MX23RW : Friday, December 13 08:16:52| >> :600:298297467:298297467:

Live Coverage: Wimbledon - Day Two - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live coverage from the second day of this year's Wimbledon.
2

Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were all in action on day two of Wimbledon on Tuesday.

All three were victorious in their respective first-round tests, while British trio Heather Watson, James Ward and Aljaz Bedene also recorded wins to book their places in round two.

Two of the big names in the women's draw were shocked by underdogs, though, as 2014 finalist Eugenie Bouchard and third seed Simona Halep lost to Ying-Ying Duan and Jana Cepelova, respectively.

Read below to find out how the action unfolded.


Sort:
Newest
Oldest
Good morning! It's day two of Wimbledon and there are plenty of intriguing matches scheduled to take place throughout the day. The action is due to get underway on the two main courts from 1pm, but the smaller courts are just about to get underway. Let's take a look at the order of play...

Centre Court:
Kiki Bertens vs. Petra Kvitova
Damir Dzumhur vs. Roger Federer
Mikhail Kukushkin vs. Andy Murray

Court One:
Thomaz Bellecci vs. Rafael Nadal
Jana Cepelova vs. Simona Halep
Tomas Berdych vs. Jeremy Chardy


So, defending champion Petra Kvitova is one of three previous winners to feature on Centre Court today. The two-time winner has been in mixed form throughout 2015, but looked to be getting back to her best during the French Open. Her opponent is ranked 108th in the world. Rafael Nadal opens on Court One at 1pm. The Spaniard is seeded 10th for this tournament, and it's just the second time he's arrived at Wimbledon without having won the French Open just a few weeks earlier. On the only previous occasion that that happened, he went on to claim the SW19 title. That seems unlikely this year, but the former world number one will be keen to prove a point, having lost to Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round last year. We'll be focusing on Nadal's match once he takes to the court at around 1pm.

So, there are seven British players in action in the singles draws today. 2013 champion Andy Murray will be third on centre court, which should be late afternoon into early evening. Kyle Edmund is already in action on court three against Alexandr Dolgopolov, and he'll be followed by former British number one Laura Robson. Current British number one Heather Watson is back again to finish her match with Caroline Garcia shortly, while James Ward is fourth on court 12. Brydan Klein and Aljaz Bedene also get their tournament's underway later today.

If you want to catch up on all of the latest news, results, live scores and loads more, you can find all of our Wimbledon coverage here. Former British number one Tim Henman has been speaking about Andy Murray this morning. He believes that the two-time Grand Slam champions has rebuilt his identity in recent months.

There are plenty of matches already underway this morning, and some players certainly aren't handing around. 10th seed Angelique Kerber has taken the first set 6-0 against Carina Witthoeft. Britain's Kyle Edmund found himself a break down early on, but has got it back to 4-4 against Dolgopolov.

World number one and reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic eased into the second round yesterday. The Serb has been praising the work ethic of rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Rafael Nadal will be heading out to Court One in a little over half an hour. The Spaniard has had a difficult couple of years with knee problems, Appendicitis and other ailments, but he insists that he is fit and healthy coming into this tournament.

Women's top seed Serena Williams is already through to round two. If she wins this event, she will hold all four Grand Slam titles at once, but she insists that she is not guaranteed to win the event.

GAME, SET & MATCH! 10th seed Angelique Kerber has wasted absolutely no time this afternoon, securing an emphatic 6-0 6-0 win over fellow German Carina Witthoeft.

Elsewhere, Kyle Edmund has lost the opening set in his match with Alexandr Dolgopolov in a tiebreak. There's been a worry for the young Brit since though as he's had to have a medical time out.

So, the matches on Centre Court and Court One will all be getting underway shortly. Petra Kvitova is due out first on Centre, but we'll be focusing on Court One for now, where former champion and 10th seed Rafael Nadal starts the day. Here's the Spaniard practising at SW19 a couple of days ago:


Nadal is in the corridor waiting to make his way out. He's had a difficult couple of years at SW19. Last year he was knocked out in round four by the then relatively unknown Nick Kyrgios. He suffered a round 1 exit in 2013, while slipping to a second-round defeat the year before. However, he is a two-time champion at SW19, and has already won a grass court tournament in Stuttgart in the build up to this event.

