Sir Busker is on the mend with a York return pencilled in after his right eye was saved by veterinary staff at the Dubai Equine Hospital.

The highly-popular gelding is trained by William Knight and owned by Kennet Valley Thoroughbreds and gave connections a day to remember when winning the Group Two York Stakes last season.

He was then a gallant third at 100-1 in the Juddmonte International, before starting out with a second-placed run in the Tandridge Stakes early this year and then flying out to the Middle East.

Ninth in the Neom Turf Cup at Riyadh and 10th in the Dubai Turf at Meydan, the bay then suffered from an eye injury that required him to stay put in Dubai and undergo an operation.

The procedure – which took flesh from his haunches and grafted it onto his eye – was a success and prevented the eye from being removed and from his vision being completely lost on the right side.

Sir Busker has since returned home and has been eased back into work by Knight, who is hopeful he can be back for the Ebor meeting on the Knavesmire in August.

“We’ve just had to take it steady with him, but I would love to try and have him back for the York August meeting – maybe something like the Strensall Stakes,” he said.

“That’s what I’m thinking about, we’re not going to rush him to get there but we hope he gets there in his own time.

“It’s been a long road back but we’ve managed to save the eye and he’s got vision in there, it’s nice to have him back and have him in work.”

Knight feels a return to the routine of training has done Sir Busker the world of good, and by the time he takes to the track again his wounded eye should bear very few signs of the operation.

“He was quiet for a good period of time when he got back, not his usual self, but he’s just started to perk up in the past couple of weeks,” he said.

“By getting him back into work we’ve got the whole system moving again and that’s what has done him good, rather than just going on the walker and being led out, when that happens they start to lose a lot of condition. Now he’s back in work and I think he’s done very well for it.”

Of the healing process of the eye, he added: “It’s a bit pink but by the time it gets to racing I would hope it will have gone, aesthetically it doesn’t look great but actually it is offering the eye protection in a way.

“It’s quite bizarre, the whole thing, but it is an amazing procedure.

“The first thing was saving his eye and then making sure he’s still got vision in it, which he definitely has though the percentage is hard to gauge until the skin graft properly disappears.

“Then we can get a proper look, but if you wave your hand on that side he blinks, so there’s definitely some vision there.”

The 110th Tour de France will roll out of Bilbao on Saturday morning with Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar expected to vie for yellow.

When it comes to the sprints, all eyes will be on Mark Cavendish to see if the Manxman can take the Tour stage wins record outright with a 35th victory in what will be his final Tour.

But those are only some of the storylines that will play out over the next three weeks, and here the PA news agency looks at five other talking points ahead of the race.

Rider safety

Cycling is still in mourning after Gino Mader died on June 16 as a result of injuries suffered a day earlier in a crash at the Tour de Suisse. Mader, 26, went into a ravine on a high-speed descent and never regained consciousness. Amid the grief at the loss of a popular young rider have been more calls for reviews of rider safety – particularly given recent disturbing scenes at the women’s Tour of the Pyrenees, a race which was ultimately curtailed after two stages during which roads were not properly closed. The UCI, in conjunction with riders’ groups, is due to make an announcement on safety regulations on the eve of this year’s Tour.

Bernal is back

It is 18 months since 2019 Tour winner Egan Bernal suffered what could have been life-threatening injuries in a training crash in his native Colombia. Happily, the 26-year-old has made huge strides in his recovery, and was rewarded with selection by the Ineos Grenadiers after riding to 12th at the Criterium du Dauphine at the start of June. There is no suggestion Bernal is yet ready to challenge again at the pointy end of a race, but it will be fascinating to see how he fares over the course of three weeks. Just by lining up, he has already scored a victory.

No Froome

But while Bernal returns, Chris Froome is missing. The four-time Tour winner has never fully got over the injuries sustained in a training crash in 2019 and, at 38 years of age, surely now never will. Even so, eyebrows were raised when Israel Premier-Tech opted to leave their star name out of the Tour team this year, particularly given the way he rode to third place on Alpe d’Huez last year. Froome himself issued a statement expressing disappointment, and vowing to return in 2024.

Yates to challenge?

Pogacar’s team boss Mauro Gianetti threw up a surprise on Wednesday when he listed Adam Yates as a co-leader alongside the two-time champion given the latter’s uncertain form following the broken wrist he suffered in April. But actually, the Yates in question here is his twin brother Simon, who carries the hopes of the Jayco-Alula team alongside sprinter Dylan Groenewegen. So far, the 30-year-old has spoken about targeting stage wins, looking to add to the two he won in 2019, but will the 2018 Vuelta a Espana winner keep himself in the general classification fight or deliberately lose time to be allowed into breakaways?

The Wright Stuff

Fred Wright ended his long wait for a first professional win in some style last weekend by winning the British national road race in Saltburn. That victory has earned the 24-year-old some new threads for the Tour as he will don the British stripes in France, making him a little more conspicuous within the peloton. Last year, Wright made a speciality of getting himself in breakaways at both the Tour and the Vuelta, and four times finished on the podium in stages across the two races even if a win eluded him. The goal will be to go one better this time.

Paul Wellens has told his stuttering St Helens stars he will not tolerate any more complacency as they prepare to host struggling Castleford in the Betfred Super League on Friday.

Wellens’ world champions looked to have shrugged off their sluggish start to the current campaign after dazzling back-to-back wins over Wigan and Huddersfield earlier this month.

But having belatedly nudged themselves back into the play-off slots, Saints summoned an abject display in last Thursday’s 34-6 loss at Hull FC that suggests their bid for a fifth consecutive title remains very much a work-in-progress.

In contrast Castleford head for the Totally Wicked Stadium on the back of a stirring win over previous pace-setters Warrington last week, and Wellens has demanded his players be on their guard for a repeat performance.

“I thought we were complacent at the weekend, Hull came at us with an intent and energy that we couldn’t match, and that was the most disappointing aspect,” said Wellens.

“Too many of us turned up to the game hoping for an easy night, and when you do that you make things much more difficult for yourself.

“It’s a massive learning for us and we’ve had some pretty honest conversations this week. But what this group has done well in the past is respond to a bad performance and we need a really positive performance at the weekend.”

Wellens did not exclude himself from criticism last week, admitting he may have made an error in opting to rest captain James Roby and hand Morgan Knowles a rare start at number nine.

So ineffective was the formation – though no particular blame could be attached to Knowles – that Roby emerged off the bench for the second half and immediately made a difference in his side’s bid to claw their way back into the match.

Their patchy performances this season have made Saints increasingly aware of their talisman’s impending retirement, with Warrington’s Daryl Clark yet to be officially confirmed as his replacement next season.

Insisting he is relaxed about the prospect of having to fill such a huge hole in his line-up, Wellens referenced Roby’s ability to make the position his own in the wake of the departure of the previous incumbent, Keiron Cunningham, in 2010.

“As a club we will be really smart about how we go about bringing in a replacement, and I will bring in a player of real quality who can add to this team,” said Wellens.

“When Keiron retired, James Roby came in and was true to himself, and we expect the same from James Roby’s replacement. James Roby is going to retire and we will move forward as a club and deal with that.”

A coffee run with Andy Murray helped Cameron Norrie embrace the expectations and responsibilities that come with being the country’s leading tennis player.

“At Davis Cup in Glasgow last year I was walking with Andy to get coffee and there were 30 or 40 people stopping Andy every day for photos and he was so patient and took the time for everyone,” Norrie tells the PA news agency.

“Seeing him doing that, I was like, ‘Wow’. He’s on another level of being famous than me. I thought I have to do the same because it was unbelievable.”

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Norrie remains in Murray’s shadow in terms of public profile despite having been Britain’s leading man since October 2021 but he thrust himself firmly into the spotlight by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals last summer.

It was the 27-year-old’s first time beyond the third round at a grand slam and, coming at Wimbledon, that swiftly translated to much wider recognition for a player who had hitherto been distinctly under the radar.

“As the tournament went on people more and more started recognising me,” he recalls.

