Andy Murray and Serena Williams must wait for mixed doubles debut

Andy Murray and mixed doubles partner Serena Williams discuss tactics during a practice session at Wimbledon yesterday. Picture: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The multiple grand slam champions were due to begin their partnership against Andreas Mies and Alexa Guarachi on Centre Court.

But with Cori Gauff taking three sets to beat Polona Hercog in the final scheduled match on there, and Williams in early action in the singles on Saturday, tournament organisers announced they would not play.

That means both players will have a fixture pile-up as Murray is involved in men’s doubles while Williams opens the Court One action against Julia Goerges.

Murray and Williams had earlier been on the practice court putting their final preparations in place.

Meanwhile, Andy will not face his brother Jamie in the men’s doubles after Jamie and Neal Skupski were knocked out in the first round.

The siblings would have met in the third round had both got through their opening two matches.

Jamie and fellow Brit Skupski were beaten 2-6, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 by Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek on Court 18, having returned after bad light suspended play the previous evening.

Andy and partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert won their first-round match against Marius Copil and Ugo Humbert on Thursday evening.

They face Franko Skugor and Nikola Mektic in the second round today.