Key events
40m ago
Krejcikova beats Bartunkova 6-3, 7-5
1h ago
Sabalenka defeats Ostapenko 6-4, 6-4
1h ago
Hurkacz defeats Paul 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-2
2h ago
Daniil Medvedev beaten 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 by Jan-Lennard Struff
3h ago
Jannik Sinner beats Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
3h ago
Djokovic beats Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6
4h ago
Iva Jovich beats Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
5h ago
Pegula beats Bouzas Maneiro 6-1, 6-3
6h ago
Osaka defeats Kasatkina 6-1, 6-3
6h ago
Bencic beats Kalinskaya 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6)
6h ago
Safiullin shocks Fonseca 6-3, 6-3, 6-3!
8h ago
Day four rewind
8h ago
Order of play (all times BST)
8h ago
Preamble
Gauff has held on to her headstart in the third set and now leads 3-2, 30-0 on serve. Apparently Liu was forced to check out of her hotel on Wednesday, having not expected to reach the third round as a qualifier, but her accommodation problems may not be an issue for much longer, because Gauff holds for 4-2 and is pushing on Liu’s serve at 0-40. Liu saved three match points in the second set and must now fend off three break points if she’s to avoid falling a double break down. She succumbs on the first. So Gauff will serve for the match – nearly an hour after she first did – at 6-3, 6-7, 5-2.
Gauff v Liu is one of only two singles matches still taking place as the sun starts to dip: Felix Auger-Aliassime v Michael Zheng is the other, with the third seed FAA currently level at 3-3 in the opening set on Centre Court against the American qualifier who got the better of Britain’s Cameron Norrie in the first round.
And some highlights for you:
Sean Ingle was watching Djokovic’s win earlier:
This hasn’t exactly been flowing tennis, with 23 winners and 40 unforced for Liu, and 15 and 22 for Gauff, with five double faults. But it’s absorbing nonetheless, though Gauff does immediately remove some of the third-set intrigue by breaking Liu to 30 before consolidating for 6-3, 6-7, 2-0.
Gauff and Liu are now into a tie-break. Gauff came within three points of defeat in the breaker in her second-round match, but that was in the third set, this is in the second, and Gauff has the comfort this time of knowing she won the first set.
Liu pulls off a one-two punch for 4-3, and then moves to 5-3 with some courage under fire at the net. Gauff replies with a one-two punch of her own … but Liu lasers a forehand for 6-4 … then chips long on the first set point … before Gauff’s sometimes brittle serve cracks and she double faults on the second SP! Liu takes the tie-break 7-5 and they’re going to a third! Which will be hard for Gauff to accept given she served for the match at 6-3, 5-3 and had three match points on Liu’s serve at 6-3, 5-4.
Updated at 14.23 EDT
Krejcikova beats Bartunkova 6-3, 7-5
It’s all over on court 18, though, where Krejcikova has backed up her second-round win over Mirra Andreeva with victory over her fellow Czech, which became a little more complicated than expected when she was pulled back from 5-2 ahead to 5-5 after missing those three match points, before taking the final two games to get over the line. So the experience of the 30-year-old former Wimbledon champion wins out over the youth of the 20-year-old Bartunkova, and Krejcikova will face another Czech next, Karolina Muchova, who’s just ended the run of the qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 6-2, 7-6.
But let’s hotfoot it back to No 1 Court, because Gauff has advantage on Liu’s serve at 6-3, 5-4, and it’s her second match point. Gauff goes for the drop shot … Liu does the same back … Gauff charges forward and tries to pass Liu … but the qualifier is like an octopus at the net and puts away the volley! And Liu goes on to hold for 5-5, despite a third MP! This match isn’t over yet.
“She’s a really dangerous opponent,” says a smiling Sabalenka. “Last time she smashed me off the court [in Stuttgart last year]. So I’m so happy with the performance and the level.”
She’s then asked what it’s like to face an opponent who hits the ball as hard as she does – “Yeah, it’s really scary!” – and about watching that Nadal documentary. “It’s such an inspiration. I had goosebumps. He said the only thing you can control is your focus and motivation and it’s been in my head ever since. I don’t know if he’s watching, probably not, but thanks! It’s been an inspiration.”
And what of facing Osaka next, in a repeat of their recent French Open blockbuster? “Another aggressive player, very powerful match, and I’m ready to fight and do whatever it takes to get through.”
