A love for Kyrgios means we’re getting a third set breaker, while on track 2, Garin has almost fought through a nervv service game for a decisive super-duper-breaker. Ooh yes!
By the way, everything happens in Edgbaston.
Magnificent stones from De Minaur, which marches through two by its dam. However, Garin accepted his last challenge at the start of the game, so when he didn’t like the winner of the service he got, he had no way to protest other than with looks and whispers.
… so he saves the first break point with an ace and the second with an offside service followed by a right to corner. Meanwhile, Kyrgios holds on for 5-5 in the third, but isn’t exactly loved if he thinks Nakashima has played a decent shot.
De Minaur did not adjust after the break, and quickly went down 5-5 and 15-40 …
Kyrgios looks in trouble here, grabbing his arm while Nakashima holds the 5-4 lead. In communications, they have wondered if another personality type would hide his discomfort, citing the feats of resistance performed by Hewitt and Nadal, but this depends on both the nature of the injury and mental strength.
Kyrgios seems to have problems with his shoulder. Photography: Tom Jenkins / The Guardian
Updated at 15.22 BST
Oh man, diving behind the baseline to try to get back to the aforementioned, De Minaur scratched his hand and there is claret, so we get some rest while it gets fixed.
Alex de Minaur tries to get hold of the ball. Photo: Toby Melville / Reuters De Minaur receives medical treatment on his finger. Photography: Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
Updated at 15.29 BST
But De Minaur makes a right turn, then Garin finds a huge serve, cleaning with a right of similar proportions, so let’s go for two.
Hello! De Minaur reaches 15-40, and now has two match points!
Updated at 15.12 BST
That is to say, yes, there are Australian men in each of our outstanding matches, De Minaur noted that he has never seen Kubler in a bad mood. He himself will be in one, however, if he loses to Garin after leading by two sets to love, but leads 5-4 in the deciding and still looks the most likely winner. Kyrgios, meanwhile, makes more shoulder treatment with the 3-4 in the third set.
At No. 1, Fritz has won the first three games. one of them a break. Kubler, his opponent, is a 29-year-old Australian who has recently begun to develop his potential: he is a former world No. 1 junior.
The BBC shows us an interesting graph, noting that the consistency of Kyrgios’ ball throw is what makes his service easier: it means he knows where he will be, and also that it is almost impossible for his opponent to read him. But he has pulled the coach by the shoulder, so we have a short break with Nakashima leading 3-2 in the third.
At No. 1, Kubler and Fritz are out, and what a chance it is for them. The winner here is Nadal or Van der Zandschulp in the quarterfinals.
Back in the center, we are in service in the third set, Kyrgios is rushing to overcome another contemptuous love by 2-2. It’s hard to look beyond him right now, because his service is so reliable that even if we go to breakers, you’d support him.
A marked setback gives De Minaur 15-30, but Garin fights for his catch, then De Minaur rushes through a 3-2 love take on the fifth. It is now serving very well again, so I would support you to see this house, but a couple of decent returns or a double and a second service is all you will need to make those words sound silly.
On track 3, new series leaders Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares lost the first set in a breaker to seven-ranked John Peers and Filip Polasek.
I say that, but here we are at 30 … so here comes a booming service, giving the point of seven to Kyrgios; delivery to the body, a return to the net, and it’s a game for everyone! Will class and experience take over now, or can Nakashima be reaffirmed?
And yes, De Minaur ensures the break. This has been a really good match, at which point we are preparing the center, where Kyrgios now serves with 4-6 5-4. I don’t know how many points Nakashima has earned receiving in this set, but there aren’t many.
“I hope you are getting a large number of Australian tennis fans right now,” John Murphy sent an email, “when Channel Nine hosted De Minaur’s interesting match to televise the lowest-ranking player for the “People who were expecting a bit of drama. I wish I had seen the rest of the quality game I had seen from the beginning. Please keep us up to date.”
I can see why they did it, but Kyrgios is also a very good player, just as this De Minaur-Garin match is dramatic. At this point, Garin broke in the first game of set five … although he now goes 0-30 in hopes of consolidating.
Next to No. 1: Jason Kubler vs. Taylor Fritz.
In the second half of asking, Garin serves in the fourth set to tie the game 2-6 5-7 7-6 (3) 6-4. De Minaur doesn’t seem demoralized to give up his lead, so I would expect him to give his best of this final set.
