Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are clearly ahead of the rest of the men's singles field, but Marion Bartoli believes both can be caught.
Alcaraz denied Djokovic a fifth straight Wimbledon title last weekend with a stunning five-set victory at SW19, to secure the 20-year-old Spaniard a second grand slam title.
As a pair, Alcaraz and Djokovic have now won the last five grand slams stretching back to last year's Wimbledon, and Bartoli feels they are far ahead of the chasing pack.
The former Wimbledon champion however suggests that gap could motivate others to work on their own game in order to catch up.
"Very much, when you look at the first three grand slams [of 2023], it's clear that there is Novak, Carlos and the rest and there is quite a gap between those two and the rest," she told Stats Perform.
"That's quite obvious with the results. That said, I think that's going to push them to sort of catch back just like Novak did with Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal].
"With [them] having more Grand Slams than him and wanting to be part of the conversation, that just pushed him to elevate his level.
"I think it's going to be the case on the ATP. I don't think the guys are going to look at Carlos and Novak saying 'Oh my god, they're just untouchable, and we're going to lose to them'.
"I think they're going to really try hard. Especially I can see [Holger] Rune, I can see [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, I can see [Daniil] Medvedev, all those and [Jannik] Sinner, being very eager and very hungry to just go and chase.
"I'm sure they can actually push them to work harder on their game to come up with something even better. So I don't see it as a runaway completely and there is no opposition.
"I think maybe it's going to take a little bit of time before they reach that level, but I just don't think it's going to be that easy in a way for Novak and Carlos to just win everything without having a say from the other players."
Bartoli, who won at SW19 in 2013 before retiring in 2018, believes Alcaraz has taken the best qualities of the 'Big Three' of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer and feels he is one of those spearheading a new era in tennis.
"In the eras before, when you look at Pete Sampras, and all those players, it was one way to play and then if you would take that play away it was a lot more difficult for them," she explained.
"If you take Alcaraz for me, what is very interesting is he has almost the best of Novak, Roger and Rafa combined and that is new. I think it's very much sort of total tennis, when you feel there is just not one department that maybe is lacking a little bit.
"There is a lot of players from this or sort of the past generation that are not that complete, who are really going to suffer against those new kids like Alcaraz, Rune and Sinner who are coming in and just having nothing you feel that they could really do better.
"In that sense, I think that's going to be the new sort of tennis we will see for the next 10 to 20 years."
Republic of Ireland midfielder Denise O’Sullivan has reflected on an “unbelievable” first taste of World Cup football and admitted adrenaline meant she felt no pain during Thursday’s defeat to Australia.
O’Sullivan had been a doubt for their Group B opener after she suffered a soft tissue and bone bruise injury during last week’s warm-up match with Colombia that was cancelled after only 20 minutes.
North Carolina captain O’Sullivan was able to recover in time to play the whole match in front of a record crowd of 75,784 at Stadium Australia and she has talked up the vocal support of the Irish fans even before the narrow 1-0 loss.
“It was sore in the game, but the medical team done a few things to make sure I wasn’t in that much pain. I think honestly the adrenaline was so high I didn’t feel anything,” O’Sullivan told RTE after Ireland’s major tournament debut.
“It was unbelievable. I can’t even describe it. We were in the tunnel waiting to walk out and we could already hear the Irish fans.
“We were just all smiling and looking at each other. It was a moment I will never forget and then walking out.
“Even to do the warm-up, they started singing right away and that’s all you could hear in the stadium, Irish fans. We definitely have the best fans in the world. It was an unbelievable experience for our opening game.”
A 52nd-minute penalty from Australia’s stand-in captain Steph Catley consigned Ireland to an opening defeat, but there were plenty of positives for Vera Pauw’s side who play Olympic champions Canada next on Wednesday in Perth.
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Eighteen-year-old Abbie Larkin was a bright note for the Girls in Green and she has been backed to further shine.
O’Sullivan said of Larkin: “Honestly, no fear. She is a little gem. I have been saying it in training leading up to this game, she is a different player.
