Tennis News

(Tennis news) Rafael Nadal reached his eighth Wimbledon quarter-final after defeating Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4 6-2 7-6 (8-6) in two hours and 22 minutes at the Centre Court. The 36 year old Spaniard remains on course for a calendar slam and will now face Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals. In the on-court interview after the match, Nadal said “I am a little bit tired to talk about my body. Sometimes I am tired about myself and all the issues that I am having. I prefer to not talk about that now. Sorry for that.

"But I am in the middle of the tournament and I have to keep going. All respect for the rest of the opponents. I am just trying my best every single day. For the moment I am healthy enough to keep going and fight for the things that I want. It takes a lot of mental and physical effort to try to play this tournament after the things that I went through the last couple of months. But as everybody knows, Wimbledon is a tournament that I like so much. I have been three years without playing here. I really wanted to be back. That's what I am doing. So that's why it means a lot for me to be in the quarter-finals." 

Taylor Fritz defeated Australia's Jason Kubler 6-3 6-1 6-4 to set up a match against Nadal in the quarter-finals. The 24 year old hasn’t dropped a single set at the tournament yet and won his eighth straight victory on the grass surface, having played at Eastbourne before Wimbledon began. Speaking after the match, Fritz said “My first Grand Slam quarter-final, that's really a big deal. Part of the final eight and... I'm glad I could get the win on the Fourth of July, being American." 

In other results, Nick Kyrgios also reached the quarter-finals after a five set win over Brandon Nakashima,  winning 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-2. The Australian tennis player was on his best behaviour after a fiery clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas and successfully made it to the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time in seven years. During the on-court interview after the match, Kyrgios said “It wasn't near my best performance, level wise, but I'm just super, super happy to get through. I've never lost a fifth set here. Honestly, that's what I was thinking about. I was like, I've been here before, I've done it before and I came through again." 

Meanwhile, British tennis player Cameron Norrie will face David Goffin in the quarter-finals after defeating Tommy Paul 6-4 7-5 6-4. When asked about being the only British player still playing at Wimbledon, Norrie said “I'll take it. At the beginning of the tournament, you guys were asking me, 'You're British No 1, you got a lot of pressure, a lot of expectations on your shoulders'. For me to play the way that I did in all my matches so far means a lot. Unfortunately I'm the last one standing. But I think it's even more reason for everyone to get behind me. The atmosphere was great today and definitely helped me get over the line there. Especially on that last game, I was obviously pretty nervous. I was serving for my first quarter-final of a Slam. I wanted to get it done there.

"It's great to be through to the quarters. But no reason to be satisfied. I want to keep pushing. I'm looking forward to the next match. Another challenge. Very experienced player. There's still a long way to go, but it's pretty nice to tick the box making the quarters. I feel like I'm improving and my level is getting better. Definitely a little bit more calm in the bigger matches. It's nice to do it that way round." 

As for Goffin, the 31 year old is playing at Wimbledon after a year’s gap, having suffered an ankle injury in the 2021 edition and was subsequently ruled out due to a knee problem. However, he reached the quarter-finals after defeating Frances Tiafoe in four hours and 36 minutes. He said “I have another opportunity to play on Centre Court to try to have a win, finally to have a win on Centre Court. I didn't have any chances. I had [Andy] Murray and I had [Novak] Djokovic. Not easy," said the former world No 7. 

"Another British, against Cameron. He played less than me. He played well from the start of the tournament. He played really well. He's very consistent. He's a tough opponent to play, but I will try to recover. That's the most important now, today and tomorrow, try to be ready to play against the whole country." 

Also read: Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic to face Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals

Wimbledon, Jul 5 (Tennis News) Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Croatian partner Mate Pavic advanced to the Wimbledon mixed doubles semifinals with a hard-fought win over fourth seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and John Peers.

Mirza and Pavic, seeded sixth, eked out a thrilling 6-4 3-6 7-5 win over Canadian-Australian duo in one hour 41 minutes on court 3 on Monday night.

The Indo-Croatian pair will take on the the winners of the quarterfinal between Robert Farah and Jelena Ostapenko, the seventh seeds, and second seeds Neil Skupsi and Desirae Krawczyk.

