THE RACQUET Share Tweet Forward Disclaimer: There are lots of GIFS & images in The Racquet. You may need to give it a bit of time to load depending on your Wifi/4g. I promise it's worth it 😅 WIMBLEDON DAY 3 - RESULTS 🎾 Featured Matches:



Federer d Lacko 6-4, 6-4, 6-1



Imperious performance. Federer was as comfortable on serve as I have ever seen him, reeling off sub-minute games for fun, whilst never facing a break point. The 2nd set saw him win 100% of his 1st serve points (40/43 for the match), with 70% first serves in 😳. That is a straight-up nightmare to play against, which it proved to be for Lacko, who was punished in his own service games for a lack of variation. Lacko's consistent, topspin rallying from the baseline, against Federer in this kind of form, was like bringing ammunition to a gun fight. Roger finished the match with an impeccable 48 winners to 11 unforced errors.



Cilic leading Pella 6-3, 6-1, 3-4* (play suspended due to rain)



Marin looked very impressive and in complete control up until the first rain delay in the 3rd set. He faced zero break points and was essentially unbreakable, winning 97% (32/33!) of his first serve points over the course of two and a half sets. Cilic also created 8 break points in the first 2 sets with some impressive, and aggressive, returning (creating 8 break points, taking 4). After 3 rain delays and a questionable decision to keep playing in wet conditions, Pella managed to break Cilic at 8:40pm, for the first time in the match, on a soggy and dark Court 1. The match was then finally suspended until tomorrow.



Also:

(‼️ = upset)



Raonic d Millman: 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(4)

Monfils d Lorenzi: 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5), 7-6(3)

McDonald d Jarry: 7-6(5), 5-7, 3-6, 6-2, 11-9

Querrey d Stakhovsky: 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3

Mannarino d Harrison: 7-5, 7-5, 7-6(4)

Struff d Karlovic: 6-7(5), 3-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(4), 13-11

Medvedev d Garcia-Lopez: 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

D. Novak d Pouille: 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(8), 3-6, 6-2 ‼️



To be finished tomorrow:



Anderson leading Seppi: 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, 1-1

Fabbiano leading Wawrinka: 7-6(9), 6-3, 5*-6

Kohlschreiber leading Muller: 7-6(6), 6-6

Isner tied up vs Bemelmans: 6-1, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-7(3), 3*-4

Tsitsipas leading Donaldson: 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 3-4* All Results INTERVIEW/PRESS TL;DR 🗣 Roger post-win:



- "On grass maybe my slice helps. Maybe the footwork on grass comes easier to me than for other guys. Then also because I have a decent speed on the serve, and I can serve kick and slice."

Source



- "I think Uniqlo has prepared about fifteen pairs of shorts and about 20-30 T-shirts. Ditto for the socks. But as for the rackets I have 12 here."

Source



- "The key to maintaining my career is to stay physically up there. Especially now the last five years, I think that's been the number one key. With my coaches, fitness coach, trying to find new ways to keep practicing."

Source

Thiem on his injury that forced him to retire:



- "I don't think that this will be a long lasting injury. But even if I would have been fully fit, it would have been hard to get the win today."

Source



Thiem on playing Halle:



- "It was a big mistake. Rafa also pulled out of Queen's, I should have done the same. I will learn from that for the future."

Source



(Matt): The penny finally drops for Thiem RE his schedule, which has been criticised for being more crowded than a beehive.



- "For once, I want to play a good season until the very end. This break will help me achieve that."

Source

Djokovic on ATP/ITF changes to the tour incl. the proposed shot-clock:



- “We as players are never reached out to, never advised...We are not participating in the conversation or decision making. That’s something that is really frustrating, to be honest, from a player perspective.”



And on the implementation of a shot-clock:



- "It’s quite different if you introduce that to the show courts and main draw, playing best-of-five."

Source



(Matt): Context = Shot-clocks (a 25 second timer to regulate time between points) have been in use in various slams' qualifying stages for the past year. 2018 is the first year a shot clock will be used in the main draw of a slam, at this years US Open. SHOTS OF THE DAY 😮 Lacko should have got to the ball but this Federer drop-shot bounced backwards when it hit the turf...

(BBC) ...and this is why. Federer chopping down the side of the ball like he's playing fruit ninja 🔪🥝. About as big a follow-through as you will ever see on a slice backhand.

(BBC) Pouille with a well hit tweener, Novak with an even better drop shot.

(BBC) Perfect technique. Lets the ball drop nice and low so he gets a full swing which gives him the power, and makes contact with the ball perfectly in line with his legs so he gets the right height on the ball.

(BBC) Federer with a casual 104 MPH forehand.

(BBC) Great improvisation here from Fed.

(BBC) Querrey with the old-school flick.

(Eurosport) Source Behind the back from Monfils

(Eurosport) Source Tsitsipas with a great example of the continued evolution of the single-handed backhand: Stefanos' outside foot (left) is planted and pushing straight back into the court to recover quickly for the next shot + his chest is nearly facing his opponent during contact. As opposed to classic single-hander: stepping across oneself with inside or right leg with lots of little steps needed to recover ( + chest at right angle to opponent). (Eurosport) Source DAY 4 OOP ⏰ Match to watch = 🔥 Centre Court

(1pm Start) Nadal vs Kukushkin (H2H: 3-0)

Prediction: Nadal in 4



Edmund vs Klahn (H2H: 1st Meeting)

Prediction: Edmund in 3



Court 1

(1pm Start) Cilic vs Pella (to finish: 6-3, 6-1, 3-4*)



Del Potro vs Lopez (H2H: 4-3)

Prediction: Del Potro in 5



A. Zverev vs Fritz (H2H: 1-0)

Prediction: Zverev in 4



Court 2 (11:30am Start) Seppi vs Anderson (to finish)



Djokovic vs Zeballos (H2H: 1-0)

Prediction: Djokovic in 3



Nishikori vs Tomic (H2H: 2-2)

Prediction: Nishikori in 4 Court 3

(11:30am Start)



Wawrinka vs Fabbiano (to finish)



Kyrgios vs Haase (H2H: 1-0)

Prediction: Kyrgios in 3



Paire vs Shapovalov (H2H: 0-1)

Prediction: Shapovalov in 4



Non-Show Courts to Watch

(11:30am Start)



Dzumhur vs Gulbis (1st Meeting)

Prediction: Dzumhur in 4

Full Order of Play EXTRAS...🔍 NFL player Leonard Fournette, at Wimbledon, attending his first tennis tournament:



- "I've never played tennis, but if I practice at it I could probably be top 5. You never know".

Source



(Matt): No. It is known.

Jack Sock at the net after losing to Berrettini last night:



- “Your coach is a piece of shit, by the way.”

Video



(Matt): Context = In the 4th set, Sock was frustrated with some particularly vocal support coming from Berrettini's coach, Vincenzo Santopadre.

After losing yesterday, Jack Sock is now No.148 in the live ATP race. Tomic, Gulbis and Polanksy (to name a few) have more ranking points in the 2018 race than Sock.

After his win today Federer has tied Jimmy Connors for the most tour-level grass-court match wins (174) in the Open Era.



Federer has also now won 27 consecutive sets at Wimbledon. Streak started in the 1st round last year.

Jay Clarke (19 year old Brit who took Gulbis to 5 sets in the 1st Rd), hoping his journey from underprivileged kid to tennis professional inspires others:



- “It’s a tough sport to get into … If there’s more opportunity, maybe there would be more players."

Source

After his epic 5 set win today, Mackenzie McDonald has reached his first Grand Slam third round and will also break into the top 100 post-Wimbledon.

Following his loss today Lucas Pouille (in Slams):



Vs Top 100: wins 72% of his matches.

Vs non-top 100 opponents: wins 50% of his matches.



Not ideal.

Milos Raonic hit a 147mph ace today. That makes it the 17th fastest serve ever ( All time list ), and only 1mph slower than the Wimbledon record.

Source The Jack Sock, Sloane Stephens mixed doubles team has some, uh...history. LOL 😂 The most casual of tweeners from Monfils.

(Eurosport) Source AIR BALL

(BBC) Stefanos Slipsipas: Episode 478.

(BBC) Tsitsipas with a solid Neymar impression.

(BBC) Diego Schwartzman (who is Argentinian) lost a bet and had to wear a Croatia kit for the day.

Source

Gael with the no-look drop shot...

(BBC) Share Tweet Forward GAME, SET & MATCH 👋 The Racquet is created, and written, by Matt. You can find me on twitter by tapping/clicking this. You early subscribers (Beta testers) get access to 'The Racquet' Discord. Tap/click the Discord button below to join (we even have Jerzy Janowicz emojis). If you know anyone who would like 'The Racquet' here is the link to send them so they can sign up: https://theracquet.co See you tomorrow for Day 4 at Wimbledon!