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Wimbledon 2016: Marcus Willis produces a shock as Novak Djokovic wins through

  • Posted: Jun 27, 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

Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached round two of Wimbledon as Great Britain’s world number 772 Marcus Willis stole the headlines on day one.

The qualifier stunned world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, earning £50,000 in the process having won £220 all year.

Willis, 25, faces seven-time champion Roger Federer, who beat Guido Pella.

Dan Evans overcame Jan-Lennard Struff in four sets and Britain is guaranteed three men in round two as Andy Murray faces Liam Broady on Tuesday.

British number one Johanna Konta is also in action on day two, when women’s top seed Serena Williams starts her defence of the title on Centre Court against Swiss Amra Sadikovic at 13:00 BST.

  • Day Two: Order of play

Big names survive (so far)

American Kevin Anderson, seeded 20, and Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, seeded 21, were the best-ranked players to go out on day one.

Djokovic – seeking a calendar Grand Slam having already won the Australian and French Open titles this year – produced 21 unforced errors but was in no mood for an upset as he overcame Britain’s James Ward in straight sets on Centre Court.

The Serb has not lost at a Grand Slam since his defeat by Stan Wawrinka in last year’s French Open final, a run of 29 matches.

There were also wins for David Ferrer, Marin Cilic and David Goffin in Djokovic’s half of the draw, while sixth seed Milos Ranoic served 27 aces to advance in straight sets.

Fifth seed Kei Nishikori faced a 142mph serve – the fastest of day one – from Australian Sam Groth but won through 6-4 6-3 7-5.

Willis, meanwhile, becomes the lowest-ranked player to reach round two since 1998, courtesy of his 6-3 6-3 6-4 win. He took advantage of Berankis’ missed opportunities, as the Lithuanian converted just one of 20 break points.

Another Williams record

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza provided an early show of grit on day one as she faced a tough test against Italy’s Camila Giorgi before progressing 6-2 5-7 6-4.

The number two seed is in the same half of the draw as five-time champion Venus Williams, who equalled Amy Frazier’s record of appearing in 71 Grand Slams as she overcame Croatia’s Donna Vekic in straight sets.

Williams, 36, has not won a Grand Slam singles title since 2008 – in which time her sister Serena has secured 13.

The 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic was the first notable scalp in the ladies’ draw, citing an injured wrist after defeat by 21-year-old qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova, who hit 19 winners.

Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, a finalist in 2013, blasted nine aces – including three in a 52-second opening game – to beat Poland’s Magda Linette.

British number ones enter the fray

Britain’s best ranked woman Konta arrives at SW19 as the 16th seed, having reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January.

Fresh from becoming the first British woman to reach the semi-finals of Eastbourne’s Aegon International since 1976, she faces Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig, whose appearance in the last four at Eastbourne was her second grass-court semi-final of the summer.

On paper, Murray’s draw against the world number 235 looks more straightforward, although Broady has been seen hitting with high-profile names such as Raonic and the Canadian’s coach John McEnroe this week.

“It’s an opportunity for him to play on one of the biggest courts in the world with a huge audience and try to cause an upset,” said Murray, champion in 2013.

There will be added scrutiny of world number two Murray as he embarks on his first Grand Slam since reuniting with coach Ivan Lendl, who formed part of his camp when he won his two majors.

More British interest

In all there are seven British players in action on day two.

Wildcard Katie Swan, 17, will hope to upset Hungarian Timea Babos, Heather Watson takes on Germany’s Annika Beck, Tara Moore plays Belgian Alison van Uytvanck, and British men’s number two Aljaz Bedene faces French seventh seed Richard Gasquet.

Away from the home interest, Swiss fourth seed Stan Wawrinka plays American 18-year-old Taylor Fritz, while Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios faces a fascinating contest against 37-year-old Czech Radek Stepanek.

In the women’s draw, third seed Agnieszka Radwanska plays Ukraine’s Kateryna Kozlova and two-time former champion Petra Kvitova faces Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

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Djokovic beats Ward at Wimbledon – highlights & men's round-up

  • Posted: Jun 27, 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

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both made serene progress to the second round of Wimbledon with straight-set wins on the opening day.

