What's new

Who will win? - The Wimbledon 2019 Discussion Thread

Who will win the Wimbledon Men's Singles title?

  • Novak Djokovic

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Roberto Bautista Agut

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Roger Federer

    Votes: 2 100.0%

  • Rafael Nadal

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    2
  • Poll closed .
MenInG

MenInG

PakPassion Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Runs
217,450
Britain's two-time singles champion Andy Murray will make a welcome return to Wimbledon in the doubles after missing last year's Championships with a career-threatening hip injury.

The Scot said in January he thought he might have to retire after this year's tournament at the All England Club.

But the 32-year-old is back playing pain-free after having his hip resurfaced five months ago.

The former world number one hopes to play in the men's and mixed doubles.

I'm available to play mixed doubles with Murray - Serena Williams
The tournament begins at the All England Club on Monday and you can follow comprehensive coverage across TV, radio, online and the mobile app.

Serbia's defending champion Novak Djokovic is considered the player to beat in the men's singles and starts the defence of his title when he opens up play on Centre Court against Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber at 13:00 BST on Monday.

The women's singles - won last year by Germany's Angelique Kerber, who starts on Centre at 13:00 BST on Tuesday - is expected to be another wide-open contest.

Johanna Konta is considered the Briton with the best shot of going far in the singles, having reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2017 and coming into the tournament on the back of a shock run to the Roland Garros last four.

That success on the clay - previously considered Konta's weakest surface - led former British number one Jo Durie to warn the 28-year-old's rivals to "watch out" at SW19.

Her form on the grass has not yet matched her clay season, however. She lost to former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round at Birmingham, then went out to Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in the third round at Eastbourne.

Kyle Edmund, who replaced Murray as the British number one last year, is the only home man to be seeded, but the 30th seed has struggled for form and fitness in recent months.

Going into the grass season, he had only won two matches from the end of March and retired from his French Open second-round match with a knee injury.

The 24-year-old's comeback ended in a straight-set loss to Greek top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas at Queen's, before he took a wildcard at Eastbourne where he beat compatriots Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans before losing to American Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals.

Norrie and Evans, ranked 49th and 65th, also qualified directly for the draw, while Jay Clarke, James Ward and teenager Paul Jubb have been given wildcards.

Heather Watson, now ranked outside the top 100 and an ever-present in the main draw since 2010, Harriet Dart and Katie Swan have also been given wildcards.

Paul Jubb: From Hull council estate to winning prestigious American college title
Old guard still lead the way
Despite all being aged in their 30s, the 'big three' of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal continue to dominate the men's singles, having won the past 10 Grand Slam titles between them.

Top seed Djokovic, 32, saw his bid to hold all four major titles at the same time derailed by Austria's Dominic Thiem in the French Open semi-finals, yet remains the favourite to win Wimbledon as he looks for a 16th Grand Slam triumph.

Federer, who turns 38 in August, is bidding to claim a record-extending ninth Wimbledon title for his 21st Grand Slam - a tally which has also never been bettered by any other man.

Nadal, 33, has 18 Grand Slams after winning his 12th Roland Garros title last month.

Between them, the trio have won 53 of the past 64 majors, stretching back to Federer's maiden Wimbledon triumph in 2003.

"We pushed each other to greater heights, to improve maybe Rafa's grass, Novak's hard courts, my clay," Federer said.

"I think we definitely became better because of one another."

Federer, who plays South African debutant Lloyd Harris in the first round, has been seeded second and will start in the opposite side of the draw to Djokovic.

That led to criticism from world number two Nadal, who is seeded third under Wimbledon's grass-court formula and projected to meet Federer in the semi-finals.

The All England Club's system means South African world number eight Kevin Anderson, who lost to Djokovic in last year's final, is seeded fourth.

But the big-serving 33-year-old only returned to the tour at Queen's last week after missing three months with an elbow injury.

Croatia's 13th seed Marin Cilic, a beaten finalist in 2017, and American ninth seed John Isner, who lost to Anderson in last year's epic six-and-a-half-hour semi-final, are also hoping to be among the established players making a run.

Greek seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, 20, is expected to lead the charge of the young guns aiming to topple the old guard, while Italian Matteo Berrettini and Canadian youngster Felix-Auger Aliassime could also make their mark.

Wimbledon 2019 men's seeds
Barty and Osaka head a wide-open women's draw
In contrast to the men's, the women's game has been highly unpredictable in recent years with nine different winners at the past 10 majors.

Japan's Naomi Osaka is the only player to have triumphed twice since the start of 2017, although the US Open and Australian Open champion struggled to cope under the spotlight of being the top seed at the French Open, saying she suffered headaches from the "stress" before going out in the third round.

"I don't think there was anything that could have prepared me for that, especially since I'm kind of an over-thinker," Osaka, 21, said.

"I think it's better for me now to be number two here."

Osaka's place at the top of the world rankings has been taken by Australian Ashleigh Barty, who won her maiden major at the French Open - five years after quitting the sport to play professional cricket.

Barty, 23, says having the top seeding has not changed her preparations for the Championships.

"There's more attention, there's more of that outside noise. But what we're trying to do on the court hasn't changed much," she said.

"The only pressure that I put on myself is making sure I do everything correctly."

Seven-time champion Serena Williams has been tipped to win by another American great Chris Evert as she bids again for her first major title since giving birth in September 2017.

One more triumph would see the 11th seed, who has struggled with a knee injury, equal Australian Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Slam singles titles.

"I haven't had enough match play but I saw some good doctors in Paris and I'm feeling better," Williams said.

Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova, who warmed up by winning the Eastbourne title, has been tipped by Martina Navratilova to finally make her breakthrough at the Grand Slams and win her first major at Wimbledon.

Sixth seed Petra Kvitova, another Czech, has been struggling with an arm injury but hopes to be fit enough to mount a challenge for a third title, while Kerber - who lost to Pliskova in the Eastbourne final - is also expected to figure.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48759730
 
Novak Djokovic starts Wimbledon 2019 title defence by beating Philipp Kohlschreiber

Top seed Novak Djokovic started his defence of the Wimbledon men's title by beating Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets as the pair opened up the tournament on Centre Court.

Inside the 15,000-seater arena, the 32-year-old Serb was never in serious trouble during a 6-3 7-5 6-3 win.

Djokovic is aiming for a fifth Wimbledon title and a 16th Grand Slam.

The world number one will play American Denis Kudla, who beat Tunisian Malek Jaziri, in the second round.


Tradition dictates the defending men's champion opens up the play on Centre Court on Monday, with four-time champion Djokovic earning that honour again after beating South Africa's Kevin Anderson on the same court 12 months ago.

As usual, anticipation crackled in the Centre Court air during the final moments before the players arrived, as those fortunate enough to have tickets for one of the nation's greatest sporting events - and sit in the pleasant SW19 sunshine - waited in excitement.

The noise ramped up to another level when Djokovic and Kohlschreiber strode out, followed by titters of amazement when the Serb opened with a double fault.

That led to Djokovic dropping his serve, accompanied by more gasps and murmurs, only for him to immediately break back and take control of the opening set.

With Goran Ivanisevic, a surprise new addition to Djokovic's coaching team, watching him alongside main coach Marian Vajda, the second set followed a similar pattern.

The 15-time major champion saw his opening serve taken as he trailed 2-0, instantly breaking back and restoring parity as Kohlschreiber, who beat Djokovic in Indian Wells earlier this year, offered more resistance in a tighter set.

But the German's level dipped at a crucial moment with some loose shots and allowed Djokovic to break for 6-5 and then serve out for the set.

In the third, 35-year-old Kohlschreiber again matched an opponent who had beaten him in 10 of their previous 12 encounters, only for Djokovic to find another gear and ruthlessly rattle off the final three games to win in two hours and five minutes.

"It felt great to be back on Centre Court - it is a sacred court. It has a special place in my heart," Djokovic said.

"Opening rounds are obviously always tricky, especially if you get a quality opponent like Kohlschreiber who has a lot of experience.

"I know he is capable of playing some quality tennis, especially on grass, he takes the ball early, has a good slice, a quick serve.

"It was a great test for me. All three sets were close so I worked hard."

Goran Ivanisevic, who famously won the Wimbledon title in 2001, has joined Djokovic's team
Anderson and Wawrinka ease through, Lopez continues form

Elsewhere, fourth seed Anderson won 6-3 6-4 6-2 against Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who will partner Andy Murray in the men's doubles later this week.

Anderson only returned to action at Queen's after a three-month lay-off with an elbow injury, but eased past Herbert, who said afterwards he has been managing a thigh injury.

Canadian 19th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, 18, became the first man born in the 2000s to win a Grand Slam main draw singles match with a four-set victory against his compatriot Vasek Pospisil.

Switzerland's three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka also eased through in straight sets, winning 6-3 6-2 6-2 against Belgium's Ruben Bemelmans, while Russian 10th seed Karen Khachanov beat South Korea's Kwon Soon-woo 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 4-6 7-5.

Queen's champion Feliciano Lopez, 37, continued his fine form on the grass with a 6-4 6-3 6-4 win over American Marcos Giron.

Another veteran - Serbia's 35-year-old Janko Tipsarevic - earned his first victory in the singles at SW19 since 2012 by beating Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in a five-set battle lasting almost four hours.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48830320
 
Fifteen-year-old American qualifier Cori Gauff caused a stunning upset by defeating five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the first round.

World number 313 Gauff beat Williams - 24 years her senior at 39 - 6-4 6-4.

Fellow American Williams had won four Grand Slam titles - including two at Wimbledon - before Gauff was born.

"It's the first time I have ever cried after winning a match," said Gauff, who previously said Venus and sister Serena were her "idols".

"I don't know how to explain how I feel.

"I definitely had to tell myself to stay calm, I had to remind myself that the lines are the same lines, the courts are the same size and after every point I told myself 'stay calm'."

Gauff will play Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova - 15 years her senior - in the second round.

Williams turned professional 10 years before her opponent was born, with Gauff being the youngest player to qualify for the main Wimbledon draw since the Open era began in 1968.

She previously said the Williams sisters inspired her to first pick up a tennis racquet.

"Venus told me congratulations and keep going, she said good luck and I told her thanks for everything she did," Gauff added.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her - I told her she was so inspiring and I've always wanted to tell her that but I've never had the guts to before.

"My parents will be super happy, my dad was jumping up every time I won a point. I'm so happy they spent all their time on me and my brothers and making sure we're successful.

"I never thought this would happen. I'm literally living my dream right now.

"I'm really happy Wimbledon gave me the chance to play, I never thought I would get this far."

In a sharp introduction to the Wimbledon stage, Gauff initially struggled to return Williams' serve but she soon impressed with big serves of her own.

Gauff, who won the French Open junior title last year, went a break up on Williams for 3-2 in the first set, proving a solid wall that her veteran opponent simply couldn't break down, hitting only two unforced errors throughout the set.

After sealing the set in 35 minutes, she went a break up in the second after Williams double-faulted, only to do the same herself on her own serve as Williams looked to claw back.

She went on to scupper three match points before Williams created a break point, but she failed to capitalise on the chance as Gauff clinched a memorable win on the fourth time of asking.

It marks only the second time Williams has been beaten in the first round at Wimbledon since her 1997 debut.

Asked about Gauff's future, Williams said: "I think the sky's the limit, it really is.

"She did everything well today. She put the ball in the court, which was much better than I did. She served well, moved well. It was a great match for her."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48828120
 
Roger Federer survives Wimbledon 2019 scare, Rafael Nadal eases through

Eight-time champion Roger Federer survived a first-set scare to see off South African debutant Lloyd Harris and reach the Wimbledon second round.

Federer, 37, moved through the gears to win 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.

The Swiss, aiming for a record-extending ninth men's title, will face Britain's Jay Clarke next.

Third seed Rafael Nadal faced fewer problems against Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita, winning 6-3 6-1 6-3 to set up a meeting with Nick Kyrgios.

Federer was 'frozen' as Harris threatened seismic shock

Harris, 22, had never even won a match on grass going into his meeting with arguably the greatest player of all time.

But the world number 86 rocked Federer with blistering serves consistently around 130mph and backed that up with some heaving groundstrokes in a first set which left Centre Court murmuring in disbelief.

After breaking Federer's serve for a 4-2 lead, Harris confidently sealed the opener in 29 minutes as he threatened to create one of the most seismic shocks ever seen at Wimbledon.

Federer, who had dropped a set in the first round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2010, seemed to lack the assurance which has rarely gone missing in his illustrious career.

"I struggled early on. I felt a bit frozen, my legs weren't going," he told BBC Sport.

"I felt it was heavy out there, the ball wasn't going when I was hitting it and he was hitting it big."

The challenge for Harris was always going to be maintaining his level as Federer started to find more rhythm and make him work harder for his points.

As Federer rediscovered his timing and touch, Harris wildly slashed a forehand wide - with the ball sitting up invitingly for the South African and Federer stricken at the baseline - on a break point for a 3-1 lead to the Swiss.

From that point he could not recover, Federer winning 11 of the next 13 points to level the match and then continue to go through the gears as he broke twice in the third set.

Then it turned into a procession towards victory, with Harris looking like he might have to pull out with a calf injury which left him needing lengthy treatment.

He refused to quit as Federer began to purr, a dipping, cross-court backhand winner sealing another break early in the fourth for the Swiss as he cruised to his 17th straight first-round win at the All England Club.

"He kept me nervous for a set and a half and I think that break was crucial in the second to turn things around," Federer said.

"It took a big effort. Lloyd played a good match."

Nadal's bid for a third title up and running

Nadal also made a slow start as 30-year-old Sugita broke his opening serve in the first game, with the world number 274 threatening to go 3-0 up before the Spaniard fought back from 0-40 to hold.

The sense of shock around Court One did not last much longer though, 33-year-old Nadal breaking back in the next game and taking control with four of the next five to clinch the opening set.

Sugita, who had only won one previous match at SW19, offered little resistance from that point as two-time champion Nadal raced through the second set and dominated the third, crucially breaking in the eighth game.

That set up a tantalising meeting with controversial Australian Kyrgios, who beat compatriot Jordan Thompson in an entertaining five-setter earlier on Tuesday.

Nadal accused Kyrgios of "lacking respect" after the 24-year-old beat him in Acapulco earlier this year, with Kyrgios describing the 18-time Grand Slam champion as "super salty" in a recent podcast.

Asked about the attention surrounding their relationship, Nadal said: "Being honest, I'm too old for all this stuff. What I said, I said. That's all.

"I'm not a guy who will be in a fight with anybody. I will keep doing things I love. On Thursday I will be back in this amazing place.

"At the beginning of this match it was tough. There are lot of things to improve."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/48845742
 
Last edited:
Wimbledon 2019: Serena Williams joins Ashleigh Barty and Angelique Kerber in round two

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams moved into the second round with a straight-set win over Italy's Giulia Gatto-Monticone on Tuesday.

World number one Ashleigh Barty and defending champion Angelique Kerber also made it comfortably through.

Williams, 37, won 6-2 7-5 in one hour and 19 minutes on Centre Court.

French Open champion Barty overcame Chinese world number 43 Zheng Saisai 6-4 6-2 and will now play Belgian Alison van Uytvanck.

Kerber saw off fellow German Tatjana Maria 6-4 6-3 and faces American world number 95 Lauren Davis in round two.

Williams, the 11th seed, is looking to equal Australian Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles but has struggled with a knee injury this year.

The American had the chance to serve out the match at 5-3 in the second set only for 31-year-old Gatto-Monticone, making her debut in the Wimbledon main draw, to break back.

Williams roared in delight as she set up match point at 6-5 and then clinched the best exchange of the match with a volleyed winner to secure her spot in the next round.

"I really appreciate she never gave up and it's good for me to play matches like this," said Williams, after only her 15th singles match this year.

"It's the best I have felt since February. I had to skip most of the hard-court season, a couple of matches on clay, I'm feeling good that I can actually walk. It's just amazing.

"I am better now. I feel so thankful and I am happy, and now I get to play with my baby. It's fun to do everything I love."

'Enjoy every moment at this beautiful tournament'

Barty said it felt "incredible but bizarre" to be playing at Wimbledon as world number one.

The Australian was broken early in the first set against Zheng but otherwise seemed relaxed as she disposed of her opponent with a variety of slices and good approach play at the net.

The 23-year-old said: "The first round is always tough and it took a bit of time to get used to conditions on that beautiful court which I have a lot of happy memories on.

"It feels a bit bizarre actually but I'm trying to go about my business in the same way as I always have. You have to enjoy every minute when you're playing at this beautiful tournament."

World number five Kerber has been in good form on grass coming into Wimbledon having reached the semi-finals in Mallorca before reaching the final at Eastbourne where she was beaten by Karolina Pliskova.

The German said: "Coming back here, walking out on Centre Court is really special and there was a lot of emotion and memories. It's amazing to be back."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/48843832
 
Wimbledon 2019: Reilly Opelka knocks out former world number three Stanislas Wawrinka

American Reilly Opelka overcame three-time Grand Slam winner Stanislas Wawrinka 7-5 3-6 4-6 6-4 8-6 to reach the third round of Wimbledon.

Ex-world number three Wawrinka had the upper hand against the 2015 boys' junior champion after three sets.

But 6ft 11in Opelka fought back with ferocious serving and broke the Swiss in the 14th game of the deciding set to win the three-hour match.

Opelka, 21, will Canadian Milos Raonic in the third round.

The former finalist and current 15th seed defeated Dutchman Robin Haase 7-6 (7-1) 7-5 7-6 (7-4).

Opelka is the joint-tallest-ever ATP-ranked player, along with Ivo Karlovic. His 142mph (228kph) serve against Wawrinka was the fastest of the Championship so far.

After the match the Florida-raised player, who won his first ATP title in February with victory at the New York Open, bristled when asked how tall he was.

"I have answered this question, like, 150 times," he said. "It's the same as it was yesterday, and, I don't know. Close, 6'11", 7'0". Not sure."

Wawrinka added: "Against those big servers you know you're not going to have a lot of chances and you get under pressure a little bit more.

"At the end he went for it. He went bigger than me, more aggressive, and he deserved to win".

Russian Karen Khachanov got through a tricky test against Queen's champion Feliciano Lopez.

The 10th seed came from a set down to win 4-6 6-4 7-5 6-4 and make it through to the third round for the third year in a row.

Fellow Russian Daniil Medvedev, the 11th seed, defeated Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-7 (6-8) 6-1 6-4 6-4.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/48857874
 
15 year old Cori Gauff is into the Ladies' Singles third round after beating Rybarikova 6-3, 6-3. Incredible!
 
Coco Gauff's fairytale introduction to Wimbledon continued with a second-round victory over Magdalena Rybarikova that belied her years.

The 15-year-old American qualifier needed just one hour nine minutes to beat her Slovakian opponent 6-3 6-3 under Court One's new roof.

Gauff, who beat five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams on Monday, will play Slovenia's Polona Hercog next.

"I'm still shocked I am even here," Gauff told BBC TV.

"I played well on pressure points. She was serving amazing. I've not been able to relax, there is so much going on.

"I believe I can beat anyone across the court."

She becomes the youngest player to reach the last 32 at Wimbledon since fellow American Jennifer Capriati, who reached the semi-finals in 1991, also aged 15.

Edmund and Watson lose in second round
Halep survives scare to reach third round
Chance to play with Serena once in a lifetime - Murray
Day three at Wimbledon as it happened
At such a tender age, Gauff is only eligible to play 10 tournaments at professional level between her 15th and 16th birthdays yet she appears to be taking the grand occasion of Wimbledon in her stride.

Earlier on Wednesday, she had trained briefly under the gaze of 18-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal before being approached for a chat by Roger Federer, an eight-time winner here, more than six hours before she finally got to play.

Coco Gauff's parents on the making of a tennis star
After a late court switch, the match finally got under way just after 20:00 BST, but Gauff looked at home straightaway against the world number 139, who reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon two years ago.

She broke 30-year-old Rybarikova's serve to love to go 4-2 up, losing just five points on her own serve throughout the entire first set.

Rybarikova, somewhat unsettled by the crowd's fierce support for Gauff, had her serve broken once again early in the second set.

But, showing glimpses of the form that saw her formerly become the world number 17, Rybarikova started to rally, twice defying Gauff on break point.

Yet this was always to be Gauff's night, and she saw out the win by breaking serve once again in front of a delighted crowd and in front of her ecstatic parents Corey and Candi.

Speaking after the match Gauff revealed that she has been using social media to help relax between matches and cope with her newfound fame.

"I wasn't expecting any of this. A lot of celebrities were messaging, posting me. I'm kind of star struck. It's been hard to reset. I don't know," she said.

"Surprisingly social media kind of relaxes me before the match. That's what I kind of do. Right now I'm going to keep everything the same because it's been working."

On a day for the youngsters, Felix Auger Aliassime, 18, progressed to the third round of the men's singles by beating France's Corentin Moutet 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2.

Live scores, schedule and results
Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone
Coco Gauff
Gauff lost just five points on her own serve throughout the entire first set
'Gauff is the favourite against Hercog'
John McEnroe, three-time Wimbledon singles champion on BBC TV

"Hopefully her parents will handle this success well. There will be enormous offers and sponsorships galore.

"The way she's playing at the moment and the way she's acting - there aren't many players she will lose to.

"Gauff is the favourite going into the match against Hercog."

Gauff possible route to the final
So who could the 15-year-old face en route to a possible dream final a week on Saturday?

If she beats Hercog, then she could come up against former world number one Simona Halep in the fourth round.

And if she passes that challenge then 2018 Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki might await her in the quarter-final followed by the possibility of a semi-final match against the wily Karolina Pliskova.

And in the final? Current number one Ashleigh Barty or maybe one of her idols, Serena Williams.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48859031
 
Wimbledon 2019: Angelique Kerber out; Ashleigh Barty & Petra Kvitova through

Defending champion Angelique Kerber has been knocked out of Wimbledon in the second round after a stunning display by world number 95 Lauren Davis.

The German, 31, could not get off court two quickly enough after a 2-6 6-2 6-1 defeat by the American, who was only in the tournament as a lucky loser.

The fifth seed saved two match points before sending a backhand into the net as the crowd watched in disbelief.

"I am so happy to win, it is almost surreal," said 25-year-old Davis.

"This means everything as it is what I work for."

Top seed Ashleigh Barty, sixth seed Petra Kvitova and Sloane Stephens, seeded ninth, made it through safely to the third round with straight-set victories.

Kerber suffers earliest exit since 2013

Kerber came into the tournament in good form, having reached the final at Eastbourne last week and with more victories on grass than any other WTA player in the past four seasons.

However, the signs were there early on that this might not be straightforward, with six breaks of serve in the opening set.

