Don't do that to us, Andy! After four years away, Murray wins at Wimbledon... but makes his fans suffer in four-set thriller

They had been forced to wait two years for top-level tennis to return to Wimbledon – and four years to cheer on Andy Murray.

But Centre Court fans were left on the edge of their seats last night as the home favourite battled hard to overcome a stubborn opponent in four sets.

Murray’s return to SW19 was much anticipated after his lengthy injury problems.

At first, the two-time Wimbledon champion, 34, seemed to be sailing through his first-round match against 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili. 

Andy Murray defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili to progress to the second round of Wimbledon

The Brit produced one of the most extraordinary performances of his career to seal victory as the world no 28 rallied back to take the third set and had the momentum going into the fourth

But Centre Court fans were left on the edge of their seats last night as home favourite Andy Murray battled hard to overcome a stubborn opponent in four sets

He comfortably won the first two sets and was 5-0 up in the third before going on to lose it 7-5 to the 29-year-old Georgian player. He eventually won the fourth 6-3.

Fans were delighted to see him on good form considering he has been plagued with groin and hip injury issues – the latter of which saw him undergo surgery to have a metal rod fitted in 2019.

Supporters could be heard shouting, ‘Looking like the old days, Andy’ and ‘We know you can play’ as his wife Kim and mother Judy cheered him on from courtside.

Murray had previously said he was resigned to not having his wife and four children – Sophia, five, Edie, three, Teddie, one, and a third daughter, born in March – watching him due to the coronavirus restrictions.

But Kim was able to attend yesterday and could be seen clapping from the stands in a white blouse and blue jeans.

Kim Sears was able to attend yesterday and could be seen clapping from the stands in a white blouse and blue jeans

The Scotsman's wife was in the crowd to cheer her husband on to his first win back at SW19

In heartwarming scenes this afternoon, Dame Sarah (sat front centre) appeared overcome with emotion as the crowd stood and applauded her incredible feat

Her work on the Covid-19 vaccine earned her a spot on The Times' 'Science Power List' in May 2020 but she remained humble

While there was plenty of action on the show courts on the opening day of the championships, play was delayed on the outside courts for much of the day due to rain with several matches being cancelled. 

Fans serve up a standing ovation for Covid heroes

Experts behind Britain’s vaccination programme and the daughter of Captain Sir Tom Moore were given a standing ovation as they sat in the Royal Box yesterday.

The impromptu applause erupted before the first match on Centre Court.

Dame Sarah Gilbert, who led the team behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, fought back tears as the crowd cheered.

Crowds at Wimbledon's Centre Court gave a standing ovation to Oxford Covid vaccine designer Dame Sarah Gilbert

Her colleague, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group, was also honoured.

The Duke of Kent joined in the tribute before tennis fans cheered fundraiser Sir Tom, 100, who raised over £33million for the NHS.

His daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, blew kisses as her late father’s image was shown.

Announcers paid tribute to the 'important work' done by keyworkers before the first game on Centre Court between defending champion Novak Djokovic and 19-year-old Jack Draper from the UK

Hundreds of free tickets have been handed to key workers to say thank you for their work in the pandemic.

Boris Johnson later praised the crowd for serving up ‘an inspiring moment at Centre Court’.

But the heavy rain and limited capacity – numbers have been halved this week due to the pandemic – did little to dampen the fans’ spirits.

Katie Boulter, 24, from Leicestershire, was the first British player to make it through to the second round, beating the US’s Danielle Lao in three sets – after dropping the first.

The wildcard said having her mother and grandfather in the crowd helped her win. She said: ‘It was amazing to have them there. I always feel like I get some wins when they seem to be by my side.

'To have my family out there, it means everything to me. It really helped me get over the line.’ 

Miss Boulter missed out on the championships in 2019 after suffering back problems, having made it into the second round in 2018.

‘It definitely feels pretty special to be back home, actually in front of a British crowd as well,’ she said. 

She faces a tough second-round showdown with No 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus.

Meanwhile, British teenager Jack Draper stole the nation’s heart yesterday with a stunning Wimbledon debut against reigning champion Novak Djokovic.

The 19-year-old from Surrey, who scraped in with a wildcard, put on a stirring display against the world No 1, taking the first set and bringing the crowd to its feet multiple times. 

The roaring applause and enthusiastic chants of ‘Jack, Jack’ throughout the match were amplified by the roof which had been closed due to rain. 

His 6-4 victory in the first set resulted in a standing ovation and made him the first player to take a set off Djokovic in the first round at Wimbledon for 11 years.

But it was not long before the 19-time Grand Slam winner took control and won the next three sets to secure a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Draper said he let his nerves get the better of him after having a restless night’s sleep, but was grateful for the crowd’s heartfelt support. 

‘I’m glad with the way I handled myself, the atmosphere was amazing and I’m very grateful for that,’ he said.

Speaking of clinching that first set, he added: ‘To win a set against Novak is something I won’t forget. 

'I was glad to share the court with him and hopefully in years to come I can play him again.’

The only British teenager in the world’s top 300, Draper – whose father is former Lawn Tennis Association chief Roger Draper – is tipped to become Britain’s next big star. 

His opponent was full of praise, saying: ‘I think he has done extremely well and played maturely.’

Katie Swan, 22, the first British woman to qualify in 20 years, was knocked out in the first round, as was fellow Briton Jodie Burrage.

Britain’s Number Two Heather Watson, 29, last night lost in the deciding third set of her match against US player Kristie Ahn.

Johanna Konta, 30, one of our biggest hopes, was forced to withdraw on Sunday after a close contact contracted Covid-19. 

Britain’s Number Two Heather Watson , 29, last night lost in the deciding third set of her match against US player Kristie Ahn, while Katie Boulter, 24, from Leicestershire, was the first British player to make it through to the second round, beating the US’s Danielle Lao in three sets

Hundreds of people queued for entry into Wimbledon as officials directed cars and checked PCR test results

Romeo Beckham and Mia Regan watching the action on Centre Court at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships

The tournament returned yesterday after being cancelled for the first time since the Second World War last year. 

Efforts to make the event safer have seen its famous queue scrapped along with paper tickets in favour of a virtual line with smart phones needed for entry. 

Some of the changes did not go down well with fans who found themselves waiting in a ‘resolution queue’ after struggling with their smartphones.

Graham Archer, 76, who has been attending since the 1970s, paid £75 for a Centre Court seat, but said he encountered ‘endless problems’ with downloading the required apps. 

He said hundreds were waiting to get in as ‘they’ve made a right mess of it’.