Defending champion Djokovic – trying to win a calendar Grand Slam – beat Briton James Ward 6-0 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.

Third seed Federer, troubled by injury problems this year, saw off Argentina’s Guido Pella 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

The Swiss will next play British qualifier Marcus Willis, who stunned world number 54 Ricardas Berankis.

Federer, without a Grand Slam title since winning at SW19 in 2012, was below his best but beat the world number 52 in two hours and five minutes.

Nice to be back – Federer

Seven-time champion Federer, who missed last month’s French Open because of a back injury, said it was “nice to be back”.

“I felt great,” he told BBC Sport. “I’m so happy to be here. I have worked hard since February to be here and hoped not to miss Wimbledon and to be here fully fit so we will see if I am.”

The Swiss added he was “intrigued” by the progress of Briton Willis, the world number 772.

“It is what our sport needs, where guys come from nowhere,” said the 17-time Grand Slam champion.

“We have had a hard time producing those players and I am really looking forward to playing him – couldn’t be more excited.”

‘Flawless first nine games’

In the first match on Centre Court, Djokovic – searching for his fourth SW19 title – took the first nine games but Ward fought back in the second set, finally getting on the scoreboard in the 10th game, much to the delight of the partisan crowd.

But Djokovic – who holds all four Grand Slam titles – showed his class and big-game experience to advance.

“James was serving with a lot of precision and it was not easy to break his serve,” the 29-year-old told BBC Sport.

“There is not really not much to say about the first nine games – it was flawless.

“I felt great and nerves kicked in for James. He started playing better in the second set and it got close – it was solid performance from me, though.

“This is probably the most unique experience in tennis, playing as the defending champion, on untouched grass. It is really special to feel this tradition.”

McEnroe’s positivity surprises Raonic

In front of new coach John McEnroe, sixth seed Milos Raonic overcame Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-4.

“John is one of the more positive people, especially a contrast to the way he might have been on court,” said the Canadian.

“He’s very persistent in enforcing the positive things you do well. I think he shows that. It’s good to have him here and that he has made the time possible.”

Fifth seed Kei Nishikori needed a medical timeout but overcame big-serving Australian Sam Groth 6-4 6-3 7-5 in two hours and 10 minutes.

In for the long haul

Sam Querrey was involved in an opening-round match against Czech Lukas Rosol that lasted three hours and 21 minutes. The American, seeded 28th, won 12-10 in the final set.

Querrey had lost the first two sets on tie-breaks but won the next two 6-4 6-2 to force the epic decider.

It was nowhere near the record set by John Isner and Nicolas Mahut in 2010, won 70-68 in the final set by Isner after 11 hours and five minutes of play over three days.

Celeb spotting – Sam Smith, Alfie Allen

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Wimbledon order of play – who plays when?

  • Posted: Jun 27, 2016

All England Lawn Tennis Championships | Wimbledon, England

Tuesday, 28 June 2016

Centre Court (13:00 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
1 S Williams (US) v Sadikovic (Swi) Women’s Singles
Broady (GB) v A Murray (GB) 2 Men’s Singles
Wozniacki (Den) v Kuznetsova (Rus) 13 Women’s Singles

No.1 Court (13:00 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Fritz (US) v Wawrinka (Swi) 4 Men’s Singles
Puig (Pur) v Konta (GB) 16 Women’s Singles
10 Kvitova (Cze) v Cirstea (Rom) Women’s Singles

No.2 Court (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
15 Kyrgios (Aus) v Stepanek (Cze) Men’s Singles
Verdasco (Spa) v Tomic (Aus) 19 Men’s Singles
3 A Radwanska (Pol) v Kozlova (Ukr) Women’s Singles
Watson (GB) v Beck (Ger) Women’s Singles

