England have moved early to throw their backing behind Jonny Bairstow, retaining the wicketkeeper for next week’s fourth Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford.
The selectors have resisted the temptation to send a mid-series call out to Surrey’s Ben Foakes, with Bairstow retained as the only gloveman in an unchanged 14-man squad.
The Yorkshireman has endured a difficult series behind the stumps, missing eight chances of varying difficulty in the first three games, leading to calls for Foakes to be restored.
But England have nipped such talk in the bud at the earliest opportunity by naming the same group for next Wednesday’s clash in Manchester, another must-win for the hosts who are 2-1 down with two to play following their victory over Australia at Headingley.
Foakes has repeatedly been hailed as the best wicketkeeper in the world by captain Ben Stokes, but the 30-year-old was the odd man out at the start of the summer when Bairstow’s return to fitness following a badly broken leg and the rise of Harry Brook left England with a dilemma.
Bairstow’s movement has not looked as sharp since returning from injury, hardly any surprise after he sustained three separate fractures in his left leg, ligament damage and a dislocated ankle, but he retains the backing of a hierarchy who like to stick to their guns when it comes to personnel.
He has only fired once with the bat in the current Ashes series, making a run-a-ball 78 on the first day of the series, but he has shown before just how dangerous he can be when the mood is with him.
He was England’s Test player of the year in 2022, setting the tone for the ‘Bazball’ era with four exhilarating hundreds last summer. Head coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes both promised his place would be kept open when he suffered his freak accident on a golf course and have been as good as their word.
He will now be hoping to pay that faith back at Old Trafford. Ollie Robinson also takes his place in the 14 despite back spasms rendering him a peripheral figure in the previous match.
Robinson will join up with the side and is being monitored by the medical team, but is favourite to make way for the return of record wicket-taker James Anderson at his home ground.
Caster Semenya was discriminated against by rules which forced her to lower her testosterone levels in order to continue competing, according to a judgement from the European Court of Human Rights.
The 32-year-old South African, a two-time 800 metres Olympic champion, was legally identified as female at birth but has a condition which means her body naturally produces higher levels of testosterone than women without the condition.
She has been unable to compete at her favoured distance since 2019, following the introduction of limits on testosterone levels for female athletes which would have forced her to use medication.
Previous legal challenges to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Supreme Court were rejected, but the ECHR found her human rights had been violated.
World Athletics said in response to the judgement that it believes its rules on athletes with differences of sexual development (DSD) are “necessary, reasonable and proportionate” to protect fair competition in the female category. The international federation said it would encourage the Swiss state – which is the respondent in the ECHR case rather than World Athletics – to refer the matter to the Grand Chamber of the ECHR for a final judgement.
A release issued by the court on Tuesday morning stated: “The Court found in particular that the applicant had not been afforded sufficient institutional and procedural safeguards in Switzerland to allow her to have her complaints examined effectively, especially since her complaints concerned substantiated and credible claims of discrimination as a result of her increased testosterone level caused by differences of sex development (DSD).”
Tuesday’s ECHR decision was a majority decision – with four of the seven chamber members finding Semenya’s rights had been violated.
A legal summary of the case said Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which relates to discrimination, had been violated, along with Article 13 which related to the absence of effective remedies to tackle that discrimination.
World Athletics’ statement read: “World Athletics notes the judgment of the deeply divided Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
“We remain of the view that the DSD regulations are a necessary, reasonable and proportionate means of protecting fair competition in the female category as the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Swiss Federal Tribunal both found, after a detailed and expert assessment of the evidence.
“The case was filed against the state of Switzerland, rather than World Athletics.
“We will liaise with the Swiss Government on the next steps and, given the strong dissenting views in the decision, we will be encouraging them to seek referral of the case to the ECHR Grand Chamber for a final and definitive decision.
“In the meantime, the current DSD regulations, approved by the World Athletics Council in March 2023, will remain in place.”
Semenya’s legal team have been contacted for comment.
Baheer could be heading to Goodwood for the Molecomb Stakes after his eyecatching victory at Newbury last week.
The Richard Hannon-trained two-year-old stepped up on his debut when runner-up to shock 150-1 winner Zoulu Chief over the same six-furlong course and distance, taking a novice by a stylish two and a half lengths.
