Key events
On Centre, Kartal and Pavlyucnekova have begun, the latter holding to love in game one. Outside, it’s absolutely clattering down.
Fritz breaks Thompson, who looks pretty forlorn out there, and you’ve got to feel for him. This is the best he’s ever done at Wimbledon, at 31 he may never get to this stage again; sport is cruel, man. The American leads 6-1 2-0.
Yup, Fritz serves out to love, sealing a 6-1 set with an ace but will Thompson stick with it? He’s not moving well and has a doubles match tomorrow.
Meantime, on 2, the covers are on and you can hear thunder rumbling. The forecast for later in the week is excellent, but it’ll be a while until we’ve play outdoors today.
However, we’re almost ready to go on Centre, where Kartal and Pavlyuchenkova are imminent. Meantime, Fritz is serving for set one at 5-1, and it doesn’t look like Thompson has much for him.
Fritz takes control of set one, breaking Thompson then consolidating to lead 4-1, and we see the roof shut; on No 2, though, it’s raining heavily, so off the players trot.
Thunder and rain on No 2, where Sigmund and Sierra were almost ready to get going; let’s hope it’s a storm in a champagne glass. It looks to be – they’re preparing to commence.
Thompson is best known as a doubles player – he and his partner, Max Purcell, won last year’s US Open, but Purcell is currently serving an 18-month doping ban. Anyroad, Fritz leads 3-2 in the first, on serve.
Thompson is, though, struggling with back-knack. Fritz might want to get him running and stretching.
We’ve swapped holds on No 1, so Fritz and Thompson are 1-1 in the first.
Next on No 2 Court: Solana Sierra v Laura Siegmund.
Khachanov praises “a really great performance” and says he didn’t like grass last year but now he’s back into it. His last two matches have gone the distance and in the one prior to this he rebounded from 2-5 down in the fifth, but he recovered well and though sometimes you can feel more tired, you might also be excited. He was ready to play five today, but is glad he didn’t have to.
Karen Khachanov (17) beats Kamil Majchrzak 6-4 6-2 6-3
Another break secures an extremely impressive win for Khachanov. Majcrzak did superbly to reach this point, but he was overmatched and his opponent was not minded to cede the opportunity of a lifetime. Next for him it’s Thompson or Fritz.
Back on No 2, Khachanov, who not long ago slipped and slid under the net, breaks for 4-3 in the third and consolidates to 15. He’s nearly into the last eight.
We’re not far off a start on No 1 Court. We open in five minutes, with Taylor Fritz (5) v Jordan Thompson.
Now under way:
And we’re now playing at Edgbaston:
“Assuming it’s a serious question,” begins AJ, “some attribute the popularity of the hat on backwards to Ken Griffey Jr, a famous baseball player in the 1990s. That fashion trend later spread throughout the hip-hop community and other sports, thereby making backward hats a fashionable look for (almost) anyone.”
Sure – I’m wondering if there’s a reason a tennis would ape it for a reason related co competing, or if it’s strictly fashun, dahling.
Go on! Majchrzak raises a fifth break point and this time Khachanov larrups a forehand long! At 4-6 2-6 1-2 he’s still in dis ting … which, I’m afraid, is more than can be said for Nouza and Rikl, who’ve lost the breaker 15-13. Arevalo and Pavic, the no 1 seeds, move on – though, earlier today, Krawietz and Puetz, seeded three, lost to Hijikate and Pel.
But Majchrzak makes advantage … then swats a backhand into the net. He just can’t get it done while, in the dubs, Arevalo and Pavic now lead 13-12 in the breaker, but Nouza and Rikl are serving. This is terrific stuff, it really is. We’re encouraged to watch the big singles players – see the below disgrace – but what you really want is the experts, and these are those.
Now then. Majchrzak makes 15-40 … so Khachanov slaps down an ace, his sixth of the match … then another, his seventh. Ouch.
Back in the dubs, it’s now 8-8 in a thrilling tiebreak; Nouza and Rikl are giving it everything.
Yeah, this is almost over. We go backwards and forwards, deuce to advantage, before an error from Majchrzak secures Khachanov his break and a 6-4 6-2 2-1 lead. It’s been really impressive stuff from the Russian.
Why do tennisers – like Khachanov – wear their baseball hats backwards? This isn’t a do you not think you’re too old for that point, rather I get why Majchrzak has his on the right way – when it’s sunny, it protects your eyes, and also creates a kind of tunnel vision. But I’ve not a clue as to why backwards is helpful, assuming the reason isn’t to protect the neck.
A hold apiece and we’re at 1-1 in the third, Khachanov by two sets to love; in the dubs, we do indeed have a second-et breaker.
Back in the dubs, Nouza and Rikl must again serve to stay in a set at 5-7 5-6. Can they force a breaker?
It’s been the definitive shot of this match so far, and it seals set two: Khachanov spirits a backhand winner down the line and he leads 6-4 6-2.
Majchrzak holds, forcing Khachanov to serve for set two at 6-4 5-2. There’s no sense whatsoever than he won’t see it out.
Khachanov endorses the break to 15 and Majchrzak must now serve to stay in the second set. The crowd try to lift him…
Same same on No 3: it’s tight, 3-3 in the second, but you feel that, at some point, Arevalo and Pavic will find a break.
