Wimbledon 2023: Even if the rain goes away, there will be backlog of matches to complete

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WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Heading into the fourth day of Wimbledon, some first-round matches are yet to even start because of persistent rain showers that have caused multiple rain delays.

There’s quite a backlog of postponed and suspended matches at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament, causing a headache for scheduling officials and players alike.

While some select players like Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek have completed two matches to make it into the third round, seven first-round matches have yet to start after three straight days of rain interruptions. Many others have yet to finish after being suspended by darkness.

American tennis player Jenson Brooksby tells The Associated Press he has accepted a provisional suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency after being accused of missing three doping tests in a 12-month period.

There is love in the air at Wimbledon and not just in the scores. Players Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa are dating.

Wimbledon is the oldest Grand Slam tournament, and there are many ways in which the All England Club is setting one foot in the modern age while keeping another solidly rooted in its famous past.

Soccer royalty made its way into the Royal Box at Wimbledon when David Beckham took his place on Centre Court.

Former U.S. Open finalist Alexander Zverev is among the players yet to step onto the court. He will be first up on No. 1 Court on Thursday.

The good news is that the weather forecast only gives a small chance of more rain on Thursday and Friday, meaning tournament organizers could get a chance to catch up before the weekend.

They can’t afford many more delays, as only four players across the men’s and women’s draws have completed their second-round matches so far. That includes No. 8-seeded Jannik Sinner on the men’s side and No. 11 Daria Kasatkina on the women’s.

WHEN ARE THURSDAY’S MATCHES?Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray faces No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third match on Centre Court, which could start around 5:30 p.m. local time, which is 12:30 p.m. EDT. Play begins on most courts at 11 a.m. local time, which is 6 a.m. EDT, while the first match on Centre Court will start at 1:30 p.m. local time (or 8:30 a.m. EDT). That one will feature Liam Broady taking on fourth-seeded Casper Ruud, before women’s No. 3 seed Elena Rybakina plays veteran Alize Cornet. On No. 1 Court, Zverev takes on Gijs Brouwer at 1 p.m. local time, which is 8 a.m. EDT. Two American women are up after that. Sloane Stephens faces Donna Vekic in a match that could start around 4 p.m. local time (or 11 a.m. EDT) before fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula plays Cristina Bucsa.

WHAT WERE WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS?Seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic and Sinner both won in straight sets, as did third-seeded Daniil Medvedev in his first-round match. No. 9 Taylor Fritz finished off a five-setter that started Monday, and fellow American Frances Tiafoe won in straight sets. Tsitsipas won a fifth-set tiebreaker against former U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem to set up a meeting with Murray. Swiatek and Kasatkina only lost two games each in their second-round matches, but No. 8 Maria Sakkari became the second top-10 woman to exit in the first round, joining No. 7 Coco Gauff.

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED ON DAY 3?Three climate activists were arrested after interrupting two separate matches on No. 18 Court by throwing orange confetti and puzzle pieces on the grass. The All England Club coordinated with London police and other agencies to increase security for this year’s tournament, in part as a result of protests at other major sports venues in Britain this year.

HOW TO WATCH WIMBLEDON ON TV—In the U.S.: ESPN, Tennis Channel

—Other countries listed here.

BETTING GUIDE

Murray and Tsitsipas head into Thursday’s big match as the joint fifth favorites for the men’s title at plus-4,500 — behind Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner and Medvedev — according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Head-to-head, Murray is listed as the favorite against Tsitsipas, at minus-140. Tsitsipas pays plus-116 if he wins the contest.

GET CAUGHT UP AT THE ALL ENGLAND CLUBWhat you need to know about Wimbledon, the year’s third Grand Slam tennis tournament:

— Novak Djokovic is pursuing more history, and his self-belief is a big part of his success

— Iga Swiatek succeeds everywhere else. Can she win Wimbledon?

— Players from Russia and Belarus are back at the All England Club after a one-year ban

— Aryna Sabalenka no longer wants to talk about the war in Ukraine

— Women’s tennis is working toward equal pay at more tournaments

— Frances Tiafoe is the first African-American man in the Top 10 in nearly 15 years

— Facts and figures about Wimbledon, including a look back at 2022

TAKE A TENNIS QUIZTry your hand at the AP’s Wimbledon quiz.

THE NUMBER TO KNOW350 — The number of Grand Slam match wins for 23-time major winner Djokovic, who became the third person ever to reach that mark — joining Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

THE QUOTE TO KNOW“I’m not expecting anyone to support me.” — Tsitsipas about facing Murray next on Centre Court.

UPCOMING SINGLES SCHEDULE—Thursday: First and Second Round (Women and Men)

—Friday-Saturday: Third Round (Women and Men)

—July 9-10: Fourth Round (Women and Men)

—July 11-12: Quarterfinals (Women and Men)

— July 13: Women’s Semifinals

—July 14: Men’s Semifinals

—July 15: Women’s Final

—July 16: Men’s Final

___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports