Key events
Paul lead 4-3 against Alcaraz after holding, it was another long game and fatigue could influence this one as it rolls on.
Sinner is serving first in this tie break (remember he won the tie break to take the first set). He gets the first point with Medvedev sending a shot long. An ace comes over from the Russian but Sinner makes a challenge and it turns out to be a perfect one with the ball out. A lovely underarm forehand levels the tie break 1-1 and then he takes the lead.
A drop shot from Sinner levels it 2-2 but the Russian takes the lead once again with a long shot from Sinner. 3-2 the tie break stands.
Sinner has set point after coming back to his best in these last few games, my word what a comeback. The Italian challenges a call but loses it and the game goes to deuce. Medvedev gets the advantage, can he hold and send it to a tie break? Not quite yet as we are back to deuce. Some delicious tennis from both sides of the net but eventually Sinner pops a drop shot over for another set point but he can’t take it and we head back to deuce.
A further deuce comes and goes and then Medvedev wins a point. He holds and we have another set tie break.
My word that is one of the longest games I have ever witnissed. Paul sets up break point against Alcaraz. The defending champ puts in one of his famous drop shots but Paul slips so he cannot return – we are back to deuce. We are replaying a point as someone in the crowd called out and it made both players stop before realising it wasn’t a lines judge. Alcaraz sends a ball long and Paul has yet another break point but it is saved for deuce again. We have two more deuces, the latest sent back after a between the legs shot is out by Alcaraz who laughs. Back and forth we go to deuce and advantage (the game had nine deuces in total) but eventually Alcaraz holds.
First set: Alcaraz 3-3 Paul
I will bring you an update from Alcaraz and Paul soon, I’m writing a post as a game that has lasted over 10 minutes plays out. But an update from centre, Sinner held and now it is Medvedev who must hold to remain in this third set. How the tides have turned.
Medvedev is looking frustrated as he returns shot but it smacks the net to give Sinner three break points. Remember, Medvedev was serving to win the third set. The Russian saves the first but can’t save the second! What a turnaround by Sinner, 5-5 in the third now.
Sinner that was stunning, he cracks a smile after that as he knows how skilful that was. He plays a drop shot, luring Medvedev into the net as he returns and then Sinner whacks a forehand across court. But the Russian is playing some of his best stuff on grass as he wins a point to trail Sinner in his service game 30-15. Sinner lobs Medvedev and then holds the game – maybe whatever (if anything) he was given in that medical time out is taking hold. He is showing shots we are used to seeing him produce.
A score update for you in Sinner v Medvedev as the Russian holds his latest game – which held the longest rally since the first set as the battle between these two gets closer once more. Medvedev currently leads 6-7, 6-4, 5-3.
Over on court 1, Alcaraz thought he had the upper hand after breaking early but Paul broke right back. This could turn into one for the ages. Paul hits an ace on his latest service game to go 3-2 up in the first set.
As soon as Sinner sits in the break between games he puts his towel over his head, he is definitely feeling whatever was troubling him earlier.
Sinner getting a lot of applause when he wins any point at the moment, it is clear the crowd want the battle they saw in the first set. Sinner went off for a medical time out and isn’t back to his best but is pulling out some skills to remain in this. His latest service game goes to a deuce as Medvedev seeks to get the upperhand in this third set but Sinner holds with a delightful drop shot. Medvedev leads the third 4-3.
Back to centre court and Medvedev saw off a break charge from Sinner to go 4-2 up in the third set. What is really letting Sinner down at the moment are his volleys. He has tried the shot seven times in this match and lost the point every time.
Alcaraz held his game and quickly with the battle between these two heating up. A fabulous rally ends with Alcaraz smiling and shaking his fist as he looks to break Paul early on. A sloppy shot from Paul gifts Alcaraz break point but the Spaniard hits the net to send it to deuce. Alcaraz takes the break and he leads 2-1 in the first set. That all came from that sloppy shot from Paul, he will be so frustrated.
Now that is the Sinner we know. He sends Medvedev a pinpoint forehand on the line which is returned beautifully but the Italian slices a drop shot to take the point, he drops the next two points but closes out the hold to remain in this set.
Medvedev holds as the centre court match gets back underway, taken a 3-1 lead in the third set. Sinner is back on court but he does not seem back to 100%, we don’t have confirmation on what was wrong with the world number one but he isn’t himself.
What a battle already on court 1, Alcaraz and Paul have been to deuce and back several times – Paul currently with the advantage. he closes out the first game with a shot from Alcaraz hitting the net. 1-0.
Medvedev is asking what is happening and the umpire is chatting with him but no official announcement has been given on centre court.
Sinner. however, then re-emerges on court and seems okay to continue – much to the applause of the crowd.
The camera pans to Princess Beatrice in the royal box, then Sir Cliff Richard, Sienna Miller and Michael McIntyre. Quite the range of celebrities in the house today.
Alcaraz has pushed Paul to deuce in the first game of their match. A lovely overhead hit while facing away from court from Alcaraz gives him the advantage. A classic Carlos.
Medvedev is out of his chair and he is practising his serve, running back and forth to keep himself match ready as Sinner takes time out with the medical team.
In Alcaraz v Paul, it is the American who serves first.
The umpire has a walky talky in his hand awaiting updates and there are murmurs from the crowd on centre court. Sinner is yet to re-emerge.
Over on court 1 Alcaraz and Paul are just getting underway.
Sinner leans forward with a hand on his forehead, he doesn’t look in good spirits. He wipes sweat from his face as he continues to chat to the medical team. He is now going off court, Medvedev remains in his seat and stares forward – remaining in the zone.
The commentators are discussing the possibility that Sinner is feeling ill rather than it being something like a muscle injury. He is getting his heart rate measured at the moment.
A physiotherapist has been called to centre court for Sinner, I’ll update you on anything that comes from that. They are in conversation now between games.
Let’s check in on Sinner and Medvedev shall we? We’re in the third game of the third set and Medvedev is 40-15 up, two break points on offer now. Sinner sends Medvedev left and right, sets himself up for a powerful shot but it slams into the net – Medvedev breaks and is now 2-1 up in the third set. A momentum shift after taking the second set? Potentially.
Carlos Alcaraz is stretching in the corridor ahead of walking out on court 1. Tommy Paul joins him, they both pick up their bags and they walk out to applause. What a match we have on our hands here, the defending men’s champion against the Queens champ.
Ashleigh Barty has told the BBC about Tommy Paul ahead of his match against Carlos Alcaraz: “He can come up with some incredible shots. Physically he needs to match Carlos as best as he can.”
Pictures from the match so far as Medvedev holds – the third set now 1-1:
Sinner has not lost a match on grass this year, he is nine matches to the good. Can he continue that record? He starts perfectly on serve but Medvedev reads his opponent’s movement perfectly to hit a backhand winner past Sinner. But the Italian finds a way to hold.
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So can Medvedev see out this set after losing the first in a tie break? It starts slightly nervously with a serve into the net but the flow of the rally soon begins. There is a long back and forth but eventually Sinner slams the ball into the net. The Italian is really battling though and a fantastic forehand winner sees him level the game but two can play at that as Medevdev immediately responds. Sinner can’t return a serve and Medvedev has two set points, he takes the first with an ace. We’re now a set a piece.
On court 1 we now wait for the men’s defending champion Carlos Alcaraz who will compete against the American Tommy Paul. We aren’t short of absolute corkers today.
Medvedev is leading the second set against Sinner 5-3 and so the Italian must hold here to remain in the set. A lovely forehand winner after sliding along the grass begins that hold but then a wry shot is hugely wide to allow Medvedev into the game. An ace puts Sinner 30-15 up and two more points in quick succession sees him hold, Medvedev will serve for the second set.
Vekic speaks after the match: “It was a really tough match, she played unbelievable. She really pushed me to my limits. I felt like I was dying out there the first two sets, I just kept going and hoping to have a chance and it came in the end.”
