Key events
Tenys Sandgren, of course, is one…
Question from management: you will not, I don’t think, have failed to notice that Katie Volynets is a good name for a tennis player, so can you think of any more? The desk has come up with Anna Smashnova….
On Centre, Djokovic and Cachin are away while, on No1, Swiatek leads Zhu 5-1; the crowd has just given the Chinese a big hand for taking her first game. Otherwise, Garcia leads Volynets 4-3 on serve; Karatsev is now 2-1 up on Van Assche; Mmoh and Auger-Aliassime are just starting; Martic leads Fruhvirtova 3-1 in the third; and Hurkacz leads Ramos-Vinolas 6-1 1-1.
Jessica Pegula [4] beats Lauren Davis 6-2 (8)6-7 6-3!
That’s a really good win for Pegula, who doesn’t love grass, whose opponent can play, and who was a break down in the decider;. She meets Bucsa or Rakhimova next.
“As great as Novak’s achievements have been,” says Kerrith Britland, “I’ve become a little jaded with the Grand Slams. At least with the ATP stuff you get some wacky results, like Bublik and Gasquet winning titles. Can the grass throw up a surprise this year? I guess Nick getting to the final was pretty cool.
More interesting is considering which dark horse will have a deep run this year? I’m going with Covid-ball winner Aslan Karatsev, Dustin Brown-slapping his way into the quarters, or the clown himself – Bublik. You love to see Mannarino do well – we’re missing some follically challenged players. What’s your pick?”
That’s a good question. I was wondering if Griggzy Dimitrov might be ready for something good, but I’d like to see how Milos Raonic does and I’ve been waiting for Seb Korda to really explode for a while.
Diane Parry beats Harriet Dart (4)6-7 6-0 6-4!
A fine comeback from Parry, after two hours and 18 minutes, sees Parry into a second-round match against Fruhvirtova or Martic; Dart, who shanked a backhand into the net, is fuming, destroying a racket to feel better. She arrived at SW19 in nick, so I’m not surprised she’s so aggravated.
Eeesh, with Dart serving at 45, she finds herself 0-50 down, thrashing a backhand then a forehand to reduce her arrears. But then a netted forehand and Parry has two match points…
Still no joy from iPlayer, so we’re updates only I’m afraid, save Parry v Dart which remains on serve in the decider at 4-4 – but with Dart looking to open her shoulders. Swiatek leads Zhu 3-0, Pegula leads Davis 3-2 on serve in the third, Fruhvirtova didn’t let me down, levelling her match against number 30 seed Martic by taking a breaker, and Azarenka is up a break against Yuan in the decider.
“Re Phil Udell,” says Philip Hall, “the Wimbledon app has three radio channels, one Centre Court, one Court 1 and a general one.”
Yup, that should do it.
Lorenzo Musetti [14] beats Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3 6-1 7-5!
A comfy passage for the young Italian, who meets Isner or Munar next. I like a him a lot, even if the kicking Alcaraz gave him in Paris made clear hwo much work he’s to do to compete when things get heavy.
…and very quickly secures the situation, to the delight of my accumulator. She did really well to up the intensity there, hitting it harder when she might’ve played safe. Come on Haz!
Now then: Dart races to 0-40 and three break-back points…
Parry takes advantage of a miserable second serve from Dart, climbing into it and spanking a forehand cross court that facilitates the putaway. That gives her the break and she leads 3-1 in the third.
Pegula has broken Davis back for 1-1 in their decider; on No1, Swiatek and Zhu have just got under way; and on Court 5, so have Volynets and Garcia, the women’s number five seed.
So far we’ve got people unable to get in and people unable to watch; it’s going nicely in SW19, a pure, uncut dose of Britain.
Interesting, Davis has broken Pegula for 1-0 in their decider – the no4 seed is in trouble; Karatsev has levelled at 1-1 against Van Assche; Martic is serving for a second-set breaker against Fruhvirtova; and Azarenka is a break up in her decider against Yuan
Coming up on Court 1: Swiatek [1] v Zhu. That starts at 1pm BST, with Djokovic beginning his defence against Pedro Cachin half an hour later.
Parry has broken Dart back for 1-1 in set three, and this is beautifully poised.
I fear we’ve a problem: none of the BBC channels are working, via web or app, save the main programme. I’ll keep trying and keep updating you on what’s going on, but without pictures I’m afraid you’ll have to do without my florid prose describing the action.
Parry and Dart are away in their decider with Pegula and Davis about to being theirs; Davis took the breaker 10-8, problem being BBC’s coverage cut out as they neared the business end, so I’m not totally sure how it went down. Oh and have a look, Dart has broken at the first time of asking and is now five holds away from round two.
Both of those are difficult matches, as it goes – Van Assche is 19 and breaking through this season, Karatsev is older and wily. I’d look forward to that if I was allowed, but I’ve recently been ordered to live in the moment and we’ve got all sorts going on between now and then.
Andrey Rublev [7] beats Max Purcell 6-3 7-5 6-4!
He meets Van Assche or Karatsev next; currently, Van Assche leads 7-6(4) 3-5.
“Really enjoying your updates but can you please report on the issues with the queue?” asks Emma Pottle. “We have been here since 6am and not made it in yet, apparently fewer than 500 people in the queue have been let into the grounds so far with well over 15000 in it. No updates from the stewards, feels like abject chaos.”
Oh no, that’s so annoying. I hope you’ve brought adequate refreshment, at least, and hope you get in soon – feel free to send us a photo and updates.
Rublev has broken Purcell and will now serve for the match at 6-3 7-5 5-4; Parry has bagelled Dart so they’ll now play a decider.
“Following the action from here in Ireland,” writes Phil Udell, “and wondering if there’s anyway of accessing the radio coverage overseas as with TMS? The copyright geoblock kicked in at 12.30pm on the dot.”
Not as far as I know, but if anyone thinks to the contrary, please let us know. In the meantime, but, have you tried the Wimbledon app? That should give you something similar.
Davis has held so Pegula will now serve for a second-set breaker. She’s made her way to four in the world almost by stealth, and looks for all the world like a solid player who doesn’t have the chops to win a major. Even looking at who’s taken them recently, most of the surprise winners have a special power, whether Ostapenko’s power or Krejcikova on clay, and I don’t see that with Pegula. But a gorgeous backhand hooked to break the sideline makes 6-6, so here we go…
Parry has again broken Dart early in a set – she leads 3-0 in the second – and her forehand is working nicely. Oh and what’s this, serving on advantage, a foot fault contributes to a double and Parry has 4-0 in set two! A decider looks imminent…
I’ve switched away from Fruhvirtova 5-7 2-1 Martic because, on Court 2, Davis is serving for the second set against Pegula … but as I type, Pegula breaks back for a 6-2 4-5 lead.
Email! “Love your reference to ‘cooler climbs’,” begins Richard Hirst. “Think you may have mixed up the tennis and a rainy day in the mountains in the Tour de France. But it has set a high standard for the fortnight!”
Ha, yes – I may have in fact meant cooler climes, or I may have been neologising. Who can say?
You don’t see this often: after losing that first set to Martic, Furhvirtova received a time violation for taking too long when she left the court. But she’s back now, saving two break points before holding for 5-7 1-0. Meantime, Musetti, the men’s 14 seed, has now won consecutive 6-1 sets against Varillas, Parry has seen off a break point in holding for 6-7 1-0 against Dart, and Rublev has won three games straight to lead Purcell 6-3 7-5.
I’m so pleased BBC have retained Isa Guha, who joined the presenting team last term. She’s brilliant on the cricket, and not just because she played the game, but because she’s a supremely calm, likeable and natural broadcaster.
Terrific work from Dart, who hung in this set well when Parry started quickly – she’s been a great form recently so had gone reason too – and when her opponent nets a backhand, she forges in front 7-6(4).
With Purcell serving for the set, Rublev has broken back to lead Purcell 6-3 4-5 and how often do we see that, the better player upping it when they need to. Meantime, on Court 12, Dart has come back from 1-3 down to lead 6-3 in her first set breaker against Parry…
The reason I’m watching that final match is to see Linda Fruhvirtova. She’s just 18 and is a very serious prospect; her younger sister, Brenda, is also brilliant but lost in qualifiying to Yuan Yue.
I’m watching Parry 6-6 Dart, Rublev [7] 6-3 3-5 Purcell and Linda Fruhvirtova 5-7 Martic [30].
Before we look at what’s to come, a quick look at what’s going on: Pegula leads Davis by a set, on serve in two; Rublev leads Purcell by a set but is down a break; Musetti leads Varillas by a set and a double break; Azarenka leads Yuan 6-2 2-2; and Harriet Dart has come from a break down to lead Parry 6-5 on serve.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to Wimbledon 2023 – day 1!
Unavoidably, we begin with a question: can anyone beat Novak Djokovic when it matters? And equally unavoidably, we know that if we have to ask the question, we almost definitely know the answer: “No,” as Don Logan once said.
There are players in the draw who know what it takes – Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, neither of whom has lasted as well – along Daniil Medvedev, who struggles on grass – but otherwise, we’re hoping does something they’ve never done before, and when that something is beat Novak Djokovic at a grand slam, it’s probably worth waiting until you see if with your own eyes. And even then…
However, there is Carlos Alcaraz. Until cramp intervened – a factor of Djokovic’s bionic monomania, yes, but one unlikely to recur on a different surface in cooler climes – their meeting at Roland-Garros was one of the best sporting contests we’ve seen this year. It’s true that on grass, the kid is a relative novice, but he won Queens and, given how quickly Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal adapted – when Centre Court played significantly less like a hard court than it does now – means that, if both players do the necessary we could be set for a final for the ages which also establishes our next great rivalry
And then there’s the women! Frankly, it’s impossible to predict anything with any confidence because we’re blessed with so many brilliant players able to do brilliant stuff on a good day. It’s probably a year too early for Iga Swiatek to win on grass, but if she’s in nick she can beat anyone; Aryna Sabalenka might just be ready to translate to the surface a game that looks perfect for it; and Elena Rybakina is the defending champion for a reason. Otherwise, though, Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff, Petra Kvitova and Karolina Muchova look threats, likewise roughly half of the draw. Or, put another way, I’m sorry, I haven’t a clue … but I can’t wait to find out!
