Serena Williams beat sister Venus Williams on this day in 2009 to claim her third Wimbledon singles title.
The Americans were contesting the final for the fourth time, and five-time champion Venus, the defending champion, was surprisingly outplayed as Serena triumphed 7-6 (3) 6-2 in an hour and 27 minutes.
Venus had been considered favourite after dropping just 20 games in her previous six matches.
Serena broke serve twice in the second set and although Venus saved three match points, the younger sister made sure of victory on her next chance.
Venus netted with a backhand and Serena, Wimbledon winner in 2002 and 2003, was able to celebrate.
The new champion, aged 27 at the time, said: “It feels so amazing, I feel so blessed, I feel like I shouldn’t be holding the trophy, like I can’t believe I won and not Venus.
“This is one of the few times I didn’t expect to come out with the win. I felt like I had nothing to lose.
“I just wanted to move the ball around better than I did in my past few matches. When I won that first set, I was like, ‘Wow, this is great’.”
Venus, two years Serena’s senior, said: “Today she was too good. She had answers for everything, she played the best tennis today.”
The victory took Serena to 11 grand slam singles titles – she has since boosted that to a record 23, and her tally of Wimbledon singles triumphs to seven.
Michael Harris II hit two home runs, Bryce Elder made another quality start and the Atlanta Braves recorded a 4-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday to extend their winning streak to a season-high nine games.
Harris homered in the third and fifth innings and Marcell Ozuna added a solo shot in the fourth as the Braves built a 4-0 lead en route to their 17th win in 18 games. Atlanta is 24-3 since June 3 and owns the best record in the majors at 57-27.
Elder (7-1), one of eight Atlanta players selected for next week's All-Star Game, began his fourth straight quality start with six scoreless innings before Ahmed Rosario plated two with a single in the seventh.
The 24-year-old has pitched at least five innings in each of his 17 starts this season, with Atlanta going 13-4 in those games.
Rosario finished with two hits and Steven Kwan went 3 for 5 with a run scored for Cleveland. Gavin Williams, the Guardians' No. 1 prospect according to MLB.com, allowed all three Atlanta homers and four runs across 6 1/3 innings in his third major league start.
Astros blow eight-run lead but rally by Rangers
The Houston Astros squandered an eight-run lead, then rallied with two runs in the ninth inning for a wild 12-11 win over the Texas Rangers in the finale of a key four-game series between the American League West's top two teams.
After the division-leading Rangers battled back to take an 11-10 lead on Corey Seager's eighth-inning sacrifice fly, Houston responded in the top of the ninth with consecutive RBI doubles by Jose Abreu and Chas McCormick off Will Smith.
Ryan Pressly then retired the Rangers in order in the bottom of the inning to notch his 18th save and help the Astros take three of four games from their in-state rivals. Houston moved within three games of first-place Texas in the AL West.
Kyle Tucker went 4 for 4 with a double and a grand slam that staked the Astros a 10-2 lead after the top of the fourth inning.
Texas cut the lead to 10-9 by the end of the fifth, however, thanks in part to homers by Travis Jankowski and Leody Tavaras. Adolis Garcia tied the game with a seventh-inning solo shot before the Rangers briefly went in front an inning later.
Jankowski went 3 for 5 with five RBIs and Tavares had three hits and three RBIs. Abreu homered and knocked in four runs for Houston, which also got homers from McCormick and Yainer Diaz.
Bader's three-run homer lifts Yankees over Orioles
Harrison Bader capped a New York Yankees' comeback with a tie-breaking three-run homer in the eighth inning that staked the Bronx Bombers to a 6-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
The Yankees overcame an early 3-0 deficit to take the opener of this four-game series and close within three games of the upstart Orioles for the AL's top wild card spot.
Anthony Volpe and Kyle Higashioka began the rally with back-to-back solo homers in the fifth inning, and Volpe recorded the tying run in the seventh when he scored from third on a wild pitch from All-Star reliever Yennier Cano.
After singles by Giancarlo Stanton and Anthony Rizzo put two Yankees on in the eighth, Bader drilled a pitch from Danny Coulombe into the left-field seats for a 6-3 lead.
All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman went 3 for 5 with an RBI for the slumping Orioles, who have lost five of their last six games.
Baltimore did manage three runs - two earned - off Domingo German in the Yankee starter's first outing since throwing the 24th perfect game in major league history last Wednesday at Oakland.
German allowed nine hits in his follow-up start while lasting only 4 1/3 innings.
Andy Murray will not be the only men’s grand slam champion to grace Centre Court on Tuesday as Wimbledon prepares to celebrate Roger Federer.
Federer, who announced his retirement last September, will have his achievement of winning a record eight grand slam titles in SW19 recognised during a special ceremony before the action on Centre Court begins at 1.30pm.
After Federer’s appearance, the focus will turn to defending champion Elena Rybakina and later Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka, who is back for the first time since 2021 after last year’s ban on Russian and Belarussian athletes.
Murray takes on fellow Briton Ryan Peniston while Cameron Norrie gets his tournament under way and world number one Carlos Alcaraz is involved in an action-packed second day of the 2023 championships.
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A bumper day of British tennis is in store with nine home hopes in action. Murray’s match with Peniston is second on Centre Court while Norrie’s clash with Tomas Machac is scheduled last on Court One.
Elsewhere, Britain’s number one female Katie Boulter opens Court 18 against Daria Saville, while Heather Watson – who reached the fourth round last year – will try and topple 10th seed Barbora Krejcikova.
George Loffhagen, Arthur Fery and Sonay Kartal are also scheduled for action, while Dan Evans will return to complete his first-round match after bad light forced him off just after he had slipped two sets down to France’s Quentin Halys.
Match of the day
Stefanos Tsitsipas opens his Wimbledon campaign against former US Open champion Dominic Thiem in one of several mouthwatering ties on the second day of the 2023 Championships.
It represents a tricky draw for fifth seed Tsitsipas, who made the Australian Open final in January but traditionally struggles on the English lawn and has only made the fourth round on one occasion in five appearances.
Austrian Thiem has endured a torrid time since his Flushing Meadows win in 2020, plagued by wrist injuries in particular, and has not played this grand slam since 2019. Nevertheless, he will relish the chance to put his name back in the headlines on Court Two.
Queue storm to rumble on
Day one saw lengthy queues and a number of Wimbledon fans decide to give up on their attempts to see some of the action in SW19.
Organisers later confirmed increased security, in place due to fears over protests, had resulted in entry via the queue being slower than past years, with club executive Sally Bolton acknowledging Just Stop Oil’s presence at recent sporting events had raised alarm bells for the All England Club.
Spectators set for day two will hope for a more slick process on Tuesday.
Weather
Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from Monday's scheduled start against the Pittsburgh Pirates and placed on the 15-day injured list due to shoulder soreness he's experienced since his most recent outing.
Kershaw, who was named to his 10th career All-Star Game Sunday, complained of discomfort following his start against the Colorado Rockies last Tuesday.
The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner has since resumed light throwing after receiving a cortisone shot, though Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team decided to give Kershaw some additional time with the All-Star break next week.
"If there is any time for us to do this, and give him a little reset, this would be it,” Roberts said. “Obviously, Clayton expects to make all of his starts, and that’s what makes him special.”
Kershaw has dealt with several injuries the past few years, most notably an elbow issue that sidelined him nearly two months in 2021. The 35-year-old hasn't pitched more than 126 innings in any of the last three seasons.
The 2014 NL MVP had been healthy up until this point while putting together another outstanding season in 2023. Kershaw's 10 wins are tied for the NL lead, while his 2.55 earned run average ranks third among qualified NL hurlers.
Los Angeles recalled right-hander Michael Grove from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start Monday's game.
Bookies favourites Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek made light work of their day one opponents to progress into the Wimbledon second round with ease.
Swiatek, a four-time grand-slam champion, has not always felt at ease on the lawn at the All England Club but produced a near-faultless display on Court One to down world number 34 Zhu Lin in straight sets.
It was a similar story for Djokovic, looking for a fifth straight title in SW19, and after a delay due to rain before a slippery surface saw leaf blowers required to dry the court, he strolled to victory over Pedro Cachin.
Harriet Dart was the first British hopeful to exit the Championships but Liam Broady, Jodie Burrage and Jan Choinski clinched victories to give the home crowd plenty to cheer.
Tweet of the dayPicture of the dayQuote of the dayBrit WatchShot of the dayStat of the dayRehabbing Raducanu checks in
Emma Raducanu is a one of a number of high-profile absentees from this year’s Wimbledon following surgery on both wrists and her left ankle in May.
The 2021 US Open champion has been hampered by injures since her stunning Flushing Meadows triumph and these latest setbacks ruled her out of the grass-court season, but she was still able to make a surprise appearance on the opening day of the Championships.
Raducanu, in her role as global ambassador for Evian, attended their VIP auite alongside fellow British prospect Jack Draper before the duo were involved in Vodaphone’s Connection Experience in the Southern Village.
Jodie Burrage is set to join Katie Boulter in the world’s top 100 after claiming her first grand slam victory at Wimbledon.
The 24-year-old has struggled with injuries during her career but has made big strides over the last year and a 6-1 6-3 victory over Caty McNally should be enough to see her achieve the rankings milestone.
Burrage, who had lost in the first round on her previous two appearances at the All England Club, revealed after the match how close she came to giving it all up.
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“After my third ankle operation, my mind had decided that that was it,” she said. “That was my tennis career done.
“But I somehow got back on the horse with help from family and friends, and my boyfriend as well, that really helped push through that not-so-nice time.
“To sit here saying I’ve won my first round at Wimbledon, hopefully going to be in the top 100 in two weeks, I was not expecting that, but I’m very happy that it’s happened.”
Burrage was joined in the second round by Liam Broady and debutant Jan Choinski on a broadly positive day for the home contingent.
Broady has achieved some of the best results of his career here, including a run to the third round 12 months ago, and he claimed a 6-1 6-3 7-5 victory over France’s Constant Lestienne to reach the last 64 for the fourth time.
The 29-year-old was spurred on by a message of support from Manchester City, saying: “It was cool. It was about 20 or 30 minutes before I went on today. They tweeted me. I thought, ‘Oh, God, I’m not going to tweet them now before the match, I want to try and get a win, then I can reply’.
“They’re amazing. They’re always so supportive of me. I can remember playing here at the age of 17 and buzzing off them tweeting me. It’s still the same to this day. I absolutely love it. I’m grateful they keep a track of my career the way I keep a track of the football club.”
