Yesterday was a much better day for British tennis.

25-year-old Katie Boulter beat former world number one Karolina Pliskova down in Eastbourne last week, and she repeated the trick on the biggest stage in the world: Centre Court.

She played the match of her life to down last year’s Wimbledon finalist winning 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, rebounding from a set down.

After the match, she dedicated the win to her grandma who passed away this week.

Boulter is into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.

There was more good news for British tennis as Liam Broady stunned 12^th seed Diego Schwartzman.

The Brit battled back to win in five sets 6-2, 4-6, 0-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 with an impressive performance.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Liam Broady (@liambroady)

Broady makes it into round three of Wimbledon for the first time.

And coming back for the fourth day in a row after fading light could not have been easy for Heather Watson.

But she got the job done, sealing the solitary game she needed to beat China’s Qiang Wang 7-5, 6-4.

She has now given herself a real shot of making week two of Wimbledon.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Heather Watson (@heatherwatson92)

Iga, Coco, and Rafa through

Elsewhere, world number one Iga Świątek overcame a second set blip to beat Holland’s Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove.

Although ranked well outside the top 100, she put up a gallant fight, going down on Court One, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

The win extends the Pole’s winning streak to 37 matches.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Iga Świątek (@iga.swiatek)

And two-time champion Rafa Nadal had a scare of his own as he rolled through the first two sets.

But a successful junior player, Ričardas Berankis, now 32, played above his level to take the third set.

For the second match in a row, Nadal conceded the third set when two sets up and cruising.

This extended his time on the court. But he wasn’t to be denied, prevailing in four sets, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

The main worry being when more dangerous opponents, than Berankis, in all due respect face the Spaniard, he can ill afford to drop cheap sets when ahead and in the driving seat.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)

And Coco Gauff beat 34-year-old Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu easily in straight sets,winning 6-2, 6-3.

Best of the rest

Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his good form on grass, after capuring a first title on the surface last week at the Mallorca Open.

He streamed past Australia’s Jordan Thompson, triumphing in straight sets 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.

Spain’s Paula Badosa, young star Amanda Anisimova and former champion Simona Halep are also through.

But Brits Jack Draper and Harriet Dart exited to Alex de Minaur and Jessica Pegula, respectively.

And Denis Shapovalov was the major casualty from the men’s draw on Thursday as he surprisingly went down to American Brandon Nakashima in four sets.

Novak Djokovic has breezed into the fourth round of Wimbledon after dismissing fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in straight sets.

The reigning champion was in top form from the onset as he stormed to a 6-0, 6-3, 6-4, win in under two hours. It is the third time in a row he has beaten Kecmanovic on the Tour and the first on grass. In what was a largely clinical display from the former world No.1, Djokovic hit 36 winners and six aces.

“I thought it started off very well, very strong with a lot of good intensity. Good focus,” said Djokovic. “I know Miomir quite well, we train together a lot. I’m really glad that he, alongside a couple of other (Serbian) players is doing well. I wish him all the best. Hopefully, I will get to play against him many more times on the biggest courts.“

In only the third all-Serbian men’s match in the Open Era at Wimbledon, Djokovic got off to a perfect start by steamrolling his way through the opener in just 25 minutes. Dropping just six points on his serve and 12 overall in the set. It is the first time he has bagel a player at Wimbledon since doing so against David Goffin in 2019.

Fortunately for Kecmanovic and the Center Court crowd, the second frame was much more competitive with the world No.30 producing glimmers of the tennis that has taken him to two Masters 1000 quarter-finals earlier this year. Three times in two separate games Djokovic had a break point chance but failed to convert.

Continuing to wear down his compatriot, the top seed eventually secured a breakthrough whilst leading 4-3. Playing behind the baseline he slipped on the grass during a rally whilst having another break point chance but this time Kecmanovic hit the ball out to hand him the advantage. Djokovic went on to close out the set with a backhand lob. 

The only blip in the match for Djokovic occurred when he was trying to close the match out. After easing his way to a double break advantage in the third set, he dropped serve for the first time. However, he prevailed on his second chance to serve the match out to seal his 330th Grand Slam main draw win. 

“It means that I have been playing for quite a few years which I’m very grateful for and I’m very blessed to be in this position to compete at the highest level,” Djokovic replied when asked about winning tally ay major events.
“I’m very proud of my consistency at this level.”

Friday’s win is Djokovic’s 24th in a row on the grass which puts him level with tennis great Rod Laver on the all-time list. Only Bjorn Borg (41) and Roger Federer (65) have ever won more matches on the surface. It is the 55th time in his career he has reached the last 16 of a major tournament. 

So far in this year’s draw, he has only dropped one set in three matches played. That was in the first round against South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo.

“I think I’ve been playing better and better as the tournament progresses. It is something you wish for as a player that you raise your level of tennis up a notch,” he said.
“I know I can always do better. I always expect the highest from myself but so far, so good. I look forward to the next challenge.”

Djokovic will play Dutch sensation Tim van Rijthoven in the fourth round.

At the start of the year life on the ATP Tour looked very different for Tim van Rijthoven. 

The Dutchman was yet to break inside the world’s top 200, play in the main draw of a major and he predominantly featured on the lower-level Challenger Tour. However, that all changed when he embarked on this year’s grasscourt swing. After losing in the opening round of qualifying at the Surbiton qualifying to a player ranked No.375, Rijthoven received a wild card to play s-Hertogenbosch which has sensationally transformed his career.

Unknown to many in the draw, he stunned the likes of Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime en route to the final. Standing in his way of a maiden title was world No.1 Daniil Medvedev who he impressively disposed of in straight sets with relative ease. It was a fairytale journey but was it a one-off?

“I actually played a very good match in Surbiton. My opponent was also just playing very well. It was a close match. I think I lost 7-5 in the third set, but could have gone either way. So I wasn’t too sad about that.” Rijthoven said during his press conference.
“My mindset stayed the same. Just kept doing my thing. Obviously in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, it’s my home country, so there’s a lot of positive vibes there which maybe helped me also to gain the title.”

Rijthoven is once again making waves on the Tour but this time at Wimbledon. Receiving another wild card into the event, he continues to show his potential. On Friday he disposed of 22nd seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the fourth round on his Grand Slam debut. Becoming only the seventh male player to do so since 2000. Even more remarkable is that Wimbledon is only the third grass-court event at Tour-level he has played in his entire career. 

“It was not like any other match. I think he’s a very streaky player. Can play very well at times, can also make some mistakes at times,” the world No.104 commented on his latest win.
“For me it was just about keeping the ball in play and making him play a lot of shots, giving him a chance to miss basically.”

Rijthoven’s breakthrough has been a long time coming. As a junior, he achieved a ranking high of No.13 and reached the quarterfinals of the 2014 Wimbledon boy’s tournament before losing to Noah Rubin. However, as a pro, he was hampered by injury issues over a period lasting roughly three years. Besides surgery on an artery and his wrist, he was also troubled by a condition called golfer’s elbow for nine months.

“I’ve had my ups and downs, injuries here and there. I’ve also struggled mentally. I’m just happy to be in the place I am right now. I hope to be there for a couple more years, or a lot more years actually.” he said.

The man in charge of mentoring the rising star is Igor Sijsling, who still has an active ATP ranking of 549. He is a former top 40 player who reached the third round at Wimbledon in 2013. The two have been working together since the start of this year. 

Rijthoven is now on an eight-match winning streak since making his Tour debut but could face his toughest challenge next should Novak Djokovic come through his third round encounter. The Serbian is seeking his seventh Wimbledon title and fourth in a row.

“Before the tournament started, it was a dream for me to play him,” he said of Djokovic. “To be able to have that chance and to maybe even play on Center Court or Court 1 is beautiful and magical.”
“I go into every match thinking I can win. Also against Djokovic I’ll go into that match thinking I can win.”

Should Rijthoven play and beat Djokovic, he will be only the second player ranked outside the top 100 to do so this year after Jiri Vesely.