The Wimbledon weather forecast is overcast with sunny spells. It’s currently a lukewarm 18 degrees in SW19.
Friday at The Championships awaits 😍#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100
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Kyrgios said what happened against Jubb in round one, and the subsequent headlines his behavior provoked, for which he has been fined £8,200, made him even more determined to put on a show. “I was pretty disappointed in my performance in the first round. Then obviously the media’s disrespect and just everything, it was just kind of a reminder to put you all back in your place from the performance today. He made finals at Queen’s, top 30 in the world, seeded. It’s a gentle reminder.”
While the Polish No 1 is still the bookies’ clear favorite she is not quite an odds-on shot as yet, which means that there are two ways to think about her chances of following up her French Open triumph last month. On the one hand, Swiatek is the likeliest winner. On the other, the betting still implies that, at some point over the next nine days, someone is likely to beat her.
Liam Broady has certainly been around. In his youth he was one of the finest young players in the world and a junior Wimbledon finalist in 2011, and he has spent the years since trying to complete the notoriously difficult transition and establish himself at the top of his sport. His trials of him have, at times, challenged his self-belief of him.
Restrictions would hit Spain’s Rafael Nadal, because he is “superstitious” and known for carefully lining up multiple water bottles as part of a long-established courtside ritual.
The mystery of the missing punters continues. Attendance figures for Wednesday struck another low, with 38,520 people on site. That made it the third day in a row where attendance was the lowest since 2007, at least where rain or Covid haven’t been involved. It means something of a worrying trend and it’s not just affecting the show courts. Is it uninterested debenture holders or a shortage of foreign visitors? Is it the cost of living crisis or a lack of Roger Federer? Everyone in and around the courts is speculating while the All England Club stays decidedly silent.
Before the action beginsand we get underway on the outside courts at 11am, to look at yesterday.
“It wasn’t the best start, but it was probably the best finish,” Nadal said. “I have room for getting better. A couple of weeks ago I was close to retirement but now I don’t feel that way.” Speaking on Covid, he said he was taking extra precautions because: “This is reality. I am staying at home I am not going out any more. At some point you have to open up but then there are more cases, this is part of the challenging world we are in.”
Preamble
After yesterday’s Brit fest – well done, Katie Boulter, Heather Watson and Liam Broady, commiserations, Harriet Dart and Jack Draper – a return to tennis as a global game, though Cameron Norrie, No 1-rated plucky Brit is also in action, as well as Heather Watson. Ons Jabeur, the Tunisian who some shrewdies fancy to win the whole caboodle, gets us under way on Center Court, taking on France’s Diane Parry. Though no rest for Heather Watson, as she is no Court No 1 against Kaja Juvan. Norrie is in the teatime slot on Center Court, when he plays the American, Steve Johnson. He follows Novak Djokovic, who takes on fellow Serb, Miomir Kecmanovic, 22 and who has reached further than before at SW19 and is having his best year yet in slams.
All that and more, throughout the day.
www.theguardian.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism