European indoor champion sets Universiade record to win shot put in Italy

Poland’s Konrad Bukowiecki set a Universiade record of 21.54m to win the men’s shot put on day one of the athletics at the World University Games in Naples, Italy.

Although the 2017 European indoor champion was unable to beat his personal best of 21.97m set in Rome last month, his university record throw was just enough to win the gold by 5cm.

American thrower Andrew Liskowitz took the silver with a personal best of 20.49m.

Having improved his PB by over a metre since finishing eighth at the 2017 World Championships in London, Bukowiecki will hope to be a medal contender in Doha later this year.

Elsewhere, Britain’s Jenny Nesbitt finished eighth in the 10,000m in a time of 34:27.50.

Nesbitt ran nearly two minutes behind her personal best in a tactical race won by China’s Deshun Zhang.

Zhang just had enough to break away from Japanese athletes Rino Goshima (34:03.65) and Natsuki Sekiya (34:05.84) to take the gold in 34:03.31.

Nesbitt was one of several British athletes to have competed throughout the day.

Mari Smith negotiated the first round of the 800m with ease, winning her heat in 2:07.66, while Taylor Campbell and Joe Ellis qualified for the men’s hammer final.

Sprinter Adam Thomas also progressed to the next round of the 100m.

Results can be found here.

Her Wimbledon run was so extraordinary that Serena Williams and Andy Murray had to cancel their plans.

"It was definitely the best week of my life," Coco Gauff told the BBC - few 15-year-olds will have had better.

This American - a qualifier, remember - is why Wimbledon 2019 will live long in the memory for all who have experienced it. She enjoyed a rise to stardom so rapid that she became the hottest ticket in town.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion and whose face adorns posters in Gauff's bedroom, called her an "absolute star". Her eventual conqueror, Simona Halep, said "she will be top 10 soon".

The likes of former First Lady Michelle Obama, Jaden Smith and Beyonce's mum all became interested in the youngster from Florida, who, still eight months shy of her sweet 16, will soon fly back across the pond to finish her school year.

But despite her remarkable run to the fourth round at the All England Club, Gauff has remained humble and showed a maturity throughout.

"I learned a lot," she said. "I learned how to play in front of a big crowd. I learned what it was like to be under pressure. I learned a lot and I'm really thankful for this experience.

"I hope they learned about me - that I'm a fighter and I'll never give up.

"I hope they learned from me that anything is possible if you work hard, just continue to dream big."

In reaching the last 16, she pockets £176,000 but, not yet old enough to drive, plans to make her first purchase a new hoodie. She will soon go on a mini holiday with her family. Her parents - themselves former sportspeople - have been a constant by her side through her journey to the second week.

And a holiday is just what she needs. She looked out of sorts against Halep, an upset stomach blighting her performance as the Romanian former world number one proved a challenge too far for a player who, only a couple of weeks ago, was sitting a science exam.

Yet Halep, among others, has high expectations for the new kid on the block.

"She has potential to be a very good player," she said.

"It's a huge thing that she is able to play in the fourth round at Wimbledon, and if she keeps going, she will be top 10 soon."

How did she do it?

Twelve months ago, Gauff entered the Wimbledon junior competition and could not get beyond the quarter-finals. A lot can change in a year.

In qualifying at Roehampton in June, she became the youngest player in the Open era to qualify for the main draw, but it was her straight-set victory over five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams - 24 years her senior - that announced her arrival.

Next up was former Wimbledon semi-finalist Magdalena Rybarikova in a match that would see Gauff become the youngest player to reach the last 32 at Wimbledon since fellow American Jennifer Capriati, who reached the semi-finals in 1991, also aged 15.

Prior to the match, she had chatted with Roger Federer and was watched in practice by Rafael Nadal and, in a performance that belied her years, she looked at home on the grass as she wrapped up victory in straight sets.

Polona Hercog was the next to try to take her down, and it looked as though that was exactly what was going to happen when she won the first set.

