It was billed as the battle of the 20-year-olds but Carlos Alcaraz pulled rank on his childhood buddy Holger Rune.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz roared into the Wimbledon quarter-finals with a formidable display of firepower to down big-serving Italian dark horse Matteo Berrettini.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic was temporarily knocked off course by big-serving Pole Hubert Hurkacz but quickly got back in the groove on Monday to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

Win or lose, Victoria Azarenka knew there would be no handshake offered by Ukrainian rival Elina Svitolina at the end of Wimbledon contest that had been billed as the ‘battle of the mums’.

For a post-lunchtime session the home fans rushed into Centre Court like rarely before, hurriedly sweeping scone crumbs from their shirt fronts, to settle down for what they hoped would be an epic British Wimbledon victory.

Sofia Kenin may have lost her way after her 2020 Grand Slam success to fall out of the top 200 last year but the American has rediscovered her form and been impressive at Wimbledon where she has come through the qualifiers to reach the third round.

Climate change protesters and yet more rain snagged Wimbledon but while security and scheduling headaches intensified for the organisers reigning men’s champion Novak Djokovic moved serenely through to the third round.

Daniil Medvedev quelled the challenge of wildcard Arthur Fery and Marta Kostyuk fought back to upset Maria Sakkari and storm into the Wimbledon second round on a rainy Wednesday when two matches were disrupted by protesters.

Second seed Aryna Sabalenka made short work of Hungary’s Panna Udvardy with a powerful 6-3 6-1 victory to reach the second round at a rainy Wimbledon.

Not many sports events can turn to a knight of the realm to lift the gloom but Wimbledon’s rainy Tuesday was saved by a virtuoso performance from Sir Andy Murray which had Centre Court cooing in pleasure.

Five-time champion Venus Williams returned to Wimbledon a quarter of a century after her first win on the All England Club lawns but was unable to summon the old magic in a painful first-round defeat by Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.

Four-times defending champion and hot favourite Novak Djokovic began his record quest with a straight-sets Wimbledon victory over a willing but eventually outgunned Argentine Pedro Cachin on Centre Court.