Tennis

Andy Murray was happy to share the spotlight with Johanna Konta last night as the pair won through to the Wimbledon quarter-finals – the first time Britain has been represented in the last eight of both singles competitions for 44 years.

The head of Wimbledon has dismissed accusations of sexism after it emerged the vast majority of the tournament’s prestigious Centre Court slots have been given over to men.

Johanna Konta survived another three-set thriller at Wimbledon to beat Caroline Garcia and become the first British woman to reach the quarter-finals in 33 years.

Andy Murray has reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals by beating France’s Benoit Paire 7-6 (7/1) 6-4 6-4.

As Wimbledon moves towards the business end of the competition, everyone is worried about Johanna Konta and her nerves: can she take the strain of being Britain’s best home hope of a female champion since Virginia Wade 40 years ago?

It’s Sunday morning and the approaches to the All England Club are sleepily quiet. The ticket-touts, bible-bashers, water-sellers and local residents who charge for parking in their drives are all having the day off in preparation for Manic Monday – but on the practice courts Andy Murray is hard at work.

As Wimbledon gets to the final sprint with Andy Murray into the last-16 against Frenchman Benoit Paire, find out things you didn’t know about the tournament.

Andy Murray has made it through to the second week of Wimbledon for the 10th straight year.

Six men over 30 had advanced to the second week of Wimbledon by the time Mr Saturday Night strode on to Centre Court. Roger Federer – let’s call him the most distinguished of the men – was quietly determined to join them.

Benoit Paire, the Frenchman who is Andy Murray’s fourth-round opponent tomorrow, once aimed a huge Gallic shrug in the direction of the All-England Club. “I hate Wimbledon,” he declared two years ago, “and I’m glad to leave as soon as possible.”

In Britain, tennis revolves around Wimbledon and at Wimbledon the world revolves around Andy Murray. But in her own quietly confident, athletically aggressive way, Johanna Konta is beginning to change all of that.

Like a shark loitering offshore as the holidaymakers frolic in the water, there is a dark shape moving through the bottom half of the draw. It is hard to make out but it looks ominously like the Novak Djokovic of old.

Andy Murray survived his first test of the Wimbledon fortnight against Fabio Fognini to reach the fourth round at the All England Club. The world number one triumphed 6-2 4-6 6-1 7-5 and will face France’s Benoit Paire on Monday.

For the third match in a row Andy Murray was pitted against an opponent who, if you listened to all the hype and allowed your imagination to take a further flight of fancy, was going to walk on to Centre Court with a tennis ball painted red for a nose, a giant foam racket and a super-soaker full of Robinson’s Barley Water.

The first major hurdle has been overcome – Johanna Konta has found safe passage through the first week of Wimbledon and is now comfortably settled into the fourth round.

Andy Murray survived a rollercoaster encounter with volatile Italian Fabio Fognini to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon.

Test your knowledge on The Championships at Wimbledon with our quick little quiz.

Novak Djokovic was exposed at Wimbledon yesterday. Court No 1 with its thin, high roof offered little protection from the sweltering 40 degree heat but the former champion smoothed his way into the third round with a straight-sets win over an opponent who grew up idolising him.

It is the curse of the commentator and the pundit: no sooner has the “expert” suggested that a player is about to do something than the bloke with the bat goes and does the exact opposite.