No.3 Court (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
7 Gasquet (Fra) v Bedene (GB) Men’s Singles
Riske (US) v Vinci (Ita) 6 Women’s Singles
8 Thiem (Aut) v Mayer (Ger) Men’s Singles
11 Bacsinszky (Swi) v Kumkhum (Tha) Women’s Singles

Court 4 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Millman (Aus) v Montanes (Spa) Men’s Singles
Parmentier (Fra) v Siniakova (Cze) Women’s Singles
Zeballos (Arg) v Youzhny (Rus) Men’s Singles

Court 5 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Tursunov (Rus) v Sousa (Por) 31 Men’s Singles
Hsieh (Tpe) v Pavlyuchenkova (Rus) 21 Women’s Singles
32 Pouille (Fra) v Copil (Rom) Men’s Singles

Court 6 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Pospisil (Can) v Ramos-Vinolas (Spa) Men’s Singles
Buyukakcay (Tur) v Garcia (Fra) 30 Women’s Singles
Young (US) v Mayer (Arg) Men’s Singles

Court 7 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Lamasine (Fra) v Troicki (Ser) 25 Men’s Singles
Ram (US) v Lopez (Spa) 22 Men’s Singles
Rodina (Rus) v Tsurenko (Ukr) Women’s Singles

Court 8 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Gavrilova (Aus) v Wang (Chn) Women’s Singles
Becker (Ger) v Bagnis (Arg) Men’s Singles
Moore (GB) v Van Uytvanck (Bel) Women’s Singles
Niculescu (Rom) v Krunic (Ser) Women’s Singles

Court 9 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Saville (Aus) v Novikov (US) Men’s Singles
14 Bautista Agut (Spa) v Thompson (Aus) Men’s Singles
Boserup (US) v Maria (Ger) Women’s Singles

Court 10 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Lu (Tpe) v Kudryavtsev (Rus) Men’s Singles
Vesnina (Rus) v Paszek (Aut) Women’s Singles
Olivetti (Fra) v Barton (Aus) Men’s Singles

Court 11 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
26 Paire (Fra) v Skugor (Cro) Men’s Singles
Giraldo (Col) v Muller (Lux) Men’s Singles
Delbonis (Arg) v Fognini (Ita) Men’s Singles
Makarova (Rus) v Larsson (Swe) Women’s Singles

Court 12 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Cervantes (Spa) v Tsonga (Fra) 12 Men’s Singles
Robert (Fra) v Del Potro (Arg) Men’s Singles
Bouchard (Can) v Rybarikova (Svk) Women’s Singles
Sasnovich (Blr) v Mladenovic (Fra) 31 Women’s Singles

Court 14 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
McHale (US) v Hantuchova (Svk) Women’s Singles
Putintseva (Kaz) v Melnikova (Rus) Women’s Singles
Vesely (Cze) v Sijsling (Ned) Men’s Singles

Court 15 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Pliskova (Cze) v Duan (Chn) Women’s Singles
Kukushkin (Kaz) v Klizan (Svk) Men’s Singles
Knapp (Ita) v Konjuh (Cro) Women’s Singles

Court 16 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Lajovic (Ser) v Brown (Ger) Men’s Singles
Swan (GB) v Babos (Hun) Women’s Singles
24 Zverev (Ger) v Mathieu (Fra) Men’s Singles

Court 17 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Daniel (Jpn) v Monaco (Arg) Men’s Singles
32 Petkovic (Ger) v Hibino (Jpn) Women’s Singles
27 Vandeweghe (US) v Bondarenko (Ukr) Women’s Singles

Court 18 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
19 Cibulkova (Svk) v Lucic-Baroni (Cro) Women’s Singles
Dodig (Cro) v Berdych (Cze) 10 Men’s Singles
18 Isner (US) v Baghdatis (Cyp) Men’s Singles
18 Stephens (US) v Peng (Chn) Women’s Singles

Court 19 (11:30 UK start)

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Granollers (Spa) v Estrella Burgos (Dom) Men’s Singles
Elias (Por) v Albot (Mda) Men’s Singles
Minella (Lux) v Tatishvili (US) Women’s Singles

To Be Arranged

Seed Player Player Seed Competition
Pironkova (Bul) v Bencic (Swi) 7 Women’s Singles
Kontaveit (Est) v Strycova (Cze) 24 Women’s Singles

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Cilic Advances To Second Round At Wimbledon

  • Posted: Jun 27, 2016

Cilic Advances To Second Round At Wimbledon

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Wimbledon 2016: Garbine Muguruza beats Camila Giorgi as Venus Williams equals a record

  • Posted: Jun 27, 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

French Open champion and 2015 Wimbledon runner-up Garbine Muguruza won a tense contest against Italy’s Camila Giorgi to reach round two at SW19.

After taking the first set 6-2, the number two seed could not dominate and took just four of 19 break points.

World number 67 Giorgi levelled but in game three of the decider, Muguruza won six break points and eventually took one, going on to win 6-2 5-7 6-4.

“It was very tough,” said Muguruza, who faces Slovakian Jana Cepelova next.

“I like to play tough matches, it puts me more into the tournament and gives me more confidence.”

Giorgi – considered by many to be better than her ranking suggests – was left to rue 42 unforced errors, 12 more than the world number two, who despite her lofty ranking, has only twice progressed past the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam.

Venus closes in on Grand Slam record

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams equalled the record number of appearances at a Grand Slam as she survived an early scare.

The 36-year-old saved two set points when 6-5 down to Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the first set before taking a tie-break, going on to win 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.

The world number eight now has 71 Grand Slam appearances, equalling American Amy Frazier’s record set in 2006.

Williams is in the same half of the draw as Muguruza but now faces world number 115 Maria Sakkari of Greece in round two.

Sakkari took one hour and 22 minutes to see off China’s SaiSai Zheng, almost half an hour less than Williams required to progress in one hour 51 minutes.

“The first set there were some hairy moments, down some set points, but I guess that’s where experience sets in,” said Williams, playing in her 19th Wimbledon.

This was Williams’ first match on grass this year and though she did not hit top gear throughout, she showed killer instinct to hold serve under pressure to take a 5-4 second-set lead before pressing her opponent into a decisive break.

Blistering Lisicki

Germany’s Sabine Lisicki, who holds the fastest ever women’s serve at 131mph, took just 59 minutes to beat American Shelby Rogers, hammering nine aces at a top speed of 122mph.

Lisicki took just 52 seconds to win the opening game – which included three aces – and her reward is a meeting with 14 seed Sam Stosur, who beat Poland’s Magda Linette 7-5 6-3.

Lisicki’s brilliance on serve was partially matched by American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who produced more aces than any woman on day one with 11. But nine double faults – another day one high in the ladies’ draw – meant she still lost in three sets to Lucie Safarova.

Ivanovic pain prompts qualifier joy

The 23rd seed and 2008 French Open winner Ana Ivanovic could not cope with the pressure applied by Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia.

The 21-year-old qualifier was making her Grand Slam debut but defied her world ranking of 228 to hit 19 winners and take four out of five break points over the course of two sets.

Ivanovic, who reached the semi-finals at SW19 in 2007, apportioned some blame to a wrist injury. “It caused me a lot of miss hits,” she said.

Ninth seed Madison Keys, winner of the Aegon Classic earlier this month, did not suffer the same upset as Ivanovic, showing good touch in seeing off Laura Siegemund 6-3 6-1 as she looks to improve on a place in the quarter finals last year.

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Willis Pinching Himself Ahead Of Wimbledon 2016 Debut

  • Posted: Jun 27, 2016

Willis Pinching Himself Ahead Of Wimbledon 2016 Debut

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Wimbledon 2016: Kyle Edmund loses in first round to Adrian Mannarino

  • Posted: Jun 27, 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

Kyle Edmund was the first Briton to be knocked out on day one of Wimbledon after a straight-sets defeat by France’s Adrian Mannarino.

The British number three, 21, lost 6-2 7-5 6-4 in two hours and two minutes to the world number 55.

Defeat means the Yorkshireman is still searching for his maiden win in the men’s singles at Wimbledon.

Eight other Britons – including former British number one Laura Robson – are also playing on the opening day.

Edmund had the honour of being the first home player to walk out on to court, but was unable to provide a winning start for a partisan crowd on Court Two.

Ranked 13 places below his opponent, he lost his serve early in the first set and never recovered in an edgy display.

Mannarino, who reached the last 16 here in 2013, broke again in the opening game of the second set, before Edmund finally started to cause the French number nine some problems with his crunching forehands.

There was a brief glimmer of hope for Edmund when he broke back for 5-5, only to instantly lose the next game and allow Mannarino to serve out for the second.

That meant Edmund had to do something that he had never previously done – to fight back from two sets down and win in five.

But another slow start in the third set left him scrambling.

Mannarino, 27, broke in the opening game and, although Edmund recovered that three games later, the Briton slipped up again to go 5-4 down.

And the left-handed Frenchman clinched a place in the second round for the fifth time with a clinical hold to love.

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Djokovic Set To Defend Wimbledon Title

  • Posted: Jun 27, 2016

Djokovic Set To Defend Wimbledon Title

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week on the ATP World Tour

NOVAK EYES CALENDAR SLAM – Novak Djokovic is the first man to win four consecutive Grand Slam singles titles since Rod Laver won a calendar Grand Slam in 1969 (also in 1962). Now the World No. 1 is halfway to matching Laver’s feat from 47 years ago. The 29-year-old Serb became the eighth man to win a career Grand Slam as he lifted the Roland Garros trophy on June 5 in his 12th appearance in Paris. Djokovic enters Wimbledon on a 28-match Grand Slam tournament winning streak. He’s trying to become the first man to win five Grand Slam events in a row since Don Budge won a record six straight from 1937 Wimbledon to 1938 US Championships. 

BIG FOUR DOMINATION –The Big 4 of Djokovic, Murray, Federer, and Nadal have combined to win 41 of the past 45 Grand Slam titles, with the only exceptions being the 2009 US Open  (del Potro), 2014 Australian Open and 2015 Roland Garros (Wawrinka) and 2014 US Open (Cilic). During the current stretch, Nadal has won 14 titles, Federer 13, Djokovic 12 and Murray two. The last Wimbledon champion other than one of the Big Four was then-No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in 2002. The foursome also have accounted for 52 of the past 56 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles (since ’10 Monte-Carlo).

TOP FOUR SEEDS TITLE HOLDERS – The last time a player seeded outside of the Top 4 won the Wimbledon title was in 2001 when No. 125th-ranked Goran Ivanisevic took advantage of a wild card opportunity to defeat Patrick Rafter in a five-set Monday final. This is the longest current stretch of Top 4 titles of any Grand Slam tournament. Since 2002, when No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt won the title, four other players have won the Wimbledon crown – Federer (seven times), Djokovic (three times), Nadal (twice) and Andy Murray (once).  In fact, only seven players in the Open Era (since 1968) not seeded among the Top 4 have won the title.

TOP SEED/REIGNING CHAMP – Djokovic is the No. 1 seed for the fifth straight year at Wimbledon. Last year, he defeated Federer in four sets to win his third title at the All England Club. The 29-year-old Serb also won the Wimbledon crown in 2011 and 2014. Djokovic has a 52-8 record at the All England Club and has advanced to the semi-finals or better the past six years. He also was runner-up in 2013. He is coming off his first title at Roland Garros (d. Murray). Djokovic is the first player seeded No. 1 for five consecutive years at Wimbledon since Federer from 2004-08. At the start of the tournament, Djokovic has been No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for 104 consecutive weeks, 205 overall. He has held No. 1 every week since July 7, 2014.

ROLAND GARROS-WIMBLEDON SWEEP – Djokovic is the first player to win Australian Open and Roland Garros titles in the same year since Jim Courier in 1992. He will attempt to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles in the same year. The others to accomplish the feat are: Rod Laver in 1969, Bjorn Borg in 1978-79-80, Nadal in 2008 and 2010 and Federer in 2009.

WEEKS AT NO. 1 – Djokovic is fifth on the overall weeks at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and fourth on the consecutive weeks at No. 1 list.

THE KING OF GRASS – Federer has an Open Era record 15 grass court titles (15-6 in finals) and the best winning percentage on grass with a career record of 147-22 (.870). He’s won at least one grass court title in 11 of the past 14 years (except 2010-11, ‘16). In 2007, he became the second player (Bjorn Borg) in the Open Era to capture five consecutive Wimbledon titles. Federer’s 40-match unbeaten streak at Wimbledon ended to Nadal in 2008. Borg won a record 41 matches in a row at the All England Club (five titles from 1976-80 before losing in ‘81 final to McEnroe). Prior to Federer’s winning streak, he had a 16-11 career record on grass from 1999-2002. Since 2003, he is 131-11 on grass. He comes into Wimbledon with a 16-6 match record on the season (5-2 on grass) and without at least one ATP World Tour title for the first time since 2000. The 34-year-old Swiss native’s best result is a runner-up in the opening week of the season in Brisbane (l. to Raonic). In 2012, Federer won his record-tying seventh Wimbledon title, defeating Murray. Federer tied Pete Sampras and William Renshaw for the most singles titles at the All England Club. At 30, Federer became the oldest singles champion since Arthur Ashe (31) in 1975. Federer is making his 18th straight appearance at Wimbledon and he’s reached the quarter-finals or better in 12 of the past 13 years. This is the 14th straight year he’s a Top 4 seed.

MURRAY ON A ROLL – Murray comes into Wimbledon with a 33-6 match record on the season and he’s won 16 of his past 17 matches, winning ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (d. Djokovic), reaching the final at Roland Garros (l. to Djokovic), his 10th in a Grand Slam tournament, and capturing a record fifth title at Queen’s Club (d. Raonic). The 2013 Wimbledon champion compiled an 18-3 match record on clay. Since the beginning of 2011, Murray has advanced to the quarter-finals or better in 20 of his past 21 Grand Slam tournaments (’15 US Open, 4R) played (DNP ’13 Roland Garros). This is the second time Murray comes into Wimbledon as the No. 2 seed. Three years ago, Murray came in as the No. 2 seed, the highest by a British man since Bunny Austin was No. 1 in 1939. He defeated Djokovic in the final to become the first British man to win the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry in 1936.

LOPEZ ACTIVE SLAM STREAK LEADER – Federer’s record of 65 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments played ended with his withdrawal at Roland Garros. Federer’s streak began at the 2000 Australian Open. There are seven other players in the Top 10 longest consecutive Grand Slam tournaments played, led by current leader Feliciano Lopez (58). The other active players with 50+ current streaks: Fernando Verdasco (53) and Tomas Berdych (52).  Here is a look at the Top 10 longest streaks in the Open Era and active players in draw.

+ denotes active streak including Wimbledon

Rank

Player

Consecutive Grand Slam Tourn. Played

1

Roger Federer

65 (2000 US Open-2016 Australian Open)

2

Feliciano Lopez

58+ (2002 Roland Garros-2016 Wimbledon)

3

Wayne Ferreira

56 (1991 Aus. Open-2004 US Open)

4

Stefan Edberg

54 (1983 Wimbledon-1996 US Open)

5

Fernando Verdasco

53+ (2003 Wimbledon-2016 Wimbledon)

6

Tomas Berdych

52+ (2003 US Open-2016 Wimbledon)

7

David Ferrer

50 (2003 Australian Open-2015 Roland Garros)

8

Novak Djokovic

47+ (2005 US Open-2016 Wimbledon)

 

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez

47+ (2005 US Open-2016 Wimbledon)

10

Fabrice Santoro

46 (1998 US Open-2010 Australian Open)

 

Stan Wawrinka

46+ (2005 Roland Garros-2016 Wimbledon)


NEXT GENERATION FINALISTS
– Three teenagers have reached ATP World Tour finals this season: Borna Coric (in Chennai, Marrakech), Taylor Fritz (Memphis) and Alexander Zverev (Nice, Halle). Nick Kyrgios won his maiden ATP World Tour title in Marseille in February.

