Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Wimbledon 2023: Andy Murray leads Stefanos Tsitsipas before play stopped by curfew

Written by 
Published in Tennis
Thursday, 06 July 2023 15:35

Andy Murray dazzled under the Wimbledon lights again as he led Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a Centre Court thriller stopped by a 23:00 BST curfew.

Britain's Murray is ranked 40th but showed his pedigree on the SW19 grass to lead 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-2) 6-4.

The second-round match was stopped at 22:39 because of the restrictions put in place by the local council.

Murray, who has regularly played late in recent years, and Tsitsipas will resume a captivating contest on Friday.

Moments after 36-year-old Murray had wrapped up the third set, tournament referee Gerry Armstrong walked on to the court and discussed stopping play for the night with each player.

Murray, who screamed out as he fell just before serving out for the lead, seemed to ask why they were being forced off.

Tsitsipas, 24, quickly packed his bags and looked happy to have the opportunity to reset.

The pair will return to Centre Court after Spanish top seed Carlos Alcaraz plays France's Alexandre Muller in the first match, which starts at 13:30.

Drama remains on court after bathroom spat

Eyes were instantly drawn to this potential blockbuster when the draw was made last Friday and, after both players negotiated their opening matches on different paths, it was billed as the box-office match of the tournament so far.

Further fuel was added by the memories from their feisty clash at the 2021 US Open, where Murray said he "lost respect" for Tsitsipas after a lengthy bathroom break before a final set which the Greek won.

This time, all the drama remained on the court.

Murray is a two-time champion at the All England Club and has been talking bullishly about his chances of going deep in the draw this fortnight.

Despite missing out on a seeding, which left him vulnerable to a tough early test, the former world number one insisted he had the ability and nous to cause anyone problems.

For many people, Tsitsipas felt ripe to be on the end of an upset.

With grass not his favourite surface and a patchy record on the surface this year, there was an optimism among the home fans that Murray could earn one of his most notable wins since having career-saving hip surgery in 2019.

After cruising past Ryan Peniston on Tuesday, the Scot also had the benefit of a day off, while Tsitsipas only came through a five-set duel with Dominic Thiem at almost 20:00 on Wednesday.

But the 2021 French Open runner-up and 2023 Australian Open finalist looked sharp - physically and mentally - as he showed glimpses of the form which has seen him long tipped to win one of the sport's four major titles.

There were tense moments in a tight first set where both players dominated on serve, Tsitsipas taking control of the tie-break to move ahead.

The second set followed a similar pattern.

Tsitsipas was edging the rallies as he continued to find range with his forehand, leaving Murray struggling to cope with his ferocious and consistent hitting from that side.

But, like he has done so often over the years, Murray continued to battle and managed to hold his service games with few issues as neither player conceded a break point.

That teed up another tie-break - and this time it was Murray who dominated it after finding his first serve when it mattered.

Murray playing under the floodlights on Centre Court always creates a special atmosphere and the player, by now demanding more noise from the almost-capacity crowd, thrived on the energy.

After not having a serious look at Tsitsipas's serve in the opening two sets, Murray broke to love right at the start of the third and maintained the momentum to move into the lead.

However, there was a serious scare when he fell on the baseline.

The sound of his scream, along with the knowledge of his injury history, left the whole of Centre Court anxious and there was relief when he clambered to his feet before serving out.

It had long felt the end of the third set was the natural point to suspend the match and once that was agreed, Murray walked off to a thunderous ovation.

Read 194 times

Soccer

Southampton vs Liverpool: Slot hails resilient win

Southampton vs Liverpool: Slot hails resilient win

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLiverpool boss Arne Slot praised his team for mounting a second-hal...

Vini, Mbappé connect as Madrid ease past Leganés

Vini, Mbappé connect as Madrid ease past Leganés

Kylian Mbappé ended his goal drought with a thunderous strike and midfielder Jude Bellingham scored...

Marta, Orlando Pride win 1st NWSL Championship

Marta, Orlando Pride win 1st NWSL Championship

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsKANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Barbra Banda's goal stood up as the winner to l...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCharlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams sustained season-ending te...

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsScotty Pippen Jr. already had plenty of fond memories of watching h...

Baseball

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

EmailPrintRico Carty, who won the 1970 National League batting title when he hit a major-league-best...

Hays, Finnegan, Rodgers among new free agents

Hays, Finnegan, Rodgers among new free agents

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Outfielder Austin Hays and right-hander Kyle Finnegan -...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated