Johanna Konta v Donna Vekic: How Brit went through into Wimbledon third round
JOHANNA KONTA v Donna Vekic - how Brit won 7-6 4-6 10-8 to move into Wimbledon third round.
UPDATES FROM JOHANNA KONTA V DONNA VEKIC
4.20pm: MATCH. POINT. And Vekic saves it with an ace.
All's not lost, though. Konta carves out another with a rip-roaring forward. Is this the moment?
The first serve hits the net... and Vekic dumps a forehand into the bottom of the net!
Johanna Konta is THROUGH with a 7-6 3-6 10-8 win.
Vekic is in tears there, she's giving it an almighty go but that's now THREE Brits through today.
After 3hr 10mins, Konta wins and she will play Maria Sakkari in the next round.
You have to feel for Vekic, though. She's played a cracking match but with no reward. Next up, Andy Murray.
4.17pm: Okay, it's official. This is now epic. We're over three hours and Konta holds again to lead 9-8.
And now... CHANCE.
She strikes a backhand drive volley to go 0-30 on the Vekic serve. Two points away from the match.
4.04pm: 7-6 to Konta and achance at 30-30... but not when Vekic is about. She unleashes the mother of all forehands to move to 40-30.
That's followed by a Konta backhand that floats wide.
Three hours these two have been going at it, hammer and tongs.
Vekic makes early headway on the Konta serve and gets to 0-30 - and again Konta produces two big ones to get out of trouble.
And another! Right down the tee and Vekic can't get much racket on it, before she holds. Konta leads 8-7 with some clutch serving there.
3.55pm: Konta goes 0-30 down and claws it back to 30-30 - but there's no shrugging off Vekic.
She carves out a break point but Konta saves, then her first serve finds the mark as she scrambles a hold.
No tie-break in a deciding set, remember, so this one is going on and on.
A reminder: Andy Murray is on court after this one is done.
3.45pm: It's almost impossible to believe Johanna Konta v Donna Vekic is a second-round match, such is the quality out there. It could easily be a quarter-final.
Konta bangs down an ace to go 40-15, it goes to deuce before she duly takes the game.
It's an absolute result for TV schedulers, who will have Andy Murray on Centre Court at prime-time as people come home from work.
They are the real winners.
3.39pm: If the second set saw plenty of service wobbles, this one couldn't be more different.
It's hold, hold, hold all the way and, quick as a flash, we're at 5-5.
The camera pans to Stan Wawrinka, Vekic's boyfriend, who is looking edgy.
3.30pm: There's some Kon-traversy on Centre.
"Just saw Joanna #konta eat a very unripe banana, risky!" one fan tweets. They're right. It did look very, very green.
On the court, it's dead level at 3-3 and were nearing the business end of the set.
3.15pm: A seven minute loo break - then it's hold, hold, hold at the start of the third set.
Crucial times these for Konta and Britain.
3.05pm: It's level at 30-30 - but Vekic doesn't wobble this time.
She serves the game out and it's honours even at 7-6 4-6.
We have a decider on our hands, folks.
2.56pm: Normality resumes with three holds in a row.
Vekic is a game away - on her own serve - of taking the second set 6-4.
High quality game this, with a number of clean winners. No wonder Vekic is so highly thought of.
A game away from a deciding set... Konta saved two set points in the first to win it. Can she do the same again?
2.43pm: Second set has been a funny one on Centre. Konta breaks to level at 2-2, then gets broken back straight away as Vekic takes a 3-2 lead.
Ominously, Konta has been in this position before. She was a set up in Nottingham before she threw away the lead and lost.
Konta now holds to lead 4-2 when Konta sends a forehand long. Will history repeat itself?
2.33pm: Not the start Konta was looking for, unfortunately.
She gets broken in the first game of the second set and Vekic follows that with a hold. 2-0 down, work to do.
She responds by holding to love to get on the board at 2-1.
2.20pm: Go Jo! She goes a mini-break down in the tie-break before surging back to take it 7-4.
Vekic is no gimmee and some pundits have tipped her to even win this game - but Konta has done a sterling job to stay in it - including saving two set points at 5-3.
A Brit of alright for the home hopes. Remember she's bidding to join Heather Watson, who won earlier, in round three.
2.06pm: Konta holds to go to 6-6 - and we're in for a tie-break. Vekic has already blown two set points, remember.
2.02pm: Konta's getting all the shots out now - much, much better from the Brit. She has two break poinmt at 15-40, which Vekic initially has the answers to.
A heavy forehand, followed by a canny drop-shot, creates break point number three but Konta then dumps a forehand into the net.
Vekic eventualy holds when a Konta forehand goes long and we're a game away from a tie-break at 6-5.
1.50pm: Never, never doubt Johanna Konta. She's 40-15 down but Vekic just can't shrug her off.
Konta gets to deuce, carves out a break point but Vekic saves it with an ace.
However, a double fault and a wayward forehand then gifts Konta the game and it's back on serve at 5-4. Terrific character from the Brit there.
1.45pm: Oh dear, oh dear. Konta has crumbled when the pressure is on.
She goes 0-40 down, saves one break point but that's as good as it gets as Vekic breaks to 15.
She's now serving for the set.
1.36pm: One interested fan on Centre Court right now is Stan Wawrinka, the Swiss star who was dumped out in the first-round on Monday.
He's Vekic's boyfriend and it makes for an interesting exchange on the BBC commentary.
Kim Clijsters briefly recounts her relationship with Lleyton Hewitt and laughs: "I saw plenty of five setters." The pair broke up in 2004.
On court, Konta holds and it's level at 3-3.
1.30pm: "COME ON" yells Konta. She gets to 30-30 before smashing a forehand into the top of the net. She's angry with herself there.
Konta gets a chance to make amends and does so, climbing all over the Vekic second serve to power a forehand winner down the line to get to deuce.
But Vekic has started well here and she holds her nerve - and her serve - to go 3-2 ahead with a wonderfully-precise backhand winner that clips the line.
She hit that from so wide it nearly didn't have to go over the net!
1.25pm: Four games, four holds. It's routine stuff so far on a baked Centre Court. Plenty of fanning from the, err, fans?
An angled forehand winner to put Vekic 0-15 up in the fourth game draws some polite applause from a somewhat biased Centre Court.
The advantage doesn't last long as Konta deliver's some meaty first serves to get back level.
1.06pm: In case you've missed it - and we wouldn't be surprised if you had - Heather Watson has already booked her spot in round three with a stunning showing against Latvian Anastasija Sevastova. She won 6-0 6-4 in just 61 minutes.
Can Konta make it two Brits into round three? She's on court warming up now.
1pm: The last time these two met was an absolute belter. On grass, in England, a few weeks ago... and it was Vekic who came out top.
They traded blows for two-and-a-half hours in Nottingham before Vekic edged a 2-6 7-6 7-5 win.
Despit that, Konta should - keyword, should - be favourite to win today. She's ranked seven compared to Vekic's 58 and she's far fresher - despite her injury.
The Croat was involved in a 6-7 6-4 6-1 marathon on Monday and that would have taken a bit of the tank.
Stay with us for all the latest. A reminder that Andy Murray is up next after this one.
12.55pm: Who is Donna Vekic, I hear you ask. Well, luckily we have the answers with an all-you-need-to-know guide on the 21-year-old.