The crowd erupts in applause as she becomes slightly emotional when talking about her return from injuries: “I have a box of people over there and without them I wouldn’t be here”
In Sinner v Medvedev, the Italian has weathered a storm as Medvedev had break point at 40-15 but Sinner fought back to hold the game. Sinner leads that match 7-6, 3-4.
Vekic puts a hand to her mouth, she looks completely stunned. She applauds the crowd and he box erupts. Such an emotional moment.
Donna Vekic into first Wimbledon semi-final
Vekic pulls off a stunning comeback.
A delightful forehand winner bags Vekic’s first point in this game. A wide shot from Sun puts the Croatian 30-0 up, two points and she is through. The qualifier hits the net and now Vekic now has three match points to see this out. She doesn’t need all of them as she takes it on her first chance.
Sun 7-5, 4-6, 1-5 Vekic* (*denotes next server)
Vekic is just four points away from reaching her first Grand Slam semi-final but it is Sun who takes the first point. She follows it up with an ace, amazing composure from the qualifier here. Vekic whacks the net on a return and Sun could hold for the first time in this final set. And she does it, Vekic will have to serve for the match.
Sun* 7-5, 4-6, 0-5 Vekic (*denotes next server)
There is so much pressure on qualifier Sun to stay in this game now, Vekic is really running away with this final set. Vekic starts this game well, going 15-0 up. Sun thinks she has hit a great shot but it hits the top of the net but Sun gets some daylight in this game with a double fault from Vekic. The Croatian falters slightly with Sun getting to 40-30 down but Vekic sees out the game to hold.
In Sinner v Medvedev, the match continues to be a close one but Medvedev is leading the second set 4-2.
Sun 7-5, 4-6, 0-4 Vekic* (*denotes next server)
The two players exchange points to be 15-15 but Vekic then hits a great back hand winner from a Sun drop shot. Vekic challenges a call but loses, the hawkeye showing the ball clearly in to see it 30-30 but she responds to send it to break point. Will she get a double break in this final set? She does! Sun goes too long.
Thank you Daniel, I take over just as Vekic holds to lead the third set 3-0. It is quite the comeback after losing the first set 7-5. I’ll concentrate on that match for now with a sprinkling of Sinner v Medevdev too.
Righto, my watch is over; I’ll be back later on, but for now, here’s Sarah Rendell to chill with you as these matches intensify.
We see a graphic which shows us that Vekic is hitting the ball deeper now, and perhaps that’s making the difference, giving Sun less time and space to unload the suitcase when hitting forehands. And after she holds for 1-0 in the third, she quickly makes 0-40; big moments coming up now, and I’m afraid Sun doubles. Vekic leads 5-7 6-4 2-0 and it feels like momentum has definitively switched, but the Croatian has been jumpy as hell today, so I’d not assume she’ll stay composed with the finish line hoving into view. Meantime, Medvedev holds for 6-7 3-1, and looks good to level the match; for now, at least, he’s the better, more dominant player from the back.
Hold tight Daniil Medvedev! He might’ve sulked after jiggering himself in that breaker, but instead he raises two break points with a forehand down the line, the first of the match for either player, and a forehand error from Sinner means he needs only one! Sinner leads 7-6 1-2.
Outside, by the way, it’s absolutely clattering down. But not under the roofs, and on Centre, our boys have exchanged a hold apiece at the start of set two so Sinner leads 7-6 1-1.
Better from Vekic, who smokes a backhand winner from the back to make 30-all, and when Sun goes long on the backhand, she must defend a second set point … with a second serve. But she’s absolutely nails and swings a nasty serve out wide; Vekic, though, does well to find a telling return, and then out of nowhere, with delectable disguise, she slices a drop that’s far, far too good and well worth the 6-4 set it cements. So we’ve got ourselves a decider and might that turn of events – botching a chance to level the match via hold then redeeming it with a break and brilliant shot – be enough to get Vekic playing as she usually does? I’m sure, though, that Sun will have some thoughts on the topic – she went a little defensive at the end there, while her opponent upped the aggression – and I can’t wait to see how this one shakes out.