Oh dear. I nip to get a drink, return to see Majchrzak is down a point for a double-break, and when he tamely nets the second set is almost gone. Khachanov, who’s playing really well, leads 6-4 4-1.
And Khachanov then consolidates comfortably. Thus far, Majchrzak has nothing for him; he needs to get out of these baseline rallies because they just aren’t working for him.
Our players swap holds at the start of set two, then at 30-all on the Majchrzak serve, Khachanov coaxes yet another winner down the line. He’s winning the battle from the back and, shonuff, at 30-40 a backhand into the net hands him the break. It’s looking very, very good for him at 6-4 2-1.
In typical fashion, Arevalo and Pavic break Nouza and Rikl at the final time of asking in set one, taking it 7-5. These are very, very solid lads.
An ace gives Khachanov advantage, Majchrzak then nets a slice, and that ends set one. Khachanov leads 6-4.
At 15-0, Khachanov overhits, and finds himself in trouble in the next rally, sent chasing to the forehand corner as Majchrzak comes in … but from way back, he conjures a terrific winner down the line. Majchrzak, though, dominates the next point and this time makes it count; Khachanov responds with an ace and at 40-30, the first set is almost his … but he swipes a forehand wide, and is he tightening? To deuce we go.
Khachanov holds for 5-3, asking Majchrzak to serve to stay in set one … which he does with ease. Save that early break, he’s been impressive too, but he needs something quickly to avoid going behind.
Khachanov is playing nicely. There’s no complexity about what he’s doing – he’s hitting it well from the back, able to plant his feet while his opponent scurries, and I wonder if Majchrzak might try a few drops – he’s a clay-courter, so should have them is his armoury. In the meantime, he remains a break down at 3-4 in the first.
Khachanov consolidates nicely, and he’s in control of this set at 3.1 On No 3, it’s 2-2 in set one, Npiza and Rilk holding their own against Arevalo and Pavic.
At 30-all, Majchrzak swats a backhand wide, handing over break point, and Khachanov plays a fine rally, sending his man chasing from corner to corner, in the process opening an angle for a backhand winner down the line. He lets it go … and gives it too much! No matter: he soon forces another opportunity, converts, and leads 2-1.
Majchrzak holds comfortable for 1-0, then Khachanov does likewise, and that’s good see. Both men know what a chance this is for them – the winner meets Fritz or Thompson in the last eight, and it’s not too much to say they might never get such a goods one again.
And off go! Oh, and by the way, I’m also watching a men’s doubles match – Arevalo and Pavic, seeded one, are playing Nouza and Rikl.
Our players are out and knocking up.
Our first match, then. Khachanov has a good power game, but not much feel – his hands are hard, which makes him a hard-court specialist. Majchrzak, meanwhile, is a victim of the system: he took a drink that turned out to be contaminate and didn’t have the money to get proper legal assistance so took the strict liability and a year’s ban. Shortly afterwards, Jannik Sinner failed a doping test in similar but slightly less blameless circumstances, and accepted a three-month ban that entailed him missing almost nothing.
As a player, Majchrzak is solid – he’s fit and makes a lot of balls, with no massive strengths or weaknesses. He’s more of a clay-courter than a grass specialist, but the cosmos owes him one and, Coach Calv assures me, he’s a good lad, so.
Also going on:
Preamble
Good morrow one and all and welcome to Wimbledon 2025 – day seven!
Anyone remember the 2002 World Cup? Allow me to refresh your memories, given it appears it was, in fact, quite some time ago. Anyhow, we had terrific group stages with shocks all over the show, problem being that when we got into the knockouts, we missed those whose elimination we’d thrilled to earlier on. Well, we’re kind of there now … and yet we’re still set up for another banger of a day.
On the men’s side of things, though, it almost doesn’t matter, so slim do the chances seem of players outside of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz – who plays Andrey Rublev this evening – failing to comprise three of the last four and both final slots. Nevertheless, though, others will be sensing opportunity. Taylor Fritz, seeded five, will fancy himself to see off Jordan Thompson; Cam Norrie knows a fourth-round tie with Nicolas Jarry is pretty decent state of affairs; and Karen Khachanov could scarcely ask for more than a match against Kamil Majchrzak – on the way back following the misery of a contaminated supplement and accordant doping ban – to make the last eight.
In the women’s competition, meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka will have been cackling at the carnage – while sailing into the last 16 without losing a set. There’s not much about Elise Mertens’ game that suggests another shock is likely today, but having lozzed Elina Svitolina in Friday, she’ll be feeling herself.
Otherwise, the surging Sonay Kartal meets Anastasia Pvlyuchenkova, with the winner facing what’ll feel like a winnable quarter-final too – Linda Noskova meets Amanda Anisimova, so disappointing in the final at Queen’s, to decide who that’ll be. Add to that Solana Sierra – the 21-year-old qualifier having the time of her life – against the 37-year-old Laura Siegmund, who binned Madison Keys in round three – and it’ll be no surprise to once again read the words women’s tennis is the most unpredictable sport in the world. Let’s get involved!
Play: 11am BST No 2 Court, 1pm BST No 1 Court, 1.30pm BST Centre Court