Broady now gets a shot at fourth seed Casper Ruud and, asked if he minds which court he plays on, said: “I’m playing the number four in the world second round of Wimbledon. I’ll play him back up in Stockport if I have to.”
Choinski will be a new name for many British fans. The son of British and Polish ballet dancers and born and brought up in Germany, he switched allegiance to Britain in 2018.
He is inexperienced on grass but appears to be learning quickly and claimed the best victory of his career with a 5-7 7-6 (4) 6-2 6-2 win over Serbian Dusan Lajovic.
“I feel absolutely amazing,” said Choinski. “And the crowd was electric tonight at my court. Even though it was one of the smaller courts, I felt carried by the crowd, carried by the whole team. My mum especially, as well. My girlfriend. So just an amazing day.”
The 27-year-old will next face his former junior doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz, the 17th seed.
Harriet Dart was the first British player on court, and the first knocked out of the tournament, with the 26-year-old disappointed with her own performance in a 6-7 (4) 6-0 6-4 loss to France’s Diane Parry.
“I’ve had a really good grass-court season,” said Dart. “It’s just disappointing that my worst match of the grass-court season came here.”
Katie Swan had a tough assignment against 14th seed Belinda Bencic and was unable to capitalise on an early break in a 7-5 6-2 defeat.
“I just didn’t play well enough in the big moments,” she said. “But she’s a great player. I knew it was going to be tough. There’s positives to take from it and also lots to learn and take forward.”
British number two Dan Evans did not get on court until late in the day and will have to come back on Tuesday with a mountain to climb trailing France’s Quentin Halys 6-2 6-3.
Evans arrived at the tournament low on confidence after a difficult year and it showed, with the 33-year-old a shadow of the player he can be, particularly on grass.
As well as Evans, Cameron Norrie, Katie Boulter, Heather Watson, George Loffhagen, Arthur Fery and Sonay Kartal are in action on Tuesday along with the Centre Court clash between Andy Murray and Ryan Peniston.
British wild card Jan Choinski paid tribute to the home crowd at Wimbledon after they “carried” him through to a second-round meeting with former doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz.
German-born Choinski, the son of an English ballet dancer, changed allegiances in 2019 and rewarded the faith placed in him at the All England Club with an excellent 5-7 7-6 (4) 6-2 6-2 win over world number 56 Dusan Lajovic.
During his main draw debut at the Championships, Choinski fought back from a set down on Court 17 to secure the biggest victory of his career and set up a clash with 2021 Wimbledon semi-finalist Hurkacz, who is Polish like his father.
“I feel absolutely amazing and the crowd was electric at my court,” Choinski said.
“Even though it was one of the smaller courts, I felt carried by the crowd, carried by the whole team, the whole LTA support that was there, my mum especially, and my girlfriend.
“So, yeah, just an amazing day. I’m happy that I could produce some good tennis.”
On the prospect of facing Hurkacz next, Choinski revealed: “We had great contact as juniors.
“We played many doubles tournaments together. As a matter of fact, we won Roehampton, a junior grade one tournament, leading up to Wimbledon in 2014. Then we also played Wimbledon doubles together.
“I’m always great friends with the Polish squad. We practised together a lot. Yeah, he’s done very good for himself. I’m happy to see him where he is right now. I’m thankful for the challenge and thankful to be able to play him in the second round.”
Choinski and world number 18 Hurkacz last partnered up in 2016 and the past seven years have brought a number of challenges for the six-foot-five right-hander.
After he started out playing for Germany, a conversation with Britain’s Davis Cup captain Leon Smith at the IMG academy in 2018 set the wheels in motion for a nationality switch.
Being a British citizen, due to his mother being born in Southampton, Choinski was able to smoothly link up with the LTA.
But surgeries on his hip and shoulder followed, sandwiched by the coronavirus pandemic, and he was ruled out of Wimbledon last year with Covid-19.
His spell on the sidelines saw Choinski drop to 692 in the ATP rankings in August but he never once contemplated walking away from the sport and after impressing at several ITF and Challenger Tour events, he was delighted to justify his place in SW19 with a fine win.
World number 167 Choinski said: “This time last year? I was struggling with mononucleosis and Covid on top of that.
“I was 26 at that time, had almost dropped all my ranking points and came back from two years of being out, two years of being injured, two surgeries.
“But I just never wanted to leave tennis, put tennis by the side. I just thought I’ve got more in myself and I want to show it.
“My attitude is never to really think that’s it. I never doubted it for one second. Never said for one second that I want to stop.
“My love and the passion for the sport is just so big. Also my love for practising, working on myself, getting better, seeing progress day by day.
“After my second surgery, I basically locked myself into National Tennis Centre at the LTA. I got the best support I could have, but we were working so hard.
“We were working six days a week from nine in the morning till six at night. Sometimes I was sleeping there.
“I’d go into the gym or something by myself at eight in the evening and still do another rehab session to try and speed up the whole process of rehab.
“Then we got to a point where I finally was able to compete again after six months or something.
“Yeah, it’s great being here representing Great Britain and being able to produce some good tennis in the first round.”
The National Powerlifting Association of Jamaica (NPAJ) is buzzing as the highly anticipated Grace Kennedy Money Services National Powerlifting Series Bench Press 2023 approaches.
