Marta Kostyuk is piling the pressure on Jasmine Paolini here.

She couldn't convert her first break point but has earned a second with another forehand winner.

Emily Salley
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

Elise Mertens wasn't gone for too long and she gives herself a little pep talk as she heads to the baseline, shaking her fist as she prepares to serve.

Leon Smith
GB Davis Cup captain on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, PA Media

Paolini finished 2024 fourth in the world, last year eighth in the world, so it's not been going the way she wanted in the first half of this year but what a time for it to pick up in this second half.

Everyone loves watching her with her positivity and smile on her face on court.

Naomi Cavaday
Former British tennis player on BBC Two

That first set slipped away from Elise Mertens quite quickly. Up until the break of serve, it had been so close.

Linda Noskova threw herself at that set point. A lot of people talk about her strike but her movement has been excellent today. There has been great work on the short balls and defensive balls on display.

She has been doing an awful lot of box-ticking.

Emily Salley
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

Elise Mertens let out a frustrated cry when she was broken and now she storms off the court for a re-set.

She had one break point at the very start of the set, but since then she hasn't been able to do much on Linda Noskova's serve.

The Czech player has dominated the baseline rallies and looked the better of the two at the net.

Indeed, the stats show Noskova was certainly that set's better player...

Another iffy service game from Jasmine Paolini.

There's a lovely pick-up off her laces as she comes on the approach - a tactic which is really working for her - but the following point she puts a loose backhand in the net.

Make that two loose backhands in a row from the Italian. Deuce.

Annabel Croft
Former British number one on BBC Radio 5 Live

Mertens looks very disappointed at the moment.

Turning her back on court and playing with the strings. She has a face of deep disappointment.

Marta Kostyuk holds to 15.

On the opening point, she rushes the net to take a forehand drive volley out of the air. Not just a baseline bruiser.

At 40-15, she comes into the net again and shows her athleticism to chase back and recover a lob. Jasmine Paolini is left frustrated as she plants an attacking forehand, taken halfway up the court, into the net.

Image source, Getty Images

A hold to love - and from nowhere, an opening set that long looked destined for a tie-break goes the way of Linda Noskova.

The 21-year-old clinches it in style with a diving backhand at the net after a fine rally.

Anne Keothavong
Former British number one on BBC Two

The pressure was building for Elise Mertens on serve.

Linda Noskova had already had a number of break point opportunities, but she was finally able to convert there.

Some ultra attacking tennis from Linda Noskova is rewarded with the first service break of the match.

Elise Mertens had little answer to the Czech's deep, big hitting during that deuce duel and the world number 12 now has the chance to serve out the opening set.

Harry Poole
BBC Sport at Wimbledon

It’s hot. Maybe too hot…

But Jasmine Paolini manages to keep her cool after Marta Kostyuk brings the early heat here in the Italian’s second service game.

Both players appear to have settled in quickly here and it’s already simmering nicely between two top players who stand next to one another in the rankings.

Jasmine Paolini offers a clenched fist to her box as a backhand from Marta Kostyuk flies long. She's been given an early warning about the threat the 12th seed poses from the baseline.

Anne Keothavong
Former British number one on BBC Two

That was an excellent move from Linda Noskova to go 0-30 up. She got on to the short ball, found the depth and didn't allow the ball to drop as she moved in for the volley.

This is really high quality tennis from both women.

Image source, PA Media

Elise Mertens thrashes a volley long - she could have that let that bounce but chose to hit it as it dropped out of the sky and it proved a wrong decision.

A wonderful reach for a stretching drop-backhand-volley at the net, however, gets the Belgian out of a spot at bother at 0-30.

Linda Noskova twice goes long in the rallies that follow but a bit of a swingy backhand from Mertens takes us to deuce...

Jasmine Paolini is cruising towards another hold at 40-0 before mistakenly engaging Marta Kostyuk in a trio of baseline exchanges.

The Ukrainian, standing on top of the baseline, smacks deep return after deep return and exploits the extremities of the court to force deuce.

Defending men's doubles champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool are in quarter-final action today at Wimbledon.

But the British pair trail, having lost the first set 6-2 to Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic on court two.

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Marta Kostyuk closes out a hold to 15 with an ace. Both players are on the board.

A very commanding hold of serve from Linda Noskova, sealed with an ace.

Both players finding their feet on their serve now after nervy starts.

Everything pointed to a close match in the build-up - and it's been exactly that.