Sabalenka celebrates her victory against Ostapenko. Photograph: Kin Cheung/APShare
Updated at 14.02 EDT
Sabalenka defeats Ostapenko 6-4, 6-4
Well, well. Gauff promptly falls 0-40 behind. And is broken to love when Liu puts away a smash! That went by in the blink of an eye – but Sabalenka’s service game is more prolonged, but the world No 1 eventually pulls away for 40-30 … and an unreturned serve gets the job done! Impressive from Sabalenka, who puts away a very dangerous opponent. If she keeps this up surely she can go one – or even two – better than her three previous semi-final appearances at Wimbledon. If she’s playing at the top of her game, I think only her nerves – or Elena Rybakina – can beat her.
Ostapenko, with only the spot where she is serving still in the Centre Court sun, foot faults before netting her second serve! It’s the most untimely double fault because it means Sabalenka has her first match point at 30-40. Sabalenka unleashes on the return … but misses! A reprieve for Ostapenko. And Ostapenko grasps it with both hands, bashing her way through the next two points to hold, just as Gauff finally gets the second-set breakthrough against Liu for a 6-3, 5-3 lead. Sabalenka and Gauff will serve for their matches at the same time …
Ostapenko holds. Sabalenka holds. It’s 6-4, 5-3 Sabalenka, with Ostapenko serving to stay in it. Meanwhile Gauff and Liu are still on serve in an attritional second set, with Gauff leading 6-3, 4-3.
Over on court 18, the 2024 champion Barbora Krejcikova, after her second-round win over the French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, is serving for the match at 6-3, 5-2 against her countrywoman Nikola Bartunkova … and three match points come and go before she’s broken! She needed seven MPs against Andreeva, though, so the clever and classy Czech won’t be panicking just yet. A third Czech is also in action right now, with Karolina Muchova, the 10th seed, a set up but a break down at 5-4 in the second against the qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew.
Czech Nikola Bartunkova stretches for a forehand against her compatriot Barbora Krejcikova. Photograph: Jan Kruger/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 13.45 EDT
Sabalenka has done a superb job of keeping her emotions in check today – in sharp contrast to her recent French Open quarter-final defeat when she completely lost her composure from a winning position – and she isn’t screaming or shouting at herself here, despite handing back one of the breaks, when Ostapenko puts down the hammer with a backhand return down the line. So Sabalenka’a lead is shortened to 6-4, 4-2.
It could be game over on Centre Court, because Sabalenka has gone into lockdown mode after that blip in the second game of the second set, and she’s broken Ostapenko twice in the past three games for a 6-4, 4-1 lead with the double break.
ShareHurkacz defeats Paul 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, 6-2
The Queen’s runner-up is out, beaten by the Pole who ended Federer’s career at Wimbledon five years ago, when he went on to reach the semi-finals. So this isn’t a total surprise, but after knee surgery last year, this is the first time Hurkacz has reached the last 16 at a slam in a couple of years. Hurkacz will play Medvedev’s conqueror Struff next.
Some match reports for your reading pleasure:
Organisers appear to be giving Serena Williams until the very last minute to be fit for her first-round women’s doubles match alongside Venus, because tomorrow’s order of play is out, and they’re the only match listed on the schedule with a court “to be arranged”. Serena’s participation has been in doubt since she suffered a knee injury in her first-round defeat in the singles.
Gauff and Liu have traded breaks at the start of the second set, and it’s catching, because Sabalenka, having broken Ostapenko in the previous game, is head-scratchingly broken to love, in her only real lapse of the match so far! It’s Sabalenka 6-4, 1-1 Ostapenko* and Gauff* 6-3, 2-2 Liu.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 13.26 EDT
I think the thing that struck me most watching that Nadal documentary, was has there ever been a sportsperson so willing to suffer for their success and fight so hard against their body while achieving so much? It’s ridiculous he was able to win 22 slam titles while playing in pain for perhaps 21 of those. But anyway, I’m getting away from matters at hand, because Sabalenka has two break points at 15-40 in the first game of the second set, but Ostapenko shuts her out on both. The world No 1 moves to a third break point after a third deuce, and doesn’t take this one either, but it’s a case of fourth time lucky as Ostapenko surrenders with a double fault and a weak second serve that gets the treatment it deserves. Sabalenka leads 6-4, 1-0 with the break.
Ostapenko is such a boom or bust player, you never quite know what to expect – so the best approach is to stay laser focused, which Sabalenka is, and that’s also what she said she was most proud of in her second-round win over McCartney Kessler, when she saved four set points in the second set before closing out a straight-sets win. Sabalenka revealed afterwards she was inspired by watching the Rafael Nadal documentary, in which he said the only thing you can control is your focus and motivation, and she’s certainly channelling her inner Rafa here.
Thanks Tanya, superb stuff. And it’s a timely moment to come back, as Sabalenka serves out the first set to love, sealed with an ace out wide, having kept hold of that break she secured in the fifth game. Sabalenka shakes her racket repeatedly in celebration, as well she should, given how tricky an opponent Ostapenko is. The world No 1 leads 6-4.
And with that, I’ll hand you back over to Katy as I take a little break.
Coco Gauff is playing fellow American Claire Liu on No. 1 Court. A tickle of a volley takes her to a 5-3 lead over a nervy Liu, who is in shorts, vest and sun visor – very Malibu Barbie, but in white. Gauff crouches and sways in the shadow at the back of the court to receive serve. Liu fights to stay in the set but her forehand misfires and Gauff wins the final point with a gorgeous drop shot to take the first set 6-3.
Coco Gauff of the U.S. reacts during her third round match against Claire Liu of the U.S. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/ReutersShare
Updated at 13.17 EDT
The shadows are starting to creep over centre court, the umpire’s chair now stretching over the tramlines. Sabalenka is a break up in this big-hitting power ballad, Ostapenko then has a break point on the Sabalenka serve, but can’t make the most of it. Sabalenka holds to lead 4-2 in this first set.
Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko Photograph: James Marsh/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 13.12 EDT
And hello to Gavriella Epstein-Lightman, whose email has landed on the Guardian doormat: “Venus Williams first competed at the Championships as a fresh-faced seventeen-year-old in 1997, losing in the first round. Now, almost thirty years later, it’s remarkable to see her competing in the mixed doubles. Whilst the movement may not be as sharp, her groundstrokes remain as deadly and penetrating as ever, and her volleys have the ease of a seasoned doubles player.”
Yes, I spotted her watching Serena the other day, she looks almost as fresh-faced now. We wait to hear if Serena will be fit for their ladies doubles match on Saturday, but alas Venus and Kevin Krawietz have lost their mixed doubles game to Lloyd Glasspooland and Tereza Mihalikova 6-4, 6-4.
Aryna Sabalenka has hit Centre Court, in a cute dress with a deep v neck and a cut out at the back, teemed with a heavy gold chain and devastating ground strokes. She’s up against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, who crushed the dreams of Brit Harriet Dart in round one, and has gone as far as a semi-final here. Sabalenka has rather laboured through her serve here, but wins the game to make it 1-1 in the first set.
ShareDaniil Medvedev beaten 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 by Jan-Lennard Struff
A surprise over on No. 3 court, where 36 year old Jan-Lennard Struff has dispatched Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to reach the round of 16 for the first time. Always a shame to say farewell to the mad professor but a fabulous result for Struff.
Yara El-Shaboury was watching Naomi Osaka dazzle No 1 court earlier today.
ShareJannik Sinner beats Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Both the big dogs are through, and at almost the same time. Sinner grabs the match at the third time of asking, as Jenson Brooksby’s forehand goes long. Sinner will play Sintaro Mochizuki, the Japanese qualifier, who pulled off a surprise win against 23rd seed Rafael Jodar – 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 4-6 4-6.
Italy’s Jannik Sinner. Photograph: Jaimi Joy/ReutersShare
Updated at 12.40 EDT
Djokovic beats Rinderknech 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6
A Rinderknech ace makes it 4-3 in the tiebreak, he walks into the shadows to dry his raquet. Djokovic, hatted, aces straight back. 4-4. And another 5-4. Rindeknech goes wide with a forehand to give his opponent two match points. And he takes it! Fittingly in a match of fabulous rallies, there’s another one to finish, with both players left flat on the grass but Djokovic victorious.
He waves to the crowd and gives a wiggle hand dance to his watching daughter. Rinderknech gets a warm round of applause as he walks off – what entertainment. Djokovic pulls on his pristine white jacket for his interview with Annabel Croft.