The event, scheduled to take place on July 15th, 2023 at the Fit Farm Venue, promises to showcase the incredible strength and determination of the nation's powerlifters. With an increase in the number of athletes participating this year, the stage is set for an unforgettable display of raw power.
The NPAJ proudly announces that a record-breaking 48 athletes have registered for the competition, representing a 52% increase compared to the previous year. This surge in participation reflects the growing popularity and recognition of powerlifting in Jamaica, as more individuals embrace the sport and test their limits.
Among the participants, 14 powerful females will be vying for glory, marking a significant 57% increase compared to the previous year. The rise in female athletes is a testament to the inclusive and empowering nature of powerlifting, as more women break barriers and prove their mettle on the platform.
In the highly competitive 63kg weight class, one female athlete stands out. Simona Mahfouz, the winner of the Squat Only 2023 event earlier this year, is determined to make her mark in the Bench Press category.
While no Bench Press record has been established yet, all eyes will be on Mahfouz as she pushes herself to new heights. In the 69kg weight class, three formidable females are set to battle it out.
Shaniqueka Allman, the class's defending champion and record holder, has proven her dominance in the Bench Press category. However, she finished third in the recent Squat Only 69kg event, which has only fueled her determination to reclaim her spot at the top. Shrona Scott, a previous runner-up in the 76kg Bench Press in 2022, has decided to move down to the 69kg class. With a win in the 69kg Squat Only 2023 event, she aims to make her presence felt. Cheyenne Campbell joins them, making her debut in the Bench Press after an impressive performance in the Squat Only event. The current class record in the 69kg weight class stands at 56.7kg/ 125 lbs. with a 46.49 GLP, held by Shaniqueka Allman.
In the 76kg weight class, two rising stars are ready to showcase their strength. Chevaneese Powell emerged victorious in the Squat Only 2023 event, and she is eager to make her mark in the Bench Press category. Kishon Green, the runner-up in the Squat Only 2023 event, is determined to prove her prowess on the bench press. Both athletes will be looking to challenge the class record held by Fiona Binns since 2022, who has moved up to the 84kg weight class for the 2023 season. The current class record in the 76kg weight class stands at 49.97kg/ 110 lbs. with a 38.34 GLP, held by Fiona Binns.
The 84kg weight class promises to be fiercely contested, with five talented females ready to give it their all. Ayana Duhaney, the defending champion, and record holder for the class, is keen on retaining her title and breaking her record in the process. Monique Smith, making her NPAJ debut, will be looking to make a strong first impression. Tzari Saunders, returning after a year's absence, aims to reclaim her spot among the elite. Fiona Binns, the record holder for the 76kg Bench Press in 2022, has chosen to challenge herself in the 84kg class this year. Tesi Scott, who faced disqualification in her Bench Press debut last year, is determined to make amends after finishing second in the Squat Only 2023 event. The current class record in the 84kg weight class stands at 70.37kg/ 155 lbs. with a 53.84 GLP, held by Ayana Duhaney.
In the 84+kg weight class, three powerhouses are ready to showcase their strength. Aiesha Denton, the reigning champion, and record holder, is looking to defend her title and set a new benchmark for the class. Kayla Edwards will be making her NPAJ Series debut, hoping to make an impression. Tashian Wallace, finishing second in the Squat Only 2023 event, is eager to prove herself on the bench. The current class record in the 84+kg weight class stands at 70.37kg/ 155 lbs. with a 50.56 GLP, held by Aiesha Denton. Compared to last year, the NPAJ has witnessed a remarkable 50% surge, with a total of 34 male powerlifters ready to demonstrate their prowess on the bench press platform.
In the fiercely contested 74kg weight class, six exceptional individuals will be vying for the top spot. Krishna Harris, the reigning champion in the Squat Only 2023, will make his bench press debut as he aims to solidify his dominance in this weight class. Joshua Ivey, who secured second place in the Squat Only 2023, will also be making his highly anticipated bench press debut. Jaheem Forrester, seeking redemption after a disqualification in the bench press last year, is determined to rewrite his story. Shaun Jennings, Brent Lee, and Joseph Walsh, all making their NPAJ debuts, will add excitement and competition to the mix. The 74kg weight class is wide open, as no records have been established in this category yet.
The 83kg weight class boasts an equally competitive field of six talented athletes. Damar Grant, the defending champion and record holder in the 83kg class bench press in 2022, comes into the competition with confidence after his recent triumph in the Squat Only 2023. Alexander Carrington, who claimed the second spot in the Squat Only 2023, will be looking for a different result this time as he makes his bench press debut. Hakeem Weir, Jévon Mitchell, Gary Adamson, and Kevin Taylor will also be competing, each bringing their unique strengths and aspirations to the stage. The current class record in the 83kg weight class stands at 124.77kg/275 lbs. with a 63.17 GLP, held by Damar Grant.
The 93kg weight class promises an electrifying showdown, with nine male powerlifters vying for the championship title. Ricardo Williams, who finished third in the Bench Press Only last year, will be looking to improve his standing. Xavier McCarty, Bruce Wilson, Rushane Johnson, David Answer, Scott Williams, Mervin Barrett, Roxroy Campbell, and Nathan Dawkins, all making their bench press debuts, are determined to make their presence felt and claim the coveted title. The current class record in the 93kg weight class is held by Jevon DaCosta with 195kg/430 lbs. and a 92.78 GLP.
The 105kg weight class features five powerlifters ready to leave their mark on the competition. Jevauny Simpson, Jonhoi Vaughn, Tavio Fairweather, Tajeel Thomas, and Staffon Commock will battle it out for supremacy. While Jonhoi Vaughn holds the title of the 105kg class Squat Only 2023 champion, the bench press competition remains open, with no records established yet.
In the 120kg weight class, the reigning champion and record holder Johnwayne Goulbourne returns to defend his title. Gregory Brown, who secured second place last year, and Darren Thomas, who won the Squat Only 2023, will also be contending for the championship. This weight class promises a fierce display of strength and determination.
Lastly, the 120+kg weight class will see five impressive athletes vying for the top spot. Karim Bryan, second-place finisher in the Bench Press in 2022, aims to start the season strong. Sashane Tomlinson, Bruce Higgins, Clifton Lee, and Algreg Sappleton, all bringing their own unique abilities, will compete fiercely for the title. The current class record in the 120+kg weight class stands at 192.77kg/425 lbs. with a 79.73 GLP, held by Shaun Simpson.
The Grace Kennedy Money Services National Powerlifting Series Bench Press 2023 promises to be an enthralling event, showcasing the incredible strength, dedication, and resilience of Jamaica's powerlifters. Fans and powerlifting enthusiasts are invited to join the NPAJ on July 15th, 2023, at the Fit Farm Venue, starting at 10 am, to witness history in the making. For more information and updates, please visit the official NPAJ website and follow their social media channels on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Venus Williams said she was “killed by the grass” after suffering a nasty fall as her emotional Wimbledon return ended in Centre Court defeat to Elina Svitolina.
The 43-year-old, whose first outing at SW19 came in 1997, was absent from the singles draw last year but was handed a wild card into this year’s tournament.
However, the five-time champion did not make it past the opening afternoon as she went down 6-4 6-3 to the Ukrainian having been injured in the opening moments of the match.
She slipped approaching the net in the third game and fell to the ground, shrieking loudly in agony.
It looked like that may be the end of her afternoon, but she was able to carry on, though admitted she was in so much pain she could not focus on the match.
“Grass is inherently going to be slippery. You’re going to fall at some point. It was just bad luck for me,” she said.
“I started the match perfectly. I was literally killing it, then I got killed by the grass.
“It’s not fun right now. I felt like I was in great form coming into this tournament, and great form in the match.
“It’s all very shocking at the moment. This is sports. I’m hitting the ball well.
“Hopefully I can just figure out what’s happening with me and move forward.
“I think what makes this one hard to process is I’ve had so many injuries. I’ve been missing from tour for quite a while. This is not what I want for myself.
“This kind of fall, I didn’t do anything wrong. I just went for the ball. There’s nothing I can really do about it.
“Those kinds of things are hard to process emotionally, mentally and physically on the court.
“I just couldn’t figure it out today. It was just real challenging. I’ve played through a lot of injuries and won a lot of matches injured.
“It’s almost a specialty of mine. I just couldn’t figure it out today.”
It remains to be seen whether this will be her Wimbledon swansong, as it was for her sister Serena 12 months ago, but time is obviously ticking on one of the all-time great tennis careers.
Williams would not commit on whether she would be fit enough to play at the US Open later this summer.
She added: “I’ve got to figure out my next plan. Right now I’m kind of in shock. I just can’t believe this happened. It’s, like, bizarre. I don’t know. I’m still processing it at the moment.”
Svitolina, who is making a return of her own after missing last year’s tournament following the birth of her first child, proved she is still a top-class player and was not going to let Williams off lightly.
But she admits she was fearing the worst when the veteran was screaming in agony.
“She screamed really loud, I was shaken up,” she said. “I was really shocked in a way, because I thought it was really, really serious.
“So I was really happy for her actually that she could stand up after and didn’t take a medical timeout. She just was checking how the knee is. And then we continue playing.
“I was really happy, because it’s such a horrible injury, the knee injury. Any injury is bad, but, you know, she screamed really loud. So I really got scared.”
Coco Gauff was dumped out of Wimbledon by her fellow American Sofia Kenin in a bruising contest on Court One.
The seventh seed, who made her big breakthrough in SW19 when she got to the fourth round as a 15-year-old in 2019, was a strong contender to challenge for the title this year but was beaten 6-4 4-6 6-2.
This was arguably Kenin’s best performance since she won the Australian Open in 2020 as she was able to out-hit her powerful opponent to incredibly register her first victory in a grand slam match since 2021.
There is a strong rivalry between these two and they went toe-to-toe over two hours and three minutes to leave the crowd enthralled.
An early break for Kenin, who had to come through qualification, was enough for her to take the first set as she both soaked up Gauff’s power and delivered some fine hitting of her own.
Gauff, playing on the court where she famously beat Venus Williams four years ago, hit back and crucially broke at 5-4 in the second set.
She would have been favourite to go on and win it but Kenin was resilient, getting an early break in the decider and then crucially adding a second at 4-2.
There were no problems for her serving it out as she claimed a memorable victory and a place in the second round.
She said in her on-court interview: “I am just super happy, Coco played a tough match, I knew I needed to play my best to win.
“I just tried to stick to my plan and I am just super happy I won before it got dark because I didn’t really feel like finishing it tomorrow to be honest.
“This means a lot, I had to go through qualies, I battled out there. I took this as just another match. I know Coco has had a great year so I am just super proud of myself.”
Wimbledon organisers face concerns over the Centre Court roof after Novak Djokovic’s first-round match against Pedro Cachin was delayed amid farcical scenes.
The four-time defending champion defeated Argentinian debutant Cachin 6-3 6-3 7-6 (4) but the clash was delayed for nearly an hour and a half after the first set because of a damp court despite the roof being deployed.
Djokovic had begun to complain about the surface but officials waited until the end of the set to cover the court.
While play resumed under the roof on Court One, Djokovic and Cachin came out to inspect the court with referee Gerry Armstrong, but it was clear the world number two in particular was not happy.
Playing in his first official match on the surface since last year, it was no surprise that Djokovic, who described trying to move on grass in the early stages of the tournament as “like walking on eggs”, was being extremely cautious.
The Serbian maintained good humour about the situation and re-emerged with a towel, which he proceeded to rub on the court to laughter from the crowd, before members of the ground staff used leaf blowers to try to dry the surface.
But it was not until the skies cleared and the roof was opened again that play was able to resume, rendering the expensive covering redundant.
Djokovic said later: “I was communicating quite a lot out of the court with the supervisor and referee, and the chairman of the club came down as well. They were all a little bit confused because that’s something that they never experienced ever since the roof was installed on the Centre Court.
“Both of us players wanted to come out. We did several times to show to the crowd that we want to play, we want to be there. But it was just too many places on the court which were too slippery and really moist.
“It was very strange that for more than an hour the situation was not changing at all for the better. I think it was a good call from the chair umpire (to carry on). I don’t think it has gotten too much wet from that maybe extra minute and a half or something.
“We were lucky that rain stopped so we could resume play with an open roof. Hopefully they’ll fix it because that’s one of the only two courts that has a roof. If it starts raining, if you can’t play under the roof, that’s a little bit of an issue for the schedule.”
Had it not been for the delay, this would have been pretty much the ideal start to Djokovic’s campaign for a record-equalling 24th grand slam singles title and eighth Wimbledon crown.
Cachin only played his first tour-level match on grass in Majorca last week and was never likely to prove too much of a test.
There was some early rust from Djokovic, who double-faulted to give Cachin a break for 2-1, but he hit straight back and manoeuvred himself into a 5-3 lead.
Djokovic is now on a 29-match winning streak on grass having not lost on the surface since a final defeat at Queen’s Club back in 2018.
He convincingly won the second set but Cachin earned applause from his opponent for his efforts in the third, which he pushed to a tie-break.
Djokovic had won all his tie-breaks at the French Open without making a single unforced error. That streak ended with a double fault here, and he netted a backhand on his first match point, but he took his third chance, winning it 7-4.
Stiffer tests will surely await, perhaps in the second round against Australian grass-court lover Jordan Thompson, but the defending champion is off and running.
Djokovic has not lost on Centre Court since his final defeat to Andy Murray in 2013, and he said: “It was a solid performance. I’ve been in these situations before so hopefully, as the tournament progresses, I’ll raise my level as well.”
Jan Choinski followed compatriots Liam Broady and Jodie Burrage into the second round with a fine victory over Dusan Lajovic on his main draw debut at Wimbledon.
German-born Choinski, who is the son of a British ballet dancer, changed allegiances in 2019 and received a wild card into round one at the All England Club for the first time this year.
Choinski rewarded the faith placed in him with an impressive 5-7 7-6 (4) 6-2 6-2 win against the world number 56.
Warm applause greeted Choinski’s arrival on Court 17, but he was made to wait five minutes before Lajovic arrived.
When the Serbian did turn up, he was able to break world 164 Choinski immediately, only to see it wiped out in similarly quick time.
Lajovic did manage to edge the opener but it failed to deter Choinski.
An even second set went to a tie-breaker and Choinski managed to hold his nerve.
It boosted the confidence of the British number six and, backed on by a growing crowd, he moved two sets up when he claimed the third.
There was no looking back now, with Choinski able to break Lajovic twice more in the fourth set to secure himself a spot in round two after two hours and 35 minutes.
Jodie Burrage feared she would have to give up her tennis career three years ago – but now she is celebrating a first Wimbledon win.
Burrage, 24, contemplated hanging up her racket and going to university instead after undergoing a third ankle operation.
But a 6-1 6-3 win over American Caty McNally – her maiden success at SW19 after consecutive first-round exits – has likely catapulted the British wild card into the top 100 for the first time.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of injuries throughout my career, and a lot of people telling me that I couldn’t get to the top, that I wouldn’t be a player when I was younger,” she said.
“After my third ankle operation, my mind had decided that that was it. That was my tennis career done.
“But I somehow got back on the horse with help from family and friends, and my boyfriend as well, that really helped push through that not-so-nice time.
“To sit here saying I’ve won my first round at Wimbledon, hopefully going to be in the top 100 in two weeks, I was not expecting that, but I’m very happy that it’s happened.”
McNally was clearly hindered by a problem with her right thigh, which was heavily strapped, and Burrage broke her three times as she wrapped up the first set in only 22 minutes.
The world number 67 received treatment at the changeover and instantly improved, forcing a break after Burrage stopped to challenge a call which had clearly hit the baseline.
“I wasn’t happy with myself at all at that call but sometimes stuff like that happens. Unfortunately it was on a break point,” she added.
“But I think actually that fired me up a little bit. I was obviously annoyed with myself, but I used it in a positive way. ”
Burrage hit back with a double break, and converted a match point at the sixth time of asking to book a second-round meeting with 11th seed Daria Kasatkina.
Venus Williams suffered a nasty fall as her emotional Wimbledon return ended in Centre Court defeat to Elina Svitolina.
The 43-year-old, whose first outing at SW19 came in 1997, was absent from the singles draw last year but was handed a wild card into this year’s tournament.
However, the five-time champion’s stay did not make it past the opening afternoon as she went down 6-4 6-3 to the Ukrainian having been injured in the opening moments of the match.
It remains to be seen whether this will be her Wimbledon swansong, as it was for her sister Serena 12 months ago, but time is obviously ticking on one of the all-time great tennis careers.
Williams, who only had two warm-up events in the run up to the tournament having previously not played since January, briefly gave hope that she could roll back the years as she broke Svitolina in her first service game.
But a slip as she approached the net in the third game saw her fall to the ground and shriek loudly in agony, and it looked like that might be the end of her return.
She was able to be patched up but, although she proved she still has the power to match anyone with some searing winners, her movement was hampered and Svitolina broke again on a run of four successive games.
That was enough for her to claim the first set and she strengthened her grip on the contest by immediately breaking at the start of the second to leave Williams facing an uphill task.
The veteran has overcome some obstacles in her time but this one proved too much.
Svitolina, who is making a return of her own after missing last year’s tournament following the birth of her first child, proved she is still a top-class player as she raced to a 5-1 lead and served for the match at 5-2.
Much to the delight of the Centre Court crowd, though, Williams displayed her fighting spirit as she claimed one break back.
It only delayed the inevitable, though, as the Ukrainian closed it out on Williams’ serve to book her place in the second round.
The Minnesota Timberwolves had faith that Anthony Edwards would be the cornerstone of the franchise when they selected him first overall in the 2020 draft.
He's proven he was worth the pick and has been rewarded, agreeing to a five-year, $207million rookie max extension with the Timberwolves on Monday.
The deal could be worth $260million if he makes an All-NBA team during the 2023-24 season.
Edwards made his first All-Star team this past season, as he led the Timberwolves in scoring with a career-best 24.6 points per game, while also averaging 5.8 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals.
At 21 years old, he became the youngest player to average those numbers in a season since LeBron James in 2005-06.
He has helped guide the Timberwolves to back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time since 2004, and stepped up his scoring game in this season's first-round loss to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets.
Edwards averaged 31.6 points against the Nuggets and scored a Timberwolves franchise playoff-record 41 points in Game 2.
He drained six 3-pointers in that game and averaged 2.7 made 3s during the regular season while shooting 36.9 per cent from beyond the arc.
As one of the league's brightest young stars, Edwards emerged as Minnesota's most dangerous scoring threat with two-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns missing 52 games this past season with a calf strain.
The durable Edwards has missed just seven games due to injury in his first three seasons.
In 223 career games, he is averaging 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.7 made 3s.
Frankie Dettori is to sell a selection of his trophies and racing silks, putting 126 items up for auction ahead of his retirement from the sport.
The 52-year-old jockey, who will bow out at end of the current campaign, has been clearing out items from his home near Newmarket as he and his wife Catherine prepare to move house, as he said their children have all “branched out”.
His scales, a saddle, boots and photographs are among the 126 pieces to be sold in an online auction by Cheffins in Cambridge from July 5.
The sale has been described by auctioneers as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own prizes and memorabilia from one of the greatest sports personalities worldwide”.
Among the lots is Dettori’s trophy from last month’s Oaks win aboard Soul Sister, which would be his last success in a British Classic should he not win the St Leger in September.
Dettori said: “We’re going to move away from Newmarket.
“Newmarket’s been my life.
“We’re scaling down and I’ve got so much stuff, we thought we might as well just auction it.
“I didn’t realise because they end up in drawers, in cupboards, in the cellar, I mean they’re all over the place.
“Now we’re clearing up a lot of stuff, we didn’t realise how much accumulated in so many years.”
He said it had been difficult to decide what to sell and what to keep.
“Yes, of course, you know, but then you’ve got to put everything in context,” he said.
“You need a mansion to put the trophies up.
“I tried to keep something what means something to me, some of the important stuff like the Derby and things like that, but the rest is going to go up in auction.”
He continued: “All my kids have branched out, so it’s only myself and Catherine my wife left so we’re planning to rent the house, scale down and move towards London a bit.
“And I’d like to travel the world a bit.”
Dettori said he felt it was the “right time” to retire, and “wanted to stop at the top”.
“I’m going to be 53 and I wanted to stop at the top. I still feel that I’m riding well enough to finish at the top.
“I think it’s the right time.
“My heart doesn’t want to stop but my brain is telling me to stop.
“It’s not going to be easy.”
He said some of the proceeds of the auction will go to the charity Direct Aid For Africa (DAFA), and some will go to his children, adding: “My daughter’s getting married next year but she hasn’t fixed a date yet.”
