
In comms, they think Dimitrov tightened with the finishing line in sight; I felt he lost focus, if anything a tad complacent. And he opens a game he must win to stay in the set with a double, then a wrong-footing forehand makes it 10 points in a row for Fery. Gosh, and when Griggzy nets a volley, he’s down three set points, saving the first and second, the latter of the two with a glorious swished backhand … only to charge the net and be passed! Goodness me! Somehow, Arthur Fery takes the fourth set 6-4 and to a decider we go! Amazing character from the young Brit, Centre Court acclaiming him in the proper manner.
Wow, Arthur Fery just won’t go away … or Dimitrov keeps thinking the job is done, losing focus. I nip to get a drink, return, and find the Brit’s broken back for 4-4 in the fourth, then he holds to love and suddenly a bit of scoreboard pressure is in his favour: Dimitrov must hold to stay in the set.
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We’re on serve in both our active sets, Fery missing a line backhand at 3-3 30-15 and Dimitrov probing the slice before waiting for a ball to hit, a forehand whipped to the corner giving him break point. And doesn’t he take it well, forehands followed by more backhand fun – a short, oblique slice – opening up the volley, and that’s another break. Griggzy is two games away at 4-3 in the fourth, while Fritz leads Bublik 7-6 1-2.
There’s a right rum do going on in men’s doubles, with the ATP proposing to take money being taken out of that system to be fed to singles players. They actually attempted something similar in 2005, but Federer and Nadal went into the board meeting and said not a chance you’re doing that, they dubs players are tennis professionals who shouldn’t be losing their jobs – they earn a fraction of the overall money and the best singles players are doing well enough.
Now, though, the top 10 are giving it the it’s a business thing – which it isn’t, the ATP, behind the change, are a governing body, and the money involved remains minute. Reilly Opelka, say, 109 in the world, has won six tennis matches this year and made about half a million dollars, similar to those ranked around him, and he’s saying doubles players earn too much. If there was no doubles and the money saved was distributed among the relevant singles types, they’d earn around $550,000 instead.
The idea is to give the doubles money to players ranked 50-80 in singles – who’ve already made close a million this year with more to come. There are no extra jobs being created – none of the money is going to grass routes to get more people earning a living through tennis. Rather, it’s being taken from the people who make the least and given to those who make enough.
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Gosh, Bublik has vanished, Fritz racing to a 5-0 lead and all his hard work over the last 39 minutes for nothing. His mercurial talent just doesn’t have solid enough fundamentals, whereas Fritz pretty much knows he can’t dip below a certain level – an ace gives him 6-1, then a netted return seals the set, and he leads 7-6(1). Meantime, Fery breaks Dimitrov back for 2-2 in the fourth; he’s not quite out of this match yet.
Dimitrov is undeniable. He makes 30-40 on Fery serve and, sent out wide, he guides a luscious flat backhand down the line for a winner. He leads 2-1 2-1 with a break, his young opponent in over his head. But let’s focus on No 1 now, where a Bublik hold has taken us to a first-set tiebreak.
Fery gets to 30-all on the Dimitrov serve; an ace follows, but when he sees Dimitrov making to slice, he nashes in to intercept it with a volley; deuce. So he tries the same again, nailing a return and setting off, but this time his putaway is poor, a backhand winner stroked down the line earning deuce, and from there, the hold is secured for 2-1-1. On No 1, meantime, Fritz leads Bublik 6-5.
Fery misses a forehand, then is caught at net and passed for 15-30. And though Dimitrov then directs a line backhand into the tape, he stays in the next point before taking it over via forehand, raising break point. But it’s really well saved, Fery saying calm under consecutive overheads, a service-winner raises advantage, and from there he closes out a vital hold that effectively keeps him in the contest. Dimitrov leads 2-1 0-1, while Fritz is up 5-4 on Bublik in the first.
Dimitrov holds to 30 and leads Fery 5-7 6-3 6-4. He’s playing very well now and to stop him, Fery will need to find a new level some way above the best he’s hit in his career so far. I’ve got high hopes for where he might end up, but in a couple of years – today, I fear he’s done for.
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Katy and I were just chatting about whether Noskova is a serious contender. She mentioned that Jon Wertheim picked her and the way she’s been gradually improving is certainly a good sign. It takes a good performance to beat Ooor Maddy when she doesn’t beat herself, and she didn’t today, but I’d be surprised if she gets by the winner of Kostyuk v Paolini, especially if it’s Kostyuk, who I think has more to her game.
Yeah, about that. Fritz breaks back easily, to 15, two of the best servers on tour made to look anything but – principally by themselves. I doubt we see the American play so loose a game again and, as I type, he backs me up with a love hold sealed with an ace. He leads 3-2 while, on Centre, Fery holds through deuce, forcing Dimitrov to serve for the second set.
Bublik raises break point, burns it, then again, burns it again. But the third time, he rockets forehands, ball taken early, and Fritz can’t respond. First blood to the neck beard, and the way Bublik serves, it’s a long way back in this set at 1-2.
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Another starting to wonder if this is it will be Wa Griggzy, who didn’t play all that well in beating Mensik, but any win over him is a win worth having, and he was excellent against Berrettini. I’d love him to get it done, and a quarter-final against Cobolli would be fantastic. He leads 1-1 4-3, and the sense is that he’ll find whatever level he needs to get it done from here.
Thanks Katy and hi again all. Something I’m loving about this year’s jamboree is how many players are thinking “This is my time.” Taylor Fritz is one such, his steady improvement over the last couple of years bringing him to this moment; he’s a great chance of winning the bottom half. Bublik, if he’s at it, has the wider range of shots, but lacks the reliable power and accuracy, which I think’ll be the different if the match gets tight. So far, it’s 1-1 on the first.
Right, Daniel is back to guide you through the next couple of hours. See you later …
A hold apiece and it’s 5-7, 6-3, 3-1 to Dimitrov, as No 1 Court rises to welcome Taylor Fritz and Alexander Bublik, the enigma who was wrapped in an enigma but is slowly finding a way to take his tremendous talents a bit more seriously. It’s still very unorthodox though: underarm serves, tweeners, countless drop shots, no-look volleys, more drop shots … here’s a taster of what’s to come:
After a break of nearly 10 minutes on Centre Court, Fery returns … and is promptly broken to love. The crowd fall silent. They love Dimitrov, of course (who doesn’t?), but they’re rooting for their local hero even more. They find their voices again when Dimitrov hands Fery 15-40 amid a flurry of errors – but Dimitrov finds his first serve when he needs it and the Bulgarian makes it 30-40, deuce, advantage, game. Dimitrov backs up the break. He leads 5-7, 6-3, 2-0.
It means the quarter-finals in this half are Kostyuk v Paolini and Noskova v Mertens. Noskova is the highest-ranked player of the four. This is the greatest chance of her short career. Czech-born women + Wimbledon = the perfect match – Navratilova, Novotna, Kvitova, Krejcikova, Vondrousova are proof of that – could Noskova add her name to the list of champions? She’s got the game for it, especially on grass, let’s see if she has the nerve.
Noskova defeats Keys 6-4, 7-6!
Keys and Noskova are, indeed into a breaker, which Keys must win to take this to a third set. They change ends with Noskova leading 4-2 … which very quickly morphs into 6-2 and four match points. And a lovely drop shot from the crafty Czech seals the deal! Noskova is into her first Wimbledon quarter-final, having taken out a grand slam champion, and the 21-year-old is shaking her head in disbelief. Keys goes the way of Swiatek, Rybakina, Anisimova and Svitolina before her, and in this bottom half of the draw absolutely anything could happen.
Dimitrov wins the second set 6-3
15-0, 15-all, 30-15, 40-15, game and set Dimitrov. Not much Fery could do there, with Dimitrov’s first-serve percentage so high. But he’ll still be kicking himself about the previous game. He scurries off court in an attempt to regroup.
“All aboard the Fery” was banally chanted – followed by crowd imitating a ferry horn – during the Brit’s five-set win over Belgium’s Zizou Bergs in the third round. Thankfully I’ve not heard that yet today, though that’s not to say it hasn’t happened. He’s looking um, fery, vulnerable though when he loops long at deuce when trailing 3-4, and if Dimitrov takes this break point he’ll be serving for the second set. They go forehand to forehand to forehand, before Fery bludgeons his backhand beyond the baseline! I don’t know if that was careless or nervy, but that was a rare blip from Fery, which could prove to be very costly. Dimitrov leads 5-7, 5-3.