“She’s been excellent and coming into the game, it is a lot of pressure for an 18-year-old, your first World Cup game, but she took it in her stride. She came on and was absolutely fantastic so I am really happy for her.”
When O’Sullivan broke through as a teenager in 2011, the state of Irish football was markedly differently but the 29-year-old is delighted with their progress and to finally make her major tournament debut with so many long-serving team-mates.
She added: “It was tough back then. I don’t think we had many resources and facilities or investment as we do right now.
“I would have dreamed to be at a World Cup when I was 18-years-old but it just wasn’t possible back then.
“Always in the back of my mind I did have that belief that some day I would make it to a World Cup and I am just really grateful I am here with this group of players. Some of them I have been playing with for 10 plus years and it is great to be on this journey with them.”
Freddie Freeman homered and drove in three runs and J.D. Martinez added three RBIs to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 11-5 win, ending the Texas Rangers’ six-game winning streak in a matchup of division leaders on Friday night.
Freeman, Will Smith and Martinez each had two hits and the NL West-leading Dodgers won for the ninth time in 11 games.
Los Angeles erased a 5-4 deficit by scoring seven runs over the final three innings, using three walks – one intentional to Freeman - a single and a wild pitch to push across two in the seventh.
Smith delivered a two-run double and Martinez singled home another run in the eighth, and Mookie Betts doubled home a pair in the ninth.
Rangers All-Star shortstop Corey Seager hit his 15th home run in the sixth inning against his former team to give Texas a 5-4 lead but left in the eighth after spraining his right thumb on a headfirst slide on a double.
Nathaniel Lowe also went deep for West-leading Texas, which had been the only team without a loss since the All-Star break.
Ohtani allows four home runs in win
Shohei Ohtani allowed four home runs for the first time in his career, but the Los Angeles Angels hit four homers of their own in their fourth straight win, 8-5 over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pirates rookie Henry Davis became the first player to take Ohtani deep twice and Jack Suwinski and Ji Man Choi also homered, but the Japanese superstar struck out nine and pitched into the seventh inning to rebound from losses in consecutive starts.
The Angles scored five times in the fourth and tacked on two more in the fifth.
After Ohtani led off the fourth with a walk, Mikey Moniak doubled and Taylor Ward walked in front of Mike Moustakas’ three-run homer. Two outs later, rookie Trey Cabbage connected for his first career home run.
Zach Neto and Ward homered in the fifth to extend the Angels’ lead to 8-4.
Tucker hits three home runs in Astros’ win
Kyle Tucker hit three home runs for the first time in his career and Alex Bregman also went deep to lead the Houston Astros to a 6-4 win over the Oakland Athletics.
Tucker homered off starter JP Sears in the first inning, hit a two-run shot off Sears in the fifth and had a solo blast off Tayler Scott in the seventh for his 17th of the season.
Framber Valdez allowed four runs and six hits over five innings to beat lowly Oakland for the third time this season.
The Astros have won nine straight meetings with the A’s.
Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France on this day in 2012.
Wiggins finished three minutes and 21 seconds ahead of compatriot and Team Sky colleague Chris Froome to be crowned champion in the 99th edition of the race.
The then 32-year-old was left on the verge of history following his impressive time-trial win on the penultimate day.
And there were no slip-ups during the 20th and final stage, where Wiggins helped another Team Sky rider Mark Cavendish to victory on the Champs-Elysees.
“I don’t know what to say, I’ve had 24 hours for it to soak in,” he said following his win.
“I’m still buzzing from the Champs-Elysees, the laps go so quick. I’ve got to get used to that (being in the spotlight), it’s going to take a while.
“I’m just trying to soak it all in. You never imagine it will happen to you but it’s amazing.”
Wiggins, who ended his career as a five-time Olympic gold medallist, had been favourite to win the previous year’s race, only to be sidelined after breaking his collarbone in a crash.
Following three weeks and 2,173 miles raced, wearing the yellow jersey for 13 consecutive stages, he came out on top ahead of Froome and third-placed Italian Vincenzo Nibali.
He was later named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Kenya-born Froome won four of the next five Tours, while Welshman Gerraint Thomas became the third British champion in 2018.
History was firmly on Brian Harman’s side as the American attempted to claim his first major title in the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
A stunning second round of 65 meant Harman became the ninth player in the last 40 years to hold a 36-hole lead of five strokes or more in a major, with each of the previous eight going on to win.
World number one Scottie Scheffler was the most recent to do so in last year’s Masters, while Louis Oosthuizen was the last to achieve the feat in the Open; the South African led by five at St Andrews in 2010 and won by seven.
However, nearest challenger Tommy Fleetwood was in no mood to give up the chase in front of his adoring fans, having recently produced rounds of 64 and 67 to force a play-off in the Canadian Open and winning the 2022 Nedbank Golf Challenge from four behind at halfway.
“I’ve put in chases before in the past,” Fleetwood said after a battling second round of 71.
“At the end of the day, if somebody said you’re going out in the last group on Saturday, I don’t care what the situation was or what anybody had shot, I’d have probably taken it.
“I can’t have asked for any more from anybody with all the support they’re giving me out here and everybody is talking about it.”
Shot of the day
Not much beats a hole-in-one, achieved by Travis Smyth on the short 17th, but fellow Australian and defending champion Cameron Smith managed it with a stunning eagle on the 18th to make the cut with a shot to spare.
Round of the day
Brian Harman had some of his competitors wondering which course he was actually playing after carding four birdies and an eagle in a stunning 65.
Quote of the day
Harman when asked to expand on how he followed a missed cut in the Masters by killing a pig and a turkey on his Georgia farm.
Statistic of the day
Not a good omen for Fleetwood or his thousands of fans.
Easiest hole
The par-five fifth played as the easiest for the second day running, with two eagles and 62 birdies leading to a scoring average of 4.699.
Hardest hole
Fleetwood was one of just 10 players to birdie the 14th, with almost exactly a third of the field (53 players) making bogey and 12 carding a double-bogey six. That resulted in a scoring average of 4.462.
Weather forecast
Cloudy with outbreaks of light to moderate rain, with a chance of drier spells at times. Winds gusting up to 19mph. Heavier bursts of rain are possible overnight Saturday and into Sunday.
Key tee times
0855 Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler
1425 Rory McIlroy, Max Homa
1510 Jason Day, Shubhankar Sharma
1520 Min Woo Lee, Sepp Straka
1530 Tommy Fleetwood, Brian Harman
England will have their eyes on the skies as they attempt to dodge the rain and turn three dominant days into victory in the fourth Ashes Test.
The hosts need to win at Emirates Old Trafford to have any chance of reclaiming the urn and have done everything in their power to set up a winning position.
A thumping first-innings lead of 275, built around Zak Crawley’s 189 and an unbeaten 99 from the stranded Jonny Bairstow, gave them full control before Australia slipped to 113 for four.
With Mark Wood tearing in to claim three for 17 and a cushion of 162 runs, England would back themselves to get the game moving over the weekend but may find the weather forecast harder to defeat than the tourists. Long, heavy showers are expected on Saturday and Sunday and the pressure will be on to maximise any passages of play that are possible.
With six sessions on the table they will be hoping a fresh bowling attack has enough time, but Australia seamer Josh Hazlewood has already broken cover to admit he would be happy to watch the heavens open. Marnus Labuschagne remains in place on 44 not out, with in-form all-rounder Mitch Marsh at the start of his innings.
England pile into toiling Australia
Crawley laid the foundations for England, who added 208 to their overnight score which took them to a formidable 592, with fifties for Ben Stokes, Harry Brook and Bairstow. This was England’s highest total in a home Test since August 2011, their best score in the Ashes since January 2011 at Sydney and the first time they have gone past 500 on their own shores against Australia since August 1985.
Tweet of the day
All eyes will be on the skies this weekend – and the view of the BBC lead weather presenter does not augur well.
