Wimbledon 2024: Sinner overcomes Berrettini; Raducanu routs Mertens – as it happened

That, then, is us. Thanks all for your company and we’ll be with you again tomorrow at 11am BST. Peace out!

Sinner, who plays Miomir Kecmanovic next, says it was tough playing his good mate but it was a high level match and they both hit a good level. He thinks he got a bit lucky in the breakers and thanks the crowd for staying given it’s quite late.

Otherwise, he knew he had to raise his level to beat someone who’s made a Wimbledon final, he had ups and downs which is normal over four or five sets, and that’s about it.

A brilliant return, right at the toes, ends a brilliant match – it’s too good for Berrettini to get back. But he’s played superbly tonight, the best I’ve seen him in a long time, and he’s got improving yet to do; it’s a beautiful thing. But Sinner always looked like he’d have just a bit more, and he did.

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Oh, Matteo. Oh, mate. Offered a slow second serve, he snatches at it, lashing it long, then Sinner opens shoulders to flow a vicious backhand winner down the line! Six-three, three match-points … but with the first two on Berrettini’s serve.

Berrettini seems to have a lot of fans in the seats – the place went up when he won that last game – and he helps himself to an immediate mini-break when Sinner sends a forehand long. This match is just so much fun, both players hitting it like it just cussed down their mum, and at the end of a long, sapping rally, Berrettini goes long for 1-1 to return his advantage … then Air Jordans another ace. Sinner then holds twice for 3-2, a delicate volley with just enough air settling a nervy rally. But have a look! Berrettini works an opportunity to unleash that inside-out forehand he loves so much … and overcooks it! At 4-2, Sinner is three service-points from the match!

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Now then. Sinner loops a return on to the baseline and Berrettini’s riposte sails long; 0-15. And when a hooked forehand goes long – again, following another profound return – he’s two points from victory. For once, when put under pressure, Berrettini can’t find an ace, but he goes wide with the second serve and Sinner’s response is long. A booming delivery – there it is! – makes 30-all, then an ace is confiscated on challenge, and Big Berre, forced to pause, loses rhythm and focus, sending his second serve long. But down match point he of course delivers a monster, then spirits an ace out wide, number 26 of the match, then another banger facilitates an inside-out forehand clobbered to the corner. We’ve got ourselves our third breaker of the night! Sinner 7-6 7-6 2-6 6-6 Berrettini

A deft backhand, on the run and floated cross, catches the net-cord and Sinner has no time to respond; he’s down 0-15. Berrettini then misses with the inside-out forehand – I love how aggressive he’s been since going down two sets – and Sinner then misses his clean-up after a good serve out wide. A biggish one down the middle, though, is enough for 30-all, then he executes the play he botched earlier, a forehand into the corner just about good enough. From there, he secures the hold, and Berrettini must once again serve to stay in the match, this time at 5-6.

Sinner was a rotten draw for Berrettini. But he’ll be delighted to be competing at this level and it’s great to see – I can only imagine the frustration of an elite-level sportsman in his prime but unable to compete. And what a point he wins at the start of the game, both players charging about and whacking it before a stretch-volley covers a very useful drop-retrieval. Another good point follows, Sinner netting a not-dissimilar shot to the one Berrettini just made, and another love hold is soon secured by way of ace. It’s 5-5 in the fourth.

Big serves have, for now at least, taken over – perhaps it’s a consequence of weariness, physical and mental. Sinner holds to love again, and Berrettini will now serve to stay in the match at 6-7 6-7 6-2 4-5.

Now Berrettini holds to love for 4-4, and perhaps I need to give these two nicknames to avoid an inelegant variation accident.

Consecutive aces help Sinner to 40-0, then a supersonic forehand strokes cross-court secures a swift hold. He’s playing the better now, but Berrettini is still at a good level and this set’ll be decided by a point here and there, making him a live dog. I think we can play till 11, so if it’s done in four we’ll get at finish tonight – and if it needs five, we actually still might.

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Sinner makes 0-15 but then swipes a hopeful backhand wide, ending a run of six points on the spin. An ace follows, then a big serve and deft volley that the Aussie Open champ doesn’t bother pursuing – apologies but it’s not easy avoiding the repetition of names when they’re compatriots – and the hold is soon secured to 30. It’s 3-3 in the fourth, Sinner by two sets to one.

Oh don’t be silly! Berrettini curves a backhand down the line and around the post, Sinner plays a decent pick-up to the other corner … and Berrettini only nashes after it to razzle a forehand down the line and around the corner … just long! From there, Sinner holds to love, and he looks back in control of himself now, responding to the challenge by raising his level like the champion that he is.

The clock hits three hours and we’re not even nearly finished. We love it! Sinner makes 15-30, then really gets in to the Berrettini backhand, dominating the next rally before a forehand error hands him two break points. Ahahahaha, can you guess what happens next? Yup, another murderous ace, but this time he can’t find a second and when a slice loops long Sinner has the break-back and now leads 7-6 7-6 2-6 2-2. Might that be the crucial, momentum-switching moment?!

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At 15-all, Berrettini curls a gorgeous forehand down the line and around Sinner! He is feeling himself! Consecutive forehands to the backhand corner, the second landing on the angle, give Sinner 30-all, but when he nets he’s facing another break point, and this is an absolute jazzer of a match now. A brutal rally doth ensue, Sinner hammering away and Berrettini recovering superbly, but eventually the weight of shot tells and we’re at deuce. The world number one, though, is making errors you’d not expect him to, burning two advantages then netting a backhand after a decent slice from Berrettini. And when Sinner nets following a short return but one that comes low at his tootsies, he’s again broken early in a set! He leads 7-6 7-6 2-6 1-2!

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A lovely point from Berrettini makes 15-0 and an ace follows, but a long forehand ushers Sinner into the game and a netted backhand makes it tense. Good, we like tension. But we also like colossal aces down the T and shonuff Big Berre has one for us, then secures the holds with a service winner. Sinner 7-6 7-6 2-6 1-1 Berrettini

Sinner perhaps relaxed a little in that set – he stopped attacking the Berrettini backhand and made too many unforced errors. But he opens the fourth with an ace and holds to love, which makes sense: he’s the better player and you’d expect to see him raise it when threatened. Berrettini, though, is now hitting it well enough to go with him.

Lovely from Berrettini, punishing Sinner when he can’t finish a rally he’s all over by hoisting a terrific lob, his putaway following the tweener response a simple one. Another volley then makes 30-15, but a framed forehand ups the pressure just a little. So Berrettini digs deep into his extensive toolkit … and pulls out an ace down the T, then another, and do we got ourselves a ball-game? We got ourselves a ball-game! Sinner leads 7-6 7-6 2-6, but it’s the other lad with momentum.

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A hold apiece back on Centre, so Berrettini will now serve to halve the deficit at 5-2. So far, he’s played a near-perfect set.

Monfils holds and leads Wawrinka 7-6 6-4 5-5 overnight – Hawkeye could no longer see the ball, which confirmed it was too dark. But what a joy to watch these two lads show us themselves.

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Only one more game on 3, Monfils serving at 2-0 4-5.

Down 0-2, Berrettini is going for it, a big forehand and gentle putaway making 0-15 after he holds in short order. And when Sinner nets to cede 0-30, the set might just be slipping away from him – all the more so at 15-40. And though it’s soon 30-40, a big forehand facilitates a patted putaway once more and Berrettini has his double-break at 4-1, his decision to go for it reaping rich rewards. Meantime, Wawrinka skips to his seat having saved three break points to hold, and he leads 5-4 in the third though trails 2-0.

I’m not sure we’ll be playing for much longer on No 2 but Monfils, up 2-0, trails 3-4 in set three on serve.

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Now playing his best tennis of the match, Berrettini crushes another inside-out forehand for 0-15. From there, though, Sinner races to his hold, on the board in set three at 1-2 with a 2-0 lead. .

Berrettini nets twice and we wind up at 30-all, then sinner marches in to put away a forehand, the court open … and wastes it wide. That’s a major oversight, but the backhand down the line he delivers thereafter is beautiful and brings us to deuce. Then, another good point raises advantage … so Berrettini unloads yet another ace before closing out with a massive inside-out forehand. He trails 0-2 but leads 2-0.

As I said, it was obvious Berrettini would break at the start third set and that’s exactly what happens, Sinner perhaps relaxing himself and playing a poor game. He leads by two sets to love but trails 0-1.

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Another big serve for 6-4, then a forehand to the backhand corner and Sinner leads 7-6(3) 7-6(4). He just has that but too much – well for almost everyone, but in this case for Berrettini, and I’d be staggered were he not to see this out. Berrettini will regret ceding his break without asking that much from Sinner, but ultimately there’s not loads he can do here.

Meantime, Monfils also clinches a two-set lead, serving out to go up 7-6 6-4 on Wawrinka.

Immediately, though, Sinner strays long to keep it interesting … then, when Berrettini comes in, he blazes a forehand pass cross-court. That’ll teach him, and it’s 5-2.

Great start from Sinner, the immediate mini-break secured with a backhand winner down the line, and when, at 3-1, Berrettini nets – he’s put under pressure by the excellence of Sinner’s return-game – he’s not far off a two-set deficit.

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Sinner misses a volley for 0-15 … so he too responds with an ace before sticking an overhead on to the baseline, just. Another service-winner follows, then another, and another breaker it is. Usually I’d pick the player with the bigger serve, but Sinner’s is almost as good as Berrettini’s and he’s better in pretty much every other aspect, so I’m going with him again. Elsewhere, Monfils leads Wawrinka 7-6 4-3 with a break.

Sinner holds for 5-5 and though this is a close match, he looks the better player – it’s hard to see him losing over a best of five. And when Berrettini slaps a forehand long to go down 0-30 … he unleashes another ace, of course he does. and from there, he rushes through his hold, clinching it with a deft backhand volley – I know! – to guarantee himself a second-set breaker at 6-5.

While all that was going on, Monfils broke and now leads 7-6 3-2 – but there are signs Wawrinkz is improving.

Sinner makes 4-4 then, as we expected, puts Berrettini under pressure by raising break point. So an ace follows, then another, but up advantage a forehand into the net brings us back to deuce before a backhand error – he’s being targeted on that flank, of course – hands Sinner another opportunity. A forehand cross, though, zips just wide, then another into the net at the end of a 15-stroke rally, the longest of the match so far, means it’s Berrettini with the chance to forge in front. And from there, he closes out – only just, framing his overhead, but it lands in and he trails by a set to love but leads 5-4 in the second.

I was at dance class when this happened, but have a look! Tommy channelling Boom Boom!

Paolini is so much fun and is so happy to be through. The change of court made her a little nervous but she played well today and explains that there’s no secret to her sudden improvement, just hard work and self-belief. She feels so grateful and so happy and knows it’ll be tough against Andreescu, but it’s the third round, it’s meant to be tough, so.

A forehand into the net at 5-5 hands Monfils set point, he converts, and leads mainly because his de-fence is beating Wawrinka’s off-fence.

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Yeah, Sinner breaks Berrettini back immediately and I’d not be surprised to see him under significant pressure when he serves next. For now, though, the world number 1 leads 7-6 3-4.

A gorgeous backhand winner, inside-out, secures the match, and she’s having so much fun out there. She was brilliant in the second set – she had to be because Minnen played well too – and meets Andreescu next, whom she saw off 6-1 3-6 6-0 in Paris.

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Paolini breaks for 7-6 5-2, and will now serve for the match while on 2, Wawrinka leads Monfils 4-3 on serve in their breaker. What a treat a ruckus like this is at the end of a long day, nostalgic palate-cleanser.

Sinner nets a drop and Berrettini, having looked likely to be broken, now has the break! He leads 4-2 in the second having lost the first 6-7!

Now it’s Sinner forced through deuce to hold – he’s not there yet - while Wawrinka and Monfils are playing a first-set breaker. Meantime on No 1, Minnen yanks one break back to trail Paolini 6-7 2-4.

Paolini breaks again and Minnen is not long for this tournament. She leads 7-6 3-0, while Berrettini pings down an ace for 15-0 at 6-7 2-2. From there, he closes out to 15 – he needed a comfy hold – but can he find a break?

Paolini breaks Minnen to lead 7-6 1-0, while Berrettini is again forced to deuce for his hold; a booming serve to the body gives him 2-1 in set two, Sinner having taken the first on a breaker.

Next on No 3 Court: Grigor Dimitrov (10) v Jerry Shang. That could be a lot of fun.

Paul really enjoyed the match, had to dig deep, and really appreciates the crowd who made it special. He also really appreciates his opponent, who hit a good level from the start, but he played well himself, especially after deciding it was all a bit too serious and deciding to have some fun.

It takes him three overheads to put the match away, but he gets there in the end and faces Alexander Bublik (23) next. Well played Otto, though, who was superb, and if he keeps it up we’ll be seeing plenty more of him.

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Berrettini has to fight through deuces for his hold in the first game of set two, but he gets there in the end and he really needed to. Meanwhile on No 2 Court, there’s a proper battle of the absolute boyz, Wawrinka and Monfils level at 3-3 in the first, and on No 3, Tommy Paul has match point.

And have a look! A glorious inside-out forehand into the corner secures a 7-6(5) set for the Roland Garros runner-up, and she loves it. At 28, is she simply on a streak, or has she worked out some late-career improvement?

Hi again and thanks Will. Paolini leads Minnen 6-5 in their first-set breaker, and will now serve to seal it.

And, with that, I’ll hand back to Daniel Harris. Happy rallying, you lot.

Berrettini takes Sinner to a tie-break. Sinner pulls ahead to make it 5-2, but Berrettini pulls one back. Sinner thrashes a huge ace to make it 6-3 and earn another set point. He wins a short, sharp rally to take the first set.

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It was relatively straightforward for Sakkari, who powered through the second set to dismiss her Dutch opponent. The world No 9 will now face Raducanu in the third round.

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Bautista Agut only needed four sets to overcome Sonego in the end. The 2019 Wimbledon semi-finalist will face another Italian, Fabio Fognini, in the third round.

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Berrettini holds his serve, as does Sinner. The former will have to hold once again to keep the first set alive.

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Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is in trouble against Zhu Lin, who won the first set 6-4 and is up a break in the second.