Wimbledon 2025: Norrie wins five-set epic, Alcaraz v Rublev, Kartal bows out

The Guardian

06-07-2025

Update:
Date: 2025-07-06T18:43:24.000Z
Title: Rublev's serve is looking in decent nick
Content: Briton's Wimbledon run ended by Pavlyuchenkova
Email John | Swiatek stakes claim with victory
John Brewin (now),
Daniel Harris and
Tom Davies (earlier)
Sun 6 Jul 2025 19.43 BST
First published on Sun 6 Jul 2025 10.26 BST
7.43pm BST
19:43
, Alcaraz struggling until the Russian makes a mess of a volley at the net. Not his specialist subject. Suddenly it's 40-30, but a well-worked point lands a 2-1 lead.
7.40pm BST
19:40
Rublev bites back, winning the first game to love then going 0-30 on the Alcaraz serve. Then there's a break point on offer, two of them in fact. The first is saved, so is the second, and Alcaraz serves out.
7.32pm BST
19:32
And then he finds it, Alcaraz steals in for 5-3, Rublev ruing a second serve he made a mess of. A looping drop shot takes Alcaraz, on his serve, to within two points of levelling. Make that one point. And he does it with a ridiculous stop volley that only he could hit. Rublev needs to keep his cool.
7.24pm BST
19:24
It's 2-1 – going with serve in the second set. Then, 3-2. Rublev is playing very well, lots of speed around the court, and Alcaraz needs to find a way to level the match. He does so, serving to love, closing out with a chopping volley.
7.13pm BST
19:13
Over to Centre, where – what's this? – Rublev just took the first set from Alcaraz. Does this mean we will be here all night? Almost certainly
7.12pm BST
19:12
Cam Norrie speaks to Annabel Croft: 'Credit to Nico, and I didn't want to let his game get the better of me. He said I was a little bit vocal. And I said he was competitive and I enjoyed it. He hung in there, I hung tough when I needed to. The atmosphere was so good. Beginning of this year I was struggling with confidence, I am enjoying the game now. So happy to go through at the best tournament in the world.'
7.08pm BST
19:08
So then, now to serve out. 15-0, 30-0 with a serve to Jarry's kidneys. A big one is non-returnable. Three match points. Surely now, Cam. He does it by winning an amazing rally, the best of the match, sprawling as he does so, and lying flat. Jarry is not happy, and has a go at Norrie. Why? Let's find out. There is a rapprochement as Jarry departs the court to boos.
Updated
at 7.12pm BST
7.03pm BST
19:03
Will Norrie need to serve this out? Jarry looks tired, and at 30-30, the plucky Brit spies victory. Huge serve, huge roar, ace No. 45, then ace No. 46.
Updated
at 7.04pm BST
7.00pm BST
19:00
Norrie, at 40-30, faces another big moment, but a serve to the outside line is clanked into the stands. He's one game away, and changes his grip. He's yet to be broken, and it's 5-2 in the final set.
6.54pm BST
18:54
Has the fight gone from Jarry? At 30-40, Norrie has the chance for a break. Second serve, too. Jarry saves that at the net, just guiding the ball over the net. Norrie's return is superb at deuce but the volleyed reply is yet better. Norrie's whipped forehand is the main weapon and has Jarry fighting for his life. He forces another break point by smashing the ball down the line. Big serving, though, deals Jarry out of trouble for now. A huge grunt, and a big serve, and it's a hold for 2-4.
6.44pm BST
18:44
Jarry's next hold is quick, to love. The pressure back to Norrie at 3-1 on his serve. 0-15 is unpromising. 15-15 is better. A sliced drop for 30-15 is brave but timely. Skid serve forces and error, and Norrie looks calm. And calmer as Jarry goes for brute strength and misses his target for 1-4.
6.39pm BST
18:39
Andy Flintoff responds to a comment below: 'If Jack Draper was kicking around the 200 mark on the world rankings, but still somehow got a wildcard into Wimbledon every year (despite not getting further than round 2 every year), then the 'nepo baby' insult would stick, but the rankings are more objective, and being better than 99% of the players on tour negates that completely. It was not until you posted it that I was aware that he was the son of the former head of the LTA.'
6.37pm BST
18:37
Norrie begins with a double fault. Too sloppy. Better as he serves and volleys the next to level. Jarry hits back for 30-30. The 40-30 comes with a punched volley to the back, and then a winner crashed into the abyss. A loose baseline hit is out, and it's deuce. Then a missed forehand. Steadi-Cam this ain't but a break point is saved. Another one comes after some huge hitting from the Chilean. That's saved by a whipped forehand from close in. Jarry's weaponry is impressive. A thrashing forehand, but another save. We go again, and again, and again. Until….huge, huge hold. 3-0 up.