A son of Mehmas, he travelled strongly and was eased before the finish, and jockey Pat Dobbs feels he could be poised to make his mark in better company in the near future.
“His work in the spring was brilliant, but he was gelded because he was getting a little bit out of control,” said Dobbs.
“So that takes him out of a lot of the good races. He’s only won a maiden, but he travels very good and feels like a five-furlong horse.”
Owned by Al Shaqab Racing, Baheer appreciated the fast ground and Dobbs feels only inexperience and immaturity is holding him back.
He added: “There is talk about the Molecomb, but they might put him in a nursery to see what mark he gets first. I think it might possibly be a bit early for him to be a Molecomb horse.
“Fast ground is very important to him – he doesn’t bend his knees a lot. He got beat obviously the first time on soft ground, which was a shock because we couldn’t see him getting beat.
“He is a good horse, but whether you’ll see it in his next run or a couple of runs later, I’m not sure. He has a mind of his own, but a lot of ability – more or less like the boss!” he laughed.
Caster Semenya was discriminated against by rules which forced her to lower her testosterone levels in order to continue competing, according to a judgement from the European Court of Human Rights.
The 32-year-old, a two-time 800 metres Olympic champion, was legally identified as female at birth but has a condition which means her body naturally produces higher levels of testosterone than women without the condition.
She has been unable to compete at her favoured distance since 2019, following the introduction of limits on testosterone levels for female athletes which would have forced her to use medication.
Previous legal challenges to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Supreme Court were rejected, but the ECHR found her human rights had been violated.
A release issued by the court stated: “The Court found in particular that the applicant had not been afforded sufficient institutional and procedural safeguards in Switzerland to allow her to have her complaints examined effectively, especially since her complaints concerned substantiated and credible claims of discrimination as a result of her increased testosterone level caused by differences of sex development (DSD).”
A legal summary of the case said Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which relates to discrimination, had been violated, along with Article 13 which related to the absence of effective remedies to tackle that discrimination.
Like father, like son.
Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won Major League Baseball's 2023 All-Star Home Run Derby Monday at Seattle's T-Mobile Park, accomplishing the feat his Hall of Fame father achieved 16 years earlier.
Guerrero Jr. defeated Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena, 25-23, in the final round to become the first Blue Jays player to be crowned Home Run Derby champion. He lost to New York Mets star Pete Alonso in the 2019 final in Cleveland despite finishing the event with a record 91 homers.
Vladimir Guerrero Sr. won the 2007 title in San Francisco as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. The Guerreros are the only father-son duo to win the event.
The younger Guerrero's 25 homers in the final round were a Derby record, eclipsing the 23 Alonso hit when winning the first of two straight titles in 2019.
Alonso's bid to join Seattle Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. as the only three-time champion ended early. The first baseman was ousted in the opening round by crowd favourite Julio Rodriguez, who blasted 41 homers at his home park to set a Home Run Derby record for the most in a single round. Alonso finished with 21.
Guerrero Jr. had held the previous single-round record of 40 during his 2019 appearance.
Rodriguez, who lost to current San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto in last year's final at Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium, managed under half that total in the second round as Guerrero defeated the Mariners standout, 21-20, to advance.
Guerrero reached the second round by easily outdistancing Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts by a 26-11 count.
Arozarena began the festivities with a 24-17 victory over fellow Cuban and Texas Rangers star Adolis Garcia, then hit 35 homers in the second round to eliminate top-seeded Luis Robert of the Chicago White Sox. Robert edged Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman, 28-27, in the first round but slipped to 22 in the second.
Arozarena's 82 homers for the night were the second most in Home Run Derby history, behind only Guerrero's 2019 performance. Rodriguez totalled 81 in last year's edition.
Wimbledon heads towards the business end as the quarter-finals get under way on Tuesday.
World number one Iga Swiatek opens Centre Court with her highly-anticipated clash with Elina Svitolina while Novak Djokovic looks to extend his SW19 invincibility against Andrey Rublev.
Here, the PA news agency unpacks day nine.
Match of the DayView this post on InstagramThe Ukrainian capped a brilliant first week with that dramatic victory over Victoria Azarenka to make it back-to-back quarter-finals at grand slams following the birth of her first child.
How much energy is left in the tank remains to be seen and her resolve will be tested against Swiatek, who is in the last-eight for the first time in SW19.
She saved match points against Belinda Bencic to get there and she will be eyeing more domination following her recent win at the French Open.
Pegula under the radarJessica Pegula has been something of a footnote in this year’s tournament so far, having sailed through to the last-eight without much trouble.
But the number four seed might have a few people worried as she has dropped just one set on her way to another grand slam quarter-final – her fifth in the last seven.
The 29-year-old has shown remarkable consistency over the last 18 months and Marketa Vondrousova stands in her way of a first grand slam semi-final.
The kids are alrightAfter four wins for British players in the girls’ tournament on Monday it is the boys’ turn on Tuesday, with five hopefuls due to play.
Viktor Frydrych, Henry Searle, Freddy Blaydes, Henry Jefferson and Charlie Robertson are all in second-round action as we get a glimpse into the next generation of home players.
There are also plenty of girls and boys in doubles action as they enjoy their moment on home soil.
Order of play
Centre Court
Iga Swiatek v Elina Svitolina
Andrey Rublev v Novak Djokovic
Court One
Jessica Pegula v Marketa Vondrousova
Jannik Sinner v Roman Safiullin
Clijsters/Hingis v Schiavone/Vinci
Staying warm with a risk of scattered showers
The San Antonio Spurs have seen enough from Victor Wembanyama in Las Vegas.
Wembanyama, the much-hyped No. 1 overall pick from last month’s draft, will not play in any more Summer League games this season, multiple media outlets reported Monday.
The news comes a day after the 19-year-old scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his second and final Summer League game.
In 54 minutes of Summer League action, Wembanyama totalled 36 points, 20 rebounds, three assists and eight blocks while shooting 41 percent from the field.
After playing into June in the French League playoffs, Wembanyama was never expected to play every game for the Spurs in Las Vegas and now has an opportunity to reset before looking towards his rookie NBA season.
“I’m going to sit down with the Spurs to know what the next months are going to be like,” Wembanyama said after Sunday’s game. “When to go on vacation, when to start back working out, where I’m going to practice, in San Antonio or somewhere else.
“I just know I’ve got two to three months - two to three great months - that are coming and they’re going to change my life.”
Wembanyama’s debut Friday garnered a sell-out crowd and one of the largest U.S. television ratings in Summer League history. Sunday’s encore was a bit more modest but still drew far more attention than a typical summer game.
NBA greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West were among those who watched Wembanyama’s first NBA exhibitions.
Touted by some as the best NBA prospect since LeBron James entered the league in 2003, Wembanyama has experienced a month-long whirlwind of media attention since travelling to the United States. The teenager has responded to the spotlight like a seasoned veteran, thus far, and admitted that he would rather be on the hardwood than in front of microphones.
“In the past month, I think basketball wasn’t even 50 percent of my schedule,” Wembanyama said. “I can’t stand it. I know it’s a special moment in my life, but I’m glad it’s over. Honestly. I just want to hoop. I just want to work out, lift because this is my life. Obviously, every first pick is going to go through this. And it just makes me better for the future.”
Wembanyama’s apparent humility and workmanlike attitude do not fit well with flashy Las Vegas, but they should pair perfectly with Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich, who signed a new five-year, $80million contract over the weekend, keeping him in San Antonio until he is 79 years old.
“There’s something great going on, starting,” Wembanyama said of the upcoming season. “We kind of knew it was going to happen, but now it’s, ‘Let’s get it rolling. We can get started now.’”
MLB’s All-Star Game starting pitches were announced Monday, with one veteran of the Midsummer Classic and one first-timer getting the nod.
New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, a six-time All-Star, will start for the American League, while rookie honouree Zac Gallen of the Arizona Diamondbacks will take the bump for the National League.
Cole will become the 11th different Yankees pitcher to start the All-Star Game and the first since Roger Clemens in 2001. He finished his first half with a 9-2 record, a 2.85 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 117 innings.
At 11-3, Gallen is tied for the Major League lead in wins at the break and has a 3.04 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 118 1/3 innings. Gallen’s 1.05 WHIP leads all qualified starters in the NL.
Curt Schilling’s All-Star start in 2002 was the last by a Diamondbacks pitcher, which followed a two-year run by teammate Randy Johnson in 2000 and 2001.
The selections were made Monday by AL manager Dusty Baker and NL manager Rob Thompson ahead of Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
“It’s been a whirlwind really,” the 27-year-old Gallen said. “This is something I dreamed of as a kid, so for it to come to fruition is everything and more.”
While neither starter is expected to throw very many pitches, Cole will take ball on two days’ rest after going 7 1/3 innings in a win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.
“It's always something I wanted to do,” Cole said. “I feel like I’m physically able to do it.”
Baker was not inclined to interfere with Cole accomplishing his goal of starting in the All-Star Game.
“Hey, if a man like Gerrit Cole wants to pitch, I’ll let him pitch,” Baker.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz remain on collision course for a final showdown following a gripping day at Wimbledon.
Defending champion Djokovic returned to complete his delayed quarter-final with Hubert Hurkacz before world number one Alcaraz registered a thrilling success over 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini.
Elsewhere, there was an early exit for world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas at the hands of Chris Eubanks, while last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur powered past two-time winner Petra Kvitova in the women’s draw.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how day eight unfolded.
No escape from AlcarazCarlos Alcaraz passed another test to reach the last eight in SW19 for the first time.
Having been pushed to four sets by Nicolas Jarry in the third round, the Spaniard stylishly fought back from a set down to see off Matteo Berrettini 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-3.
It was a meeting of the last two Queen’s Club champions and undoubtedly a significant hurdle for Alcaraz, who is learning quickly on the surface and produced a very solid display.
He will next take on fellow 20-year-old Holger Rune in the first Wimbledon men’s singles quarter-final between players aged under 21 in the open era, with a potential mouthwatering finale against Djokovic very much on the cards.
Tweet of the dayTime waits for NovakDespite progressing, Djokovic called for Wimbledon to overhaul its scheduling and start play earlier on Centre Court following his drawn out victory over Hubert Hurkacz
The seven-time champion fell foul of the All England Club’s insistence on beginning matches at 1.30pm when his fourth-round match had to be suspended on Sunday night due to the council-imposed 11pm curfew.
The 36-year-old, who returned to finish off Hurkacz 7-6 (6) 7-6 (6) 5-7 6-4 on Monday afternoon, was unequivocal in his response when asked if matches should start earlier.
“I think so. I agree with that,” said the 23-time grand slam winner. “Obviously curfew is probably something that is much more difficult to change, I understand, because of the community and the residential area we are in.
“I think the matches could be pushed at least to start at 12pm. I think it would make a difference.”
Shot of the dayQuote of the dayPicture of the dayStat of the dayCarlos Alcaraz passed another test to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time.
Having been pushed to four sets by Nicolas Jarry in the third round, the world number one had to fight back from a set down to see off former finalist Matteo Berrettini 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-3.
This was a meeting of the last two Queen’s Club champions and undoubtedly a significant hurdle for Alcaraz, who is learning quickly on the surface and produced a very solid display.
“I knew it was going to be really tough, Matteo is a great player, he made the final here on grass,” said Alcaraz.
“He’s playing great. It’s not easy after losing the first set. I knew I was going to have my chances. Something I’ve been working on is to stay focused and not lose my mind a little bit. That part I did great.
“It’s something that I really wanted. Last year I lost in the fourth round. I came here this year with that goal, first get into the quarter-finals and now I’m looking for more.
“My dream is to play a final here, to win the title one day. I hope I reach that dream this year but right now it’s great to be in the quarter-finals.”
Now he will take on fellow 20-year-old Holger Rune in the first Wimbledon men’s singles quarter-final between players aged under 21 in the open era.
Standing in the way of the young guns claiming the title, of course, is 36-year-old Novak Djokovic, who is now the only player left in the men’s draw to have previously reached a Wimbledon final.
Alcaraz remains the man most likely to deny him a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and 24th grand slam crown and there were plenty of the Spaniard’s crowd-pleasing tricks on show, including a winner threaded between umpire’s chair and net post that he celebrated from virtually in the stand.
He was second best in the opening set, though, as Berrettini dictated with his forehand, breaking the Alcaraz serve to lead 5-3.
The Italian, who missed Wimbledon last year with an ill-timed bout of coronavirus, has struggled this season with a recurring abdominal injury, saying after beating Alexander Zverev on Saturday that he had spent days crying in bed and arrived in London doubting he would be able to play.
