Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on Wednesday set a blockbuster second-round Wimbledon showdown with two-time champion Andy Murray when he battled past former World No. 3 Dominic Them in a roller-coaster five-setter played over two days.

Despite trailing by a set overnight — the match was suspended due to rain Tuesday seven games into the second set — Tsitsipas played well upon the resumption Wednesday, while his opponent faltered. The Greek appeared in full control up two sets to one and a break point in the first game of the fourth set, but he was made to overcome a spirited comeback from Thiem to escape 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6 (10-8) after three hours and 55 minutes.

“It was pretty stressful, I won’t lie. We were out there, I don’t know how many hours… for a second I thought we were doing the repeat of Isner-Mahut,” Tsitsipas said in his on-court interview. “It felt forever. Obviously super glad that it went my way.

“Dominic is someone who has brought the best out of me every single time that we’ve had the opportunity to play each other. And it was quite frustrating at the same time. But this is tennis. I mean, we both fought hard today. We put out a show. Hope everyone enjoyed it.”

Tsitsipas was in dire straits at 3-3 in the deciding set, when his surging opponent, earned break point at 30/40. The 24-year-old hit a ball that was called long, but overruled by the chair umpire. Thiem challenged unsuccessfully and Tsitsipas was able to battle through the game to hold serve. 

From there, Tsitsipas, whose girlfriend and WTA star Paula Badosa was in his box after earning her own victory, clicked back into gear. The fifth seed was unable to convert a match point on return at 6-5, which Thiem saved with a heavy crosscourt forehand. He then missed another opportunity at 9/7 in the ensuing tie-break when he nervously left a ball short, allowing the Austrian to crush a forehand winner.

But the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion did not let slip his third opportunity, hitting a forehand passing shot for a winner to seal his win.

“Dominic is a tough competitor,” Tsitsipas said. “I wish him all the best in the future.”

With the win, Tsitsipas levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Thiem at 5-5. Earlier this year in Madrid, the Greek triumphed in another final-set tie-break.

It will not get easier when Tsitsipas returns to action against former World No. 1 Murray, who lost just four games in his opening match against Ryan Peniston. The pair has split two previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, including a five-setter Tsitsipas won at the 2021 US Open.

“I’m not expecting anyone’s support,” Tsitsipas said, eliciting roars of laughter from the crowd. “That’s not my first rodeo… I’ll share something with you, a few years ago when I was a kid, I remember witnessing his first Wimbledon title and thinking about it now kind of gives me goosebumps because I kind of felt what he went through during that final. And it was so difficult for him to close that last game and every time I rewatch that moment, I just feel shivers all over my body.”

Thiem, No. 91 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is now 7-15 in 2023 and has won a match at just one major (2021 Australian Open, R16) since winning the 2020 US Open. But the Austrian will depart London with confidence after putting together one of his most encouraging performances of the season.

Ninth seed Taylor Fritz finally booked his spot in the second round at Wimbledon on Wednesday when he overcame Yannick Hanfmann in a five-set thriller that began on Monday.

After coming off for bad light with Fritz leading 3-2 in the fifth set on Monday night, the American and his German opponent had to wait until Wednesday to complete their clash due to rain. Competing on Court 2, Fritz came out firing upon the restart, gaining a quick break to advance 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 after three hours and one minute.

“It is great. I am going to have to come back and play tomorrow. It rained all day yesterday and off and on today, so I really just wanted to get on court and play,” Fritz said. “I am glad I can just focus on the next match.”

With his 30th tour-level win of the season, Fritz avenged his defeat against Hanfmann in Rome in May. The 25-year-old, who struck 42 winners and broke the German four times, will next meet Mikael Ymer after the Swede beat Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

Fritz has fond memories at Wimbledon, having advanced to the quarter-finals in 2022 when he pushed Rafael Nadal to five sets. His best result this season was a run to his fifth tour-level title in Delray Beach.

A bumper Day 3 at Wimbledon has begun after light morning rain delayed the start of play at the All England Club, where 87 matches across the men’s and women’s singles draws are set to be completed Wednesday at the grass-court major.

Play began at approximately 12:45 p.m. local time (BST) on the outside courts in south-west London, where a host of top ATP stars will be in action. On Court 2, ninth seed Taylor Fritz and Yannick Hanfmann will resume their first-round clash that was interrupted by rain on Monday with Fritz leading 3-2 on serve in the fifth set. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem will then complete their opening-round meeting, which began on Tuesday. Thiem leads the fifth-seeded Tsitsipas 6-3, 3-4.

With Centre Court and Court 1 each fitted with a roof, Daniil Medvedev will begin his campaign at 1:00 p.m. local time regardless of outside conditions. The third seed takes on home wild card Arthur Fery on Court 1, where Jannik Sinner later plays Diego Schwartzman. On Centre Court, where play begins at 1:30 p.m. BST, defending champion Novak Djokovic’s second-round clash against Jordan Thompson is the final match on Wednesday’s schedule.

Kei Nishikori continued his impressive return on the ATP Challenger Tour Tuesday with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 win in the first round of the Cranbrook Tennis Classic in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

The former No. 4 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings last month returned for his first action in 20 months. The 33-year-old has not missed a beat. Nishikori won his return event in Palmas del Mar, Puerto Rico with the loss of just one set.

The comeback continues for Kei 💪

The former world No. 4 moves past Walton 6-1, 6-2 in Bloomfield Hills to reach the second round#ATPChallenger | @keinishikori pic.twitter.com/GR8pPLspC5

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) July 4, 2023

On Tuesday, Nishikori lost just three games, the most lopsided scoreline of his comeback. The 12-time ATP Tour titlist saved all four break points he faced and converted four of his five break chances to advance after 66 minutes. The wild card will next play former World No. 53 Denis Kudla, who defeated Tunisian Skander Mansouri 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Nishikori began his comeback without a Pepperstone ATP Ranking. With his six victories, he has returned to the Top 500 of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

Watch Match Replay: Kei Nishikori vs. Adam Walton