Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Shapovalov ends Murray's run at Wimbledon

Shapovalov ends Murray's run at Wimbledon

THIS time not even Centre Court's roof could rescue Andy Murray as the home favourite and two-time champion's dream of a deep Wimbledon run were crushed by Canada's Denis Shapovalov in the third round on Friday (2).

Twice this week the 34-year-old Murray had rolled back the years with late-night wins under the roof, but Shapovalov proved a step too far as the 22-year-old left-hander dished out an emphatic 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 beating.


Murray, back in the singles at Wimbledon for the first time since 2017 after two hip surgeries, had thrilled his fans with dramatic victories over seeded Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili and German qualifier Oscar Otte.

Some had even begun to fantasize about the metal-hipped Murray making an unlikely tilt for a third Wimbledon title.

Reality hit home, however, as Shapovalov showed no mercy with a scintillating display to put himself in the Wimbledon last 16 for the first time and deny Murray a 12th visit to the fourth round at the All England Club.

Murray walked off to a standing ovation and will now focus his attention on the Tokyo Olympics where he will be defending the singles title he won in London and Rio de Janeiro.

While Murray said there were positives to take from a memorable week, there was also frustration.

"I want to be performing better than what I did here. Even though there were some great moments," the former world number one said.

Having overcome a tricky hurdle on the home turf of a British sporting icon, 10th seed Shapovalov will move ahead to face Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut full of confidence.

"This is a dream come true for me to play a legend like Andy today," the Canadian said on court. "Huge shout outs to him - what he's doing nobody's done and he's truly an inspiration to people like me.

"It's truly amazing to be on this court and play a match like today. I don't think I can play any better."

In the preceding match on Centre Court, British number one Dan Evans had been beaten by American Sebastian Korda.

But the crowd had really come to roar on old warrior Murray whose victories in the 2013 and 2016 finals turned him into British sporting royalty.

The theory was that even despite giving away 12 years to Shapovalov and hardly playing this year, Murray could feed off the crowd's energy and move into the second week.

But from the moment Murray slipped over in the second game and then watched a Shapovalov backhand rip past him in the next game to drop serve, it looked like being an uphill struggle.

Shapovalov was fired up and gave Murray the run-around as he accelerated into a 5-1 lead, only for Murray to claw back three games and have three break points to make it 5-5.

Had he drawn level who knows what effect it might have had on Shapovalov's nerves, but the Canadian held firm, saving the third break point with a superb drop half-volley.

On his first set point Shapovalov played a Murray-esque drop shot and tapped away a volley into the open court.

Shapovalov dominated the second set with some ferocious hitting. With the light fading, the roof was closed and lights switched on to enable play to continue.

It revived memories of Monday (28) when Murray suffered a seven-game meltdown against Basilashvili before re-igniting when the roof was closed and again on Wednesday (30) when he was in deep trouble against qualifier Otte before being roared to an epic five-set win under the roof.

But Shapovalov was ruthless on the resumption as he closed out the contest in style.

(Reuters)

More For You

mitchell-starc-getty

Starc, the Australian left-arm pacer, returned figures of 5-35 as Delhi bowled out Hyderabad for 163. (Photo: Getty Images)

Starc’s five-for, Rana’s 81 power Delhi and Rajasthan to IPL wins

MITCHELL STARC picked up his first five-wicket haul in T20 cricket, while Nitish Rana’s quickfire 81 off 36 balls helped Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals secure wins in the IPL on Sunday.

Starc, the Australian left-arm pacer, returned figures of 5-35 as Delhi bowled out Hyderabad for 163. Delhi chased the target comfortably, winning by seven wickets with four overs to spare, marking their second consecutive victory in the tournament.

Keep ReadingShow less
Krishna-IPL-Getty

Siraj dismissed both Mumbai openers early, while Krishna struck in the middle overs, finishing with figures of 2-18. (Photo: Getty Images)

Siraj, Krishna lead Gujarat to win over Mumbai in IPL

FAST bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna took two wickets each as Gujarat Titans defeated Mumbai Indians by 36 runs, securing their first win of the IPL season on Saturday.

Batting first after being invited, Gujarat posted 196-8, with Sai Sudharsan scoring 63 off 41 balls at the Ahmedabad stadium.

Keep ReadingShow less
SRH vs DC IPL 2025: The Ultimate Clash Between Hyderabad and Delhi

Both teams are coming off contrasting results in their previous games

Getty

IPL 2025 - SRH vs DC: Thrilling showdown between Hyderabad and Delhi awaits

The 10th match of IPL 2025 will see Delhi Capitals (DC) locking horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, March 30. Both teams are coming off contrasting results in their previous games, and this match promises to be a gripping contest, with several exciting player battles to watch out for.

Match overview

Delhi Capitals are fresh off a thrilling one-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants. Chasing a formidable 210, DC's middle-order showed resilience, with Tristan Stubbs and Ashutosh Sharma forming a crucial 48-run partnership after an early collapse. Vipraj Nigam’s late cameo and Ashutosh’s calm composure at the death saw DC edge out a nail-biting finish with three balls to spare.

Keep ReadingShow less
RR vs CSK

Both teams coming off contrasting starts to their campaigns

Getty

IPL 2025 - RR vs CSK: Rajasthan takes on Chennai in high-stakes battle


The electrifying action of IPL 2025 continues as Rajasthan Royals (RR) lock horns with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match number 11 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday, March 30. With both teams coming off contrasting starts to their campaigns, this clash promises to be a thrilling battle of experience, skill, and determination.

Keep ReadingShow less
Indian and American investors delay Hundred deals: report

FILE PHOTO: The Oval Invincibles celebrate after The Hundred Final between Oval Invincibles and Southern Brave at Lord's Cricket Ground on August 18, 2024. (Photo: Getty Images)

Indian and American investors delay Hundred deals: report


THE England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has extended the deadline for finalising the £520 million sale of The Hundred franchises after pushback from several prospective owners, particularly the Indian and American investors behind the two London teams.

The eight-week exclusivity window agreed in February has passed without contracts being signed, with negotiations now expected to continue until at least the end of April. While all parties remain committed to completing the deals, several key issues remain unresolved, the Telegraph reported.

Keep ReadingShow less