Andy takes a bow just for Kate, the new queen of SW19... and she even gets Wills to join in Mexican wave

-Royal couple were there to watch Andy Murray beat Richard Gasquet
-The Duchess was wearing Temperley's £395 Moriah dress which is on sale
-Both Williams sisters in shock fourth round exit from tournament
-Crowds surge as temperatures soar to 33 degrees

By Lauren Paxman and Paul Harris


Never mind the Royal Wave... Kate, Duchess of Cambridge looks expectantly over at her husband as she raises her arms for the Mexican Wave on Centre Court


You couldn't really blame him for taking a curtain call.

The Duchess of Cambridge might have been queen of Centre Court but yesterday – for the moment at least – Andy Murray was king.

Having roared to victory in straight sets against Frenchman Richard Gasquet, he performed an extravagant bow towards Kate and William in the Royal Box.

Here's the Mexican One: The second in line to the throne gets in to the spirit of the occasion

Your Majesty: British number one Andy Murray bows to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge following his victory over Richard Gasquet in their fourth round match at Wimbledon


In turn, they gave him their seal of approval with a pat on the back after the match, won in 100f heat on court, and told him: 'Well done.'

Murray said: 'If I'd known they were coming, I would have shaved. I was thinking to myself as I came off I was sweaty and very hairy. I said to them, "I'm sorry, I'm a bit sweaty". But it was very nice to get to meet them.'

The bow, he said, was 'just, yeah, sort of off the cuff. Didn't think too much about it'. He added: 'I was obviously very happy after the match. I think it was the right thing to do.'

The win earns Murray a quarter-final clash tomorrow with the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.

Happy couple: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sat in the Royal Box on Centre Court at Wimbledon

Pretty layering: Kate followed Wimbledon's specification that players must wear white


William and Kate became the surprise stars of the Royal Box after weeks of speculation that they might attend before embarking on their tour of Canada tomorrow.

Centre Court was crammed to capacity, which equates to 15,000 bums on seats. But to widespread disappointment, none, alas, was Pippa Middleton's.

For although there were frantic rumours during the morning that Kate's little sister and former maid of honour would arrive with the royal party, Pippa-watch was stood down at 12.31pm when the celebrated rear failed to emerge from the police-escorted cavalcade.

Kate, a huge fan of the game, wore what looked to be a triple-decker tennis skirt – in fact a £795 Alice Temperley dress – teamed with LK Bennett nude court shoes.

Within half an hour of her appearance, the frock, reduced to £395 in the summer sale, had sold out on the designer's website.

Unusual detailing: The white disks on Kate's shoulders will remind Wimbledon fans of a less successful recent fashion statement... Bethanie Mattek-Sands' Lady Gaga-esque jacket which was covered in white tennis balls


The royal spectators clapped and cheered as Murray got to grips with the heat. Later, during Rafael Nadal's match, they would even join in a Mexican wave.

Murray's triumph was followed by despair from the Williams sisters who made a shock exit from the tournament in the fourth round.

Venus Williams' attempt to win a sixth Wimbledon title ended in the fourth round with a 6-2, 6-3 loss to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.

The 23-year-old Pironkova beat Williams at Wimbledon last year by the same score to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal. She also won their first-round match at the Australian Open in 2006.

Williams' defeat came shortly after younger sister Serena also went out in the fourth round, losing to Marion Bartoli.

It is the first time since 2006 that neither sister has reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Expert in action: Andy Murray drew in a very A-list crowd for his match on Centre Court today

Fan club: Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears and his mum, Judy, were watching his progress

Support from afar: Andy Murray's tennis racket bag is covered with tweets from his fans


Kate and William appeared happy and relaxed as they watched the day's tennis. The Duchess has been a Wimbledon fan for years - as have all the Middletons.

Pippa has attended the French Open and the Aegon Championships since her big sister's wedding earlier this year and Kate has visited the championships twice before.

In 2007 she attended with a friend to watch Rafael Nadal play Swede Robin Soderling on Court one and in 2008 she visited again.

A polite thank you letter Kate wrote to Wimbledon bosses after her most recent visit is currently on display at the All England Club.

Keen spectator: This is Kate's third time at Wimbledon and her passion for tennis was clear to see from her facial expressions

Fun day out:William and Kate's visit to SW19 is a private affair and the newlyweds will not fulfil any royal duties


More than 2,000 people queued along the grassy banks outside the club in a bid to secure places for Murray's match.

As the fans waited outside, though, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took up their prime positions on Centre Court.

There they watched a very convincing display by Britain's number one who won the first set in a tie-break, soon claimed the second too and broke early in the third set.

As well as the young royals, Murray had his slightly more personal fan club in attendance.

His pretty girlfriend Kim Sears, and his mother, Judy Murray were sitting side-by-side at his fourth round match.

Murray's support also came from further afar, his tennis racket bag was covered with tweets from his legion of fans including 'stay positive we are all behind you' and 'believe in yourself and never give up.'

The perfect guest: Kate chatted and joked with Gill Brooke, the wife of the Chairman of the All England Tennis Club who was sitting by her side

Top tips: Kate leant back to give Jane Henman, Tim's mum, who was sitting behind her, a kiss on the cheek before exchanging a few words with her too


Kate and William's visit to SW19 is a private affair and the newlyweds will not fulfill any royal duties. But they both appeared very contented to chat to the others sitting around them.

Kate looked as composed as we have come to expect from the unflappable Duchess. She chatted and joked with Gill Brooke, the wife of the Chairman of the All England Tennis Club who was sitting by her side.

The relaxed tennis fan also leant back to give Jane Henman, the mother of our last big British hopeful, Tim Henman, who was sitting behind her, a kiss on the cheek before exchanging a few words with her too.

As the Royal Box guests arrived today, thousands of sun drenched fans applauded. But the heartiest welcome was reserved for the young couple who were given a standing ovation.

The retractable roof was also partially covered to shade the royals' end of the arena.

Other Wimbledon-goers were not quite as lucky, they used umbrellas to shade themselves from the sweltering sun as they sat on other courts or watched the action on Murray Mount.

Sizzling: Fans queueing to enter the grounds at Wimbledon struggle with the heat, with one man needing to lie down and another woman using an umbrella to shelter from the sun

Soaking up the rays: With a large bottle of water by her side, this woman lies on the tarmac and covers her forehead outside Wimbledon

Defeat: Serena Williams survived three match points. But ultimately crashed out against Bartoli in the tournament's first big upset


source:dailymail

Last man standing: Murray the great British hope powers into last 16 at Wimbledon roared on by girlfriend Kim and Centre Court crowd

-Fourth seed Murray powers into fourth round after Centre Court drama
-Thousands came in the early morning to show their support
-By 10am those in the queue were told they would not get in till 5pm
-Laura Robson and Elena Baltacha both suffered defeat


By Daily Mail Reporter


Marching on: Murray salutes the Centre Court crowd after his battling four set win over Croatian Ivan Ljubicic


As the last remaining Briton at Wimbledon and the fourth seed in the men's draw, he is used to having the weight of the nation's expectations on his shoulders.

But Andy Murray produced another gutsy performance tonight to power into the fourth round at SW19, roared on by a Centre Court crowd and his girlfriend Kim Sears.

The Scot was made to battle late into the evening to overcome Croatian Ivan Ljubicic and secure his place in the second week of the tournament.

Digging deep: Murray had to graft hard against the experienced Ljubicic, but eventually overcame the Croat after a fourth set tiebreak

Showboating: Despite the battling performance, Murray still had time to throw in an exhibition shot during his third round match


Rain had meant Murray was made to wait until 7pm to start his third round match.

But he eventually prevailed in a four-set battle over Ljubicic, with girlfriend Miss Sears and his mother Judy providing their usual vocal support from the stands.

