Image credit- ATP Tour
Zverev had anticipated starting and finishing on Tuesday but instead took the court for his first point of the fortnight approximately 17 and a half hours after Novak Djokovic had already advanced to the third round.
Zverev humorously remarked, “Took me three days, but I’m here.”
For once during this week, the sun graced the All England Club, and the showers were conspicuously absent.
There was an abundance of play, numerous outcomes—56 in total—and plenty of excitement, perhaps none more than in a highly anticipated showdown that remained unresolved: Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray versus two-time major finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas, which was suspended at 10:40 p.m. and will resume on Friday.
Played under the closed roof of a boisterous Centre Court resonating with the chants of “Let’s go, Andy! Let’s go!”. Tsitsipas claimed the opening set 7-6 (3), but Murray secured the next two sets 7-6 (2), 6-4. Murray, 36 years old and equipped with an artificial hip, slipped and fell behind the baseline but swiftly regained his footing and completed the third set moments before play was paused.
Alizé Cornet shed tears as she slipped and injured her leg at 5-all in the second set, which eventually led to her 6-2, 7-6 (2) defeat against defending champion Elena Rybakina.
Donna Vekic also shed tears, but she emerged victorious. She mounted an impressive comeback from a set and 5-2 down in the second to oust 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens.
Stan Wawrinka faced the reality of his situation. A three-time Grand Slam champion at the age of 38, he has endured years of injuries and surgeries. While he expressed contentment with his 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Tomás Martín Etcheverry, he acknowledged the challenge that awaits him: a match against Djokovic, who has amassed a record-breaking 23 major championships, seven of which were captured at Wimbledon.
In an interview, Stan Wawrinka openly admitted that he believed his chances of winning Wimbledon were extremely slim. He acknowledged the honor of playing against Novak Djokovic but expressed doubts about his ability to compete against him. Wawrinka based his pessimism on recent results that indicated he did not have a realistic chance of success.
The tournament witnessed a remarkable milestone as a cohort of male players advanced to the third round at the All-England Club for the very first time. This group consisted of several players: Lorenzo Musetti, seeded 14th, Maximillian Marterer, who entered the tournament as a qualifier, Mikael Ymer, Quentin Halys, and Roman Safiullin.
Mikael Ymer delivered an impressive performance by staging a remarkable comeback from a two-set deficit to defeat the 9th seed Taylor Fritz from the United States. Ymer’s perseverance paid off as he won the match with a final score of 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Image credit- ATP Tour
Among the American participants, two men secured their place in the next round through victory. Frances Tiafoe, the 10th seed, who reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open in September last year, and Tommy Paul, seeded 16th, who reached the semifinals at the Australian Open in January.
These developments in the tournament showcased the unpredictable nature of tennis, as underdogs and lesser-known players made their mark against higher-ranked opponents.
“I’m going to keep striving. Of course, it’s my career goal to perform well here at some point,” said Ruud, who was seeded No. 4 in the men’s bracket. “It didn’t happen this year, but I’ll return. I genuinely love coming here. It’s such a special place.”
Anett Kontaveit reached the end of her journey. The last player to lose to Serena Williams, who was ranked No. 2 at the time, was not specified. Serena Williams is a highly accomplished tennis player, and without additional information, it is impossible to determine the exact player who lost to her most recently.
Finally, there was a glimpse of the future through the impressive performance of 16-year-old Russian qualifier Mirra Andreeva.
Andreeva advanced to the third round at a major tournament for the second time in a row when 2021 French Open singles and doubles champion Barbora Krejcikova retired due to an injury while trailing 6-3, 4-0.
