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On No 1, we’re almost ready for De Minaur and Cobolli – I can’t wait for this one – while on No 2, Bouzkova holds for 1-0.

Bouzkova and Mertens are out and I fancy the latter, who has a bit more power and will surely be feeling herself after binning Rybakina in the lat round. Boukova will hope to use her strength against her, but the match is not, I don’t think, on her racket.

Naomi Broady fancies Osaka to go all the way, and what a popular champ she’d be. I do, though, quite fancy Muchova to give her trouble, especially at net, whether by hauling her in with drops or winning exchanges; if she’s at her best, I’d back her all-round game to get it done, though it may be that Osaka is just too powerful from the back.

I very much fancy Kostyuk to reach the final from the bottom half of the draw. Of course, Eala is on one, while Keys has the power to blow anyone away. But in terms of all-round game, never mind sense of communal mission, the Ukrainian is the class of the field and ready to step up a level.

Next on No 2 Court: Marie Bouzkova (21) v Elise Mertens (25).

“I feel like I still cannot process this happening,” says Kostyuk, also noting how hot it is. “The longer you stay on this surface, the worse you feel.” She adds that the court wasn’t easy given the heat and wind, especially against an opponent on a roll having played 17 consecutive matches on grass – more than Kostyuk in her entire career. So it was very difficult and she still can’t believe it.

She was struggling to break the whole match so is really happy with the last two service-games she faced, and then thanks the crowd for their contribution.

Finally, Kostyuk customarily performs a blackflip when she wins a tournament so is asked if she’s been practising, advising that people keep asking her and she’ll only do it when she wins her first grand slam. That is not too far away.

Marta Kostyuk (12) beats Ashlyn Krueger 6-4 6-4

Kostyuk enjoys her now-customary twirl and she’s delighted, establishing herself among the elite of the elite, as we hoped. Krueger gave it all she had, but Kostyuk is a future champion now at one with her game and self; make no mistake, she can win this. Next up for her: Paolini or Eala.

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Again, Krueger goes long; 0-15. But then, at 15-all, an excellent volley falls in, just, and Kostyuk is two points away. And just as she looks in trouble, reaching behind herself for a forehand get, she somehow converts it into a delightful winner cross-court, raising two match points.

Yeah, coming a mile off. At 40-30, Krueger goes long, a double donates advantage, and another error means that 6-4 5-4 Kostyuk, broken not long ago, will shortly serve for the match.

That last game was very impressive. It’s not that Kostyuk playing amazingly in it, more that she consciously upped the aggression and her opponent couldn’t respond, class asserting itself through behaviour that is generally the preserve of the best around: consciously resolving to step it up, then forcing the issue. I’d not be at all surprised to see Kostyuk run away with things from here.

Kostyuk turns up the gas – it’s maximum effort time – but at 30-all, Kruger guides a backhand down the line for a winner … only flap another wide. And then, when then the ball bounces mid-court, the American is lost in the supermarket, unable to decide which of the many shots available to her she’s going to play. So she bungles into the net and must now face advantage, Kostyuk’s booming line forehand only just wide; back to deuce we go. Kostyuk, though, is on one, a fine point sealed with a putaway at net, and a fine forehand then incites Krueger to go for too much, and that’s the break back; Kostyuk leads 6-4 4-3.

At 15-30, Kostyuk puts together a lovely point, finished with an overhead, then serves out wide … only to direct her clean-up wide. Then, down break point, she nets, and Krueger has the break at 4-6 4-2. But can she hold on to it?

Kostyuk holds through deuce, then Krueger holds too, and I get the sense the former is still learning her way around a grass court. She’s got plenty of power and moves nicely – to be expected from an ex-gymnast – but she’s not quite as light on her feet as on other surfaces, and though her volleying is good, her point construction is still developing.

In our one singles match away so far, Kostyuk leads Krueger 6-4 1-2 on serve. She’s clearly the better player, but it’s close in set two and though her collapses are less frequent than once, they’re not totally behind her.

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Preamble

Wotcha and welcome to Wimbledon 2026 – day eight!

It’s Manic Monday no more but, absorbing into the schedule of matches here to embrace us over the next 10 or so hours, it’s not difficult to find some replacement alliteration.

Majestic Monday begins with Marta Kostyuk, by the looks of things establishing herself – finally – among the elite of the elite and, with Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova already out, the scent of possibility will be heady and tantalising. But Ashlyn Krueger has plans of her own, in terrific nick after qualifying and enjoying the best grand slam performance of her short career.

On No 1, meantime, Maarvellous Monday opens with a belter, Alex de Minaur making his latest bid to cheat his athletic ceiling against Flavio Cobolli, defeated French Open finalist and a player ranked lower but rated higher. Expect perhaps the two quickest players on tour to deliver extended rallies, ridiculous retrievals and a potential epic – with the potential for much anguish should the Australian lose to the younger man.

Magnificent Monday continues on Centre with Jasmine Paolini, who appeared suddenly out of nowhere to contest the closing stages of majors, meeting Alexandra Eala, the young Filipina phenom, who dismissed the defending champ in the last round. With Linda Noskova the highest-ranked seed remaining in the bottom half of the draw, the excitement at the opportunity of a lifetime will be matched only by the trepidation.

Nor is that it – or even remotely it. Marie Bouzkova, two seeded staples never expected to go on will be starting to wonder if this is their time, just as Maddy Keys, her career now gravy after last year’s unexpected Aussie Open triumph, will fancy her chances, pressure off and power on.

Second on Centre – yup, we’re only halfway through the day – Arthur Fery faces Griggzy Dimitrov, leader of the lost generation whose grand slams were entirely subsumed by the Big Three and the Slightly Less Sizeable Two. But now a fully matured all-round brute, he’s a a man on a mission having led Jannik Sinner by two sets to love at this stage last year, only for injury to intervene with the tournament suddenly looking available to him. This may well be his final shot at immortalising himself in the annals of the game.

The, closing out Monumental Monday, we’ve Taylor Fritz – another chasing the shot of a lifetime at the dream of a lifetime – and in fantastic form. Alexander Bublik, though, is a mercurial talent slowly starting to treat tennis like it matters to him, an improvisational talent with the imaginative touch his opponent will never quite enjoy.

Finally, on Centre, Alexander Zverev – like Keys spieling with house money after securing that elusive first major – will also feel ready to wade in and snatch a second while others fiddle. His new-found confidence, though, is still solidifying, and Jiri Lehecka has the big-serve and forehand combo-move to test him.

Here we go!