Wimbledon 2023 LIVE: Murray resumes his clash against Tsitsipas with the Brit leading 2-1… but up first is Alcaraz, with Norrie, Broady and Djokovic to come
Follow Mail Sport’s live blog for Day Five at Wimbledon, as Andy Murray resumes his clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas, with Cameron Norrie and Novak Djokovic also in action.
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Outdoor action is due to begin in just under 15 minutes, so here’s our pick of the opening matches away from the showcourts:
Paula Badosa is due to face Marta Kostyuk on court 18 – Kostyuk pulled off a stunning upset in the first round, dispatching No 8 seed Maria Sakkari in three sets.
Petra Kvitova faces Aliaksandra Sasnovich, and No 6 seed Holger Rune will play Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena after he knocked out British wildcard George Loffhagen on day three.
IAN HERBERT: Stan Wawrinka continues to search for highs at 38 years old
Stan Wawrinka is the individual so many of us might aspire to be, or to have been, at the age of 38. Not pencil thin, a man with shape, though wearing his years well and still searching for a few last highs before the sand runs out on times he will always say were his best.
There was an imperturbable air about him as he set about the Argentinian 29 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry, a rapid, powerful, sultry 22-year-old. Wawrinka was the cultured antidote, with his rhythmical and economical service action and smooth, classy hitting, demonstrating that placement surpasses power and the impatience of youth, at times…
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The 16-year-old continued to impress in her second-round clash against Barbora Krejcikova, leading the No 10 seed 6-3 4-0 before being handed a walkover after the Czech player retired due to injury.
After her match, Andreeva was asked about whether she had met the British star – whom she has a recent history with – and the question almost brought a blush to her face.
‘I met Andy Murray here,’ Andreeva said. ‘But I’m too shy to talk to him. When I see him, I try to leave the facility super quick just to not to talk to him because I’m super shy.’
The 16-year-old previously shared that he thought Murray was ‘gorgeous’ and ‘so beautiful’ and ‘so amazing’ in a starstruck moment at the Madrid Open. The Brit laughingly responded to a video clip on Twitter saying: ‘imagine how good she’s going to be when she gets her eyes fixed’.
The pair have since exchanged congratulations for ensuing victories via text.
Andreeva will play her compatriot Anastasia Potapova tomorrow.
Imagine how good she’s going to be when she gets her eyes fixed 👀🤣😍 https://t.co/t9R4YnMWDk
COURT REPORT: A doping ban for US rising star Brooksby, reports of crowd crushes… and enjoy Stan the man while you still can!
There were plenty of things that we learned from day four, too, with many coming off the court.
Here’s Mail Sport’s Court Report from Wimbledon, by Kieran Gill.
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Taylor Fritz’s shock second-round exit not only torpedoes chances for a strong US men’s run at the Championship – hopes instead fall with 10th seed Frances Tiafoe – but throws up a wrinkle of division in the player’s household.
Fritz’s influencer girlfriend Morgan Riddle recently landed a job presenting a ‘fashion and lifestyle series’, Wimbledon Threads, for the two weeks of the tournament after catching the eye at last year’s competition. In 2022, the 25-year-old reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by no less than Rafael Nadal, and no doubt Riddle accepted the job with a view to a similarly deep run for Fritz.
The question is… will Riddle continue to front the series, or stay away from SW19 out of loyalty to the fallen No 9 seed?
‘Chill out, mum… I’ve already won 80 grand!’: Britain’s Wimbledon wildcard hero Liam Broady has Centre Court in stitches
Liam Broady left the Wimbledon crowd in stitches during his post-match interview on Wednesday afternoon as he told his mum to ‘chill out’ as he’s already ‘won 80 grand’ this week.
Broady – who had just shocked No 4 seed Casper Ruud 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 to secure his place in the third round of the SW19 tournament – revealed how his mum would get nervous before his games.
The 29-year-old British player joked that his mum should ‘chill out’ because he’s already won ’80 grand’ by beating Ruud and securing a clash with Denis Shapovalov later today.
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After a turbulent few days – and despite dry conditions, ominous clouds overhead on day four – the players will finally compete under the baking sun and a bright blue sky.
Cue sunstroke and red noses in three, two…
Today’s order of play is chockful of hits – along with plenty of British action – Novak Djokovic takes to Centre Court, as does Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz.
The young Spaniard – and No 1 seed – has France’s Alexandre Muller in his sights. The 84th in the world beat his compatriot Arthur Rinderknech, and it looks like Alcaraz will make another slew of Francophonic enemies, after the starlet beat the veteran Jeremy Chardy in his opener.
Swiatek will have to work a little harder against Petra Martic, but she’s zero for two against the Croatian No 30 seed, and an upset feels unlikely. Djokovic’s clash against Wawrinka has an almost retro feel – the pair faced one another repeatedly in the late 2000s-early 2010s, but far less in the last few years. Although Wawrinka has won two of their last three meetings, he was trounced 6-2 6-2 by the Serbian in Rome last year, and having never met on grass, has a limited experience of Djokovic’s dominance on the surface.
Daniil Medvedev returns to court to see out his two set lead over Adrian Mannarino, and other notable clashes include Marta Kostyuk against Paula Badosa, Matteo Berrettini vs Alex De Minaur, and Jannik Sinner against French up-and-comer Quentin Hayls.
Who’s in charge in Stefanos Tsitsipas’s box? Girlfriend Paula Badosa is caught giving her partner’s father glaring side-eye during his epic match against Andy Murray
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ girlfriend Paula Badosa could not hide her apparent disdain for her Greek partner’s father and coach Apostolos during his epic clash with Andy Murray.
The Greek fifth seed was three sets into a sapping battle with Murray under the lights on centre court before play was paused before reaching the 11pm curfew, with the former rivals returning to the action on Friday for the fourth set.
Having lost the first set tie-break, the two-time former champion had fought back, taking the second and third set to lead 2-1, recovering from a late injury scare just before the game was halted.
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Along with the aforementioned Murray tie, Cameron Norrie returns to the show courts to face Christopher Eubanks in the second scheduled match on Court No 1. The No 12 seed is the favourite, but Eubanks is hot off his first-ever tour win – and on grass no less – at the Mallorca Open.
Liam Broady has another mountain to climb against No 26 seed Denis Shapovalov, and may feel the grand slam pinch of playing the day after a five-set thriller. But he’ll be late on Court No 2.
There’s also a raft of talent in the doubles to be enjoyed: although Jodie Burrage failed to get through her women’s doubles tie yesterday, Harriet Dart and Heather Watson are set to take on Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko, and Burrage will feature in the mixed doubles.
Davis Cup favourites Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury will compete in the men’s doubles (separately) and Katie Boulter will take up mixed doubles with her boyfriend Alex De Minaur late in the day on Court 17.
Andy Murray wins the third set after superb fightback against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wimbledon’s Centre Court – but has an injury scare just before umpire calls for the 11pm curfew
Ahead of what should be a thrilling conclusion to last night’s Murray-Tsitsipas clash, why not get yourself up to speed with Mike Dickson’s report?
A weeknight at Wimbledon, and it had to be Andy Murray serving up a primetime thriller for the Centre Court.
It was as if nothing had changed, as if his hip had never been surgically repaired, when he launched another of his trademark fightbacks on the grand old arena against an opponent of the highest class. We have seen this movie before…
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Hello and welcome to day five of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships – and it’s set to be a scorcher.
Literally, and metaphorically: as the mercury rises to near 30 degrees – and after two days rain-interrupted play we can’t look a gift horse in the mouth – there’s a number of scorching clashes to look forward to. At the top of the list is the resumption of play between Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas, which fell victim to the All England Club’s stringent rules around scheduling late last night.
Murray had just won the third set to put him ahead of his Greek rival, off the back of a sickening fall and scream that had many doubted if he could continue the tie. But continue he did, and win the ensuing point in heroic fashion. He was rightly fuming that play was called to a halt 20 minutes before the 11pm curfew: it will be interesting to see if the lost of yesterday evening’s momentum proves costly.
It was a far better day for Brits in general yesterday – Liam Broady served up an almighty upset in his dispatching of No 4 seed Casper Ruud in five sets on Centre Court, and Katie Boulter scythed her way through to third round after a tough workout from Viktoriya Tomova.
Elsewhere in upsets, Elina Svitolina knocked out No 28 seed Elise Mertens, and American favourite Taylor Fritz – the No 9 seed – was sent home in five sets by Mikael Ymer, 59th in the world. Favourites Elena Rybakina, Alexander Zverev, Donna Vekic, Jessica Pegula, Andrey Rublev, Alexander Bublik, Frances Tiafoe, and Matteo Berrettini all made it through unscathed too.
All caught up? The All England Club aren’t – we’ve still got a steady backlog of ties to catch up with after those rain delays… but at least the first-round singles ties are all finally finished.
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