Quote of the dayJonny 99
Bairstow was left high and dry, one short of a 13th Test ton, after number 11 batter James Anderson was trapped leg-before by Cameron Green. The previous delivery, Bairstow had turned down a risky return run which would have taken him to three figures. This was Bairstow’s second 99 at this ground – although on that occasion against South Africa six years ago Anderson was blameless as the Yorkshireman was lbw missing a sweep off Keshav Maharaj.
Pat down
An analysis of 23-0-129-1 makes for grim reading for the Australia captain, who doubtless would not have been consoled by claiming the wicket of his opposite number Ben Stokes. Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting wondered aloud on Sky Sports whether Cummins was “starting to get a bit mentally and physically worn out”, having played in and captained the side in the World Test Championship final and four Ashes matches inside the last seven weeks. His partners in crime Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc hardly fared any better as the trio leaked a barely believable 392 between them from 75 overs.
Duck-ing the trend
Chris Woakes, whose priceless 32 not out got England over the line in the Headingley run-chase, nicked off from his first ball to collect England’s first duck of the series. In the last Ashes in 2021-22, there were 17 scoreless dismissals. Woakes’ fortunes improved with the ball in hand as he snared David Warner for the second time in the match courtesy of an inside edge on to his stumps.
Century Mark
Wood snaring the valuable wicket of Steve Smith for a second time in the match, after Australia’s vaunted number four was given the hurry up by a steeply rising bouncer, was Wood’s 100th Test wicket. It has taken Wood 30 matches and eight years to reach the milestone. Interestingly, the identity of his first Test wicket was a certain Brendon McCullum – now England head coach – at Lord’s in May 2015.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is convinced Thomas Partey will remain at the Emirates, despite the arrival of England star Declan Rice.
The Ghanaian midfielder has been linked with a move to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, but Arteta said he remains a key part of his plans.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s pre-season clash with Manchester United in New Jersey, Arteta said: “Without a question of a doubt, Thomas Partey is a super important player for us and for me. I want him to be in the team.
“Every time I spoke to him and every time I have a conversation with him, his will is to stay with us. For me, there’s nothing there at all.”
He said the arrival of Rice does not mean any lessening of Partey’s role.
“They can play together and that was in my plans,” he said. “You want to improve the squad and have more quality.
“We need players who can play together but we need players in the same position who can fight for their places.
“It’s something we haven’t had over the last few years and we wanted to improve that and that’s why we bought Declan.”
Arsenal finished second behind Manchester City in the Premier League last season, having topped the table for much of the campaign – an experience Arteta believes will help his players as they look to make the next step.
“I think what happened last year probably was necessary to learn the lessons you have to learn get better and be more successful and achieve what we want to achieve,” he said. “It’s part of that road and that journey.
“The level is going to go up. Teams are getting better and the league is getting stronger, it is only going to get harder.
“We have to be better. We have to play better and we have to do things better than we did last year. That’s what we are working on at the moment.”
Olexsandr Zinchenko, who made a huge impression in his first season after switching from Manchester City, is convinced they can make that step.
He said: “I said a lot of times in the past, I have the feeling and, the smell I would say, that Arsenal’s time is coming.
“Unfortunately last season we didn’t achieve what we wanted but it was a lot of good lessons for us during the season and, for sure, it will help us during the next one. I’m full of confidence so let’s see what’s going to happen.”
The Ukrainian international has had to deal with plenty off the pitch after the Russian invasion of his country and urged people to keep on supporting their fight.
He said: “I know some people have got fatigue from this war but we cannot give up.
“All of us we need to fight for our freedom, our independence.
“Today it is Ukraine, tomorrow it could be your country. That’s why we need to stick together and fight until the end.
Lee McGregor suffered defeat in a punishing contest against Mexico’s Erik Robles for the vacant IBO super-bantamweight title in Edinburgh.
Robles claimed a unanimous points victory following a relentless performance in McGregor’s home city.
The previously unbeaten 26-year-old Scot never backed off during a fast start from the Mexican and looked to be gaining control in the middle rounds, but his opponent kept dipping into his resources of energy when he looked like he might struggle.
Robles was the busier fighter in the frantic opening rounds as the pair stood toe to toe at Meadowbank Sports Centre. The Mexican peppered the home fighter with a series of hooks as McGregor kept his hands up and launched occasional upper cuts in response.
Former British, Commonwealth and European champion McGregor took a smarter approach after the halfway stage and used his reach advantage to fight from longer range and work the body. But each time the Mexican looked like he was set to fade, he would find a flurry of punches.
Robles got back on top in the ninth round and the visitor piled on the pressure in the 10th as the pair again engaged in close combat. McGregor hurt his opponent with a body shot but could not follow up.
The Scot could not muster the energy to launch a final onslaught and Robles chased his opponent around the ring in the closing seconds before both boxers claimed victory.
It was no surprise the visitor was awarded victory though with British judge Terry O’Connor scoring the contest 116-113 and the other two judges both giving Robles the win by two rounds.
The Baltimore Ravens added further depth to the running back position Friday by reaching an agreement with veteran Melvin Gordon on a one-year contract.
NFL.com reports that Gordon, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, can earn up to $3.1 million. The deal is pending a physical.
Gordon has rushed for 900 or more yards four times in an eight-year career spent with the Chargers and Denver Broncos, though he managed a career-low 318 with two touchdowns in 2022 and was released by the Broncos in November after fumbling five times in 10 games.
The 30-year-old finished last season on the Kansas City Chiefs' practice squad but was not elevated to the active roster.
Gordon's 69 total touchdowns are the third-most among active running backs, and he recorded nine or more in six straight seasons before having that streak end in 2022.
The 2015 first-round pick will face plenty of competition to earn a roster spot with the Ravens, who bring back three running backs who rushed for over 250 yards last season in J.K. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill.
Gordon has accumulated 6,462 rushing yards in 108 career regular-season games, along with 309 receptions totalling 2,467 yards. He spent the last three seasons with the Broncos after a five-year tenure with the Chargers from 2015-19.
Jonny Bairstow took aim at his detractors, describing the criticism he has faced as “out of order” after lifting England into the boxseat in the fourth Ashes Test.
After bashing Australia’s tiring bowlers in his unbeaten 99 off 81 balls to help England to a mammoth 592 all out, an aggrieved Bairstow continued on the offensive at the end of the third day’s play.
While a golden summer with the bat last year meant he was destined to return after recovering from a horrific leg break he suffered last August, the decision for Bairstow to take on wicketkeeping duties against Australia has backfired as the Yorkshireman has dropped seven catches and missed a stumping.
England have resisted calls to restore gloveman Ben Foakes, dropped to facilitate the return of Bairstow, who believes his knockers have failed to take into account the severity of an injury in which he broke his left leg in three places and dislocated his ankle after slipping on a golf course.
“You’ve got to have a bit of perspective on it,” Bairstow told the BBC. “I’ve not played in months and I’ve not kept properly in three years.
“There’s obviously been a lot of talk and things like that, some of which I think has been a bit out of order to be honest but that’s part and parcel of people having an opinion.
“There are times when if people had a conversation with you individually and found out a bit more about the injury or the ankle and how everything’s going, they might have a slightly different view or perspective on it.”
He added on Sky Sports: “The leg break could have ended my career. There are times when you have aches and pains, and people say you’re limping – yeah I am at times! Because there’s a lot going on in my ankle.”
There is a perception that Bairstow tends to perform well when he feels he has a point to prove and Australia’s bowlers bore the brunt of any ill-feeling he had after flaying 10 fours and four sixes as he amassed his highest score since his injury.
However, Bairstow, who was left stranded one run short of three figures after last man James Anderson fell lbw to Cameron Green, insisted he does not need to be fired up to be at his best.
“Everyone thinks I play better when people have a go at me,” Bairstow said. “It gets a bit tiresome, to be honest.
“I’ve played a lot of cricket now. To keep being told you’re rubbish – if I was that rubbish I wouldn’t have played 94 Tests.
“To score 99 you’re pretty happy, aren’t you. I put on a really nice partnership at the end with Jimmy.”
