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Wimbledon 2022 Day 3: Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz move on, Andy Murray loses heartbreaker, Emma Raducanu out in upset

Welcome to Day 3 of Wimbledon 2022. Days 1 and 2 were played at breakneck speed, but now that we're in Round 2, things are calming down a bit. Instead of 64 matches, we get a slightly less bonkers 32. Novak Djokovic will play, as will Emma Raducanu, Ons Jabeur, Jessica Pegula, Frances Tiafoe, Andy Murray, and Reilly Opelka.

To get on top of what happened on Day 2, click here.

Catch up with the biggest news of Day 3 below.

Murray loses to Isner

It’s heartbreak again for two-time Wimbledon champ Andy Murray, who lost to American John Isner after an inspirational effort. The UK native and sentimental favorite got so close but just couldn’t overcome Isner, who won 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-3(7), 6-4. Isner, who is 37, and Murray, who is 35 and has a metal hip, both know that their playing days are numbered, and they put on a great show on center court. Isner’s return was firing on all cylinders, and Murray’s grit and determination energized the already friendly crowd. After losing steam in the first set, Murray fought his way to draw in the second set, but scored just four points in the tiebreak. Murray needed to win if he wanted to extend the match, and he won the tiebreak with authority and a well-earned celebration.

But Murray had a lot more winning to do if he wanted to move on to Round 3. And unfortunately, he didn't do quite enough. He had a chance to take the lead in the fourth set, but it slipped through his fingers. After that, it felt like the energy Murray had been playing with was gone. He won a a few more games, but Isner, who hadn't been broken the entire match, finished out the set and punched his ticket to Round 3.

This loss was also a heartbreaker for the UK crowd, which had watched Emma Raducanu lose on center court just before Murray and Isner began to play. Cameron Norrie, the highest-seeded UK player left in the men’s draw, is the nation’s best hope for a home country winner after winning on Wednesday.

For Isner, this was likely the best match he's played in his entire career, including his two record-setting Wimbledon matches that lasted six and 11 hours. He started his post-match comments by admitting that he is definitely not a better tennis player than Murray, though he might have been just a bit better on Wednesday. He also called Murray an inspiration to every tennis player and one of the best to ever play the game, which are the highest compliments he could give to such a legend.

Alcaraz into Round 2 with victory over Griekspoor

Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious from his match with Tallon Griekspoor, winning 6-4, 7-6(0), 6-3. Alcaraz got in trouble more than once against Griekspoor, with the pair playing evenly matched tennis throughout most of the contest. Early on, neither player was able to carry any momentum from game to game. Every time one of them got an edge, the other took it back. Even after Alcaraz won the first set, it felt like he had to start from scratch. They tied in the second set, but it felt like Alcaraz was finally gaining steam when he won the tiebreak 7-0. He did start the third set by tying 2-2 with Griekspoor, but that's when he finally pulled away to seal the win.

Raducanu upset by Garcia

Caroline Garcia of France cruised to a second-round upset over No. 10 Emma Raducanu of Great Britain in straight sets 6-3, 6-3. Garcia's aggressive returns helped her dominate in the first set after she won 53 percent of Raducanu's serves. Raducanu went up 2-1 early in the second set before dropping four of the next six sets, and the loss. It was a short-lived time at Wimbledon for the 19-year-old Brit, who has been bedeviled by injuries, coaching changes and intense press scrutiny since her US Open breakout in 2021.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 29: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates winning against Tallon Griekspoor of Netherlands during their Men's Singles Second Round match on day three of The Championships Wimbledon 2022 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 29, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Carlos Alcaraz is moving on to the third round after defeating Tallon Griekspoor at Wimbledon. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Sakkari moves on with defeat of Tomova

Maria Sakkari has matched her best finish at Wimbledon after defeating Viktoriya Tomova 6-4, 6-3 in the second round. She played with confidence, going to the net 27 times in a contest that never felt as close as the score indicated. Sakkari has two modes at Grand Slams: full throttle, or early exit. She exited early at the French Open last month with a second round defeat, and couldn't make it past the second round at last year's Wimbledon. But she reached the semifinals in two other Grand Slams last year, and she's aiming even higher now. Her section of the draw is wide open, so if she can keep playing like she did on Wednesday, she has a great chance of making it to the late rounds.

