Andy Murray will return to the court on Friday needing one more set to reach the third round of Wimbledon for the second time since 2017. Scott was leading world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7(3), 7-6(2). , 6–4 on Thursday when play was suspended for the day on Center Court at 10:38 p.m. The decision was made to call off the match as there was little chance of a conclusion before the 11 p.m. curfew.
In front of a huge crowd, nothing could separate two-time champions Murray and the Greek Tsitsipas as they suffered a crushing defeat in a blockbuster second-round encounter under the Center Court roof.
Tsitsipas attacked his forehands with devastating power throughout the two hours and 53 minutes he spent on court, but Murray made progress as the match progressed. After losing the first set, the former world No. 1 showed great movement and more aggression in the second and third sets with his groundstrokes to take the day away.
However, there was a moment of worry for Murray in the final game of the third set. Scott fell while serving for the set and grabbed his groin, but returned to his feet and sealed the set on the next point. The former world No 1 will need to examine any long-term consequences of the overnight fall.
Murray and Tsitsipas are tied 1-1 in their ATP head-to-head series, with the Greek winning their last major meeting at the 2021 US Open. The winner will play Laslo Djere in the third round after the Serbian beat #NextGenATP American Ben Shelton 3-1. -6, 6-3, 7-6(5) 6-3.
Murray has a 61-12 record at Wimbledon and is a two-time champion, winning in 2013 and 2016. When he returns on Friday, he will aim for his first Top 5 win of the season and his first since June 2022, when he beat Tsitsipas on grass in Stuttgart. Scott is also aiming to become the eighth man in the Open era (since 1968) to win 200 Grand Slam matches.
Tsitsipas, who defeated Dominic Thiem in five sets in the first round, is trying to reach the third round of Wimbledon for the third time. His best result came in 2018 when he reached the fourth round.
In a high-quality first set, Murray and Tsitsipas were hit one after the other, with both players giving their opponent little chance of serve. Tsitsipas was the more aggressive of the two, hitting 21 winners in a set compared to Murray’s 11, but the Scot showed good movement to stay on the rallies.
After Murray saved a set point on serve at 5-6 with a forehand that hit the line, Tsitsipas took control in the tie-break. The world number five displayed good footwork to command a forehand and force Murray forward.
However, Murray responded in the second set. He hit his watertight groundstrokes deeply and was locked in during the tie-break, making only two unforced errors in the set. Embracing the roar of the home crowd, Scott raised his fists in the air as he slid back into his chair.
The former world No. 1 then broke early in the third set and showed his fighting spirit, saving two break points on serve to serve at 2-1. From then on Scott held strong serve and took a two sets to one lead.