This is better than Boulter. A hold on love after some varied and intense serving. Now, can he put pressure on Tan’s serve? Second set: Tan 2-1 Boulter This is just painful for Boulter. He can’t win a point, never mind a game. It’s easy to love Tan, with Boulter cutting wildly to give her the game. Second set: Tan 2-0 Boulter. Updated at 11.43 BST The crowd really tries to get behind Boulter but the Brit can’t turn the tide. She misses an easy volley at the net at 0-15 to give Tan a little pep in her step and then Tan hits an excellent cross-court forehand that rings. He questions it and, yes, he just crossed the line. It’s 0-40 and Boulter can’t get back into the game. Tan breaks to take a 1-0 lead in the second set. Tan holds for 15 to win the first set 6-1. The French world 115 doesn’t even seem out of breath. He rattles off three aces in that game. Boulter is broken again. Tan’s returns are incredibly sharp, brilliantly placed at the legs of Boulter who can’t get them back. Soon it’s 15-40 and Boulter hits a frustrated fore into the nets. He has some thinking to do. It’s 5-1 for Tan in just 24 minutes. It’s another comfortable hold at 15 for Tan. Boulter is still struggling with her tactics, not knowing whether the best approach is to trade shots from the back of the court or to get to the net and use her volleying ability to good effect. Tan 4-1 Boulter. Tan threatens to walk away with this first set. She has a lot of variety in her game and sends Boulter racing back and forth across the court. She comfortably holds her own serve to take a 3-0 lead and then pushes Boulter to the limit in the fourth game, with the Brit having to fight with everything she has to hold. Tan 3-1 Boulter. I’ll also be keeping an eye on 12th seed Barbora Krejcikova vs. Ajla Tomljanovic on Court 12. It’s 2-1 for the Czech 2021 French Open champion on serve as well. Boulter falls early after a nervous opening service game in which she double-faults and has a bit of misfortune when Tan enjoys two nets. Boulter then misjudges a Tan lob, leaving it only to watch it land on the pitch with space behind her. It’s 2-0 for Tan. We’re underway on Court 2. Tan serves first in an entertaining game that includes a fine Boulter lob and a “tweener” from her French opponent who holds 15 to take a 1-0 lead in the first set. Katie Boulter took to Court 2 to warm up for her third round match with Harmony Tan. It’s a great day for tennis, a very pleasant 20C in SW19 with a few fluffy clouds scattered around that shouldn’t threaten rain. So what caused the resurgence of British tennis in SW19? Simon Cambers reports that the team spirit forged in lockdown, as well as Andy Murray’s advice and Emma Raducanu’s achievements, have helped everyone.
Game lineup for Saturday
(Always BST, seeds in parentheses)
Center 1:30 p.m.: (11) Cori Gauff (USA) v (20) Amanda Anisimova (USA), (4) Paula Badosa Gibert (Spa) v (25) Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic), (27) Lorenzo Sonego (Ita) v (2) Rafael Nadal (Spa) Court 113:00: (19) Alex De Minaur (AUS) v Liam Broady (Gbr), (1) Iga Swiatek (Pol) v Alize Cornet (Fra), Nick Kyrgios (AUS) v (4) Stefanos Tsitsipas (Gre) Court 211:00: Harmony Tan (Fra) v Katie Boulter (Gbr), Richard Gasquet (Fra) v (21) Botic Van de Zandschulp (Ned), Magdalena Frech (Pol) v (16) Simona Halep (Roma) Court 311:00: Christian Garin (Chi) v (29) Jenson Brooksby (USA), Alex Molcan (Svk) v (11) Taylor Harry Fritz (USA), Petra Martic (Cro) v (8) Jessica Pegula (USA) Court 411:00: (4) Gonzalo Bueno (Per) v Juan Manuel La Serna (Arg), Jeremy Jin (Aus) v (3) Mili Poljicak (Cro), Kristyna Tomajkova (Cze) v (10) Annabelle Xu (Can ), (8) Edas Butvilas (Lit) v Mika Brunold (Swi), Alessio Basile (Bel) v (11) Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez (Mex) Court 511:00: Mia Kupres (Can) v Angella Okutoyi (Ken), Linda Klimovicova (Cze) v Michaela Laki (Gre), Paul Barbier Gazeu (Fra) v Connor Henry Van Schalkwyk (Nam), Julie Struplova (Cze) Ella McDonald (Gbr), Aysegul Mert (Tur) v (3) Nikola Bartunkova (Cze) Field 611:00: Patrick Brady (Gbr) v (15) Martyn Pawelski (Pol), Phoenix Weir (Gbr) v Alexander Blockx (Bel), Sarah Tatu (Gbr) v Celine Naef (Swi), Juan Carlos Prado Angelo (Bol ) ) to William Jansen (Gbr), Talia Neilson Gatenby (Gbr) to Nina Vargova (Svk) Court 711:00: Kalin Ivanovski (Mkd) v Luca Pow (Gbr), Henry Searle (Gbr) v (2) Jakub Mensik (Cze), Renata Jamrichova (Svk) v Jasmine Conway (Gbr), Joelle Steur (Ger) v Isabelle Lacy (Gbr), Benjamin Gusic Wan (Gbr) v Peter Privara (Svk) Court 911: 00 Amelia Waligora (Bel) – Anastasiya Lopata (Ukraine) Court 1011:00: Irina Balus (Svk) v Andrea Obradovic (Ser), Peter Nad (Svk) v Jaden Weekes (Can), Ella Seidel (Ger) v Lucciana Perez Alarcon (Per), (4) Nikola Daubnerova (Svk) to Dominika Salkova (Czech Republic) Court 1111:00 Sara Saito (Jpn) v Olivia Lincer (USA), (14) Lucija Ciric Bagaric (Cro) v Rose Marie Nijkamp (Ned) Court 1211:00: Ajla Tomljanovic (Australia) v (13) Barbora Krejcikova (China), Brandon Nakashima (USA) v Daniel Elahi Galan (Col) Court 1411:00 Hynek Barton (Tea) v Arthur Gea (Fra) Court 1511:00 Olaf Pieczkowski (Poland) vs. Ozan Colak (USA) Court 1611:00 Pedro Rodenas (Spa) – Matej Dodig (Cro) Court 1711: 00 Dylan Dietrich (Swi) v (5) Nishesh Basavareddy (USA), Giorgia Pedone (Ned) v Amelie Van Impe (Bel) Court 1811:00: Jack Sock (USA) v Jason Kubler (Aus), Qinwen Zheng (Chn) v (17) Elena Rybakina (Kaz)
Preamble
Good morning. It’s already day six at Wimbledon – where did the week go? The show courts don’t start until a little later, with Coco Gauff vs Amanda Amisova on Center Court at 1.30pm. and Alex De Minar v Liam Broady on Court No 1 at 1pm. It’s been a great week for British tennis, with Heather Watson and Cameron Norrie breaking new ground by reaching the fourth round of a grand slam for the first time in their careers, and Broady and Katie Boulter hoping to do the same today. Boulter is not on a show court so I will be paying close attention to her match against Frances’s Harmony Tan on Court 2 at 11am. It promises to be extremely tight, with Tan ranked 115th in the world and Boulter 118. Like her British rival, Tan is also looking to reach the last 16 in a slam for the first time. Looking forward to No. 4 Paula Badosa vs. No. 25 Petra Kvitova on Center Court later. Kvitova has won Wimbledon twice, and despite falling down the rankings over the past two years, I think she can go deep in 2022. And expect fireworks – and lots of fun conversation – when Nick Kyrgios takes on Stefanos Tsitsipas on Court 1 later. Kyrgios just wants to be loved, you know.