Yet, in her most astonishing performance to date, Gauff saved two match points before launching a comeback even the very best would be proud of, one which forced Murray and Williams' mixed doubles debut to be postponed until the following day.

Despite a straight-sets defeat by Halep, Gauff leaves London knowing she has left her mark.

"It just shows that even though I'm young, my game gives these players a little bit of a hustle," Gauff said.

"I can't put into words how I feel, I don't know how long it will take until it sinks in."

Where does she go from here?

WTA rules dictate Gauff can play only 10 professional tournaments between her 15th and 16th birthdays. With five already under her belt, Gauff will make reaching next month's US Open her priority. Her Wimbledon performance has bumped her into the world top 150, a ranking that will leave her hoping to be handed a wildcard for the main draw in New York.

But now she is in the limelight, she won't be leaving it any time soon. She will need to be carefully managed, with new sponsorship deals and increased media interest undoubtedly headed her way.

But, as her "idol" Williams says, keeping her grounded falls on all the people around her.

"We're not famous when we go home or when we go to sleep and we shut our eyes," she said. "We really look at ourselves as anyone else. We really always try to remain incredibly humble.

"I really think it boils down to parents and role models.

"She's a complete star. I personally was nothing like her at 15. First of all, I didn't play like that. I didn't look like that. She's just so poised. I was somewhere watching cartoons, for sure."

Gauff has previously spoken of her desire to go to college, a "requirement" from her parents though she plans to complete her education online, allowing her to continue playing professionally.

"She will be a very tough opponent for everybody. If she keeps doing what she did here, she's going to get a lot of confidence and she can win big tournaments soon," added Halep.

"I think it's a good thing, a positive thing, for tennis because the juniors can see that everything is possible. They can get motivated. They get confident there is a chance for everybody."

PONTA VEDRE, Fla. – E3 Spark Plugs has expanded partnership with the National Hot Rod Ass’n.

Supporting NHRA racing across all platforms, E3 continues the company’s longstanding partnership as the NHRA’s official spark plug and official ignition products through 2024.

Since their initial sponsorship, E3 has grown into not just one of the major marketing forces behind NHRA, but has brought an entirely new line of racing ignition products to the sport.

E3’s patented DiamondFIRE Technology was introduced to NHRA racing in 2016 in the form of a new line of racing spark plugs that has gained a solid following and contributed to numerous national championships in the last three years. Following that success, E3 brought to market a complete line of Racing Distributors, Extreme Performance Spark Plug Wires and Coil Packs that work together to ensure optimum performance and wins at the track.

“NHRA has been a win-win for E3 and for the racers that participate in our NHRA contingency program,” said E3 Vice President of Motorsports Rob Fisher. “This extension of another three years to 2024 was an easy decision. Our goal is to support the NHRA racers, crews and fans by having a strong presence at events that fuel their passion for drag racing at its finest. We like the direction NHRA is heading with the evolution of programs like NHRA TV, Pro Mod drag racing, and Factory Stock just to name a few. Consequently, extending our contract underscores our commitment to the racers and fans.”

A schedule filled with midweek games stretched the resources of teams across Major League Soccer this round, leading to silly mistakes that really shouldn't happen.

We here at MLS Power Rankings wouldn't know anything about that. Thanks to a very nap-heavy daily calendar, we're always in tiptop shape. The Power Rankings don't make mistakes. The Power Rankings are prefect.

With all the majesty of a Zlatan IRBahimovic wonder-strike from midfield, let's get ranking.

Previous rankings: Week 17 | Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (13 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses)

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: July 12 at Houston (9 p.m. ET)

LAFC were back on their ... good stuff. After a strange loss in Colorado, Bob Bradley's team only put in 11 goals in two games this week against Western Conference opponents. The words "historically dominant" are starting to resolve into view, and there's no reason yet to doubt LAFC will march to a title.

2. New York City FC (7-8-2)

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: July 14 at New York Red Bulls (6:30 p.m. ET)

No one beats NYCFC at home. Well, almost no one. The Sounders didn't do it on Wednesday, but Portland somehow managed to hand Dome Torrent's club just its second loss of the season overall and its first loss in the Bronx in a scrappy game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.

