A gutsy Cameron Norrie produced one of the best performances of his career as he fought back to beat Frances Tiafoe in a thrilling encounter and reach the third round at Wimbledon.
The former British number one, who got to the semi-finals of the Championships in 2022, won 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-5 and will next face world number 73 Mattia Bellucci of Italy.
But there was disappointment for compatriot Katie Boulter as she was knocked out in a surprise 7-6 (9-7) 2-6 1-6 defeat by lucky loser Solana Sierra from Argentina.
British wildcard Billy Harris lost 6-3 6-4 7-6 (9-7) to world number 37 Nuno Borges, while the last home player in action on Wednesday, Arthur Fery, will return on Thursday after his match with Luciano Darderi was suspended due to fading light on Court 2, with the Italian leading 4-6 3-6.
Sonay Kartal had earlier become the first Briton to go through on day three, comfortably seeing off Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2.
Norrie’s win did not come as easily but was just as impressive as he battled back from losing the first set to win the next three, undoing the American 12th seed with some brilliant tennis that had the Court One crowd on their feet.
Norrie climbed as high as eighth in the world three years ago but he is now 61st, with injury and poor form dropping him down the rankings.
“When I was in the top 10 and the top 20, everything was very automatic. It was on to the next thing and the next thing,” he said.
“I think it’s a good thing to go through, being injured, not winning, then having the resilience to back yourself.”
The pivotal moment in his tie came in the fourth set when, after having a break that would have put him on the cusp of victory immediately wiped out, Norrie dug in to get another and go on to seal the success.
It was the second match in a row he has had to come through four sets, having overcome Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut in sweltering conditions on Monday.
But this was a performance to give the 29-year-old encouragement he can progress beyond the third round at Wimbledon for only the second time.
“I’m enjoying my tennis more than ever,” added Norrie.
“It was really nice coming up to get into the top 10 but it’s just tough, really tough, to stay there.
“On the flip side side of that, I was coming into the match today against Frances, being the underdog, playing for free.”
Boulter bows out as Sierra cruises to success
Boulter had been hoping to continue the British success on Court One as her match followed on from Norrie’s.
Hopes were high when the 28-year-old made an eye-catching start to her Wimbledon tournament with a rare victory over a top 10 player, upsetting Spain’s Paula Badosa.
Boulter went into that match as the underdog, but faced Sierra – ranked 101st in the world – as the favourite and that change in expectation and pressure may have played a part in this disappointing loss.
She found herself 5-2 down in the first set but drew on the home support to battle back, winning the next three games before coming out on top in a tense tie-break.
But it was deja vu in the second set as Boulter was broken again and there was to be no response this time as she went down 6-2.
Too many double faults on her serve proved costly and Sierra raced into a commanding 4-0 lead in the decider.
That was too much for British number two Boulter to come back from as her 21-year-old opponent sealed the impressive win, dropping just one game.
Sierra originally lost in qualifying before being invited to the main draw as a lucky loser.
The victory does present her with a dilemma – albeit a welcome one – as her longer-than-expected stay means she has had to keep finding somewhere to stay.
“I lost in the third round of qualifying and I have already changed apartment three times,” said Sierra. “Now we are going to change again!”
Impressive Kartal continues progress
Kartal continued her impressive form at Wimbledon by becoming the first British player to reach round three this year with a dominant victory over Tomova.
After two days of blistering heat, the start to Wednesday’s play was delayed by more than two hours because of rain in the morning.
But once the action did begin, Kartal followed up her impressive first-round win against 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko by quickly despatching Tomova.
It is the second year in a row the British number three has reached the third round at Wimbledon.
“I felt good in the warm-up and on court I felt good. I was seeing it and hitting it very clean. It was one of those good days in the office,” said Kartal.
“I wanted to back up the run I had last year. I wanted to show I am at this level now and I can consistently play.
“The last couple of months I have thrown myself on the scene. This year I made a conscious effort to only play the bigger matches. I am feeling much more confidence in my game.”
After getting the first break of serve in the sixth game of the opening set, Kartal really got into her stride, hitting impressive winners before breaking again at 5-2 up to take the first set.
It did not get any better for Tomova in the second set as the 23-year-old home favourite won the first four games to asset her dominance.
Tomova managed to break serve in the fifth game, but it only delayed the Briton’s march to an excellent win.
Next up for Kartal is a match against French qualifier Diane Parry, who beat 12th seed and world number 15 Diana Shnaider 6-4 6-1.
