European summer vibes graced the All England Club at long last on another topsy-turvy day from an Australian standpoint, offering three agonising losses and a date with arguably the greatest player of all time.
Elsewhere, yet another top 10 player on the men's side crashed out with Aussie implications, a favourite in the women's draw waves goodbye, and comfortable victories for the main contenders were also on the agenda.
Aussie Results: Alexei Popyrin d. Tomas Martin Etchverry 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 Lucas Pouille d. Thanasi Kokkinakis 2-6, 7-5, 5-2 (retired) Alex de Minaur [9] d. Jaume Munar 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 Francesco Comesana d. Adam Walton 7-5, 1-6, 6-7(12), 6-1, 7-6(8) Marta Kostyuk [18] d. Daria Saville 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4
Grass hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Alexei Popyrin in recent years, but he is on the trend toward rectifying that after reaching his best result at Wimbledon in the third round.
Relying heavily on a powerful all-round game, Popyrin plays his best tennis when he steps into the court and approaches the net compared to a more passive approach from the baseline, making him vulnerable.
Popyrin and Novak Djokovic will meet again at a major in 2024, as the former should carry confidence after pushing the Serb to four incredibly close sets at this years Australian Open.
Two hours and three minutes were required for Alex de Minaur to march into the third round after a routine performance against Jaume Munar - visibly less comfortable than on his natural clay surface. The match should have been wrapped up before the two-hour mark if the Sydneysider held his nerve serving for a place in the next round at 6-5. But a glass-half-full approach points to the impressive mentality displayed by de Minaur to put that disappointment behind him and break straight back - finally sealing the deal. Maybe it is a sign of maturity - a game in which the 25-year-old would drop a set in previous years. Instead, he has yet to drop a set in the opening two rounds despite facing adversity during both encounters.
The headline of a de Minaur-Kokkinakis clash won't become a reality due to a tragic injury.
Five of Thanasi Kokkinakis’ six matches at Grand Slams this year have gone the distance, sadly catching up to him. The 28-year-old was right in the contest, but one slip on the grass can prove damaging - forced to retire 2-5 down in the third with a knee injury with the match at a set a piece.
Scans are pending tomorrow, at this stage looking more severe than what he suffered at Queen’s, picking up the same injury inside the left knee.
Defeats don't get more heartbreaking than what Daria Saville experienced against 18th seed Marta Kostyuk, surrendering a one-set and double break (2-5) lead as well as a match point on her racquet to suffer a crushing blow.
Originally scheduled for yesterday, multiple rain delays allowed Saville an extra 24 hours rest - unable to capitalise on Kostyuk's 15 double faults and susceptible second serves to become the final Aussie woman sent packing.
Saville was reminded that tennis is a sport of inches, as world No.93 Adam Walton learned the hard way on the most prestigious of stages, letting a two sets to one advantage deteriorate and in the deciding 10 point match tie break was a break up at 4-2 and was just two points away from the finishing line at 8-8.
Men's Results: Novak Djokovic [2] d. Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5
Alexander Zverev d. Marcos Giron 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
Grigor Dimitrov [10] d. Shang Juncheng 5-7, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Taylor Fritz [13] d. Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Ben Shelton [14] d. Lloyd Harris 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-7(7)
Holger Rune [15] d. Thiago Seyboth Wild 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Emil Ruusuvuori d. Stefanos Tsitsipas [11] 7-6(6), 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-3
Alejandro Tabilo [24] d. Flavio Cobolli 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 4-6, 4-6, 6-4
Lorenzo Musetti [25] d. Luciano Darderi 6-4, 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4
Denis Shapovalov d. Daniel Altmaier 7-6(3), 6-3, 1-6, 6-7(3), 6-4
Roman Safiullin d. Tomas Machac 6-2, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (LL) d. Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
Cameron Norrie d. Jack Draper [28] 7-6(3), 6-4, 7-6(6)
Quentin Halys d. Karen Khachanov [21] 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 Gaël Monfils d. Stan Wawrinka 7-6(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) Arthur Fils d. Hubert Hurkacz [7] 7-6(2), 6-4, 2-6, 6-6 (retired) For the first time since announcing himself on tour, no one is particularly making a fuss about Novak Djokovic's title chances at Wimbledon. Should that mentality begin to shift?
Albeit against Jacob Fearnley, a British wildcard ranked 277 in the world, the 24-time Grand Slam champion is trying to find his invincibility again after a lean first half of the year by his standards not winning a title, withstanding a late surge on centre court to win in four sets.
Seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz was forced to retire after dropping the opening two sets, which will benefit de Minaur as they were projected to meet deep into the second week.
The shock of the day belonged to 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, once again not looking himself on a surface that has caused him problems in years past going down to Finnish World Number 87 Emil Ruusuvuori who in his 16th attempt reaches the third round of a major for the first time.
Grigor Dimitrov produced a terrific comeback from two sets down to keep his Wimbledon hopes alive for at least another two days.
Women's Results: Iga Swiatek [1] d. Petra Martić 6-4, 6-3
Elena Rybakina [4] d. Laura Siegemund 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Ons Jabeur [10] d. Robin Montgomery 6-1, 7-5
Danielle Collins [11] d. Dalma Gálfi 6-3, 6-4
Jelena Ostapenko [13] d. Daria Snigur 6-3, 6-0 Caroline Wozniacki d. Leylah Fernandez [30] 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
Anna Kalinskaya [17] d. Marie Bouzková 6-4, 6-1
Harriet Dart d. Katie Boulter 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(8)
Liudmila Samsonova [15] d. Elina Avanesyan 6-3, 6-3
Bernarda Pera d. Caroline Garcia [23] 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Elina Svitolina [21] d. Jule Niemeier 6-3, 6-4
Xinyu Wang d. Jessica Pegula [5] 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-1 Madison Keys [12] d. Y.F Wang 6-2, 6-2 Daria Kasatkina [14] d. Yuriko Miyazaki 6-0, 6-0 Beatriz Haddad Maia [20] d. Camila Osorio 3-0 (walkover) Barbora Krejčiková [31] d. Katie Volynets 7-6(6), 7-6(5) Yulia Putinseva d. Katerina Siniaková [27] 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 Paula Badosa d. Brenda Fruhvirtova 6-4, 6-2 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro d. Cristina Bucsa 7-6(1), 6-3
Fifth seed Jessica Pegula was the big casualty of the day on the women's side going down to world number 37, China's Xinyu Wang.
Pegula, arriving with some good grass court form after claiming a title in Berlin two weeks ago, after coming back from injury where she missed the European clay court season, seemed rattled from the get-go as the third set quickly spiralled out of control with her serve acting as a letdown when resilience and consistency were calling.
There were no such troubles for world No.1 Iga Swiatek as she defeated veteran Petra Martić, despite not being as dominant as she has been on the clay.
Two-time finalist Ons Jabeur continues to fly under the radar, adding another favourable result under her belt in a quest to go one better after being runner up the last two years.
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