“I was staying at my flat in Putney. I would go into the coffee shop next door every day and they had no idea I was a tennis player. By midway through they were like, ‘Oh my God, we thought you were just some random club player.’

“And obviously walking around, people asking for photos more and more. It wasn’t crazy because there’s a lot more famous people in London than me but it was cool.

“I’m always going to take the time to take photos with people and ask them if they’re into tennis. I really like it if it’s a young kid because I was one of those kids who was always asking for photos and sweatbands. So I’m really pumped to hopefully see if I can make a positive influence on them.”

The draw opened up for Norrie early on and he took full advantage, although the run was certainly not without its challenges.

He had to come from two-sets-to-one down to beat Jaume Munar in the second round and then David Goffin in the quarter-finals, with straight-sets wins over Americans Steve Johnson and Tommy Paul in between.

“The match with Tommy Paul was just flawless,” he says. “We both played such a high level. That was maybe my best match of the year and it was just a perfect day.

“The match with Goffin was just special, there were a lot of emotions after it. Prince William was watching. It was such a crazy match, being down most of the time. I almost didn’t know what to say at the end, what to do. It was a bit too much for me.

“It was an amazing time, having my friends and family watching and having this deep run, it was so much fun.”

Norrie sparked hopes he could emulate Murray by reaching the final when he took the opening set against Novak Djokovic only for the top seed to hit back decisively and win in four sets.

The run showcased everything that has seen Norrie out-perform most people’s expectations – although not his own – by establishing himself in the world’s top 15.

He does not have a big weapon but instead grinds opponents down with his heavily spun forehand and compact, flat backhand, priding himself on a relentless appetite for hard work on and off the court.

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The gruelling five-set battles where physical and mental prowess become the key factors are the ones where Norrie feels the most comfortable.

“Once I get my teeth on a player, I’m pretty tough to shake off,” he says with a grin.

Norrie’s low-key, laid-back nature was encapsulated by him shunning tournament transport to cycle to Wimbledon last year from his flat in Putney.

This year, having joined many of the top players by moving to Monte Carlo – “Good guys to practice with, the weather’s good and obviously with the tax as well,” he explains – he is staying even closer to the All England Club.

He will have no need during the fortnight, therefore, for his new Lexus RZ 450e, with Norrie recently announced as an ambassador for the luxury car brand.

Driving an electric car is one of the steps Norrie is taking to try to reduce his environmental impact.

“I’m trying my best and I’m doing little things I can,” says the world number 13, who is an eager support of the ATP’s Carbon Tracker app, which aims to inspire greener travel on the tour.

“Obviously as tennis players we’re travelling so much so it’s not ideal. I’m trying to take as many trains as I can. I’m riding my bike around a lot, filling up my drinks bottles. I know it doesn’t seem like a big thing but hopefully they add up in the long term.”

Helping limit Norrie’s travel is the fact his parents have moved from New Zealand, where the British number one grew up, to London.

Norrie is enjoying being able to spend more time as a family and especially to hang out with dogs Lulu and Peggy, who help him relax away from the court.

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“It’s been really good,” he said. “When they were visiting I was thinking I needed to hang out with them as much as possible but now they’re close I can take my time and have barbecues and see my dogs and spend time with them without worrying that they’re going to be leaving soon.”

Norrie’s father David, a Glaswegian and one of his son’s biggest supporters, has been fully embracing the British grass-court summer.

“My dad is so pumped,” says Norrie. “He’s watching all the tennis. He’s been to (Wimbledon) qualifying, he went to Surbiton, he’s watching all the other British players. He’s in heaven. He knows how everyone’s doing.

“He’s joined a local club. Both my parents were good squash players so they don’t have traditional technique at the moment.

“My dad has a good slice backhand and decent kick serve but his forehand’s his weakness. If you’re playing him, you go into the forehand all day. I tried to give him some lessons but I can’t help the forehand.”

Norrie has been honing his own forehand on grass over the past weeks, reaching the quarter-finals at Queen’s Club, as he looks to hit peak form at Wimbledon following a broadly underwhelming couple of months on clay.

Whatever happens, the 27-year-old is determined to enjoy the pressure and expectation that come with his position.

“This is exactly where I want to be and I’m going to have to get used to it even more if I want to get better,” he says.

“If you’re going to be not embracing all of it, it’s going to come and eat you alive. All I can ask from myself is to do my best. I have to go out and enjoy the experience of playing at Wimbledon and playing in front of my home crowd because it only happens once a year.”

York’s chief executive and clerk of the course William Derby hailed news that the Sky Bet Ebor winner will be handed a “golden ticket” into the Melbourne Cup field as “fantastic”.

The arrangement was announced on Thursday with the Ebor, won by the Frankie Dettori-ridden Trawlerman last year, becoming the seventh win-and-you’re-in race for the £4.4m event in November.

The Ebor, worth £500,000 itself, is the first international race to provide automatic entry into the Australian showpiece event, which has drawn the interest of plenty of European-based trainers over the years.

Dermot Weld was the first to taste success in 1993 with the legendary Vintage Crop and he repeated the feat with Media Puzzle in 2002.

Alain de Royer-Dupre and Mikel Delzangles then provided France with back-to-back wins with Americain (2010) and Dunaden (2011), while Andreas Wohler struck gold for Germany in 2014 when Protectionist was ridden to victory by Ryan Moore.

More recently Joseph O’Brien twice (Rekindling 2017 and Twilight Payment 2020) and Charlie Appleby’s Cross Counter (2018) have improved the overseas raiders’ record.

The Cup itself will be in York during the Ebor meeting with the feature race taking place on August 28.

“It is fantastic to officially connect two iconic races in the Sky Bet Ebor and the Lexus Melbourne Cup with the introduction of a golden ticket for the Ebor winner into the race that stops a nation and indeed much of the world,” said Derby.

“With the York winner having finished in the top 10 at Flemington in three of the four years preceding the pandemic, this great news will give confidence to winning connections that that their start at Flemington is secure, further linking two great races.

“We look forward to welcoming the 2023 Lexus Melbourne Cup on all four days of the Sky Bet Ebor Festival (23-26 August) on its annual tour across the world. This makes us more hopeful that it can return to Britain after the first Tuesday in November.”

Victoria Racing Club chief executive Steve Rosich said the alignment with York was a natural progression.

“The Ebor handicap has been a proven pathway into the Melbourne Cup over the years and it is fantastic to be able to build on the association with Flemington and York racecourse,” he said.

“The introduction of a seventh golden ticket is exciting for both clubs and the connections of all potential Ebor runners. It further cements the Lexus Melbourne Cup’s international reach and appeal.”

Deauville Legend could take on defending champion Pyledriver in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, with trainer James Ferguson confident he will take “a huge step forward”.

Fourth in the Melbourne Cup on his previous run at Flemington, the lightly-raced four-year-old produced a fine run on his return from a 235-day break when beaten just under three lengths by Pyledriver in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

A head runner-up in last year’s King George V Stakes, Deauville Legend went on to take two Group races and his Newmarket handler is happy to meet Pyledriver again in the all-aged Group One contest at the Berkshire track on July 29.

“That was huge after an extremely long lay-off,” said Ferguson.

“We knew it would be a tough ask and he just went for his girths half a furlong from home, and he will probably take a huge step forward from that.

“Deauville Legend will probably go to the King George. He’s had two solid runs at Ascot now and it is a track he obviously likes.”

Zoology almost made it a meeting to remember for the young trainer, the three-year-old stepping up on his fourth-placed effort in the Greenham to run Age Of Kings to a length in the Group Three Jersey Stakes on vastly different ground.

He stayed on nicely inside the final furlong to claim the runner-up spot under Oisin Murphy, and Ferguson feels he may be ready to go up in trip.

He said: “I’ve always been confident in the horse and I’m very grateful to have a Zoustar of his calibre.

“He has just done better with age and he’s developed mentally as well as physically. He looks a different horse to the one we had six months ago – he’s changed that quickly.

“I thought he ran really well and potentially he could step up to a mile.

“The Greenham at Newbury was on terrible ground. He is genuine. That’s Zoustars for you – they are genuine and very honest. But I can’t tell you where he will go next.”

Likewise, Canberra Legend, who was beaten three lengths by Waipiro in the Hampton Court, could also be upped in trip next time.

A son of Australia, he had previously disappointed in York’s Dante Stakes, finishing ninth of 11 to The Foxes.

Ferguson was happy to see him bounce back to something like his best at Ascot and has pencilled in the Group Three Gordon Stakes at Goodwood on August 3 for his next outing.

“Just put a line through the Dante,” he insisted. “We saw the real Canberra Legend this time and he will probably step up to a mile and a half. He will probably go to the Gordon.”

Domingo German threw the 24th perfect game in major league history in the New York Yankees’ 11-0 rout of the lowly Oakland Athletics on Wednesday.

German retired all 27 Oakland batters in order to become the first pitcher to accomplish the rarely seen feat since Felix Hernandez did it for the Seattle Mariners against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug 15, 2012.

The Yankees right-hander struck out nine in his first career complete game. He joined Don Larsen (1956), David Wells (1998) and David Cone (1999) as Yankees pitchers to throw perfect games.

German threw 72 of 99 pitches for strikes, mixing 51 curveballs and 30 fastballs that averaged 92.5 mph with 17 changeups and one sinker.

German’s perfect game came after he allowed 15 earned runs and 15 hits in his past two starts, spanning 5 1/3 innings.

Seth Brown came closest to reach base for the Athletics when he hit a sharp grounder to first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who made a diving stop and tossed to German for the second out of the fifth inning.

Just over a month ago, German was suspended 10 games by Major League Baseball after using too much rosin on his hands in a start against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Giancarlo Stanton homered and drove in three runs and Josh Donaldson added three RBIs as New York defeated Oakland for the 15th time in the last 21 meetings.  

Rays score 3 in 9th to rally past Diamondbacks

Josh Lowe doubled home two runs to cap a three-run ninth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied for a 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in a matchup of division leaders.

Scott McGough was called on to protect a 2-0 lead in the ninth but surrendered singles to Yandy Diaz and Wander Franco before Luke Raley singled home the first run.

After Isaac Paredes lined out to second, Lowe ripped a double into the left-centre field gap to plate the go-ahead runs.

A loss would’ve dropped the Rays behind the Atlanta Braves for the best record in baseball, but Lowe’s hit means Tampa Bay remains atop the majors.

Red-hot Braves sweep Twins

The Atlanta Braves kept rolling, beating the visiting Minnesota Twins 3-0 to cap a three-game sweep.

Atlanta extended its winning streak to five games and posted its 21st victory in 25 contests to add to its National League-leading 53-27 record.

Matt Olson hit his NL-best 26th home run and contributed an RBI double for the Braves, who top the major leagues with 147 homers.

Atlanta’s 55 home runs in June are one shy of the franchise record set in June 2019.

Minnesota fell to 40-42 after scoring just three runs in the series and striking out 31 times.

Wimbledon closed its newly installed roof over centre court during a match for the first time on this day in 2009.

A fourth-round encounter between Russian world number one Dinara Safina and Amelie Mauresmo was under way when play had to be paused due to rain.

Covers were pulled across the court at 4.35pm and an announcement informed spectators: “Ladies and gentlemen play is suspended and a further announcement will be made shortly.”

Four minutes later the lights went on in the four corners of the stadium and the state-of-the-art roof buzzed into life, taking seven minutes to shut completely.

Ian Ritchie, chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, told the BBC: “We’ve been waiting for it for so long, it’s the first time ever at Wimbledon somebody’s waiting for rain, but we’d still prefer the sunshine.”

The roof, reported to have cost £80million to install, was not used during play in the first week of the tournament except as a sun shade for the royal box.

The New England Patriots and wide receiver DeVante Parker have reached agreement on a three-year extension worth up to $33 million, according to reports.

Parker, 30, was heading into the final year of his current deal as a pending free agent in 2024. The deal reportedly includes $14 million in guarantees and pe-game roster bonuses.

In his first season with the Patriots, Parker had 31 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games.

