Wimbledon 2019: Serena Williams and Barty through, Murray in action and more – live!

And with that I’m going to find some lunch and leave you in the capable hands of Alex Hess. Johanna Konta and Sloane Stephens have arrived on Court 1 and Rafael Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are out on Centre Court.

A stunning, vintage backhand return from Andy Murray helps him and Pierre-Hugues Herbert take control of a first-set tie-break against Franko Skurgor and Nikola Metic. Before long they have three set points. They can’t take the first, but they take the second, a firm Murray forehand doing the job.

Much like when they met in the semi-finals last year, Williams has far too much firepower for her German opponent. The American sails through to the fourth round and a match against Carla Suarez Navarro, the 30th seed. I think that was her best performance of the week and it leaves her free to rest up for her mixed doubles match with Andy Murray later today.

Ashleigh Barty’s 53-minute win over was Harriet Dart was the second quickest women’s match this week. Elise Mertens only needed 48 minutes to beat Fiona Farro 6-2, 6-0 in the first round (the second set lasted 19 minutes). Barty’s in a hurry, though. Her last two matches have both lasted under than an hour.

It’s all over in 53 minutes. Dart sends a final backhand long and wide to confirm a simple victory for Barty, who was in no mood to let the young Brit get into the match at any point. Dart’s Wimbledon adventure is over and Barty goes through to face Alison Riske on Monday.

All of a sudden Harriet Dart leaves 0-40 on Ashleigh Barty’s serve. Three break points seem to offer her a way back into this one-sided match. But that’s the cue for Barty to play some of her very best tennis, with a spinning backhand slice that faded away from an exasperated Dart for 15-40 a particular highlight. A few crunching forehands later, Barty leads 6-1, 5-1.

Elise Mertens, the 21st seed, has knocked out China’s Wang Qiang, the 15th seed. The Belgian triumphed 6-2, 6-7 (9), 6-4. On Court 1, meanwhile, aggressive tactics are working for Serena Williams, who breaks the struggling Julia Goerges for a 6-3, 3-2 lead. She’s surely getting this done in straight sets, leaving her nice and rested for her mixed doubles match with Andy Murray later.

It’s relentless from Ashleigh Barty, who breaks yet again to lead Harriet Dart 6-1, 3-0. Meanwhile Andy Murray’s serve is coming under pressure in his doubles match on Court 2. However he digs in to hold for 4-3 in the first set.

The suffering goes on for Harriet Dart, who’s down a break in the second set already. There’s no stopping the brilliant Ashleigh Barty today.

At least it wasn’t a bagel. But it’s still an ugly scoreline from Harriet Dart’s perspective. She saves a set point with a lovely forehand pass down the line, but Ashleigh Barty responds with her fifth ace so far and takes the opener 6-1.

It’s looking grim for Harriet Dart, broken twice already by Ashleigh Barty, who leads 5-0 on Centre Court. Barty is all over the British pretender at the moment. It’s a mauling. Oh dear.

Serena Williams earns a set point with a swinging ace out wide. Then she nets a forehand. Deuce. She earns another one with a clever, lofted forehand. She wastes it with another poor forehand. A third chance arrives. She takes this one with an excellent forehand. Got there in the end. The first set’s over. 6-3.

It’s not taken Ashleigh Barty to break through. With Harriet Dart understandably feeling the nerves on her Centre Court debut, the world No 1 breaks to lead 2-1.

Serena Williams lands the first blow, a few thumping returns earning her a break for 4-2 on Court 1. Julia Goerges nets a forehand and drops her serve to 15. Williams is looking very strong indeed.

Well that’s a surprise. Belinda Bencic looked to be on her way to victory against Alison Riske, but the Swiss has found managed to throw it away. She was a break up in the third set, but the 13th seed has gone down 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to the unseeded American, who goes through to face the winner of Barty-Darty.

A comfortable early hold for Ashleigh Barty, sealed with an ace out wide. The Australian leads 1-0 against Harriet Dart. “Come on Harriet!” someone cries.

Where to look, where to look? While Harriet Dart’s about to get going against Ashleigh Barty on Centre Court, Andy Murray’s arrived on Court 2 for his first doubles match of the day. He partners Pierre-Hugues Herbert against Croatian pair Franko Skugor and Nikola Metic.

I spotted Fabio Fognini wandering around the grounds yesterday. The Italian is very handsome, he’ll be pleased to hear. However is tennis isn’t looking too hot today. The 12th seed has lost the first set of his third-round match to Tennys Sandgren, who took it 6-3.

On Court 1 Julia Goerges saves a break point with an ace and manages to keep Serena Williams at bay in her opening service game, holding for 1-1. Meanwhile Ashleigh Barty and Harriet Dart

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have arrived on Centre Court. It’s a tall order for Dart against the French Open champion but she’s come a long way since her drubbing by Maria Sharapova in the first round of the Australian Open in January. Can she pull off an unlikely shock? I say no, not a chance. But it’s sport. Anything can happen.

Kei Nishikori and Sam Querrey are both safely through to the fourth round. Nishikori made it five from five against Steve Johnson, while Querrey recovered from an early wobble to see off John Millman in three sets. It’s worth keeping an eye on Querrey. He could play Rafael Nadal in the last eight and his big serve would be a threat.

