British number one Kyle Edmund is out of Wimbledon after three-time champion Novak Djokovic fought back to win their third-round match.

Serbian Djokovic, seeded 12th, regained control after 23-year-old Edmund made an encouraging start, going on to win 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 on Centre Court.

The 21st seed’s exit means there are no British players left in the singles.

Former world number one Djokovic, 31, will play Russian Karen Khachanov in the last 16 on Monday.

“I would have, looking back on it, liked to have been a little bit more aggressive at stages,” Edmund said.

“But it’s easier said than done when you’re in rallies. Today was reasonably good.”

Edmund had only won one main-draw match at Wimbledon going into this year’s tournament, but carried the nation’s hopes in the men’s draw after Andy Murray pulled out on the eve of the tournament.

Two routine wins over qualifiers Alex Bolt and Bradley Klahn – players ranked outside the top 150 – raised hopes he could cause a shock against Djokovic.

The Yorkshireman earned his maiden win over Djokovic at the Madrid Open in May, victory which he said would give him belief when they met again in SW19.

However, that win was on the clay and over three sets – this match proved a different proposition as Djokovic showed he remains one of the biggest threats in the draw.

It is the first time since 2007 a British singles player has not made the second week at Wimbledon.

“I thought it was a high-quality tennis match,” said Djokovic.

“It was very, very, very intense. Just a couple points here and there.”

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Edmund unable to ride English wave

The match was scheduled third on Centre Court on Saturday in an attempt to avoid a direct clash with England’s World Cup quarter-final against Sweden.

And the players walked out on to Centre – which had a sparse crowd watching the preceding match between Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka – just moments after England wrapped up victory.

There were still a few empty seats as play started, but those who had returned created a buzz which they hoped could help Edmund make a fast start.

It did not materialise immediately as his serve came under pressure in the second game.

Edmund saved two break points after edging a baseline rally and a forehand volley, going on to seal what proved to be a significant hold.

With the energy of the crowd behind him, a pumped up Edmund picked up the pace and began to hurt Djokovic with ferocious forehands.

His trademark shot and biggest weapon enabled him to take the first break of the match at the fourth attempt for a 4-2 lead, going on to serve out the opener.

However, the buoyancy of the crowd – no doubt boosted by England’s victory in the football – started to fade as Djokovic fought back.

Djokovic switches on to silence crowd

Djokovic has dropped down the rankings after spending six months out with an elbow injury and struggling to regain his consistency in recent months.

The 12-time Grand Slam winner has lost the aura of invincibility that surrounded him at his peak, at times seemingly lacking the focus which enabled him to win the biggest prizes.

It was evident in the opening set, particularly when the Serb pumped an easy forehand long when he threatened to break straight back.

His body language – angrily shouting at the court and often looking discouraged – as the opening set moved towards a conclusion was also stark.

However, something switched for the Serb in the second set.

Djokovic missed two more break points in Edmund’s first service game, but continued to apply all the pressure.

Eventually it told when Edmund coughed up a damaging double fault on Djokovic’s fourth break point of the eighth game, leaving his opponent to serve out for the set.

Edmund had lost the intensity he started with, his unforced error count creeping up as Djokovic broke in the opening game of the third set and then again for a 5-2 lead which he closed out.

The fourth set was another hard-fought battle, Edmund saving four break points in a dramatic seventh game – where he got away with a double bounce before hitting a winner.

It did not prove pivotal as Djokovic went on to break in Edmund’s next service game, clinching the match with an ace to win in two hours and 53 minutes.

‘Guys were coughing and whistling at me’

Djokovic – who had blown kisses to the crowd after they cheered a time violation given to him and then booed him – roared with delight in a wild celebration after reaching the last 16

“It was a Davis Cup-like atmosphere. I expected them to support Kyle, obviously. But at times they were slightly unfair to me,” he said.

“I got time violation deservedly because I took more time. I thought the crowd’s reaction after that was quite unnecessary.

“A couple guys really, you know, pretending they were coughing and whistling while I was bouncing the ball more or less to the end of the match at that end where I received the time violation.

“That’s what I didn’t like.”

Analysis

Tim Henman, former Wimbledon semi-finalist on BBC TV

I’m disappointed Edmund lost, but I’m disappointed he lost to Djokovic, so in context it shows how far his game has come. Now he’s a genuine contender in the Slams to get into the second week.

And the way he played at the end of the first set and beginning of the second, you felt this could be another opportunity for him to make another breakthrough.

From Djokovic’s point of view it is a very important victory. He’s been trending in the right direction. He’s fit, he’s healthy, his movement is exceptional.

There’s some challenges mentally, he still looks frustrated out there, so I think it was good for him to get through.

Pat Cash, 1987 Wimbledon champion on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

That was a very good performance from Edmund and I think it will give him a lot of confidence going forward.

Watching this match and the way Djokovic had to raise his standard to the level we know he can has given me the confidence to say Kyle will be in Grand Slam finals in the future and a top 10 player. That was a good performance. Djokovic really had to get to his best level to beat him.

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Top seed Simona Halep went out of Wimbledon in the third round after losing an epic three-set battle against Hsieh Su-wei.

The Taiwanese world number 48’s serve was broken seven times and she saved a match point before winning 3-6 6-4 7-5 in two hours and 20 minutes.

It means Czech seventh seed Karolina Pliskova is the only top-10 player remaining in the women’s singles draw.

It is the first time Hsieh, 32, has reached the last 16 of the singles.

The 2013 doubles champion will now play Dominika Cibulkova after the Slovak beat 15th seed Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-2 6-2.

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How did Hsieh topple Halep?

It was a match of ups and downs from both Romanian Halep and Hsieh, who were dealing with intense heat on Court One.

It took five games to see the first hold of serve – which went to the world number one – and there were 13 breaks overall.

After losing the first set, Hsieh, who last played in the third round of Wimbledon in 2012, put Halep under pressure in the second and broke twice before serving to love to take it 6-4.

With fatigue setting in, Hsieh found herself 5-2 down in the decider and it looked like Halep’s strength was going to see her through to the last 16 for the fourth time.

But the Taiwanese clawed her way back into it with a single break, and after fending off match point, she broke again and held her nerve to see out the match – much to the delight of the crowd.

“This is the first time I have beaten the world number one, it is amazing,” said Hsieh.

“She played amazing, I had to run and fight for every point. I tried to concentrate on my game and calm down a bit, that helped a lot.

“There was a lot of support from outside that pushed me and I kept fighting.”

Kerber and Ostapenko cruise into round four

Eleventh seed Angelique Kerber, now the second-highest ranked player in the women’s draw, looked unstoppable on Centre Court as she breezed past Japanese 18th seed Naomi Osaka 6-2 6-4.

German Kerber, the losing finalist in 2016, will now play Swiss 21-year-old Belinda Bencic, who won 6-1 7-6 (7-3) against 27th seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.

Australian Ashleigh Barty, seeded 17th, went out in the third round against Russian Daria Kasatkina, who won 7-5 6-3.

Kasatkina will face Alison van Uytvanck in the last 16 after the Belgian beat Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 6-2 6-3.

Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko made short work of her third-round match, winning 6-0 6-4 against Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia.

Ostapenko will meet Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the last 16 after the Belarusian beat Australian Daria Gavrilova 6-3 6-1.

At 93, John Wright is still serving up aces and challenging line calls with a passion John McEnroe would be proud of.

Having travelled the world with the Merchant Navy from a young age, he didn’t have the opportunity to take up the game until he was 49.

By then he found there was little encouragement or opportunities for “sub-standard” players like himself.

“Nobody wanted to see me, they used to hide when I came down to the club,” he joked.

“I realised the situation is the same everywhere, it doesn’t matter which club you go to.

“I thought these poor people, they come down to play tennis but nobody wants them because they don’t play to their standard or give a good game.”

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In 1987 John decided to set up a Friday night group at Haverfordwest Tennis Club in Pembrokeshire, which welcomes players of all capabilities with open arms.

It has been going strong ever since and John has earned himself something of a legendary status in west Wales’ tennis circles.

“If it wasn’t for John I wouldn’t be playing,” said Liz Green, who has been in John’s group for 26 years.

“When I came back after having my two children I lost my confidence and didn’t feel good enough to play on club nights.

“Everybody here will have their own story, but they will all have come initially because they had lost their confidence or didn’t feel good enough to play.”

Other members described him as inspirational, kind and welcoming.

As well as increasing participation, when John was chairman at Llangollen Tennis Club in 1975 he oversaw a decision to scrap the “all white clothing rule” in a bid to make the sport more informal.

John leads and plays in two tennis groups in Haverfordwest on Mondays and Fridays.

He says he “knows the mechanics of the game” but is unable to demonstrate the shots like he used to.

But his members insist he’s still more than capable of hitting winners and loves to challenge a line call.

Not even the recent heat wave has stopped him from playing.

John has played competitively in leagues over the years and picked up his first piece of silverware in a mixed doubles tournament aged 88, but he admits to preferring the fun and social side of the game.

“I don’t think you make too many friends playing competitive tennis. There’s an old saying, ‘I’ve got lots of friends I don’t like,'” he said.

“We (the Friday group) have a good laugh. Serious play is not of any interest to me.”

And John has no plans of hanging up his racket anytime soon, saying “age doesn’t matter at all”.

John said his all time favourite tennis player is the controversial Romanian Ilie Nastase.

“He didn’t play to the textbook like he should have done,” he said.

“I don’t think he ever had any coaching, but there wasn’t a shot that he couldn’t make at any time.

“He had so much fun out of the game, almost to the point where it would cost him the game sometimes.

“But he was always trying to have a laugh and a joke and he was such a fluent player.”

John’s favourite current player is Roger Federer, but he refused to be drawn in on who will take the Wimbledon title this year.

And John’s love of sport does not stop at tennis, the 93-year-old also has a love of racing fast cars.

When he turned 90, John drove an Aston Martin around Silverstone at 124mph, and harbours dreams of driving a McLaren Formula 1 race car.