The first serve

One of the quirks of Wimbledon is that the curtain is raised away from the main stage, on the outside courts, with the Show Courts only revealing their glamourous wares more than two hours after play begins.

With up to 17 matches starting at once there is no 'first serve' as such, but a rush of them with the sound of multiple tennis balls being thwacked across the Grounds.

This year, more than 700 days after the last point was played, anticipation was greater than ever. Alas, rain meant the outside courts remained covered. The honour of playing the first point thus fell to Aryna Sabalenka, the No.2 seed, on No.1 Court.

Perhaps unnerved by the responsibility she lost the point, her reply to Monica Niculescu's return going wide. However, the Belarusian quickly recovered winning The Championships' opening game, opening set, and opening match 6-1, 6-4. She remains in contention and faces Elena Rybakina in the fourth round.

The standing ovation 

Scientists tend to work out of the public eye, putting in long hours in anonymous laboratories. Recognition, when it comes, is usually limited to among their peers. To be the subject of public admiration must be overwhelming. So it seemed for Dame Sarah Gilbert, one of the key scientists in the development of the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine so many of us have in our arms.

On the opening day, as part of Wimbledon’s ‘thank you’ to those who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic, Gilbert was invited to the Royal Box. Prior to Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper entering Centre Court the Master of Ceremonies began introducing the guests to the crowd. He had got no further than “today they include leaders who have developed the anti-Covid vaccines” when loud applause broke out.

By the time he added the words ‘NHS’, 30 seconds in, it was becoming a standing ovation. It was 68 seconds before the crowd could be hushed by which time Dame Sarah was looking shyly touched and slightly bemused.

Tiafoe shocks Tsitsipas

When Frances Tiafoe was a year old, his father Constant, who had emigrated from Sierra Leone to the US, took a job as a day labourer helping to build a tennis centre in Maryland. When it was built Constant became janitor and lived in an office on site. With their mother working night shifts as a nurse Frances and his twin brother Franklin spent much of the week living there with him.

Inevitably, in the quiet times they played tennis, and in the busier times they watched. Frances, in particular, watched the coaches, then acted out their instructions. In time, some began coaching him, pro bono. By 14 he was the top-ranked player of his age in the country.

It is an unusual journey to the pro ranks and Tiafoe’s subsequent progress has not always been smooth. Now 23 he is perhaps yet to live up to that teenage ranking, but his talent and potential was on show for all to see on Day One as he downed the No.3 seed and Roland-Garros finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets.

After gathering up every towel in sight as souvenirs he explained that being on No.1 Court brought the best out of him, that perhaps he wouldn’t have played so well on the outside courts. That was maybe underlined when he lost in straight sets in the third round, to Karen Khachanov on Court 18.

Big stage players do have to earn the right to be there by winning regularly on smaller stages first. After the way he performed on Monday it is to be hoped Tiafoe can do just that.

The return of Suarez Navarro

A year after being diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphona, and three months after announcing she was free of the cancer, Carla Suarez Navarro made an emotional farewell to Wimbledon on Tuesday, appropriately on Centre Court.

The 32-year-old Spaniard lost 1-6, 7-6(1), 1-6 to world No.1 Ashleigh Barty, but was already a winner just in being there.

“Wimbledon made me a really good gift,” said Suarez Navarro, who will play the Tokyo Olympics and US Open before retiring. She added: “I cannot ask for anything better than this day. [It] was amazing. I'm in love with this tournament, this court and this crowd. I think I am the most happy player in the tournament.”

The inspirational Fran Jones

Born with a thumb and three fingers on each hand, and a total of seven toes, the idea that Fran Jones could have a professional tennis career seemed unlikely.

But there she was on Day Two, facing Coco Gauff, at 17 three years her junior but the No.20 seed and far more experienced at this level.

The inspirational Jones, who was born with the rare genetic condition ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia, has to be light on her feet as they do not always move in conventional ways, and has a small grip and light racket. She nevertheless pushed Gauff harder than anyone else has so far, losing 5-7, 4-6.

