Wimbledon news: Russian teen star hit with fine as John McEnroe complains about staff
Express Sport brings you live updates from Tuesday at Wimbledon as Novak Djokovic looks to book his place in the semi-final.
Highlights from day eight at Wimbledon
Wimbledon is heading towards the business end of the tournament as the quarter-finals get underway on Tuesday with Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek among the big names hoping to book their places in the last four. Djokovic only finished his four-set victory over Herbert Hurkacz on Monday evening but the Serbian is back in action again, though Swiatek crashed out to Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
Seven-time SW19 champion Djokovic had to battle past Hurkacz after the curfew denied him the chance to finish off his match on Sunday and after a minor blip, the 36-year-old emerged unscathed. He now faces the Russian Andrey Rublev, a player the Serbian has praised highly after admitting he was not at his best level in his previous match.
Swiatek was the favourite to overwhelm Svitolina but the Ukrainian star - into her second Grand Slam quarter-final since the birth of her daughter - had several outside factors motivating her towards pulling off a shock victory.
However, her pleas for an announcement from Wimbledon umpires to make it clear that she will not shake hands of Russian or Belarusian opponents have fallen on deaf ears.
Scroll down for LIVE Wimbledon updates from Express Sport
KEY EVENTS
Wednesday's news
Good morning Wimbledon fans!
You can follow all of Wednesday's Wimbledon news and updates in our new LIVE blog, HERE
There are updates from Novak Djokovic's victory last night and build-up to today's quarter-final clashes.
Djokovic insists he's the big favourite
Novak Djokovic has piled pressure on himself at Wimbledon by firmly agreeing that he is the favourite to win the men's title. Djokovic made it to the semi-finals courtesy of a four-set win over Andrey Rublev on Tuesday evening, although more high-quality opponents await.
Having gone undefeated on Centre Court for over a decade, and undefeated in a completed Wimbledon match since 2016, Djokovic had no problem in claiming that he considers himself to be the favourite.
Order of play for tomorrow
Here is the order of play tomorrow with Carlos Alcaraz back in action on Centre Court.
Djokovic gets cocky
Novak Djokovic has warned rivals dreaming of a big win against him at Wimbledon that 'it ain't happening'. The 23-time Grand Slam winner threw humility to one side on Centre Court after beating Andrey Rublev in four sets and marching through to the semi-finals at SW19.
Pegula smashes racket
American star Jessica Pegula had a difficult day at Wimbledon, losing in both the singles and doubles as she took her frustration out on her racket.
After defeat to Marketa Vondrousaova, the woman dubbed ‘tennis’ richest player’ then lost in the doubles with partner Coco Gauff.
During her press conference at the end of the day, she explained that she threw the racket in anger having failed to break her quarter-final duck.
Jess Pegula, out of singles this morning and about to crash out of doubles with Coco Gauff, just smashed a racket and is not happy at all. #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/sMq4iSBrkI
\u2014 Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) July 11, 2023
Djokovic through to semis
Novak Djokovic has advanced to the semi-finals after overcoming a scare to defeat Andrey Rublev 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.
He will face Jannik Sinner next as the Serb looks to continue his dominance at Wimbledon, having won the previous four tournaments.
His stunning record on Centre Court also continues, having last lost on the stage to Andy Murray in 2013.
Osaka gives birth to a baby girl
Naomi Osaka has reportedly welcomed a baby girl with her rapper boyfriend Cordae, her first child.
People have claimed that "they are doing well" after the couple first revealed in January that they were pregnant.
Osaka is yet to confirm the news herself, though claimed that a "unique" name was being discussed during her pregnancy.
She has said that she would return to tennis in time for next year's Australian Open.
Svitolina to celebrate with a beer
Elina Svitolina admitted that she was going to celebrate reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals with a beer after her victory over world No 1 Iga Swiatek.
Following her 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 win over the favourite, the Ukrainian revealed that her plans to see Harry Styles perform in concert may be put on hold once again as she continues her stunning SW19 run.
While also confirming that her husband and fellow pro Gael Monfils will stay at home once again next round after missing her victory, in order to babysit their daughter.
You can read the full story HERE.
Russian teenage sensation fined
Mirra Andreeva has been fined a total of £6,190 after her two outbursts during her 6-3, 6-7, 2-6 to Madison Keys in the fourth round.
The 16-year-old Ukrainian had taken Wimbledon by storm as her rise echoed Emma Raducanu's run at the US Open, but went out today despite a stunning start against Keys.
Towards the end of the match, she was adjudged to have thrown her racket on two occasions - which has landed her in hot water financially with the tournament officials.
Wimbledon staff told off
Staff at Centre Court were given a stern telling off between the first and second sets of Novak Djokovic's clash with Andrey Rublev.
The Serb had begun play having lost the first set to Rublev, but fans were still entering the ground as staff were told off by the umpire.
Supporters are not supposed to still be entering once play has started, as John McEnroe made light of the situation on commentary.
You can read the full story HERE.
One Djokovic supporting Rublev
The entire Novak Djokovic clan would have been expected to cheer on the Serb as he takes on Andrey Rublev on Centre Court.
However, he has explained that his daughter in fact will be rooting for the Russian as she is a big fan of Rublev.
Clare Balding on the BBC left John McEnroe and Tim Henman speechless when revealing the tidbit, though the American pundit admitted that he was also a supporter of Rublev - with his outfit showcasing that they are both fans of Iron Maiden.
Will Novak Djokovic's daughter be cheering for Andrey Rublev? \ud83d\ude02
\u2014 BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 11, 2023
Their quarter-final match is live on @BBCiPlayer and @BBCSounds now \ud83c\udfbe#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/NqfAOudsuN
Djokovic gets underway
On Centre Court, Novak Djokovic is bidding to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals and continue his dominance at Wimbledon.
The Serb admitted that he was frustrated last time out but he managed to get over the line against Hubert Hurkacz.
However, he has not lost on Centre Court since 2013 against Andy Murray - but Andrey Rublev will look to upset the odds.
You can keep up to date with our live blog of the match HERE.
Svitolina downs favourite
Elina Svitolina has advanced to the semi-finals after defeating one of the pre-tournament favourites Iga Swiatek 7-5, 6-7, 6-2.
The Ukrainian reached the semi-final of Wimbledon once before in 2019, but is yet to make it to a final of a Grand Slam.
She only returned to the tour in April after taking a break from the sport due to health problems and emotional exhaustion from the war in Ukraine - and later gave birth to her first child in October of last year.
She has remarkably returned to top form less than a year after having her daughter, now reaching the final four of SW19.
Jarry gives away £680k present
Wimbledon viewers were surprised when Nicolas Jarry made the decision to give away his rackets to children courtside following his defeat by Carlos Alcaraz.
He was spotted giving away several rackets after his third-round exit, though Exequiel Carvajal of the Chilean Davis Cup team and Jarry's compatriot revealed that they were worth a total of £680,000 - over five times the player's prize money of £131,000.
"I've been in this activity for years and I don't remember anything like it. Sometimes some great tennis players give one of their rackets to someone special, but not to four random children," he told LUN.
"Each one of these rackets is around $220,000 (£170,000), they are provided by the sponsor and are made especially for each player."
Pegula crashes out
American star Jessica Pegula, dubbed the richest player in tennis thanks to her billionaire parents, has exited Wimbledon at the hands of Marketa Vondrousova.
Her 4-6 6-2 4-6 defeat to the Czech star has ensured that she is still yet to reach past the quarter-final stage of a grand slam.
She has reached the final eight of all four Majors over the past two years, but a semi-final berth remains elusive despite her improved performances as a late bloomer.
Djokovic demands privacy
Novak Djokovic has pleaded for privacy at Wimbledon ahead of his quarter-final clash with Andrey Rublev.
