Wimbledon – Nakashima v Kyrgios, Garin v De Minaur; Rybakina through – live!

On Court 3, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, seeded nine, have lost the first set on a breaker to John Peers and Filip Polasek, sseded seven.

I say that, but here we are at 30-all … so here comes a booming serve, handing Kyrgios set point; delivery into the body, a return into the net, and it’s one set apiece! Will class and experience now take over, or can Nakashima reassert?

And yup, De Minaur secures the break-back. This has been a really excellent match, on which point we’re brewing on Centre, where Kyrgios is now serving at 4-6 5-4. I don’t know how many points Nakashima has won receiving in this set, but it’s not many.

“I hope you are getting a swell of Australian tennis fans to you right now,” emails John Murphy, “as Channel Nine binned De Minaur’s interesting match to televise the lower-ranked player for people hoping for a bit of drama. Would’ve liked to have watched the rest of the quality match that I’d watched from the start. Please keep us up to date.”

I can see why they did that, but Kyrgios is also a very fine player, just as this De Minaur-Garin match is dramatic. On which point, Garin broke in the opening game of set five … though now trails 0-30 hoping to consolidate.

Next on No1: Jason Kubler v Taylor Fritz.

At the second time of asking, Garin serves out in set four to level the match 2-6 5-7 7-6(3) 6-4. De Minaur doesn’t look demoralised at forsaking his advantage though, so I’d expect him to give this final set his best.

Rybakina thanks everyone who came to support, then a wide shot shows us Rishi Persad is wearing white pumps with his blue blazer and beige chinos. I don’t know. Anyway, Rybakina says Martic improved through the match but she’s pleased with how she responded and after watching Wimbledon on telly as a kid, she’s happy to move on.

Back to De Minaur, he saved a further set point on advantage, such that Garin is now serving for the fourth set at 5-4. A decider looks imminent.

Elena Rybakina [17] beats Petra Martic 7-5 6-3!

Kyrgios is serving beautifully now, consolidating his break and just this moment securing another love hold for 4-2 in set two. He’s putting in effort, and incredibly, that’s making a difference.

As I type that, Garin forces two set points; De Minaur saves both, one with an ace and one with a big serve, while on No1, Martic holds to force Rybakina into serving for the match. Can she keep loose?

Back on Court 2, De Minaur has retrieved one of Garin’s fourth-set breaks, now serving at 3-5. It might not be enough to win this set, but he’ll be happy to get going again with a decider looking imminent.

Rybakina has dropped just two points on serve this set, but can she hold it down with the line in sight? I said earlier that I felt Martic was the better player, but to clarify, I didn’t mean for evermore – at 23, her opponent will do some serious improving over the next few years. But in the meantime, she’s looking at a last-eight match with either Tomljanovic or Cornet, and will fancy herself against either, if she can get through this.

Martic hasn’t played the big points well so far and she tightens on an overhand forehand, netting to give Rybakina break point. But she saves it superbly, mashing forehands until she can nail one down the line … only to find that Rybakina isn’t letting her off the hook. She forces another break point. Martic mets tamely, and suddenly this is nearly one, Rybakina leading 7-5 4-2.

Meantime, an error from Nakashima hands Kyrgios break point, and he whips a backhand return cross-court … only for it to drop wide, just. Still, Nakashima doubles – that’s his second in the game – then frames a forehand! It’s tough at the top, and Kyrgios now trails 4-6 2-1.

Perhaps Kyrgios thought he could win this without extending himself, but the way Nakashima is playing, that’s not going to happen. They take a hold apiece at the start of set two, but it feels like Kyrgios is waiting to blaze successive winners, rather than working his opponent to work opportunities.

Nakashima breaks to take the first set off Kyrgios 6-4! He is playing beautifully, while Kyrgios is playing in flashes.

Rybakina holds for 2-1 in set two, with the aid of a net-cord. But Martic is, I think, coming – though I might just be saying that because she’s in my accumulator. I think she’s a better player than Rybakina though, and as I type that, she unleashes a gorgeous hooked, wrongfooting forehand. This isn’t over, not by a long chalk.

Thanks John and hi everyone. It’s not quite Manic Monday, but there’s loads to get us going. In particular, I’m buzzing for Badosa v Halep, but also enjoying the three matches we’ve got going on the now, so let’s wade right in to those.

And, with that, I shall pass you over to Daniel Harris for the afternoon session, and two matches that, while at different junctures, are very tight. It was Rybakina 7-5 Martic in the first set on Court No 1.

