Andy Murray will return to the court on Friday needing one more set to reach the third round of Wimbledon for the second time since 2017. The Scotsman was leading world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(3), 7-6(2). 6-4 on Thursday when play on Center Court was suspended for the day at 10:38 p.m. Seeing the match getting over before 11 pm, it was decided to stop the match. Curfew was highly unlikely.
In view of the massive crowd, there was nothing to separate two-time champions Murray and Greek Tsitsipas as they battled it out in a blockbuster second-round encounter under the roof of Center Court.
Tsitsipas attacked his forehands with devastating power throughout the two hours and 53 minutes he spent on the court, but Murray grew stronger as the match progressed. After losing the first set, the former world No. 1 showed great movement and hit his groundstrokes more aggressively in the second and third sets to take the day. (Murray Leads Tsitsipas At Wimbledon, Curfew Ends Thursday)
However, there was a worrying moment for Murray in the final game of the third set. The Scotsman fell and grabbed his groin while serving for the set, but got back to his feet and sealed the set on the next point. The former world No 1 will need to examine the long-lasting consequences of the overnight slump.
Murray and Tsitsipas are tied 1-1 in their ATP head-to-head series, with the Greek having won their last major meeting at the 2021 US Open. After the Serb beat #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton 3-1, the winner will play Laslo Djere in the third round – 6, 6-3, 7-6(5) 6-3.
Murray has a 61-12 record at Wimbledon and is a two-time champion, winning in 2013 and 2016. When he returns on Friday, he will seek his first top-5 win of the season and his first since June 2022. , when he beat Tsitsipas on the grass in Stuttgart. Scott is also attempting to become the eighth man in the Open era (since 1968) to win 200 Grand Slam matches.
Tsitsipas, who upset Dominic Thiem in five sets in the first round, is trying to reach the third round of Wimbledon for the third time. His best result came in 2018 when he reached the fourth round.
In a high-quality first set, Murray and Tsitsipas exchanged shots, with both players giving their opponent few chances on serve. Tsitsipas was the more aggressive of the two, hitting 21 winners in a set compared to Murray’s 11, but the Scotsman showed good movement to stop rallies. (Murray Leads Tsitsipas At Wimbledon, Curfew Ends Thursday)
Tsitsipas took control in the tiebreaker after Murray saved a set point at 5-6, hitting the line with a forehand. The world No. 5 showed good footwork with his right foot and dominated Murray.
However, Murray responded in the second set. During the tiebreaker she hit and blocked her airtight groundstrokes deep, tying the set and having only two unforced errors in the set. Emboldened by the roar of the home crowd, the Scotsman raised his fists in the air as he returned to his chair.
The former world No. 1 then broke early in the third set and showed his fighting spirit, saving two break points on serve at 2-1 to maintain his momentum. The Scotsman was on strong serve from then on and took two sets to-one lead.
