Category: Tennis

Novak Djokovic’s five-set quarter-final thriller, Linda Noskova’s courage and Jannik Sinner’s class were among the highlights at SW19

It takes a certain amount of toughness and inner belief to keep moving forward after an excruciating setback. In the last match Jannik Sinner played before Wimbledon, he was on the receiving end of a shocking collapse in his French Open second-round loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo. He responded by gradually building in every round, turning in a flawless 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over Novak Djokovic . Then he elevated his level against a peaking Alexander Zverev to defeat the new No 2 in four sets. Sinner’s run to a fifth grand slam title showcased his dramatic serve improvements, defensive skills, drop shots and lobs alongside the clean, vicious ball-striking that defines his play.

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After being ensconced at SW19 since the start of the tournament, our photographer Tom Jenkins has picked out some of his favourite images from the thousands he has taken during this year’s Wimbledon Championships

The tournament concluded with Linda Noskova fending off a fightback by Karolina Muchova to win her first grand slam title and Jannik Sinner defeating Alexander Zverev to retain his Wimbledon title.

Novak Djokovic was back at SW19 on the trail of his 25th grand slam title, the racket’s shadow falls on the face of Felix Gill during his defeat to Rafael Jódar, ball kids scamper around as new balls are served on Centre Court.

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• Australian loses boys’ final to Jordan Lee of US 4-6, 6-4, 7-5

• Two-hour match will likely be 17-year-old’s last as a junior

Cruz Hewitt has vowed to blossom again at Wimbledon as he brushed off the heartbreak of just failing to follow in the celebrated footsteps of his father, 24 years after Lleyton won the men’s title.

With his dad watching on and cajoling him from the players’ box on No 1 Court, the 17-year-old Sydney prospect Hewitt fell agonisingly short in the boys’ final on Sunday after he had led 4-2 in the final set against talented young American prospect Jordan Lee.

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Alexander Zverev started well, winning the first set, but in the tiebreaker at the end of the second, Jannik Sinner took over, winning Wimbledon for the second year in a row

Our players come down the stairs and out on to Centre Court. It looks beautiful out there.

I’m pleased to report that the coolest man in the post-Borg era , Stefan Edberg, is in situ; I’m even more pleased to report that Raye is in the row behind. I’d very much like for them to become friends.

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• Czech 10th seed clinched a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (10) victory

• Faces compatriot Noskova or Ukraine’s Kostyuk next

Coco Gauff blew a golden chance to reach a first Wimbledon final as she lost a dramatic deciding set tie-break against Karolina Muchova.

The 22-year-old came from a set down to take a tense semi-final the distance on Centre Court. But, on match point, Gauff dumped a simple winner into the net, a shot that will surely keep her awake at night for some time.

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• Australian No 1 off the pace in 5-7 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 defeat

• Fate sealed after throwing away 5-2 lead in second set

On a sweltering day when a series of spectators required medical attention at Wimbledon, Australia’s challenge also wilted in the heat.

Alex de Minaur, who walked on to No 1 Court with a first grand slam semi-final, at the least, very much in his sights, was left dejected after losing to Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 5-7 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 in the fourth round.

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• Australian No 1 dismisses French veteran 6-3 6-2 6-2

• ‘I just love it here,’ says No 5 seed

Alex de Minaur was not at his best against French veteran Adrian Mannarino as Wimbledon’s fourth day opened with the sun out and mercury rising, but he was good enough.

The Australian No 1 saw off his potentially troublesome left-handed opponent 6-3 6-2 6-2 in one hour 49 minutes on Thursday.

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• Australian defeats Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga

• Thanasi Kokkinakis loses five-set epic but Kim Birrell through

Alex de Minaur has enjoyed the perfect launch to his latest bid to reach a grand slam final with an encouraging win over Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga.

The Australian No 1 was stretched by an hour-long opening set but once he shook off his nerves, got his feet moving and found his groove, he raced to victory on Tuesday.

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Last month she had a post-defeat meltdown and insisted she was done with tennis. On the eve of Wimbledon, she talks about what really happened – and why her ‘aggressive’ face gives people the wrong impression

It’s less than a month since Aryna Sabalenka told the world that she felt like walking away from tennis. The world No 1 had suffered an almighty implosion. Sabalenka is as famous for her implosions as she is for her on-court ferocity. But this was a different level.

She had been playing at her imperious best in the French Open, one of tennis’s four major tournaments. Winner after winner from the back of the court, and when she bullied her opponents back to the baseline she’d dupe them with the most delicate drop-shot. In the last 16 against Naomi Osaka she looked invincible. And then came the quarter-final. By now, all her main rivals were out. The 28-year-old had a clear path through to winning her fifth grand slam singles title. Again, she was playing well against the world’s No 25, Diana Shnaider. Sabalenka won the first set easily, 6-3, and was 5-3 up in the second set. Victory was an inevitability. And then it happened. One game lost. Then another. And another. The wind had picked up, playing conditions got ever worse, the organisers failed to close the roof. And Sabalenka was walloping shot after shot out of court.

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Shorter points help the 39-year-old at SW19, where Jannik Sinner hopes to show French Open upset was a blip

For the 21st time in his long and fruitful career, Novak Djokovic arrived at the All England Club on Monday and began his preparations for another Wimbledon in earnest. The 39-year-old worked his way through his tentative first steps on the grass courts of Aorangi Park, movement exercises complementing his sparring on court. He found his rhythm against local hitting partners and tussled with other champions. His training sessions included a catchup with his old friend Marin Cilic and then he broke in the grass on No 1 Court with the world No 1, Jannik Sinner, iron sharpening iron.

The ultimate goal is the same as it has been for some time: Djokovic, the seventh seed, returns to Wimbledon again seeking to become the oldest grand slam singles champion in history by winning an unprecedented 25th grand slam title. At 39 years old, his chances of achieving this goal naturally lessen with each tournament, but he has repeatedly shown that, if fortune favours him for two weeks, he is more than capable of taking advantage.

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Her motivations for returning may be hard to gauge but there is no doubt the returning former champion will steal the early spotlight at SW19

At the southernmost point of the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s vast grounds, Serena Williams was starting another day of training as the clock ticked down to her first singles match after four years of retirement. Her training partner for the morning, Marta Kostyuk, soon joined her on court 10 in Aorangi Park, the quaint practice area reserved only for players.

Kostyuk is one of the more extroverted players on the tour and she is widely known for speaking her mind under all circumstances, but when Williams greeted Kostyuk and thanked her for the training session, for once the Ukrainian looked at a loss for words: “No, thank you for playing with me,” she responded.

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• Draper to play sixth seed Taylor Fritz in first match

• Ostapenko and Sabalenka drawn in Raducanu’s quarter

Serena Williams will face Australia’s Maja Joint at Wimbledon in her long-awaited return to singles competition after four years of retirement, a match between two players born nearly 25 years apart.

Joint, a talented 20-year-old who won Eastbourne last year, has struggled badly this year, compiling a 3-15 record. The winner of their first round match could face the in-form Filipino 25th seed, Alexandra Eala.

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