The struggles on serve continued for both players, but Davis won 12 of the next 15 games to claim victory against the three-time Grand Slam champion in one hour and 55 minutes.

It is Kerber's earliest exit since losing in the same round six years ago and the defeat means she will drop out of the world's top 10 when the rankings are next published.

She beat Serena Williams in last year's final and lost to her in the 2016 final.

Other Grand Slam champions advance

There were no such troubles for the other top seeds, with world number one Barty cruising into the third round with a 6-1 6-3 win over Belgium's Alison van Uytvanck.

The 23-year-old Australian, who won the French Open in June, was on court for just 55 minutes.

Barty served for the match at 5-2 but Van Uytvanck broke back, only for Barty to break again in the following game, winning her match point with a smart volleyed winner.

"I started particularly well and not too many errors," she said. "A bit of a blemish trying to serve out the match, but very happy with today."

Barty will next face British number three Harriet Dart, who beat Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-1.

Meanwhile, two-time champion Kvitova recovered from a scare in the first set to beat Kristina Mladenovic 7-5 6-2.

After breaking in the first game of the match, France's Mladenovic served for the opening set at 5-3 only for Kvitova to break back and win the following three games.

The 26-year-old Czech again dropped serve at the start of the second but fought back immediately to progress in one hour 26 minutes.

American Stephens - who won the US Open in 2017 - also eased through with a 6-0 6-2 victory against Wang Yafan of China.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/48869440
 
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzgaX0wF9Rr/" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzgaX0wF9Rr/" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzgaX0wF9Rr/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">When Centre Court met the underarm ace... We all knew this was coming, didn’t we? . #wimbledon #tennis #sport #instasport</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/wimbledon/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Wimbledon</a> (@wimbledon) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2019-07-04T19:24:38+00:00">Jul 4, 2019 at 12:24pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
 
Rafael Nadal allowed the tennis to do the talking against an irate Nick Kyrgios, who twice served underarm, to progress to the Wimbledon third round.

Australian Kyrgios spent much of the match audibly questioning Nadal's speed of play as the world number two prevailed 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3).

His constant arguing saw him handed an official warning by the chair umpire, who he later called a "disgrace".

Spain's Nadal will play Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the next round.

'I wanted to hit him,' admits Kyrgios after blasting shot at Nadal
Defending champion Kerber knocked out by Davis in second round
Williams survives scare against 18-year-old qualifier
"He was a tough opponent," Nadal, 33, told BBC Two. "When he wants to compete, he's one of the toughest opponents you can face.

"It was an important victory for me, sometimes it's tough to see a couple of things on court. It's amazing how good he is able to play, so if he is able to forget all these things, he's potentially a Grand Slam winner."

Victory was two-time Wimbledon champion Nadal's 50th match win at the All England Club.

The meeting came just five months after their last encounter at the Mexican Open in Acapulco, when Nadal was incensed by Kyrgios' underarm serving.


In fiery press conference, Kyrgios admits he purposely aimed a shot at Nadal
At Wimbledon five years ago, the then 19-year-old Kyrgios hit a remarkable 37 aces to beat Nadal, becoming the first man outside the top 100 to beat a world number one at a Grand Slam since 1992.

The 24-year-old world number 43 told a news conference: "I know what I'm capable of.

"I'm a great tennis player, but I don't do the other stuff. I'm not the most professional guy. I won't train day in, day out. I won't show up every day.

"So there's a lot of things I need to improve on to get to that level that Rafa brings, Novak, Roger have been doing for so long. Just depends how bad I want it."

It started at a canter for 18-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, holding to love in the opening game before immediately breaking Kyrgios who had already failed to pull off a "hot dog" lob between his legs.

Barely 15 minutes had been played when Kyrgios, who had been spotted in a local pub after 23:00 BST on Wednesday, started to show signs of discontent, telling the chair umpire he had been ignored after requesting a challenge.

He then started to complain about Nadal's speed of play, indicating the Spaniard was not ready when he was preparing to serve.

"Why am I waiting to serve?" he asked, before soon asking the same question in the direction of his box.

And he then sealed his third game with an underarm serve, an action which had previously led to Nadal accusing him of lacking respect.

As Nadal took a comfort break at the end of the first set, Kyrgios making his feelings known with an almost constant shaking of the head.

"I'm serving next and he chooses to go now?" he asked the umpire.

He was the first to go a break up in the second set, firing a stunning forehand winner down the line on break point, before then saving two break points, the first with a deft drop shot, to go 3-0 ahead.

He pulled out another underarm serve, this time read by Nadal, but unlike the first, it was met by boos from the crowd as he extended his lead at 4-1.

Kyrgios - who frequently spat on the hallowed Centre Court turf - was then broken to love by Nadal, after which he engaged in a rant at the chair umpire which ended in him being handed an official warning.

"Feels good up there with all that power does it?" he said, before breaking Nadal once more and serving out the set.

That argument continued into the third set, with Kyrgios telling the chair umpire he had "no idea" as Nadal passed the time juggling the ball from foot to foot.

At 4-4, Kyrgios unleashed a forehand directly at his opponent's body, leaving a rattled Nadal glaring at his opponent and, when he sealed that game, Nadal let out all his pent-up fury.

He went on to take the set on a tie-break, leaping into the air and releasing a barrage of Spanish, no doubt some colourful wording among it.

The fourth set went with the serve with Kyrgios uncharacteristically quiet, before Nadal dominated the tie-break to seal his spot in the third round.

Perhaps surprisingly, the two were amicable at the net as another chapter in their joint story came to an end.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48873676
 
Two-time champion Petra Kvitova easily moved into the fourth round at Wimbledon to set up a potential meeting with British number one Johanna Konta.

The Czech sixth seed, 29, saw off Poland's Magda Linette 6-3 6-2 in 69 minutes on court two.

She will face the winner of Konta and American ninth seed Sloane Stephens, who play later on Saturday.

Spanish 30th seed Carla Suarez Navarro also progressed, beating American Lauren Davis 6-3 6-3.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48893788
 
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzjTErehnEX/" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzjTErehnEX/" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzjTErehnEX/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">There is a 1st time for everything .i have lost many matches from being 2 sets up on these grounds @wimbledon but by the Grace of Almighty found a way to come back and win from 2sets down with my partner @gonzalezsanty against the no 4th seeds for the very first time in my Grandslam career. The video says it all ,how much this game means to me n this win as well. Super happy to make it through to the 2nd week here @wimbledon . #london #wimbledon #comeback #grateful #thankful #Almighty #firsttimeexperience #onwardsnupwards #nevergivingup</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aisamqureshi/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Aisam Qureshi</a> (@aisamqureshi) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2019-07-05T22:17:26+00:00">Jul 5, 2019 at 3:17pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
 
LAHORE - Pakistan-Mexican pair of Aisamul-Haq-Qureshi and Santiago Gonzales reached the third round of the Wimbledon 2019 after beating Brazil’s Bruno Soares and Croatia’s Mate Pavic 3-2 in a thrilling second round match on Friday.

Aisam’s father Ehtesham-ul-Haq Qureshi told The Nation that Aisam-Gonzales had to struggle hard to overcome spirited Brazil-Croatia pair by 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4. Two sets down, Pak-Mexican duo made a strong comeback in the third set by displaying high-quality tennis and first leveled the score at 6-6 and then won it 7-6(5).

Aisam-Gonzales maintained their supremacy in the fourth set with aggressive and impressive shots and won it 6-4 and also emerged as triumphant in the fifth and decisive set with identical score of 6-4 to register 3-2 victory and also booked berth in third round. Recently, Pavic was World No 1 and Soares No 2 doubles player and both have been Grand Slam winners as well.

Earlier in the first round match, the Pak-Mexican duo edged out strong Serbian duo of J Tipsarvic and L Djere in a four-set thriller. Having lost the first set at 4-6, Aisam and partner settled with aggressive strategy at net and baseline game, taking the second set at 6-3. They continued to play high-quality tennis, with down the line winners exchanged and one break of serve, to win the third set 6-4.

With no break in the fourth set, the overall match was marked with Aisam’s aces while his partner displaying more focus and strong volleys, thus the Pak-Mexican duo winning the set and match at 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4). Serbia’s Tipsarvic had been world ranked 8 in singles and partner 27 in singles.

Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President Salim Saifullah Khan has especially travelled to watch and extend support to Aisam at Wimbledon, which shows PTF chief’s keen interest in betterment and promotion of Pakistan tennis, while Aisam also commended this great gesture.

https://nation.com.pk/06-Jul-2019/aisam-reaches-wimbledon-doubles-third-round
 
Aisam Qureshi has proudly flown the pakistan flag at all grand slam events singlehandedly for the past 19 years. The man deserves more recognition.:salute
 
SensiblePakFan said:
Aisam Qureshi has proudly flown the pakistan flag at all grand slam events singlehandedly for the past 19 years. The man deserves more recognition.:salute
Click to expand...

Are you following the Davis Cup? Pakistan is poised to move into the world playoffs this year hopefully.
 
Hopefully Aisam and his partner can win their match tomorrow and advance to quarter finals
 
Wimbledon 2019: Gauff back in action as Konta takes on Kvitova on 'Manic Monday'

Coco Gauff will face the toughest challenge of her Wimbledon campaign when she takes on Simona Halep on 'Manic Monday', with British number one Johanna Konta also in action.

After a day off on Sunday, play will resume as Konta plays Petra Kvitova.

Elsewhere in the women's singles, world number one Ashleigh Barty - who is yet to drop a set - plays Alison Riske.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic and former winners Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal also return in the fourth round.

Djokovic will take on Frenchman Ugo Humbert on Court One, while on Centre Court, eight-time champion Federer faces Italian Matteo Berrettini and Nadal plays Portugal's Joao Sousa.

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams plays Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro and Karolina Pliskova faces fellow Czech Karolina Muchova.

Week one of the Championships was a whirlwind for 15-year-old American qualifier Gauff, beating one of her "idols" Venus Williams before victories over Magdalena Rybarikova and Polona Hercog.

Twelve months ago, she was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the juniors competition at SW19 but has now become a household name around the globe, the world mesmerised by her journey.

Yet for this teenager, who can only enter 10 professional tournaments between her 15th and 16th birthdays, it is the social media messages from Michelle Obama and Jaden Smith that have given her the biggest smile.

On the tweet by Obama, Gauff - who describes herself as "weird" and "goofy" - said: "I was super excited. She's one of my role models, so it was just cool to see that she knows I exist.

"We don't talk personally. I don't have her number or anything. I would like that."

In former world number one Halep, Gauff faces a player who, like herself, has dropped just one set in the tournament so far. Halep, though, has experience of the latter stages at Wimbledon, reaching the semi-finals in 2014 and two quarter-finals since then.

'Kvitova will be very inspired' - Konta ready for battle

British number one Konta, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2017, faces Czech two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova in the fourth round. It is their fifth meeting, but only their second at a Grand Slam.

They have twice met on grass, the latter occasion coming in Birmingham last year, with Kvitova winning in straight sets.

Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, has yet to drop a set this campaign and Konta said she was looking forward to playing a "great champion".

"I'm going to be coming up against a very, very inspired and very, very tough Petra," said Konta.

"She's also been playing incredibly well in the past couple of years."

Kvitova acknowledged the British support for Konta, adding it would be a "difficult match".

"Jo, I think for her, the grass is really going in the good way when she's playing flat shots from both sides, especially from the backhand," she said.

"I think she likes to play on the grass. Of course, the crowd will be on her side. I know what she's able to do."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48897127
 
World No 1 Ashleigh Barty crashes out of Wimbledon to Alison Riske

The world No1 and top seed, Ash Barty, has crashed out of Wimbledon in a three-set defeat by the American Alison Riske. Barty, who began Manic Monday on a run of 15 consecutive victories, was widely tipped to add the Wimbledon crown to the French Open title she won in June but an error-strewn performance on Court No2 allowed Riske to spring a surprise.

Barty began imperiously, booming four consecutive aces in her opening service game and marching through the first set. Riske however, showed admirable tenacity to stay with Barty in the second set and as the Australian’s serve began to badly falter, she seized the initiative.

Riske, unseeded and ranked 55th in the world, is a surprise winner but she has showed her form here already, coming from a set down to overcome the 13th seed Belinda Bencic in the previous round. Her reward for dumping out Barty is a likely quarter-final against Serena Williams in her first ever last-eight appearance in a grand slam.

Riske demonstrated the threat she posed when, with Barty an early break up, she responded in style to level. She could not hold service however, going on to lose the opening set 6-3. Barty fell apart thereafter – her first serve percentage dropping to just 40% and two breaks allowed Riske to level the match. The third set went on serve until Riske was 4-3 and struck the decisive blow with a thumping forehand down the line before holding her nerve to advance in the quarter-finals where she faces the winner of Williams’ Centre Court match against Carla Suarez-Navarro.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...ed-out-wimbledon-alison-riske-serena-williams
 
Wimbledon 2019: Coco Gauff knocked out in last 16 by Simona Halep

Coco Gauff's remarkable fairytale run at Wimbledon came to an end with a straight-set defeat by former world number one Simona Halep.

Seventh seed Halep, 27, beat the 15-year-old American qualifier 6-3 6-3 to advance to the quarter-finals, where she will play China's Zhang Shuai.

Gauff had beaten Venus Williams, Magdalena Rybarikova and Polona Hercog on her way to the last 16.

But she appeared out of sorts on court, calling on a doctor in the second set.

Gauff had been bidding to become the youngest Wimbledon quarter-finalist since fellow 15-year-old American Jennifer Capriati in 1991.

"I wasn't feeling very well but I still played my best. I'm not sure what it was but I still had fun even though I was losing," she said.

"I learned a lot about how to play in front of a big crowd and how to play under pressure. I am really grateful for the experience."

Gauff's meeting with 2014 Wimbledon semi-finalist Halep was the match everyone wanted to watch on Manic Monday, with Vogue editor Anna Wintour forced to watch from a staircase because of the bumper crowd.

But the magnitude of the occasion appeared to get to Gauff, who showed signs of early nerves by having her serve broken in the very first game.

She broke back immediately, and later in the first set almost went another break up when Halep double-faulted twice in succession, but scuppered two break points as Halep held serve.

Yet unlike her cool and calm approach in previous matches, Gauff looked despondent after every game she lost, throwing her racquet to the ground and clapping her hands together in frustration as Halep broke her serve to go 3-2 up.

Gauff was broken once more as Halep took the set before the second set started in exactly the same fashion, Halep breaking her young opponent's serve at the first chance.

Yet again Gauff immediately broke back, but she lost on serve again to gift her opponent a 4-2 lead, and Halep went on to hold match point on a break but Gauff rallied back.

Gauff showed not a flicker of emotion as Halep eventually served out the set, not even stopping to greet the autograph hunters as she walked to the changing rooms.

'She has all the ingredients' - analysis

Two-time US Open champion Tracy Austin on BBC TV

The fairytale has ended but it's only just beginning for Coco Gauff. She has all the ingredients she needs to be a future Grand Slam champion.

It's been a lot of fun watching her at Wimbledon this year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/48909563
 
Serena Williams reaches Wimbledon semi finals

Serena Williams reached her 12th Wimbledon semi final with a gritty three-set victory against fellow American Alison Riske on Centre Court Tuesday.

The 37-year-old, chasing a record-equaling 24th grand slam title, came through an intense match to win 6-4 4-6 6-3.

Williams won the last of her seven Wimbledon titles in 2016, but after giving birth two years ago and overcoming a knee injury this season, she looks in ominous form once again.

She will play the winner of Tuesday's later match between Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic and Briton Johanna Konta.

Former world No.1 Simona Halep fought back from 4-1 down in the first set against against China's Zhang Shuai before triumphing 7-6 6-1.

In the other quarter final, Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, the eighth seed, takes on Czech Karolina Muchova.

"I wouldn't have won that match a couple of weeks ago, she was playing so great," Williams told BBC Sport.

"It's a long arduous road, it's not easy. I'm so pumped."

Williams had lost just two Wimbledon quarter finals -- in 2001 and 2007 -- in her 13 appearances in the last eight, but the 29-year-old Riske was determined not to gift her anything.

The world No.55 grabbed the first break of serve for 3-1 but then lost her own serve as Williams leveled 3-3 courtesy of some luck with a net cord which left the scrambling Riske out of position and the court wide open.

But Riske's forehand was firing, and she broke Williams immediately, only for her compatriot to break again for 4-4.

By now Williams had shaken off the early rust and held her own serve before closing out the set with a fist in the air, watched on by golf great Jack Nicklaus among other celebrities and sports stars in the royal box.

The second set went with serve until 4-4 when Riske grabbed a decisive break to get to 5-4 and served out for the set, crying out "Yesss!"

Williams, who received more strapping to her right ankle towards the end of the second set, got her nose in front early in the third set but the increasingly accomplished Riske broke straight back for 3-2.

Williams had several break points in a roller-coaster eighth game and eventually clinched the break when Riske double faulted.

The veteran served out the match with an ace down the middle and thrust her arms in the air before congratulating a worthy opponent at the net to huge cheers from the capacity crowd.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/09/...-halep-wimbledon-quarter-finals-spt-intl-gbr/
 
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will meet at Wimbledon for the first time since the 2008 final after both advanced to the semi-finals.

Federer beat Kei Nishikori 4-6 6-1 6-4 6-4 for his 100th match win at the All England Club, while Nadal beat Sam Querrey 7-5 6-2 6-2.

In 2008, Nadal won 9-7 in the fifth set against Federer in a rain-affected final that spanned nearly seven hours.

Together, they have won 10 Wimbledon titles between them.

Four-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic will face Roberto Bautisa Agut in Friday's other semi-final.

It is the first time for 12 years that Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have all made the last four.

"We have a lot of information on Rafa, as does he on us," said eight-time champion Federer, who in beating Japanese eighth seed Nishikori became the first player in history to win 100 men's singles matches at a single Grand Slam event.

"So you can dive into the tactics like mad for two days, or you say 'it's grass court tennis so I'm going to come out and play my tennis'.

"People always hype it up. It was a joy to play against Rafa on his court at the French Open and [I'm] very excited to play him here."

Spaniard Nadal said: "It's great. It's difficult to imagine again being in that situation.

"I'm excited to play against Roger again here at Wimbledon."

Nishikori defeated Swiss great Federer in straight sets in their most recent meeting at the ATP Finals in 2018 but had been beaten by the 20-time Grand Slam champion in seven of their 10 previous matches.

Yet few in the Centre Court crowd knew how to react when Federer was broken in the very first game, before going 2-0 down as Nishikori held serve, and only just clinching the third game as Nishikori scuppered three break points.

In an error-strewn first set, in which Federer double-faulted on three occasions and hit 12 unforced errors, it was Nishikori who looked most at home despite his opponent's previous success on the Wimbledon grass, almost breaking Federer again at 3-1 up before the remainder of the set went with serve.

The second set, however, proved the polar opposite to the first, with Federer breaking Nishikori early to help him to a 3-0 lead.

He went on to serve to love twice before breaking Nishikori once more and seeing out the set in just 23 minutes.

Highlights from Roger Federer's 100th Wimbledon singles win
Federer missed break point in the opening game of a topsy-turvy third set but eventually took a game from Nishikori's grasp to go 4-3 up, although he needed four break points to do so.

After wrapping up the third set on his second set point, Federer had five opportunities to break Nishikori in the fourth but it was not until 4-4 that he was able to do so.

And, in stylish fashion, he sealed the win to love with an ace - his 12th of the match - to book his spot in a 13th semi-final at Wimbledon.

Twenty-five days short of his 38th birthday, Federer becomes the oldest man to make a Grand Slam semi-final since Jimmy Connors in 1991 who, at 39 years and six days, reached the last four at the US Open.

In total, Federer has reached 45 Grand Slam men's singles semi-finals, nine ahead of Wimbledon defending champion Novak Djokovic, who also advanced to the last four on Wednesday.

Nadal keeps his side of the bargain
Highlights as Rafael Nadal cruises past Sam Querrey
At the same time Federer was in action on Centre Court, Nadal was keeping his side of the bargain on Court One.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion had gone an early break up against big-serving American Querrey but faltered to drop serve for 5-5 despite having four set points before that.

But he re-established his advantage in the very next game and then fended off three break points to avoid a tie-break.

The cheers from Centre Court celebrating Federer's victory could be heard on Court One and just a few seconds later there were matching celebrations when Nadal took the second set with a volley at the net.

The Spaniard apologised to Querrey for that winning shot, having been standing very close to the American at the time, when either the racquet or the ball was in danger of crashing into him.

While Querrey continued to bombard Nadal with aces - notching a total of 22 - the Spaniard sped through the third set and a forehand winner wrapped up the victory that put him into his seventh Wimbledon semi-final.

Nadal's win means there are two Spaniards in the Wimbledon men's semi-finals for the first time after compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut beat Argentina's Guido Pella to set up a meeting with world number one Djokovic.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48940822
 
Who will win the Wimbledon Men's Singles title?

We are down to the final 4 in the Wimbledon Men's Singles competition: Novak Djokovic (1), Roberto Bautista Agut (23), Roger Federer (2) and Rafael Nadal (3). Who will win? Vote in the poll above.
 
The Fedal semi final will be a treat to watch but I'm afraid Djokovic already has the title in the bag. Djokovic is playing at peak level or at least near peak level and to beat him you need Rafa or Federer at their peak, but they are past it. Combine that with the fact that Djokovic had a cakewalk of a draw so he should be nice and fresh in the final. Nadal and Federer will tire each other out in the semi final.

Still one shouldn't lose hope, Come on Rafa!!

Though the sad thing is that Rafa and Roger who are well past their peak are still miles ahead of every other player bar Novak. What dominance!
 
Fahdi said:
The Fedal semi final will be a treat to watch but I'm afraid Djokovic already has the title in the bag. Djokovic is playing at peak level or at least near peak level and to beat him you need Rafa or Federer at their peak, but they are past it. Combine that with the fact that Djokovic had a cakewalk of a draw so he should be nice and fresh in the final. Nadal and Federer will tire each other out in the semi final.

Still one shouldn't lose hope, Come on Rafa!!

Though the sad thing is that Rafa and Roger who are well past their peak are still miles ahead of every other player bar Novak. What dominance!
Click to expand...

Don't underestimate Bautista he has beaten Djokovic in their last 2 matches on Djokovic best surface hard courts. This could also go into five sets
 
Serena Williams made light work of Barbora Strycova to reach the Wimbledon final and stand one win away from a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.

The American was just too powerful for the Czech in a 6-1 6-2 win that set up a final against Romania's Simona Halep.

Williams, chasing an eighth singles title here, dominated throughout against Strycova, who at 33 was the oldest Grand Slam semi-final debutant.

