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Williams survives scare against 18-year-old qualifier - highlights & report

Published in Tennis

Thursday, 04 July 2019 10:45

Seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams recovered from being a set down to beat teenage qualifier Kaja Juvan and reach the third round.

Williams was surprised by the 18-year-old world number 133 from Slovenia, who twice broke serve to win the first set.

The 11th seed, 37, responded to take control in the second and eventually closed out the decider for a 2-6 6-2 6-4 victory in one hour 36 minutes.

"She played well and I started out a little slow," said the American.

"I like the pressure. I would rather be in this position than any other and I play best when I am down sometimes. I am a fighter."

Williams, who last won Wimbledon in 2016, will face German 18th seed Julia Gorges in the third round.

She is looking to equal Australian Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles but has struggled with a knee injury this year.

The American saw off Italy's Giulia Gatto-Monticone in straight sets in the opening round but was given a sterner test by a player who was not born when she claimed the first of her 23 major titles at the US Open in 1999.

Williams lost her opening service game of the match and slipped 0-3 behind, before sending a smashed overhead volley into the net on set point as Juvan clinched the opener in 27 minutes.

Williams recovered to dominate the second set as her opponent, who beat Czech Kristyna Pliskova to reach the second round of a Slam for the first time, appeared to tire.

After twice breaking in the final set, Williams looked to be in full control and served for the match at 5-2 - only for the resilient Juvan to respond with a break of her own.

But the Slovenian was unable to stop an ace on match point and Williams sealed her progression.

Williams will now begin her mixed doubles campaign alongside former British number one Andy Murray on Friday.

"I am excited to play with a British icon like Andy," she said.

"It's going to be incredibly amazing and I feel honoured to share the court with him. Maybe I can learn a thing or two."

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Nadal beats irate rival Kyrgios in thriller

Published in Tennis

Thursday, 04 July 2019 12:17

Rafael Nadal allowed the tennis to do the talking against an irate Nick Kyrgios, who twice served underarm, to progress to the Wimbledon third round.

Australian Kyrgios spent much of the match audibly questioning Nadal's speed of play as the world number two prevailed 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3).

His constant arguing saw him handed an official warning by the chair umpire, who he later called a "disgrace".

Nadal will play Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the next round.

"He was a tough opponent," Nadal, 33, told BBC TV. "When he wants to compete, he's one of the toughest opponents you can face.

"It was an important victory for me, sometimes it's tough to see a couple of things on court. It's amazing how good he is able to play, so if he is able to forget all these things, he's potentially a Grand Slam winner."

Victory was two-time Wimbledon champion Nadal's 50th match win at the All England Club.

How did the entertainment unfold?

It started at a canter for 18-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, holding to love in the opening game before immediately breaking Kyrgios who had already failed to pull off a "hot dog" lob between his legs.

Barely 15 minutes had been played when Kyrgios, who had been spotted in a local pub after 23:00 BST on Wednesday, started to show signs of discontent, telling the chair umpire he had been ignored after requesting a challenge.

He then started to complain about Nadal's speed of play, indicating the Spaniard was not ready when he was preparing to serve.

"Why am I waiting to serve?" he asked, before soon asking the same question in the direction of his box.

And he then sealed his third game with an underarm serve, an action which had previously led to Nadal accusing him of lacking respect.

As Nadal took a comfort break at the end of the first set, Kyrgios making his feelings known with an almost constant shaking of the head.

"I'm serving next and he chooses to go now?" he asked the umpire.

He was the first to go a break up in the second set, firing a stunning forehand winner down the line on break point, before then saving two break points, the first with a deft drop shot, to go 3-0 ahead.

He pulled out another underarm serve, this time read by Nadal, but unlike the first, it was met by boos from the crowd as he extended his lead at 4-1.

Kyrgios - who frequently spat on the hallowed Centre Court turf - was then broken to love by Nadal, after which he engaged in a rant at the chair umpire which ended in him being handed an official warning.

"Feels good up there with all that power does it?" he said, before breaking Nadal once more and serving out the set.

That argument continued into the third set, with Kyrgios telling the chair umpire he had "no idea" as Nadal passed the time juggling the ball from foot to foot.

At 4-4, Kyrgios unleashed a forehand directly at his opponent's body, leaving a rattled Nadal glaring at his opponent and, when he sealed that game, Nadal let out all his pent-up fury.

He went on to take the set on a tie-break, leaping into the air and releasing a barrage of Spanish, no doubt some colourful wording among it.

The fourth set went with the serve with Kyrgios uncharacteristically quiet, before Nadal dominated the tie-break to seal his spot in the third round.

Perhaps surprisingly, the two were amicable at the net as another chapter in their joint story came to an end.

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PHOTOS: Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen

Published in Racing

Thursday, 04 July 2019 12:00

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Mickelson (74) sunk by penalty shots at 3M

Published in Golf

Thursday, 04 July 2019 07:20

Phil Mickelson spent a bit too much time working on his knee-high drops during the opening round of the 3M Open.

Mickelson counted up seven penalty strokes in speaking with reporters after a 3-over 74 in the opening round, a score that left him near the bottom of the pack during the inaugural event in Minnesota.

"Oh, my goodness. You know, I had seven penalty strokes. You can't do that and compete," Mickelson said. "It's frustrating because I felt like I was playing well, making some good swings. I made some terrible ones."

Mickelson started on the back nine, and his issues reached a head at the par-5 18th hole. The southpaw pulled his tee shot into the water, then rinsed another when his approach shot also found the water short of the green. It led to a triple bogey 8, and he made just one birdie the rest of the day.

The disappointing score continues a recent trend for Mickelson, who missed the cut two weeks ago at the Travelers Championship. While he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, the 49-year-old hasn't cracked the top 10 since while missing five of 11 cuts. He'll likely need to rebound in a big way to avoid another early exit in what's expected to be his final start before The Open at Royal Portrush.

"I've got to shoot something in the mid-60s just to be here for the weekend," Mickelson said. "I thought coming in I was swinging well, but today tells me I'm not quite there. Needs a little work obviously."

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Surging Matsuyama (64) grabs share of 3M lead

Published in Golf

Thursday, 04 July 2019 07:39

Recent trends show that a performance like this has been coming from Hideki Matsuyama.

Matsuyama went low last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, shooting 15 under for four rounds. While that was only good enough for a T-13 finish, it was still Matsuyama's fifth straight top-25 result.

It also extended his run of consecutive made cuts to 24, the best active streak on the PGA Tour. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Matsuyama charged out to a 7-under 64 in the first round of the 3M Open, grabbing a share of the early lead alongside Adam Hadwin.

"It was a good round today. Played well. Hopefully I can keep it going tomorrow and the rest of the week," Matsuyama told reporters through a translator. "I was putting very well today and that was the key to the round."

Matsuyama got off to a strong start with four birdies over his first nine holes, then added four more in a six-hole stretch from Nos. 1-6. He dropped his only shot at No. 9, his final hole of the day, which was playing the most difficult in the opening round. Dating back to Pebble Beach, it's his seventh straight round of 70 or better.

Matsuyama has won five times on Tour, but doesn't have an official win since the 2017 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. With his game again rounding into form, the 27-year-old is keen to add to his trophy collection after dropping from a career-best No. 2 in the world rankings two years ago to No. 31 in the latest rankings.

"Of course we all want to win, and it's been frustrating. But I really haven't played well enough to really contend on Sunday," Matsuyama said. "Hopefully this week will be different."

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PSG sign Herrera from Man Utd on free transfer

Published in Soccer

Thursday, 04 July 2019 10:52

Paris Saint-Germain have signed Ander Herrera from Manchester United on a free transfer, the club announced Thursday.

- When does the transfer window close?

Herrera's five-year stay at United came to an end after he failed to agree a contract extension with the club.

He will wear the No. 21 with his new club.

"Paris Saint-Germain is the greatest club in France," Herrera said. "It keeps on improving and competes to win every possible title. I was looking forward to coming to Paris and to wearing those colours. I hope to continue to make history with the club!

"Joining this club is an amazing feeling. I also love the city. Paris is the most beautiful city in the world. I promise three things: work, professionalism and passion. I also promise to improve my French because I think that the language is very important for the team's communication."

Sources told ESPN FC last week that PSG waited for the new financial year to begin before announcing the Spaniard's arrival.

Herrera will replace Adrien Rabiot in the PSG midfield with the France international set to depart on a free transfer.

Herrera's debut is likely to be the Trophee des Champions against Rennes -- who beat PSG in the French Cup -- on Aug. 3.

Herrera joined United from Athletic Bilbao in 2015 and won the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.

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Morgan's tea cup celebration 'next level' - Rapinoe

Published in Soccer

Thursday, 04 July 2019 12:14

LYON, France -- Megan Rapinoe continued to insist this week that she'll be available to play in Sunday's Women's World Cup final against the Netherlands, but the United States star admitted she may have already lost the competition for the tournament's most iconic celebration.

Unable to play in Tuesday's 2-1 semifinal win against England because of a hamstring injury, Rapinoe watched from the bench as teammate and co-captain Alex Morgan scored the decisive goal and then mimicked drinking from a cup of tea.

"I think I might have been upstaged," Rapinoe told reporters on Wednesday. "That was next level. That was pretty sharp by Alex."

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The range and tone of U.S. goal celebrations has become one of the stories of the tournament, from the Americans continuing to celebrate goals through the end of a 13-0 opening win against Thailand to Rapinoe's arms-outstretched poses after scoring back-to-back braces against Spain and France to Morgan's choice of material in the semifinal.

Some around the world have criticized the U.S. for arrogance -- a claim winger Christen Press flatly rejected -- with a contingent of fans and media in England the latest to take exception.

"Wah, wah, wah," Rapinoe said in mock crying when asked for a response to the criticism. "We're at the World Cup, what do you want us to do? This is the biggest stage, the biggest moment.

"I don't think anyone truly believes that we disrespect the game or disrespect our opponents. We have the utmost respect for England and every team that we've faced and every team that we will face forever and ever. That's part of the DNA of this squad.

"With that said, we work hard, we like to play hard and we like to have fun and enjoy ourselves."

Next up is the final against the reigning European champions. After her team beat Sweden to reach its first World Cup final, Dutch midfielder Danielle van de Donk was asked if she thought Morgan had a new celebration lined up for Sunday.

"I don't think she's going to score against us," Van de Donk said.

Nor, apparently, have the Dutch been preparing counter measures.

"I don't think of celebrations or anything because I don't really care who scores," Van de Donk continued. "As long as someone does."

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Robben retires: 'Heart says yes, my body says no'

Published in Soccer

Thursday, 04 July 2019 11:49

Arjen Robben has announced his retirement from professional football after playing a key role in Bayern Munich's golden decade.

"I will definitely retire. And it's good as it is," Robben, 35, said in a statement released to German media on Thursday. "It's the hardest decision I had to make in my career."

Robben, whose contract at Bayern Munich expired on June 30, added: "My heart says yes, my body says no."

Injury prone throughout major parts of his enormously successful career, Robben missed most of his Bundesliga farewell tour in 2019 as he once again battled several injuries.

"It is a decision in which heart and mind collide. The reality is that things don't work the way they did when you were 16," Robben said.

In his last match at the Allianz Arena, Robben was on target for Bayern as the German giants sealed a seventh consecutive Bundesliga title, before going on to win another domestic double the following week.

After stints with FC Groningen, PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea and Real Madrid, Robben joined Bayern Munich in 2009 and went on to become one of the club's greats in the decade to follow.

Featuring in 201 Bundesliga games, he scored 99 goals and set up a further 62.

The 2010 World Cup finalist appeared in a total of 110 Champions League matches for Eindhoven, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern.

He crowned his time at the club by scoring the late winner in the 2013 all-German Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, which Bayern won 2-1.

During his career, Robben won eight German Bundesliga titles, five German cups, two Premier League trophies, one FA Cup, one La Liga title, two Dutch cups and one Eredivisie title on top of the Champions League and Club World Cup in 2013.

He participated in three World Cups and three European championships.

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Afghanistan finish on zero as West Indies, Chris Gayle sign off with win

Published in Cricket

Thursday, 04 July 2019 12:13

West Indies 311 for 6 (Hope 77, Pooran 58, Lewis 58, Holder 45, Dawlat 2-73) beat Afghanistan 288 (Ikram 86, Rahmat 62, Brathwaite 4-63, Roach 3-37) by 23 runs

As it happened

Eighteen-year-old Ikram Alikhil came within three shots of becoming the first teenager to hit a World Cup century, and Rahmat Shah made a velvet-smooth half-century of his own, but it was still not enough for Afghanistan as they exited the World Cup without a single point from nine matches. Three of West Indies' brightest young batting talents - Evin Lewis, Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran - made ebullient half-centuries as well, which formed the centerpiece of their 311 for 6.

The target always seemed away from Afghanistan's reach, but Ikram and Rahmat brought it closer with their 133-run partnership - the highest for the side this World Cup. Once both the set batsmen - and later their best batsman Najibullah Zadran - fell, it was curtains for them.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only): Highlights of West Indies' win over Afghanistan

Batsmen from either side provided a glimpse of the promising future, but it also left Afghanistan and West Indies wondering what might have been had they got their act together when it really mattered.

The sun was out in the morning at Headingley, and West Indies' battery of young batsmen lit it up further, despite the early exit of Chris Gayle. The big Jamaican nicked off for 7 in his last World Cup match, but a fit-again Lewis and Hope injected impetus into the innings. Hope, dropped on 5 at midwicket by Rashid Khan, played the shot of the day, when he twinkled down the track and launched Mohammad Nabi over his head for six.