The 6-foot-3 Parker caught ten of his 19 contested targets, leading to ten catches of 20-plus yards, which ranked second on the team to Jakobi Meyers. Parker’s 17.4 yards per reception lead all Patriots receivers in 2022.

Parker spent his first seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins and had his best season in 2019, when he caught 72 passes for 1,202 yards and nine TDs.

New England is one of the teams interested in signing veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and he visited the team earlier this month. It’s unknown if Parker’s signing affects the Patriots’ pursuit of Hopkins.

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Chicago Blackhawks selected 17-year-old Connor Bedard with the first pick of Wednesday's NHL Draft.

Bedard has been turning heads since he was 11 years old and has been labeled a generational talent, drawing comparisons to Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, who was picked first overall in 2015.

It was basically a foregone conclusion that the Blackhawks would take Bedard with the top pick after they were the winner of the NHL’s draft lottery on May 8.

Bedard becomes the second player selected first overall by the Blackhawks, joining Patrick Kane in 2007. Kane helped lead the team to three Stanley Cups in 16 seasons before he was traded to the New York Rangers in February.

Bedard was the first person granted exceptional status to play in the Western Hockey League at age 15 and concluded his WHL career with an eye-popping 271 points in 134 games. His career points per game ranks 10th in league history and is the highest in the league since the early 1980s.

A certified sniper who already owns one of the best releases at 17, Bedard also is an outstanding skater with a deceptive and unpredictable style of play.

His 71 goals in 57 games last year were the most by a WHL player in 24 years, and his 143 points were the most since 1995-96. 

Bedard swept the Canadian Hockey League awards, becoming the first voted player of the year, top prospect and top scorer.

He further cemented his status as the best player available in this draft with a dominant showing for gold medal-winning Canada in the 2023 World Juniors.

Playing against players up to three years older than him on an international stage, Bedard set the Canadian record for most points at a single tournament (23) and most assists at one tournament (14) in seven games on his way to winning MVP honours.

Two-time All-Star centre Nikola Vucevic is returning to the Chicago Bulls after agreeing to a three-year, $60 million contract extension, his agents told ESPN on Wednesday.

The new deal keeps Vucevic from hitting the open market when the NBA free agency period begins Friday. The 32-year-old would have been among the top available big men after averaging 17.6 points, 11 rebounds and 3.2 assists while playing in all 82 games in 2022-23, the final season of a four-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2019.

“I’m excited to continue my journey as a Chicago Bull,” Vucevic said in a team release. "Since I have arrived in Chicago, everyone in the organisation has been incredibly welcoming to my family and me. I am motivated more than ever to achieve our mutual goals as a team."

Vucevic will be entering his third full season with Chicago after the Bulls acquired him from the Orlando Magic at the trade deadline in March 2021. He put together his best season that year by averaging a career-high 23.4 points along with 11.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 70 games.

The 12-year veteran, along with star scorers Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, helped the Bulls end a four-year playoff drought the following season. Though Chicago missed the playoffs this past season, Vucevic put up identical numbers to his 2021-22 per-game averages in points, rebounds and assists while shooting 52 per cent from the field, his highest rate since 2014-15.

Vucevic has averaged a points-rebounds double-double in five consecutive seasons and owns a solid 34.8 per cent career average on 3-point attempts. The 2011 first-round pick has averaged 17 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 823 career regular-season games. 

“During his time in Chicago, Nikola has proven that he is a special player both on and off the court,” Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnsiovas said. “He has produced at an elite level since we acquired him and will remain an integral part of our foundation moving forward.

"Nikola’s willingness to do whatever is asked of him to help us win, while also being an established veteran leader for our group, makes him a valuable component of the culture of our organisation. He is a consummate professional and tremendous teammate, which plays a big role in making us an attractive destination for other players. We are excited to have him continue to be part of our journey."

Retaining Vucevic was considered a top offseason priority for Karnisovas, who paid a high price to acquire the Montenegro native two years ago. Chicago sent talented young centre Wendell Carter Jr. to Orlando in the trade along with two first-round picks, one of which was used on rising star Franz Wagner. 

