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Preview: Djokovic, Murray Shining Bright At Rainy Wimbledon

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2021

After two days of persistent rain, Day 3 at The Championships promises to be a hectic affair as first-round action continues and second rounds get underway at Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will hope to bring some rays of sunshine to fans as they headline the Centre Court schedule. 

Djokovic, the top seed and two-time defending champion, will face a familiar foe in the second round as he meets Kevin Anderson in the first match of the day. It will be the pair’s 12th tour-level match, with Djokovic going into the encounter with a 9-2 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head.

Two of their most memorable meetings took place at the All England Club. In 2015, Anderson  pushed eventual champion Djokovic to 6-7(6), 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 in their Round of 16 battle, the only time in the tournament that Djokovic dropped sets before the final (d. Federer).

And of course three years later, they met on the biggest stage as they contested the 2018 championship match at Wimbledon. That time, Djokovic swept past the South African 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3) to claim the title. 

“In the big moments and on the centre courts, he’s been there so many times. He has a lot of confidence and comfort in those situations as well,” Anderson said of facing Djokovic again on Centre Court. “And of course he’s a fighter. I’ve played some matches with him where it’s been really close and he is always not giving anything [away]. 

“It’s not going to be easy, but I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge.”

[TENNIS POINT]

Later in the day, two-time former champion Murray will close out Centre Court action as he faces German qualifier Oscar Otte, who is making his main draw debut at Wimbledon.  

Murray was tested in his opening match, but managed to win in four sets as he upset 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in his first Wimbledon singles match since 2017. The resilient Brit sent a clear message after the victory: 

“I keep getting asked, ‘Is this going to be my last Wimbledon, last match?’ I don’t know why I keep getting asked about it,” Murray said on court. “No, I’m going to keep playing. I want to play… I can still play at the highest level. He’s ranked 28th in the world and I haven’t hardly played any matches and I beat him.”

 

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Also in action, fifth seed Andrey Rublev will take on Lloyd Harris on Court 18 as he seeks to reach the third round at Wimbledon for the first time. Frances Tiafoe, fresh off an upset over third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, will be in action on Court 5 as he hopes to keep the momentum going against Vasek Pospisil.

Elsewhere at the All England Club, there are five first-round singles matches to finish and 21 that have yet to start as second round action gets underway.

Gael Monfils, the 13th seed, will hope to get the job done as he leads Christopher O’Connell 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5), 4-6, 3-2 in a rain-affected first-round encounter that is now entering its third day. Monfils got back on even terms at 4-6, 6-2 before darkness halted play on Monday, and managed two and a half more sets on Tuesday before matches were suspended due to rain.

View Wednesday’s Schedule | Listen To Radio Wimbledon | List Of Broadcasters (PDF)

Tournament organisers have also announced that men’s doubles, which was set to start on Wednesday, will not be scheduled for Day 3. The matches will be shortened from best-of-five sets to best-of-three sets for first and second rounds. 

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See You Wednesday… Kyrgios, Humbert Locked In Fifth Set

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2021

Nick Kyrgios is back. But fans will have to wait one more day to see if he will reach the second round at Wimbledon.

The inimitable 26-year-old has shown little rust after missing four months while staying home in Australia. But he has some work left to do against 21st seed Ugo Humbert, with their match suspended due to curfew at 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 3-3 after two hours and 43 minutes.

The pair met in the second round of this year’s Australian Open, where Kyrgios saved two match points against the lefty en route to a five-set victory after three hours and 25 minutes. This clash has been equally entertaining, with both men showing superb shotmaking while playing to the No.1 Court crowd.

Ugo Humbert
Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images
Humbert won his first ATP 500 title just two weeks ago on grass in Halle, where he defeated Top 10 stars Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev en route to the title. In 2019, on his tournament debut, the Frenchman advanced to the fourth round at SW19.

Kyrgios, a 2014 quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, has made it to at least the Round of 16 at the grass-court major in three of his six previous appearances.

Three years ago, Kyrgios said in Brisbane that his game is “kind of like a tap. I can turn it on when I want to.” The Aussie proved that against Humbert. Despite not playing a match since his third-round loss against Dominic Thiem at the Australian Open and not competing on grass since Wimbledon in 2019, Kyrgios did not take long to find his rhythm. He promised the fans a show on social media when the draw came out, and the match has lived up to its billing.

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Humbert seized an early break, but Kyrgios fired right back with two consecutive breaks of his own to take control of the set, which he eventually won. The Aussie was clearly enjoying the moment, using a wide variety of shots — from his booming serve and powerful forehand to drop shots and the occasional tweener — to thrill the crowd.

But the Frenchman is in form, and he did not get distracted by the Kyrgios Show. Humbert stayed consistent and used his lefty serve to dominate the next two sets. World No. 60 Kyrgios found himself on the back foot in rallies, when he normally dictates play on the baseline. 

In a flash, Humbert took a two-sets-to-one lead and appeared on a path to a showdown against the winner of Juan Ignacio Londero and Gianluca Mager. But Kyrgios, who often complimented his opponent’s shots throughout the match, fought back, just like he did at his home Slam. 

The former World No. 13 took advantage of a Humbert double fault on break point to take the lead in the fourth set. And from there, he was able to tone down his shot selection enough — the tweeners and drop shots were not working well — to avoid giving the 21st seed a way to battle back into the set. Kyrgios crushed a laser-like backhand up the line to take a double-break advantage and surge into a deciding set.

Neither man has earned a break so far in the fifth, and they will return second on No. 1 Court to complete their duel. Kyrgios is 8-3 in five-setters and Humbert is 1-3.

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Venus Excited For Kyrgios Partnership

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2021

There have been many intriguing storylines so far at Wimbledon, but one that has gained plenty of attention is the mixed doubles partnership of Venus Williams and Nick Kyrgios.

The legendary American and always-entertaining Australian are sure to be a fun and fascinating team to watch. The 41-year-old described her eagerness to play with Kyrgios, with this tournament being the first time the two will have partnered.

“I think that we’re playing together because we both respect each other’s games,” Williams said. “I think that’s first and foremost. I’m looking forward to the experience.”

Kyrgios displayed his enthusiastic support for his partner on Twitter during her first-round match against Mihaela Buzărnescu, whom she beat in dramatic fashion in three sets.

Let’s go partner @Venuseswilliams ?????????????

 

So how will the pair complement each other on court? “I think we’re both big servers. We’re both really good returners. We both can come up with shots,” Williams said. “The intangibles are there. Hopefully it will mesh.”

Venus Williams is one of the most successful players in the history of the Championships, having won five women’s singles titles and six women’s doubles titles at Wimbledon. However, she is yet to win the mixed doubles crown, something she will be hoping to change this year alongside Kyrgios.

While keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats is often a key component of the Kyrgios game in both singles and doubles, the American is adamant that winning will be the main priority.

“Obviously if I have experience to share, I’m always willing to do that with anyone who might ask me,” Williams said. “That’s always a given. I’m always open for that. This is not my goal this pairing. I’m hoping we just play well together.”

Expect nothing less than box-office action when Williams and Kyrgios take the court together.

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Murray's Documentary Made Otte Cry; Now They Play At Wimbledon

  • Posted: Jun 29, 2021

Oscar Otte has never played Andy Murray. But when they walk on Centre Court Wednesday for their second-round match at Wimbledon, the German will bring plenty of respect for the former World No. 1, and not just because of his tennis achievements.

“He’s huge in tennis. When I watched his documentary when it came out, I was actually crying,” Otte said. “It was so emotional and so inspiring. I’m probably talking for other players, too. He’s just a huge icon in the sport.”

“Andy Murray: Resurfacing” was released in 2019, and it detailed the Scot’s gruelling journey back from hip resurfacing surgery and the lengths to which the three-time Grand Slam champion went to continue his career. The emotional intensity of the documentary caught Otte’s attention.

“Of course it’s difficult to perform [at a] high level with surgeries like this, but everybody knows he’s one of the best tennis players ever. And when he gets in control of his body, I think everybody knows he can still beat the top guys and [go] far in tournaments,” Otte said. “I’m actually not really surprised. He has a big team behind him, physios, everything. I think they are taking very good care of him, and he’s just an unreal athlete and one of the best ever.”

 

The 27-year-old is competing in his first Wimbledon main draw. He has previously played the Roland Garros main draw three times. This year in Paris, Otte won the first two sets of his first-round match against Alexander Zverev, before ultimately falling in five sets. He said: “The first two-and-a-half sets were probably the best sets of my whole life. I was playing unreal.”

“With my ranking, you don’t have the option to have big matches like this [often],” Otte said. “I’m just really looking forward for the whole day tomorrow.”

The World No. 151 made the most of his debut at SW19 by beating Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(5), 13-12(2) across Monday and Tuesday. After completing his victory, Otte did not realise he had won. But when the chair umpire announced he had triumphed, the German showed plenty of emotions.

“I actually thought it was going to 10. I don’t know why. I was talking with my coach before the match, and we were both saying in case it goes up to 12-All, it’s a [Match] Tie-break,” Otte said. “I actually didn’t realise as I was pretty shocked when I heard ‘game, set, match, Otte.’ Better this way around than the other way around, for sure.”

It was just the second men’s singles match at Wimbledon to go to a Match Tie-break after Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in the 2019 final.

Listen To Radio Wimbledon | List Of Broadcasters (PDF)

The 27-year-old will hope to summon his best as he tries to reach the third round at a major for the first time. Otte knows this is a big moment in his career.

“[It] will be a pretty big match tomorrow. The crowd probably won’t be on my side, but that’s okay for me, of course,” Otte said. “I have my coach here, my girlfriend I think can be enough, but we will see. In general, he’s an inspiring athlete and I’m really happy to have a chance to play against him tomorrow.”

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Shapovalov Fights Past Kohlschreiber In Five Sets

  • Posted: Jun 29, 2021

Denis Shapovalov worked hard for his place in The Championships second round on Tuesday, which was heavily affected by rain. The 10th-seeded Canadian overcame Philipp Kohlschreiber, who is returning from a hip injury, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in three hours and 35 minutes on Court 12.

Shapovalov squandered a 5-3 lead in the fourth set, shortly prior to a four-hour rain delay at the All England Club. But the 22-year-old bounced back to break in the seventh game of the decider courtesy of four unforced errors from Kohlschreiber.

View Schedule | Listen To Radio Wimbledon | List Of Broadcasters (PDF)

“It’s a great feeling to win this match especially against a great player like Philipp, who I watched a lot growing up,” said Shapovalov. “I am a huge fan of his game. It’s great to see him back in good form.

“It’s a huge weight off my back, going in the first round of a major and not knowing how the courts will play, especially as you can’t practise too much on it. I am really happy that I was able to pull through and come up with big points when I needed them. Philipp is a really, really tough competitor so it’s a good win for me.”

Shapovalov struck 16 aces among his 58 winners, and will next face Spain’s Pablo Andujar in the second round. Andujar needed five hours and two minutes to overcome Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(7), 5-7, 8-6. He’d missed out on two match points on serve at 5-4, 40/15 in the fourth set. 

Shapovalov is now 19-13 on the season, which includes a runner-up finish at the Gonet Geneva Open (l. to Ruud). Prior to coming to the grass-court major, the World No. 12 reached the cinch Championships semi-finals (l. to Norrie).

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