Kyrgios left red-faced as Djokovic sums up brutal reality at Wimbledon

Wimbledon day eight saw plenty of drama, including two retirements, a Christopher Eubanks upset and the end of Russian sensation Mirra Andreeva’s run. Here, Express Sport pick out six things you may have missed from the day.

Djokovic serves up a reality check

There surely can’t be many out there that still think Novak Djokovic can be stopped after his latest win over Herbert Hurkacz. The powerful Pole produced a near-on perfect service performance, dropping just one game – and his first of the tournament – and still never looked like beating Djokovic. It begs the question, how on earth does anyone beat this guy?

Hurkacz can consider himself extremely unlucky to have been handed the poisoned chalice so early in the tournament. His exit in the fourth round just shows the brutal reality of how fine the margins are when you’re mixing it with someone like Djokovic.

Lefty leaves Andreeva red-faced

Mirra Andreeva left the Wimbledon court red-faced in more ways than one. The Russian sensation struggled to keep her emotions in check during the match – being pulled up for not one but two unsportsmanlike violations – and they poured out once her defeat had been confirmed.

Cheeks flushed with rage after the umpire had rather harshly given her a points penalty, Andreeva left the court angry and emotional. Earlier in the second set, Madison Keys would’ve left her feeling slightly embarrassed and rosy-cheeked when she swapped to her weaker hand and hit a left-hand winner. The American softened any embarrassment Andreeva may have felt by insisting later on: “I’ve got quite a good lefty forehand.”

Alcaraz leaves Kyrgios looking silly

Nick Kyrgios was left looking rather silly after claiming that Matteo Berrettini was the last hope to stop Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon this year. “I think the only person now who honestly can take down or trouble Novak on the grass is Berrettini…. On the grass you need a bomb for some free points. If not you are in trouble,” he wrote on Twitter.

After Berrettini took the first set, Kyrgios doubled down, adding: “Looks like my insight is credible. Alcaraz is the underdog in this match.” A few hours later, Carlos Alcaraz – who has only played in a handful of grass-court tournaments – completed his comeback to knock the Italian out in four sets.

What the hecka?

Jiri Lehecka pulled off the shot of the tournament on Monday without winning the point. Returning a serve from Daniil Medvedev, the Czech star somehow managed to loop the ball in the air behind him and find the cup of a Wimbledon punter’s Pimm’s.

Rybakina hopes convincing coach will be plane-sailing

Thrillseeker Elena Rybakina is hoping she’ll soon get the green light from her coach to go skydiving after her walkover against the injured Beatriz Haddad Maia. Asked at her press conference on Monday if she’ll be able to go if she manages to defend her Wimbledon crown, Rybakina said: “Yeah, probably he will. I don’t know. This is something I would like to do, but not like to be forced or rushed to do some kind of things. I think the best moment to do it is probably off-season.”

F1 star rolls into town

F1 star Pierre Gasly was in town after racing at Silverstone on Sunday and took the chance to hop over to Wimbledon for the day with his girlfriend Francisca Gomes. Hopefully, his day went a lot better than his race did yesterday – which ended on lap 41 after a collision with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.