So what about his opponent? Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil has four ATP titles to his name, including the Geneva Open from earlier this year, which moved him back into the top 40. Like Nadal, his preferred surface is clay, and he hasn't been past the first round at Wimbledon since 2010. Last year, he lost in the qualifiers, but his world ranking was enough to earn him a spot in the main draw this time.

These two players have played four times before, with Nadal winning all of them. They've actually played at Wimbledon before, with Nadal securing a straight sets win in the first round in 2012. They met in the clay court Rio de Janeiro Open earlier this year too, with Nadal beating him in straight sets yet again. Bellucci has played just once grass court event in preparation for this tournament, losing in the first round in Nottingham.

The players have been going through their warmups for the last couple of minutes, and will be getting the match underway shortly. Nadal won the pre-match coin toss, and chose to receive first.

Right then, the players are ready, and it is Bellucci serving first.

Nadal is putting his opponent under pressure early on as he forces a poor backhand from the Brazilian before stretching him with an excellent forehand down the sideline. At 30-30, Bellucci somehow manages to slip mid-serve, but is spared when the Spaniard returns the ball long, and wraps the game up with an ace on the next point.

Bellucci is making some aggressive returns against the Nadal serve, bringing up a couple of break points. The Brazilian can't keep it up though, as he blasts a string of balls long, handing Nadal four points in a row to escape the game with his serve in tact. Nadal is first-pumping at the end of the game, clearly trying to get himself fired up.

It's a confident service game from Bellucci, who really has made a bright start to this match. He doesn't have the most powerful serve, but he's realised that Nadal hasn't made the best start, so is placing the ball towards the Spaniards forehand, and he twice hits the ball into the net before firing long, while also slicing a backhand wide to hand the Brazilian the game.

The last man to win a Grand Slam was Stanislas Wawrinka, beating Novak Djokovic in the final of the French Open at the start of the month. There's been lots of talk about the so-called big four of Murray, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer coming into this tournament, but the fourth seed insists that he is not bothered that he is not considered one of the "big four".

It's another poor start to the game from Nadal as he makes a double fault. The 10th seed manages to find some big serves though, racing to a 40-15 lead before coming into the net to wrap up the game with a volley, much to the entertainment of the Court One crowd.

RESULTS! Elsewhere at Wimbledon, Kyle Edmund is out. The young Brit put up a good fight in the first set against Alexnadr Dolgopolov, but an injury left him struggling to leave the Ukrainian with a straight sets win. Also through in straight sets is Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut.

BREAK! Having looked below par for the first four games of this set, Nadal has suddenly upped the intensity to get the first break on the board. The two-time champion uses his excellent pace behind the baseline to fire a stunning backhand past his opponent, before coming inside to make the same shot again on the next point, putting him ahead in this opening set.

Meanwhile, another two-time champion, Petra Kvitova, is already a set and a break up in her opening round clash with Kiki Bertens. It looks like it's going to be a routine start to the Czech player's defence of her title.

Bellucci tries to get the break back, making a string of good returns to force Nadal to use his patchy forehand. At 30-30, the Brazilian's backhand his the net though, allowing Nadal to consolidate his break with a big serve on the next point.

BREAK! Nadal's class is really starting to show now as he brings up three more break points, hitting an excellent forehand winner on his way to a 40-0 lead. Bellucci ups the pace on his serve to save the first, but a careless long forehand from the Brazilian means that Nadal will be serving for the first set next.

As we've already mentioned, another Spaniard, Roberto Bautista Agut, is already through. You can read about his 6-1 6-3 7-6 win over Ruben Bemlemans here. We've also got a report on Kyle Edmund's defeat to Alexandr Dolgopolov.

BREAK! Bellucci isn't giving up the first set without a fight, threading a stunning forehand down the sideline to give himself a chance to get one of the breaks back. The pressure takes its toll on the Spaniard as he makes his second double fault of the match to gift the game to Bellucci. It's a stark contrast to the effortless tennis Nadal played a few moments ago to take a 5-2 lead.

RESULT! As expected, defending women's champion Petra Kvitova has cruised into the second round, thrashing Kiki Bertens 6-1 6-0 in the opening match on Centre Court.

Bellucci is playing some lovely shots to get himself back into this set. He fires his second ace of the match patch the former champion, before a well-hit forehand forces the Spaniard to return long. Bellucci comes into the net to wrap the game up, making an well-timed volley to the sideline. Nadal calls for a review, but that only confirms that the Brazilian's effort was good. The 10th seed has another chance to serve for the set now though.