Bairstow snaffled two catches as Mark Wood’s three-wicket haul helped reduce Australia to 113 for four, still trailing by 162, but unsettled weather over the weekend could dampen their victory push at Emirates Old Trafford.
“The weather is the weather, I’m not Michael Fish,” Bairstow said with a smile. “In the circumstances of the game to get 275 in front and then to take four wickets tonight for 100 is all we could have done.”
As well as his work behind the stumps coming under scrutiny, Bairstow was at the centre of the series’ biggest flash point as he was opportunistically stumped by Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey at Lord’s.
Bairstow stepped out of his crease believing the ball to be dead after ducking a Green bouncer but Carey gathered the ball and in one motion threw down the stumps earlier this month, prompting controversy to the extent that the Prime Ministers of both England and Australia had their say.
“It wasn’t the way I wanted to be out down at Lord’s,” Bairstow added. “That is part and parcel of the game. We have seen it in other occasions. I have heard about it in club cricket.
“That’s not necessarily what you want to be hearing. The example for me when you are looking at young kids coming up. You want to be playing the game and play it how I have always played it, you play it tough, you play it fair.”
Shericka Jackson humbled a crack field to win the 200m in Monaco on Thursday where triple jump phenom Jaydon Hibbert defeated some of the world’s best jumpers in his first ever Diamond League meeting.
Going up against USA champion Gabby Thomas, the world leader at 21.60 and the talented professional newcomer Julien Alfred as well former European champion Dina Asher Smith, Jackson found herself challenged coming into the home straight but called her on superior strength and speed to win in 21.86.
Alfred, in only her second meet as a professional, ran a smart 22.08 for second place. Asher-Smith was third in a season-best 22.23.
With a month to go before the World Championships in Budapest, the world champion was pleased with the performance.
“It was great for me today. Last time, I was second here, so to come here and take the win, it is really really good. I had three competitions in a week so it is a bit hard for me. One more coming up, it will be London,” said Jackson, who was not entirely happy with the first part of her race.
“I do not think that the curve was as good as I wanted but I managed to go until the finish so it was good. I have one more coming up so I am glad I finished this one healthy. I keep training and keep competing.
“I had a hard training session yesterday and still I was able to run 21 so that is good. I want to make sure I am on the top of my shape in Budapest. “
Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas, who ran a lifetime best of 22.15 at the Diamond League Meeting in Rabat in May, clocked in at 22.40 to finish fourth. Thomas, who was among the leaders early and was expected to be in the mix down the home stretch but faded badly to finish in seventh in 22.67.
Hibbert, meanwhile, suffered his first loss in the triple jump this season despite producing a fantastic effort of 17.66M that was four centimetres short of Hugues Fabrice Zango’s winning effort of 17.70m. The man from Burkino Faso snatched the win on the very last jump of the competition.
Yasser Mohammed Triki of Algeria, who held the lead briefly after a season-best third-round jump of 17.32m, had to settle for third place.
Ackeem Blake was third in the 100m running 10.00 behind Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, who took the win in 9.92 over Letsile Tebogo, who clocked in at 9.93.
Yohan Blake was fourth in 10.01 with Kishane Thompson fifth in 10.04.
The meet will be remembered by another breathtaking performance from Faith Kipyegon, who smashed the world record for the one mile run. The Kenyan clocked 4:07.64 breaking the previous record of 4:12.33 set by Sifan Hassan in 2019.
Nia Ali took a close win over compatriot Kendra Harrison in the 100m hurdles. The mother of three clocked in a personal-best, world-leading and meet record time of 12.30, just 0.01 ahead Harrison, the former world record holder.
Another American Alaysha Johnson was third in 12.39.
The men’s 400m hurdles was a firecracker of a race billed as a clash between world-record holder Karsten Warholm and the reigning world champion Alison dos Santos, who was running his first hurdles race after rehabilitating from knee surgery.
And for the first 300m it was a battle before Warholm pulled away from the struggling Brazilian to win in a Diamond League and world-leading 46.51, a meet record. Dos Santos ran 47.66 with American CJ Allen close behind in 47.84.