The American, 37, wrapped up victory with just 59 minutes on the clock.

"It feels good to be back in the final," said Williams, who was runner-up to Angelique Kerber last year and will be appearing in the grass-court showpiece for an 11th time on Saturday.

Williams is aiming to draw level with Australian Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles title and also win her first major title since becoming a mum in September 2017.

In Strycova, she was facing a player she had met three times before without dropping a set.

And she was not going to spoil that record here, establishing breaks in the fourth and sixth games before taking the set with her 44th ace of the championships.

While Williams is a firm favourite on Centre Court, the crowd wanted to see more of a match and cheered every half chance, net cord or winner that went Strycova's way.

But despite the support, the world number 54 seemed lost in the occasion and unable to turn to the serve-and-volley game that had served her so well in the dismantling of British number one Johanna Konta in the quarter-finals.

She raised her arms ironically in celebration at winning a rare long rally for 0-15 when Williams was serving for the match but soon found herself shaking hands at the net after the American delivered a forehand winner on her first match point.

Williams sets yet another record
Williams is now into a Grand Slam final for the 13th consecutive year - and that includes being on maternity leave during that time.

Her season has been disrupted by injuries and illness and this is the first major final she will contest this year, having lost in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January and the third round at the French Open.

"It's good, especially after my year," she said.

"I just needed some matches. I know I'm improving and I just needed to feel good and then I can do what I do best which is play tennis."

She also becomes the oldest Grand Slam women's finalist in the Open era and remains as motivated as ever.

"I love what I do, I wake up every morning and I get to be fit and play sport and play in front of crowds like here at Wimbledon - not everyone can do that," she said.

"I'm still pretty good at what I do and it's always an amazing experience."

Williams won the most recent of her Grand Slam titles at the 2017 Australian Open when she was eight weeks pregnant.

She returned to the Tour in March 2018, saying she had "almost died" giving birth to her daughter, and has reached three Grand Slam finals since.

Having lost in last year's Wimbledon and US Open finals, she will now hope it will be third time lucky on Saturday (14:00 BST).

Analysis
Nine-time Wimbledon singles champion Martina Navratilova on BBC TV: "The crowd didn't necessarily want Serena to lose. They just wanted to see more of her. Strycova wasn't able to handle the power. How quickly was Serena getting on those balls though? She did her homework and it paid off. She was firing on all cylinders."

Two-time Grand Slam champion Tracy Austin on BBC TV: "Strycova never felt like she had any time to react. Look at the way Serena was able to manipulate that ball and get it up and down. There was so much consistency. She is locked in.

"Serena's serve is hard and it's powerful. How can you defend when it's that powerful and near the sidelines? I think the mixed doubles [with Britain's Andy Murray] really helped as well. It brought her intensity up. She had three matches with Andy and we know how intense he is."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48952703
 
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal renew their exalted rivalry on Friday when they meet at Wimbledon for the first time since the epic 2008 final.

Swiss Federer, 37, and Spaniard Nadal, 33, play their tantalising semi-final second on Centre Court.

They meet after top seed and reigning champion Novak Djokovic plays Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut at 13:00 BST.

Federer is aiming for his 21st Grand Slam title, while Nadal (18) and Djokovic (15) look to close the gap.

Friday's highly-anticipated semi-final will be the:

40th meeting between the pair in their illustrious careers
14th meeting at a Grand Slam, having only played in semi-finals and finals.

Fourth meeting at Wimbledon, with Federer leading 2-1 in the head to head

"Often we see matches being overhyped but you can't overhype this one - and rightly so," three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker told BBC Sport.

"It is the biggest match of the year because you're talking about two greats of the game."

Federer: "Rafa has improved so much over the years on this surface. He's also playing very differently.

"I remember back in the day how he used to serve, and now how much bigger he's serving, how much faster he finishes points.

"We have a lot of information on Rafa, as does he on us. So you can dive into the tactics like mad, or you say 'it's grass-court tennis so I'm going to come out and play my tennis'.

"I'm excited to play him again."

Nadal: "Playing against Roger is always a unique situation. I'm excited to be back on Centre Court against him after 11 years. It means a lot for me and probably for him, too.

"The opportunities to play against each other are becoming less, but we still here.

"I'm not expecting to learn new things about him. I just expect to play against probably the best player in history on this surface.

"I know he's playing well. He feels comfortable here. I'm playing well, too.

"I am playing with a very high intensity, playing aggressive, serving well and returning very well.

"I know that I have to play my best."

Played over almost seven hours because of rain delays and ending in virtual darkness in front of a mesmerised Centre Court, Federer and Nadal's last meeting at Wimbledon is widely regarded as the pinnacle of the sport.

Federer had spent 231 consecutive weeks as world number one and won his past 65 grass-court matches, yet Nadal toppled him to win his first Wimbledon title.

"I thought it was the best Wimbledon final of all time," Becker said.

"So we're very lucky to have this opportunity again on Friday.

"It's the one match that every tennis player alive will tune in for."

Federer and Nadal have both looked on top of their grass-court games in serene paths through to the semi-finals.

Federer, who has spent an average of one hour and 52 minutes on court, has only dropped sets against quarter-final opponent Kei Nishikori and, more surprisingly, South African debutant Lloyd Harris in the opening round.

In between, the Swiss has swatted away young Briton Jay Clarke, French 27th seed Lucas Pouille and Italian 17th seed Matteo Berrettini with minimum fuss.

"I think it was a wise decision for him to play the clay [court season] because physically he is in good shape and it has put him in a position to win the Championship," Becker, who also coached Djokovic to Wimbledon glory in 2014 and 2015, said.

"What has impressed me most about Roger's game is his mobility, he is still able to get to every ball on the court.

"Technically he has always been the finest, but his physical level is still incredible and it is unbelievable at his age. I don't know how he does it."

Nadal's passage has been even smoother, having lost just one set in a second-round battle against controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios, on his way to a second successive SW19 semi-final.

As Federer points out, Nadal's remodelled serve has paid dividends for the Majorcan, who has won 83% of first serve points at the All England Club.

"I think it is the best grass-court tournament Rafa has played, even though he has won two titles here," Becker added.

"The way he plays has improved a lot, particularly the serve. He's gone through his matches easily against difficult players like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Sam Querrey, and that's because of his level.

"If Rafa wins the French Open it is a good year, if he wins another Slam as well it is a great year."

The battle to be the man with more Grand Slam titles than any other provides an added element of intrigue to the match between Federer and Nadal.

A third Wimbledon triumph for the Spaniard, who won the 2008 and 2010 titles, would move him just one behind the Swiss, having never been so close to his tally.

Federer, who is aiming for a record-extending ninth men's singles title at Wimbledon, was nine majors clear of Nadal at the end of 2007 - when he was 26 and had already won 12 of his 20 majors.

Nadal closed that gap to just two with his 12th French Open title last month, while 32-year-old Djokovic is hot on their heels despite only winning his first major in 2008 and only adding a second three years later.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/48953593
 
Not a fan of Djoker, but I reckon he will win it.

I think it will be a Rafa vs Djoker final.
 
Novak Djokovic 6-2 4-6 6-3 v Roberto Bautista Agut in first semi-final

What a match in progress!
 
Novak Djokovic wins 6-2 4-6 6-3 6-2 v Roberto Bautista Agut in first semi-final
 
What a game!

