Katie Boulter loses second set to Harriet Dart in 1-1 nail-biter – as Jacob Fearnley fights again after bruising first set in opposition to Novak… and Andy Murray’s SW19 ‘farewell tour’ kicks off

The Battle of the Brits is underway at Wimbledon as we speak as Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart go head-to-head on Courtroom One, whereas tennis legend Andy Murray steps onto the double’s courtroom as he begins his farewell to SW19.

Alongside his brother Jamie, in what would be the first time the siblings have paired up for a Grand Slam, Murray will take to Centre Courtroom, because the veteran participant vows this will likely be his final ever Wimbledon.

British primary Boulter is already one arrange on Dart, who ranks second, in what’s their fourth conflict over the previous two years.  

In the meantime British wildcard Jacob Fearnley, who was ranked outdoors the world’s prime 500 forward of the match, is one set down as he goes face-to-face with seven-time world champion Novak Djokovic.

The 22-year-old Scot solely certified for the Nottingham Open firstly of final month, admitted that ‘it was getting in [his] head somewhat bit’ that he was going to have tackle the Serbian legend. 

This afternoon, extra British athletes will face one another on courtroom, with 22-year-old Jack Draper will tackle South African born Brit Cameron Norrie to battle it out to get a spot within the third spherical. 

Each 27 years previous, Boulter and Dart have spent over 20 years in each other’s orbit, each rising up so emmeshed within the tennis world that their moms – Sue Boulter and Susie Dart – had even met as gamers throughout their very own early careers.  

The pair are mates – and Boulter has spoken about how ‘terrible’ it may be to play her Billie Jean King Cup team-mate as a result of that – however as Boulter’s star has risen to absorb back-to-back Nottingham title wins and a seeded berth at Wimbledon, Dart has struggled to see the identical success, making it to her first WTA-level semi-final simply this yr on the Translyvania Open.

Of their senior outings, the pair have met each other seven instances, however their’s has been a one-sided battle, with Boulter, the present British No1, besting Dart all however one of many instances they’ve face each other. 

The world No100 will take no consolation that her one victory got here not on grass, however on a tough courtroom, nor that grass courtroom have been a vivid inexperienced backdrop to 2 of their frostiest conferences. 

The primary got here final yr, on the Nottingham Open, on the heels of Boulter’s 6-3 7-5 victory in opposition to her fellow Briton. Boulter was in actual fact en path to her maiden grass courtroom title, and celebrated the quarter-final win expansively – a lot to Dart’s disapproval. 

Dart took problem with Boulter jabbing a finger at her temple within the course of her participant field, and instructed her so once they met on the internet for a cursory handshake. 

Boulter denied that it had one thing to do with Dart, and Dart referred to as her out for being ‘unprofessional’ because the gamers turned to the umpire, forcing one other denial from the winner – who stated that she made the gesture ‘after each match’ and that it was ‘nothing private’.

However Dart struggles to maintain her feelings near her chest when enjoying fellow Brits, and Boulter specifically, their most up-to-date assembly effervescent up because the participant as soon as once more discovered herself unable to maintain her cool. 

Again at Nottingham – simply weeks earlier than their assembly on No1 Courtroom on Thursday – this time Dart boiled over when the chair umpire deemed Boulter’s winner as falling in, relatively than out, as Dart noticed it. 

‘No means!’ Dart shouted throughout courtroom. ‘The ball was thus far out.’

When the chair umpire confirmed her name, Dart repeatedly protested earlier than saying that it was ’embarrassing’ and that she was ’embarrassing herself’ earlier than receiving a reprimand. 

Through the change of ends, Dart’s fury confirmed no indicators of subsiding. 

‘I promise you,’ she continued, ‘for those who watch it again, I’ll wager £50,000 that ball was out. Actually. I might shake your hand proper now. 

‘It is a joke how far that ball was out.’ 

Boulter sensibly stayed distant from the battle and knuckled right down to see out the 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 7-5 match, which lasted nicely over three hours. 

At this level, the British No1 harassed after her first-round victory in opposition to Tatjana Maria, the pair ‘know one another’s video games inside-out, back-to-front’, and Boulter is gearing up for a difficult conflict in consequence. 

‘Enjoying a Brit within the UK on the grass is rarely a simple draw and I’m anticipating an absolute battle,’ Boulter stated on Monday.  

‘I do have to attract on the final issues that I’ve performed together with her and use that to my benefit within the subsequent spherical. I feel it will be extraordinarily robust. I’ve a variety of respect for her on this floor. It is one in all her favourite ones.

‘That is truly her residence membership. She’s been right here since she was a tiny tot together with her mum.’

However Boulter harassed that she was ‘excited’ by the problem, including: ‘you will have two Brits right here who’re enjoying some excellent tennis. She’s somebody that is going to make it very arduous for me. I will should convey my A-game.’

Dart – then unaware whether or not she could be going through Maria or Boulter after her early dismissal of Zhuoxuan Bai – was much less simple to learn on how she felt about one other assembly with a rival that has develop into one in all her hardest opponents to beat. 

‘I’ve nothing to lose, that is for certain,’ Dart contemplated. ‘For me, an enormous aim was simply making an attempt to get by spherical one. Final yr was I might say heartbreaking for me, but additionally put me in a spot the place I needed to dig deep in direction of the tip of the yr.

‘I all the time assume issues occur for a motive. They undoubtedly did. This yr, I am very a lot focusing way more on the method, how if I can play some good tennis, I may give myself the perfect alternative to play nicely, to place myself ready to win matches. That is form of all I can do.’ 

This afternoon Fearnley turns into the sixth British participant to have confronted Djokovic at Wimbledon – with Murray being the one Brit to have overwhelmed him on the grass courtroom.

The 22-year-old Scot certified for the Nottingham Open firstly of final month and gained it, incomes a Wimbledon wildcard. And he made good use of his golden ticket on Tuesday by beating Spaniard Alejandro Moro Canas 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 on his Grand Slam debut.

Djokovic was on the similar time eviscerating Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva. ‘I’d be mendacity if I stated I wasn’t watching the scores on Centre Courtroom,’ admitted Fearnley. ‘It was getting in my head somewhat bit that I used to be going to should play him.’

Fearnley performed faculty tennis at Texas Christian College, Cam Norrie’s alma mater, and solely graduated in Might after profitable the nationwide title. His skilled profession is in its infancy however he has made a positive begin.

Requested the query that has plagued the game for a decade — how does one beat Djokovic? — he replied: ‘I don’t assume many individuals have the reply to that. I do not know. I’ve watched so many movies of him. It doesn’t seem like there’s many flaws in his sport.

‘I’m going to simply try to take pleasure in it, put my sport out on the courtroom and see what occurs. I don’t assume there are numerous ways going into the match!’

It was for the perfect that Fearnley was solely following the scores relatively than watching reside, as a result of Djokovic appeared ominously good for a person who had meniscus surgical procedure lower than a month in the past.

In his participant’s field was the curious sight of Ronnie O’Sullivan, watching along with his daughter. ‘I watch snooker simply due to him,’ stated Djokovic, 37. ‘I watched once I was a child. My father cherished watching snooker however I solely watched Ronnie. We simply met for the primary time. It was nice.

‘It was very nice to have him round. Hopefully we’re in a position to play some snooker as a result of I’m actually unhealthy.’

He could also be actually unhealthy at snooker however he’s actually good at tennis and the way in which he went about compiling this 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory, poor Kopriva might as nicely have been away from the desk, sat in his chair sipping Highland Spring and adjusting his waistcoat.

There have been actually just a few kinks seen within the Djokovic cueing motion. He didn’t look to be bending his proper knee as deep as common so operated in a extra upright place. It was noticeable on the return of serve and backhand, the place we’re so used to the yogi grasp enjoying along with his knees scraping the floor of the courtroom.

However he did what he does higher than another participant in historical past — he tailored. He serve-volleyed steadily and attacked on return, maintaining factors brief and candy. He opened his shoulders on the forehand and struck that shot terrifically nicely.

Somebody with somewhat extra grass-court nous would have exploited Djokovic extra however the Serb has been blessed with a dreamy draw — Fearnley is the British No13 for goodness sake — and he ought to have loads of time to ease his means into the fortnight.

You’ll be able to wager these knees will dip decrease and decrease as an eighth Wimbledon trophy strikes nearer and nearer.