Unfamiliar lack of British interest in singles leaves a flat feeling at SWI9

England may be in a state of euphoria after Saturday afternoon’s football result but Wimbledon is feeling glum. There is no British singles player to be seen in either the men’s or the women’s draw. The last time that happened, it was 2007 and a 20-yearold Andy Murray was at home glumly nursing a wrist injury. Since then Britain has become used to success in SW19. Or, to be precise, the Murray household has become used to success in SW19. Without him, Wimbledon has not been the same.

But in 2007 a certain Roger Federer beat

one Rafael Nadal in the final. Eleven years on, and there is every chance that those two old stagers will be back on duty on the final Sunday. They may be 36 and 32 respectively but they have mopped up the past six grand slam titles, three apiece. And it is hard to think of anyone who could stop them.

Novak Djokovic would like to think he might be the man to do it and he looked solid enough as he beat Kyle Edmund in four sets on Saturday but he is still the Djokovic of old. Annoyed by the crowd – a happy bunch fuelled by Pimms, football and sunshine – and overpowered by Edmund in the first set, his mental defences look fragile.

Stilldreamingofafourthwimbledontitle, Djokovic’s lightning reflexes as a returner will be put to the test today against Karen Khachanov. Tall at 6ft 6in, the 22-year-old Russian unsurprisingly regards his serve as his biggest weapon. Normally, he prefers a slower court – clay is his favourite surface – but he has been battling through the rounds so far, taking five sets to beat Frances Tiafoe on Saturday.

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