American Brian Harman responded to missing the cut in the Masters in April by returning to his farm in Georgia and killing a pig and a turkey.
Three months later, the left-hander carved out a commanding five-shot lead over home favourite Tommy Fleetwood at the halfway stage of the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
Harman carded four birdies in a row on the front nine and holed from 15 feet for an eagle on the 18th to complete a flawless second round of 65 and post a 10-under-par halfway total of 132.
That matched those recorded at Hoylake by Rory McIlroy in 2014 and Tiger Woods in 2006, although both men were 12 under on their way to lifting the Claret Jug as the course was a par-72 at the time.
It also made Harman the first player to lead the Open by five shots after 36 holes since Louis Oosthuizen in 2010, the South African going on to win by seven at St Andrews.
Fleetwood, who must have been taken aback to start his second round so far behind after sharing the overnight lead, closed to within four when he birdied the 14th and 15th, but dropped a shot on the next and eventually signed for a hard-fought 71.
That at least got the 32-year-old from Southport into the final group with Harman for Saturday’s third round, with Austria’s Sepp Straka a shot behind Fleetwood following a brilliant 67 which included six birdies and a bogey in his last seven holes.
Nine years after lifting the Claret Jug at Hoylake, McIlroy heads into the weekend nine behind Harman after a closing birdie saw him add a second round of 70 to his opening 71.
Speaking after his stunning 65, Harman happily explained the story behind his unusual reaction to his Masters missed cut, laughing off a query about whether the local livestock would be safe this weekend.
“Sheep don’t taste as good as the turkeys do I would imagine,” Harman said.
“I’ve been a hunter my entire life. I enjoy the strategy of it. Yeah, we eat a lot of wild meat at my house, so I enjoy butchering, and I do a lot of hunting.”
Harman, who is bidding to become just the third left-hander to win the Open after Bob Charles (1963) and Phil Mickelson (2013), admitted he owed his position to a “hot putter” and would need to work hard on not getting ahead of himself this weekend.
“I’m just not trying to get too caught up in it. It’s just golf. I think when I held the 54-hole lead at the US Open (in 2017) I just probably thought about it too much.
“It’s hard for me. I’ve always struggled with trying to predict the future and trying to forecast what’s going to happen. I’ve just tried to get really comfortable just not knowing.
Harman made his Open debut at Hoylake in 2014 and finished 26th, but missed the cut on his next four appearances before finishing 19th in 2021 and sixth last year.
“I came over early for the Scottish Open last year and I think I beat two people; played horrible,” he said. “Then played bad the first day at St Andrews and was like, ‘Golly, I love coming over here but I’m getting my teeth kicked in’.
“I had a really nice back nine in the second round, made the cut by a couple and then played really well on the weekend.
“I’d say it was nice to finally turn the corner last year. This is my eighth Open Championship and before last year I’d never really even been anywhere close to in contention or even doing halfway decent.”
Australia’s Josh Hazlewood admitted he would be happier to watch it rain than try and wrestle the fourth Ashes Test from England’s grasp.
The tourists have been comprehensively outplayed over three days at Emirates Old Trafford, watching the hosts pile up a 275-run first-innings lead before being reduced to 113 for four in the evening session.
Their only realistic hope of avoiding defeat lies in the skies, with a dismal weekend weather forecast threatening to drown out the fixture.
A damp draw would be enough for Australia to retain the urn, albeit in the flattest of fashions, but Hazlewood welcomed the prospect.
“It would be great to lose a few overs here and there and make our job a bit easier hanging in there, that’s pretty obvious,” he said.
“I would be very pleased. It is forecast, but the forecast can change all the time. There’s rain around but rain and light plays a big part in cricket and has done forever.
“We’re a long way behind, as you can see on the scoreboard. We’re well behind and it’s easy to see that.”
Hazlewood, who took a five-wicket haul amid an attacking blitz from England, stood firm behind his skipper Pat Cummins after what has surely been the most difficult few days of his tenure.
Cummins has looked reactive and muddled in the field, returned the worst bowling figures of his career (one for 129), misread two catches and got out to the first ball of day two.