Garin returns the ball to De Minaur. Photography: Sébastien Bozon / AFP / Getty Images
Updated at 14.38 BST
Rybakina thanks everyone who has come to support him, then a large photograph shows us that Rishi Persad is wearing white pumps with his blue jacket and beige chinos. I do not know. Anyway, Rybakina says Martic has improved during the match, but she is happy with how she responded and after watching Wimbledon on TV when she was little, she is happy to move on.
Back at De Minaur, he saved one more seven-point lead, so Garin now serves for the fourth set with a 5-4 lead. A decisive one seems imminent.
Elena Rybakina [17] beats Petra Martic 7-5 6-3!
She served very well, she will meet Cornet or Tomljanovic then, and given the current way of things in women’s tennis, anyone can win anything, she can win that thing.
Rybakina of Kazakhstan celebrates after winning the counter Martic of Croatia. Photography: Kieran Galvin / EPA
Updated at 14.40 BST
Kyrgios is serving very well now, consolidating his break and right now securing another 4-2 love in the second set. It’s struggling, and incredibly, that’s making a difference.
As I write this, Garin forces two points out of seven; De Minaur saves both, one with an ace and one with great service, while at No. 1, Martic holds on to force Rybakina to serve for the match. Can you stay loose?
Back on track 2, De Minaur has recovered one of Garin’s fourth set breaks, now with a 3-5. It may not be enough to win this set, but he will be happy to start again with a decisive one that seems imminent.
Rybakina has lost just two points in the service of this set, but can he hold it with the line in sight? Earlier I said that I felt that Martic was the best player, but to clarify, I did not want to say forever more: at 23, her rival will seriously improve over the next few years. But in the meantime, he’s watching a round of 16 match with Tomljanovic or Cornet, and he’ll imagine against anyone, if he can get over it.
Martic hasn’t played the big points well so far and squeezes with a right hand, scoring to give Rybakina a break point. But she saves it in an excellent way, crushing the right blows until she gets one … only to discover that Rybakina won’t let her go. She forces another breaking point. Martic finds himself meekly, and suddenly this is almost one, Rybakina leading 7-5 4-2.
Meanwhile, a mistake by Nakashima gives Kyrgios the breaking point, and he hit a setback back on the court … just to fall off, just. However, Nakashima doubles – he is second in the game – and then scores a right! It’s tough at the top, and Kyrgios is now ahead 4-6 2-1.
Maybe Kyrgios thought he could win this without stretching, but as Nakashima is playing, this will not happen. They each hold on at the start of the second set, but it looks like Kyrgios is waiting to get the successive winners, instead of working his opponent to work opportunities.
Nakashima breaks the first set 6-4 at Kyrgios! He is playing very well, while Kyrgios is playing with flashes.
Nakashima reacts after winning the first set. Photography: Zac Goodwin / PA. Nakashima’s shoes are shown as he jumps to return the ball. Photography: Glyn Kirk / AFP / Getty Images
Updated at 14.46 BST
Rybakina held on 2-1 in the second set, with the help of a net rope. But the Martic, I think, will come, though maybe I’m just saying it because it’s on my battery. I think she’s a better player than Rybakina, and as I write this, she triggers a gorgeous right hand hooked and with the wrong foot. This is not over, not even with a long chalk.
Thanks Joan and hello everyone. It’s not a manic Monday, but there are many things to make us go. In particular, I’m cheering for Badosa-Halep, but also enjoying the three games we have now, so let’s go straight to these.
And with that, I’ll move on to Daniel Harris for the afternoon session, and two games that, although at different times, are very tight. It was Rybakina 7-5 Martic in the first set on track number 1.
Kyrgios, by the way, has already done an armpit service. Nakashima seems unperturbed so far by the commotion. It’s 4-3, and new balls. The same cannot be said of De Minaur, who now has a 2-0 lead over Garin, whose drop-shot winner screamed above the line, off the rope. A five seven seems inevitable and the Chilean seems to have more energy.
An early break in the fourth set, with Garin on the rise and the beneficiary of De Minaur wasting an opportunity on the net. 0-1 in the fourth set. 1-2 in sets.
Alex De Minaur loses his service at the start of the quarter. Photography: Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
Updated at 13.58 BST
Although De Minaur has failed to sideline Garin, his possible next opponents, Nakashima and Kyrgios, are 3-2, out of service. Kyrgios is having a good time with the referee, but in the end he managed to get up.