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 12th 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