What a way to seal match point! Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 13.09 EDT
A turnaround on No. 1 court where Jannik Sinner has tried and failed to serve for the match as Brooksby breaks back. This set is being played like a poker game.
On Centre, Djokovic is leading the tie-break 3-2 – Goran, Goran, Goran shout the crowd.
And Rinderknech holds his serve to love. We have a tie break on Centre Court.
Djokovic’s gentle touch has temporarily deserted him as he misses another drop shot to go 15-30 down on his own serve. But he gambles – and wins – on another drop shot and holds his serve to put the pressure back on Rinerknech who must hold to take the game into a tie break. As the players take a break in their chairs, Djokovic tips water all over his head.
In old-fashioned white towelling headband, Rinderknech serves – into the net. But his second serve is in, only for Djokovic to miss a drop shot . A couple of fabulously entertaining rallies follow, in Rinderknech’s favour, and he ends up winning to love. 5-5, on we go.
You wouldn’t say Djokovic was pin-point perfect in that service game, but he takes it to go 5-4 up and Rinderknech must now serve to stay in the match.
Meanwhile Sinner, after losing his serve in the first game of the third set to Brooksby, breaks back and holds his own serve to 15 to go 2-1 up.
Rinderknech beats his chest and puts his hand to his ear after winning a glorious multi-shot rally to secure his serve and balance the fourth set 4-4.
Updated at 13.10 EDT
Naomi Osaka has been talking to the BBC about her walking on costume. “For me, when I think of Wimbledon, I think of tradition. When I think of my culture, my mum is Japanese… and I think of the kimono, and that silhouette no matter what colour it is.”
Over on centre, the fourth set is going with serve in front of Usain Bolt, Seb Coe and Dennis Taylor in the royal box. Unlike at the World Cup, this Wimbledon fortnight has not been a story of unalloyed French success – Rinderknech is the last player standing. Still, he slams three aces to close off his service game to make it 3-3 against Djokovic.
It’s Seb Coe and Usain Bolt! Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The GuardianShare
Updated at 11.39 EDT
In the long rows of seats at No. 1 court, spectators are fanning themselves, while others wear towels over their heads, player style. This is the hottest day at the Championships so far with the temperature hovering around 26 degrees, though presumably it is much hotter on the show courts.
Jannik Sinner seems to be coping ok, though he lets one set point slip through his fingers and dries his hands and racket in frustration. But he grabs the next as Jenson Brooksby sends a forehand into the net. They retire to their chairs with Sinner 2-0 up: 6-4, 6-3.
Spectators try to keep cool on Centre Court. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPAShare
Updated at 11.16 EDT
Iva Jovich beats Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Over on court 12, the youngest player left at Wimbledon, the outrageously talented Iva Jovich, has beaten the 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. She came back from two breaks down in the final set and slides into the fourth round.
Djokovic holds his serve in front of a gripped centre court, but isn’t in the set for long as Rinderknech wins his service game to love and, from nowhere, grabs the third set 6-1 to stay in the match.
Rinderknech is eager, free flowing, and now goes a double break up on the Djokovic serve for a 4-0 lead. And in less than two minutes he has won his own serve too, with an ace to finish – suddenly it’s 5-0. Djokovic stalks back to his chair.
Thanks Katy. There’s so much going on, it’s hard to know where to look. For now, let’s settle on Centre Court, where Arthur Rinderknech, the French No.25 seed has rattled up a 3-0 lead in the third set, having gone two sets down to Djokovic. He’s currently got an ice towel round his neck and is taking a breather sitting under an umbrella held by a ball boy.
Arthur Rinderknech during his third round match Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Day 5. Photograph: James Marsh/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 10.44 EDT
I’m heading off for a break now, so here’s Tanya to keep you company for the next couple of hours. Over to you, Tanya …
A potentially decisive moment on court 12, where Jovic, the much-hyped American 18-year-old who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals this year, has been broken for 3-4 in the deciding set. But with two other breaks of serve already in this set, perhaps we shouldn’t count Jovic out just yet. And Jovic breaks back immediately when Alexandrova bashes her backhand into the tramlines! It’s Jovic 6-3, 3-6, 4-4 Alexandrova and on. They. Go.