6.27pm BST
18:27
A Jarry wobble. He misses a volley and it's 30-30. Then comes a double fault. There's been one break in this match, and Norrie needs to take it. And he does, as Jarry overcooks a baseline hit…2-0 to Norrie. Now to hold serve.
6.22pm BST
18:22
Rublev takes the first game from Alcaraz but the focus is here, Court No. 1. Both players take a break but are back soon enough. Norrie serves first, and holds, a good start.
6.13pm BST
18:13
John Brewin
Good evening. Has anyone done an Ubi Roi gag yet about Jarry? It feels like we're running out of time to do. Jarry blasts into a two-point lead, and Norrie blasts back to win four straight, a mini-break, only to make a mess of a booming forehand. Jarry levels at 4-4, and takes in great gusts of air. Now 5-5, both going for the big shots. Why not? Then Norrie misses from the baseline to the other baseline. Jarry can serve for the set. An ace, and it's done. Oh Norrie. oh no.
Updated
at 6.20pm BST
6.04pm BST
18:04
Jarry nets a backhand as Alcaraz and Rublev arrive on to Centre, then hooks a forehand wide and we're going to have out third breaker of the match; currently, the players have taken one apiece. Her'es John Brewin to bring it to you.
6.03pm BST
18:03
A tremendous backhand, inside-out to break the sideline, gives Jarry 0-15, but a poor return when offered a slow second serve, wastes a big opportunity. No matter: a fantastic return, down the line from out wide and right into the corner, takes us to 30-all, but when Norrie picks him out with a poor forehand from mid-court, he can't seize the opportunity, hitting long … but nor can Norrie, netting for deuce. This is very tense now, and it's joyous to behold.
6.00pm BST
18:00
Lovely work from Jarry, who holds to love and forces Norrie to serve once more to stay in set four at 5-6. But my watch is over, so here's John Brewin to take you through to the close. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and peace out.
5.55pm BST
17:55
At 40-15, Jarry finds a brutal forehand down the line to give himself a sniff, but just misses the line with a hooked return, and at 5-5 in the fourth we're back level.
5.52pm BST
17:52
Back on No 1, Norrie leads 6-3 7-6 6-7 4-4 with Jarry serving at deuce; he forces through for 5-4 and there's still so little between these two. Both are playing really well, hitting it hard and accurately, and both look in absurd physical condition.
Updated
at 5.52pm BST
5.49pm BST
17:49
Next on Centre Court: Andrey Rublev (14) v Carlos Alcaraz (2).
5.49pm BST
17:49
Sabalenka says it feels so good to feel all the support and today she got the crowd on her side. Mertens, a great player and person, always brings great tennis and she thinks about the game really well, offering a proper challenge today.
Wimbledon is only slam in which she's yet to play a final and believes anything is possible with the support of the fans. She's just trying to give her best, and prompted about her TikTok dances, says she scrolls, finds an easy one, and does that as she's not a great dancer. But she can move!
5.45pm BST
17:45
Sabalenka only needs one, finishing a fine match between two old friends and doubles partners. Merterns can't play much better than that, I don't think; Sabalenka can, and will. Next for her, Laura Siegemund.
5.43pm BST
17:43
Back on Centre, Sabalenka retrieves the mini-break for 3-3, pushes to 5-3, and suddenly she's very close to claiming the match. But a volley into the net – what an oversight that is – invites Mertens back into things, for as long as it takes for a weapons-grade inside-out backhand to raise two match points at 6-4. The first is on return, but if she needs it, she'll have a second go on serve.
5.39pm BST
17:39
Oooh Mertens frames a return and Sabalenka can't flick it back over the net, so that's an immediate mini-break. Then Norrie, down break point and embroiled in the longest rally of the match, 25 strokes, finds a tremendous forehand to save himself. Jarry, though, nails a forehand down the line followed by a backhand down the line … only for Norrie to spirit for forehand of his own cross-court for a winner that brings back to deuce. Both players are at it and letting it all hang out; it's great fun to watch and from there, Norrie secures a vital hold with an ace. Jarry is now 0-5 on break points.
5.35pm BST
17:35
Sabalenka chases, making Mertens play more balls, and eventually the error comes for 30-15. Then, at 40-15, the crowd, keen to see a decider, get behind the Belgian, Saba goes long on the return, and a second-set tiebreaker it is.