While bringing back Vucevic solidifies Chicago's frontcourt, Karnisovas still has big decisions to make regarding the backcourt with point guard Lonzo Ball expected to miss a second straight season with a career-threatening knee injury. Fellow guard Coby White, the Bulls' top bench scorer last season, will be a restricted free agent.

Andy Murray branded a contentious poster of past and present Wimbledon greats a “disaster” as he highlighted the lack of prominence given to female players.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Murray was a notable absentee from the official All England Club artwork which features 15 famous players walking down a staircase.

Young pair Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz – neither of whom have made an impact at the Championships yet – stand in the foreground of the painting, followed by a selection of “epic” rivalries, beginning with Murray’s long-time competitors Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Of the six women depicted, only Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova are among the front 11 players, with the other four, including Serena and Venus Williams, at the back.

While Murray’s uncle and brother criticised his exclusion, the Scot insisted that is not the issue as he spoke about the poster for the first time since its release.

With a smile, he initially said: “It was a disaster, wasn’t it? I don’t need to elaborate any more on it, it’s pretty obvious if you see the poster.”

Asked about four of the front five groups of rivals being men, he continued: “That was what was slightly strange.

“I guess the players that are on the poster are ones that have had incredible careers and have been unbelievably successful at Wimbledon.

“But elsewhere are some of the greatest players of all time.

“For me, Alcaraz and Sinner are unbelievable players but it just seems strange that they were all sort of behind them.

“I personally don’t really care that much about it. But I can see when you look at it’s like, ‘that does look a bit strange’.

“Me not being on it is certainly not a problem.”

Murray’s final warm-up ahead of Wimbledon ended in a 6-4 6-4 loss to world number six world number six Holger Rune at the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic.

The 36-year-old, who is ranked 39th, goes into his home slam unseeded and awaiting his fate in Friday’s draw.

While he would relish another meeting with reigning champion Djokovic before the end of his career, Murray is keen to avoid star names in the early rounds, albeit he is ready for that scenario.

“Ideally that wouldn’t happen right at the beginning,” he said of facing a top seed. “I would obviously want that to happen probably later in the tournament.

“But at the same time, because of the situation, I need to be prepared for that. I need to be ready to play against anyone right from the start.

“I’ve had some pretty tough first-round draws in the slams over the last couple of years so I need to to be ready for that and I think I am.

“Obviously, I would love to play against Novak again. I can’t remember the last time we played. It’s a long time ago.”

Murray moved well on court against 20-year-old Dane Rune at the Hurlingham Club but could not capitalise on his chances as he slipped to defeat.

Prior to last week’s first-round exit at Queen’s Club, he had won 10 successive matches in claiming back-to-back grass-court titles in Surbiton and Nottingham.

“Form-wise, I think has been good,” he said of his recent displays. “There are some positive signs there.

“Maybe the other players would see it differently but I don’t think there are loads of guys that would want to draw me in the first round. That’s a good place to be.”

Tom Pidcock believes the racing at this year’s Tour de France will be different as a result of Gino Mader’s death at the Tour de Suisse less than two weeks ago.

Mader, who was 26, died on June 16 as a result of injuries suffered when he crashed into a ravine on a high-speed descent, and rider safety has been a hot topic in the build up to Saturday’s opening stage.

Pidcock, who was also racing in Switzerland, lit up the Tour de France on debut last year with an incredible descent off the Galibier setting up his victory on the Alpe d’Huez.

But asked if he expected the approach to racing to be impacted by what happened in Switzerland, the 23-year-old said: “I think so. I think especially for everyone who was at the race, that was pretty hard hitting.

“I didn’t see a single rider take any risks after that incident on the last two stages. Personally I think one of the things that hit me was it happened descending which is something that I love.

“It kind of showed me what the consequences can be when it goes wrong. I never take uncalculated risks when I’m descending, I don’t take unnecessary risks but things can happen when we’re riding down a descent at 100 kilometres an hour in lycra.”

Pidcock heads into this year’s Tour aiming to better last year’s debut. For him, that means being more consistent in the general classification so there will be no deliberately losing time to get in a breakaway. If he is to win another stage, he wants it to be from the group of favourites.