Murray found himself in the familiar role of lone Briton in Wimbledon's second week following Laura Robson's brave defeat to Maria Sharapova earlier on Friday.

Despite further rain in the evening, Murray's match was able to go ahead once Centre Court's roof was moved into position.

By the time the 24-year-old had beaten Ljubicic 6-4 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4), the rest of the grounds were in pitch black as Centre Court glowed under the lights.

Nailbiting finish: Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears and his mother Judy were among those gripped by his latest Wimbledon victory

That's my boy: Mother Judy celebrates Andy Murray winning another crucial point

Late finish: Murray's match ran well past dark thanks to the retractable, lit roof on Centre Court


Murray will now face Richard Gasquet in the last 16 on Monday after his win over world number 33 Ljubicic.

The fifth day at the All England Club had drawn huge crowds all hoping to see British hopes Laura Robson, Murray and Elena Baltacha.

But so many descended on SW19 today hoping to watch the last three home players in action that fans were told to stop queueing.

By 10am those outside the ground were told they would not get in until 5pm. Shortly afterwards late-comers to the queue were told they had no chance.

The lucky spectators who were up early enough are ushered into Wimbledon this morning

Home support: British fans on Centre Court wait for the chance to watch Andy Murray

It was a squeeze for fans even to watch games on the outside courts - but at least they gained entrance


But unfortunately those hoping to see a British treble were left disappointed as Laura Robson and Elena Baltacha both suffered defeat.

Those losses meant Andy Murray was the only British player left in either singles draw.

It was a squeeze for fans even to watch games on the outside courts - but at least they gained entrance.

Tournament officials said it was the busiest they had seen it all week, while former British number one Tim Henman said it was 'brilliant' the public were so behind the trio.

Five hundred tickets were made available for each of the main courts - Centre, One and Two.

The £68 tickets were quickly snapped up by fans desperate to see world number four Andy Murray return to Centre Court against Croatian Ivan Ljubicic after being relegated from it on Wednesday.

There were 500 tickets available this morning to see Laura Robson, left, take on former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova. Unfortunately the 17-year-old was unable to give the fans a British victory

Robson found herself outgunned by the 2004 champion Maria Sharapova


Punters were also forking out £58 for Court One tickets to experience of bit of history - teenage sensation Laura Robson's first second round Grand Slam match.

But the The 17-year-old, who was first on the court agaisnt former world number one Maria Sharapova, was defeated in straight sets by the 2004 champion.

And those hoping for home victories were also left disappointed by British women's number one Baltacha losing to China's Shuai Peng in the first game on Court 18.

But furious fans voiced their anger at 'Queen of Screams' Sharapova, claiming her excessive grunting was putting Robson off.

Robson found herself outgunned by the 2004 champion Sharapova
The world number six shrieked throughout her straight-sets win over the 17-year-old - with spectators saying the grunting gave her an unfair advantage.

Wimbledon's Murray Mount became Robson Rise as thousands watched the battle on SW19's giant screen.

Unusual headgear was the order of the day for British tennis fans

Play should start under blue skies meaning the Centre Court roof is unlikely to come into play today

Andy Murray will be back on Centre Court today after playing his last match on Court 1, while Serena Williams has accused organiser of bias towards the men after she was relegated to Court 2


A reporter's gruntometer recorded the Russian at 116.9 decibels during the second round contest.

Yvonne Nicholas, from Gloucestershire, said: 'I find it very irritating and it must be quite off-putting.'

Dave Gittings, 56, from London, said: 'I think it is ridiculous. It is just not necessary.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon organisers have managed to anger a number of top players over apparent inconsistencies in their approach to scheduling.

While Robson on Maria Sharapova on Court One, Caroline Wozniacki - the women's number one seed - will play her third round match in the relative wilderness of Court 2.

It will add fuel to the argument that there is bias in favour of home players.

Unusual headgear was the order of the day for British tennis fans
Play should start under blue skies meaning the Centre Court roof is unlikely to come into play today

Andy Murray will be back on Centre Court today after playing his last match on Court 1, while Serena Williams has accused organiser of bias towards the men after she was relegated to Court 2

The decision comes the day after Serena Williams lashed out at tournament chiefs for relegating her and sister Venus to outside courts - claiming that it was the women's game that was the target of snub.

And it seems the organisers really can't win. While home fans were angered at the decision for Andy Murray's second round game to be played on Court One, others expressed anger that it was only the second time Murray has not been given a Centre Court spot since making his debut five years ago.

The All England Club like to give each top name a match away from Centre Court to avoid accusations of favouritism.

Their regulations state they aim for 'efficient and imaginative scheduling'.

Magic view: Rupert Grint enjoys the action today on Centre Court

Laura Robson tries her hand at planking in a photo she posted on her Twitter page

Meanwhile, Serena, the defending women's champion, was sent out to Court 2 for her second-round clash with Romania's Simona Halep, which she won 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. So was Williams' sister Venus, the five-time singles champion, for her opening match on Monday.

Asked if she viewed it as an insult that players such as Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic were not treated in the same way, Serena said: 'Yeah, they're never moved across.

'Venus and I have won more Wimbledons than a lot of players, even just in doubles. I don't make it a big issue - but I think at some point I should.'

Serena, who together with Venus has won 18 titles at the All England Club, added: 'But they are not going to change what they do.

'They seem to like to put us on Court 2 for whatever reason. Maybe one day we'll figure it out. I don't know.'

Serena also sarcastically pointed out that there were other disadvantages to being on Court 2 - the furthest from the players' area.

'I never have too much time to warm up,' complained the seventh seed, back playing after a year out.

'I look at the walk over there as a kind of warm-up. I say, "OK, this gets my legs moving".'

The All England Club insisted there was no agenda against the sisters, saying: 'Scheduling is a complex business and cannot be looked at in the light of just one or two matches.

'The referees team have to ensure a balanced and fair order of play from many interests, including the spectators. What a great chance it was for the 4,000 people on Court No 2 to see our ladies champion.'

Stacey Allaster, the chairman and chief executive of the WTA Tour, said in a statement: ‘Serena Williams is a four-time Wimbledon singles champion, the defending champion of Wimbledon, and a 13-time grand slam singles champion. I share her disappointment.’

And while organisers will be pleased that the rain stayed away for the day, the best weather of the fortnight is set to come on Sunday - when there is no play.

The middle of the Sunday, traditionally a rest day is only used if rain has severely disrupted the matches. And despite frequent downpours this week the schedule is unlikely to have been delayed enough to warrant the extra day being used.


British number one Elena Baltacha narrowly lost to Peng Shuai of China

THESE CHAIRS ARE ACE: THE FURNITURE MADE FROM USED TENNIS BALLS

It's a handy use for all those old balls.

Artist Hugh Hayden, 27, has designed a set of furniture made out of nothing but recycled tennis balls.

The self-described 'FUNature' includes handcrafted chairs, poufs and coffee tables.

Each item takes over 18 hours of painstaking labour to complete - depending on its size - and sells for around £1,500 each.

A hole is meticulously drilled into each of the 550 indoor tennis balls needed to make a single, normal sized chair - before they are strung together with a polyester cord and glued into place.

Hugh, from Dallas, Texas, said: 'There was a tennis club near to where I live now in Brooklyn who had a shed full of old tennis balls that were deemed too flat to play with.

'I went there thinking I could bring them back on the Subway - but I ended up getting taxi from there, filling it with balls and bringing them all back to my apartment. It has just escalated from there.'

Hugh, who produced his first tennis ball chair in 2009, has since sold over 50 of the chairs in his HEX Tennis Collection.

And they have not only proved a hit with tennis fans but big-hitting players too - with Andy Roddick buying one made from balls he used at the 2009 US Open for £1,900.

The 27-year-old designer added: 'Tennis balls are hard to work with because they are quite heavy and difficult to manipulate.

'But they are naturally resilient, which allows them to form to the unique contours of the user's body.

'And they have proved popular with tennis fans because they have a relevance to them.

'I have done special commissions for both Chris Evert and Andy Roddick.

'The Roddick chair was constructed out of balls he played with at the 2009 US Open. That was then auctioned off for his foundation, which aims to teach children a healthy lifestyle through tennis.'




source:dailymail

What the deuce is she wearing? Bethanie Mattek-Sands plays at Wimbledon in another Lady Gaga-inspired outfit

By EMILY ANDREWS and GABBY MORGAN

Ball girl: Bethanie Mattek-Sands wears an unusual bespoke outfit for her first match at Wimbledon today


A quick glance and you might have mistaken her for some sort of quirky pop star.

Not for nothing is Bethanie Mattek-Sands known as the Lady Gaga of tennis.

The American baffled fans as she stepped out on court yesterday in war paint and a white bomber jacket decorated with spray-painted white tennis balls chopped in half.

And when she removed her coat, the white dress she had on underneath appeared to have lost a sleeve.


All white? The white fringed jacket was created by Lady Gaga's own fashion designers


The outfit complemented an armful of colourful tattoos, socks pulled up to the knees and the face paint. The 26-year-old claimed that was actually a couple of anti-glare patches.

Miss Mattek-Sands had already turned heads with an equally bizarre tennis ball outfit at a pre-Wimbledon party last week, which was designed by one of Lady Gaga's own dressers.


Ball-girl: Mattek-Sands arrives for her match against Japan's Misaki Doi


British designer Alex Noble had again been commissioned for yesterday's outfit.

Unfortunately for Miss Mattek-Sands, it failed to inspire her to victory.

Despite going into the match as the firm favourite and 30th seed, she lost in three sets to Japan's Misaki Doi. And her decorum appeared to desert her as she refused to shake the umpire's hand at the end.

The tongue-in-cheek number is just another example of how players are working around the rules to make fashion more prominent on court.


Skin art: The tennis player shows off her tattoos in a one-shouldered top


On Monday, Venus Williams wore a Greek-inspired romper suit by her own brand Eleven. And high-end label Ralph Lauren have designed new uniforms for the ball-boys.

Mattek-Sands said last month: 'I don't think I can really challenge the colour rule right now. You know, I got to figure something out. Obviously the white, you got to work with a lot of the cuts.

'Obviously I'll be wearing my high socks. But yeah, it's always challenging to think of new things for Wimbledon.


When fashion meets function: Serena, left, and Venus Williams are trendy sisters at the tournament


source: dailymail

A comfortable victory: Tennis player who had breast reduction to ease back pain enjoys win in first round at Wimbledon

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Simona Halep, who had breast reduction surgery to help her game, comfortably won her first round match against Bojana Jovanovski


At the age of 17, Simona Halep decided that nothing would stand in the way of her ambition to make it to the top in tennis. And that included her generous curves.

She underwent extensive breast reduction surgery to take her from a 34DD to a more modest 34C and as a result rocketed up 450 places in the world rankings.

Two years on, she breezed through her first-round match yesterday and said she was looking forward to a ‘successful Wimbledon’.


Before and after: In 2008 at the French Open girls' singles, left, and today at Wimbledon, right


When she burst on to the scene as a junior champion at the French Open in 2008, Miss Halep’s bountiful chest attracted lots of attention and a growing male fan base.

But she found it was uncomfortable, caused her severe back pain and hampered her movement on court, leaving her ranked 500 in the world.

Following the operation, the Romanian teenager spent several months resting before resuming her career last summer.

She had revealed her decision to fans before going under the knife – and many (presumably male) petitioned her in an attempt to persuade her to reconsider.


Serena Williams was on Centre court as she began her bid for a fifth Wimbledon crown against Aravane Rezai


Serena Williams was overcome with emotion at the end of her match against France's Aravane Rezai, having endured one of the toughest years of her career since she last played in SW19


Diana Ross was there to watch Serena Williams on Centre Court, and found herself surrounded by members of the England cricket team


Celebrating their own victory: Fresh from beating Sri Lanka in the test series, England cricketers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss enjoy a drink with other team members


But she said her mind was made up.

‘My ability to react quickly was worse and my breasts made me uncomfortable.’
Her large chest guaranteed her attention - and won her a few male admirers - but for Romanian tennis hopeful Simona Halep it was a hindrance.

The extra weight on her chest was uncomfortable and caused severe back pain, which affected her performance on the court - so she decided to have breast-reduction surgery.

And the 19-year-old Romanian today continued to reap the rewards of her decision with a comfortable victory against her Serbian opponent, Bojana Jovanovski, 19, winning 6-1 6-2.

Halep was first noticed on her way to becoming junior champion at the French Open in 2008. In a bid to boost her game, she spent much of the following year recovering from the surgery, which took her cup size down from 34DD to a more modest 34C.


Vitalia Diatchenko displays her power on her way to defeat at the hands of 25th seed Daniela Hantuchova


Currently ranked 58 in the world, she is playing in her first Wimbledon.

At the time she explained her decision to fans, saying: 'It’s the weight that troubles me. My ability to react quickly, my breasts make me uncomfortable when I play.

'I don’t like them in my everyday life, either. I would have gone for surgery even if I hadn’t been a sportswoman.'

Another player who was attracting much attention today was Serena Williams as she began her attempt to claim a fifth Wimbledon title - and third in a row - despite barely lifting a racquet in anger in the past year.

And she overcame a second-set blip to beat Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 6-3 3-6 6-1.

Afterwards she burst into tears oivercome with emotion as she tried to put behind her one of the toughest years of her career

Williams fought through a mid-match slump, re-establishing her authority in the third set with her big serve and powerful groundstrokes.


Tennis fans wait in a queue hoping for better weather45 than disrupted yesterday's play



The sun broke through early in the day, giving the fans something to smile about


She showed why she is still considered a title favourite despite her long layoff after two foot operations and blood clots on her lungs.

After serving her 13th ace to close out the match, Williams buried her face in her towel and sobbed as she sat on her courtside chair. She was still crying as she walked off the court.

Meanwhile, with Andy Murray safely through in the men's draw, all eyes were on the all-British match between Anne Keothavong and Naomi Broady, which British number 3 Keothavong comfortably won 6-2 6-4.

The day started with organisers having to try and clear a heavy backlog of play after rain wiped out hours of tennis on the opening day.

It may only be day two of the tournament but torrential downpours yesterday meant a series of games were suspended and others did not even begin.

But despite the weather, fans were warned about sunstroke today after 85 people were treated at Wimbledon yesterday despite some of the heaviest rain in years.


Anne Keothavong shakes hands with Naomi Broady of after winning their first round all-British affair


American star Andy Roddick was watched by his wife Brooklyn Decker during his first round match


Slovakia's Karol Beck and Argentina's Carlos Berlocq play out their game under blue skies, in stark contrast to the torrential rain of yesterday evening


The bad weather meant the roof was closed for Murray's match, which did not start until 6.30pm yesterday evening



Bags of support: Murray's kitbag with the messages from fans


Supporters entered an online competition to have their messages displayed on Murray's bag


Early on in the game it was hard watching for his mother Judy and girlfriend Kim Sears


At full stretch: Murray lost the first sense but once his game clicked into gear he completed a comfortable victory


Andy Murray acknowledges the Centre Court crowd carrying the bag with messages of support


John Isner poses after finally claiming victory on the third day of his first round match against Nicolas Mahut


Serena vs Rezai at 2011 Wimbledon


2011 Wimbledon Roger Federer Signed Patiently for Fans Before R1 Match


Roddick vs. Beck - Wimbledon 2011 R1 Highlights


source : dailymail