SET! After 43 minutes, Rafael Nadal has secured the first set 6-4. He's been pushed hard by the Brazilian, but some solid serving at the end of the set brings up set point, before the 10th seed comes inside the baseline to power a forehand stroke past Bellucci.

While the players take a break at the end of the first set, why not read all about Kvitova's win over on Centre Court. With the women's champion safely through, Roger Federer will be making his way out shortly. We'll be switching our attention to the Swiss's opening contest once this match is finished.

BREAK! Bellucci doesn't get off to the best start in the opening game of the second set as Nadal's forehand appears to be working again, forcing a run of mistakes from the Brazilian to give the 10th seed three break points. Nadal tries too hard to claim the first, hitting his forehand long, but a wide effort from Bellucci gives Nadal an early break.

RESULT! 25th seed Andreas Seppi is safety through to the second round, knocking out Britain's Brydan Klein in straight sets.

Bellucci goes on the attack, coming into the net to try to put Nadal on the back foot with a couple of volleys. He gets his second all wrong though, allowing Nadal to secure the hold of serve, forcing the Brazilian to return long.

Bellucci recovers from a poor backhand with an ace, before edging ahead in the game after getting the better of Nadal in a long exchange of backhands from the baseline. A sloppy forehand brings up deuce though, giving Nadal a chance to get back into the game. An ace gives Bellucci advantage though, and a wide forehand from Nadal hands he Brazilian the game.

Nadal is starting to look increasingly comfortable on serve, clipping the sideline with an effortless forehand, before watching Bellucci miss a run of three straight returns, keeping the Spaniard a break ahead in the second set. Bellucci came back strong in the first set though, so Nadal knows that he'll need another break to make sure he's got the second set in the bag.

BREAK! Nadal has indeed got the double break, fighting back from 30-15 down with some excellent shots from inside the baseline, with a sliced volley at the net securing the game for the Spaniard.

As in the first set, Nadal is struggling after getting the double break, opening the game with a double fault, before making some uncharacteristic errors to bring up two break points for the Brazilian. A powerful serve forces Bellucci to blast his return long on the first, before a forehand to the back of court takes the game to deuce. Nadal turns to his volley to get advantage, and manages to hold on to the double break when Bellucci's backhand goes long. Nadal is now just one game from a two-set lead.

Over on Centre Court, Roger Federer has made a bright start, wrapping up the opening set against Dzumhur 6-1. Meanwhile, Laura Robson is a break down in the opening set of her match against Evgeniya Rodina.

It looks like Nadal is content to wait for his chance to serve for the set, making a couple of weak returns, including a forehand to the net which gives the 10th seed the hold. Nadal will serve for the set next.

SET! Nadal doesn't make the best start to the game, clipping a forehand into the net, but he quickly recovers, forcing Bellucci onto the defensive, before bringing up two set points with a pinpoint accurate backhand to the back corner. The first is wasted with a double fault, Nadal's fourth of the match, but a wild mis-hit from Bellucci leaves the Spaniard just one set from a spot in round two.

Between sets, let's bring you up to date with the scores elsewhere at Wimbledon. Britain's Laura Robson went on to lose the opening set against Rodina 6-4. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to 2-1 up against Muller, but 3-0 down in the fourth set. Meanwhile 23rd seed Ivan Karlovic has just completed a four-set match against Ymer on court 12, which means that Britain's Heather Watson will be back out shortly to finish her match against Caroline Garcia.

Bellucci makes sure he doesn't make the same mistake as in the first game of set two, easily holding serve at the start of the third. He's not known as a big server, but he's varied the pace on his serving to great effect at times during this match, and it paid dividends in this game, as Nadal failed to get a single return in.

BREAK! Nadal hits his first ace of the match to take a 30-15 lead, but a long forehand keep Bellucci in the game. The Brazilian comes into the net to volley in a bid to give himself break point, but he gets his timing wrong. He makes amends with a ferocious backhand to bring up deuce though, and a Nadal double fault does give Bellucci the break point. Nadal battles hard to try to save the game, but a lengthy rally ends with the 10th seed scooping the ball high and well long. For the first time in this match, Bellucci is a break up.

BREAK BACK! Bellucci has to chase the game as he makes a double fault on the opening point. He gets it back to 30-30, but a wayward backhand gives Nadal a chance to quickly get the break back, and he takes it with a punchy backhand to the sideline.

Back on Center Court, Roger Federer is now two sets up against Dzumhur. The former champion and second seed is just one set away from a spot in the second round.

