Serena targets Wimbledon last 16 on 'People's Sunday'

Serena Williams takes the starring role on 'People's Sunday' at Wimbledon when she tackles Germany's Annika Beck for a place in the fourth round.

For only the fourth time in history, and first since 2004, play will take place on the middle Sunday as organisers try to clear the backlog caused by days of heavy rain.

Defending champion Williams is chasing a seventh All England Club title and an Open era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam trophy.

She has never met 22-year-old Beck and will be heavy favourite with the German only having won one match on four previous visits before this year.

Organisers put 22,000 tickets on general sale for Sunday and they took just 27 minutes to sell out.

Around 111,000 people tried to purchase them.

American 27th seed Coco Vandeweghe gets action under way on Centre Court against veteran Italian Roberta Vinci who shocked Serena in the US Open semi-finals last year.

The programme on the main court concludes with German teenager Alexander Zverev facing former runner-up Tomas Berdych.

The men's draw is still reeling from Saturday's shock exit of defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round.

Andy Murray will now be the joint-favourite with Roger Federer to succeed Djokovic.

Murray doesn't play Sunday but he will take a keen interest in the tie between Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios and Feliciano Lopez, the Spanish 22nd seed.

Murray will face the winner of that third round clash which was one set apiece when play was halted for bad light Saturday.

US 18th seed John Isner is two sets to one ahead of French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in their clash.

On Court 12, French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille leads former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-7 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 7-5.

That match will resume with both men having bickered and argued for large parts of Saturday's action.

Source: AFP