After seeing off Mujeeb ur Rahman's new-ball spell on a fairly slow track, Lewis swung left-arm seamer Sayed Shirzad over square-leg and then Gulbadin Naib over midwicket for sixes. He moved to 58 before the slowness of the pitch forced him into dragging a short legbreak from Rashid to deep midwicket.

Hope, though, was more decisive against spin. He stretched right forward to full balls - and often went down the track to get the ball in his arc - while going right back to the shorter ones. He took Rashid and Nabi for 45 off 45 balls before the offspin-bowling allrounder combated brawn with brain. Hope had just crunched Nabi down the ground for back-to-back fours at the start of the 38th over, but then Nabi shifted his angle to around the wicket and cramped the batsman, resulting in a catch to deep midwicket.

Pooran got a life on 7 in the next over and punished the sloppy Afghans along with his captain Jason Holder in a blazing 105-run stand. All told, West Indies slammed 111 from the last ten overs of their innings.

Once again, Pooran showed why West Indies' selectors had taken a punt on him even though he was just one ODI old before the World Cup. He followed up his maiden century with 58 off 43 balls, which was a fine cocktail of power and precision.

Holder's cameo - 45 off 34 balls - was all about power. When Mujeeb Ur Rahman speared a 101kph dart on middle, he dropped to one knee and smoked it 30 rows beyond midwicket. What about Dawlat Zadran's back-of-the-hand variation? Smoked over the same region again. Mujeeb's yorker? Holder backed away and jabbed it to the third-man boundary.

Pooran and Holder were both dismissed at the start of the last over, but Carlos Brathwaite went 6, 4, 4 to vault his side past 300.

Kemar Roach jolted Afghanistan's chase early when he had Naib flapping a catch to short midwicket. Ikram and Rahmat then propped them with up with some dazzling strokes. While Rahmat was strong off the front foot, unfurling a variety of drives, Ikram pumped Roach down the ground and even emulated Shakib Al Hasan's cut with both his feet in the air.

Rahmat was the first to get to a fifty, off 57 balls, before Ikram found a higher gear and outscored him. The stand was snapped in the 27th over, simply enough, but was celebrated in grand style. Gayle's catch at short cover was a sitter, but it was his vaudevillian celebration - half-a-dozen perfectly synchronised push-ups with Brathwaite, the bowler - that made it memorable.

Gayle could have dismissed Ikram, too, with the ball on 73, but Hope botched a stumping chance. Ikram added 13 to his tally, before Gayle was at it again, pinning him in front. Asghar Afghan (40) and Shirzad (25) landed some late blows, but the game had been decided by then.

The ending was sweet for West Indies with Gayle getting a rousing reception from his team-mates and the Headingley crowd.

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Joe Clarke, Tom Kohler-Cadmore sanctioned for infamous WhatsApp messages

Published in Cricket

Thursday, 04 July 2019 11:31

Joe Clarke and Tom Kohler-Cadmore have been cleared to continue playing for Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire respectively, after both players were sanctioned for their roles in the infamous WhatsApp messaging group that came to light during the trial of their jailed former Worcestershire team-mate Alex Hepburn.

The players appeared before the independent Cricket Discipline Commission to answer charges that they brought cricket into disrepute by being part of the group, in which the members discussed sexual conquests.

Hepburn was found guilty of rape in April and jailed for five years.

Both players were served with a four-match ban, which they were deemed already to have served following their exclusions from the England Lions squad in January, and fined £2,000.

Neither Clarke nor Kohler-Cadmore has been charged with any criminal offence and there was no suggestion of any criminal wrongdoing by the pair.

Both players also received an official reprimand, and will be required to attend a suitable course of educational training, under the supervision of the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) and ECB.

""The Panel took into account the fact that both players cooperated with the ECB from the outset, as well as the evident remorse they have both shown," said an ECB statement.

Both players accepted their sanctions and later issued statements through the PCA.

"With the CDC proceedings completed I would like to apologise to everyone concerned for my involvement in the WhatsApp group," said Clarke.

"I acknowledge that what I did fell well below the standards expected of a professional sportsman. I am relieved I can now put this chapter behind me. I am extremely grateful for the guidance and support I have received from the PCA, Phoenix Management and Nottinghamshire CCC during this difficult time.

"I have learned a great deal over the past two years and I am thankful that I can now move forward and focus wholly on the rest of the season. I hope I can end the year on a positive note with Notts."

Kohler-Cadmore added: "I deeply regret my involvement in the WhatsApp group in 2017 that led to me being charged by the ECB. I fully accept the subsequent punishment and I now want to move forward with the rest of my career and life in a positive manner.

"It has been a difficult period and I appreciate the support I have received from Yorkshire County Cricket Club and especially the PCA who I will be working with to deliver social media education workshops."

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