Nadal may have made a slow start to the third set, but he's quickly got things back on level terms as he races to a comfortable hold, making a couple of excellent forehand winners in the process. Nadal's forehand has certainly been hot and cold throughout this match, but it looks like he's starting to find his form just in time to try to wrap this match up.

BREAK! Bellucci really seems to be struggling now. Having thrown away his lead in the third set, the Brazilian opens with a careless double fault, before a couple of errors give Nadal three break points. Bellucci saves the first after Nadal makes a poor challenge, stopping a rally claiming that a good ball had gone long. After missing the next, Nadal eventually takes the break at the third time of asking, watching his opponent hit his forehand long.

Nadal makes it four games in a row as he consolidates his break with a hold of serve. Bellucci is trying to attack on the return, but his efforts just aren't landing in court, leaving Nadal to seal it with a forehand winner.

The errors are really stacking up for Bellucci now as he gives away the first two point of the game, before Nadal hits a well-timed forehand to give himself another break point. The Brazilian works his opponent hard along the baseline though, forcing the Spaniard to hit his backhand long for deuce. Bellucci gets advantage with a solid forehand though, and seals the game with an ace.

Nadal moves to within a game of a spot in round two, coming into the net to volley before forcing his opponent to miss a couple of returns, including one off his fastest serve of the match so far.

RESULT! With Bellucci serving to stay in the match, there's a result from Centre Court as Roger Federer is through after a 6-1 6-3 6-3 win over Damin Dzumhur. That also means Andy Murray will be out shortly.

Well, Nadal will have to serve for the match as Bellucci keeps his serve clean and tidy, while making a couple of solid forehands along the way. For a player who really doesn't suit the grass, Bellucci has given a decent account of himself this afternoon, but Nadal has had just enough to get the better of his opponent, and will now sserve for a spot in round two.

GAME, SET & MATCH! Tomaz Bellucci 4-6 2-6 4-6 Rafael Nadal

10th seed Rafael Nadal is through! It wasn't the two-time champion's most consistent or convincing performance, but the Spaniard did what he had to to avoid a potential banana-skin against the Brazilian with nothing to lose.

If you're just joining us, you can catch up with our match report here. Don't go anywhere either, as we'll be switching our attention to Andy Murray's opening match in just a few moments.

So, third seed Andy Murray has just made his way out onto Centre Court ready to get his Wimbledon campaign underway with a first-round clash against Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin.

The British number one will be looking for his second title at SW19, having won in 2013. He was knocked out in the quarter-finals by Grigor Dimitrov as defending champion last year. The Scot has been in excellent form recently, winning the Madrid Masters, reaching the last four at the French Open and clinching a fourth Queen's title, so will be optimistic of another strong run at his home Grand Slam.

Mikhail Kukushkin had his best ever performance at Wimbledon last year, reaching the third round after only ever losing in round one on his two previous visits. He's not won a Grand Slam match since though, and sits 58th in the world rankings.

Right then, the players are ready to get the match underway, with Andy Murray to serve first.

It's a relatively straight-forward start for Murray as he recovers from dropping the opening point to force a run of poor returns from the 27-year-old, before the Scot clinched the game with an ace.

RESULTS! There's bad news for Laura Robson as she's been beaten 6-4 6-4 in the first round. Meanwhile, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is through after beating Gilles Muller in an epic five-set battle. That match was one of the first to get underway this morning!

Kukushkin also makes a strong start on serve, getting the benefit of a poorly-timed volley from Murray, before securing the hold of serve with a powerful forehand winner.

Elsewhere, a couple of interesting women's matches are just getting underway. Third seed Simona Halep is in action against Jana Cepelova, while last year's beaten finalist Eugenie Bouchard is facing Ying-Ying Duan

Kukushkin is looking a little overwhelmed by the Murray serve in the early stages of this clash as the former champion comes into the net to tap a forehand past the Kazakh before rifling an ace past his opponent.

Kukushkin is pumping his first as he comes into the net to slice a volley past Murray, giving him a comfortable hold. Neither player has really been tested on serve yet, but the serving has been clinical so far in this contest.

Over on court 12, Heather Watson has just broken Caroline Garcia in the deciding set of their closely-fought tie. The British number one will be serving for the match next.

It's plain sailing for the men's British number one so far as Murray seals another hold with an ace. Kukushkin manages to keep the game close with a forehand smash, but the Scot quickly responds.