If Keys goes out here, the only former grand slam champions remaining in the draw will be Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka. Many would love either of those to win the title (myself included): both are so engaging and humble, and speak so well on issues that go far beyond tennis. But anyway, that’s for another day, because right now Keys is serving for her survival. That the American does, holding to 15, before Noskova nudges ahead once more for 6-4, 6-5. Can Keys take this to a tie-break?
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7-5, 1-1 turns into 7-5, 2-2. Meanwhile on No 1, a wildly unpredictable second set has gone from Noskova leading 3-0, to Keys coming back to 3-3 – with the help of a Noskova service game featuring FOUR double faults – to Noskova admirably showing the memory of a goldfish (Ted Lasso would be proud) to forget that and secure two love holds. It means Keys is serving to stay in the match at 6-4, 5-4.
As is so often the story when the underdog snatches a set, however, there’s a let-down at the start of the next. Fery falls 15-40 down on serve at 0-1, and Dimitrov has his first break points of the match. But Fery deals with the danger well, saving both, before securing the next two points as well for the hold for 7-5, 1-1. He’s playing with such composure here, as if this is his 19th time in the fourth round of a slam (as it is for Dimitrov), rather than his first. He’s provided some much-needed British calm this fortnight after all the carnage in the first and second rounds.
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Fery wins the first set 7-5
At 30-15, Dimitrov, cap backwards, as if he’s the 23-year-old rather than the 35-year-old, balloons a backhand well long! So two set points for Fery … Dimitrov’s return is punchy … Fery somehow gets it back … Dimitrov charges forward to Fery’s mis-hit … volleys … and a stumbling Fery succumbs. But Fery fizzes down a fine serve on the second set point and Dimitrov isn’t getting that back! The British wildcard, with only one previous match win at Wimbledon before this year, has taken the first set against the former semi-finalist!
Well, well, well! Dimitrov, having been absolutely untouchable on serve, is wobbling at 0-30. And then 0-40, when after a lengthy duel, Dimitrov hits long! Fery has three break points, his first of this fourth-round match … and Fery attacks Dimitrov’s first serve as if it’s a second … getting it back with interest … and Dimitrov’s reply lands just in front of the scoreboard! Fery will serve for the first set at 6-5!
The serve-off continues, with another hold, but Dimitrov does drop his first two points of the match on his serve before moving 5-4 ahead. Fery deals with the scoreboard pressure well, advancing to 40-15 when Dimitrov’s backhand return lands well into the tramlines, but Dimitrov’s next return is too hot to handle for Fery, who nets. A punchy serve out wide gets the game done, though. They’re locked at 5-5.
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Anything Grigor can do … after another love hold from Dimitrov for his 16th (!) consecutive point on his serve, Fery races to 40-0 and seems set for another routine game, before Dimitrov drags the Brit back to deuce. But no bother. Fery shuts Dimitrov out from there and they’re still on serve at 4-4.
Meanwhile over on No 1 Court, out of nowhere, Keys, the Australian Open champion, is in trouble, set point down against Noskova, who has advantage on Keys’s serve at 5-4. Both of these players came into Wimbledon in form: the 31-year-old Keys having won in Eastbourne, the 21-year-old Noskova in Berlin, and they’ve got games made for grass, despite Keys curiously having never gone beyond the Wimbledon quarter-finals. And Keys misfires on the forehand! Noskova, the Czech ninth seed, snatches the first set 6-4.
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Four games so far. Four holds. And no break points. Make that five as Dimitrov, the 35-year-old once known as Baby Fed, holds to love, in front of the actual Fed, who’s in the Royal Box this afternoon. Dimitrov has been flawless on serve so far, winning 12 out of 12 points, while Fery has been fairly comfortable too, dropping only four points in total as he holds to 15 for 3-3. Both have found their serving groove from the off, but who will find their receiving range first?
Fery against Dimitrov is something of a historic match, with two wildcards meeting in the men’s last 16 at Wimbledon for the first time. It pits the most local of local heroes Fery, who grew up only five minutes from the All England Club and is playing on Centre Court for the first time, against an ageing Wimbledon favourite who is on a mission to make up for having victory snatched away from him by his own body at this stage last year, when he led the eventual champion Jannik Sinner by two sets to love before being forced to retire with a torn pectoral muscle. Crowd loyalties may be divided today, despite Fery being the last Brit standing in the singles.
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Those wins for Paolini and Cobolli mean that up next on Centre Court it’s Arthur Fery v Grigor Dimitrov, and on No 1 it’s Madison Keys v Linda Noskova.
Paolini hadn’t won more than two matches in a row in 2026 before this tournament, partly because of a persistent foot injury, but she’s made it four in a row here and it’s an Italian double after Cobolli’s win only minutes before. After the exits of Swiatek, Sabalenka, Rybakina and Anisimova at the weekend, opportunity awaits for all the remaining women in the draw, but Paolini will have an extremely tough assignment in the quarter-finals against the increasingly impressive Marta Kostyuk, who won earlier.
“I played very few matches the last few months. But game by game, point by point, I was feeling better on these courts. Sometimes with grass you can love it, you can hate it, but [when it’s going well] it’s the best surface to play on. There have been tough moments, but we kept working, and I’m feeling better.”
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Eala is given a standing ovation as she departs, which is no less than the smiling assassin, who took out Iga Swiatek in the previous round, deserves. But Paolini’s smile is as big as Centre Court as she acknowledges the crowd, before speaking. “It’s great. Stepping on this court is something special, it’s something else, and I feel so lucky to get this win. I want to thank you as well Roger [for watching from the Royal Box] because he’s my idol, I was watching all the finals he played here, so it’s an amazing feeling.”
Paolini beats Eala 6-4, 4-6, 6-3!
Apologies for the sparseness of the entries, I’m still having big problems with the wifi. Which comes at the inopportune of times, because Paolini is serving for the match, having broken Eala for 5-3 when Eala hit beyond the baseline on a second break point. After all of Paolini’s struggles to replicate that breakout season of 2024, can the 30-year-old actually get this done? Yes! Because from 30-all, Eala errs with two backhand errors and Paolini is into a grand slam quarter-final for the first time since she reached the final here two years ago! Eala’s incredible run is over, but the Filipino trailblazer has broken new ground this fortnight and will no doubt break even more in years to come. She’s too good not to.
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“I’m very happy to win in three sets,” he replies. “This year is so hot, thanks for coming today and staying. There’s a lot of respect for Alex. We had a little chat at the break [when the spectator was receiving medical help].”
And how will he celebrate tonight? “Ice cream and pasta. My dad will cook. I also want to see Spain v Portugal. I hope I can go early to the house but we have to find one because we don’t have a house.” He doesn’t quite elaborate on why – I can’t believe that he didn’t expect to get so far given how well he’s been playing this summer – but I think 12,000 fans on No 1 Court would happily leave the grounds right now, hot foot it home and offer him theirs.
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De Minaur departs No 1 Court, and he’ll be hugely disappointed by the way he let that third set get away from him from 3-1 up and that he couldn’t push Cobolli more, in a match that many thought would go the distance. He does, at least though, have his wedding to the British No 2 Katie Boulter to look forward to, which is believed to be taking place this month.
As for Cobolli, he no doubt snatches another towel or two or three or four, as he has been throughout the tournament, Swiatek style, and is then asked how relieved he is to win so comfortably after a five-setter in the previous round.
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Cobolli defeats De Minaur 7-5, 7-6, 6-3!
Ach. Two double faults from De Minaur and the Australian has handed over a break – and possibly with it the match – to Cobolli, who’ll now serve for a place in the quarter-finals for the second successive year. Cobolli, with feet even quicker than the very speedy De Minaur’s, charges to 40-15 and two match points – before literally jumping for joy not once but twice when he seals it with an unreturned serve! He’s such an fantastico entertainer. Up next for Cobolli: Grigor Dimitrov or Britain’s Arthur Fery.
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Thanks Daniel. I can reveal that Eala and Cobolli are performing far more speedily than my wifi; Cobolli holding for a 7-5, 7-6, 4-3 lead on serve, courtesy of his third straight game, and Eala advancing to 0-30 on Paolini’s serve. But Paolini rips through the next four points to extinguish any sense of danger. So it’s 6-4, 4-6, 3-2 to Paolini on serve and this decider couldn’t be more finely poised.
Ah, Katy has a slight wifi issue so, while she resolves it, I’ll let you know that Cobolli cracked another forehand winner for advantage, converted, and now leads 7-5 7-6 3-3.
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De Minaur just can’t play well enough for long enough to seriously inconvenience Cobolli and, at 15-40, his break is in jeopardy. But the Aussie is nothing if not a mongrel, and he fights his way to deuce as the camera cuts to his box where Katie Boulter, his fiancee, is in an England shirt. Meantime on Centre, Paolini holds for 2-1 in the decider, and to take you through that, here’s Katy Murrells; I’m off for some lunch.
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Now then. De Minaur raises two break points, and though the first is immediately reclaimed with an ace, when a longer rally ensues, for what seems like one of the first times in the match, it’s Cobolli who blinks first. Demon leads 3-1 in the third…
Eala makes 30-0, but a cunning wrong-footer from Paolini keeps her going. But a netted forehand has the youngster raising arms skywards, two set-points to the good; she burns the first, but takes the second when Paolini can’t exploit a slow second serve and, at 4-6 6-4, we’ll now enjoy a decider. And as for Cobolli, he once again ups his level when he needs to – he’s so brilliant at that – breaking De Minaur back to lead 2-0 2-2.
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Paolini holds for 6-4 4-5, forcing Eala to serve for a decider; I’m expecting an epic struggle in the next game. Watching Cobolli, meantime, I’m reminded of Juan Martin del Potro, not in terms of his overall game but the take-back and follow-through on his fflat orehand – there’s a dismissiveness in the action, and a whipcrack echo, that they both share. De Minaur leads 2-1 in the third, with a break; Cobolli by two sets to love.
Just as I’m about to muse, while stroking my chin of course, that Cobolli hits as hard and flat as Demon, but also has the option of air and top, the Aussie, up break point, crunches a gorgeous forehand winner of which anyone would be proud. He leads 1-0 in the third, Cobolli by two sets to love, while Eala consolidates, under pressure, and is now a game away from forcing a decider at 4-6 5-3.
It’s a long, long way back for De Minaur now; I’m afraid he’s just a less good version of the same, Cobolli stronger, tougher and as mobile. Meantime on Centre, Eala has broken Paolini to trail 4-6 4-3, meaning she’s two holds away from a dscider.
De Minaur serves into the net so Cobolli comes in, punishing the second serve for 7-5 6-6 6-3, but the first of three set points is saved … then the Italian unloads on the forehand till his opponent can’t take any more, and Cobolli, down 2-5 not that long ago, takes the second set to lead 7-5 7-6.
Three holds open the breaker, Cobolli up 2-1, then De Minaur stays back when he might come in and pays the penalty for his negativity, netting to cede the mini-break. Cobolli, though, then goes long, so they turn around at 3-3. Then, when they come back, the Italian opts not to attack a loopy ball till it lands, then swivels into a majestic forehand winner, the damage compounded when Demon overhits a backhand to lead 5-3. He’s two points from 2-0, and it’d be a mighty long schlep back from there.
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Paolini is so sold, breaking back and holding for 6-4 3-2; Cobolli holds to earn a second-set breaker and, if he can win this, he’ll be in a great spot.
Mertens thanks everyone for coming and making an amazing atmosphere. The whole match was nerve-racking and Bouzkova played an amazing grass-court season so came in strong. She’s been to four fourth rounds without making the quarters but she’s there now – she’s got to be 30 to reach the last eight.
It was also difficult because it was windy, but she’s glad she was able to close out the match and now has a lot of confidence. She’s taking ti all in, trying to enjoy it, and that’s about it.
Eala breaks Paolini – she’s been threatening – for 4-6 2-1, while Cobolli again holds; he leads De Minaur 7-5 5-5. So, while we’ve got a few seconds, let’s listen to what Mertens has to say…
Elise Mertens (25) beats Marie Bouzkova (21) 6-4 6-4
A huge and deserved win for Mertens, who meets Keys or Noskova next.
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Cobolli just has a little more than De Minaur, his serve stronger, his forehand harder and his attitude more dominant. He breaks back, and looks able to up his level when the match demands it of him, while his opponent is fully extended just trying to keep pace.
Bouzlova holds, so Mertens must now serve for the match at 6-4 5-4; Cobolli also holds, so De Mianur must now serve for the second set … and two winners mean he’s down 0-30.
Paolini knows just a bit too much for Eala, coming back from 0-40 to hold for 6-4 1-0. The Filipina is hitting it harder than before, but she’s not slicing much to vary angle and depth, allowing her opponent to plant feet and thwack. Meantime, De Minaur holds for 0-1 5-2 and he’s now in the ascendanc, though we’ve seen Cobolli have down periods in matches he goes on to win – most recently, against Khachanov on Saturday.
