Wimbledon 2021: Barty, Federer, Norrie and Gauff all in action – live!

Just when it looks like Petkovic is bang in the match, Krejcikova breaks her and will now serve for the match at 5-4 in set two.

Cristian Garin the men’s number 17 seed, leads Marc Polmans 7-6(3) 1-0.

He gets to 40-15 with a Samprasesque slam-dunk smash, closes it out easily, and has won 100% of his first-serve points.

Back with Badosa, she now leads Putintseva by a set and a break, 6-4 3-1, and when she goes 40-0 in her next service game, Putintseva boots the ground in frustration.

Petkovic has broken Krejcikova back, and when Krejcikova than claws her way back from 40-15 to deuce in the next game, she closes out well to make it three in a row. Petkovic 5-7 4-3 Krejcikova

Sandgren is not long for this match – Zverev has broken him a second time and now leads 4-1 in set two, the chances of him being broken even once minimal.

Badosa has served six double faults so far, way too many for not even a set and a half. She leads 6-4 2-1 so she’s getting away with it, but the better players won’t allow that.

Zverev’s serve is an absolute joke, and I can’t wait to see what the better players make of its current state on grass. Him v Berrettini in the last eight is an extremely alluring prospect.

On 12, Pavlyuchenkova, the number 16 seed and Roland Garros runner-up, leads Kristina Pliskova 6-3 3-2 (on serve).

Ach, Sandgren saves two break points then gifts Zverev the advantage with a double fault. Sandgren 5-7 1-2 Zverev

Every day, we’ve been sharing life-enhancers – as ever, please do send in yours. In the meantime, here’s my favourite album of all-time – please could someone commission me to write 5000 words explaining why.

And here’s a film I loved: Les Miserables (no, not the Victor Hugo adaptation). You’ll find it on Netflix.

The big difference was the serve, but she also hit nine winners to Putintseva’s four.

It’s disappearing quickly for Petkovic; Krejcikova has broken her at the first time of asking in set two. When it’s going for you it’s going for you.

On 14, Bedene leads Nishioka 6-1 and 5-0; the winner here meets Berrettini next, if he gets by Van de Zandschulp.

On 17, Badosa – who’s broken and been broken back a second time – has the trainer on. We’ve got no commentary and it’s not clear what the problem is, but she’s back quickly enough, to receive leading 5-4.

She now leads 1-0, on serve, in set two.

She survived two break points in the clinching game, but she’s feeling herself at the moment so was able to face down her nerves.

He’s looking very strong out there.

Meanwhile, Krejcikova is serving for the set at 6-5 having broken Petkovic a second time.

Zverev is serving really well – if he was playing Wimbledon in 90s I daresay he’d have done better here than than one fourth round appearance. But he’s improved a lot over the last year, and at 5-5 earns himself 0-30 then Sandgren goes long at 15-30, giving Zverev two break points. He only needs one, a nails forehand to the backhand corner too good, and he’ll now serve for the set at 6-5.

I’m kind of fascinated by Krejcikova, and by what happened to convert her potential into kinetic. I’m also fascinated to see if she can build on what happened in Paris, or it if was just a crazy thing that happened.

“The blog says Krejcikova has ‘never qualified for Wimbledon before’,” tweets Gemma Bristow. “It should have the rider, ‘in singles’. She’s a former Wimbledon doubles champion.”

Yup, obviously I was talking about singles, but fair enough. She won the women’s doubles with Katerina Siniakova in 2018 and now trails Petkovic 4-5.

On No2 Court – not Court 2 – Sandgren and Zverev are 4-4, while Petkovic and Putintseva have broken back Krejcikova and Badosa respectively. Righteous indignation is a powerful thing.

Krejcikova has broken Petkovic, but there’s minor ruckus because during the clinching point, Petkovic says a ball was called out before she hit it, which affected her netted backhand, making unfair for the umpire to then overrule. Anyhow, the decision stands and Krejcikova is serving at 4-3.

Sandgren is an interesting style matchup for Zverev – he’ll look to prolong points and move Zverev about, while Zverev looks to blow him off it. He got to round four in 2019, so knows his way around a grass court.

I’m also interested to see how Krejcikova gets on. She’ll he breathing confidence after winning the French, and though she’s never qualified for Wimbledon before, she’s very different now to the player she’s been previously. Like Badosa, this year will probably be too early for her, but women’s tennis is currently the most unpredictable sport in the world – just ask the French Open champ. Currently, she trails Petkovic 2-3 on serve.

On Court 17, Paula Badosa has broken Yulia Puntintseva at the first time of asking. I mentioned yesterday that I really like the look of her – she’s a really interesting combination of power, touch and bronca – and Puntintseva, a wily veteran who was once ranked 27 in the world and is now at 35, will be a good test for her.

Zverev makes the big-boy move of opting to receive, but Sandgren holds easily enough.

On the main BBC coverage, they’re showing Sandgren v Zverev [4]. I’ll watch that one, Putintseva v Badosa [30] and Petkovic v Krejcikova [14].

It’s come on a bit since the days of Bates, Castle and Croft.

Centre Court (from 1.30pm BST)

Ash Barty [1] v Anna Blinkova

Elena Vesnina v Coco Gauff [20]

Roger Federer [6] v Richard Gasquet

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No1 Court (from 1pm BST)

Alex Bolt v Cameron Norrie [29]

Carlos Alcaraz v Daniil Medvedev [2]

Victoria Azarenka [12] v Sorana Cirstea

One of sport’s most affirming joys is the emergence of new talent, young people discovering and realising themselves in front of the world. We saw it in 2001 when Roger Federer beat Pete Sampras and we saw it in 2019 when Coco Gauff beat Venus Williams.

Both of those are playing today, Federer hanging on the final remnants of his genius and Gauff still exploring who she can be. But we have potential elsewhere too: the 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, a bona fide, blue-chip talent, takes on Daniil Medvedev, the number two seed, while Felix Auger-Aliassime – though he has staganed of the last couple of years, – is more of the same, and in recent times there’ve been signs that the penny is dropping.

To all that, add Ash Barty, Cam Norrie, Alex Zverev, Mario Berrettini, Angelique Kerber, Jelena Ostapenko, Nick Kyrgios and more, and we’ve got ourselves another ridiculous day of entertainment for our delectation. Welcome to Wimbledon day four!

Play: 11am BST on outside courts, 1pm BST on No1 Court, 1.30pm BST on Centre Court