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KEY DATES FOR WIMBLEDON 2017

Qualifying begins: 26 June

The Draw: 30 June

Pre-event Press Conferences: 1 & 2 July

Order of Play: 2 July

Championships begin: 3 July

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News
Thursday, 30 June 2016 22:43 PM BST
The Preview - Day 5
Federer faces second Briton in a row and Evans means business READ MORE

Follow the latest news and scores from Wimbledon 2016 on Wimbledon.com or Apple TV,  or download the official IOS or Android apps for smartphone and tablet

Roger Federer, adored in this parish for many a year, could be forgiven for feeling a little unloved as he adopts his new role here.

Being the GOAT - Greatest of All-Time - is one thing; being the great Brit slayer of old Wimbledon town quite another.

For a second consecutive match, the seven-time champion, so accustomed to being the subject of such reverence on Centre Court, will find himself being forsaken, willed instead by his courtiers to lose to a home-grown long shot.

After Marcus Willis won our hearts but lost hands down to the great man, now Dan Evans, another singular, sometimes cheeky chappy who like his pal Willis has not always had the application to accompany his obvious talent, gets his shot in the king’s realm on Friday.

This third round contest might feel a little different, though. Showman Willis, with his dancing ‘Will Bomb’ army, made Wednesday seem a bit like a surreal West End show.

Evans, followed by his “polite” Solihull fan club, promises no such thing. Would he be taking advice from Marcus? “No. Lost in three straight. No advice needed,” he grinned.

More hardened to this world than his good mate Willis and fresh from knocking out the talented No.30 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov in straight sets on Thursday, Evans is no longer the “star-struck” kid who was once thrilled just to have a practice session with Federer.

Fifteen years ago, the young Federer was beaten here by Tim Henman. In five matches against Britons at Wimbledon since, he has only dropped one set but Evans swears: “It’s not a day out for me. It's not a Lord Mayor's show, whatever. It's a chance, a good opportunity. I'm taking it seriously.”

So is Tara Moore. The 23-year-old Hong Kong-born, US-raised but, as she assures us, “very British” player, has enjoyed a fabulous summer, capped by this chance to play Svetlana Kuznetsova, the former French and US Open champion, on No.3 Court.

It’s an exciting step up for Moore, who lives in London with her “tennis ball-loving dog”.

Centre Court
1:00pm
Ladies' Singles - Third Round
3-6 6-1 6-4
defeated
Completed
3-6 6-1 6-4
Completed
Gentlemen's Singles - Third Round
6-1 6-4 7-6(3)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) [4]
defeated
Karen Khachanov (RUS) [30]
Completed
6-1 6-4 7-6(3)
Completed
Gentlemen's Singles - Third Round
6-2 4-6 6-1 7-5
Andy Murray (GBR) [1]
defeated
Fabio Fognini (ITA) [28]
Completed
6-2 4-6 6-1 7-5
Completed
No.1 Court
1:00pm
Gentlemen's Singles - Third Round
6-4 7-6(3) 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO) [7]
defeated
Steve Johnson (USA) [26]
Completed
6-4 7-6(3) 6-4
Completed
Ladies' Singles - Third Round
6-4 6-1
Johanna Konta (GBR) [6]
defeated
Completed
6-4 6-1
Completed
Ladies' Singles - Third Round
7-6(3) 6-4
Venus Williams (USA) [10]
defeated
Naomi Osaka (JPN)
Completed
7-6(3) 6-4
Completed
Mixed Doubles - First Round
6-3 6-4
defeated
Completed
6-3 6-4
Completed

She’s effectively earned twice as much from reaching the second round here than she’s made over the rest of the season but Kuznetsova, an all-court artist who’s still a pleasure to watch, is eyeing her best run here since reaching the quarters in 2007.

Both singles champions will be on duty, with Novak Djokovic planning to defuse big Sam Querrey’s bombs on No.1 Court and, after a rain-interrupted week, Serena Williams finally able to play her second round match with compatriot Christina McHale on Centre.

Before the pair’s last meeting in Rome, Serena decided to prepare, rather bizarrely, with a yummy portion of her pet dog’s food. An urgent trip or two to the bathroom later, she realised that it might not have been the wisest idea but it didn’t stop her winning 7-6, 6-1.

The bad news for world No.65 McHale is that her pedigree chum has now sworn off eating any more such tasty morsels. The better news is for Serena’s pooch Chip, who can enjoy his meals without fearing they could be wolfed down at any moment by the world No.1.

Real treat of the day? Roll up, roll up to No.2 Court to see what Nick Kyrgios promises will be a “circus…a good circus” for our delectation when he meets another Wimbledon favourite Dustin Brown.

Not so much a big top, though, as “big tennis”, according to Kyrgios, full of dramatic shot making and entertaining fare from two of the game’s grand originals. Oh, and of course, ‘Dreddy' Brown’s big hair too.

Brown captivated everyone here last year, not least the photographers, with his eclipse of Rafa Nadal and the No.15 seed Kyrgios knows that if his German pal has one of those days “when he can’t miss”, he could easily be despatched in the same way.

There’s a potential cracker on No.1 Court where Venus Williams, at 36, meets Russia’s soaring talent, 19-year-old Darya Kasatkina, who was less than two months old when the first lady of the tour enjoyed her first Wimbledon.

Last but not least, what a delight to see Juan Martin del Potro back on the big stage, three years and three wrist operations since he gave Novak Djokovic such a scare here in the semi-final.

The former US Open champion tackles No.4 seed Stan Wawrinka first up on Centre, seeking to remind us why he once had such a great future ahead of him and why, at 27, he may well still have.

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