“It’s a good learning experience,” said Hazlewood.
“He hasn’t been captain for a long period of time and we’ve probably had the better rub of the green for the whole period he’s been captain. He’ll no doubt sit down with the coaches and go through a few things, but he’s a very quick learner.
“Hopefully it doesn’t happen again but in those positions he is still very calm… nothing flustered at any stage.”
James Fuller took four wickets as Hampshire completed their fifth win of the LV= County Championship season against Nottinghamshire to close the gap on leaders Surrey.
Tom Moores flayed tired bowlers in the evening with 81 to threaten just the chance of a remarkable upset but became the first of five final wickets to fall in 90 minutes as Hampshire completed a 116-run victory.
Matt Henry followed up his T20 Finals Day heroics with five wickets to set up a nine-wicket victory for Somerset over Northamptonshire.
Henry finished with figures of five for 73, taking eight wickets in the match after Northamptonshire were bowled out for 224 in their second innings.
Somerset duly knocked off the 54 runs required inside 11 overs before lunch to continue their winning ways, with Tom Lammonby powering six boundaries in an undefeated innings of 30.
Middlesex’s batting frailties were ruthlessly exposed by London rivals Surrey as the reigning champions closed in on a big win at Lord’s.
Aussie seamer Sean Abbott, Jamie Overton and Tom Lawes claimed three wickets apiece as the hosts crumbled from their overnight 179 for five to 238 all out in their first innings.
Following on 195 behind, stand-in skipper Mark Stoneman led the resistance with 72 as Middlesex reached 272 for nine, a lead of only 77.
Harry Finch batted for almost five hours in recording a valiant century as Kent prevented Essex from claiming victory inside three days.
Essex, looking for a fourth-successive win to put pressure on Championship leaders Surrey, endured a frustrating day in the field as Finch led the way in partnerships of 93 and 72 with Ben Compton (39) and Joey Evison (56 not out) in his 114.
Kent finished the day on 265 for seven – 14 runs ahead with three wickets in hand.
Lancashire are hoping for kind weather on the last day of their match with Warwickshire after they took charge on the third day at Edgbaston.
After bowling the home side out for 212, for a first-innings lead of 115, Lancashire closed a rain-shortened third day on 182 for six – 297 ahead as Keaton Jennings constructed an unbeaten 64 (174 balls).
Josh Tongue claimed the three remaining wickets inside 18 minutes as Worcestershire wrapped up a 100-run win over Leicestershire in Division Two.
The victory enabled the Pears to move level on points in the table with Leicestershire as both counties chase promotion.
Tongue, who was released from the England squad at Old Trafford to rejoin his county team-mates, took five for 29 – his best return of the season – as Leicestershire were dismissed for 137.
Yorkshire tried their utmost to force victory over Sussex inside three days but 58 apiece for opener Tom Clark and wicketkeeper Oli Carter helped thwart them.
Yorkshire advanced their first-innings reply to 364 for eight declared, meaning Sussex started their second innings 148 behind. And they closed on 236 for seven, a lead of 88.
England fast bowler Matthew Potts paraded his batting credentials as Durham piled on the runs against Derbyshire at Derby.
Potts scored 64 and shared an eighth-wicket stand of 110 from 113 balls with Brydon Carse, who made 80 on a day of stoppages.
The Division Two leaders secured maximum batting points for the sixth time this season before they were bowled out for 575, with fast bowler Sam Conners claiming five for 115.
That gave Durham a lead of 132 but Derbyshire responded strongly in their second innings to close on 89 without loss – 43 behind – with Luis Reece 54 not out.
Billy Root fell two short of a century as Glamorgan blitzed their way to maximum batting points on the second day of their match with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.
Kiran Carlson (76), Root (98) and Chris Cooke (86 not out) helped the visitors extend their first innings from an overnight 152 for two to 450 for six declared on the fast-scoring College Ground.
By the close, Gloucestershire had moved to 134 for one in their second innings, Chris Dent leading the way with 61 not out.
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