MX23RW : Friday, November 15 10:31:11| >> :600:295396988:295396988:
Wimbledon section header

Wimbledon

Live Coverage: Wimbledon - Day Seven - Karlovic vs. Murray - as it happened

By , Reporter
Relive Sports Mole's live coverage from day seven of the 2015 Wimbledon championships.
2

Andy Murray moved into the quarter-finals of Wimbledon on a packed day seven of this year's tournament.

The Brit beat Croatia's Ivo Karlovic in four sets, and he will face Vasek Pospisil in the last eight on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, Roger Federer eased past Roberto Bautista Agut, while Serena Williams beat her elder sister Venus Williams.

Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson are locked at two sets all, and their match will conclude tomorrow.

You can relive all of the day's action below.


Sort:
Newest
Oldest
Good morning! Play is just about to get underway on the outside courts at Wimbledon as the fourth round in the singles competitions gets underway. The two big show courts will see action from 1pm, so let's have a look at the schedule.

Order of Play

Centre Court:
Serena Williams vs. Venus Williams
Ivo Karlovic vs. Andy Murray
Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Roger Federer

Court One:
Maria Sharapova vs. Zarina Diyas
Stanislas Wawrinka vs. David Goffin
Novak Djokovic vs. Kevin Anderson


There's plenty of exciting matchups on the smaller courts too. 21st seed Richard Gasquet, who knocked out Grigor Dimitrov in round three, faces Australia's Nick Kyrgios in the opening match on Court Two, while French Open runner-up Lucie Safarova is out first on Court Three against Coco Vandeweghe. They're all going through their warmups at the moment.

Centre Court could see some thrilling action today, with the Williams sisters up first. They haven't faced each other in a Grand Slam for six years, but last time they met on the WTA tour, it was older sister Venus who came out on top. They've both won this event five times, and Venus has looked in good form, while Serena looked rattled in her narrow win over Britain's Heather Watson last time out.
Serena Williams of the United States hits a backhand in her Ladies’s Singles first round match against Margarita Gasparyan of Russia during day one of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 29, © Getty Images

The British fans will be waiting for the second match on Centre, as Andy Murray comes up against the big-serving Ivo Karlovic. The Croatian has hit over 130 aces so far at Wimbledon in 2015, so will test the world number three's returning game to the limit. Murray had some shoulder problems in his match against Andreas Seppi at the weekend, but has insisted that he has no problems coming into this match.

2004 champion Maria Sharapova opens the action on Court One from 1pm. The Russian faces rising star Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan, who has been soaring up the world rankings over the last 12 months. Sharapova has been taking advantage of the weather over the weekend to get plenty of practice in for the match:


There are two more singles matches getting underway at Wimbledon this morning, with 21st seed Madison Keys taking on Olga Govortsova of Belarus, who has been something of a surprise package at this event, while in the men's draw Vasil Pospisil is up against Viktor Troicki on Court 12.

Seven-time champion Roger Federer faced a stern test against record-breaking server Sam Groth at the weekend. The Australian become the first player to take a set off the Swiss at this event, but the world number two went through in four. Despite having already lifted the trophy at SW19 seven times, Federer admits that he never expected to win once.

WEATHER WATCH! The weather was pretty kind to the schedule in the opening week of Wimbledon, and it looks like it's going to be dry and bright again today, with cloud forecast for times this afternoon, before the sun returns in the evening.

The bottom half of the women's draw is wide open heading into week two. While Serena, Sharapova and Safarova are all in contention in the top half, several of the big seeds in the bottom half feel in the first week. Fifth seed Carolina Wozniacki is the highest remaining seed, but has never been past the fourth round at Wimbledon. Former world number one Jelena Jankovic knocked out defending champion Petra Kvitova on Saturday, setting up a clash with former runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska, which should be a fascinating tie.

Despite the season being just over half way through, Serena Williams's progression to the fourth round at Wimbledon has ensured that she has qualified for the season-ending WTA Championships.

Serena and Venus Williams appear to have been having some fun on Instagram and Twitter in the build up to their match. The world number one shared a picture of herself spending her day off in a onesie, and asked Venus what she was doing. The five-time Wimbledon champion quickly got back to her, revealing that she was spending the day "relaxing too and waving from across the street". Here's Serena's onesie:

Day off all day in my #onepiece #restday #sleepallday whachudoin @venuswilliams ?? #sisters

A photo posted by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on



SET! 22nd seed Viktor Troicki has made a quick start in his match against Vasil Pospisil, who beat Britain's James Ward in the last round. The Serb has claimed the opener 6-4 after less than half an hour on court.

SET! Another player who is out of the blocks quickly today is Belarusian qualifier Olga Govorstova. The world number 122, who has never made it past the seven round at Wimbledon before, has taken the first set in her match with 21st seed Madison Keys 6-3. The young American has been seen as a potential dark horse in the wide open bottom half of the draw, but she'll need a couple of strong sets to make the quarter-finals now.

SET! As expected, it's been a closely-fought opening set between Richard Gasquet and Nick Kyrgios on Court Two. The Australian broke the Frenchman in the opening game of the match, but after the 21st seed levelled has dropped his own serve again while trailing 6-5 to hand Gasquet a one-set lead. Kyrgios won't be too worried though, he lost the first set in his win over Milos Raonic in a similar fashion, and game from two sets down to beat Gasquet at Wimbledon last year.
Richard Gasquet of France waves to the crowd after victory in his Gentlemen’s Singles Third Round match against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria during day five of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on J© Getty Images

Andy Murray's opponent, Ivo Karlovic, has been out on the practice courts ready for his match against the third seed later. The Croatian has been smashing ace after ace past his opponents in the first three rounds, and has been working on his serve this lunchtime:


US Open champion Marin Cilic has had a difficult first week, already having to come through two five-set matches. The ninth seed is up against America's Denis Kudla, who is the lowest-ranked player still int he draw, but the 22-year-old insists that he is confident heading into the match.

The temperamental Nick Kyrgios is causing controversy over on Court Two. The young Australian, having lost the first set, is already a break down in the second, has had a code violation for shouting, and has been booed by the crowd after making little effort to return Gasquet's serve.