Djokovic easily defeats Kokkinakis

Novak Djokovic may be back to his old self again. The No. 1 seed ran right through Thanasi Kokkinakis in straight sets, defeating him 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Kokkinakis had a tall mountain to climb to find some kind of weakness he could exploit, because Djokovic has so few when he's at the top of his game. Kokkinakis had a surge in the second set, and it felt like the momentum might be shifting, but Djokovic fended that off so easily. He played cleanly, which is exactly what he needs to do on these grass courts. It's been 1,812 days since Djokovic's last defeat at Wimbledon, and it'll be two more days until another competitor tries to reset that clock. Best of luck to them, because Djokovic isn't slowing down for anyone.

Pegula downs Vekić in first-round make-up

Jessica Pegula, the highest-seeded American left in the competition, defeated Donna Vekić of Croatia in straight sets after their original Tuesday match time was postponed due to weather. Pegula, seeded eighth, easily won the opening set but had to grind out a second set tiebreaker to take the match, 6-3, 7(7)-6(2).

Ruud out after loss to Humbert

Casper Ruud's time at Wimbledon 2022 is over. The No. 3 seed lost to unseeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert in a four-set battle, with Humbert prevailing 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4. Initially, it didn't look like Ruud was in much danger. He won the first set, but couldn't get a handle on Humbert in the second. Then Ruud lost in a very close third set, and his comeback attempt in the fourth just wasn't enough. Ruud, who made it to the French Open finals last month (only to be defeated by Rafael Nadal), will have to try and improve on his career-best second round finish in 2023.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates beating Australia's Thanasi Kokkinakis during their men's singles tennis match on the third day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 29, 2022. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)
Wimbledon No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic won his Round 2 match against Thanasi Kokkinakis on Wednesday, and will play in Round 3 on Friday. (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)

Tiafoe rolls past Marterer

American Frances Tiafoe had no problem beating Germany's Maximilian Marterer, rolling to a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3) win in just one hour and 36 minutes. Tiafoe, the No. 23 seed, has already bested his best finish at Wimbledon, which was a Round 2 exit in 2021. The 24-year-old looked excellent in both his matches thus far, and is part of a fleet of American men trying to end the Grand Slam quarterfinals drought. The last time an American man made it to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam was in 2020, when Tennys Sandgren lost to Roger Federer at the Australian Open.

Kontaveit upset in straight sets by Niemeier

Anett Kontaveit, the No. 2 seed at Wimbledon and ranked No. 3 in the world, was eliminated in straight sets on Wednesday by Jule Niemeier, the No. 97 player in the world. It was a pretty thorough win for Niemeier, who defeated Kontaveit 6-4, 6-0 in just 58 minutes. Kontaveit was competitive in the first set, but completely ran out of steam in the second. It doesn't appear that she was injured, though she pulled out of Berlin and Eastbourne earlier this month because she was dealing with the after-effects of COVID-19. It's not known if she's still dealing with that, and if it affected her performance in the second round.

Other notable results

  • No. 3 seed Ons Jabeur is moving on to Round 3 after defeating Katarzyna Kawa 6-4, 6-0 in a 64 minute match.

  • Americans Alison Riske-Amritraj, Tommy Paul and Steve Johnson have all advanced to Round 3.

  • Jannik Sinner defeated Sweden's Mikael Ymer to punch his ticket to the next round.

  • Angelique Kerber, the 2018 Wimbledon champion, defeated Magda Linette 6-3, 6-3 and is headed to Round 3.