This is Mirza's best mixed doubles performance at the All England Club. She had previously reached the quarterfinals in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

A Wimbledon title is the only mixed doubles Grand Slam missing from her trophy cabinet.

Mirza, a six-time Grand Slam winner, has already announced her retirement at the end of this season. 

Also Read : Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic to face Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) Defending champion Novak Djokovic progressed to the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam after defeating Van Rijthoven 6-2 4-6 6-1 6-2. It was a landmark victory for the Serbian, who managed to secure his 83rd Wimbledon match-win, 25th consecutive win on grass, 13th Wimbledon quarter-final, 53rd Grand Slam quarter-final and 83rd Wimbledon match-win. The result sets up an epic match between Djokovic and Italian youngster Jannik Sinner.

During the on-court interview after the match, Djokovic said “Thanks for staying for this late finish to watch tennis. Thank you Billie Jean for staying, I know it's been a long day. Under the roof it takes a bit of time to get used to the conditions, but I finished the match well. I don't know if there was a curfew. There is? Phew! I am lucky, thank God. I remember playing a match over two days with (Rafael) Nadal a few years ago, in the semi-final. It's never very pleasant." 

The 20 year old defeated one of the tournament’s favourites Carlos Alcaraz to progress into the quarter-finals. It was a match between two of the most promising tennis players of the next generation but the Italian secured a fairly comfortable 6-1 6-4 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 victory in three hours and 35 minutes. Speaking after the match, Sinner said “I think what we showed today is a great level of tennis, great attitude from both of us. 

“Hopefully this is going to be the case, but we never know. There are still so many other players who are playing incredible tennis. For sure we are the two youngest at the moment, so let's see. I don't know in the future what's going to happen. Yeah, I think it's just great for tennis to also have some new names, new players." As for Alcaraz, the Spaniard struggled on the grass surface but remained optimistic for the 2023 edition. The 19 year old said “I started really nervous. Playing on Centre Court is not easy for me. Jannik could handle it better than me, the nerves and the pressure, I'd say. 

“But I felt really well here in Wimbledon. I got a lot of experience playing on grass. Now I'm thinking that I could be a great player on grass. Next year I hope to play some tournaments before here in Wimbledon to adapt my game, to get used to playing here on grass. But I would say I'm going to be a great player here."

In other results, Ons Jabeur defeated Elise Mertens 7-6 (11-9) 6-4 to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals where she will face Marie Bouzkova. Both players will be battling it out to reach their first ever Wimbledon semi-final. Bouzkova defeated Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia 7-5 6-2 in what can only be considered to be an upset. Speaking after the match, the unseeded Czech player said “If you would have told me before the tournament started I would be in the quarters, I probably wouldn't have believed you.  Always try to take it match by match. Since the first match it has been a really tough journey for me. Just to be now in the quarters, it's something very special for me. I'm just really proud that I've been able to handle everything the way I have and just enjoy the moment."

Also read: Norrie defeats Johnson to progress into the fourth round at Wimbledon

Wimbledon, Jul 3 (Tennis News) The Indo-Croatian pair of Sania Mirza and Mate Pavic advanced to the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles event at the Wimbledon on Sunday.

The sixth seeded pair of Mirza and Pavic reached the mixed doubles quarter-finals after their second round opponents Ivan Dodig and Latisha Chan gave a walkover.

Mirza and Pavic had beaten Spain's David Vega Hernandez and Georgia's Natela Dzalamidze 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) in the first round.

In their last-eight match, Mirza and Pavic will face either the Brazilian duo of Bruno Soares and Beatriz Haddad Maia or the Australian-Canadian pair of John Peers and Gabriela Dabrowski.

Mirza, who has already announced her retirement at the end of this season, and her Czech partner Lucie Hradecka had earlier lost in the opening round of women's doubles event. 

Also Read : Norrie defeats Johnson to progress into the fourth round at Wimbledon

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) Britain’s number 1 Cameron Norrie defeated Steve Johnson 6-4 6-1 6-0 at the Centre Court. The 26 year old was in sublime form and his victory meant that it will be the first time in five years that a British man will be in the fourth round of Wimbledon. He will take on 30th seed Tommy Paul in the next match after the American defeated Jiri Vesley 6-3 6-2 6-2. 

In the on-court interview after the match, Cameron Norrie said “I couldn't be happier, especially with all of my friends and family watching. I enjoyed the match today and it was a little less stressful for my squad! I'm enjoying playing at this level, enjoying the process of it all and enjoying improving. My team and I have all got the same goals and it's been a lot of fun. I want to keep going and keep on ticking more boxes." 

It was a tight first set between Norrie and Johnson, with the 26 year old narrowly edging out his opponent with a backhand to make it 6-4. The British tennis player made a few uncharacteristic unforced errors but settled down after winning the first set, displaying a relentless performance in the second set. Steve Johnson struggled to match Norrie's intensity and athleticism, eventually resulting in the match ending in under two hours. “I'm as ready as I can be," Norrie added about playing in the fourth round. "I'm training as hard as I can. I'm moving better, feeling a lot better on the court and as I say, I'm as ready as I can be."

In other results, Novak Djokovic progressed to the fourth round after defeating fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic 6-0 6-3 6-4. It was Djokovic’s 35th straight win at the Centre Court and has now reached Wimbledon’s Round of 16 for the 13th time in his career. However, what lies ahead is a tricky fixture against Dutch wildcard Tim van Rijthoven who the Serbian has never faced in his career. Van Rijthoven has won eight consecutive matches on the grass surface, his latest being a 6-4 6-3 6-4 third-round victory over Nikoloz Basilashvili. 

Speaking ahead of his match against Djokovic, Van Rijthoven said “Before the tournament started, it was a dream for me to play him [Djokovic], basically. So, to be able to have that chance and to maybe even play on Centre Court or Court One is beautiful and magical. I go into every match thinking I can win the match. Also against Djokovic, I'll go into that match thinking I can win that match." 

Carlos Alcaraz also progressed to the fourth round after defeating Oscar Otte 6-3 6-1 6-2 in just one hour and 38-minutes. Despite it only being Alcaraz’s third tournament on the grass surface, the 19 year old looked exceptionally comfortable and will now set his sights on Jannik Sinner, who the Spaniard will face in the next round. Alcaraz said “This was the best match on grass that I played so I'm enjoying every time I play on these amazing courts. It's tough to play on grass but Wimbledon gives you a special energy. I'm trying to get better every match and every day." 

Also read: Sania and Pavic advance to second round of Wimbledon mixed doubles

Wimbledon, Jun 30 (Tennis News) Indian ace Sania Mirza, who is making her final Wimbledon appearance, and Mate Pavic advanced to the second round of mixed doubles event with a hard-fought win over David Vega Hernandez and Natela Dzalamidze here on Friday.

The Indo-Croatian duo won 6-4 3-6, 7-6(3) in a first round match.

Mirza, who has already announced her retirement at the end of this season, and her Czech partner Lucie Hradecka had earlier lost in the opening round of women's doubles event.

The 35-year-old Indian had won her maiden doubles title alongside Martina Hingis, back in 2015.

In a video footage uploaded on the official Twitter handle of Championships, Mirza said she is going to miss Wimbledon but it's time to move on.

"There are things in life which take priority over playing tennis matches and I am at that stage now," she said. 

Also Read : Iga Swiatek extends unbeaten run while Coco Gauff reaches third round

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek extended her unbeaten run to 37 matches after defeating Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove 6-4 4-6 6-3. The result meant that the World Number 1 was able to equal the legendary Martina Hingis’ record of 1997 but admitted that she was finding it difficult to adapt to the grass surface, calling it ‘tricky’. 

Speaking after the match, Swiatek said “Honestly during a match I don't even think about the previous matches and the streak because I don't think it's giving me anything at that point. I would say the grass is pretty tricky for me. I'm not going to lie. I mean, I guess you can see that I'm not playing maybe as efficiently as on other surfaces. Basically my confidence is getting better overall," she continued. "But this tournament is tricky and I'm still figuring out how to play the best game here." 

