Yesterday at Wimbledon cannot be sugar-coated. It was not a good day for British tennis.
Expectations of 19-year-old Emma Raducanu have been high since last year’s shock US Open triumph.
But she has had injury issues this season (abdominal most recently) coming into Wimbledon.
As well as being thrust into the global spotlight.
And the teenager was completely overpowered by an in-form Caroline Garcia of France.
The former world number four winning on Centre Court 6-3 6-3.
Having won the grass court warm up event Bad Homburg, beating Bianca Andreescu in the final, Garcia looks more than at home on the surface.
For Emma, her Wimbledon challenge will have to wait another year.
More disappointment followed
Meanwhile, former British number one Andy Murray was beaten by an inspired John Isner.
The two-time Wimbledon champion had never lost to the American with a perfect 8-0 winning head-to-head.
But he came up against an inspired Isner, who put on a serving clinic to stay untouchable on serve.
With some fine serve and volleys to boot.
Murray did well to claim the third set tie-breaker when two sets to love down.
It even looked like another famous comeback would be on the cards for the 35-year-old.
But those hopes were firmly extinguished as the 37-year-old veteran sealed yet more personal Wimbledon history as he won 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (3-7), 6-4.
Put into context, the former world number one also had an abdominal injury coming into Wimbledon that forced him to pull out of Queen’s.
The three-time Grand Slam champion suffering this in the final of Stuttgart against Matteo Berrettini.
Had it not been for that injury, who knows what might have been.
Murray says he will focus on improving his ranking of 52 so he doesn’t have to face dangerous guys like Isner, seeded 20, so early on in the Grand Slams.
Doing so before the US Open is his next goal.
Best of the rest – Cameron Norrie survives in five
Defending champion Novak Djokovic stream rolled his way past Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Winning in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
And there was some good news for British tennis as ninth seed Cameron Norrie fought through in five sets.
He beat Spaniard Jaume Munar, who came through the Rafa Nadal Academy, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.
Coming back impressively from two sets to one down.
The endurance and stamina of Norrie shining through in the fourth and fifth sets.
He faces Steve Johnson next who beat Britain’s Ryan Peniston 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
The main shock on the women’s side came as Estonian Anett Kontaveit was stunned by Jule Niemeier.
The 22-year-old German knocking out the second seed 6-4, 6-0 with a bagel final set.
And former champion Garbiñe Muguruza was beaten by Belgian Greet Minnen 6-4, 6-0with a final set bagel as well.
There were also wins for third seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, Jeļena Ostapenko of Latvia, and Greece’s fifth seed Maria Sakkari.
In the men’s, young stars Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Italy’s Jannik Sinner are also through to the third round for the first time.