He was aiming to emulate countryman Jannik Sinner, who defeated Alcaraz at the same stage 12 months ago and is through to the last eight again.
There was a concerning moment during the first point of the second set when Berrettini slipped and fell heavily, with Alcaraz coming to check on him, but the 27-year-old soon picked himself up.
Berrettini had not dropped serve once during his first three matches but the tide began to turn when a sloppy game at 1-2 saw him broken to love.
Alcaraz pushed for another break early in the third set and got it with an athletic, arching smash on his sixth chance as Berrettini was just unable to shake off the tenacious Spaniard.
Berrettini certainly had his moments but Alcaraz has so many weapons to choose from and he was wearing down the popular Italian.
At 2-2 in the fourth set, proceedings were briefly halted for the roof to be closed with darkness falling.
And Alcaraz wasted little time booking his spot in the last eight on the resumption, becoming the youngest man to do so here since Nick Kyrgios in 2014.
Andy Murray will be back at Wimbledon next year and still has plenty of “good tennis in him”, according to brother Jamie.
Murray, a two-time winner in SW19, was beaten in five sets in the second round at this year’s Championships by fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
At 36 years old, his chances of going deep into grand slams again are dwindling, but doubles star Jamie Murray still believes his sibling can operate at the top level.
“Will he be back? I hope so,” he said. “Look, I think he still has a lot of good tennis in him. I think he needs to find his mojo and get out there and play some ball.
“I still think he has the level to do a lot of good stuff on the tennis court. I think he had an amazing opportunity this tournament to really go far in a grand slam with players dropping out all over the place.
“I mean the draw really opened up for him. It felt like that. But Tsitsipas played a really good match. I am sure he is disappointed.
“I still think he can do a lot of good stuff. I always expect him to perform well and win matches because I know the level he can produce.
“He needs to find a way to do that. I don’t know what his ranking is now, it is inside 40, but for him to be getting excited he needs to be feeling like he is getting into the top 20 and feel like he is competing at these big events.”
In the midst of one of their worst offensive funks in more than a half century, the New York Yankees are hopeful Sean Casey can get the bats going.
The Yankees reportedly hired Casey to be their hitting coach on Monday, one day after firing Dillon Lawson from the position following a 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs to conclude the first half of the season.
This will be the first major league coaching job for Casey, who was a three-time All-Star and a lifetime .302 hitter over a 12-year career spent mostly with the Cincinnati Reds.
The 49-year-old Casey, who was a teammate of Yankees manager Aaron Boone with the Reds from 1998 to 2003, had been working as an analyst for MLB Network.
He'll help oversee a lineup that stumbled into the All-Star break with the majors' third-lowest batting average at .231 - beating out only the Detroit Tigers and Oakland Athletics.
New York, which enters the break in fourth place in the AL East with a 49-42 record, is also 19th in the majors in average runs per game at 4.40 after ranking second in baseball last year at 4.98 per game.
The offensive woes began shortly before Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right big toe on June 3.
Since May 31, the Yankees are batting a major league-worst .212, while their 232 hits in that stretch are the franchise's fewest over a 34-game single-season span since late in the 1968 season when the team had 229.
The middle of the batting order has been one of the biggest reasons for the scuffling offence with No. 3 hitter Anthony Rizzo batting .168 with zero home runs and seven RBIs in 31 games since hurting his neck in a collision on May 28, while cleanup hitter Giancarlo Stanton is batting .203 on the season.
"Our offence has struggled mightily, more so than I can recall," general manager Brian Cashman said Sunday. "The team that we have, in fairness to Dillon, we have had some injuries without a doubt but collectively we really have struggled, and we’re best served kind of changing of things up a little bit as we move into the second half.”
This is the first time the Yankees have made a coaching change in the midst of a season since July 1995, when Nardi Contreras replaced Billy Connors as pitching coach.
Daniel Dubois insists he will end Oleksandr Usyk’s reign as a heavyweight world champion when they clash in Poland on August 26.
Mandatory challenger Dubois is fighting for the WBA, IBF and WBO belts that Usyk initially seized from Joshua and then defended in two dramatic fights between the 2012 Olympic gold medallists.
