Wimbledon tennis LIVE updates - Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Iga Swiatek all in action
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ByEurosport
Updated 28/06/2021 at 20:56 GMT
Day one of the main draw at Wimbledon sees Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Iga Swiatek all in action at SW19. The Championships had to be cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in what was a match for the ages to lift his fifth Wimbledon title, while Simona Halep overcame Serena Williams to win the women's title two years ago.
Wimbledon LIVE - Djokovic, Murray, Swiatek all in action
Image credit: Getty Images
9.55 - A classic Andy Murray quote
"He's ranked 28th in the world, I've hardly played any matches, and I beat him" - Andy Murray, explaining why he's going to keep playing despite people asking when he's going to retire.
9.51 - MURRAY 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 BASILASHVILI
That final game was a real tussle, deuce and back again until Murray takes his fourth match point, Basilashvili sending a shot into the net, and Centre Court goes wild. They definitely got their money's worth.
8.41 - MURRAY 6-4, 6-3, 5-7 BASILASHVILI
Murray's serve has completely disappeared, and he looks exhausted all of a sudden. He was so nearly there - with match points - and Basilashvili has taken the third set.
7:44 - MURRAY 6-4, 6-3 BASILASHVILI
What a brilliant shot on set point, Murray dinks it over with such delicacy and Basilashvili is wrongfooted.
7:01 - MURRAY 6-4 BASILASHVILI
Andy Murray gets the first break of the evening at just the right time. He's moving well and Kim Sears is on her feet and it is all so nostalgic.
5:35 - STEPHENS 6-3, 6-4 KVITOVA
What an odd match. Sloane Stephens deserved the win and Petra Kvitova never really got going. It took an hour and 17 minutes to get it done.
5:04 - Tsitsipas is OUT
4:36 - STEPHENS 6-3 KVITOVA
A gentle fistpump from Sloane Stephens as she serves out to 15 to take the opening set without having to work too hard for it.
4:39 - Muguruza through
4:25 - Tiafoe two sets up against Tsitsipas
No, seriously. The men's third seed is losing on Court No 1. The USA's Frances Tiafoe is winning 6-4, 6-4.
3:42 - DJOKOVIC 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 DRAPER
Draper looks a little forlorn at the start of this game, which is unsurprising. It's been a heck of a day for him. Djokovic finishes with an ace to wrap things up.
3:12 - DJOKOVIC 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 DRAPER
And there is the third set as Djokovic moves ahead. He looks more like what we were all expecting now.
2:46 - DJOKOVIC 4-6, 6-1 DRAPER
Well, that's a turnaround in the second set, but just what you'd expect from the defending champion. He's getting himself in the zone and although Draper is still playing some excellent shots and staying in the rallies, the world number one is beginning to stretch his legs.
2:23 - SABALENKA 6-1, 6-4 NICULESCU
First win of the Championships goes to second seed for the women's draw, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.
2:20 - DJOKOVIC 4-6 DRAPER
Djokovic is grinning as Draper moves to set point. It's an odd way to take the first set as well, Djokovic hits it long but there's a pause as if it might be called in. After a few seconds of delay, the crowd roars in celebration as the 19-year-old takes the first set against the world number one.
1:53 - DJOKOVIC 1-2 DRAPER
Double-fault from Djokovic brings a murmur circulating the stands, and Draper hits a fantastic cross-court winner - and an error from the defending champion gifts the Brit the first break of the match!
1pm - Welcome to Wimbledon
Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to Day 1 of Wimbledon...where it's raining! Aryna Sabalenka and Monica Niculescu have the honour of getting us officially under way on Court 1.
Context
The Championships at the All England Club had to be cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic without a ball being hit.
In 2019, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer in what was a match for the ages to lift his fifth Wimbledon title, while Simona Halep overcame Serena Williams to win the women's title two years ago.
Who is going to triumph this year?
Djokovic is the overwhelming favourite to make it three Grand Slams on the bounce after his triumphs at the Australian Open and French Open.
The women's draw is more wide open and Serena Williams and Ash Barty are the joint-favourites, according to the bookies.
Withdrawals
Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka have been among the big names to have announced that they will be missing Wimbledon. They have different reasons, but they are coming from similar places.
World No 3 Nadal said he has to “listen” to his body and cited the reduced grass season – cut from three weeks to two weeks – as part of his decision to miss Wimbledon.
Women’s world No 2 Osaka has not played since withdrawing from the French Open to protect her mental health. Osaka is set to take “some personal time with friends and family” before returning in her home country for the Olympics.
There has been plenty of talk of burnout this season, with Denis Shapovalov warning in March that players will withdraw from more and more events if they are forced to stay in bubbles. “It is extremely difficult mentally to be locked up like this."
Halep said in Miami that players’ performances are being impacted by the situation – “I don’t believe that all the players can perform at the highest level that they can offer” – and Stefanos Tsitsipas spoke at last year’s ATP Finals about his struggles with loneliness and isolation.
On Friday, Halep became the latest big name to withdraw from the tournament - particularly painful for the Romanian as the reigning champion and having not had a chance to defend her crown last year either.
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'A night to remember forever' - Djokovic's journey to Nadal's throne at Roland-Garros
Murray is back
Andy Murray hopes that 2021 will not be his last Wimbledon appearance as he battles for full fitness. The Brit has struggled to recover from extensive hip surgery that often prevents people from playing sport again, let alone professionally. Discussing Naomi Osaka’s recent struggles with her mental health, which saw her withdraw mid-tournament from the French Open and then before the start of Wimbledon, Murray said could understand the strain on players.
"I've obviously dealt with a lot of injuries in the last few years, which has been tough mentally, but, when I was younger, dealing with the pressure of playing high-level sport is not something that you're prepared for," he said to Sky Sports.
"I appreciate that I'm very lucky, I get to play sport and stuff and there are people who are in significantly worse positions than multi-million pound tennis players, but I think unless you've been in that situation people wouldn't understand; going from an 18-year-old playing in front of no people to all of a sudden playing on Wimbledon Centre Court and being commented on your personality and how you might look and how you might talk.
"When you're 19 or 20 you're not prepared for that and it's a big change. Earlier on in my career, I did find it harder dealing with the press side of things and the attention, whereas now I have a quite different perspective on things, so it's fine. But I can certainly understand how athletes do struggle with it."
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