Kyrgios, by the way, has already dished out an underarm serve. Nakashima appears unruffled so far by the ruckus being brought to him. It’s 4-3, and new balls. The same cannot be said of De Minaur, who is now 2-0 down to Garin, whose drop-shot winner squeaked over the line, off the let-cord. A five-setter seems inevitable and the Chilean appears to have the greater energy.

An early break in the fourth set, with Garin, in the ascendancy and the beneficiary of De Minaur missing a gaper of a chance at the net. 0-1 in the fourth set. 1-2 on sets.

While De Minaur has failed to put away Garin, his possible next opponents, Nakashima and Kyrgios are at 3-2, serve being held. Already, Kyrgios is having an open dialogue with the umpire though it all seems to be cordial so far, and he is let sprawling by a lovely passing shot from his opponent. Kyrgios was complaining about the camber of the baseline. There’s always something.

De Minaur serves, and swiftly holds. Here’s the tie-breaker, and his chance to put Garin away. 6-6. He punches a volley for 1-1, despite a challenge from Garin. Great call from the line judge. Good serve and it’s 2-1 De Minaur. Garin spots the chance for a winner but then misjudges his forehand. 3-1 to De Minaur. An ace makes it 3-2. Then it’s 3-3 as Garin advances and crashes one beyond De Minaur’s reach. Then it’s De Minaur’s turn to get too excited and miss, to go 4-3 down. Then Garin’s serve and volleying takes him to 5-3, real dogged play from him. His serve is just as good for the next and there’s three set points. And, on the De Minaur serve, Garin is offered an overhead he isn’t going to miss. That set took over an hour, and there’s some way longer to go now. 2-6 5-7 7-6

On Centre Court, they are underway, with Nakashima holding serve to go 1-0 up. Soon enough, Kyrgios holds, and it’s 1-1 in the opening set.

Garin attempts to put the previous game behind him, and at 30-30, he whips a disguised forehand to fox De Minaur. They play a hue rally at 40-30, and Garin can only net. Deuce. Then an error from him on the same forehand, and a break point to De Minaur. Then, a quite incredible rally, both of them scrambling all over the place, and Garin saves himself by forcing De Minaur to scoop the ball back from the baseline. A gutsy, gutsy hold from the Chilean. It’s 6-5 in the third.

Over on Centre Court, Nick Kyrgios is now knocking up with Brandon Nakashima. The afternoon show is almost with us. On Court No 1, Elena Rybakina is up against Petra Martic, and having been 3-0 up is now at 3-3.

Another wobble on De Minaur’s serve at 15-30, but a huge forehand sends Garin sprawling. Then comes a failed drop shot and deuce. And De Minaur pulls off an unlikely escape in somehow rescuing what should have been a winner from Garin, instead lobbing it back. Then, when Garin attempts a drop, he reads it, for 5-5.

De Minaur chases across the net to volley home, and then drops a beauty to level the third at 4-4. The pressure is now on Garin to hold. A stop/drop volley takes him to 15-0, then De Minaur’s error grants him a 30-0 lead. Then a crasher of a smash, and it’s 40-0. But then De Minaur reads a faded drop shot, and Garin can’t dig out a low-flying forehand, and suddenly the pressure is back on, only for him to come to the net and volley home. 5-4 in the third, and now De Minaur needs to save himself.

Another double fault by Garin, and it’s 30-30, though he comes off best at a point they both race to the net and he crashes the ball towards his opponent. Then, however, he can only net from the baseline. A big serve, an ace, is challenged. It was miles in, a true waste of a challenge. And then a fine lob sends De Minaur scrambling and keeps his nose in front in the third set.

De Minaur is still struggling with the Garin return of serve, and his own, too. He throws in a double for a break point. And he saves that by crashing down the line with a backhand poke down the line. He does the same to quell the next break point. Then Garin can only launch a forehand out of bounds. Then comes another double fault. The nerves are heightening and the energy lessening. A dangerous combination but still, he manages to hold, Garin netting after a long rally.

A double fault, a highly untimely one, hands De Minaur two break points and he takes them, meaning we are back on serve at 2-3 in the third, the Australian two sets up.

Big hold from Garin, to love, and with an ace. 3-0 in the third set, a commanding lead. De Minaur recovers his step a little with a service hold for 3-1. This is now an even contest with the Chilean in the ascendancy.

Garin holds the first game of the third set with some ease, and then races to a 0-30 lead on the De Minaur serve. De Minaur yelps in delight when he pummels home for 30-30. Hell of a rally follows, and De Minaur, grimacing, coughs up another break point. And this time, Garin grabs it. He’s back in this, long way back but a glimmer. He’s 2-0 up and serving for the third.

