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Dan Evans says goodbye

Dan Evans and Henry Searle are two match points down at 2-6, 4-5 against Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. They save the first but can do nothing on the second as a return winner whistles beyond them, bringing the curtain down on Evans’s career. The 36-year-old former British No 1 is struggling to hold it together as the court 15 crowd give him a standing ovation.

“It’s amazing, I’ve lived out my dreams,” he says. “Getting home from school to watch Wimbledon … I was one of the lucky few who then got to play here. Everything was worth it in the end.”

“I don’t rate my performance,” says Osaka, ever the perfectionist. “I was just happy I was able to win and do it in straight sets. I was nervous. Tomorrow is my daughter’s birthday so I just wanted to be here for longer, I didn’t want to get her on a plane on her birthday. I’ll have to practise in the morning, then maybe I’ll take her to the park.” She’s then asked about her slightly more streamlined walk-on outfit. “I’m trying to mix it up a bit,” she says, before departing to huge cheers. She’s such a popular player, she brings so, so much to tennis and it’s great to see her thriving on the grass.

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Osaka defeats Gasanova 6-3, 6-2

But Ostapenko – who took out Britain’s Harriet Dart in a tight three-setter in the first round – pulls away from Osaka at the finish line, completing a 6-2, 6-0 destruction of Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic just before Osaka brings up her first match point at 40-30. Gasanova’s return goes well long and Osaka is into the third round of Wimbledon for a fourth time – but the four-times grand slam champion has never been any further. Could this be the year? She’s certainly looking sharp and confident, despite that injury, and she’ll have a winnable match against Daria Kasatkina or Janice Tjen next. Tjen is currently 7-6 ahead. A certain Aryna Sabalenka could await in round four, however.

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Osaka retired with a right foot injury during the Bad Homburg final last weekend, her first career final on grass, but she’s got it firmly pressed on the gas here as she breaks for 4-2 courtesy of an overhead smash. Gasanova, the 27-year-old qualifier who’s ranked down at 225 in world, has played four matches just to get this far, and it looks to be catching up with her as Osaka consolidates the break … before breaking again Gasanova lobs long! At 6-3, 5-2, Osaka is a game from away from becoming the first player into round three.

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The men’s doubles is getting under way today. Dan Evans, who’s playing the final event of his career after harshly being overlooked for a wild card in the singles despite everything he’s done for Britain in the Davis Cup, is currently a set down in his match, alongside Henry Searle. There are many more Brits to come later, including the defending champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, the 2024 winner Henry Patten and the 2023 champion Neal Skupski.

So, to the early runners and riders. Naomi Osaka, along with the Queen’s runner-up Tommy Paul, Paul’s fellow American Jenson Brooksby and the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostaenko have all taken the opening set in their matches.

Osaka, who’s playing the Russian qualifier Anastasia Gasanova, walked on to court in a more practical, pared-back version of her Kill Bill-inspired kimono. Which is probably wise given she had to weave and wind her way through the grounds to get to No 2 Court. Though there again surely she could have just slayed all of the people getting in her way. She’s certainly slaying on court right now, leading 6-3, 2-2.

Today's order of play (all times BST)

Centre Court 1.30pm
(1) Jannik Sinner (Ita) v Nuno Borges (Por)
Barbora Krejcikova (Cze) v (5) Mirra Andreeva (Rus)
Stefanos Tsitsipas (Gre) v (7) Novak Djokovic (Ser)

No 1 Court 1pm
1) Aryna Sabalenka (Blr) v McCartney Kessler (USA)
Solana Sierra (Arg) v (7) Cori Gauff (USA)
(3) Felix Auger-Aliassime (Can) v Dino Prizmic (Cro)

No 2 Court 11am
Anastasia Gasanova (Rus) v (14) Naomi Osaka (Jpn)
Daniel Merida Aguilar (Spa) v (8) Daniil Medvedev (Rus)
(4) Jessica Pegula (USA) v Sara Sorribes Tormo (Spa)
(23) Rafael Jodar (Spa) v Pablo Carreno-Busta (Spa)

No 3 Court 11am
Soon Woo Kwon (Kor) v (21) Tommy Paul (USA)
(10) Karolina Muchova (Cze) v Shuai Zhang (Chn)
Jesper De Jong (Ned) v (24) Joao Fonseca (Bra)
(11) Belinda Bencic (Swi) v Xin Yu Wang (Chn)

Court four 11am
(4) Simone Bolelli (Ita) + Andrea Vavassori (Ita) v Ben Jones (Gbr) + Joshua Paris (Gbr)
Karol Drzewiecki (Pol) + Kamil Majchrzak (Pol) v Fernando Romboli (Bra) + John-Patrick Smith (Aus)
Tomas Martin Etcheverry (Arg) + Mariano Kestelboim (Arg) v (5) Christian Harrison (USA) + Neal Skupski (Gbr)

Court five 11am
Marcelo Melo (Bra) + Andres Molteni (Arg) v (14) Austin Krajicek (USA) + Nikola Mektic (Cro)
Quentin Halys (Fra) + Pierre-Hugues Herbert (Fra) v Mac Kiger (USA) + Patrik Trhac (USA)
(7) Kevin Krawietz (Ger) + Tim Puetz (Ger) v Zizou Bergs (Bel) + Alexander Blockx (Bel)

Court six 11am
Jakub Paul (Swi) + Ryan Seggerman (USA) v Luke Johnson (Gbr) + Jan Zielinski (Pol)
Diego Hidalgo (Ecu) + Matej Vocel (Cze) v (11) Francisco Cabral (Por) + Lucas Miedler (Aut)
Corentin Moutet (Fra) + Arthur Reymond (Fra) v Johannus Monday (Gbr) + Harry Wendelken (Gbr)

Court eight 11am
Alycia Parks (USA) v Mananchaya Sawangkaew (Tha)
David Stevenson (Gbr) + Marcus Willis (Gbr) v Ariel Behar (Uru) + Joe Salisbury (Gbr)
Adam Pavlasek (Cze) + David Rikl (Cze) v Marcos Giron (USA) + Alejandro Tabilo (Chi)

Court 11 1pm
Rinky Hijikata (Aus) + Marc Polmans (Aus) v (16) Jakob Schnaitter (Ger) + Mark Wallner (Ger)
Maximo Gonzalez (Arg) + Santiago Gonzalez (Mex) v Thanasi Kokkinakis (Aus) + Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA)

Court 12 11am
Marton Fucsovics (Hun) v (16) Learner Tien (USA)
(32) Katerina Siniakova (Cze) v Nikola Bartunkova (Cze)
(28) Brandon Nakashima (USA) v Jan-Lennard Struff (Ger)
Tatjana Maria (Ger) v (16) Iva Jovic (USA)

Court 14 11am
Hubert Hurkacz (Pol) v Sebastian Ofner (Aut)
Dayana Yastremska (Ukr) v Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (Spa)
Shintaro Mochizuki (Jpn) v Ethan Quinn (USA)

Court 15 11am
Daniel Evans (Gbr) + Henry Searle (Gbr) v (9) Hugo Nys (Mon) + Edouard Roger-Vasselin (Fra)
Zeynep Sonmez (Tur) v Claire Liu (USA)
(25) Arthur Rinderknech (Fra) v Martin Damm (USA)

Court 16 11am
Janice Tjen (Ina) v Daria Kasatkina (Aus)
Roman Safiullin (Rus) v Botic Van de Zandschulp (Ned)
(1) Harri Heliovaara (Fin) + Henry Patten (Gbr) v Terence Atmane (Fra) + Luca Sanchez (Fra)
Mariano Navone (Arg) + Adolfo Vallejo (Par) v (3) Julian Cash (Gbr) + Lloyd Glasspool (Gbr)

Court 17 11am
Jelena Ostapenko (Lat) v Antonia Ruzic (Cro)
Nicolas Mejia (Col) v Michael Zheng (USA)
(6) Marcelo Arevalo (Esa) + Mate Pavic (Cro) v Alexander Bublik (Kaz) + Nick Kyrgios (Aus)

Court 18 11am
Jenson Brooksby (USA) v (31) Ignacio Buse (Per)
(22) Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (Spa) v Fabian Marozsan (Hun)
Diane Parry (Fra) v (19) Anna Kalinskaya (Rus)
(18) Ekaterina Alexandrova (Rus) v Lanlana Tararudee (Tha)

Preamble

Hello! And welcome to our coverage of day three. The total British wipeout in the top half of the men’s and women’s draws means there are no Brits in singles action today, which for the English contingent among them does mean at least that they will be able to enjoy the England v DR Congo match later without having to contest a second-round match at Wimbledon or circumvent the All England Club’s ban on watching World Cup games. Every cloud and all. Perhaps it was the players’ plan all along; maybe the LTA should put that in its Wimbledon post-mortem.

But anyway, I’m wittering now, and there’s no time for that, given that play is already under way, with O-Ren Ishii sorry Naomi Osaka among those in early action, with Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, Mirra Andreeva, Flavio Cobolli, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Joao Fonseca to come later, along with many, many more. Don’t go anywhere! (well at least not until 5pm).

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