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I have the weapons to beat Murray – Kyrgios

  • Posted: Jul 03, 2016
Wimbledon on the BBC
Venue: All England Club Dates: 27 June-10 July
Live: Coverage across BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Sport website with more on Red Button, Connected TVs and app. Click for more details.

Andy Murray says he faces a “formidable” challenge to win Wimbledon for a second time despite Novak Djokovic’s surprise exit.

Murray, the 2013 champion, faces Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round on Monday.

“There are some pretty decent players left in my way, so I’m not getting carried away,” Murray wrote in his BBC Sport column.

Day seven also features Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

  • Order of play – who is in action when?
Centre Court order of play (13:00 BST start)
[3] Roger Federer v Steve Johnson
[1] Serena Williams v Svetlana Kuznetsova [13]
[15] Nick Kyrgios v Andy Murray [2]

‘I have the weapons to beat Murray’

Kyrgios has yet to beat Murray in any of their previous four meetings.

Yet the 21-year-old is confident of causing an upset against the world number two after the 15th seed turned on the style to outclass Spain’s Feliciano Lopez on Middle Sunday.

“I definitely have the tools to beat Andy,” he said. “I definitely feel like he’s beatable. He’s only human, but at the same time he’s a great player.

“He is one of the best in the world and is probably the favourite now Novak is out.

“I’ve got a game plan, we both know what to expect and I’m really looking forward to it. I know what to do but it’s hard to execute it against such a top player like him.”

Court One order of play (13:00 BST start)
[5] Simona Halep v Madison Keys [9]
[8] Venus Williams v Carla Suarez Navarro [12]
[7] Richard Gasquet v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga [12]

‘Kyrgios a big match player’

Kyrgios has come under fire for his on-court behaviour, but Murray believes the media is guilty of “winding him up the whole time”.

“Nick is an extremely good server who is improving all of the time,” he added.

“He likes the big courts, the big matches and has performed well in those situations before.

“Every time he’s in here you’re trying to wind him up the whole time. It’s not really fair on him, to be honest.”

Kyrgios v Murray: What the pundits say

Lleyton Hewitt, former Wimbledon champion: “Nick will have to use all his weapons and firepower. Andy will try to turn it into a physical battle.

“Nick plays pretty short points and it’s hard to turn points into a physical battle against him. Andy backs himself against anyone when it gets physical, especially over five sets and I’m sure that’s what he’s going to try and do again.

“It’s how many balls Andy keeps getting back. Can he keep making Nick play the extra ball? But Nick on his day can hit anyone off the court.”

John Lloyd, 1977 Australian Open finalist: “If Nick Kyrgios stays like this, with this concentration and focus, Andy Murray will be in for a tough match. Andy will win. He might drop a set, possibly two, but he will come through.”

Tim Henman, four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist: “Andy has to stay focused on the things he can control – that’s his preparation and performance. Djokovic has dominated but Andy has separated himself from the others as world number two.

“He was my favourite before the tournament and still my favourite now. But there’s a long way to go.”

Unseeded Johnson stands in the way of Federer

Steve Johnson will draw inspiration from doubles partner Sam Querrey as he attempts to pull off an upset against seven-time Wimbledon champion Federer.

Querrey produced a huge shock when he beat Djokovic on Saturday and unseeded Johnson, in the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time, said his fellow-American’s exploits had given him hope.

“You see Novak lose, you sense the locker room, like believe there is a chance,” the 26-year-old said.

Federer has yet to drop a set at Wimbledon 2016.

Querrey looking to complete another surprise

Querrey will return to action, facing Nicolas Mahut two days after pulling off the biggest shock of the tournament so far.

Querrey knocked out defending champion Djokovic in a four-set thriller to end Djokovic’s run of 30 successive victories.

His opponent Mahut completed a three set win over fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbet on Saturday.

Mahut was part of Wimbledon’s infamous 11-hour game against John Isner in 2010, the longest match in tennis history, which Mahut lost 70-68 in the final set.

Venus v Serena final?

Will it be a showdown between the Williams sisters in the women’s singles final next Saturday?

Serena needed just 51 minutes to clinch the 300th Grand Slam win of her career on Sunday as the defending champion made the Wimbledon last 16.

Both will be in action on Monday, with Venus facing number twelve seed Carla Suarez Navarro on Court Two and Serena returning to Centre Court to face Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova.

“I wouldn’t bet against it,” former French Open doubles finalist Jeff Tarango told BBC Radio 5 live.

“Venus has had two days off and she is going to feel like a whole new woman next week.”

Serena and Venus last met at Wimbledon in 2015, with Serena claiming a fourth round victory on her way to her sixth Wimbledon title.

Best of the rest

Last year’s semi-finalist Richard Gasquet returns to the action on Court One against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, giving the 31-year-old Frenchman just 24 hours to recover from an epic four-hour battle that saw him win 19-17 in the fifth set against Isner.

Dominika Cibulkova, who knocked out Eugenie Bouchard on Saturday, plays 2012 finalist Agnieszka Radwanska, while 10th-seed Tomas Berdych faces fellow Czech Jiri Vesely on Court Three.

The first game on Court One is Simona Halep against Madison Keys, who beat Barbora Strycova to win the Aegon Classic in Birmingham last month.

Is it going to stay dry?

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'Djokovic going out doesn't guarantee anything'

  • Posted: Jul 03, 2016
Wimbledon on the BBC
Venue: All England Club Dates: 27 June-10 July
Live: Coverage across BBC TV, BBC Radio and BBC Sport website with further coverage on Red Button, Connected TVs and app. Click for more details

Ivan Lendl is a great person to have on the team when expectations start to build around me because he’s been through the same experience himself.

The year I won Wimbledon, I was seeded to meet Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-finals and Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal in the semi-finals, but they all went out early.

I remember that made it hard in terms of everyone focusing on me from early in the tournament and I spoke with Ivan about it at the time, because it’s an extra thing to deal with.

The difference between this year and 2013 is those players were all in my section of the draw, and so their losses had quite a direct effect, whereas Novak Djokovic losing on Saturday won’t have any bearing on me at all unless I reach the final.

I couldn’t help but notice the noise from the crowd when Novak’s score flashed up on the Centre Court scoreboard, but I only thought about it for a few seconds. It doesn’t guarantee anything.

The players left in my section of the draw are still formidable.

You’ve got Nick Kyrgios, who’s beaten Rafa on Centre Court before; Feli Lopez, who’s a very good grass-courter; Tsonga is one of the best grass-court players in the world; not many players want to play John Isner; Richard Gasquet’s still in there and he made the semis last year.

There are some pretty decent players left in my way, so I’m not getting carried away.

‘We had a group chat and made a plan’

I don’t have a weather app on my phone but a couple of the guys in my team do, and it’s fair to say they’ve been checking them pretty regularly over the past week.

A British summer like this one can be a nightmare for spectators, organisers and players.

We tend to speak to the tour managers regularly on days when there is rain around to find out what the plan is, when the matches will start and what the outlook is, because they often have the best forecasts.

Some players are pushier than others about constantly trying to get updates – I personally don’t.

The coaches will sometimes try to get a heads up to find out what time you’re going to play, but I tend to talk to the guys on my team.

It can be tricky when the schedule doesn’t come out until late because if you’re scheduled to play at 11am, for example, you might want to go to bed at 10.30pm as you’re getting up early.

When you get your schedule you have to plan out your day – what time you get up, what you’re going to eat, when you’re going to practise and then chat about the match with your team.

I went on at 2.30pm on Saturday, so for me it wasn’t much of an issue.

I got a message past 10pm the night before saying I was second on Centre Court, so we just had a group chat where everyone messaged each other, made a plan and then spoke about the match the following morning.

‘Delayed matches can be mentally tiring’

You can make requests around when and where you play – I normally have one match on court one each year, so this time I asked to play there in the second round, but obviously it’s up to the organisers to decide.

It’s obviously an advantage to play on Centre Court at Wimbledon because the roof means you know your match is going to get finished, whatever the weather.

I personally prefer playing outdoors, but on a rainy day like Saturday I’m in a position where I got through to the fourth round and don’t have to worry about coming back and finishing.

That will be the case for my next opponent, with Nick and Feli unable to finish on Saturday, and mentally that can be tiring.

I experienced it at the French Open against Radek Stepanek when I was two sets down and had to finish the next day. It was a stressful situation – but more mentally than physically taxing.

Whichever of them gets through, I’m sure they will be physically fine and in confident mood for our match on Monday.

Andy Murray was talking to BBC Sport’s Piers Newbery.

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Against Doubles Partner, Mahut Breaks Through At Wimbledon

  • Posted: Jul 03, 2016

Against Doubles Partner, Mahut Breaks Through At Wimbledon

Jul022016

The four-time titlist makes the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time

Before Saturday, Nicolas Mahut’s 17-year career had seen him win four ATP World Tour singles titles – all on grass – and 15 tour-level doubles titles, including three consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments earlier this season.

He and doubles partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert, a fellow Frenchman, also have enjoyed success at Grand Slams, winning the 2015 US Open. But before Saturday, Mahut had never reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam championship in singles. The 34 year old had reached the third round of a Grand Slam four previous times – 2006 Wimbledon (l. to Federer), 2012 Australian Open (l. to Djokovic), 2012 and 2015 Roland Garros (l. to Federer; l. to Simon).

On Saturday, his luck changed but it came at his partner’s expense: Mahut moved into the fourth round with a 7-6(5), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Herbert, who also was bidding to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam championship for the first time in singles.