De Minaur a bit wobbly when serving out. This happened against Broady on Saturday, and a double fault, his first of the match, pegs him back to deuce. Garin spots his chance and claims a break point. De Minaur saves it with an ace, then gets to advantage and set point again, but can only net. Still, he gets another chance when Garin goes for broke and clanks the ball way out. And eventually, with his 24th unforced error, though off quite a zippy serve, Garin nets and it’s two sets up to De Minaur. 6-2 7-5 so far, and on course to meet Big Nick Kyrgios should both the Australians progress.

De Minaur forces a break point, and looks to have saved himself with a defensive forehand, and the momentum swings back to De Minaur, who can now serve out the second set for the second time at 6-5 up.

Garin’s eye is definitely in now, and he gets to 0-30 on the De Minaur serve, and then to 0-40 with a winner that beats his opponent at the net. That’s the shot of the match so far. De Minaur has to save himself as he did in the first set when serving out. This time, he can’t do so, and nets to level the second set at 5-5.

It’s soon enough 5-3 to De Minaur, via a successful challenge of a Garin baseline hit that goes long. Garin at least makes him serve for the set for a two-sets lead.

Garin continues to fight for his life, and a break point chance comes his way. And at the net, he manages to take it, via the top of the net. There’s visible relief as he prepares to serve the next game at 3-3. But then he offers up his own two break points, the first of which is taken, and it’s 4-3 to De Minaur.

Evidence that Garin hasn’t quite given up the ghost, as he clatters an overhead home, and then serves out. It’s 3-2 to De Minaur now.

A beaut of a drop shot rushes De Minaur to 40-0 up, and then Garin, who seems to be losing heart cranks a baseline shot way out of bounds. It’s 3-1 in the second.

Then, having held his own serve, De Minaur breaks the Garin serve. He’s 2-1 up and serving a break and a set up.

A break point at 0-40 is soon forced by Garin but De Minaur sees that out, then clatters a volley home with a backhand overhead, followed by an ace. 1-1 in the second and De Minaur looks very strong.

Garin suffered from an eye problem in that first set, suggesting the pollen count in SW London was getting to him a little. He did seem to improve after a short chat with the trainer, and his accuracy seems to be returning. He takes the first game for an early lead in the second set.

De Minaur soon enough has two set points at 40-15, he’s dominating Garin while not being asked to play anywhere near his best tennis. And, after a couple of let-cords, Garin nets, and it’s a 6-2 first set in just about 40 minutes.

Nice serve and volley from Garin as he responds well to De Minaur’s speed at deuce, only to misread on the next point to find himself back at deuce. He eventually concedes the double break to a whipped lob from the Australian who at 5-2 will serve for the first set.

Garin’s serve is looking better than in that shaky first game, and he’s testing De Minaur a little more. He does, though, change his racket at 30-30 on his opponent’s serve, but to no avail, it’s soon enough 4-2.

Good, easy hold from Garin ahead of the first break in play, but De Minaur’s speed round the court means he holds quickly enough, too. 3-1 up now, the Australian, Garin needs to stay within the lines of the court a bit more often.

Garin seems to recover his step quite quickly and forces two break points on the De Minaur serve, though can only backhand into the net for the second, meaning it’s deuce. He makes an error to present game point but his speed is causing De Minaur problems, and another break point is on offer. A big serve snuffs that out but this is turning into a long old first service game but eventually, he holds for 2-0 and a clear lead in the first set.

De Minaur and Garin get underway, Garin none too promisingly by double faulting on the very first point of the match, and an error on a forehand presents two break points. And the first is gobbled up, meaning it’s 1-0 with an early break for the Australian.

Before we begin with Alex de Minaur’s match with Christian Garin, let’s relive the golden moment of the fortnight so far, Ricky Livid himself, Sir Cliff Richard.

Pat Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champion and BBC pundit, has taken a dim view of Nick Kyrgios’s antics against Tsitsipas on Saturday. The word “mayhem” was used.

Per Reuters:

He’s brought tennis to the lowest level I can see as far as gamesmanship, cheating, manipulation, abuse, aggressive behaviour to umpires, to linesmen. Something has got to be done about it. It’s just an absolute circus. It’s gone to the absolute limit now.

Tsitsipas would make a line call and he’d go up there and start complaining, he’d be in his face – that’s part of gamesmanship, that’s the sort of stuff he does and I think there’s a limit.

Let’s hope he doesn’t drop tennis there to a lower level than he did on Saturday.

Here’s the reports from yesterday’s first official Middle Sunday.

Preamble