Should the Serb continue his stellar record at SW19, he could meet Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz in the final on Sunday.
However, Alcaraz's father was spotted supposedly recording Djokovic's recent training session - something the defending champion has not taken too kindly.
You can read the full story HERE.
Azarenka offers Raducanu advice
Victoria Azarenka was booed off the Wimbledon court following her fourth-round defeat to Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
She explained that those in attendance were not aware that no handshake would take place between the pair, but has since offered her advice to Brit Emma Raducanu.
Parallels have been drawn as both stars broke through at a young age, but the Belarussian believes that she can help Raducanu as she has struggled to follow-up from her 2021 US Open victory.
You can read the full story HERE.
Wimbledon main court action
We're about to get underway on Centre Court as top seed Iga Swiatek takes on Elina Svitolina for a place in the semi-finals.
And over on Court 1, Marketa Vondrousova is a break up on the No 4 seed Jessica Pegula - she leads 4-3 in the first set and is about to serve to edge closer towards taking the first set.
Hingis rushes to Andreeva defence
Former Wimbledon champion Martina Hingis has leapt to the defence of teen sensation Mirra Andreeva after she was criticised for throwing her racket during her round of 16 defeat to Madison Keys.
The 16-year-old's dream run at SW19 came to an end when she was beaten in three sets by the American 25th seed, and at one point in the tournament she smashed her racket against the grass after losing her cool.
But Hingis insisted it was just a matter of growing up and a natural part of the game to release frustration.
"I did that too so it’s like when you play a lot of matches and I think she played a lot now compared to what she was doing before so you want to win, you want to play well. I heard that, I didn’t see it," she said.
"It can happen, when you’re young you have your emotions and sometimes it’s good, sometimes bad. As long as nothing dangerous happens. It depends on what and how you do it, and how you throw your racket also a little bit. It’s part of the game, of course you’re supposed to control your emotions but at 16, come on, she’s a kid still. It can happen."
Badosa absent for Tsitsipas loss
Stefanos Tsitsipas could have probably done with some support from his girlfriend Paula Badosa after losing a nailbiting five-setter against Chris Eubanks on Monday.
But the Spaniard was nowhere to be seen at SW19 after deciding to jet off to Madrid, missing the Tsitsipas match at Wimbledon.
Badosa's own journey at Wimbledon came to an end when she injured herself in her second-round defeat, ruling her out of both the women's singles and mixed doubles.
But instead of sticking around, Badosa opted to head to the Spanish capital for a short break away from tennis, uploading a selfie of herself in Madrid.
Misunderstood Djokovic 'doesn't help himself'
Novak Djokovic has been told he 'doesn't help himself' with his comments after being booed at Wimbledon, but British star Liam Broady thinks he has been misunderstood after a chance encounter with the 23-time Grand Slam winner.
Broady, who reached the third round of Wimbledon this year, said Djokovic is not praised enough for his achievements, although he conceded the Serbian is often his own worst enemy in trying to raise his popularity.
“I don’t think he does [get the credit he deserves]," he told talkSPORT. "Sometimes I don’t think he helps himself with what he says in the press, but he is authentic. He’s completely himself.
“When you speak to him he’s a really nice guy and down to earth. My nieces were at Wimbledon the other day and he was having his lunch. They interrupted him mid-meal and he was happy to take a picture and sign autographs.
“I feel like with a lot of this stuff people only realise what they’ve got when it’s gone."
Murray flies the flag
If you thought Britain's involvement in Wimbledon was over for this year, you would have been wrong.
Jamie Murray is still flying the flag for Great Britain as he often does in the men's doubles.
The experienced Scot and his doubles partner Michael Venus - seeded 13th for the tournament - take on Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski, the No 4 seeds.
Djokovic wary of Rublev threat
Novak Djokovic believes he faces a genuine challenge in going up against Andrey Rublev as the Russian aims to make the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the first time.
The Serbian hailed his 25-year-old opponent by waxing lyrical about his game on the court and believes the prospect of a first Grand Slam semi-final appearance will make him tough to beat.
“Andrey Rublev is a fantastic player who's got one of the best forehands in the game,” said Djokovic. “He brings a lot of intensity to the court with his grunts. He kind of scares off his opponents across the net.
"He’s an extremely nice guy and works as hard as anybody out there to be a top 10 player, which he has been for the last several years. He's one of the most consistent players on all surfaces. I have lots of respect for him.
“I was surprised that he has actually never reached the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, which obviously will serve as a motivation more for him tomorrow, to be inspired, and play his best tennis.”
Raducanu gets advice from Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka has advised Emma Raducanu to settle on a small team to help her get back to the summit of women's tennis after claiming she had been affected by her rapid rise to the top.
“When Emma [Raducanu] won the US Open, what I noticed at that time was that everybody latched onto her as if she was their friend, and I was thinking that they probably didn’t even know her a month ago. In a way, it didn’t feel very real," she said on the Up Front with Simon Jordan podcast.
“It’s sad to hear her say that sometimes she wishes she had never won the US Open, but I think this is a very momentary feeling because if you said to her ‘Okay, we’ll take it away and you can carry on’, I’m not sure she would agree to that.
“I think the advice I would have given her is that you should not forget the people who drove you to that moment and who helped you get there. From my experience, I would say she needs to have a very small circle and a very solid one.”
Order of play
Centre Court - 1.30pm start
Iga Swiatek (POL) [1] vs Elina Svitolina (UKR)
Andrey Rublev [7] vs Novak Djokovic (SRB) [2]
No 1 Court - 1pm start
Jessica Pegula (USA) [4] vs Marketa Vondrousova (CZE)
Jannik Sinner (ITA) [8] vs Roman Safiullin
Kim Clijsters (BEL) / Martina Hingis (SUI) vs Francesca Schiavone (ITA) / Roberta Vinci (ITA)
No 2 Court - 11am start
Marcel Granollers (ESP) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG) [15] vs Robert Galloway (USA) / Lloyd Harris (RSA)
Bob Bryan (USA) / Mike Bryan (USA) vs Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) / Radek Stepanek (CZE)
Jamie Murray (GBR) / Michael Venus (NZL) [13] vs Hugo Nys (MON) / Jan Zielinski (POL) [4]
Caroline Garcia (FRA) / Luisa Stefani (BRA) vs Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE) / Barbora Strycova (CZE)
Wimbledon chief refuses handshake plea
Wimbledon will not instruct umpires to inform the crowd when Ukrainian players refuse to shake hands with Russian or Belarusian players after Elina Svitolina's request was denied.
Svitolina argued that SW19 chiefs had a responsibility to inform spectators about her stance after Victoria Azarenka was booed as a result of the former champion respecting Svitolina's position.
But Sally Bolton, Wimbledon's CEO, has confirmed they will not get involved in the row as it is a 'personal' decision.
"The decision on how a player reacts at the end of a match is entirely a personal decision for them and I think we don't really want to start mandating what happens," she said.
McEnroe told off by BBC host
BBC Wimbledon host Clare Balding had to remind John McEnroe what channel he's on after his comment made live on TV.
As Ons Jabeur walked out on to Centre Court, Balding said: “Jabeur is looking up at the sky above wondering if it’s going to rain. I think the answer is no. But it is overcast. It’s one of those days that would see a bit of swing on the ball in cricket.”
Tim Henman then added: “Yep definitely. Good conditions for the seamers!"
Before McEnroe chimed in: “Are the swingers the ones who don’t throw it as hard? Is that what swingers are? We have different definitions in the States!”
McEnroe's comment had Tracy Austin bursting with laughter but Balding said: “We’re talking about something completely different John! It’s not a channel for that sort of talk.”
Good morning!
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