A crowd of 43,000 will gather at the Tarczynski Arena in Wroclaw for what is seen as a routine title defence for the Ukrainian – but Dubois has other ideas.
The 25-year-old from London insists he is firing on all cylinders after coming through a tough win against Kevin Lerena in December, during which he was knocked down three times in the opening round while struggling with a knee injury.
View this post on Instagram“I’m in a training camp, I’m running and everything is going well. I’m grateful for this opportunity and I’m ready to take it with both hands.
“This has been a long time coming and I’m ready to take it on. Usyk has been a great champion but everything with a beginning has an end and I’m ready.”
Usyk will be fighting in front of a partisan crowd after over one million Ukrainian refugees relocated to Poland to escape Russia’s invasion of their homeland.
Adding to the significance of the occasion is that the fight unfolds two days after Ukraine’s Independence Day, while Usyk also won his first cruiserweight title against Krzysztof Glowacki in Gdansk in 2016.
View this post on Instagram“It’s only because of them doing that, that we have the opportunity to defend our titles and bring glory to our country and the flag of our country.
“I’m really happy to be back in Poland. This country has greeted me well.
“I became the WBO cruiserweight champion here and then over the next years I collected several belts. Now I’m back in Poland here to defend them.
“I want thank the people of Poland for the support they are giving to Ukraine. I’ve been travelling around the world, fighting in the backyards of my opponents, but this fight here in Poland will be the closest one to my home.”
Novak Djokovic has called for Wimbledon to overhaul its scheduling and start play earlier on Centre Court.
The seven-time champion fell foul of the All England Club’s insistence on beginning matches at 1.30pm when his fourth-round match against Hugo Hurkacz had to be suspended on Sunday night due to the council-imposed 11pm curfew.
Andy Murray’s match with Stefanos Tsitsipas last week also had to be carried over into a second day, while Djokovic’s third-round clash against Stan Wawrinka concluded with only 14 minutes to spare.
Wimbledon chief executive Sally Bolton said on Monday morning that there is no guarantee that an earlier start time will be considered on Centre Court for next year’s tournament.
But Djokovic, who returned to finish off Hurkacz in four sets on Monday afternoon, was unequivocal in his response when asked if matches should start earlier.
“I think so. I agree with that,” said the 23-time grand slam winner. “Obviously curfew is probably something that is much more difficult to change, I understand, because of the community and the residential area we are in.
“I think the matches could be pushed at least to start at 12pm. I think it would make a difference.”
Two years ago organisers cited Covid for the decision to stagger start times on the two main show courts, keeping Court One at 1pm and pushing Centre back to 1.30pm, while also adding breaks between the matches.
This had the consequence of making the final match of the day a prime-time occasion on the BBC and it appears very much that is now the goal, with Bolton reporting record viewing figures.
She did not seem to view the issue of the late finishes as a particular problem, saying: “Historically over many, many decades we’ve always started play on our show courts around early afternoon.
“And that’s very much about ensuring that people have the opportunity to get on court so, as much as is possible the case, we have full courts for when the players walk on, and that’s still absolutely our intention.
“And the other thing we think carefully about is, when people buy a ticket to come to Wimbledon, they want to experience a day at the Championships and that involves going and seeing some play on outside courts, perhaps going to get something to eat, getting some strawberries and cream.
“We understand that our guests want that whole day. Of course every year we look at everything and we get feedback from all of our guest groups, from the player groups and all of our stakeholders.
“We will have a look at that beyond this year’s Championships but that’s the real background to why we have the start time when we do.
“Matches are happening at a time when they’re accessible to people. We’re seeing (TV) viewing figures that are beyond our expectations and beyond previous years so I think they probably speak for themselves.”
Bolton denied the 1.30pm start time was directly influenced by the BBC, saying: “The broadcasters are one of the stakeholders we consult as we put together all the plans for the Championships but they’re not having a direct input into start time on a court.”
The curfew is imposed by the local council to prevent late-night disruption from people leaving the grounds in what is a quiet, residential area, and Bolton said the club would not look to try to extend it.
Bolton also said there will also be no instruction to umpires to inform crowds not to expect a handshake if a Ukrainian player faces a Russian or Belarusian, despite the boos aimed at Victoria Azarenka after her match with Elina Svitolina.
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