Wimbledon 2025: Sinner breezes through but Zheng and Pegula crash out as temperature soars – live

For those busting to know what I’m watching, as well as Zverev v Rinderknech and Kvitova v Navarro, I’ve just stuck on De Jong v Eubanks – one of the heroes of Wimbledon 2023 – as they’re 5-5 in the fifth, And I’ll also watch Shelton v Bolt, those two having just arrived on to No 2 Court.

Sakkari has beaten Blinkova 4 and 4, so faces Avanesyan next; Kvitova serves three straight doubles to hand Navarro break-back point, then dumps a forehand into the met. We’re back level at 3-3.

On Court 12, Evans is serving for the match against Clarke, leading 6-1 7-5 5-2; Andreeva leads Sherif 6-3 1-0; Kvitova leads Navarro 3-2; and Rinderknech leads Zverev 4-3 in the second, with a break.

Swiatek says she needed to focus on adjusting and she’s happy her game clicked in the second set. She’s also happy there was a bit of cloud coverage, before saying she improved in every game.

Otherwise, asked about her towel-snaffling antics, she advises that people at home like them and so does she, but if she plays another 15 years her house will be full of them.

The shape of that match was not unfamiliar: close until it wasn’t. Next for Swiatek: Caty McNally.

Come on Petra! She breaks Navarro immediately and a backhand swatted to break the sideline gives her 2-0 0-40; meantime, Swiatek breaks Kudermetova again, so is now serving for the matc h at 7-5 5-1.

Yeah, time’s up. Swiatek breaks Kudermetova to lead 3-1 in the second, while Rinderknech achieves the first break in two hours 17 minutes of play, and leads Zverev 1-1 2-1. Trouble for the no 3 seed, whose self-belief might just’ve been irreparably damaged by the hiding he took off Sinner in the Aussie Open final.

Munar continues the good form he showed at Queen’s, and faces Marozsan next.

Munar is now serving for the match against Bublik, leading 5-2 in the fifth; Swiatek leads Kudermetova 7-5 2-1; Andreeva leads Sherif, who was 2-0 up, 5-3; Evans now leads Clarke 2-0 2-1, with a break; McNally has beaten Burrage 3 and 1; Collins leads Osorio 6-3 3-1; Machac leads Dzumhur 6-3 1-0; Jones leads Starodubtseva 6-1 2-2; and Moutet leads Comesana 6-4 3-0.

On Centre, Kvitova has come out for potentially the final time – the two-time champ will retire after the US open. Navarro is not a pleasant first-round draw, but after a year or two of improvements, she’s dropped off a little lately, thrashed by Bouzas Maneiro in the first round at Roland Garros before losing to Anisimova at Queen’s. She’s another hindered by the lack of a serious weapon, but should have enough here.

Immediately, Rinderknech raises break point, diddling Zverev with a drop, and though it’s soon saved, a similar shot then saves game point. From there, Zverev is again asked to respond when down advantage – he does – this time he serves out, sealing the deal with an ace down the T. He leads 1-1 1-0.

On Rinderknech, now knocking up with Zverev, Coach Calv messages with the following insight: “Good looking [redacted] with a massive serve. Meantime, a double on 30-all means Swiatek has set point … and Kudermetova sends a backhand into the net! How often do we see that, that being the better player hanging in there until the errors finally come?

Swiatek holds for 6-5, but can she find a way to break the Kudermetova serve?

Obviously I’ll be watching those, along with Swiatek 5-5 Kudermetova; on my final screen, and especially as Evans has just taken a 2-0 lead over Clarke, I’m going for the final set of Bublik v Munar, Munar up 2-1 with a break.

Coming up next on No 1 Court: Petra Kvitova v Emma Navarro (10)

Coming up next on Centre Court: Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 6-7 Alexander Zverev (3)

Thanks Niall and hi again everyone. It don’t stop!

Iga Swiatek is being kept on serve by Kudermetova on No 2 Court, while Dan Evans has set points to go 2-0 up against Jay Clarke – and takes them! With that, I’ll hand back to Daniel …

Alex Bublik is back in trouble against Jaime Munar – he’s lost the fourth set breaker and is now an early break down in the fifth. And another potential contender struggling is Mirra Andreeva, an early break down to Egypt’s Mayar Sherif.

On the first match point, a huge second serve is dinked back over the net, and the Frenchman sends a wild forehand wide. Fritz pounds his chest in delight, having come from two sets down – and 5-1 down in the fourth – to advance!

A chance for Fritz to get the job done? He’s got a sniff at 0-30, 5-4 up in the delayed decider with Mpetshi Perricard – and digs out a return to claim three match points …

“I would like to start with giving credit to Alex, what the hell, how she plaed in the first set,” says Krejcikova. “She is going to come up and will be really good in a couple of years. Big credit to her.”

“I’ve been in a lot of pain with my back, and I’m super happy and excited that I could be here, on such a great court. I was really excited for today, counting every minute to the match. It was just very special, I’m really happy I can be here and experience this.”

A backhand winner down the line secures an impressive comeback win for the defending champion, who was on the ropes in the first set but turned things around in style.

33.4C – that’s the temperature recorded at the All-England Club about half an hour ago. No extreme heat rules are in force yet, as far as I’m aware.

Krejcikova looking to get the job done, 4-1 up and at 30-all on Eala’s serve. A wild mishit brings up break point and while Eala saves it, a neat cross-court winner earns Krejcikova another. Her opponent nets a forehand, and the defending champ will serve for the match.

Could Taylor Fritz join that club? His fifth set against Mpetshi Perricard is still on serve at 2-2, perhaps unsurprising given both players’ service power.

Zheng’s defeat means that three of the top 10 seeds have gone out in both the men’s and women’s draws. Jessica Pegula and Paula Badosa have gone out, along with Lorenzo Musetti, Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev.

Eala is able to get on the board in this decider, holding for 3-1 down but still struggling with errors. Krejcikova, whose season has been disrupted by back and thigh injuries, is closing on a welcome win.

Another top-10 seed tumbles in the first round, losing in three sets to Siniakova, generally a doubles specialist but able to take out a big name in the singles draw here.

Brit watch: Jay Clarke had struck back in the second set, breaking to lead 3-1, but Dan Evans has broken to get back on serve. On Court 16, George Loffhagen is two sets to one down against Pedro Martinez. Over on Court 18, Jodie Burrage faces Caty McNally, with the American leading the first set 4-2.

Xinyu Wang beats Karolina Muchova 7-5, 6-2: The No 15 seed is out, losing in straight sets – it’s her fourth straight defeat at SW19 after reaching the 2021 quarter-finals. Another seed going home early is Denis Shapovalov, beaten in four sets by Argentina’s Mariano Navone.

It’s not often that the patrons of No 2 Court get to watch a five-time grand slam champion – but that’s where Iga Swiatek is about to face Polina Kudermetova. Swiatek has never hit top gear at Wimbledon, having yet to reach the semi-finals. Maybe this year?

Neither player really enjoying themselves on Centre, but it’s Krejcikova who digs in and grinds out a break to lead Eala 2-0 in the deciding set.

Next up on No 1 Court, it’s the conclusion of Taylor Fritz’s match with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. The Frenchman led 2-0 but Fritz had fought back to level before play was suspended last night – so it’s a one-set shootout to advance.

Siniakova is a break up in the decider against Zheng, who has been below her best in an error-strewn performance. Muchova, meanwhile, is in all sorts of bother against Wang, trailing 4-1 in the third set.

Krejcikova levels at 1-1! Eala fought to keep the set alive but the defending champion gets over the line to win it 6-2, and will look to keep the pressure on in the decider.

Dan Evans has breezed to the first set against Jay Clarke, winning it 6-1. The prize/punishment for the winner of that one is a likely second-round meeting with Novak Djokovic.

Liudmila Samsonova defeats Maya Joint, the Eastbourne champion, 6-3, 6-2. A run of eight winning games from nine pretty much got the job done for the No 19 seed.

The No 7 seed is a surprise early casualty as Basilashvili, a veteran who had to qualify this year, seals a four-set win out on No 2 Court.

The first set was a tough battle but Sinner did what the big boys do, breaking late to win it and then running away with things. He faces Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic in the second round.

Zheng Qinwen has levelled up against Siniakova, winning the second set 6-4. Another seed in trouble on Court 15 – and another China v Czechia contest – as Wang Xinyu leads Karolina Muchova by a set. Wang is the highest-ranked unseeded player in the draw, though, so it’s a tough opener for the No 15 seed.

Alexander Bublik is not enjoying the sweltering conditions on Court 14 (and frankly, who would), but he has eked out a 2-1 lead over Jaime Munar. Lorenzo Musetti, though, is 5-0 down in the fourth set against Basilashvili – after reaching the semis here last year, the No 7 is set for a disappointing early exit.

Krejcikova, not at full fitness and a set down on Centre, has struck back in style, forcing errors from Eala and breaking twice to race 4-0 up in the second set. The defending champ is far from done yet.

Dan Evans leads Jay Clarke 3-1 in the all-Brit match-up on Court 12, while on Court 16, Martinez has levelled with Loffhagen and broken the Briton early in the third set.

Sinner is closing on the finish line, winning the second set 6-3 and breaking Nardi early in the third. Their compatriot, Lorenzo Musetti, is in big trouble on No 2 Court, 2-1 and a break down to Basilashvili.

Eala is one of the game’s brightest new stars, but she’s still very new to this level. If she can get it done, this would be her first ever grand slam singles win. Krejcikova, always a crafty and skilled opponent, makes experience count with a break of serve early in the second.

Alexandra Eala wins the first set! Krejcikova battled hard on serve to stay in the first set, but Eala has served it out, winning 6-3. The defending champion has her work cut out here.

Australia’s Maya Joint, who beat Eala in the Eastbourne final, is a set down to Liudmila Samsonova. On Court 14, a seed falls as Alex Michelsen (No 30) loses in five to Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic.