Wimbledon 2024: Alcaraz v Tiafoe, Paolini beats Andreescu in third round – live | Wimbledon 2024

Alcaraz wins the second set 6-2 against Tiafoe

Tiafoe shows tremendous touch with a drop shot at the net. It gets him to 40-30 on the Alcaraz serve, and then Alcaraz’s feet don’t quite move fast enough on the next point and he mistimes his forehand. Deuce. A big body serve from Alcaraz and Tiafoe is winded. Advantage Alcaraz. Game Alcaraz – when he serve-volleys and is rewarded for his bravery. Tiafoe must serve to stay in the set at 5-2 down.

I’m in bits again, especially after listening to what Serena said about Murray’s fight for equality and his support for her and Venus. But I’m trying to dry my eyes because Alcaraz has just brought up a break point against Tiafoe at 3-2 in the second set, having lost the first set 7-5. Tiafoe thwacks away a smash. They’re back to deuce. Alcaraz gets himself another break point by charging to the net to take matters into his own hands. Tiafoe biffs a backhand into the net and Alcaraz has the break! It’s Alcaraz 5-7, 4-2 Tiafoe.

This is an emotional watch too, if you’ve not yet seen it.

Get the tissues out again. Serena Williams has just posted this for Andy Murray.

RBA, by the way, took the first set on a tie-break, eight points to six, against Fognini. It’s going on serve in the second, with Fognini 3-2 up.

Paul isn’t far behind Paolini, because the highest-ranked American man has breezed past Bublik 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 – having refused to be derailed by Bublik’s ace with an underarm serve in the second set. Paul will face Fabio Fognini or Roberto Bautista Agut next – so has an excellent chance of reaching the quarter-finals here for the first time.

Paolini, with that infectious smile that is as wide as the No 1 Court, says:

I was enjoying it a lot. It was really nice to play in front of you guys. It’s a dream to play in this stadium. I played a good match, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for cheering for me. It’s really fun to play on grass. I’m playing doubles here too, I think it’s helping me.

Paolini beats Andreescu 7-6, 6-1

Elsewhere: the Queen’s champion Tommy Paul is closing in on the fourth round, leading Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-4, 4-1. And the tall, powerful Spaniard Paula Badosa has won the first set on a tie-break, eight points to six, against the 14th seed Daria Kasatkina, who served out a double bagel to Britain’s Lily Miyazaki yesterday.

Tiafoe takes the first set 7-5 against Alcaraz

Alcaraz tries to take Tiafoe’s head off with a passing shot, but Tiafoe reacts quickly enough to put away the winning volley. 30-all. And Tiafoe tugs Alcaraz forward on the next point and the Spaniard goes wide. 30-40, break point. And a deep return is too much for Alcaraz! Tiafoe breaks! And from 4-2 down the 29th seed will serve for the first set at 6-5. A superb display of returning from Tiafoe.

Can Tiafoe handle the pressure of holding serve to stay in the set? 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game. Yes he can. The American hasn’t had much form to speak of this year. He was two sets to love down in the outlands of the All England Club in the first round. But he’s pushing Alcaraz all the way in this opening set. It’s 5-5.

Over on No 1 Court, Paolini v Andreescu is going the way that their third-round encounter did at the French Open last month, when Paolini made a surprise run to the final. The Italian seventh seed has claimed a break in the second set and now leads 7-6, 2-1.

Alcaraz – normally so assured at the net – misdirects his volley! Break point Tiafoe … Alcaraz jabs Tiafoe with a body serve, Tiafoe ducks and improvises to get it back, but Alcaraz swats the return away. Deuce. But here’s another break point. Deuce. Advantage Tiafoe, a third break point. Bam. Ace. And three ferocious first serves get Alcaraz through the game! The defending champion leads 5-4.

Tiafoe, always the showman, is milking the applause on Centre Court as he enters the business end of the first set against Alcaraz. They’re at 4-4, having traded a break apiece. Alcaraz has been taken to a tie-break in both of his opening sets so far this tournament – but he may not even get that far here because Tiafoe has a chance here at 0-30 on Alcaraz’s serve. Alcaraz edges forward to 40-30 – but Tiafoe takes him to deuce …

Order of play

We thought Murray and Raducanu’s first-round mixed doubles match would be tomorrow, by the way, but that now depends on how many matches we get through today. The weather is expected to get worse again later – but at least the organisers have spread the singles matches far and wide around the grounds – so hopefully we’ll get a number of results on the outside courts.

Thanks Dominic. My eyes may still be a little bit damp after Andy Murray’s emotional nearly-goodbye last night – but this is helping to cheer me up. I can’t stop watching. Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal are both playing later, of course.

A display of passion from Paolini follows a slugfest of a rally, with both players hammering it at each other from the baseline. Andreescu has some set points to save on serve, but she cannot manage it, as a half-volley is slammed into the net.

What a magnificent set of tennis. Paolini takes it 7-6. Let’s all grab a drink.

Katy Murrells will be here shortly to take over on the live updates. Cheers!

Nothing to choose between them at the changeover in the tie-break, 3-3.

On Centre, Tiafoe saves a break point at 30-40 but is struggling to get beyond deuce.

What do I know? An utterly magnificent point, with nip-and-tuck play around the net from both players, brings the opening point against the serve for Andreescu. Her judgement of angles was sensational there.

Ah, but an unforced error gifts the mini-break back, and Paolini then powers one down the line and follows it up to go 2-1 up.

Paolini v Andreescu goes into a first set tie-break. We’ll stick with that one for the next couple of posts, as it’s been a really high quality and closely-matched encounter thus far. (My money would be on Paolini in the breaker, though, for what it’s worth).

A scoot around the other courts now, as Tommy Paul has raced to the first set 6-3 against Bublik; Badosa looks set to take the opener against Kasatkina; while Lulu Sun leads Lin Zhu on Court 15, and it’s on serve between Roberto Bautista Agut and Fabio Fognini on 16. The only other single’s match ongoing is between Diana Shnaider and Emma Navarro, with the former taking the first set 6-2.

Paolini was forced to deuce on her serve at 5-5, but an unforced error on a slice forehand from Andreescu let the Italian off the hook – as did the forehand that was hit long to make it 6-5. Andreescu is now serving to force a breaker.

On Centre, it’s Tiafoe who has been holding serve more comfortably. But neither player has come close to breaking.

Andreescu lets out another cry of joy after a clinical service game, which has very much been the story of this set, after both players dropped their opening game on serve. Are we heading for a tie break?

Whatever you can do … Paolini also holds to love on No 1 – after an astute challenge secured her the game – while Tiafoe has got himself on the board against the defending champion. The American has a big serve and a whole lotta power.

4-4 and on serve between Andreescu and Paolini. Alcaraz, meanwhile, holds to love in the opening game and looks to be in a hurry. Over to you, Frances.

Stuart Broad is having a lovely old time since his retirement from cricket, isn’t he? Fair play to the guy. I wonder how he’d get on with the challenge system in tennis …

Alcaraz and Tiafoe are knocking up on Centre, which is filling up nicely.

This is seriously high-quality stuff. With all due respect to Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart, whose Battle of Britain yesterday was all nerves, tension and tetchiness, this is comfortably a cut above. Paolini looks like she’s about to hit every shot into the net, yet never does. Her forehand is an absolute sledgehammer. On serve at 3-3.

It’s a hard-fought hold and a visceral “C’MON!” from Andreescu in the end. 2-2

Things are now well under way on the outside courts. Tommy Paul v Alexander Bublik has just started on Court 2, while Carlos Alcaraz is about to make his grand entrance on Centre, facing Frances Tiafoe.

Some lovely stuff around the net from Paolini. She anticipates the drop-shot well and then shows a delicate touch with the volley to see out the point. And then, in the next point, she unfurls a fantastic volley on the stretch.

Andreescu’s early momentum seems to have already been halted. Ah, but at 15-40 and under pressure, goes bang, bang – successive aces.

Daria Kasatkina versus Paola Badosa is under way in the women’s singles on Court 3. Meanwhile, Paolini holds serve – the first hold of the match. It’s 2-1 to the this year’s French Open finalist.

It’s easy to forget Andreescu was a mere 19-year-old when she beat Serena Williams in the US Open final in 2019. She’s never made it past the third round at Wimbledon, but she could be involved in a classic here, judging by the opening exchanges. Paolini has dug deep to force deuce, then a break point, then Andreesu skews it into the net. Break back! 1-1

A couple of mighty groundstrokes from Andreescu force it to 15-40 on the Italian’s serve. A floaty second serve is then brutally punished by the Canadian, who thumps it down the line to break in the opening game. Wow.

I’m hearing a few whispers that patches of blue sky have been spotted above the All England Club. Don’t quote me on that, though.

We’re ready to rock and roll on No 1. Paolini to serve first.

Play is set to commence on the outside courts from 1pm BST after rain but the roof is on Centre and No 1, the latter of which has just seen Jasmine Paolini and Bianca Andreescu enter the court. They’re knocking up now after a brief pep talk from the umpire.

This should be a good match. Paolini is bang in-form and a very likeable player, a revelation even, while Andreescu is making an almighty comeback after years of injury.

Andy Murray had an emotional swansong to remember on Thursday night but his tournament isn’t over yet, with practice slated for Friday before a mixed doubles date alongside Emma Raducanu that could take place on Saturday.

Murray was in tears after watching a montage of the most memorable moments of his career, with tributes from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams, before talking through his memories with Sue Barker. Per PA:

“It was really nice,” said Murray. “When the video was playing, my head was spinning a lot. I know I’m about to have to speak. It’s difficult in those moments because there’s a lot of people you want to thank and address. It was pretty emotional as well. Watching the video was nice but hard as well for me because it’s coming to the end of something that you’ve absolutely loved doing for such a long time.

“But it was obviously really nice that a lot of the players stayed. I have very close, good relationships with the British guys that were there but there’s also a number of players there on that court that I have enormous respect for, some of the greatest players in the history of the game. It feels like an ending to me. Whether I deserve it or not, I don’t know. But they did a really, really good job.”

There’s a cracker on Court One to open up at 1pm, when the No 7 seed Jasmine Paolini tackles Bianca Andreescu, and fans should be treated to another when Grigor Dimitrov faces Gaël Monfils afterwards. And then it’s the biggest match of Sonay Kartal’s career when the Briton faces No 2 seed Coco Gauff to round off the action there.

From one of our team at SW19 …

Preamble