Murray pulls pin on singles, fans lament; Women’s defending champ sent packing

That’s a wrap for our day two Wimbledon blog. We’ll have a full report on the best of the rest of the way from Marc McGowan in the morning.

Good night.

Alex de Minaur is VICTORIOUS in straight sets – one of the strangest three-set men’s matches you could imagine.

There were three tie-breaks, all times in which de Minaur shone, his ascendancy on show.

Alex de Minaur d. James Duckworth 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-4) in three hours and four minutes

Four match points to come for the Australian.

This has been quirky. We can go back close to five and a half hours ago when the first ball was hit in anger. De Minaur now could be just a few points away from closing it out.

Defending champion Marketa Vondrousova was knocked out in the first round of Wimbledon on Tuesday, the first female holder to fall at the opening hurdle since Steffi Graf 30 years ago.

Czech Vondrousova, who became the first unseeded woman to lift the title last year, earned a far less welcome accolade after a 6-4, 6-2 defeat by Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Ranked world number 83, Bouzas Maneiro had won only one tour-level match all year heading into Wimbledon, but secured her first win across all grand slams when she slapped a backhand down the line.

“It is one of the most important moments of my life,” the Spaniard smiled as she soaked up the cheers. “I’m just... I’m surprised with myself to be honest.

“The atmosphere was so nice, so... elegant... it feels like I was at home, I don’t know why,” she added, explaining her lack of nerves on one of the sport’s greatest stages.

The 21-year-old from Galicia hit the ball cleanly throughout an unremarkable centre court clash, but only really needed to keep it in play as errors flew from champion Vondrousova’s racket with alarming regularity.

Struggling with a hip injury which derailed her preparation, sixth-seeded Vondrousova now heads for the exit while Bouzas Maneiro will next face compatriot Cristina Bucsa or Romanian Ana Bogdan in the second round.

Reuters

Alexei Popyrin is victorious, into the second round after a hard-fought victory.

The match went the distance on court nine before Popyrin beat Brazilian Thiago Monteiro, 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 6-3, 6-4.

So one of the nine Australians scheduled to play on day two in London is through. There will be at least one more, of course, as Duckworth and de Minaur are engaged in a battle against each other.

Goodness me, here comes a bit of rain again.

The chair umpire initially tells de Minaur and Duckworth that they’re going to sit and wait on court, but it quickly becomes heavier.

They’re off! It’s time to cover the court.

Believe it or not, Duckworth has given up his third set advantage as de Minaur pounces, forcing the set to a ’breaker. Could it be a quirky three-setter, decided by tie-breaker domiance?