Burrage held his service again, and then found himself with his back foot trying to return Tsurenko’s service. 2-2. Jabeur, meanwhile, is 5-1 ahead of Bjorklund soon catching the first set with an intense serve game, while Cam Norrie, after beating Andujar in the first set, goes on to serve with the Spanish veteran. It’s 2-1 in the second set.
Updated at 13.32 BST
Burrage grabs the first game of the second set, holding on to his serve. He was not too distracted with his emergency medical duties. Tsurenko also has her eye set and levels the set to love. 1-1, a pose for the Ukrainian.
The game resumes on track 18 after that rather emotional incident. We continue with tennis, with the ball boy now cared for by professionals. On track 1, Ons Jabeur has an early break in Bjorklund.
Oh dear, there is a boy dance incident in the Burrage-Tsurenko game. Burrage attends to it and looks a little green around the gills. There is another delay when the doctor is found. Burrage now offers him some Percy pigs, which suggests a problem with blood sugar, poor boy, who is crying. If tennis doesn’t come out for Jodie, then a medical career could be called. It has a lovely way at night.
Jodie Burrage faces Tsurenko again, the pair face off before the Ukrainian serves for the first set. It starts with a double foul, before two right-handed errors by the Englishman. Then a harassment service sets a setpoint and another right error delivers the set. 6-2.
Are we getting back on our feet? We could only be. Cameron Norrie has to get back on track 2, and the crowd is in their seats waiting for him. On track 1, Ons Jabeur faces Mirjam Björklund, and both players are actually on the court, at this point outnumbering those in the stands.
The doubles were a big deal at this year’s Australian Open, thanks to the winning pair of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinaki. Maybe it’s time for the British to feel the same; we’re not bad at doubles.
A devastating winner of the French Open, Swiatek is the player to beat this fortnight.
Swiatek’s movement is sublime, his power is evident. U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe has even favorably compared the poison of his shots to those of Serena Williams. “I haven’t seen any player hit with so much spin and pace,” he said recently. “Serena does everything, but Serena doesn’t play with the kind of topspin and racquet acceleration this woman plays with.”
More news … without playing until 1 p.m.
A soldier watches the entrance to the central court while the roof is closed before the game begins. Photography: Tom Jenkins / The Guardian
Updated at 12.55 BST
Latest results, over time looking to increase to SW19
- Track 2: Norrie 6-0 0-1 Andujar
- Track 3: Davidovich Fokina 3-3 Hurkacz
- Court 4: Paul 6-1 Verdasco
- Track 6: Etcheverry 3-4 Humbert
- Track 7: Kalinina 4-4 Bondar
- Track 8: Marterer 4-3 Bedene
- Track 9: Pair 6-4 Halys
- Track 10: In-Albon 2-6 Riske
- Track 11: Monteiro 2-6 1-0 Munar
- Track 12: Ruud 3-2 Ramos-Vinolas
- Track 14: Mannarino 3-1 Purcell
- Track 15: Basilashvili 5-6 Rosol
- Track 16: Siniakova 0-6 Chwalinska
- Track 17: Tiafoe 3-3 Vavassori
- Track 18: Burrage 2-5 Tsurenko
The news is that there will be no game until 12.30 at the earliest.
Emma Raducanu, chatting just before with the BBC, said: “I hope I can get out there and have a good swing,” which doesn’t seem to be looking too high. They are showing pictures of her playing some kind of handball game with her coaches. Lots of smiles, which is a good sign.
Murray-mania will go down this afternoon. And Big Nick knows how hard it can be to play against him.
Kyrgios believes Murray can “hurt” Wimbledon after returning from an injury: video
“I think he’s still one of the most dangerous players on the pitch,” said Kyrgios on Sunday, who lost to Murray in Stuttgart this month. “I definitely think the way he can handle speed, come back, compete, cut, want, as long as his body feels good, I don’t want to see him at all on the grass. Right now I’m playing amazing tennis. That first set was as good a level as anyone can produce on the pitch. “
The rain stopped playing …
And unfortunately, this is the case on all the outdoor courts where tennis is played this morning. It’s heavy and the roofs are all over campus.
Burrage is now 2-5, his service is costing him a lot against Tsurenko, and then fails to get a drop shot to give the Ukrainian a second break. Laura Robson and Anne Keothavong look on. Both former brave British men know what Burrage is going through. And they also know the rainy feeling that stops the game. Players are sent on a long walk back to the locker room.
Cameron Norrie is crushing it, going 5-0 in the first set against Andujar, and soon has a seven-point lead. This has been saved with an overhead from Andujar, but it takes a double foul to deliver another, makes a strange and failed challenge of Ul de Falcó in his second service, and then nails a right to the ether to deliver the first set. 6-0 in Norrie, nice and easy.
Norrie in action. Photography: Tom Jenkins / The Guardian
Updated at 12:00 BST
Jodie Burrage’s brilliant start has faded as she now has a 3-1 lead over Tsurenko in the first set.
Norrie is also on the move. He held the service in the first game against Andujar, and has a chance at an early break, and one that swallows him. A very promising start with a 2-0 lead in the first.
Updated at 12:00 BST
Also in action is Jodie Burrage of Kingston-upon-Thames, who won the first match of the match against Kyiv’s Lesia Tsurenko on track 18.
The first at a Wimbledon still only cloudy and really empty, is Cameron Norrie, the British number 1, ninth seed of the general, who faces Pablo Andújar, the Spanish veteran.
Early arrivals to the game order during the first day. Photography: Tom Jenkins / The Guardian
Updated at 12.01 BST
Tumaini Carayol is our main man in the All-England scene, and here is his great piece.
The last time none of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray occupied any of the top two places in the ranking, its current inhabitants were seven and six years old respectively.
It would have been reasonable to assume that this scenario would suggest a significant change at the helm of the sport, but Djokovic and Nadal are the main protagonists at Wimbledon one more year. Despite where they are in the ranking, they are also somehow the first two leaders in the absence of a banned Daniil Medvedev, the world number 1, and an injured Alexander Zverev.
Preamble
It’s here. Let the strawberries and cream fly, the songs of Pimm’s and Cliff Richard. All looks at SW19, and it’s an opening day full of stars to start the fortnight. And apparently, rain, although the forecast is “mostly cloudy” on the official website. Oh well. So thank the gentleman for the closed roof on the center court and runway number 1, and the discussions about the temperature and the flight of the ball. Novak Djokovic, defending champion and back in the pursuit of Rafa Nadal in search of slams, sets us in motion at the Center, followed by some daring British psychodrama to Emma Raducanu and Sir Andrew Murray for the mid-afternoon audience. Also pay attention to Ons Jabeur at number 1, and later to Carlos Alcaraz, perhaps the next big one, but someone who diminishes his chances on the turf. Many more, and we’re here every two weeks with updates, news, and budgets.