Iva Jovic of United States. Photograph: Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 10.43 EDT
Djokovic is also serving for the second set at 5-4. Where to look? First to Djokovic: 30-0. Then to Sinner: 30-0. Djokovic then advances to 40-15, sealing the set with an ace. And now Sinner has three set points of his own at 40-0, and just the one will do as Brooksby’s backhand whistles wide. Djokovic leads 7-5, 6-4, Sinner leads 6-4, and on this form perhaps Djokovic is the only player who can really challenge Sinner in this half of the draw.
And Mochizuki has levelled things up against Jodar, taking the second-set breaker seven points to five. The duo have the extra motivation of a possible last-16 match against Sinner, who’s serving for the first set at 5-4, having claimed a clinical break to 15 in game seven.
Struff snatches the first-set tie-break seven points to four. The 36-year-old German has never been beyond the Wimbledon third round in 11 previous attempts, but he’s on his way here, though Medvedev, the 2023 and 2024 semi-finalist, still has more than enough time to find his own way back.
Updated at 10.13 EDT
Around the grounds: Medvedev and Struff are contesting a first-set tie-break, Jovic leads 2-0 in the third set against Alexandrova, Jodar is in second-set breaker against Mochizuki, having sped through the first set 6-1, and the recent Queen’s runner-up Tommy Paul is just getting started against pub quiz answer Hubert Hurkacz, who ended Federer’s career at Wimbledon in 2021.
Rafael Jodar seen through some pretty flowers. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/APShare
Updated at 11.48 EDT
No break points yet between Sinner and Brooksby, at 2-2 in the opener. The 25-year-old Californian Brooksby, who has spoken admirably about the challenges of playing tennis at a high level while also living with autism, has plenty of craft and variety in his game, but Sinner’s metronomic power and precision is likely to cut through that. No so, yet, though, as Brooksby holds from deuce, with a cute drop shot, for 3-2.
Jannik Sinner of Italy in action during his Men’s Singles third round match against Jenson Brooksby of the USA. Photograph: Neil Hall/EPAShare
Updated at 10.36 EDT
Djokovic’s performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round drew all the superlatives, but perhaps it was a slightly misleading measure of where his game is at given that Tsitsipas has been in such horrendous form. Rinderknech is proving to be a tougher opponent, but Djokovic, at 39, still has that knack all the top players have of playing the biggest points better and, having saved a break point at 7-5, 0-1, punishes Rinderknech for his profligacy by breaking in the next game. Djokovic leads 7-5, 2-1 with the break.
Those wins for Osaka and Bencic mean Jannik Sinner v Jenson Brooksby is next on No 1, and Daniil Medvedev v Jan-Lennard Struff is getting going on No 3. So we’ve got another chance to see if any scars remain from Sinner’s French Open meltdown. Though given the defending champion’s vulnerability in the heat, perhaps he’ll be more exposed next week, if the potential heatwave arrives.
Pegula could face her fellow American Iva Jovic in the last 16, but Jovic, the 18-year-old with Serbian heritage who’s been backed by Djokovic to one day become a grand slam champion and world No 1, is close to dropping the second set against Alexandrova. Jovic trails 5-3, having won the first 6-3.
SharePegula beats Bouzas Maneiro 6-1, 6-3
Hands are being shaken on No 2 Court, where Pegula, the fourth seed, has won the battle of the Jessicas in some style, matching Osaka’s scoreline against Kasatkina. It was on this court that Pegula lost in the first round last year, having been one of the favourites for the title. “I needed to avenge this court so badly,” she says in her on-court interview. “I also lost first round at Roland Garros [in May] and it really can mess with your mentality. So I’m proud of the way I’ve been playing. It was a really good day for me, I played clean from start to finish. Just proud of my energy on every single point.”
Jessica Pegula (L) of the U.S. shakes hands with Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro after winning their third round match. Photograph: Marko Đurica/ReutersShare
Updated at 10.13 EDT
Djokovic is doing what Djokovic does, stepping it up when it matters to break Rinderknech for 6-5, as he finds a ridiculous angle after chasing down a drop shot, before unleashing a snarling return on his second break point. Serving for the opening set, he swiftly moves to 40-15, before an easy overhead at the net settles matters. Rinderknech doesn’t even attempt to chase it down, which perhaps doesn’t impress Usain Bolt, who’s watching in the Royal Box. Bolt is applauding Djokovic though, who’s a set ahead at 7-5.