ZVEREV ON THE RISE – No. 24 seed Alexander Zverev, at 19 years, 2 months, is the youngest of the 32 seeds in the main draw. Zverev has compiled a 27-15 match record this season, reaching two finals (Nice, Halle) and two other semi-finals (Montpellier, Munich). He posted his first career Top 10 win over No. 3 Federer in the semi-finals of Halle. He is the youngest seed at Wimbledon since No. 4 Nadal and No. 27 Richard Gasquet in 2005.

THIEM WINS LEADER – The youngest member of the Top 10 Emirates ATP Rankings is 22-year-old Austrian Dominic Thiem, who leads the ATP World Tour with 47 match wins. The No. 8-ranked Thiem is the only player to win titles on all three surfaces this season (clay, grass, hard). His four titles is the second-most on the ATP World Tour behind Djokovic (six).

DEL POTRO RETURNS – Former World No. 4 Juan Martin del Potro returns to Wimbledon for the first time since 2013 when he reached the semi-finals (l. to Djokovic in five sets). The 27-year-old Argentine has an 11-7 match record on the season and is No. 164 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. His career record at the All England Club is 14-6.

HEALTHY FIELD  – As of June 24, there were three main draw withdrawals from the 104 direct acceptances: Thanasi Kokkinakis (shoulder), Rafael Nadal (wrist) and Tommy Robredo (elbow).

30-OVER CHAMPIONS – Federer, who won Wimbledon in 2012 at 30 years, 335 days, is looking to become the fifth player in the Open Era to win two or more Grand Slams titles after turning 30. Andre Agassi was the last man to achieve the feat, winning the Australian Open in 2001 and in 2003 (at 32 years, 272 days). There are a Wimbledon record 49 players aged 30 or over in the main draw. Here are the players to win at least two Slam singles titles after turning 30:

                  Player

GS Titles Won 30 & Over

                                                                   Years

Rod Laver

4

1969 Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open

Ken Rosewall

4

1968 Roland Garros, 1970 US Open, 1971-72 Australian Open

Andre Agassi

2

2001, ’03 Australian Open

Jimmy Connors

2

1982-83 US Open

LEAD-UP UP TO WIMBLEDON TITLE – In seven of the past 14 years, the Wimbledon champion came into the tournament having won a title in one of the pre-Wimbledon ATP World Tour grass court events: Andy Murray (2013 Queen’s), Rafael Nadal (2008 Queen’s), Roger Federer (2003-06 Halle) and Lleyton Hewitt (2002 Queen’s). In the Open Era (since 1968), only seven different players (14 times) have won the Wimbledon title without playing a warm-up tournament on grass, including Djokovic in 2011 and in the past two years. Bjorn Borg won all five of his Wimbledon titles straight off his Roland Garros success.

GRAND SLAM MATCH WINS LEADERS – Federer is the all-time match wins leader (302) in Grand Slam history while Djokovic is No. 5 with 221 wins and Nadal is No. 8 with 200 wins.

FRENCHMEN LEAD DOUBLES DRAW – The top seeds are the French duo of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, who are No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings. Herbert and Mahut come in with a 23-4 match record on the season. They are coming off a repeat title effort at The Queen’s Club. They won the first three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo. The No. 2 seeds are three-time (2007, ’11, ’13) Wimbledon doubles champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, who are making their 18th straight appearance (66-14 record). They are also four-time finalists (2005, ’07, ’09, ‘14). The Bryans lead the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings – The defending champions are No. 4 seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau. They captured their first Grand Slam crown together (d. J. Murray/Peers). Here is a look at Top 8 seeded teams:

1) Pierre-Hugues Herbert & Nicolas Mahut

2) Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan

3) Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares

4) Jean-Julien Rojer & Horia Tecau

5) Ivan Dodig & Marcelo Melo

6) Rohan Bopanna & Florin Mergea

7) Lukasz Kubot & Alexander Peya

8) Vasek Pospisil & Jack Sock

22 DIFFERENT CHAMPIONS – In the past 11 Grand Slam tournaments, there have been 11 different teams and 22 different players win a title. Here is a look at the different winners going back to 2013 US Open:

2016 Roland Garros – Feliciano Lopez & Marc Lopez

2016 Australian Open – Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares           

2015 US Open – Pierre-Hugues Herbert & Nicolas Mahut

2015 Wimbledon – Jean-Julien Rojer & Horia Tecau

2015 Roland Garros – Ivan Dodig & Marcelo Melo

2015 Australian Open – Simone Bolelli & Fabrio Fognini                   

2014 US Open – Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan

2014 Wimbledon – Vasek Pospisil & Jack Sock

2014 Roland Garros – Julien Benneteau & E. Roger-Vasselin

2014 Australian Open – Lukasz Kubot & Robert Lindstedt

2013 US Open – Leander Paes & Radek Stepanek

In Case You Missed It

Steve Johnson claimed his maiden ATP World Tour title at the Aegon Open Nottingham. Read

Daniel Nestor earned his 89th tour-level doubles title with the help of new partner Dominic Inglot. Read

Roger Federer sees Wimbledon as a potential turning point for his 2016 season. Read

Nick Kyrgios believes he’ll have his work cut out for him at Wimbledon. Read

Kei Nishikori will attempt to make the best out of a short run-up to SW19. Read

Milestone Watch

A look at the players approaching career milestones:

– Fernando Verdasco is three singles match wins away from 450 in his career

– Julien Benneteau is five away from 250 singles match wins

– Julian Knowle is four doubles match wins away from No. 400

– Three more doubles match wins and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi will hit No. 250

– Marc Lopez needs six more doubles match wins to reach No. 250

Rankings Movers

+12 Andreas Seppi (45)

+9 Steve Johnson (29)

+8 Dudi Sela (63)

+4 Daniel Evans (91)

+3 Dustin Brown (85)

+3 Damir Dzumhur (87)

Birthdays

29 June – Adrian Mannarino (28)

30 June – Dusan Lajovic (26)

10 July – Jiri Vesely (23)

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Current Players, Former Greats Help Launch Marin Cilic Foundation

  • Posted: Jun 27, 2016

Current Players, Former Greats Help Launch Marin Cilic Foundation

Croat hopes to use foundation to help expand educational opportunities

Current and former ATP World Tour players helped formally launch the Marin Cilic Foundation on Saturday in London.

World No. 11 David Goffin and fellow Croatian and occasional doubles partner Marin Draganja, along with retired greats Tim Henman, Cilic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic, Ivan Ljubicic, Thomas Johansson and Rainer Schuettler attended the gala. The evening featured a dinner and entertainment from the famous mentalist Danny Blue.

The foundation has been a top priority for the 27-year-old Cilic, who’s won 14 tour-level titles during his 12-year career.

“I was very fortunate in my own life with my own achievements and with my own success… I want to give something back and also give some opportunities for some people and some kids that don’t have as many possibilities to pursue their dreams,” he said.

Cilic, who started the foundation earlier this year, plans to use it to support projects around the world. He has a special focus on giving young people in his native Croatia improved access to education. In Croatia and elsewhere, students in high school often don’t have the ability to attend universities. “The main focus is to try to help kids as much as we can,” Cilic said.

Henman, who rose to No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings during his playing career, said he was happy to support Cilic. “I think when you can appreciate the opportunities that the game has given each and every one of us, then you realise that there’s a lot of other people that are less fortunate,” he said.

Cilic’s countryman Ljubicic, who helps coach Roger Federer now, said players from Croatia can especially empathise with those less fortunate.

“Everybody from our region, we all started with small steps. I would say in a really humble way, we started from really zero, from nothing,” he said. “You always remember those first steps and looking back, of course you want to give back something, and Marin is no different. I am really glad and happy to be invited and to support him in this important moment, and I am sure it’s the beginning of something beautiful and big.”

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