3. Philadelphia Union (10-6-5)

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: July 13 at Real Salt Lake (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

Knock knock. (You say "Who's there?"). Orange. (Now you say "Orange who?").

....orange you glad the Union aren't playing Orlando City anymore? Back-to-back games separated by four days between the same teams just feels weird. Let's not do that anymore.

4. LA Galaxy (11-1-7)

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: July 12 vs. San Jose (11 p.m. ET)

Not only did Zlatan Ibrahimovic score twice and lead the Galaxy to a needed win against a weakened Toronto team but he did it wearing a shirt with his name spelled wrong. Maybe LA should consider leaving "Irbahimovic" on the Swede's jersey just in case it's good luck?

5. FC Dallas (8-5-7)

Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: July 13 at Minnesota (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

FC Dallas continue to hang around just behind the top tier of teams in the Western Conference, thanks to the young talent in the roster and the contributions of veterans such as Santiago Mosquera. Mosquera's early tally was the game winner in an Independence Day win over D.C.

6. Atlanta United (9-3-7)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: July 14 at Seattle (3:55 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes)

Five Stripes, one point from a double-game week. Wednesday's humbling in Chicago certainly leaked into Sunday's tilt against the Red Bulls -- not just because of fatigue but because Atlanta was missing Leandro Gonzalez Pirez via suspension. United thought they had a win against New York, only to have it snatched away by poor defending.

7. San Jose Earthquakes (8-4-7)

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: July 12 at LA Galaxy (11 p.m. ET)

The Quakes watched a six-game unbeaten run -- four of them wins -- end in a midweek trip to Minnesota. It took an added-time goal from Danny Hoesen to get back to winning ways at home against RSL on Saturday. Does San Jose have the staying power to go on another strong run of form?

8. New York Red Bulls (8-4-7)

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: July 14 vs. NYCFC (6:30 p.m. ET)

The Red Bulls get the Shrug of the Week Award after they took a 4-0 thumping in Houston on Wednesday, then executed a late comeback to earn a draw after they were forced to play the same day they arrived in Atlanta on Sunday thanks to travel issues. And next week is the Hudson River Derby!

9. D.C. United (8-7-5)

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: July 12 vs. New England (7 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes)

It was a Texas-sized nightmare for the Black and Red in Frisco on Thursday. There's some relief that Wayne Rooney's red card was downgraded to a yellow, but the chances seem good that Luciano Acosta might miss more than a game after his stamp on Paxton Pomykal in the loss.

10. Colorado Rapids (5-4-10)

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: July 13 at Portland (11 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The end of the Casey bump means the Rapids remain in last place in the West and fall below .500 at home. The danger is that a disappointing home loss damages the confidence of a team just starting to believe in itself. This is when Casey's real work -- and his audition for the full-time job -- really begins.

11. New England Revolution (6-5-8)

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: July 12 at D.C. United (7 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes)

The Bruce-clamation project (these are definitely getting better) continued in Colorado on the Fourth of July. Commerce City is never an easy place to win, even when the Rapids are bad -- and the Revs now have a chance to jump into a playoff spot next week with a win against a scuffling D.C. United team.

12. Minnesota United (9-3-7)

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: July 13 vs. FC Dallas (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The Loons took six points from two games this week and have a three-game winning run going. The U.S. Open Cup tilt in midweek makes things a little more complicated for Adrian Heath, but the Loons have climbed all the way to fourth in the West and are starting to look like ... if you can believe it ... the real deal.

13. Montreal Impact (9-3-9)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: July 13 vs. Toronto (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

It couldn't have started any better for the Impact versus Minnesota United thanks to Anthony Jackson-Hamel's goal 27 seconds in. That start didn't lead to a win, though, and the Impact will be kicking themselves for losing to a Loons team minus several starters. Next up, a rivalry clash with a TFC team that will have its big names back.

14. Portland Timbers (7-2-8)

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: July 13 vs. Colorado (11 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The Portland creep up the table continued this weekend after a road win in the Bronx over NYCFC. It was a momentous win for several reasons: One, NYCFC hadn't lost at home in 2019. Two, NYCFC has only two losses on the year in total. Three, the last time NYCFC lost a game it was the first week of spring.

15. Seattle Sounders (9-5-5)

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: July 14 vs. Atlanta (3:55 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN Deportes)

A swing east for two games this week delivered a loss in New York City and a win in Columbus for the Sounders. The biggest difference between the two games was Nicolas Lodeiro, who returned from Copa America duty and a penalty and late winner at the death to secure the win in Ohio.

16. Houston Dynamo (8-3-7)

Previous ranking: 13

Next MLS match: July 12 vs. LAFC (9 p.m. ET)

In a span of six days, the Dynamo will have played against the league's worst team, FC Cincinnati, and the league's best team, LAFC. Houston suffered the shame of being the first team to lose to FCC since May 11. That doesn't bode well for next Friday's tilt against the Black and Gold.

17. Orlando City (6-4-9)

Previous ranking: 17

Next MLS match: July 13 vs. Columbus (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The Lions just finished a weird week in which they faced the Union in back-to-back games separated by four days and got a single point for the effort. Dom Dwyer scored in the weekend draw, which is a good sign that the forward can reclaim his form after paternity leave.

18. Real Salt Lake (8-2-9)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: July 13 vs. Philadelphia (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

RSL nearly played their way to a busy, unbeaten week, but a late concession in San Jose ruined a chance to extend a three-game unbeaten run. There's some extra sting on the loss because it vaulted the Quakes back over Real Salt Lake and into the playoff places. Will this one matter by the end of the year?

19. Vancouver Whitecaps (4-8-8)

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: July 13 vs. Sporting Kansas City (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The most notable thing about the Whitecaps this week is that they were LAFC's latest victim. Conceding six goals is not good, but neither is anyone surprised.

20. Sporting Kansas City (5-7-7)

Previous ranking: 21

Next MLS match: July 13 at Vancouver (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

If Sporting is going to get back to its accustomed level, getting out of last place is the first step. A win from two matches this week was enough to do just that, though the progress from the win over Chicago will need to ramp up significantly. Strange stat: Daniel Salloi, the man who led Sporting in goals last year, has yet to score in 2019.

21. Toronto FC (6-5-8)

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: July 13 at Montreal (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The Reds interregnum is finally over with the Gold Cup done. How quickly Greg Vanney can reintroduce Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore is critical to getting the season back on track. Despite last year's struggle, seventh place is not good enough for a team that aims to win championships every year.

22. Chicago Fire (5-7-8)

Previous ranking: 22

Next MLS match: July 13 vs. FC Cincinnati (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The Fire are our "Whiplash Team of the Week" after beating the defending champs 5-1 on Wednesday(!) and falling to Sporting Kansas City 1-0 on Saturday. The short rest and the trip to Kansas City make it tough to be tough on Chicago, but that's a big difference.

23. Columbus Crew (5-2-13)

Previous ranking: 23

Next MLS match: July 13 at Orlando (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

The Gold Cup is over. Wil Trapp and Gyasi Zardes will be back with the team, presumably for the trip to Orlando next week. That's the best possible news for the Crew, who are tied with [checks notes] an expansion team for the most losses in Major League Soccer this season.

24. FC Cincinnati (4-2-13)

Previous ranking: 24

Next MLS match: July 13 at Chicago (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

FC Cincinnati got themselves a big win over Houston on Saturday, the kind of win that lets everyone breathe again. Not a season-saving win, but a "hey, we can actually win, what a feeling" kind of win. The kind of win that maybe could turn into a winning streak kind of w... OK, maybe that's a step too far.

LOS ANGELES -- Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton says sexual assault allegations against him are not backed up by facts and are designed to attract media attention.

Walton made his comments in a court brief filed Wednesday in response to a lawsuit by sportscaster Kelli Tennant. The lawsuit is filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, and the Kings and the NBA are jointly investigating the accusations.

