Coins to be tossed at this year’s finals have travelled to space and back… Wimbledon 10th day court report
- Two bespoke gold coins to go to the International Space Station last year
- Rafael Nadal prepared for semi-final by playing two coaches at the same time
- Evan Hoyt and Eden Silva’s exit meant the end of this year’s British challenge
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND
The coins that will be used for the tosses at this year’s Wimbledon finals have travelled to space and back with NASA astronaut Drew Feustel.
After Feustel was a guest in 2017, he and All England Club chairman Philip Brook came up with the idea. SW19 chiefs ordered two bespoke gold coins to go to the International Space Station last year.
Astronaut Drew Feustel on the ISS as one of the two bespoke gold coins floats to his left
SWIFT EXIT FOR YOUNG GUN
Anton Matusevich — the piano-playing, Johann Sebastian Bach-loving, A Level student from Kent — lost 6-3, 6-3 to Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki in the boys’ quarter-finals.
The 18-year-old had his chances but made twice as many unforced errors as his opponent on Court 3.
NADAL TAKES ON TWO
On one side of Court 7 on Thursday was Rafael Nadal, on the other were two of his coaches hitting balls back at him. The Spanish third seed readied himself for Roger Federer on Friday by having a hit against two men.
Federer, 37, also decided to practice outside of Aorangi Park, choosing Court 9.
Rafael Nadal plays a shot during a practice session ahead of his match against Roger Federer
MIXED END FOR THE BRIT PACK
Evan Hoyt and Eden Silva’s exit on a sparsely-populated Court 2 meant the end of the British challenge at Wimbledon.
The mixed doubles pair went down 7-5, 7-6 in their quarter-final against No 3 seeds Latisha Chan and Ivan Dodig, surrendering a 4-1 lead in both sets and a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak.
LONDON BASE FOR MURRAY
Andy Murray will not head to Philadelphia, where he went last year to train. He plans to stay in London over the coming months and focus on weightlifting to build the muscles around his hip.
He may visit his surgeon who operated, Sarah Muirhead-Allwood, to discuss next steps.
Andy Murray plans to stay in London over the coming months and focus on weightlifting
102-YEAR-OLD BALL BOY?
Champions Tennis have scrapped the age limit for ball boys and girls at this year’s tournament at the Royal Albert Hall.
‘Whether you’re two, or 102,’ they said in a statement on Thursday, ‘tennis legend Tim Henman has welcomed hopefuls to a London tennis court for the first trial day.’ Applicants will prove their fitness with a series of ball drills.
MORE SUN ON THE WAY…
Friday will be predominantly clear with a small chance of rain at lunchtime but Nadal and Federer’s first head-to-head at Wimbledon for more than a decade is not likely to be affected — with mainly sunny intervals and highs of 24°C.