He said that in his retirement he is “not going to be too far away from racing”.
“Working on TV is an option,” he said.
“I’m in talks at the moment with a few different channels and I think that’s the way that I’m going to head.”
Asked if he would consider an appearance on the reality show I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here, Dettori said: “I haven’t been asked yet but if I do get asked, I’ll have a good think about that.”
He said the reception he has been getting for winners has surprised him.
“The warmth of the people has been amazing,” said Dettori.
“Wherever I go, I was taking a lot of selfies last year but quadrupled the amount of selfies that I’m taking every day.
“People have been so good. I’m enjoying it.
“It’s going to be sad when I get to the end of the season, but at the moment I’m not thinking about it.
“I’m trying to do good and trying to go through my last year in a happy fashion.”
Harriet Lusty, deputy saleroom manager at Cheffins, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own prizes and memorabilia from one of the greatest sports personalities worldwide.
“This one-off sale will take place solely online over a two-week period, and will include some of the most significant prizes Frankie has won to date, such as the trophy for his win in the Epsom Oaks in June 2023.
“This is an incredible opportunity for fans of horseracing, and we expect interest from buyers not only from the UK but also from across Europe, the Middle East and also the US as Frankie Dettori is consistently the most famous name in the sport worldwide.”
McLaren boss Zak Brown has called on Formula One’s governing body to ensure the track-limits fiasco which overshadowed the Austrian Grand Prix never happens again.
Drivers were penalised throughout the weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg for crossing the white lines – with the final classification for Sunday’s race only settled five hours after the chequered flag.
Eight of the 20-strong grid were dealt post-race sanctions by the FIA, with Lewis Hamilton demoted from seventh to eighth.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz slipped two places to sixth, while Frenchman Esteban Ocon was handed an extraordinary half-a-minute’s worth of combined penalties for track-limit infringements.
Earlier in the weekend, world champion Max Verstappen accused race director Niels Wittich of making the grid’s stars look like “amateurs”. In all, more than 100 laps were deleted during Sunday’s race.
“It definitely wasn’t ideal what happened, and that’s stating the obvious,” said Brown.
“Where we need to do a better job is that we knew this was going to be a problem on Friday and yet we just kind of watched it happen.
“We need to make sure it never happens again, and that we do a proper debrief and understand how we could have prevented it in the first place or handled it differently.”
McLaren driver Lando Norris benefited from Sainz’s post-race penalty to be promoted to fourth to take his best result of a difficult season for the British team.
Brown, speaking at the reveal of a one-off livery for McLaren’s home race at Silverstone this weekend, continued: “I’ll take my hat off to the FIA for addressing the issue and I think it would have been easy to say, ‘this is going to cause a lot of noise, let’s just kind of get it right next time’.
“For them to put their hands and say there were some penalties that needed to be addressed, I thought that was a brave decision.
“But we can’t have it again. We can’t have a race and then five hours later you have that degree of change in the result.”
Cadan Murley has been analysing prolific Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to sharpen his own finishing as he targets a place in England’s World Cup squad.
Murley is happy to put his support for Manchester United on hold in the belief that even though Haaland plays a different sport, his predatory instincts provide a valuable insight into scoring.
Haaland recently set a new goalscoring record in a Premier League season with 52 – 36 in the top flight – as he helped City complete the treble, while Murley proved equally deadly in the Gallagher Premiership by ending 2022-23 at the top of the try chart with 15.
“Every sportsman looks at other sports to see how they can improve and you’ve just got to look at Haaland’s goalscoring record this season – it’s been absolutely incredible. As a United fan that’s a pretty tough thing to say!” Harlequins wing Murley said.
“For a lot of those goals he’s been called a tap-in merchant, but you have to be in the right place at the right time. A lot of that is down to his relationships and his understanding of the players around him.
“He’s got some of the best assisters around him – Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez – but he still has to be in the right place at the right time to know what they are going to do and how to finish.
“Watching him play, he’s always so alert, he’s always live in the play and looking around for where the opportunity is going to come.
“And a lot of wingers these days, that’s where their tries come. You need to read the game early and know who is around you.
“At Quins, we’ve got Andre Esterhuizen and Alex Dombrandt and they are the two who are going to look for the offload the most, so if I can flood in around them, I know that’s when the touch is going to come.
“I know Marcus Smith prefers to kick one way, or when he looks a couple of times that’s when he’s going to do it. Little things like that, having those relationships with the players around you, is massive.”
The task now facing Murley is to rapidly develop his familiarity with his England team-mates having been picked in a 41-man World Cup training squad that will be reduced to 33 on August 7.
The uncapped 23-year-old has been working on his aerial skills to improve his all-round game, but it is understanding the nuances of playmakers such as Owen Farrell and George Ford that will be key to securing his place at France 2023.
“Haaland joined Manchester City and fitted in seamlessly, which is a skill in itself. It’s about working on how you can come in and and do that as quickly as possible in this environment,” Murley said.
“We’re all chucked together from different clubs and all play a different way. Getting to know people on and off the pitch firstly will help.
“Then going through different clips from training, watching different clips of people during the training and analysis – what they are thinking at different points – that can help as well.
“I’ve got those relationships with the Quins lads already, but we don’t know who’s going to get picked for the World Cup, so I need to have relationships with all the 41-man squad at the moment.”
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