Welcome to day five coverage from Wimbledon as we edge closer to the midway point of the tournament and the number of players still in the event continues to whittle down.
It was another dramatic day on Thursday as Katie Boulter earned the biggest win of her career when she overcame Karolína Pliskova. Boulter, ranked 118th in the world, eliminated the Czech sixth seed 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4 and said in her on-court interview that her grandmother had passed away earlier this week, dedicating the victory to her.
“Her favourite tournament was Wimbledon,” Boulter told reporters. “That’s why it’s a special one for me. She’d watch every single match that was on the TV. It’s been a tough few days for sure. I’ve tried to kind of get my emotions out and deal with the situation, try and keep my head on the tennis.
“I was lucky because my grandpa managed to come down from Leicester, and so we could keep him company and keep supporting him at the same time.”
Boulter, who has reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, will next face Frenchwoman Harmony Tan. Elsewhere, Rafael Nadal and Coco Gauff booked their places in round three and look primed for deep runs into the tournament.
Today, the focus will switch back to world No 1 Novak Djokovic, who is up against his Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic. Britain’s Heather Watson opens play on Centre Court in a winnable match against Kaja Juvan on No 1 Court.
“I’m pretty relaxed about it right now,” said Watson. “I’ve been here before. I’m just taking it step by step, match by match. “I feel, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve been on the tour many years now, my highs aren’t as high, but my lows aren’t as low.”