Meanwhile, American teenager Coco Gauff defeated Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-2 6-3 on Centre Court. The 18 year old broke Buzarnescu's serve in the fourth game and won the fifth game with a 122mph serve, the fastest so far in the women’s category. Gauff broke Buzarnescu’s serve in the first set in just 31 minutes but couldn’t maintain the intensity for the duration of the match, falling in the sixth game of the second set. However, she forced Buzarnescu to make an error and broke her serve in the eighth game. Gauff then went on to serve three successive aces to wrap up the match and set up an encounter with Amanda Anisimova.

Speaking after the match, Gauff said “I'm pretty honoured to be on Centre Court today, especially following Nadal... that's pretty special too. Thank you guys for staying, I know it's been a long day and I appreciate you staying to watch me."  In other results, Simona Halep defeated Kirsten Flipkens 7-5 6-4. Flipkens, who reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2013 played her final singles match of her career and received a great ovation from the crowd after the match. 

Meanwhile, two time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova defeated Ana Bogdan 6-1 7-6 (7-5) to advance into the third round. The 32 year old Czech player will face Paula Badosa in the next match with the Spaniard defeating Irina Bara 6-3 6-2 in just 72 minutes. Former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu was knocked out by Elena Rybakina 6-4 7-6 (7-5) while Amanda Anisimova overcame her compatriot Lauren Davis 2-6 6-3 6-4.

Also read: Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios progress to the third round at Wimbledon

(Tennis news) Rafael Nadal continued his quest for a calendar Slam with a successive four set victory to progress into the third round after defeating Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis 6-4 6-4 4-6 6-3. The 22 time Grand Slam winner will take on Lorenzo Sonego in the next match and will look to secure his 308th Grand Slam victory, having already gone ahead of Martina Navratilova and being in fourth place in the all-time list. However, it was far from a perfect performance from the Spaniard with many unforced errors during the match.

In the post match interview, Nadal said “It's important for me to accept that things are not yet perfect, be humble and accept the challenge. Every day is a challenge, all the opponents are difficult - we are playing the best players in the world. I didn't play much on grass in the last three years so every day is an opportunity to improve. I'm through and I'm very happy with that. I need to improve. But the fourth set was much better, a good level of tennis and the serve worked better." 

In other results, Nick Kyrgios defeated Queen's Club finalist Filip Krajinovic 6-2 6-3 6-1 in less than 90 minutes. The Australian was at his dominant best, losing just nine points and said that he wanted to prove a point with his performance. The 27 year old will face Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who defeated Australia's Jordan Thompson 6-2 6-3 7-5. 

In the on-court interview after the match, Kyrgios said “I guess just from a personal performance standpoint, my performance in my first round was just not where I wanted to be. Especially with the way I've been playing and the way I've been training, the hard work I've been doing. I was pretty disappointed in my performance in the first round. Then obviously the media's disrespect and just everything, it was just kind of a reminder to put you all back in your place from the performance today. He made finals at Queen's, top 30 in the world, seeded. It's a gentle reminder."

Also read: Sania Mirza and partner crashes out in 1st round of Indian's last Wimbledon

Wimbledon, Jun 30 (Tennis News) Indian ace Sania Mirza's final Wimbledon appearance ended in disappointment as she and her Czech partner Lucie Hradecka were eliminated in the opening round with the Polish-Brazilian combination of Magdalena Frech and Beatroz Haddad Maia beating them 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in a hard-fought three-setter.

Mirza would have ideally preferred to last a bit longer in her swansong at the SW-19 but she will undoubtedly remember hallowed lawns where she won her maiden doubles title alongside Martina Hingis, back in 2015.

The 35-year-old Indian veteran failed to get past the third round of the mixed doubles at Wimbledon last year and will still have a shot at glory, partnering Mate Pavic of Croatia in the mixed doubles event. The duo will meet Natela Dzalamidze and David Vega Hernandez in the opening round of mixed doubles. 

Also Read : Emma Raducanu knocked out of Wimbledon while Harriet Dart wins

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) Emma Raducanu succumbed to a  6-3 6-3 second round defeat to Caroline Garcia at Wimbledon’s centre-court. The 19 year old clearly lacked match fitness after being sidelined for three weeks due to a side strain and could not match Garcia’s intensity during the 86 minute encounter. Raducanu will participate in the US Open next, where she famously won the title as a qualifier and insisted that she doesn’t feel the pressure from the expectations placed on her.

Speaking after the match, Raducanu said “There's no pressure. Like, why is there any pressure? I'm still 19. Like, it's a joke. I literally won a Slam. Going back to New York, it's going to be cool because I have got a lot of experience playing on big courts, playing with people in the stadium, playing with the spotlight on you. I don't mind that. For me, everything is learning. I'm embracing every single moment that is thrown at me." 

Making her first appearance on Centre Court, Caroline Garcia said “I was preparing for this match really well. Emma is a huge player and in her home tournament she proved she can do very well on the big stage. It's fair that they support Emma and of course is a great memory for me." Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko defeated Anhelina Kalinina 3-6 6-4 6-3 in two hours and 30 minutes. Showing solidarity with her country, Tsurenko wore a yellow and blue ribbon and both the players were well supported by the crowd on Court 12. 

In other results, Harriet Dart progressed to the second round with a 6-1 6-4 win over Rebeka Masarova. The result meant that she became the 10th British player to progress into round two and will now face eighth seed Jessica Pegula. Second seed Anett Kontaveit was also knocked out of Wimbledon by Jule Niemeier 6-4 6-0. After the victory, 22 year old Niemeier said “It's amazing. It's one of the greatest wins of my career so far. I love to play on grass... it suits my game." 

Also read: Wimbledon: Andy Murray gets knocked out while Djokovic secures win

(Tennis news) Scottish tennis player Andy Murray got knocked out of Wimbledon after succumbing to a four set defeat at the hands of John Isner with the score of 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4. Murray could only manage to get 15 points against Isner’s first serve and took time to get into the rhythm, with Isner breaking Murray’s serve for only the second time in 25 sets over 12 years. 

Speaking after the match, Murray reiterated his belief that he can produce his best tennis at Grand Slams and does not intend to step away from the game. He said “I think most of the players on the tour would tell you that a match like that was won or lost based on a few points here and there. I didn't play well enough on those points tonight. Like I said, I certainly didn't serve well enough at the beginning of the match, which I think is understandable. Look, he's a difficult opponent to play against. Like you say, I obviously played well against him in the past. 

"Tonight's match, I don't see why it should change that, change that view really. Physically I feel good, then we'll try to keep playing. But it's extremely difficult with the problems I've had with my body in the last few years to make long-term predictions about how I'm going to be even in a few weeks' time, never mind in a year's time. If physically I'm in a good place, yeah, I will continue to play. But it's not easy to keep my body in optimal condition to compete at the highest level." 

In the on-court interview after the match, John Isner said “I am most definitely not a better tennis player than Andy Murray, I might have just been a little better than him today. It was an incredible honour to play him on this court in front of this crowd. At the age I'm at now, I need to relish these moments. This was one of the biggest wins of my career. To play as well as I did against one of our greatest players ever was a huge accomplishment for me. He's a massive inspiration to each one of us in the locker room and we are so lucky to still have him around." 

In other results, defending champion Novak Djokovic remained on course for his fourth consecutive title after defeating Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-1 6-4 6-2 in two hours. The Serbian may have been unconvincing in his win against Kwon Soon-woo, but was back to his dominant best. Speaking after the match, Djokovic said “I'm happy with my performance today. A really high-quality performance. I must say I'm quite pleased with the way I've raised the level of tennis in two days. Hopefully I can keep that trajectory, just thinking about the next challenge and hope things will get better as the tournament goes on." The Serbian will now face either Chile's Alejandro Tabilo or Serb compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic in the next round.

Meanwhile, British number 1 Cameron Norrie survived a 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-0 6-2 scare to defeat Juame Munar. Ugo Humbert, who forgot his rackets in the locker room despite the match being delayed by more than an hour and a half, overcame Casper Ruud 3-6 6-2 7-5 6-4. Ranked 112, Humbert has never won a match at the All England Club before this week and will now face David Goffin in the next round for a place in the Round of 16.

Also read: Rafael Nadal defeats Francisco Cerundolo to reach Wimbledon second round

(Tennis news) Rafael Nadal continued his quest for a calendar Grand Slam after progressing into the second round of Wimbledon with a 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-4 win over Francisco Cerundolo. The Spaniard won the first two sets but his Argentinian opponent took the third. With momentum on his side, Cerundolo broke early in the fourth set but Nadal fought back to secure the victory on Centre Court. 

Speaking after the match, Nadal said “All the credit to Fran, he started to play great, he was a very tough opponent. For me it was obvious I hadn't been here for three years on this amazing surface and it is amazing to be back. It is not a surface we play very often and I had not put a foot on a grass court in the past three years." The Spaniard’s involvement at Wimbledon was doubtful after being forced to use anaesthetic injections at Roland Garros. The 36 year old has since undergone radiofrequency ablation treatment in order to be match ready for Wimbledon. 

In other news, Italy's Matteo Berrettini was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon after contracting COVID-19 while Canadian sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was defeated 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (11-9) 7-6 (7-5) to American world number 45 Maxime Cressy. Stefanos Tsitsipas secured a -6 (7-1) 6-3 5-7 6-4 over Swiss qualifier Alexander Ritschard while Denis Shapovalov fought back to defeat Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 6-1 6-7 (6-8) 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-1. 

Also read: Serena Williams knocked out of Wimbledon’s first round

(Football news) Seven time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams was knocked out of the first round by Harmony Tan 7-5 1-6 7-6 (10-7) on Centre Court. Having been sidelined for 12 months due to a hamstring injury, Williams couldn’t recreate her old magic, looking rusty and error prone throughout the encounter, suffering her third first-round loss at a Grand Slam event.

At the age of 40, Serena Williams’ time is running out on her illustrious career but the American remained coy about her future in the post-match interview. She said “Like I said coming into this, I'm just planning for right now, seeing how I feel, just to go from there.” When asked if this might be her final Wimbledon appearance, Williams said “That's a question I can't answer. I don't know. Who knows? Who knows where I'll pop up." 

Despite a disappointing start to the match, Williams took a shaky 4-2 in the opening set but committed 21 unforced errors, resulting in her losing 7-5. However, the American bounced back in the second set to win comfortably (1-6) and looked to have edged out Harmony Tan in the deciding set after leading 3-1, only to falter at the end. Williams said “I think physically I did pretty good. I think the last couple of points, I was really suffering there. But I feel like in just those key points, winning some of those points, is always something mentally that you kind of need. I did pretty well on maybe one or two of them, but obviously not enough." 

When asked if she was satisfied with the first round defeat being her final Wimbledon appearance, Williams said “Obviously not. You know me. Definitely not. But today I gave all I could do. Maybe tomorrow I could have given more. Maybe a week ago I could have given more. But today was what I could do. At some point, you have to be able to be OK with that." 

In other results, World Number 1 Iga Swiatek defeated Jana Fett 6-0, 6-3 to win her 36th consecutive match. The Polish tennis player remains unbeaten since February, winning six tournaments and overcoming Venus Williams’ record set in 2020. She defeated her Croatian opponent on Centre Court, usually reserved for the defending champion, and is undoubtedly the favourite to win the Wimbledon title, especially in the absence of defending champion Ashleigh Barty. 

Swiatek was playing in her first professional match since the Roland Garros and only took 33 minutes to win the opening set 6-0. However, Jana Fett threatened to make a comeback after being 3-1 up in the second set, only for Swiatek to win five games in a row to maintain her 36 game unbeaten run. Speaking after the match, Swiatek said “I'm just figuring out how to play. "I knew it was going to be tricky. I am pretty happy I came back and did it in two sets. I feel I have only played 12 weeks of my life on grass but the whole atmosphere and tradition is pumping me up and just looking forward to the next matches." 

