Wimbledon 2023: Andy Murray leads fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 2-1 with play set to continue on day five
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Andy Murray and Stefanos Tsitsipas will have to return to Centre Court tomorrow to conclude their epic second round match, with the Brit leading 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 6-4.
Play was suspended due to a curfew at 23:00 with two hours 55 minutes already on the match clock.
Murray and Tsitsipas will join a stellar Centre Court line-up tomorrow including world No.1s Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, as well as Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka.
Murray is bidding to win his 200th Grand Slam singles match and become only the eighth man in the Open Era to reach this achievement.
The opening two sets were a tale of two tie-breaks, with almost nothing to split between the players through 24 games. With no breaks to speak of, Tsitsipas raised his level in the opening set tie-break, generating huge power off his forehand and taking a 1-0 lead having reached his 21st winner of the match.
On they went to another tie-break in the second – both players serving impeccably and winning over 75% of points off both their first serves. This time however, it was Murray who lifted his game. Starting out with an ace, Murray ramped up the pressure on the world No.5 who made a couple of key errors as the two-time champion levelled the score.
The clock now firmly working against them – Murray capitalised on a dip from Tsitsipas to break to love in the opening game of the third. Still yet to be broken and with the crowd in full voice behind him, Murray showed no signs of slowing down. Murray shook off two break points at 2-1 as he marched on through yet more gruelling rallies before eventually serve out the third at 22:38.
Despite their being 20 minutes left before curfew and Murray’s plea to continue, the match was eventually suspended.