Post-match Gauff, displaying again her own precocious maturity said: “Her story is incredible. From people telling her she couldn’t play tennis, let alone go pro, to the fact she has made it this far giving it her all is something I really respect as an athlete.

“After the match it took her a while to get to the net because I think she was really trying to savour the moment, but I told her ‘you will have plenty more moments like this, but you will be the one winning. Don’t let [losing] this match affect you.”

Gauff meets former winner Angelique Kerber in the fourth round.

Murray rolls back the years

It was almost like old times on Wednesday night as Andy Murray blew the cobwebs off the memory bank. Under the Centre Court roof, with the floodlights on, an enthralled crowd roared their hero to victory in his first Wimbledon singles season since 2017.

There were some differences though. Murray was going toe-to-toe with German qualifier Oscar Otte, not one of the Big Three. Even in his prime Murray would occasionally make life difficult for himself in matches that ought to be straightforward, but this was different. The Scot now has a metal hip and a series of injuries have limited his time on court, both playing and practising. That he is playing elite tennis at all is remarkable.

Murray, however, loves playing tennis and loves competing and those twin passions drove him to victory. The third round, however, was a match too far, the younger, fitter No.10 seed Denis Shapovalov winning in straight sets.

Murray’s Wimbledon future is unclear, but whatever he decides, Wednesday’s crowd, like so many others to have watched him at The Championships, will cherish the memory.

The Nick & Venus Show

The box office doubles pairing of 2019 was Andy Murray and Serena Williams. This year the hottest ticket in mixed doubles featured the elder Williams, Venus, pairing with Nick Kyrgios and they combined well to beat Austin Krajicek and Sabrina Santamaria in the opening round, ending with a warm embrace.

Jabeur the trailblazer

It is not always easy when you enter court a standard-bearer as well as a racket-carrier but Tunisia's Ons Jabeur is revelling in her role model status. This year she has become the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final (in Australia), the first to win a WTA title (in Birmingham), and now the first into the second week at Wimbledon.

That was achieved in an impressive defeat of 2017 champion Garbiñe Muguruza on Centre Court on Friday, coming from a set down to win 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 despite stomach inflammation.

“I hope many from the young generation are watching and I can inspire them,” she said. “Sometimes I didn’t believe in myself because I did not see many Tunisians before me. Sometimes you need someone to inspire you and show you the path."

A proud trailblazer for African as well as Arab women, the No.21 seed meets Roland-Garros champion Iga Swiatek in the fourth round.

Overnight sensation Raducanu 

This is a strange period for those teenagers nervously awaiting next month’s A level results. School is out but many are unsure what is next and the old standby of backpacking around Europe is off limits this year. Some have found summer jobs, some head for beach or park, some spend much of the day in bed. Emma Raducanu, however, has been practising her driving, having passed her test last year, and becoming an overnight sensation.

The 18-year-old is the youngest Briton into the last 16 since Christine Truman in 1959 having won three matches so far this Fortnight.

Born in Toronto to Romanian-Chinese parents she moved to the UK at the age of two and has grown up in Kent.

On Monday Raducanu, the world No.338, meets Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic.

Medvedev fights back to extend stay

When Marin Cilic went two sets up against Daniil Medvedev there were plenty of sages who nodded knowingly.

The Russian may be world No.2 but he's never lived up to that billing at Wimbledon. Winning a title on the grass of Mallorca, as he did last month, is one thing, the turf of SW19 represents a challenge of a different order, especially against 6ft 6in Cilic, the 2017 finalist, also fresh from a grass court tournament success.

Medvedev, however, was determined to change the script. It took him three hours and 36 minutes, the pair trading booming shots in often lengthy rallies, but he made it. The five-set drama of the Grand Slams highlighted once again.

“It was an unbelievable match,” Medvedev said. “It was the first time I came back from two sets down to win.” Twice before at Wimbledon, he added, he had levelled from two-down but lost. This time he did not let victory slip away. Into the second week for the first time, Medvedev now meets No.14 seed Hubert Hurkacz.

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