Which he can’t take, an 84mph second serve allowing Medvedev to take control of the rally with a backhand while Sinner skids off to the side; “Have you ever seen a slide like that on grass?” asks our commentator. Er, yes. But we digress: down 7-8, Medvedev slings over a second serve so dreadful I can barely describe it, the ball looping up and over the service box. So a set of fantastic quality ends in a shower of errors and a 7-6 lead for the world number one, while on No 1 Sun has broken back for 7-5 4-5, Vekic unable to serve out. Given the way she’s been playing and acting, I worry for her ability to forget that and move on.
The closeness of these contests is making them extremely nervy. On No 1, Vekic starts her attempt to serve out with a double, then Sun misses an overhead and we wind up at 30-all, while Sinner sends down a double which means at 6-5, Medvedev has a chance to secure the set on serve. But he swipes a forehand wide, while Sun lands a return on to the chalk for deuce – throughout this tournament, she’s played the big rallies superbly … and another forehand error means Sinner now has a point on serve to seal the first set at 7-6.
Sinner goes wide on the forehand, handing over the first mini-break, the Medvedev somehow sticks in a brutal rally, cementing the advantage when his opponent can’t manage to return a drop. No matter: Sinner quickly restores parity and we wind up at 4-4 while, on No 1, Vekic finally gets her break at 5-7 3-5 having upped her intensity, and she’ll now serve for the second set.
“Have you ever noticed how the weather in Britain is unreliable, and British people always talk about the weather? I know!”
A tremendous forehand down the line earns Medvedev 0-15, though Sinner eschews a few earlier opportunities to attack … for all the difference it makes. It’s soon 40-15, and even though the Russian closes thanks largely to a net-cord, a monstrous first serve makes it 6-6 and a breaker – that I’ve not a clue who’s going to win. Generally I’d go with the bigger server but it’s hard to split them in that department and both are also consistent; I just don’t know. Back on No 1, meantime, a love hold apiece means Sun leads 7-5 3-3.
Vekic holds for 5-7 2-1 but sitting in her seat at change of ends, she doesnae look happy. I wonder if Pam Shriver, one of her coaches, might intervene – I know it’s more complex than I’m about to imply, but if she just decided to enjoy herself out there, I think she might play better. Meantime, Sun makes 2-2 easily enough and Medvedev holds to 30 for 6-5. Sinner must now serve to stay in the first set for the second time.
There’s a real difference in the demeanour of our women. Sun is largely inscrutable, treating every point the same, whereas Vekic is constantly at herself, perhaps desperate not to let this opportunity forsake her. They both hold at the start of set two so Sun leads 7-5 1-1, while Medvedev, serving superbly so far, holds for 5-4. Increasingly, it looks like this set will be decided on a breaker-point here and there.
On Centre, the players are playing closer to their best but each is struggling to make an impression on the other’s serve. With Medvedev up 4-3, we’ve yet to have a break point and I’d not be surprised if he was happy with that – if he can take each set to a breaker, I’m sure he’d consider that a result.
Back on Centre, Sinner slams down an ace that levels us up at 3-3. Vekic, meanwhile, looks frenetic, making 15-30 but chuntering in the process, and when Sun mashes a backhand winner cross-court, she’s unlikely to feel any better about life. But Vekic thrashes away from the back and a netted slice raises break-back point … so Sun rains down a T-serve, and another service-winner gives her set point … converted with a drop! Who saw that coming?! Lulu Sun takes the first 7-5, and the qualifier is looking good to reach the semi-finals while Vekic is struggling to assimilate and settle into the enormity of the moment.
Now then. Sun raises 15-40 without having to do much, errors from Vekic presenting her with two break points. The first, though, disappears when a backhand falls fractionally long … but the second is seized when, on the backhand line, Vekic looks to hammer cross-court on the forehand, almost a table-tennis shot. And she goes long so, at 6-5, Sun will soon serve for the first set. In the little bit of play we’ve had since she gave up that 0-30, she’s been so poor we can only wonder if the disappointment is lingering.