Both players sought to use their serve-and-volley skills that have been honed through hundreds of doubles matches. Mahut, No. 51 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, approached the net 44 times, winning almost 60 per cent of his chances. Herbert, No. 81 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, was even more aggressive and had more success, winning 67 per cent of his net points (32/48).

The 25-year-old Herbert likely will have more chances to reach the latter stages of a Grand Slam. This fortnight marked his third Wimbledon and his seventh Grand Slam championship as a singles player. Mahut, on the other hand, is playing in his 10th Wimbledon and his 42nd Grand Slam championship as a singles player.

He’ll next face American Sam Querrey, who toppled top seed Novak Djokovic on Saturday 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5).

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Pouille Leading del Potro At Wimbledon; Zverev Advances

  • Posted: Jul 03, 2016

Pouille Leading del Potro At Wimbledon; Zverev Advances

Jul022016

Zverev set to face Berdych on Sunday

Lucas Pouille is a set away from extending his best Grand Slam run and ending Juan Martin del Potro’s comeback tour at The Championships. Pouille, the No. 32 seed, leads their third-round match 6-7(4), 7-6(8), 7-5 after two hours and 25 minutes on Saturday evening, when play was suspended because of darkness.

Both players held serve prior to del Potro snagging the first-set tie-break. The Argentine went up a break in the second, before Pouille broke back to force another tie-break. The 22 year old then broke del Potro at 5-6 to go up two sets to one.

Pouille’s previous best result at a Grand Slam championship was the second round at Roland Garros (2013, 2016). Their match will resume on Sunday, along with five other men’s singles matches. Play on “Middle Sunday” has taken place only three other times in Wimbledon’s 139-year history: 1991, 1997 and 2004.

The winner of the Pouille vs. del Potro match will face 19th seed Bernard Tomic, who swept Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. The Aussie won 69 per cent of his service points and saved all four break points, while breaking Bautista Agut four times. Tomic looks to match his best showing at Wimbledon, a quarter-finals appearance in 2011. 

“I knew my game had to be attack from the start, focus on my serve,” Tomic said. “I think I had to play that way. Otherwise I would have played a long match, and it’s something I didn’t want to do… I think today just showed how good I can actually play on grass.”

German Alexander Zverev, a member of the ATP’s Next Generation, outlasted Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 to match his best showing at a Grand Slam championship. The 19 year old also reached the third round at Roland Garros earlier this season. On Sunday, Zverev, the 24th seed, will face 10th seed Tomas Berdych, who eased past Benjamin Becker 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Zverev, who’s lost their three prior FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings. “We always have tough matches.”

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Raonic, Goffin Into Wimbledon Last 16

  • Posted: Jul 03, 2016

Raonic, Goffin Into Wimbledon Last 16

Jul022016

Gasquet vs Ramos-Vinolas, Isner vs Gasquet to return Sunday

Sixth seed Milos Raonic will challenge No. 11 seed David Goffin in the fourth round of The Championships on Monday.

Raonic, who advanced to the 2014 Wimbledon semi-finals (l. to Federer), knocked out No. 27 seed Jack Sock 7-6(2), 6-4, 7-6(1) on Saturday in a match that finished at 8:42 p.m. local time.

“I think I created quite a few chances there [on his serve] towards the third set,” said Raonic. “I played way too passive on pretty much all of them. On one of them, he had an incredible forehand cross‑court. I’m happy with the way I was able to get it done in three sets and move on and give myself another challenge looking forward.”

In a close first set, Raonic won four of the first six points in the tie-break and secured a service break in the seventh game of the second set. With his 34th victory of the year in sight, Raonic played a near perfect third-set tie-break to wrap-up the day’s play on Centre Court.

Raonic recorded his eighth straight win in nine FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings over Sock. The Canadian also won their 2014 Wimbledon second-round meeting 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Goffin reached the fourth round for the second successive year with a 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 victory over World No. 116 Denis Istomin. It was his 25th match win at the four Grand Slam championships.

“I’m feeling a little bit tired,” said Goffin. “The last two days have been tough with the rain. It’s tough to wait in the locker room. You try to eat, you try to stay calm, and you never know when you’re going to go on court and stuff. It’s tough. But, at the end, I’m really happy to get through to the fourth round for the second time here.”

You May Also Like: Murray Overcomes Millman At Wimbledon

Elsewhere, seventh seed Richard Gasquet will sleep on a 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 lead against Albert Ramos-Vinolas after bad light stopped play at the All England Club. Gasquet’s compatriot, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the No. 12 seed, saved two break points at 5-5 in the third set to prolong his clash with No. 18 seed John Isner to Sunday. Isner led 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-7(5) when play was suspended at 9:20 p.m.

There will be play on the Middle Sunday at Wimbledon for only the fourth time, after 1991, 1997 and 2004. The grass-court major’s seventh day is traditionally a rest day.

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