Roger Federer wins 7-6 (7-3) 1-6 6-3 6-4 v Rafael Nadal in semi-final
 
In 2017 Fed had become the oldest man to win Wimbledon as a 36 years old so can he do it now again at the age of 38? Let's see...
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Amazing match well deserved win by <a href="https://twitter.com/rogerfederer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rogerfederer</a> I had some chances but... Roger played better. Good luck for the final <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wimbledon</a> 2019. Thanks all for the support. Always fantastic to be here. See you next year! &#55357;&#56856;</p>— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) <a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal/status/1149758561704132608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
Phenomenal performance by Federer. Wow. One of his all-time greatest performances that too at the age of 37.

Undoubtedly the greatest tennis player of all time by some distance. It is a privilege watching him play. Hopefully he can produce another stellar performance on Sunday to win #21.
 
Wimbledon and World Cup finals on the same day in London. Ridiculous mismanagement.
 
Mamoon said:
Phenomenal performance by Federer. Wow. One of his all-time greatest performances that too at the age of 37.

Undoubtedly the greatest tennis player of all time by some distance. It is a privilege watching him play. Hopefully he can produce another stellar performance on Sunday to win #21.
Click to expand...

Whilst I agree he's up there as the greatest it's not by some distance at all. He is 2 slams ahead of Nadal and currently 5 ahead of Djokovic. The gap could be 3 and 6 or 2 and 4 by this evening. Djokovic and Nadal have won more tier 2 events and are ahead in the H2H. In fact the H2H in slams is pretty embarassing for Federer.

Djokovic is closing in on the weeks at world no 1 record as well. One more year at the top I think and he beats record there too. That's entirely possible given we're now going to move into the Hard Court swing.

As for Federer producing a stellar performance to win today, he hasn't beaten Djokovic in BO5 since 2012. Their matches are not one sided but Djokovic has controlled them. Most pundits are picking Djokovic and so too are the bookies.

To put things into context, in previous slams Federer has looked in supreme form and Djokovic average by his standards but when they meet each Djokovic puts in a performance that suffocates Federer. Beating Nadal at Wimbledon is great but it's altogether another thing trying to beat Djokovic at Wimbledon.

Djokovic is 5/9 and Fed is 8/5 according to some bookies, so he's a pretty strong favourite.
 
Mamoon said:
Wimbledon and World Cup finals on the same day in London. Ridiculous mismanagement.
Click to expand...

Wimbledon happens the same time each year and has done since for decades, the blame is entirely on the cricket authorities.

I will watch the cricket then switch over to the tennis and then switch back to the cricket if it's still running.
 
Roger Federer v Novak Djokovic men's singles final under way....
 
Roger Federer wins fourth set 6-4 to force decider
Novak Djokovic won first & third sets on tie-breaks, Federer took second 6-1
Federer seeking record-extending ninth men's title
Defending champion Djokovic aiming for his fifth title
Latisha Chan & Ivan Dodig win mixed doubles final
 
What a match! Federer is such a champion. Just refusing to give up. One of the GOAT sporting icons.
 
Joker saves 2 break points and it's 8-8 now in the decider
 
10 - 10 and almost five hours. This is getting ludicrous now. Amazing fitness displayed by these two greats. Especially Federer at 37 years of age.
 
e7e309d5-ab14-4087-8f4f-f742733aed5e.png
 
Djokovic is mentally a Titan and Federer is not in the same league.

For all Federer's dominance on serve throughout, he couldn't produce when the pressure was the highest.

People call him the greatest, but this is a major weakness of his compared to Djokovic and Nadal. They don't collapse.
 
bones said:
Djokovic is mentally a Titan and Federer is not in the same league.

For all Federer's dominance on serve throughout, he couldn't produce when the pressure was the highest.

People call him the greatest, but this is a major weakness of his compared to Djokovic and Nadal. They don't collapse.
Click to expand...

Seriously mate, have you ever heard of the saying “just not your day?” - Federer was the superior player in the final just not the winner
 
bones said:
Djokovic is mentally a Titan and Federer is not in the same league.

For all Federer's dominance on serve throughout, he couldn't produce when the pressure was the highest.

People call him the greatest, but this is a major weakness of his compared to Djokovic and Nadal. They don't collapse.
Click to expand...

Im sure he gives a rats tail about your opinion of how he performs under pressure at this age, if he had won he would had been the oldest to win the slam not to forget he took the match to longest in Wimbledon final history against #1 seeded player.
 
JaDed said:
Im sure he gives a rats tail about your opinion of how he performs under pressure at this age, if he had won he would had been the oldest to win the slam not to forget he took the match to longest in Wimbledon final history against #1 seeded player.
Click to expand...

Also if I remember correctly he had 2 championship points halfway in the 5th set. Which Djoker saved :sanga
 
Syed1 said:
Also if I remember correctly he had 2 championship points halfway in the 5th set. Which Djoker saved :sanga
Click to expand...

Yup Djoker played well but age is not with Fed still he is trying and playing only Imp tournaments to be in full shape.
 
I don't have much knowledge of Tennis but one question intrigues me: All I have ever hear is one of Federer, Nadal or Djokovic always winning all the grand slams. Why is that? Is it because rest of the competition is mediocre? Or are these three players in completely different league as compared to others? Or is that the combination of these two factors?

What is the truth?
 
Chrish said:
What is the truth?
Click to expand...

They are the three greatest players of all time and they've been helped by the conditions over the last 2 decades. The next bunch are good but not great. Federer has effortless power and an accurate serve. Nadal has a devastating FH and fights for every point like his life depends on it. Djokovic has the greatest return of all time and a top 3 BH. All 3 of them are crazy good in defence and from the baseline very solid.

They are slowing down, serve and groundstroke speeds are down. But they are now very experienced and tactically very astute.
 
Vegitto1 said:
Seriously mate, have you ever heard of the saying “just not your day?” - Federer was the superior player in the final just not the winner
Click to expand...

Federer was the superior player when there wasn't as much pressure. When the pressure was the most fierce, on match points and in Tie Breaks - Djokovic destroyed him. Djokovic won almost all the points that mattered the most.

Tennis is a great sport with a great scoring system. You're rewarded for winning the important points and not always the most points necessarily.
 
JaDed said:
Im sure he gives a rats tail about your opinion of how he performs under pressure at this age, if he had won he would had been the oldest to win the slam not to forget he took the match to longest in Wimbledon final history against #1 seeded player.
Click to expand...

He might not care what I personally have to say but you can bet your bottom dollar he cares about what the tennis world as a whole thinks about him. At the end of the match there common statements from all the media and pundits:

1. Federer choked
2. Djokovic was clutch

Federer outplayed Djokovic for much of the match, it was one of the worst serve/return days Djokovic has had in a slam final for years. But guess what - he still won.
 
JaDed said:
Yup Djoker played well but age is not with Fed still he is trying and playing only Imp tournaments to be in full shape.
Click to expand...

Federer fans have been using the age excuse since he was 2008 when Djokovic and Nadal started beating him regularly. He was 27/28 back then.

You don't hear Nadal or Djokovic fans mention age much despite them both being over 30 as well.

Djokovic didn't play well at all - it was a very poor performance on serve and return. He was just more clutch.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
  • Poll
Who will win the 2024 Ballon d'Or?
Replies
4
Views
132
Geordie Ahmed
Geordie Ahmed
The Bald Eagle
  • Poll
Argentina clinch record 16th Copa America with 1-0 extra-time win over Colombia
2
Replies
94
Views
1K
BouncerGuy
B
The Bald Eagle
  • Poll
Will Liverpool be the next version of Manchester United 2.0 after the exit of Jurgen Klopp?
2
Replies
99
Views
2K
The_KING
T
The Bald Eagle
  • Poll
Who will win the potential EPL title decider between Manchester City and Liverpool FC on Sunday, March 10,2024?
Replies
51
Views
1K
PakLFC
P
MenInG
The Australian Open (2022)
Replies
69
Views
3K
SpiritOf1903
SpiritOf1903
Back
Top