5.31pm BST
17:31
Again, Sabalenka holds; again, Mertens must hold to stay in the match, but this time the reward tantalising her is a second-set breaker. She's playing well enough to earn it and take it, though the sense remains that the world no 1 will find a way.
5.30pm BST
17:30
Now then. Offered a look at a second serve, Norrie hits a deep return, Jarry errs, and at 15-40, here come two break points, the first in over an hour. One vaporised with an ace and a big serve plus one takes us to deuce, whereupon the Chilean powers to the hold which gives him 3-2 in the third.
5.28pm BST
17:28
Back with Nozza, he and Jarry are now 2-2 in set four; Mertens makes 40-0 then, when beaten by a murderous forehand, finds a first serve, plays a lovely point, and we're back level in the second, Sabalenka leading 6-4 5-5.
Updated
at 5.41pm BST
5.24pm BST
17:24
But Mertens clouts a forehand return wide, unable to force her nose in front, and Sabalenka secures her hold through deuce to lead 6-4 5-4. Pressure for the Belgian, who must now serve to stay in the match. She's given a really good account of herself so far – I'm just typing this is the best I've seen her play when Martina says the same, which might be the best thing that's happened to me today.
5.21pm BST
17:21
Three aces on the spin give Mertens 4-4 in the second, but can she hold herself together as we reach the business end of the set? A decent return, attacking Sabalenka's second serve, makes her 15-all, and she's in the game … all the more so at 30-all.
5.16pm BST
17:16
'The nation may have gone into this years Wimbledon with growing belief in a genuine title-tilt from Jack Draper, the son of the former head of the LTA,' writes Samuel Bates, 'but in the end it was Sonay Kartal, daughter of a kebab vendor, whose spirited efforts won the nations heart. Less silver spoon, more plastic fork. All the salad, all the sauce.'
I'm not sure why we need to denigrate Draper to praise Kartal – both are great, and we can hardly diss the fourth-best player in the world for being a nepo-baby. Also, he's fought through dreadful grief with injury to get to where he is, well ahead of schedule, and is, by all accounts, really sound lad.
But yup, Kartal is developing nicely and though I doubt she bothers the top-10 in the world, she's great fun to watch and will, I'm sure, give us loads of joy over the next decade.
5.12pm BST
17:12
Jarry's played too well to lose in straights, and he's not going to. This is intensifying.
5.10pm BST
17:10
Sabalenka does indeed snatch back that break to lead 6-4 3-3, and that might be Mertens' last chance.
5.10pm BST
17:10
Brilliant from Jarry, a destructive backhand cross earning him set point and on his own serve; he thunders down a mahoosvie delivery but it's out, just … then goes long! What an oversight that is! To 7-7 we go!
5.08pm BST
17:08
Jarry dives desperately to block back a Norrie forehand after doing too little at the net, leaves a big space, Norrie fires the ball through it and at 6-5 in the third-set breaker, he has match point … which Jarry, again at the net, saves well. Meantime, back in Centre, Sbalenka is hunting the break-back, at deuce on the Mertens serve trailing 3-2 in the second.
5.05pm BST
17:05
Twenty-two bounces before Norrie's next service-point, and Jarry nets, but he can't blame his opponent for missing a short ball. More bounces follow and this time Nozza interferes with his own rhythm, a double returning the mini-break and we wind up at 5-5.
Updated
at 5.17pm BST
5.03pm BST
17:03
Norrie nabs the first mini-break for 4-2, and he's three holds away from the last eight. He looks so confident out there now.
5.01pm BST
17:01
Back on No 1, we're playing a third-set breaker while, on Centre, Mertens breaks Sabalenka, then converts for 3-1 in the second. This is a proper match now.
5.00pm BST
17:00
Siegemund says this was her toughest match so far as she'd not previously felt she had to win. But this time she was the favourite, against a great player not much more than half her age.
She and her team are doing the same thing they always do, staying with a family who've become friends – which is better than yet another hotel. She thinks she's changed, deciding she can do better than lose second round, came with no pressure or expectation, and now is the oldest player left in the draw.
Asked about the usefulness of her psychology degree on court, she laughs it's of none whatsoever. She's just focusing on herself and says if you're ready to accept a good match and a defeat, you're ready to win. I'd love to hear more from her, and I'm looking forward to seeing her play again.
Updated
at 5.02pm BST
4.56pm BST
16:56
Squeals and shrieks from a delighted Siegemund, into her first Wimbledon quarter at the age of 37; lovely stuff, problem being her likely opponent is Sabalenka, though Mertens is still fighting. Sierra has had a great tournament, announcing herself to the tennis world in the process, but she must now go home.
Updated
at 5.10pm BST