Also read: Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray secure wins at Wimbledon

(Tennis news) Defending champion Novak Djokovic made a winning start at Wimbledon after defeating Kwon Soon-woo in four sets 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4. The Serbian will hope to become only the fourth player to win the prestigious grass court event for the fourth consecutive time along with Roger Federer (2003-2006), Pete Sampras (1997-2000) and Bjorn Borg (1976-80). Djokovic has won the Wimbledon title six times in his career so far and will face either Thanasi Kokkinakis or Kamil Majchrzak in the second round. 

The 35 year old secured his 80th Wimbledon match in under two and a half hours and despite dropping the second set, Djokovic looked firmly in control of the proceedings. The win makes him the first tennis player to have won at least that many singles matches in each of the four Grand Slams. Speaking after the match from the Centre Court, the Serbian said “I've said this a few times before, but this court is truly special for me. It's always been the court I dreamed of playing and winning on. All of my childhood dreams came true here on this court at this tournament, so of course, it's an absolute honour and pleasure to come back." 

Djokovic hadn’t played on grass since winning the Wimbledon final in 2021 against Matteo Berrettini and gave credit to his opponent Kwon Soon-woo. Djokovic said “Credit to Kwon for playing some really high-quality tennis. I didn't have any lead-up, preparation tournaments or matches prior so you're always going to feel a little bit less comfortable than you would like to, particularly playing against someone as talented as him who stays close to the line and hits very cleanly on both sides. It was really difficult to hit through him, so I had to figure out a way tactically to get in control of the point. It wasn't easy." 

Meanwhile, Andy Murray fought back to defeat James Duckworth 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 in two hours and 43 minutes to progress into the second round of Wimbledon. The Scottish player was playing for the first time since he suffered an abdominal injury at the Stuttgart Open finals and will now face John Isner, who defeated Enzo Couacaud in five sets. Murray would be fairly confident heading into his next match, having an 8-0 record against the former semi-finalist. In the on-court interview, Murray said “It's amazing to be back out here with a full crowd. I am getting on a bit now so I don't know how many more opportunities I will get to play on this court so I want to make the most of every time. Glad I managed to get through and hopefully get another match on here in a couple of days. 

"I did well to rebound after the first set, he likes playing on grass, he was playing very well, once I started playing my returns a bit more as the match went on I felt a bit more comfortable and did well to get through it.” Speaking about his fitness, Murray said “The last few days when I've been serving was fine. I went to get a scan, an ultrasound scan on it on Saturday after my practice just to see how it was progressing. It was all clear for the first time on the scans, which is really positive. I wanted that kind of peace of mind to know that the injury has healed. Obviously I still need to take precautions and still do some rehab and protect it when I can. In the match today it was absolutely fine." 

Also read: Wimbledon: Ramanathan, Bhambri knocked out in first round qualifying matches

(Tennis news) Serena Williams has withdrawn from the semifinals of Eastbourne after her doubles partner Ons Jabeur suffered a right knee injury. This means that the duo are automatically knocked out of the tournament and Williams will now shift her attention to Wimbledon, where she has received a wildcard entry. Despite the numerous reports about her retirement, the 40 year old has made an impressive comeback in professional tennis and will look to secure her 24th Grand Slam title. 

Speaking after Wednesday's match, Williams said: "I feel good, as good as one can feel after having such a long time off. I was telling Ons, this was a really good match and the second set in particular, they played really well, but we were able to just play under different circumstances. It was actually good match play and match practice, which is exactly what I needed and what I wanted to do coming here, so I couldn't have asked for more."

The pair made it to the semifinals after a narrow win over Maria Bouzkova and Sara Sorribes Tormo and a convincing victory over Shuko Aoyama and Chan Hao-ching. Jabeur, who is ranked third in the Women’s Singles category is doubtful about her participation at Wimbledon while Williams, who is unseeded, will find out her first opponent after the draw is made on Friday morning (today). There has also been speculation amongst the finals that the withdrawal was intentional due to Wimbledon beginning on Monday, 27th July and that the ‘injury’ is just an excuse to recover in time for the Grand Slam event. Irrespective, it remains to be seen how the pair will perform at the prestigious grass court event after an impressive run in Eastbourne.

Also read: Serena Williams and Ons Jabeur reach Eastbourne semi-finals