sports

score and latest match updates from Centre Court

score and latest match updates from Centre Court

Contents

[ad_1]

Andy Murray vs John Isner live score and latest match updates Centre Court - Steven Paston/PA

Andy Murray vs John Isner live score and latest match updates Centre Court – Steven Paston/PA

07:54 PM

Murray 4-6, 6-7(4), 2-2 Isner* (*denotes next server)                   

Now Murray’s first serve has achieved a reliability lacking hitherto and he feels confident enough to give it the kitchen sink treatment at full power. He holds to love. Can he make any inroads into Isner’s sling shot, though. That is the question.

07:50 PM

Murray* 4-6, 6-7(4), 1-2 Isner (*denotes next server)                   

Murray digs deep to pull it back to 40-30 after some Biff, Bang Pow from Isner. But whenever he has needed the ace tonight, he has managed to nail it nine times out of 10 and does so again.

07:47 PM

Murray 4-6, 6-7(4), 1-1 Isner* (*denotes next server)                 

Two errors from Murray at 40-love let Isner back in but Murray recovers his poise and smacks a serve down the centre that Isner hooks long. They’re trying to get that awful American chant going: ‘Let’s go, Andy, let’s go.’ It isn’t catching.

07:44 PM

Murray* 4-6, 6-7(4), 0-1 Isner (*denotes next server)                 

The serve isn’t everything for Isner but it is most of what makes him so formidable. Having the skill to execute his strokes off the service, drops, volleys, forehand drives, has been phenomenal so far. He holds to 30 with another ace wrapping it up but the two drop shot winners that precede it are part of the strategy that is hurting Murray more than a mere Howitzer serve. .

07:31 PM

Murray 4-6, 6-7 (4) Isner (*denotes next server)               

Isner has the mini-break straightaway off Murray’s second serve. Ferocious return 0-1.

Murray challenges the ace in vain 0-2.

Murray breaks back when Isner forces his backhand long after a great Murray return 1-2.

Isner grabs it straight back with a blistering return, 1-3.

Murray holds by pushing Isner wide and he carts his return into the net, 2-3.

Isner serves and volleys to hold 2-4.

Murray nets the attempt to pass with a backhand drop, 2-5.

Murray holds with a forehand cross – overhead combo 3-5.

And doubles up when Isner frames his return. Still a break down, though 4-5.

A bullet serve that Murray can only chip back into the net on his backhand 4-6.

And he closes out the set with another withering serve that Murray cannot keep in bounds. 4-7.

07:29 PM

Murray 4-6, 6-6 Isner (*denotes next server)               

Isner seals the hold to 15 with an ace. Tie-break time.

07:26 PM

Murray 4-6, 6-5 Isner* (*denotes next server)             

Isner starts with another drop shot winner. Murray’s face is like thunder but from love-15 down, he rallies back to 40-15 with a good second serve (only 46 per cent of his first serves have been in) and two forehand winners. When Isner slices his baseline backhand into the net, Murray holds to 15. Another chance to nick it before the breaker.

07:22 PM

Murray* 4-6, 5-5 Isner (*denotes next server)             

Out comes the Murray fist pump when Isner fores a backhand long but he can’t pass Isner at the net when he is drawn in and the American plinks a winner back while Murray’s momentum takes him into Isner’s half. Isner misses a backhand to the right but then ties it up at 30-all with a serve-drop shot strategy. 30-all.

Again Murray gets the return back but Isner hits another half-volley winner and the server holds with a monster down the middle. Murray gets his racket on it but can’t hoop it over.

07:17 PM

Murray 4-6, 5-4 Isner* (*denotes next server)             

Brilliant from Murray to hold his serve to 15 and give himself a chance of the set with a break. Isner’s aggression on serve and return is paying dividends but Murray’s serve is holding up well.

07:13 PM

Murray* 4-6, 4-4 Isner (*denotes next server)           

At 15-all Murray plays a remarkable crosscourt return winner off Isner’s viciously kicking body serve. But then he misses a backhand winner opportunity and the glimmer starts to recede. Another second serve jumps above Murray’s chest. He keeps it in but Isner nails the forehand winner and seals the hold with a missile towards Murray’s feet that he cannot flick back over the net.

07:09 PM

Murray 4-6, 4-3 Isner* (*denotes next server)           

Isner invites Murray into the net at 15-all and he scrambles to reach the ball but pops his attempted forehand pass into the net. A gorgeous double-backhand winner completes his comeback from 15-30, winning the third point in succession, when he sends it from the centre to kiss the outside line of Isner’s ad court. When you’ve still got that touch, there is always hope. And my, is he cussed.

07:04 PM

Murray* 4-6, 3-3 Isner (*denotes next server)           

This is farcical from the BBC. The channel hierarchy is pathetic. So far this match: build-up on BBC One, start on iPlayer, 50 minutes on Two and now we have to change channel/device for the third time as it moves back to BBC One.

More on this annual farce here:

BBC spark fury by switching Andy Murray Wimbledon match to iPlayer

Isner holds to 15.

07:01 PM

Murray 4-6, 3-2 Isner* (*denotes next server)         

Good hold by Murray to 15. It might be the best policy – hang in there for now then see if you can mug him in the tie-break.  He will tire … eventually.

06:58 PM

Murray* 4-6, 2-2 Isner (*denotes next server)         

Isner holds to love in 88 seconds. This is what a truly great player has to do just to return an Isner serve:

Britain's Andy Murray returns the ball to US player John Isner during their men's singles tennis match on the third day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships  - SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images

Britain’s Andy Murray returns the ball to US player John Isner during their men’s singles tennis match on the third day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships – SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images

06:54 PM

Murray 4-6, 2-1 Isner* (*denotes next server)       

Murray fights back from love-30 down to seal the hold with successive aces, one down the centre, one wide. As Andrew Castle reports, he is very fidgety today. He is replacing his grip for the second time now and has been fiddling with his laces.

06:51 PM

Murray* 4-6, 1-1 Isner (*denotes next server)       

Murray is getting returns in when he can (despite the two aces in the game) but Isner is playing well off his serve because the serve dictates where Murray returns and given the American’s power, it’s usually high and floaty. But he does miss an elementary forehand at 40-love yet follows that with his seventh ace of the match.

John Isner of the US returns the ball to Britain's Andy Murray during their singles tennis match on day three - AP Photo/Alastair Grant

John Isner of the US returns the ball to Britain’s Andy Murray during their singles tennis match on day three – AP Photo/Alastair Grant

06:47 PM

Murray 4-6, 1-0 Isner* (*denotes next server)     

Andy Murray lost the first set on Monday, too, we should remember and then rallied. He races to 40-love in the first game of the second set but is put off when some Herbert shouts ‘Out’ from the crowd and doesn’t commit to the groundstroke with the same determination as before. He resorts to a challenge but the ball was in. No bother, though, he holds to 30 and treats us to the roar and his box to a clenched fist.

06:41 PM

Murray* 4-6 Isner (*denotes next server)     

Murray gives himself a chance at 15-all with a wonderful lob after an athletic backhand return but Isner nails the smash and then sends down his fifth ace. He has two set points and converts the first of them when Murray drags a backhand into the net.

06:38 PM

Murray 4-5 Isner* (*denotes next server)   

At 40-love down, Isner plays a lovely backhand winner up the line after a rally he dominated by feasting on Murray’s second serve yet Murray then seals the hold on his second serve, sending a kicker down the centre that Isner pans into the net.

06:34 PM

Murray* 3-5 Isner (*denotes next server)   

Isner starts with a serve-volley winner followed by a serve-forehand drop winner and then a withering serve-crosscourt forehand winner. Three-stroke points. The last point takes two strokes: big serve and Murray’s attempted crosscourt jaywalked between the tramlines. Hold to love, as Bryan Ferry almost sang.

06:31 PM

Murray 3-4 Isner* (*denotes next server) 

A moment of danger for Murray at 15-30 is averted when Isner messes up with an overhead which he flaps too long but he quickly comes to the net to get to deuce. Two points later. He has dominated at the net but now it’s Murray’s turn to bring him in and then chip a winner down the line. And Murray sews up the hold when his top-spin induces an error on Isner’s backhand and he puts his groundstroke into the net.

Isner now gets new balls to whack.

06:25 PM

Murray* 2-4 Isner (*denotes next server) 

Murray gives his box a glare when, at 15-love down, he can’t keep Isner’s serve in. It’s the story of the game, as it usually is when Isner’s calibration is perfect and he scythes them deep. The serves are either unreturnable or set up volleys for the big yin.

06:21 PM

Murray 2-3 Isner* (*denotes next server)

A touch of the old magic from Murray to hold to love, Isner being unable to keep a couple of serves in regulation and Murray also reeling off a serve-volley combo that has the crowd lapping it up.

06:19 PM

Murray* 1-3 Isner (*denotes next server)

Grit, guile and great defensive play opens the door slightly as Murray climbs to 15-30 but Isner defends with a monstrous wide serve that Murray gets back in but cannot defend the volley. A wonderfil backhand pass erans Murray break point, again after defending the serve. At 30-40 Isner shows his all-court smarts, following an overhead with a deft drop shot to recover to deuce.

Murray moves to advantage with another crosscourt pass with his backhand but is defended by Isner with his second ace straight own the middle.

A second ace in succession, this one out wide, takes Isner to advantage and he goes wide again with his next serve and Murray’s back-hand return balloons out.

Andy Murray -  REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

Andy Murray – REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

06:13 PM

Murray 1-2 Isner* (*denotes next server)

Anything you can do … Murray fires an ace down the centre line at love-15 but then makes an error on his backhand, slicing it into the net. At 15-30 and on Murray’s second serve, Isner smokes the return towards Murray’s feet then goes to the net to chop a crosscourt drop that Murray can’t get back when he tries a two-handed running pass up the line.

Two break points. He needs only one. Isner’s return is blistering and deep and Murray can’t get back into the point.

Break.

06:09 PM

Murray* 1-1 Isner (*denotes next server)

Isner, wearing the Fila marque made famous by Bjorn Borg, sends down his first ace at 15-all but Murray defends well at 30-15, getting back a couple of smashes until Isner nails a forehand winner. At 40-15, though, Murray gets a drop shot wrong and Isner closes out the hold. Murray is getting first serves back in.

06:05 PM

Murray 1-0 Isner* (*denotes next server)

Murray serves first and the opening point of the match is a pleasingly long rally, Murray whipping forehands with the old panache until he just gets his lengths wrong but immediately makes up for it with a serve-volley winner on the backhand to make it 15-all.  Both men are wearing caps, not that there’s much sun. More to cover than their eyes from the sun these days.

Isner cannot get a couple of returns in legally and Murray has two game points, winning the first of them on his second serve when Isner chips a backhand into the net.

05:56 PM

The players are out and knocking up

Murray was given a tremendous reception as usual. The BBC has shifted coverage of this match to the iPlayer in deference to Cam Norrie on BBC Two and Sophie Raworth on One. Murray on the iPlayer! Apostasy.

04:52 PM

Murray v Isner, round nine

Welcome to live coverage of Andy Murray’s second round match against the human trebuchet and No20 seed John Isner from Centre Court. The two veterans (35 plays 37) have never met on grass before but played eight matches before Murray’s last singles title at Wimbledon, the Scot winning all eight and dropping only four sets. Nine of the 24 sets they completed in those eight meetings did go to tie-breaks, though, so we could be in for another long night and the frequent switching between BBC One and Two that infuriates both those who want to watch and viewers who can’t bear sport impinging on the normal schedule.

Isner, who has hit 13,688 aces on the ATP Tour including 54 in his first set win and is only 40 shy of Ivo Karlovic’s career record, says he has always found Murray’s defences difficult to penetrate. “Andy is a different animal. He’s much harder to ace because his anticipation is just amazing,” he said Isner.

“He’s so comfortable on the grass, more comfortable than I am. He has a lot more wins at this tournament than I do.Grass maybe is his best surface, it’s probably not my best surface. But it does a lot of good on my serve.”

Andy Murray with coach Ivan Lendl during a practice session on day two of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club - John Walton/PA Wire

Andy Murray with coach Ivan Lendl during a practice session on day two of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club – John Walton/PA Wire

Murray, however, who came back from dropping the first set to beat James Duckworth  4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 in Monday’s first round, is concerned about losing his rhythm against Isner.

“You’re not necessarily always in control of them [the matches]. You can go four or five service return games where you’re not getting any opportunities,” Murray said.

“But for whatever reason, I’ve always played well against them [big servers]. The match-ups have been good for me.”

Last year Murray endured/enjoyed a topsy-turvy second round victory over Oscar Otte, coming from 2-1 down and finally wrapping up victory at 10.27pm. It took every ounce of grit he had to get through but left him looking thoroughly spent for his third-round match against Denis Shapovalov. The question that remains when watching Murray’s glorious raging against the dying of the light is how much of himself he leaves out there each match. Isner is always a stern test but the real one may come if he manages to win: can he recover in time.

Share this post

Similar Posts