Wimbledon 2025: Draper in trouble against Cilic, Sinner v Vukic – live | Wimbledon 2025
Key events
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Iga Swiatek (8) beats Caty McNally 5-7 6-2 6-1
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Krejcikova defeats Dolehide 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
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Dimitrov beats Moutet 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5
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Rybakina routs Sakkari 6-3, 6-1
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Novak Djokovic (6) beats Dan Evans 6-3 6-2 6-0
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Luciano Darderi beats Arthur Fery 6-4 6-3 6-3
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Jan-Leonard Struff beats Felix Auger-Aliassime (25) 3-6 7-6(9) 6-3 6-4
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Arthur Rinderknech beats Christian Garín 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3
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Mirra Andreeva (7) beats Lucia Bronzetti 6-1, 7-6 (4)
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Jakub Mensik beats Marcus Giron 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4)
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Elisabetta Cocciaretto beats Katie Volynets 6-0 6-4
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De Minaur beats Cazaux 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0
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Cobolli beats Pinnington Jones 6-1, 7-6, 6-2
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Navarro beats Kudermetova 6-1, 6-2
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Today’s order of play
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Preamble
I wonder if Draper thought he’d just play his normal game and win this one – a not unresonable assumption. But in this set, what he’s done better is keep Cilic moving, making it harder for him to hit his spots, and he secures that break to lead 5-1 in the third.
What colour do we reckon the colour chart calls Cilic’s hair, by the way? I’m going for Laboratory Squirrel; while I do, the man himself saves a point for a second break point with an ace.
OK, we’re back once more. Draper consolidates for 4-1 in the third; Bouzas Maneiro leads Kenin6-1 5-4 and will shortly serve for the match; Offner has just taken the third set tot lead Paul, seeded 13, 201; and Holmgren and Machac are 5-45 in the fifth.
Next on Centre Court: Jannik Sinner (1) v Aleksandar Vukic.
Yes he can! I don’t know how, not because he did something wonderful, but because my net dies on me again, but every journey starts with a step, and Draper is now up a break at 3-1 in the third, Cilic by two sets to love.
Back with Draper, he makes 0-15 with a terrific forehand cross, soon arrives at 0-40, but Cilic quickly saves the first two break points. Can Draper convert the third?
In her post-match interview, Swiatek recalls a defeat to McNally at Roland Garros as her most painful as a junior – citing that in victory is one reason she’s a champion. She likes McNally and her family, who make you feel like you’re not rivals, so she’s glad to see her back and fit.
She took confidence from how she played in Bad Homburg before coming to Wimbledon, though the courts aren’t similar, and she doesn’t mind playing a long match today as it gave her more time on Centre Court.
Otherwise, back to her towel-snaffling antics, she says it’s not as much fun now everyone knows she’s doing it, but all her team have one so they’re happy.
Tell you what, win or lose I bet Draper looks back at this match as an important one in his career. It’s not often a player as good as he is takes a lesson, but that’s what this has been so far, Cilic’s experience and grasp of angles showing him what’s missing from his game. The old man holds for 1-1 in the third.
Iga Swiatek (8) beats Caty McNally 5-7 6-2 6-1
A scare for Swiatek, but she handled it well and faces Danielle Collins next.
Elsewhere, Bouzas Maneiro leads Kenin 6-1 1-1; Holmgren trails Machac 2-3 in the fifth, on serve; Ofner leads Paul 1-6 7-5 4-2; Fucsovics leads Monfils 5-3; Sonego leads Basilashvili 6-1 4-2; and Nakshima has beaten opelka 7-5 6-2 6-7 6-3.
Yup, Cilic serves out to lead Draper 6-4 6-3. Meantime, Swiatek is serving for the match at 5-7 6-2 5-1, but McNally is making her work for it…
A booming forehand down the line gives Draper 0-15, and the rally-ball that facilitated it perhaps evidenced a little tightness; we shall see. Er, a terrific backhand from corner to corner makes 15-all, and the ace that’s behind it takes Cilic to within two points of a two-set lead.
In the meantime, he holds for 3-5, so Cilic must serve out the set, and the crowd are getting into now, elevating the pressure, but this is a man who’s seen it all before.
The break did, though, give me a chance to work out that tactical plan for Draper: play better.
