Wimbledon tips: Andy Murray to get the better of Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets

The rain did not dampen Murray-Mania on Tuesday as the two-time Wimbledon champion posted an encouraging victory over fellow Briton Ryan Peniston.

However, things go up a gear on Thursday when he faces Stefanos Tsitsipas in what will be the match of the day at SW19.

Tsitsipas does not get much rest ahead of meeting Murray, with his five-setter against Dominic Thiem not finishing until the light started to fade on Wednesday.

The pair were involved in a rollicking good match, with Thiem showing glimpses of the level that once saw him rise to World No 3. However, Tsitsipas served brilliantly throughout, and particularly in the final set, eventually edging home 3-6 7-6 (1) 6-2 6-7 (5) 7-6 (8).

Thiem should be very proud of that effort and will have nightmares about the forehand he failed to put away at 7-7 in the fifth-set breaker.

It was a far more serene start to Murray's campaign. The Scot showed his famous tenacity to fight off early break points against Peniston, before going up through the gears to win 6-3 6-0 6-1.

The pair have only met twice before, with the Greek Adonis winning a moody encounter at the US Open in five sets in 2021, and Murray rolling Tsitsipas in straight-sets on grass in Stuttgart last year.

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Murray was left raging at his opponent's '20-minute toilet breaks' after that US Open defeat, so it will be interesting to see if either player tries any tactical timeouts or toilet tomfoolery late on Thursday.

I remember Murray raging at the officials due to the length of Tsitsipas' bathroom breaks in New York. We've all done it though, haven't we? Started reading the newspaper so intensely on the khazi, you end up losing the feeling in your legs.

Tsitsipas knows he will have to block out the crowd on Centre Court, saying in an interview immediately after his first-round win, "I don't expect anyone to support me. It's not my first rodeo."

The Greek star should be a natural on grass. Big server, a deft volleyer, with great movement around the court, this should arguably be his best Grand Slam.

Yet he remains an intensely frustrating player, a player who has won just six times in six appearances at Wimbledon, which is a rather woeful record for an established top-ten act.

The good news is his serve looks in fine order. In fact, he only faced three break points in five sets against Thiem, losing serve just once. At his best Murray was one of the finest returners in the business.

At the age of 36, however, his reflexes have dulled but he still knows how to play on this unique surface. Murray feels he is one of the best grass-court players in the world. He is healthy and you just can't buy the experience and nous he has at SW19.

Muzza needs to be wary of Tsitsipas' awesome backhand down the line, and, whatever happens, you get the feeling this could end up being one of those Murray matches you watch from behind the sofa.

On paper, Tsitsipas should be a favourite but the grass is a great leveller and Planet Sport Bet have Muzza as a 13/20 jolly, despite the Brit being currently ranked 35 places below his rival. The Greek is a 6/5 shot with most sports betting markets but a price that looks tasty is the 16/5 on offer about Murray winning 3-1.

Thursday's late match on Centre should be one to savour. Murray has 15 Wimbledon appearances under his belt but everyone, including the man himself, is conscious he is in the winter of his career now and that the curtain could fall at any time.

However, this looks made for a Murray masterclass so don't be surprised if this particular Scottish lion, with winter drawing near, roars once again to warm the hearts of his fans across the globe.

Tip: Andy Murray to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-1 at 16/5 (Planet Sport Bet)