SET! Unseeded American Coco Vandeweghe could be on course to cause an upset in the women's draw as she's taken the opening set in her match against sixth seed Lucie Safarova, dominating a tiebreak to take it 7-1. They'll both be keen to avoid another long set like this though, as they're both in action in the women's doubles later.

Andy Murray seems to have found an interesting way to prepare for his fourth-round match:


SET! Things went from bad to worse pretty quickly for Nick Kyrgios in the second set of his match against Richard Gasquet, and the Frenchman wrapped it up 6-1, and now leads by two sets. After getting a warning for swearing, sarcastically clapping the umpire and showing little interest in trying to return his opponent's serve, Krygios finally got a game on the board after falling 5-0 down, before pushing Gasquet hard as he tried to serve it out, but the Frenchman held his nerve, and is now just one spot off a place in the quarter-finals.

SET! Back on Court 18, 21st seed Madison Keys has turned things around after a difficult start against qualifier Olga Govortsova. The American dropped the opening set, but has secured the second 6-4 to force a decider.

Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios finally seems to have woken up! He's been much livelier at the start of the third set after a dismal showing in the second, and is a break up against Gasquet. The Frenchman let a two-set lead slip against Kyrgios last year, and that could be something that plays on his mind if the flamboyant Aussie starts to get back into this match.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia celebrates a point in his Gentlemen’s Singles Third Round match against Milos Raonic of Canada during day five of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 3, 2015© Getty Images

The players will be making their way out on Centre Court and Court One shortly. We'll continue to keep you up to date with the latest scores from around the grounds, but we're going to be focusing on the clash between Serena and Venus Williams once action gets underway between the sisters.

SET! Viktor Troicki is two sets up in his match with Vasek Pospisil, winning the second in a tiebreak as he closes in on a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time in his career.

So, Venus and Serena have met five times at Wimbledon before. The current world number one leads the SW19 head to head 3-2, and is 14-11 up across all events. last time they met though, it was the older sister who came away victorious.

Like her sister, Venus Williams has won Wimbledon five times, but her last title was back in 2008. She lost to Serena in the final the following year, but has not been past the fourth round since 2010. Her only quarter-final appearance at a Grand Slam in the last five years came at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Serena has had a bit of a mixed run at Wimbledon in recent years. Looking at her performances over the last six years, history suggests that if she wins this match, she'll go on to win the tournament. She's won three of the last six Wimbledons, losing in the fourth round or earlier the three times that she has missed out.

Should Serena go on to win this tournament, she will hold all four Grand Slam titles at once. She's lost just once match in 2015, and that was to 2014 Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova, who is already out. She's never done the calendar Grand Slam, one of the few things she's yet to achieve in her career, and knows that she will be 75% there with victory on the grass.

Here are the sisters making their way out onto Centre Court just a couple of minutes ago. They're going through their warmups at the moment, and should be ready to get the action underway imminently:


Andy Murray will be on Centre Court after this match against Ivo Karlovic. Former Croatian number one Iva Ljubicic has insisted that his compatriot has nothing to lose against the former champion.

The Williams sisters are ready to get the action underway on Centre Court, with Venus serving first.

BREAK! Serena is off to a strong start as she pins her sister behind the baseline with some deep groundstrokes, forcing Venus to fire long a couple of times. Venus is facing three break points, and sends Serena running the length of the baseline, but a low forehand from the older Williams hands the top seed the game and the break.

Serena has no such problems with her first service game of the match as Venus fails to get her first three returns back in. Serena has to rely on her second serve at 40-0, allowing Venus to go on the attack, but she hits her forehand down the line long, ensuring that the world number one gets the game. Venus is yet to get a single point on the board.

Elsewhere, Madison Keys is the first player to book her spot in the quarter-finals, coming from a set down to beat Olga Govortsova 3-6 6-4 6-1. She'll face the winner of the match between Jelena Jankovic and Agnieszka Radwanska in the last eight.

There's a huge cheer for Venus as she picks up her first point of the match. She serves well to take a 40-15 lead, but Serena fight back to deuce. The 16th seed has a chance to seal the game when she gets advantage with an ace, but Serena responds with a stunning cross-court forehand. Venus keeps her cool though, delivering a couple of big serves to get her first game on the board.

BREAK! Venus's forehand is just lovely to watch as she floats the ball onto the sideline, before forcing Serena into a mistake at the net, giving her a chance to break back. The world number one makes amends with a volley on the next point though, taking the game to deuce. A stunning backhand slice from the world number 16 gives her a second break point, and this time she claims it as Serena wildly overhits a forehand. It wasn't the best start to the match from Venus, but she's hit her stride now and looks a formidable opponent for her little sister.

Back on Court 12, 22nd seed Viktor Troicki has been denied a straight sets win as Canada's Vasek Pospisil has claimed the third 6-4.

BREAK! Serena has broken straight back as Venus makes a strong start with some more excellent forehands, but a double fault brings up break point for the top seed, and she overhits the ball trying to force a winner past the world number one.

Serena is in a hurry to get a comfortable hold of serve on the board after the last couple of games, and an ace helps her race to 40-0, before a backhand to the sideline seals it on the next point.

There's been a shock in the Williams sister's half of the draw as sixth seed Lucie Safarova is out. The 2014 semi-finalist has been beaten in straight sets by unseeded American Coco Vandeweghe, losing both sets in tiebreaks.
Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova returns to US player Sloane Stephens during their women's singles third round match on day five of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2015© Getty Images

Serena is making Venus work hard for every point, but at 30-30 the 16th seed comes inside the baseline to power the ball past her opponent. A low forehand from Serena on the next point keeps Venus just the one break down for now.

Serena opens the game with an ace, but Venus goes on the attack with her returns, hitting a vicious forehand winner past the top seed before Serena hits the ball into the net, but a slightly long forehand from Venus keeps Serena in the game. Venus tries to lob the ball beyond the world number one, but Serena is waiting for it at the net, and hits a volley winner to the back corner.

With Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe going through already, and two Americans facing off in this match, there will be three women from the USA in the last eight:


At 40-40, Venus hits a superb forehand right on the back of the baseline as she serves to stay in the first set, and she takes the game by getting the better of Serena in a baseline rally. Venus's forehand has really kept her in this first set, but her sister is serving for the set next.

SET! Serena hits back-to-back aces as she quickly brings up three set points. Venus saves the first with another sensational forehand to the back corner, but Serena hits her third ace of the game to wrap up the opening set.

In the match between Richard Gasquet and Nick Kyrgios, the Australian has got a set back after losing the first two, winning 7-9 in a tiebreak.

Venus is under pressure again at the start of the second set as some excellent returning from the top seed brings up two break points. Venus saves the first with some well-timed volleys, before an exchange of backhands results in deuce. The 16th seed hits her first ace of the match to give herself advantage, and she wraps it up with another stunning forehand. It's an excellent recovery Venus.

Venus is returning well at the start of this second set against the Serena serve, forcing Serena to come inside the baseline and put pressure on the 16th seed, allowing her to keep the set on serve so far.

Back on Court 12, Vasek Pospisil has turned it around against Viktor Troicki, coming from two sets down to force a deciding set, taking the fourth 6-3.

Serena is clearly desperate to get an early break on the board in this second set, taking her returns early to try to hurry Venus. At 30-30, she overhits a forehand though, but recovers when she wrong-foots Venus with a forehand slice to the sideline, taking the game to deuce. Venus has to save a break point, but she does so with style as she rushes into the net for an overhead smash, and two long groundstrokes from Serena give Venus the hold.

It's been a closely-fought first set on Court One, but former champion Maria Sharapova has taken it 6-4 in her match against Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas.

Venus comes into the net looking to catch Serena out with a forehand to the opposite side of the court, but she forces it just long, giving the world number one a 40-0 lead. Serena misses a backhand on the next point, but manages to clinch the game when she wrongfoots Venus with a forehand.

That was Venus's most comfortable service game of the second set so far, having had to save break points in the first two. She gets her first serves in to leave Serena stretching on the return, which allows the 16th seed to dictate the game with her forehand, which has been just flawless today.

Serena is pushed by Venus, but at 30-30 the top seed manages to up her game, finding a couple of huge serves to see the game out. This set has been finely-balanced so far.

BREAK! Serena has taken things up a gear in this game, mixing it up on the return and looking to get into the net to get a 40-15 lead. A big serve from Venus results in the top seed hitting long though, before Serena slices the ball into the net, wasting two break points. Serena quickly earns another chance though with a well-taken forehand, and a double fault from her sister hands her the game.

Sixth seed Lucie Safarova has already been knocked out today, and now 15th seed Timea Bacsinszky could be in trouble, as the Swiss has dropped her first set 6-1 against Monaco Niculescu of Romania.

Serena hits a 120mph ace to seal the game after racing to a 40-0 lead, leaving her just one game short of a spot in the quarter-finals. Neither player have asked for a hawkeye challenge yet, but Venus is clearly thinking about it as she stares dumbstruck at the service line. She decides against it though, giving Serena the game.

GAME, SET & MATCH! Venus completely misses a groundstroke before making a double fault, bringing up four match points for Serena, and a long backhand from the 16th seed secures her sister's passage to the last eight. It was a good performance from Venus, but the world number one was just too strong.

RESULT! The first quarter-finalist int he men's draw is Vasek Pospisil, as he's come from two sets down to beat Viktor Troicki 4-6 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-3.
Canada's Vasek Pospisil reacts during his men's singles third round match against Britain's James Ward on day six of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 4, 2015© Getty Images

Speaking to BBC Sport after the match, Serena Williams said: "I think I served well today, I didn't hit huge serves, I hit one big serve, I was consistent. [Venus] was playing really well. It definitely doesn't get easier [facing Venus]. Today I was out there and I was like wow I'm 33 and she's 35, I don't know how many more opportunities we'll get so I just took the moment in. It was really good for me to get it done in straight sets. I just want to put it behind me and move forward."

Serena will face the winner of the match between Victoria Azarenka and Belinda Bencic in the quarter-finals.


So, next up on Centre Court it's world number three Andy Murray against the tallest man on the ATP Tour, the big-serving Ivo Karlovic. They've met five times before, and the Briton has won all of them.

Andy Murray has just received a huge cheer as he made his way out onto Centre Court. The British number one is bidding for his second title at SW19. So far, he's dropped just one set in this tournament in his third-round match with Andreas Seppi, where he struggled with a shoulder problem.

For Karlovic, this is just the third time that he has reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. He made his first appearance at SW19 in 2003, and was a quarter-finalist in 2009, but this is the first time he's been beyond round two since then.

This will be the first time that these two players have met since 2012. Murray won in straight sets in Tokyo three years ago, having also met Karlovic at Wimbledon in 2012, when he won in four sets.

Karlovic's serve has been making headline in this tournament. He's hit 136 aces in his first two matches, including 41 against 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last time out. Expect closely-fought sets with lots of short points in this match.

RESULT! Nick Kyrgios's run has come to an end as he has been beaten in four sets by France's Richard Gasquet. He'll face either Stanislas Wawrinka or David Goffin in the quarter-finals.

So, the players are ready to get this match underway, with Murray serving first.

It's a straight-forward enough start for Murray as he gets the better of Karlovic with a couple of punchy shots inside the baseline, before the 23rd seed hits a pair of forehands long.

Karlovic makes a good start coming into the net, but goes for the spectacular with an overhead smash and ends up hitting it wide. The Croatian misses his first serve, allowing Murray to attack his second serve with a stunning backhand down the line, giving him a break point, but Karlovic saves it with an ace, before another pair of big serves hand him the game.

RESULT! The first match of the day on Court One has finished, with fourth seed Maria Sharapova beating Zarina Diyas 6-4 6-4. The 2004 champion is yet to drop a set at this year's Championship.
Maria Sharapova of Russia celebrates match point in her Ladies Singles Second Round match against Robin Haase of Netherlands during day three of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 1, 2015© Getty Images

Murray races to a 40-0 lead as Karlovic continues to try a little too hard to find the sideline, resulting in a couple of unforced errors. The third seed stretches is opponent along the baseline with some slices before finishing the game with a forehand to the back corner.

Karlovic's second service game of the match is more convincing than his first as he uses his well-placed serving to pick up another ace, while forcing a stretching a Murray to miss a run of returns.

Karlovic is keen to get involved at the net as he rushes in from the baseline, but he sends his forehand long. Murray spots him at the net again a couple of points later, and tries to slice it past him, but he fails to clear the net. Karlovic makes a similar error on the net point though, before gifting the game to the Scot with a wildly overhit return. The world number three started to have a bit of a rant at himself midway through the game, but it seemed to do the trick.

On Court Three, former finalist Agnieszka Radwanska has taken the first set 7-5 in her match against Serbia's Jelena Jankovic. The 28th seed came from a set and a break down against Petra Kvitova at the weekend though.

Murray is on the attack at the start of the game, picking up the first two points thanks to some excellent return. A mis-hit from Karlovic leaves Murray out of position though, before a big serve levels the game. Murray is unable to get his return in on the next point though, while another Karlovic ace seals the game.

Karlovic is continuing to look for chances at the net, hitting a string of volleys and slices in the longest rally of the match so far to bring up deuce. Karlovic completely mis-reads Murray's second serve though, hitting his return well long, before a backhand return drifts long too, handing Murray the game. The Brit was made to work for that game, but he kept his head to see it out.

15th seed Timea Bacsinszky is back in her match against Niculescu, recovering from dropping the first set by winning the second 7-5 to force a decider.

A double fault gives Murray some hope, but the Croatian finds his serve again quickly to secure another comfortable hold of serve.

Murray picks up an ace of his own, while Karlovic hits a couple of long returns to leave the third seed 40-0 up. The 23rd seed tried to lob the ball past Murray, who was waiting at the net, but he plays it too long.

Murray takes a couple of returns early as he tries to close out the set, but Karlovic is back at the net, making two excellent volleys to level the game at 30-30. Murray hits the line with a stunning return on the next point though, bringing up the first break point of the match, which is also set point, but Karlovic deals with it by dispatching another ace. Murray shouts at himself again as he miscues with a backhand return, allowing Karlovic to keep himself in the set with yet another ace.

Former world number one Victoria Azarenka is in action on Court 12, and has quickly taken the first set 6-2 against Eastbourne champion Belinda Bencic.

Murray will at least get a tiebreak from the first set as his serve continues to cause problems for the Karlovic return, giving the British number one a fairly straight-forward hold of serve.

Murray lifts a spectacular lob beyond his opponent two points in a row to open up a 30-0 lead. He goes for the same shot a third time, and this time Karlovic gets his strings to it, but can only knock it wide, giving Murray three set points. Karlovic saves the first with a couple of shots at the net, before Murray misses his return, while an ace right down the centre takes the game to deuce. Karlovic keeps the big serves coming, and another ace ensures that the first set will be decided by tiebreak.

Karlovic *0-1 Murray

Karlovic *1-1 Murray

Karlovic 2-1* Murray

Karlovic 2-2* Murray

Karlovic *3-2 Murray. Karlovic gets the minibreak with an attacking forehand inside the baseline.

Karlovic *4-2 Murray

Karlovic 4-3* Murray. Murray gets the minibreak back as Karlovic hits his forehand long.

Karlovic 4-4* Murray

Karlovic *4-5 Murray

Karlovic *5-5 Murray

Karlovic 5-6* Murray. Murray comes in to power his forehand past Karlovic, giving him set point on his own serve.

Karlovic 6-6* Murray. Karlovic saves a set point for the fifth time.

Karlovic *6-7 Murray. Karlovic wildly mishits his forehand, giving Murray another chance to clinch the set.

Karlovic *7-7 Murray. An ace keeps Karlovic in the set.

Karlovic 7-8* Murray. Karlovic hits a volley into the net, giving Murray yet another chance to close out the set.

SET! After almost an hour, it's Andy Murray that takes the set in a closely-contest tiebreak. Murray misses his first serve, but Karlovic is too aggressive on the return, hitting it long to hand Murray the set.

Meanwhile, the highest remaining seed in the bottom half of the women's draw is in trouble on Court Two. Caroline Wozniacki has dropped the opening set in her match against Garbine Muguruza of Spain.

BREAK! Karlovic gets himself into a hole as he hits a double fault before Murray makes another stunning return, putting the Briton 30-15 up. Murray finds the sideline to bring up two break points on the next point, and he takes it when Karlovic slices a volley a fraction wide.

2012 runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska is through to the quarter-finals, knocking out former world number one Jelena Jankovic in straight sets to set up a meeting with American Madison Keys.
Agnieszka Radwanska in action on day four of the Australian Open on January 22, 2015© Getty Images

Also heading through to the quarter-finals in the women's event is Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland. The 15th seed came from a set down to beat Monica Niculescu of Romania 1-6 7-5 6-2.

Murray appears to have everything under control as he takes a 40-30 lead, but a double fault brings up deuce before a well-played net shot from Karlovic gives the 23rd seed his first break point of the match. Murray takes a leaf out of his opponent's book though, saving it with an ace before quickly finishing the game with some well-timed groundstrokes to consolidate his break of serve.

The women's quarter-finals are quickly taking shape as 23rd seed Victoria Azarenka seals her spot in the last eight with a win over Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. She'll be up against world number one Serena Williams in the next round.

Karlovic is being made to work hard at the start of this second set as Murray is on the attack with his returning game again, but Karlovic keeps his deliveries accurate to make sure that he remains just a break down so far.

Murray races through a comfortable hold of serve after having to save a break point last time. Karlovic is still trying to get into the net when possible, but Murray has learnt to deal with the threat, and threads the ball down the opposite side of the court to secure the game.

Murray has to watch another couple of big serve from Karlovic go past him as the Croatian makes it difficult for his opponent on the return, keeping himself in with a chance in this second set.

Fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka is in action on Court One at the moment against Belgium's David Goffin. The French Open champion was pushed hard in the first set, but just managed to claim it, winning a tiebreak 7-3.

Karlovic is at the net yet again, but Murray comes inside the baseline to slot the ball down the sideline. The 23rd seed isn't put off, racing in again on the net point, but once again Murray is ready. The Croatian looks like he's decided that attacking at the net is the best way to deal with Murray, and he isn't changing his tactics regardless of the score.

Murray has been getting a lot of success hitting the ball on the half-volley in the last couple of games, and it pays dividends again at the start of this game, handing the Brit the first two points. A cross-court forehand gives the Scot the chance to get a double break of serve. Karlovic saves the first of two break points with an overhead smash at the net, before an ace takes the game to deuce, while two more big serves force Murray to miss his returns. Once again, Karlovic's big serve has got him out of trouble.

Murray has some success at the net himself, coming in to play a delicate volley as he races to a 40-0 lead, before getting the better of his opponent with a low forehand, leaving the Scot just a game short of a two-set lead.

Karlovic forces Murray to try to serve it out, continuing to serve with power and accuracy, before coming into the net again to hit a backhand slice for the game-clinching point.

SET! Murray hits his fastest serve of the match, a 126mph ace, on his way to a 40-0 lead, with Karlovic unable to return any of the first three serves. The 23rd seed endears the crowd when he slices a return high, waving his arms to try to put Murray off as he waited for the ball to come down, but the Brit wasn't to be denied, smashing it down the sideline to seal the set.

So, Andy Murray needs just one more set to make it through to the quarter-finals, where Canada's Vasek Pospisil awaits him. He came from two sets down against Viktor Troicki to continue his run earlier:


Karlovic gets off to a solid start in the third set, keeping the pace on his serve up to make returning tricky for Murray, before finishing the game with an ace.

Karlovic stretches to his limit to flick a forehand back over the net after Murray opened with game with a 127mph serve. Karlovic can't get his next two returns in though, leaving Murray with a comfortable hold.

There have been very few substantial rallies so far in this third set as both players continue to race through there service games. Karlovic is quickly 40-0 up, before Murray gets a point back with a drop shot, which we haven't seen too many of in this match. Karlovic seals it with a breathtaking backhand volley on the next point though.

And the final spot in the women's quarter-finals goes to....Garbine Muguruza. The 20th seed has beaten Caroline Wozniacki 6-4 6-4 to set up a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky. It means the Dane's run of never making the last eight at Wimbledon continues:
Spain's Garbine Muguruza celebrates after beating Germany's Angelique Kerber during their women's singles third round match on day six of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 4, 2015.© Getty Images

Karlovic is looking really dangerous as he comes into the net again, and manages to bring up a break point. Karlovic thinks he's clinched it as he plays the ball short, but Murray bursts to his right to lift it back over, taking the game to deuce. Murray gets advantage, and manages to clinch the game when the 23rd seed fires a cross-court forehand just long. That's a big let-off for the third seed.

Karlovic puts the disappointment of missing out on a break against the Murray serve with an emphatic hold. The Croatian gets a foot fault called against him while leading 30-0, but he puts it behind him, hitting back-to-back aces to keep the set with serve.

US Open champion and ninth seed Marin Cilic has made a good start in his fourth-round match against American Denis Kudla, winning the opening set 6-4.

Murray is on a charge as he opens up a 40-0 lead, but a superb forehand to the sideline from Karlovic extend the game, before a cross-court effort from the Croatian gives him another point. However, a complete mis-hit from the 23rd seed ensures that Murray takes the game, as he slices the ball high into the crowd.

Murray makes the most of a couple of slower serves from Karlovic to take the lead in the game, before a forehand past the Croatian at the net gives him two break points. Karlovic saves the first at the net again, before coming in for a smash to take the game to deuce. An ace gives Karlovic advantage, before he engages Murray at the net, forcing the Brit to slice a volley too low. Every time Murray has had break points, the Croatian has found something extra on his serves, and it's generally paid off.

Murray looks unshakable on serve as he takes just over one minute to wrap up another hold, with Karlovic getting just one return in, which the Scot quickly responds to with a forehand down the sideline.

Karlovic opens the game with his 22nd ace of the match, before Murray fires an accurate backhand down the sideline. Two more aces keep the Croatian in control though, before he scuffs a backhand into the net while trying to see out the game. He gets it done on the next point though with ace number 25. For the first time in this match, Murray will have to serve to stay in the set next.

Karlovic has a chance to seal the point following a baseline rally with Murray, but he carelessly hits it long. Murray leads 40-0, but Karlovic takes advantage of a short serve from Murray to thump a return winner past the world number three. Murray gets it done on the next point though, coming inside the baseline to fire a two-handed backhand past the Croatian.

Karlovic cleverly waits for Murray to commit to a move to his right before hitting to ball to the Scot's left, before hitting yet another ace. The 23rd seed is at the net again, and catching the ball with the grip of his racquet, causing the ball to drop and hand him the game. It looks like this set could be heading to a tiebreak, assuming Murray holds next.

Over on Court One, another match has had two tiebreaks, and they've both been won by Stan Wawrinka, who is now 2-0 up in his clash with 16th seed David Goffin.

SET! Murray slices the ball past Karlovic, who waits at the net again. The Briton has to change racquet midway though the game as he breaks a string, which takes longer than expected because he can't find the one he wants! The third seed looks for the sideline again, but he slices it just wide to give Karlovic set point, and Murray sends a looping forehand well long, giving the Croatian the set.

That's all from me today, but Charlie Bennett will be here to keep you up to date with all of this evening's action, including the conclusion of Andy Murray's match, so stick around!

Well, well, well folks. So just like in his match against Andreas Seppi, Murray has lost concentration in the third set and given his opponent a sniff. Karlovic make a double fault to bring the opening game of the fourth to 15-15, but an accurate serve and a sweet volley takes him to 40-15. A second serve is then netted by Murray, and the Croat is off to a good start in the fourth.

Karlovic isn't going down without wondering here. He sends two vicious ground-strokes wide to get Murray off to a good start in this game, before he taps a return of serve too long. A deft little touch at the net gives him a point, but he then misses a slice to get Murray back level.

A second double-fault in two service games by Karlovic gives Murray a sniff at 15-15, but he's back on target with another ace straight after. The Croat isn't completely comfortable at the net, and it shows again as he mis-times a volley, which Murray then prods down the line for a winner, but the Brit misses a great chance to earn a break point when he fires long from a similar position. A Karlovic ace runs salt into the wound.

UPDATE! Marin Cilic has dropped the second set to American Denis Kudla 6-4, which has levelled the match. They're now on serve in the third set.

Murray makes another good start to this game with accurate first serves which Karlovic struggles to get back. The Scot races to 40-15, but he lets the Croat back in it with a poor backhand straight at him, which he whacks across court, before he nets a simple backhand from about six feet to take the score to deuce. An ace and a magical lob see him cling on to the game.

Signs of fatigue from Karlovic? The big man is 36 after all and he takes his eye off a simple volley and puts into the net on the first point of this game. Two big serves put him 30-15 up, before he deceives Murray with his eyes and sends a forehand into the open court. He's still standing firm here. Murray responds with a fine passing shot to take things to 40-30, but he can't repeat the trick next time around and sends it wide to put Karlovic 3-2 up.

Wow, Murray is a lucky boy here! Karlovic thinks he's won the first point of the game with another deft drop shot, but the Scot managed to squeeze a winner down the line. It looked out, but replays suggest otherwise. No doubt about the next one though! Karlovic sends down some huge ground-strokes, but Murray effortlessly sends a backhand winner across court. Two quick points follow, and we're level again.

BREAK! Could this be the beginning of the end? Karlovic starts with a double fault, and then Murray goes 0-30 up with a superb cross-court winner. Karlovic hits back with two first serves which Murray can do little with, but the Croat then sends a slice into the net to give Murray break point. Karlovic thinks he's saved it with a volley down the line, but Murray challenges the call...and it's out! Murray breaks, and is just two games from victory!

UPDATE! There's an interesting development out on Court Two, where Giles Simon has taken the first set against Tomas Berdych.

Brilliant from Murray, who starts with an ace and a forehand winner to get the crowd roaring. Karlovic hits back with a superb winner down the line, before Murray double faults! Karlovic then takes control with a superb point, which ends with him smashing the ball past the Scot to earn a break point of his own, but he misses a golden chance by smashing a Murray second-serve wildly out of play! It's tense now. Karlovic moves into the net on the next point, and Murray nets with a backhand...But he saves himself for a second time, with a clinical volley. An ace, and another volley sees the Scot survive though, and he's now just one game away!

Karlovic must make Murray serve this out, and he starts well with two big serves to take him 30-0 up. He look sure to put an overhead smash past Murray next time round, but the world number three lobs him perfectly! And then again! Karlovic plays a volley deep into the corner, and Murray lifts another expertly over him. Then he gets match point with a superb return down the line, and almost finishes it! He hits a wicked backhand across court, but Karlovic digs out a volley to save himself. The Croat lives to fight on, as two big serves bring two more points. Murray will now serve for the match.

GAME, SET AND MATCH!. Can Murray wrap this up? He starts well with an ace, but nets a simple shot next time around to bring it to 15-15. Murray comes out on top at the net again, as he flicks a volley into the open court, before Karlovic sends a slice wide to give the third seed two match points. He only needs one though, and Karlovic sends a forehand long and Murray is through! What a breathless final set!

Wow! I need to catch my breath after that. Brilliant final set, which went back and forth throughout. Murray is through though, and he's in the quarter-finals once again. He'll meet Vasek Pospisil in the last eight on Wednesday.

GAME, SET AND MATCH! Another man through to the last eight is Stanislas Wawrinka, who continued his impressive progress at this tournament with a 7-6 7-6 6-3 victory over David Goffin. Stan the man will meet Richard Gasquet in the last eight.

UPDATE! Things are not going well for former finalist Tomas Berdych today! I mentioned earlier that the Czech player had lost the first set, and he is currently 3-0 down in the second to the talented Giles Simon.

UPDATE! However, things are going far better for current US Open champion Marin Cilic, who has now taken a two sets to one lead over Denis Kudla. The ninth seed won the third 6-3, and they're on serve in the fourth.

As you can see there is plenty of tennis still to come today, as two of the other tournament favourites are about to start their matches. On Court One, Novak Djokovic is about to play Kevin Anderson, but we're going to focus on seven-time champion Roger Federer, who meets Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

UPDATE! I'm sure that both Federer and Bautista Agut are interested in what is going on over on Court Two, where Giles Simon is currently 4-2 up in the second set against Tomas Berdych. The winners of both matches meet in the quarter-finals. I have a suspicion that Federer might be hoping Simon wins, seeing as Berdych has been beaten him at Wimbledon before.

Andy Murray has already been talking about his win over Ivo Karlovic. The Brit battled through four gruelling sets and he admits it wasn't easy. You can read what he has had to say right here.

We're not off to Centre Court, where Roger Federer and Roberto Bautista Agut are underway.

So, it's been a solid start from both players who eased through their first service games with relative ease. Federer tries to up the pressure this time around, but he nets a simple forehand into and chips a slice shot long. The Spaniard holds on for an early lead.

It's taken him a while to find his feet in open play but Federer is up to speed now with a lovely couple of touches around the court. A deft half-volley wraps up the game, after some expert first serves find their mark.

BREAK! Bautista Agut opens up with a stunning forehand winner, but he hits the next one long and then gets moved around too easily by Federer, who hits a clean winner cross court. Two more unforced errors give Federer an early break, and the Spaniard hasn't settled.

Is there a better serve in men's tennis? Federer breezes through another service game, with more unreturnable serves. Ivo Karlovic's might be unstoppable, but it's not as consistent as Federer's. He's cruising here.

BREAK! Even though Andy Murray has probably become the favourite of the Wimbledon crowd, no one draws gasps quite like Federer. The Swiss is in exhilarating form here, as he cracks forehand after forehand to all corners of the court. The pressure builds on Bautista Agut, and he makes more unforced errors. Game Federer.

SET! Where did the time go? Federer takes the first set in no time at all. He opens up this game with an ace, before moving into a 30-15 lead with a brutal volley at the net. A tame backhand fails to make it over from the Spaniard, which gives Federer two sets points. And in this form he only needs one, as he clips a beautiful lob over his opponent's head. Excellent tennis.

UPDATE! Giles Simon is now firmly in control against Tomas Berdych...He won the second set 6-3, and is 3-0 up in the third.

BREAK! It's vital for Bautista Agut to hold serve here, but he gets off to a shaky start with an unforced error before Federer swiftly moves into the net to smash his way to 0-30. An outstanding forehand down the line forces 0-40, before Bautista Agut cracks a stunning forehand cross court. It matters little though, as a spectacular Federer return wins him the game. When he's in this form, there is little anyone can do.

Bautista Agut looks like a men without hope as Federer continues to torment him. An ace is followed by two forced errors from the Spaniard, before Federer wins the game with a crisp volley at the net. It's all too easy.

When it rains, it pours. Federer sends two balls out of play to take take Bautista Agut to 30-0 up, but he slips when he rushes to the net to put away a volley. He sends a forehand out of play, before Federer almost mocks him with a delightful lob over his head. This earns the Swiss another break point, but the Spaniard gets his own back with a neat lob of his own. A few points later Federer slams a backhand in the net, and Bautista Agut is on the board.

GAME, SET AND MATCH! Marin Cilic has booked his place in the last eight, with a four-set win over Denis Kudla. He will face either Novak Djokovic or Kevin Anderson in the next round.

Bautista Agut is chucking everything at Federer, and now he's started to rid himself of simple errors he's finding more success. He forces Federer to hit a forehand long to take him to 15-30, but the Swiss sends down an unreturnable serve before he clinically finish a volley at the net. A well-directed forehand forces the Spaniard to hit the ball out, and Federer keeps his second-set advantage.

This much better from Bautista Agut, who is starting to find first serves and is confident enough to move Federer around the court. A deft drop shot can only be put in the net by the seven-time champion, before a powerful forehand wins him the game.

Ouch! Bautista Agut falls to the ground as he chase a Federer shot out wide. He looks in some pain and stays down for a while before gingerly climbing to his feet. He decides to call for the trainer, and the suspicion is that he's sprained his ankle.

GAME, SET AND MATCH! What a brilliant performance from Giles Simon! The Frenchman has dispatched Tomas Berdych in straight sets 6-3 6-3 6-2 and will meet the winner of Federer vs. Bautista Agut on Wednesday. Well done to him.

UPDATE! Is there a possible shock on the cards? Over on Court One, South African Kevin Anderson, who made the final at Queens last month, has just taken the first set of Novak Djokovic! The defending champion lost in a tie-break, and it sounds like an incredibly tight match over there.

Bautista Agut has a worried look on his face, but that doesn't stop him putting his sock and trainer back on now. We're ready to resume.

Bautista Agut is moving okay, but so is Federer. The Swiss clips a forehand into the corner to move 30- up, before two more powerful ground-strokes give him a 4-2 lead.

BREAK! Perhaps inviting Federer to the net isn't the right tactic, as Bautista Agut loses another volley exchange. Some excellent defensive work from Federer forces his opponent into an error, before he moves 15-40 up with a crisp forehand out wide. Can Bautista Agut save his serve? No, he can't. Quick as a flash, Federer smashes a return back past the Spaniard to take 5-2 lead. This is scintillating stuff.

SET! I can only assume Federer and his wife have somewhere they need to get too tonight, because he's racing through this match here. Another ace, a wicked forehand and a Bautista Agut error put him 40-0 up and, although the Spaniard wins two points, he can't stop the Swiss rounding out the set.

Excellent start to the third set from Bautista Agut, as he cracks a vicious forehand down the line to move 30-0 up. Federer sends the next ball long, and then puts a tame slice in the net to give the Spaniard a much-needed comfortable service game.

But it's also excellent from Federer. He starts with an ace, then whips a delicious forehand into the corner, drives an emphatic volley past his opponent and then thunders down another unreturnable serve to level the score.

BREAK! Is this the beginning of the end? Federer sneaks 15-30 ahead, but a big serve and clinical volley from Bautista Agut puts him on the verge of winning the game. However, the second seed is striking the ball so cleanly and he moves Bautista Agut around the court with precision before finishing at the net. Two more brilliant Federer points win him the game, and it's surely just a matter of time now.

UPDATE! Now this is very interesting....Kevin Anderson is a break up in the second set against Novak Djokovic! The defending champion is in real trouble on Court One, where he trails 7-6 3-1.

Federer has yet to be broken in this tournament and once again he shows why. A sumptuous volley puts him 15-0 up, before an unbelievable drop shot draws gasps from the crowd. He finishes things off with an almighty forehand, which has spectators standing on their feet.

UPDATE! Novak Djokovic has broken back on Court One. They're now back on serve in the second set, although Anderson won the first. Anyone else think that could be a late finish?

Here's a contender fro quickest game of the tournament. Federer fails to return a ball in play, and Bautista Agut holds easily.

Although this might just beat it from Federer...More brilliance: aces, winners, and gasps from the crowd as he wins four straight points to move two games away from the last eight.

Federer is going for broke off almost every shot, but this time he fails to find the mar. It's another hold for Bautista Agut, who has won more games in this set than the previous two.

We must give credit to Bautista Agut, who has not stopped fighting, but it's clear that Federer is just strolling to victory. Another hold to love moves him to just one game away.

GAME, SET AND MATCH! Federer will be late for that dinner at this rate, as he wastes five match points on the Bautista Agut serve. He looks frustrated, but he rises a smile when the Spaniard slams one into the net, finally assuring him of a place in the last eight. What an outstanding display from Federer once again. At the age of 33, he looks as good as ever and will take some stopping.

Right then folks, we're now going to switch to the only remaining match of the day. Kevin Anderson leads Novak Djokovic by a set to love and the South African leads 6-5 in the second. Djokovic is about to serve to stay in it...

This is a must-win game for Djokovic then, and he starts well as Anderson fires a forehand wide. The Serbian then hits long to take it to 15-15, but he's so relentless as finding the baseline Anderson can only fire into the net. Djokovic doesn't look totally at ease though as he chips two slices out of play to give Anderson set point. The South African comes close with a return which goes wide, but he earns a second with a fine overhead smash! However, Djokovic the master of playing the big points and fires down a brilliant serve to take things to deuce, before he holds on to force a second tie-break.

Big mistake from Anderson, as he slams a forehand into the net.

He does the same thing on the next point to give Novak an early advantage!

Anderson fails to convert at the net! He's had chances here already!

Brilliant from Djokovic, who plays a measured lob which Anderson can only slam in the net.

Anderson is on the board with a good first serve.

Big error from Djokovic, who double faults.

Anderson hits a simple forehand long to put Novak firmly in control.

Big ace from Anderson makes it 5-3.

AND AGAIN! Excellent serving.

OH BRILLIANT! Djokovic is convinced he's hit a winner, but Anderson stretches out an arm and sticks away a volley.

Djokovic has set point thanks to a smash at the net.

Third straight ace for Anderson!

Big forehand from Anderson gives him set point!

SET! Would you believe it!!! Anderson takes a two-set lead thanks to a brilliant volley at the net. Djokovic has it all to do, but if one man is capable to win from here, it's Novak.

So Novak, what can you do from here? The game starts brightly as Anderson chips long, but the South African is full of confidence and smashes a forehand past the Serb. Djokovic steadies himself to win the next two points, before Anderson hits another fine winner up the line. It's not enough to stop Novak though, who holds.

BREAK! Anderson gets off to a poor start as he sends a forehand wildly long, but he comprises himself to win the next two points. Djokovic bites back to earn break point, and Anderson does look nervous out here...He blazes a forehand wide and Novak has that all important break!

Djokovic has relied a lot on his serving this year, and we see why here as he holds to love thanks to some mightily accurate serves. He's well in charge of this set already.

What a brilliant rally! At 15-0, Anderson is forced to run all over the court to chase down Djokovic's clever ground-strokes and just as he thinks he's got the better of him, the Serb dinks an effort down the line for the point. Djokovic gets to 30-30, but Anderson wins the game two points later with a firm forehand winner.

Anderson is surprisingly athletic for a big man, as he shows by reaching low and whipping a beautiful forehand down the line. Djokovic wrestles back control of the game, and wins it with a monster serve.

BREAK! Djokovic is bang on it now! Anderson thinks he's done enough to win the opening point of this game, and against any other player he would have done, but Djokovic so fast he's able to whip a backhand across court. The South African looks flustered as he blazes a forehand out of play to give Novak three break points and, although he saves one, Djokovic puts a volley away. We're one game away from a fourth set.

Set! This has been a magnificent response from Djokovic, who eases through this game to gain a set back. Can he complete the comeback? Will there be enough light for them to finish tonight? Stay tuned, because this is gripping!

It's vital Anderson stops the slide and wins this game, but it doesn't get off to a good start. However, a big serve and a limp shot from Djokovic puts him 30-15 up, before a 127mph ace puts him on the verge of holding serve. Djokovic bites back though and takes it to deuce, but Anderson holds firm.

Can Anderson get a look at the Djokovic serve? He starts well with a flashing forehand into the corner, but Novak calmly sends an ace past him next time around. The South African goes 15-30 up though, but Djokovic responds with another strong serve and an outrageous backhand passing shot up the line. Anderson forces the game to deuce, and the level of play has gone up several notches once again! An ace gives Novak the game, but Anderson will feel his momentum may have been halted slightly.

BREAK! The crowd groans in pain as Anderson puts a simple volley in the net to give Novak a chance at 15-15. Djokovic pushes a forehand slightly too long, but Anderson also makes mistakes and the Serb has a break point. Anderson saves it with a serve-volley, but Novak quickly earns another and stunning backhand across court earns him a crucial break!

Djokovic is just getting better out here, as he sends a forehand into the corner for a winner to go 15-0 up. From there, he's dominant as first serves find their mark, leaving Anderson will little chance.

Anderson can see this falling away from him slightly, and he's having to scrap for every point. His serve has lost its way a bit, but Djokovic helps him out here with a couple of unforced errors.

Djokovic has his foot on Anderson's throat and he's squeezing it more and more now with each passing service game. Some more brilliant serving helps him hold to love.

Have the tennis gods chosen? Djokovic gets a huge slice of luck as he hits a backhand that clips the net cord and trickles over. Anderson battles on manfully and serves the game out impressively, but the game is meandering towards a fifth set.

We've seen him do it time and time again, but it's still jaw-dropping when Djokovic hits a cross-court winner. Anderson mist have thought he'd win the opening point, but Djokovic is so special he can conjure magic like that from nowhere. Some more accurate serving helps him to a 5-3 lead and he's just a game away from a final set.

Anderson's serve is back to its best as he races into a 30-0 lead, but Novak shows his brilliance again with a thumping volley at the net. The South African fights on to claim the game with a stunning forehand down the line from five feet behind his own baseline, and Djokovic will now serve to for the set.

SET! Great start to the game for Djokovic, who serves another ace, but he mis-hits a forehand into the net next time around. Anderson misses out on a weak second serve as he plants the forehand in the net, before he sends a backhand long to give Novak two set points. And he does it!! Yet another stunning cross-court forehand gives Novak the set! We're going to a decider.

MATCH ABANDONED! NOOO! The organisers have deemed the light to bad to continue, and the match will finish tomorrow! Fans on Court One boo as they hear the decision, and the players trudge off. What a shame!

Well, that's it from us today and what a day it has been. We've seen Andy Murray slay a giant, Serena Williams ruthlessly dispose of her sister and Roger Federer sprinkle his magic on Centre Court once again. Tomorrow, it gets serious as the women take centre stage on Ladies quarter-finals day. Make sure you join us for that. Until then, good night.

ID:232110: cacheID:232110:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:107379:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
US players Serena Williams celebrates after beating Britain's Heather Watson during their women's singles third round match on day five of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2015
Read Next:
Who can stop Serena Williams?
>
Read more about Novak Djokovic Roger Federer Ivo Karlovic Andy Murray Venus Williams Serena Williams Caroline Wozniacki Tennis
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
> View full version> Yesterday's results


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!