A belated thanks again Katy and hi again everyone – my internet decided the precise moment we agreed handover, my net forsook me. But we’re back and bad now, Draper serving at 4-6 2-5.
Cilic holds. Draper holds. Cilic holds. It’s Cilic 6-4, 4-1. Draper could do with coming to the net more to interrupt Cilic’s rhythm. Bafflingly he’s done it only twice so far. But my watch is over now, so here’s Daniel to figure out how Draper can get himself out of this mess. I’ll leave you with this. Bye!
Swiatek is getting closer to round three. She leads McNally 5-7, 6-2, 4-0. Waiting in the last 32 is Danielle “You pay my bills” Collins.
Machac has been taken to a fifth set. The always entertaining Gael Monfils is under way against Marton Fucsovics. And Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska, who accounted for Coco Gauff in the first round, is into a final-set tie-break against Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova.
A stunned silence on No 1 Court as Cilic makes Draper pay for missing that chance, by breaking to 15 in the next game. The Croat’s returning has been outrageously good. He’s won four games in a row. And he’s making Draper look as if he’s the 36-year-old. Cilic leads 6-4, 2-0. The longer the match this goes on, the more it should favour the younger and fitter Draper, but at the moment Cilic is running away with it.
Draper can’t convert a break point at the start of the second set. But Swiatek does strike early in the third against McNally. The former world No 1 now leads 5-7, 6-2, 2-0.
Moutet may have lost to Dimitrov earlier, but the Frenchman went down in style.
Cilic has Draper reeling at 0-40 for the second successive game on the British No 1’s serve. But the difference is they’re not only break points, they’re set points. And the even bigger difference this time is that Cilic capitalises, drilling a backhand winner down the line to break Draper to love. It’s game and first set Cilic. The 36-year-old has bloodied the nose of the 23-year-old – how will Draper respond?
Swiatek surges through the second set 6-2 to set up a decider. Those notes seem to have helped; her error count was well down in that set and her forehand found its range.
Tumaini Carayol
And here’s Tumaini’s take on that Djokovic win:
For nearly two decades, Novak Djokovic has spent his time on the tennis court crushing the hopes and dreams of all of his adversaries while in pursuit of his own lofty goals. He did so again on Centre Court, ensuring that there would be no fairytale ending to Dan Evans’ encouraging grass-court season as he marched into the third round of Wimbledon with a devastating performance and dominant 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 win.
“He can be causing a lot of trouble for you if you’re not on the top of your game, which I think I was from the very beginning,” said Djokovic, the sixth seed, afterwards. “I was preparing well for the match. Technically, tactically, I knew exactly what I needed to do. I executed perfectly – sometimes you have these kinds of days.”
In a tournament that has hosted 23 British singles players, the most in a generation, Evans has surprisingly been one of the most interesting British stories of all. Having spent a large part of the past seven years firmly inside the top 50, rising to a career high of 21, last year the 35-year-old tumbled down the rankings. He fell as low as No 217 last month.
For most of the past year, Evans has been forced to compete on the ATP Challenger circuit, but he continued to struggle even against much lower-ranked opponents. Before the tournament, he spoke with great emotion about his doubts and struggles during this period, particularly the feeling that he was letting his family and team members down.
On a lovely summer afternoon on Centre Court against the greatest player of all time, there were no miracles to be uncovered here. From the beginning of the match, Evans employed all the trickery and hand skills that, with his diminutive frame, he has used so effectively throughout his career. He dragged Djokovic into endless, protracted rallies with his wicked backhand slice, he flitted forward to the net whenever he could and he kept himself in complicated points with his improvisational brilliance.
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But look here: it’s three break points for Cilic as Draper slumps 0-40 down. Draper gets out his spade and digs himself out of a big hole, recovering to deuce, and it’s five straight points as he takes the game when Cilic clunks long. It’s 4-4. And credit to Cilic – I saw this going the way of Djokovic v Evans, but Cilic has made this very tough for Draper so far.
Not much giving between Draper and Cilic. One break point apiece, no breaks and it’s 4-3 to Cilic.
Machac and his short shorts are close to round three. The 21st seed leads the Danish qualifier August Holmgren 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 5-4 on serve.
Next up for Krejcikova: another American opponent, in the form of the 10th seed Emma Navarro.
“I’m really happy I can play matches,” Krejcikova says. “The last six months were really difficult for me. I just appreciate it more. I’m so grateful I’m here and can play tennis. The match was really up and down, and I’m extremely happy I’m through and can play another match.”
Krejcikova defeats Dolehide 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
There’s something about this place that brings out the best in Krejcikova. She’s had a forgettable 2025 because of a back injury that stopped her from playing until May. She then picked up a thigh problem at Eastbourne last week. But the Czech’s title defence continues as she defeats Dolehide 6-2 in the decider – a convincing finish after an up-and-down first two sets.
Swiatek and Krejcikova back up their breaks. Draper v Cilic is going with serve at 2-2.
Swiatek, trailing 7-5, 0-1, is pushing on McNally’s serve and here’s a sixth break point as the game clock ticks past eight minutes. Swiatek is jumping up and down on the baseline and throws in some air shots for good measure, and it does the job, as she goes on to force the error from her American opponent. Swiatek has the break for 2-0, just as Krejcikova breaks in the deciding set against Dolehide. Krejcikova leads 6-4, 3-6, 4-2.
The British No 1 is on No 1, with Jack Draper up against the 2017 Wimbledon finalist and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic. You’d be forgiven if you thought Cilic had retired; the 36-year-old is playing his first Wimbledon in four years because of multiple knee surgeries. He found his way back by working his way up from the Challenger Tour (and won the recent event in Nottingham), and credits Andy Murray for inspiring him to take that path. But beating the current British No 1 and world No 4, who’s playing the tennis of his life, may well prove to be a step too far. Let’s find out …
Swiatek returns to court clutching a notebook, presumably with her match instructions in it. Let’s see if it does the trick.
From 4-1 up in the first set against McNally, Swiatek has lost it 7-5. Her forehand is all over the place. And her head probably is too, as she scurries off court to try to recover some composure. She seems unwilling to stay in the points and has been going for too many winners that haven’t come off. We’ve already lost 16 of the women’s seeds, and another is in serious peril.
Tumaini Carayol
Our man Tumaini Carayol’s been looking ahead to Emma Raducanu’s big date with Aryna Sabalenka tomorrow:
Hours after Emma Raducanu’s latest convincing defeat to Iga Swiatek just a few weeks ago at Roland Garros, the 22-year-old was understandably still seething. Once again, she had given herself an opportunity to face one of the best players in the world, and once again she simply could not keep up.
Her uncomfortable afternoon on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the end of May was reflective of a pattern that has defined her recent months on court. Raducanu has performed admirably when facing the players she should defeat, compiling a 14-3 record against lower-ranked players over the past year. Against the elite players, however, she has consistently been flattened.
“I think I have done a pretty good job of staying with and getting some good wins over players not in the top 10,” she said, sighing. “But there is a big difference as you go up into the top five and then playing, like, slam champions. It is a completely different ball game.”
There have been times when those top players have almost appeared to be playing a different sport. Raducanu’s 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Swiatek at Roland Garros had actually marked an improvement following her 6-1, 6-0 loss in their Australian Open third-round match. She has also suffered convincing defeats to Coco Gauff and Zheng Qinwen in recent weeks and she is 1-9 against top-five players in her career. The common theme in those performances was how underpowered Raducanu’s game appeared against players who are capable of completely overwhelming her with their superior pace and weight of shot.
Now she will take on the very best, and most powerful, adversary of all in Aryna Sabalenka, the undisputed women’s world No 1. Over the past few years, Sabalenka’s evolution has become one of the most impressive sights in the sport. After arriving on the tour as a wildly inconsistent shotmaker who entered every match with the sole intention of bashing the ball as hard as possible while having no control over her emotions, the 27-year-old has evolved into a more refined, well-rounded player who has learned how to harness her power into consistently devastating tennis.
You can read the rest here.
Of course No 2 Court’s notoriety goes back much further than that. Remember Sampras v Bastl in 2002? It was a match that turned out to be the seven-times champion’s last at Wimbledon.
A shift in momentum on No 2 Court, where Krejcikova, having led Dolehide 6-4, has conceded the second set 6-3. The defending champion may not want to be reminded that this is the scene of Jessica Pegula’s and Lorenzo Musetti’s downfalls on that tumultuous Tuesday for the seeds.