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Bouzkova is giving it everything but Mertens wins a 21-shot rally for 6-4 4-3 40-15 – with a net cord! – and from there, she closes out the hold. She’s a game away from the last eight.
De Minaur holds then an error from Cobolli gives him 0-15; by the standard, this feels like a chance. At 15-all, though, someone else in the crowd has a problem, so there’s another pause which diverts my eyes to Centre where Eala. having worked so hard to force her way back into the set, hits long at 30-all to hand over set point, then swipes wide. That’s such a waste, but Paolini is delighted and leads 6-4.
De Minaur badly needs a break-back and makes 0-40 then allows Cobolli 30-40, but a colossal forehand is then backed up with a fine volley, taken from below the level of the tape. So Cobolli leads 7-5 2-2 while, on Centre, Eala is turning up the power, breaking back Paolini for 4-5; Mertens leads Bouzkova 6-4 3-2, with a break
Serving for the set at 5-3, Paolini finds herself down 15-30 thanks to a cunningly disguised drop, then Eala looks to collar a second serve, but can’t get over her shot. No matter, she’s into herself now changing pace and, in the process, inciting Paolini to overhit … but break-back point is quickly saved, the set still in the balance at 5-3, deuce. And have a look! Eala creates a glorious angle swipe a backhand winner cross, breaking the sideline, but she can’t convert.
Paolini’s not had the best season but she’s playing well here, holding for 5-2 in the first – Eala is playing better now – while Cobolli might just have De Minaur’s number, making 30-all then reading him at net to send a backhand winner down the line. Break point, though, is saved, but another is along immediately afterwards … forsaken when the Italian swings a forehand fractionally long. But he’s returning well, hitting a testing length with consistency, and De Minaur needs to get through this period because he’s second-best at the moment. He saves a further break point, then Cobolli skips around his backhand to punish a forehand winner down the line before, during another long exchange, it’s once more the Demon who errs, dropping long, and he’s in big, big trouble.
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A key moment on No2, Bouzkova up break-back point, and you feel she really must take it … which she does when Mertens nets a backhand to lead 6-4 1-1. Back on No 1, De Minaur cruises to a hold with a service-game he’d love to have played the one before last, and Cobolli does likewise to lead 7-5 1-1.
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Mertens is all over Bouzkova now breaking her for 6-4 1-0 and, if she can consolidate here, she’ll take some stopping. On Centre, meantime, Paolini leads Eala 4-2 in the first.
Demon goes for a big forehand down the line but overhits then, at 15-all, Cobolli outlasts him in a 39-stroke rally – the kind that, if the Italian is winning them, suggests very strongly that he’ll also win the match. But first things first: he needs to take this set and, at 40-30, is nearly there, then a backhand clobbered down the line secures the advantage at 7-5.
On Centre, it’s Paolini in command. She looks to have the more power and breaks for 3-1 in the first while, on No 1, someone’s been taken ill so there’s a quick break while that’s resolved.
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Gosh, a third error from De Minaur leaves him down three break points … but he saves them all, Woodbridge noting that he’s yet to get the speed of the court, hitting well on the rise and erring when he’s a little late on it. Cobolli, though, responds to his increasing level with some forehand behaviour of his own to raise advantage, and this time, De Minaur nets; the Italian leads 5-4, soon to serve for set one, while Mertens serves out a 6-4 first set against Bouzkova.
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At 4-4, Mertens raises break point at advantage, then swats a winner and she leads 5-4, soon to serve for the first set; on No 1, consecutive errors from De Minaur mean he’s under pressure at 5-5 0-30 …
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… which he does to 15, sealing it with an ace. In comms, Todd Woodbridge is a little disappointed the standard hasn’t been as high as he’d hoped, and i feel the same. But the players are well-matched and, as they settle, I’d expect to see them improve.
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We’re still on serve in all our games, but as scoreboard pressure mounts, Cobolli must hold at 4-5 to stay in set one…
Bouzkova now holds for 4-3 just as De Minaur does against Cobolli, both matches still working out what they’re going to be. On Centre, Eala and Paolini are ready, and I fancy the former, who I think can be special – but if the Italian can out her serve under pressure, she’s in big trouble.
On Centre, Eala and Paolini are out; on 2, Bouzkova breaks back for 3-3, having burned a coupe of opportunities; and on 1, a hold apiece means De Minaur and Cobolli are level at 3-3 in the first.
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De Minaur does enough to hold, then makes 0-30 on Cobolli’s go … only to miss a crucial volley set up by a fine return; 30-all, when it should’ve been two break points at 15-40. And from there, Cobolli holds for 2-2, the same score as between Bouzkova and Mertens, but the latter is at 0-40, the former serving. And when Mertens clubs a forehand on to the baseline, the response is netted, meaning a 3-2 lead for the Belgian.
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Now Cobolli holds to 30, and he’s into the match – all the more so when he goes backhand to forehand, than picks up a terrific half-volley to secure 15-30. And he’s the better player currently, a error from De Minaur offering break point … confiscated with forehands. To deuce we go while, on 2, Mertens has broken Bouzkova back for 1-2 in the first.
Cobolli lays down some smack, assaulting a weak serve, but at 40-30, De Minaur thwacks a forehand winner down the line for 1-0; back on two, game two is still going … and, as I type, Bouzkova hits hard to the corner, then paddles a drop across the face of the net, and she leads Mertens 2-0.
That doesn’t mean today will be his day – De Minaur has greater nous and experience. But Cobolli has such competitive charisma that I reckon he’ll find a way to win, especially as he now knows what it’s like to go the distance in a grand slam final – a level of security and confidence his opponent is still chasing
Back with our men’s match, I wonder how the Demon is feeling today. He knows he lacks the definitive weapons that mark out the best and might feel the same about Cobolli. I’d suggest Cobolli is perhaps the 2.0 version of him, though, his forehand bigger and speed even more intense; I can say for certain that I don’t think De Minaur can win a major, but I think Cobolli might just find his way to one thanks to his extra gas off the ground.
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Bouzkova raises a break point, so Mertens retorts with a service winner – her ability to do that repeatedly – or not – may decide this match. Which is why it’s taking her a whole to secure her hold.
On No 1, we’re almost ready for De Minaur and Cobolli – I can’t wait for this one – while on No 2, Bouzkova holds for 1-0.
Bouzkova and Mertens are out and I fancy the latter, who has a bit more power and will surely be feeling herself after binning Rybakina in the last round. Boukova will hope to use her strength against her, but the match is not, I don’t think, on her racket.
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Naomi Broady fancies Osaka to go all the way, and what a popular champ she’d be. I do, though, quite fancy Muchova to give her trouble, especially at net, whether by hauling her in with drops or winning exchanges; if she’s at her best, I’d back her all-round game to get it done, though it may be that Osaka is just too powerful from the back.
Also going on:
I very much fancy Kostyuk to reach the final from the bottom half of the draw. Of course, Eala is on one, while Keys has the power to blow anyone away. But in terms of all-round game, never mind sense of communal mission, the Ukrainian is the class of the field and ready to step up a level.
Next on No 2 Court: Marie Bouzkova (21) v Elise Mertens (25).
“I feel like I still cannot process this happening,” says Kostyuk, also noting how hot it is. “The longer you stay on this surface, the worse you feel.” She adds that the court wasn’t easy given the heat and wind, especially against an opponent on a roll having played 17 consecutive matches on grass – more than Kostyuk in her entire career. So it was very difficult and she still can’t believe it.
She was struggling to break the whole match so is really happy with the last two service-games she faced, and then thanks the crowd for their contribution.
Finally, Kostyuk customarily performs a blackflip when she wins a tournament so is asked if she’s been practising, advising that people keep asking her and she’ll only do it when she wins her first grand slam. That is not too far away.
Marta Kostyuk (12) beats Ashlyn Krueger 6-4 6-4
Kostyuk enjoys her now-customary twirl and she’s delighted, establishing herself among the elite of the elite, as we hoped. Krueger gave it all she had, but Kostyuk is a future champion now at one with her game and self; make no mistake, she can win this. Next up for her: Paolini or Eala.
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Again, Krueger goes long; 0-15. But then, at 15-all, an excellent volley falls in, just, and Kostyuk is two points away. And just as she looks in trouble, reaching behind herself for a forehand get, she somehow converts it into a delightful winner cross-court, raising two match points.
Yeah, coming a mile off. At 40-30, Krueger goes long, a double donates advantage, and another error means that 6-4 5-4 Kostyuk, broken not long ago, will shortly serve for the match.
That last game was very impressive. It’s not that Kostyuk playing amazingly in it, more that she consciously upped the aggression and her opponent couldn’t respond, class asserting itself through behaviour that is generally the preserve of the best around: consciously resolving to step it up, then forcing the issue. I’d not be at all surprised to see Kostyuk run away with things from here.
Kostyuk turns up the gas – it’s maximum effort time – but at 30-all, Kruger guides a backhand down the line for a winner … only flap another wide. And then, when then the ball bounces mid-court, the American is lost in the supermarket, unable to decide which of the many shots available to her she’s going to play. So she bungles into the net and must now face advantage, Kostyuk’s booming line forehand only just wide; back to deuce we go. Kostyuk, though, is on one, a fine point sealed with a putaway at net, and a fine forehand then incites Krueger to go for too much, and that’s the break back; Kostyuk leads 6-4 4-3.
At 15-30, Kostyuk puts together a lovely point, finished with an overhead, then serves out wide … only to direct her clean-up wide. Then, down break point, she nets, and Krueger has the break at 4-6 4-2. But can she hold on to it?
Kostyuk holds through deuce, then Krueger holds too, and I get the sense the former is still learning her way around a grass court. She’s got plenty of power and moves nicely – to be expected from an ex-gymnast – but she’s not quite as light on her feet as on other surfaces, and though her volleying is good, her point construction is still developing.
In our one singles match away so far, Kostyuk leads Krueger 6-4 1-2 on serve. She’s clearly the better player, but it’s close in set two and though her collapses are less frequent than once, they’re not totally behind her.
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Preamble
Wotcha and welcome to Wimbledon 2026 – day eight!
It’s Manic Monday no more but, absorbing into the schedule of matches here to embrace us over the next 10 or so hours, it’s not difficult to find some replacement alliteration.
Majestic Monday begins with Marta Kostyuk, by the looks of things establishing herself – finally – among the elite of the elite and, with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova already out, the scent of possibility will be heady and tantalising. But Ashlyn Krueger has plans of her own, in terrific nick after qualifying and enjoying the best grand slam performance of her short career.
On No 1, meantime, Maarvellous Monday opens with a belter, Alex de Minaur making his latest bid to cheat his athletic ceiling against Flavio Cobolli, defeated French Open finalist and a player ranked lower but rated higher. Expect perhaps the two quickest players on tour to deliver extended rallies, ridiculous retrievals and a potential epic – with the potential for much anguish should the Australian lose to the younger man.
Magnificent Monday continues on Centre with Jasmine Paolini, who appeared suddenly out of nowhere to contest the closing stages of majors, meeting Alexandra Eala, the young Filipina phenom, who dismissed the defending champ in the last round. With Linda Noskova the highest-ranked seed remaining in the bottom half of the draw, the excitement at the opportunity of a lifetime will be matched only by the trepidation.
Nor is that it – or even remotely it. Marie Bouzkova, two seeded staples never expected to go on will be starting to wonder if this is their time, just as Maddy Keys, her career now gravy after last year’s unexpected Aussie Open triumph, will fancy her chances, pressure off and power on.
Second on Centre – yup, we’re only halfway through the day – Arthur Fery faces Griggzy Dimitrov, leader of the lost generation whose grand slams were entirely subsumed by the Big Three and the Slightly Less Sizeable Two. But now a fully matured all-round brute, he’s a a man on a mission having led Jannik Sinner by two sets to love at this stage last year, only for injury to intervene with the tournament suddenly looking available to him. This may well be his final shot at immortalising himself in the annals of the game.
The, closing out Monumental Monday, we’ve Taylor Fritz – another chasing the shot of a lifetime at the dream of a lifetime – and in fantastic form. Alexander Bublik, though, is a mercurial talent slowly starting to treat tennis like it matters to him, an improvisational talent with the imaginative touch his opponent will never quite enjoy.
Finally, on Centre, Alexander Zverev – like Keys spieling with house money after securing that elusive first major – will also feel ready to wade in and snatch a second while others fiddle. His new-found confidence, though, is still solidifying, and Jiri Lehecka has the big-serve and forehand combo-move to test him.
Here we go!