Walton's court filing claims Tennant filed a lawsuit nearly five years after the alleged assault, which the brief calls a "pleasant encounter,'' after she quit two jobs and needed money.

Tennant has said Walton attacked her in 2014 when he was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, but she was too afraid to file charges, though she did confide in others at the time.

"I was scared,'' she said. "I felt coming forward would jeopardize every aspect of my life.''

Tennant calls Walton a former longtime friend and mentor who wrote the foreword to a book she had written. When the coach was on a Warriors road trip to Los Angeles, she met him in the lobby of his Santa Monica hotel and he invited her to his room, she said. They discussed the book, and Walton allegedly grabbed her.

"Out of nowhere, he got on top of me and pinned me down to the bed and held my arms down with all of his weight while he kissed my neck and my face and my chest,'' Tennant said at an April news conference, adding that when she asked him to get off, "he laughed at me.''

Tennant's attorney, Garo Mardirossian, has said it's unlikely police would be able to put together a criminal case. Walton's lawyer, Mark Baute, has called Tennant "an opportunist, not a victim.''

The court filing last week says encounter was "very short, entirely pleasant and consensual," and did not include raised voices or groping. In the filing, Walton said he did not write a forward for Tennant's book and does not consider himself a mentor to her. They briefly worked at Spectrum Sports at the same time.

The court filing characterizes the meeting as "platonic in nature'' where Tennant was "entirely pleasant during the encounter.'' The filing also states Tennant waited beyond the statute of limitations to come forward and has no basis to seek economic relief from Walton because she quit her job at Spectrum Sports for reasons unrelated to him.

Walton is seeking for the lawsuit to be dismissed and Tennant to pay his costs and attorneys' fees.

Attorneys for Tennant and Walton could not immediately be reached for comment Monday.

CLEVELAND -- American League All-Star Game starter Justin Verlander told ESPN on Monday that the balls used in Major League Baseball games this season are "a f---ing joke" and that he believes "100%" the league has implemented them to increase offense.

The 36-year-old Verlander, an eight-time All-Star who is starting his second All-Star Game on Tuesday, has allowed a major league-high 26 home runs this season. Players hit 3,691 home runs in the season's first half and are on pace to hit 6,668 home runs, which would obliterate the record 6,105 hit in 2017.

Conversations about a juiced ball have percolated since after the All-Star break in 2015, after which home runs spiked. They are up nearly 60 percent from the 2014 season, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred commissioned a study to investigate whether the balls were contributing to the home run spike. It concluded the balls were performing differently but didn't attribute a reason. In June 2018, one month after the study was released, MLB bought Rawlings, the supplier of the official major league ball.

"It's a f---ing joke," Verlander said. "Major League Baseball's turning this game into a joke. They own Rawlings, and you've got Manfred up here saying it might be the way they center the pill. They own the f---ing company. If any other $40 billion company bought out a $400 million company and the product changed dramatically, it's not a guess as to what happened. We all know what happened. Manfred the first time he came in, what'd he say? He said we want more offense. All of a sudden he comes in, the balls are juiced? It's not coincidence. We're not idiots."

Asked if he believed the balls were intentionally juiced by the league, Verlander said: "Yes. 100%. They've been using juiced balls in the Home Run Derby forever. They know how to do it. It's not coincidence. I find it really hard to believe that Major League Baseball owns Rawlings and just coincidentally the balls become juiced."

Manfred, who became commissioner in 2015, acknowledged Monday on ESPN's Golic and Wingo the difference in the balls. He has denied any involvement from the league in changing the composition of the ball.

"We think what's been going on this year is attributable to the baseball," Manfred told Golic and Wingo. "Our scientists that have been now studying the baseball more regularly have told us that this year the baseball has a little less drag. It doesn't need to change very much in order to produce meaningful change in terms of the way the game is played on the field. We are trying to understand exactly why that happened and build out a manufacturing process that gives us a little more control over what's going on. But you have to remember that our baseball is a handmade product and there's gonna be variation year to year."