Murray comes inside the baseline to take advantage of a couple of slower Kukushkin serves, getting the game back to 30-30, but Kukushkin hits his first ace of the match, before the Scot hits his backhand return long.

It looks like it's going to be another comfortable game for Murray as he races to a 40-0 lead. Kukushkin responds with some powerful returns though, before Murray misses a backhand to take the game to deuce. The 2013 winner ups his game through, forcing a pair of unforced errors from the Kazakh to escape with his serve intact. That's the first game that either player's serve has come under pressure, but Murray dealt with it well.

RESULT! Heather Watson has done it! The British number one has come from a set down to secure a 1-6 6-3 8-6 win over 32nd seed Caroline Garcia. It's just the third time that she has made it through to the second round.

Kukushkin really hasn't given Murray much to attack on the return so far, and it's the same story in the eighth game of this first set. A double fault from the world number 58 briefly give the British number one some hope, but a superb backhand keeps the set on serve.

Murray is obviously keen to get another look at his opponent's serve as he rattles through another game, opening with an ace before seeing Kukushkin return his next three serves long.

SET! Murray picks the perfect time to get his first break of the match. At 30-30, a second double fault of the match from Kukushkin hands Murray a set point, but the Kazakh changes up the pace on his serve to force a wayward return from the Brit. A backhand from Kukushkin drifts wide though, giving the third seed another chance, and he manages to take it when the Kazakh misses another backhand after a lengthy rally.

Murray makes an impressive start to the second set with another solid service game. Kukushkin misses three returns, while another ace from Murray is enough to wrap up the game.

Defending women's champion Petra Kvitova needed just 38 minutes to win her round one match earlier. Here's the Czech player celebrating her victory with a selfie:


BREAK! Murray is looking to get an early break on the board in this second set as he forces a string of errors from the Kazakh, including a forehand into the net which brings up a break point for the Brit, and he capitalises with a stunning forward winner to pick up his fourth game in a row.

Murray manages to consolidate his break of serve with one of the strongest service games of the match so far. The Brit hits two aces on his way to a 40-0 lead, before Kukushkin hits his backhand long. The former champion is looking in complete control on Centre Court now.

Kukushkin gets off the mark in the second set as Murray tries to vary his shot selection a bit more, making a couple of errors along the way, including a long forehand return to give the Kazakh the hold.

BREAK! Kukushkin gets himself right back into the second set with a break of serve, converting his first break point against the Murray serve. The third seed makes some uncharacteristic errors, missing two backhands in a row to gift his opponent the game.

BREAK! Murray tries to get the break straight back, forcing Kukushkin to hit his backhand into the net before missing a forehand, but a couple of excellent serves get him back into the game. At deuce, Murray leaves his opponent scrambling behind the baseline with a well-struck return to give himself a break point. It looks like the world number 58 is going to save it as he comes into the net to lob it past his opponent, but he overhits the shot, giving Murray a two-game lead in the second set again.

After such a dominant serving performance from both players in the first set, it's a surprise to see so many break points in the second set. Murray is livid with himself after missing a backhand to the sideline to hand his opponent another change to get the set back on serve. Kukushkin hits a forehand return long to waste the first, before taking the game to deuce with a well-played drop shot. The Brit adds a bit more power to his next two serves, and neither make it back in court to allow him to seal the game, leaving him just one short of a two-set lead.

Kuskushkin has to work to secure the hold, but he manages to do so with an ace along the way, before watching Murray return a forehand long. The Briton will be serving for the set next though.

Elsewhere, women's third seed Simona Halep is a set up against Jana Cepelova, Gilles Simon has claimed the opening set in his match against Nicolas Almagro, while last year's losing finallist Eugenie Bouchard is a set down against the unseeded Duan.

BREAK! It looks like Murray is heading for a straight-forward hold as he quickly takes a 30-0 lead. Kukushkin's excellent forehand causes problems though, leaving Murray to miss a run of backhands and hand the Kazakh the break back. That gets the set back on serve.

RESULT! 15th seed Feliciano Lopez has booked his spot in the second round, comfortably taking a straight sets win against Steve Darcis of Belgium, who famously knocked Rafael Nadal out in the first round in 2013.

Murray claws his way back into the game after Kuskushkin eases to a 40-0 lead, bringing up deuce as he forces the Kazakh to hit his forehand into the net. A careless forehand from Murray followed by a winner from the world number 58 wraps it up for the Kazakh though.