They’re heading out on Centre Court and Court 1. Serena Williams and Julia Goerges are there too. On Centre Court the first match is Harriet Dart, the 22-year-old Londoner, against Ashleigh Barty, the world No 1. First, though, they’re celebrating all the athletes in the Royal Box there. Eric Dier’s the main draw, no doubt. Gareth Southgate’s there too. Plenty of cricketers. Mo Farah. Carl Froch. Seb Coe. Rod Laver. Laura Davies. Chris Hoy. Billie Jean King. Anne Keothavong. So many legends.

Belinda Bencic has been taken into a third set on Court 12. However the 13th seed leads 6-4, 4-6, 3-0.

Kei Nishikori is speeding along to victory. He leads 6-4, 6-3 against Steve Johnson. There’s better news for Americans on Court 17. Sam Querrey’s using his big serve to good effect against John Millman. He leads 7-6, (3), 7-6 (8).

Lauren Davis stunned Angelique Kerber in the previous round, but she’s run out of gas against Carla Suarez Navarro. The 30th seed has won in straight sets and plays Serena Williams or Julia Goerges next.

On match point Linette comes up with an absolute fluke, a mishit forehand return that hangs in the air somehow drops on the line with Kvitova stranded. Linette has the good grace to look embarrassed. But her reprieve is momentary. Kvitova has another match point and she takes this one when Linette sends a forehand return long.

Kei Nishikori is motoring along on Court 3. He’s up a set and a break now.

Kei Nishikori might have a weak serve, but the boy can return. The eighth seed was down an early break to Steve Johnson, but he’s just won the first set set 6-4 and looks good to maintain his 100% record against the honest but limited American.

Sam Querrey, who thumped world No 4 Dominic Thiem in the first round, has recovered from a clunky start to win a first-set tie-break against John Millman on Court 17. It was more straightforward for Elise Mertens, the 21st seed, on Court 18. The Belgian won the first set 6-2 against China’s Wang Qiang, the 15th seed. And Belinda Bencic is proving a touch too skilled for Alison Riske, who’s a set down against the promising Swiss,

But Petra Kvitova doesn’t have to wait long. She allows herself a little celebratory hop on the baseline as she watches Magda Linette send a return long; that’s the first set in the bag. 6-3 Kvitova, who’s looking fit and focused on Court 2.

Solid serving helps Magda Linette save four set points and keep Petra Kvitova waiting. Linette holds and Kvitova will serve for the first set at 5-3. Over on Court 16, meanwhile, Carla Suarez Navarro is proving too good for Lauren Davis at the moment. The 30th seed has just won the first set 6-3 against the American lucky loser.

Breaks come, breaks go, and Kei Nishikori has got it back on serve against Steve Johnson on Court 3. Johnson leads 3-2.

Over on Court 12 Belinda Bencic, the 13th seed, is enjoying herself against the USA’s Alison Riske. The Swiss leads 3-1. Meanwhile Petra Kvitova has just broken for a 3-1 lead against Magda Linette, while Carla Suarez Navarro, the 30th seed, has also started well against Lauren Davis, conqueror of defending champion Angelique Kerber. But breaks come and breaks go. Nothing can be taken for granted. Sam Querrey is back on level terms with John Millman on Court 17.

A fine start for Steve Johnson on Court 3. That worrying head-to-head record isn’t holding him back. The American has broke early to lead 2-0 against Kei Nishikroi. Things aren’t going so well for another American, though. Sam Querrey, a semi-finalist in 2017, trails by a break in the first set against Australian scrapper John Millman on Court 17.

The players have arrived on the outside courts. We’ll have play soon. First up on Court 2, Petra Kvitova takes on Magda Linette. Kvita, the No 6 seed, has only played Linette once before and beat her in Montreal in 2016. Meanwhile Kei Nishikori is looking to extend his dominance over Steve Johnson on Court 3. Nishikori has won all four of his previous meetings with the unseeded American, who had a good five-set victory over Alex de Minaur in the second round.

Eric Dier is in the Royal Box today. I suppose he does bear a passing resemblance to Prince Harry.

Coco-mania has taken Wimbledon by storm. When I left the grounds last night the hill was packed and everyone was transfixed as they watched Gauff’s win over Polona Hercog. I’ve rarely seen it so busy for a third-round match.

Hello. The sun’s beating down on SW19, everyone’s suffering from a Cori Gauff hangover (what a kid!) and we’ve got another packed schedule ahead of us. For a start we have the grandees of the sport, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, all in singles action. While Williams has a rerun of last year’s semi-final when she faces Julia Goerges in the first match on Court 1, Nadal will hope not to suffer any after-effects from his weird evening with Nick Kyrgios when he faces the experienced Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and when that’s done Federer gets to have a go at another Frenchman, Lucas Pouille, the 27th seed.

But that’s not all! Because what a day it is to be British! Harriet Dart, snubbed in the mixed doubles by the treacherous Jay Clarke, is through to the third round for the first time and plays Ashleigh Barty, the world No 1, in the first match on Centre. Then there’s Johanna Konta, moving along without much fanfare, in an intriguing tussle with the USA’s Sloane Stephens, the ninth seed and former US Open champion, in the second match on Court 1, where the singles action finishes with the resurgent Dan Evans taking on Portugal’s Joao Sousa, who’ll be riding high after his thumping second-round win over Marin Cilic.

And that’s still not all! Because Andy Murray is playing not one but two doubles matches after his adventure with Serena had to be postponed because of the Gauff show last night. First Sir Muzz plays alongside

Some Other Bloke
Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round of the men’s doubles – they face Franko Skugor and Nikola Metic – and then he gets down to business with Serena in a match that still needs a court and won’t start before 5.30pm. They play Andreas Mies and Alexa Guarachi.

Play begins at: 11am BST.