Pitchers in particular have been outspoken this season about changes in the ball, talking about the seams, the leather, the ball's size and how it feels harder. Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the ball this weekend: "You could just have stamped Titleist on the sides of these things."

"I hate the way I feel out there," Verlander told ESPN. "No matter who's the batter, I feel like I'm constantly walking a tightrope, because any batter can go opposite field. Any batter can leave with any pitch that's anywhere in the zone. You can't miss barrels anymore. You have to miss bats. There's been multiple times this year where five years ago I'd probably just throw a fastball away. I can't do that. Because you're the 8-, 9-hole hitter and you still can hit an opposite-field homer."

Fellow AL All-Star J.D. Martinez believes a change in hitters' approaches is to credit for the home-run surge. As fastball velocity from pitchers grew, he said, their control over pitches waned, and the explosion in knowledge from hitters tilted the game in their favor.

"It's a power-arm league," Martinez said. "It's either a walk or a strikeout -- stuff over command. I think you see a lot more mistakes over the plate. The velocity, the guys trying to hit the ball in the air -- I think it's a recipe for home runs."

The juiced-ball debate within the games is often bifurcated between the pitchers lamenting the home-run rise and the hitters benefitting from it. Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman did not want to say explicitly the ball is different but made it clear he echoed the sentiment of his pitching peers.

"I agree with some of JV's takes, CC Sabathia's," Stroman said. "I'll agree with those guys, retweet whatever they decide to put out.

"It's clear," Stroman continued. "I just come to terms with it. It is what it is. You can't control it. So why even think about it?"

For Verlander, it's a matter not only of how all-or-nothing baseball has affected him personally -- he showed off a blister on his thumb that he said only happened in 2017 and 2019, the two seasons in which the balls were in question -- but what it means for baseball writ large.

"I don't know if it's bad or good for the game," he said. "That's for them to decide. I don't think it's great -- that the true outcomes of strikeouts, homers and walks is best for the game. That's for somebody else to decide. I talk about time a lot -- how do you stack up in history? If you're going to change something so dramatically, I think you need to make people aware."

Australia's world number one Ashleigh Barty has been knocked out of Wimbledon, losing her fourth-round match against American Alison Riske.

World number 55 Riske fought back from a set down to win 3-6 6-2 6-3 in one hour 36 minutes on court two to reach a first Grand Slam quarter-final.

French Open champion Barty, 23, had not dropped a set at the tournament.

Riske will face seven-time champion Serena Williams after she beat Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro.

"I couldn't begin to say what it means to me. To have overcome the matches the way I have is what I'm most excited about," said Riske, 29.

"Getting to the quarter-finals is amazing but what's most exciting for me is the way I've been fighting.

"The grass definitely brings out the best in me. Hopefully it will rub off and happen in other places too. I think my game is just well suited to it."

"I love being at Wimbledon. Today I told my fiance, 'I don't want Wimbledon to end'."

Barty is at least guaranteed to hold onto top spot in the rankings after Karolina Pliskova also lost in the fourth round.

The Australian set the early tone as she took the opening game with four successive aces, before a delightful sliced backhand set up break points as the Australian raced into a 4-1 lead.

Unshaken, Riske - who won the pair's only previous meeting in 2016 - brought the set back on serve, only for the world number one to take the final two games and pocket the opener in 32 minutes.

The American rallied in the second set, breaking Barty's faltering serve twice more as the momentum was swiftly stolen away from the Australian.

And, despite losing just 12 games in her opening three matches, Barty was unable to prevent a resurgent Riske continuing her best Wimbledon run as the American made a crucial break at 4-3 in the deciding set.

All four of Riske's matches have gone the distance, with other notable victories coming against 13th seed Belinda Bencic and 22nd seed Donna Vekic during her impressive run.

Barty said: "I think I started well. I was sticking to how I wanted to play. Then in the second set, I think my serve let me down. I let Alison get back into the match too many times, having looks at second serves.

"Overall I didn't play a poor match. When I needed to, when the big moments were there, Alison played better today. It's a tough one to swallow but I lost to a better player."