Well, that's all from me, but stick around as Callum Mulvihill will be here to bring you the end of this match and the rest of this evening's action.

BREAK! Thank you, Sian! What a start to my stint. Kukushkin has stunned the fans and he looks to have shocked Murray, too! Murray offers up two break points and his rival makes no mistake with a superb forehand winner down the line. Can he level it up?

BREAK! All of a sudden it's Murray who is doing more of the running, but he displays his impressive defence to stay in a couple of longer rallies and fight to 30-30. Kukushkin controls the next point but he can only find the net with a lazy forehand. More excellent work on the baseline puts Kukushkin under a bit of pressure and he hits the tape again to gift Murray a break. We're headed to a tie-break.

SET! Murray starts the tie-break with a fine second serve to hold first. The third seed steps into one of his opponent's second serve with a powerful backhand which hands him the early lead, before chasing down a drop to make it 3-0 with a cross-court forehand winner. Kukushkin is reluctant to come to the net, but a drop volley allows him to pull a point back. It's only a brief respite for the Kazakh as Murray takes the next three to lead 6-1. A double fault brings groans from the Scot's supporters, and Kukushkin extends the set by clipping the line after catching the drop. Just when the set looks to be alive again, a long backhand gives Murray a 2-0 lead.

10th seed Rafael Nadal started his campaign with a comfortable win over Thomaz Belluci earlier on, and the Spaniard was understandably pleased with his display.

"It was a very positive victory. Straight sets, no bad feelings, good backhands. The forehand needs to be a bit more aggressive," he told BBC Sport.


Just when Kukushkin needed a solid hold, a couple of lazy strokes and some fine defence from Murray sees a 40-0 lead become deuce. Murray looks to attack a second serve but finds the net, and Kukushkin finally gets the hold thanks to an unforced error from the Scot.

Excellent work from Murray as he quickly piles the pressure back on Kukushkin with a mixture of big first serves and a clever second serve. A routine hold to love.

Kukushkin is continuing to battle, and he's won a few admirers at SW19 this afternoon. At 2-0 down he can afford to attack more regularly and he holds off Murray at 30-15 before wrapping up a game with a perfect forehand winner.

Superb from Murray, who has certainly found some rhythm on serve early in the third set. He dictates the tempo of the rallies that go longer than one stroke before securing another love hold with an ace down the middle.

BREAK! Murray has made a point of attacking the serve, and at 40-30, Kukushkin loses his positioning on the baseline and sends a forehand wide. The Scot steps in again to find break point and an excellent return leaves Kukushkin helpless. Could that be the beginning of the end?

Kukushkin barely takes a step to his left as Murray takes a 30-0 lead with a big ace, but a poor slice into the net gifts a point to the Kazakh. Murray looks to be in trouble after chasing a backhand out wide, before Kukushkin misses a good chance by finding the net with a forehand. The underdog continues to battle and he forces deuce by putting away the overhead smash. Murray delivers two aces either side of forehand to twice edge ahead, before a third ace hands him the game.

A couple of stunning backhands early in the game give Kukushkin the opening two points, and he's gifted a point, when Murray goes long after reading the direction of the overhead. Kukushkin takes the game with a big first serve down the middle.

Murray starts another game with an excellent serve and takes the point by finding the line with a perfect forehand. Kukushkin appears to still be having trouble picking the serves and he doesn't help his cause with another reluctant approach to the net which ends with a push into the tape.

Kukushkin is still not convincing when he approaches the net, but Murray is off target with an attempted lob as they share the opening two points. Murray can only hit the net with a return of serve before a lovely drop makes it 40-15 to the Kazakh. An ace ensures that Murray will have to serve for the match.

GAME, SET AND MATCH! It's not the easiest of finishes, but Murray is over the line. Kukushkin reaches 15-30 with perhaps his finest return of serve in the match and a double fault hands the Kazakh two drop points. Murray hits back with a big first serve out wide, before a backhand into the net from Kukushkin forces deuce. Another excellent serve hands advantage to Murray, and when Kukushkin is unable to return again, the third seed's place in round two is confirmed.

It wasn't an easy start for the British number one, but he may appreciate being tested so early on. Murray has a lot more in the tank and he showed more signs of his good form by overcoming a determined opponent. It's job done for the home favourite.

RESULT! Shortly before Murray's secured his win, we had a huge shock in the opening round of the women's singles. 12th seed Eugenie Bouchard, who reached the final a year ago, is out after losing 7-6 6-4 to Ying-Ying Duan. It's been a very difficult year for Bouchard, who will now drop out of the world's top 20.

RESULT! The shocks are coming quickly now. Simon Halep, the third seed, follows Bouchard by crashing out in the first round. Jana Cepelova is the latest underdog to be celebrating following a 5-7 6-4 6-3. After being tipped by many to be the closest challenger to Serena Williams here, Halep will be hugely disappointed.

Moments after securing his spot in round two, Murray was keen to pay tribute to Kukushkin, who surprised a few people with his performance, despite a straight-sets loss on centre court.

"I was not surprised, I have seen some of his results when he has played on the big courts. There is definitely work to be done for but my opponent played very well and made it very difficult for me to play offensive. He made it very uncomfortable for me," Murray told BBC Sport.


The fans who bought tickets for centre court today have been given an extra treat by the tournament organisers. Due to how quick Kvitova and Federer wrapped up their matches before Murray's win, Caroline Wozniacki's clash with Saisai Zheng will now be on centre court, starting in a few minutes.


For those of you who will be keeping a close eye on Andy Murray throughout the tournament, his next opponent will be Robin Haase, who needed four sets to record victory over Alejandro Falla a few minutes ago.

A fine performance over two days was enough to ensure Heather Watson progressed into round two at the expense of 32nd seed Caroline Garcia, but the Brit believes that she needs to be more aggressive ahead of her meeting with Daniela Hantuchova.

"I was getting quite tired because she was pushing me wide. I feel fit and healthy, but I think I need to work on being more aggressive," Watson told BBC Sport.


RESULT! Gilles Simon was given a tough task when he was drawn against Nicolas Almagro in the opening round, but the Frenchman has passed the test with a 6-4 6-4 7-5 victory.

UPDATE: Aljaz Bedene, making his Wimbledon debut as a Brit, has been pegged back by the veteran Radek Stepanek after losing the second set 6-1. It's going to be a tough challenge from that position.

UPDATE: Another British hope, James Ward, has made a disappointing start to his campaign after losing the first set on a tie-breaker against Luca Vanni, who is only playing in the first round due to David Ferrer's elbow injury.

Serena and Venus Williams confirmed earlier today that they will not be competing in the women's doubles, but neither have offered a reason why just yet. Both sisters are currently preparing for their respective second-round tests.

UPDATE! It's been a pretty good day for the French so far, and Gael Monfils is on the way to a spot in the second round. The 18th seed currently leads Pablo Carrena-Busta 6-4 6-4.

Sergiy Stakhovsky has just lost in five sets to 18-year-old Croat Borna Coric, and he has quickly taken Twitter to reflect after being defeated 9-7 in the fifth.


UPDATE: Tomas Berdych looks in fine form early in his first-round test. He has quickly wrapped up a 6-2 win in the opening set of his match against Jeremy Chardy.

Ekaterina Makarova, the eighth seed in the women's draw, has dominated the early stages of her clash with Sachia Vickery. On her day, Makarova is a match for anyone and she will fancy her chances of a long run over the next two weeks.

SET! What a response from James Ward! After losing the first set on a tie-break, the Brit hits back with some excellent tennis to take the second 6-2. He was a lot more aggressive and it looks to be the way to go against Vanni.

SET! It was a disastrous start for Wozniacki as she fell 4-1 behind to Zheng in the opener, but the fifth seed responded by winning six of the next seven games to wrap up the set.


Bedene's first-set win over Stepanek feels like a long time ago now, and he is now 2-1 down after losing the third set 6-4 to the experienced Czech player. Can he produce an unlikely comeback?

RESULT! Monfils follows countrymen Simon and Tsonga by earning a spot in round two with a 6-4 6-4 7-5 victory over Carreno-Busta.

The order of play for Wednesday has been released, with both top seeds in action on centre court.

Novak Djokovic (Ser) [1] vs Jarkko Nieminen (Fin)

Santiago Giraldo (Col) vs Kei Nishikori (Jpn) [5]

Serena Williams (US) [1] vs Timea Babos (Hun)


Below are the three games scheduled for number one court tomorrow. It could be even hotter than today. Tough conditions for the players.

Tommy Haas (Ger) vs Milos Raonic (Can) [7]

Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) vs Heather Watson (GB)

Stan Wawrinka (Swi) [4] vs Victor Estrella Burgos (Dom)


RESULT! After dominating in the first set Makarova was 3-0 behind to Vickery, but she recovered well to clinch a 6-2 6-4 triumph. It's an excellent start for the eighth seed.


RESULT! On a day when some of the top seeds in the women's draw have struggled, Wozniacki must have feared the worst when she trailed Zheng 4-1 in the opening set. However, the fifth seed quickly found her stride and has just wrapped up a 7-5 6-0 victory in the extra match on centre court.

SET! James Ward is finding his form. The Brit and Vanni are separated by just two places in the world rankings and it's been a real scrap of match. Ward has just won the third set 6-4 to take a 2-1 lead as he looks to clinch the victory this evening.

I mentioned earlier that Tomas Berdych was looking very comfortable at the start of his match with Jeremy Chardy, but he has just lost the second set on a tie-break to the Frenchman and it's now level at 1-1.

Adopted Brit Aljaz Bedene is still fighting to give the home supporter another victory to celebrate and he has forced a fifth set in his dramatic match with Radek Stepanek. They have shared the first four games in the decider.


UPDATE: Big, big moment for Ward. The British number four breaks Vanni in the fifth game of the fourth set and he is now in complete control as he searches for the victory.

It's fair to say that Liam Broady is just a little bit excited as he looks ahead to tomorrow's clash with 16th seed David Goffin.


RESULT! Bedene is going to become a very popular British number two with performances like this one. He begins his first Wimbledon as a Brit by beating Stepanek 7-5 1-6 4-6 6-3 6-4.

RESULT! Ward has done it. A second break in the fourth set earns him a 6-7 6-2 6-4 6-3 victory over Vanni. Excellent work from the British number four. He'll be hoping there's more standing ovations to come.

James Ward of Great Britain in Gentlemens Singles first round match against Luca Vanni of Italy during day two of Wimbledon on June 30, 2015© Getty Images


If you missed any of the action from Murray, Ward, Wozniacki, Bouchard or any other of the stars today, check out all of the latest victories on our results homepage. It's been a very good day for some of the Brits!

Britain's Andy Murray celebrates beating Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin during their men's singles first round match on day two of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2015© Getty Images


SET! Another day of action at Wimbledon is winding down, but a big name is still out on court. Another tough set of tennis for Tomas Berdych has ended with him winning a tie-break 7-3 against Jeremy Chardy. He now leads 2-1.

2014 finalist Eugenie Bouchard has revealed that she was battling an abdominal injury during her straight-sets defeat to Ying-Ying Duan earlier today. The Canadian has lost 12 of her last 14 matches.

"I felt very unprepared for this match but I wanted to play no matter what. After Eastbourne we did testing and I've got a grade two tear in my abs," Bouchard told reporters. "It was probably not smart to play here but I couldn't pass on Wimbledon. I'm going to take some time to heal and maybe not think about tennis for a little bit and then get back to it."



On his first Wimbledon appearance as a Brit, Aljaz Bedene produced a stunning performance to beat the experienced Radek Stepanek in a five-set thriller. Read Simon Sinclair's full report now.

Can Tomas Berdych finish off his match tonight? The fourth set is still going with serve after eight games as Jeremy Chardy looks to stay alive in the first round. I'm not sure how much longer they will be allowed to stay out on court.

Jiri Vesely has beaten Paolo Lorenzi 7-6 7-6 6-4 in the first round. Not a headline-grabbing result, but that does mean Vesely will now take on Ward, who will fancy his chances of booking a spot in the third round.

Chardy has forced a tie-break. Can he make it to a fifth set? My guess is that a decider would be played tomorrow if this match goes that far.

RESULT! It's a late finish for Berdych, but he takes the tie-break to secure a 6-2 6-7 7-6 7-6 victory over a determined Chardy. The 2010 finalist is off and running!

That's all from Sports Mole's live text coverage this evening. It's been an exciting day, with the big guns firing as Murray, Nadal and Federer all recorded victories, while Bouchard and Halep both crashed out of the women's draw. Make sure your return tomorrow for all of the drama. Goodbye.

ID:231125: cacheID:231125:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:75129:
Written by
Sian Cowper
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Andy Murray of Great Britain plays a forehand return during his Gentlemen's Singles third round match against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain on day five of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 27,
Read Next:
Assessing men's and women's Wimbledon draw
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
1.15am
Rams
@
49ers


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!