LONDON -- Chelsea will make a formal approach to Derby County for manager Frank Lampard this week and want to offer their former midfielder a three-year contract to succeed Maurizio Sarri, sources have told ESPN FC.

Sarri's departure to take over at Juventus was confirmed Sunday, with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia having said the 60-year-old had asked to be allowed to return to Italy to be closer to his family and friends.

- When does the transfer window close?
- Check out all the completed transfers

Lampard has been identified as the preferred choice to take over, with former Chelsea academy coach Jody Morris and fitness coach Chris Jones expected to join him in returning to Stamford Bridge.

Derby want to keep Lampard after a positive first season in which he led a vibrant young team to the Championship playoff final, and they are understood to have offered him a contract extension to underline how highly he is valued at Pride Park.

Chelsea would be required to pay £4 million to release Lampard from his Derby deal, but they are well placed to do so after Granovskaia secured around £5m from Juventus in the agreement that took Sarri to Turin.

"There's no change in the situation at present, except for the fact that Chelsea no longer have a manager," Derby owner Mel Morris said in a statement to talkSPORT radio Monday. "We have made it clear to everyone, but most importantly to Frank himself, that we want to retain him at the club for the long term.

"If Chelsea want to hire Frank, then it is in their gift to make an offer in pursuit of that. In the meantime, we will continue to put our best foot forward to continue with our plans for the coming season.

"We will work closely with Frank in that regard, so that he knows how much he is wanted by everyone associated with the club."

Big picture

Now here's a contest that England would once have feared. A surely-can't-lose clash with an aggressive band of ball-striking badmashs, backed up by some of the best and most varied spin bowlers in the world game.

Sides of a bygone England era might have taken a fatalistic approach to such a line-up, and found a way to be cowed by expectation. But not, you suspect, this current team. Even with the prospect of two major absentees from their first-choice batting line-up - Jason Roy has been ruled out with a hamstring tear and Eoin Morgan is still recovering from a back spasm - there's little chance of any let-up from a side that seems now to be hitting its stride in the tournament, following that early stumble against Pakistan.

Besides, there's something about Afghanistan that just doesn't feel right just now. Their rise through world cricket's ranks has been a joy to behold, and the heart that they showed in winning the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe last year - despite losing each of their first three games - is proof that this group of battlers can never be entirely written off.

But in four World Cup matches to date, they simply haven't been at the races. Their campaign has been a litany of incremental controversies, from the sacking of the captain, Asghar Afghan, on the eve of the tournament, to the eviction of their opener Mohammad Shahzad for an injury that he claims did not exist, to the dropping against South Africa of their one in-form batsman, Najibullah Zadran. None of them constitutes a shocking scandal in its own right, but the net effect is destabilisation and demoralisation. Just when the players need to be trusted to strut the same stuff that has got them to the World Cup in the first place, they are finding themselves dragged down by in-fighting and incompetence.

Afghanistan's natural exuberance seems to have been drained in recent outings as well. Case in point, their dispiriting display against South Africa in Cardiff on Saturday. Faced with a team in every bit as much strife as their own, they traded a dogged start with the bat for a shambolic finish, losing their last nine wickets for 69 in 19 overs despite having given the impression - through the number of times they shouldered arms to South Africa's seamers - that seeing out 50 overs was the most important aspect of their day's work.

England have encountered one team of this ilk in the tournament already, of course. Quite apart from sharing a border, Afghanistan and Pakistan share an ability to turn it on (or off) from one day to the next. If a batsman of the destructive qualities of Hazratullah Zazai can get stuck for any period of time, then a spinner of Rashid Khan's world-beating quality could find himself with enough runs to do a number on another highly fancied side.

But the odds do seem stacked against them on this occasion. England's depth with bat and ball (even in the midst of their injury woes) is designed to mitigate against flurries of opposition aggression, and they will surely believe that this will be the victory that puts them on the brink of a place in the semi-finals. Afghanistan still have the potential to claim a major scalp before their own campaign ends, but it would be one of the greatest World Cup shocks of all time if this England team, at this moment in time, were the side to succumb.

Form guide

Afghanistan LLLLW (Last five completed matches, most recent first)

England: WWLWW

in the spotlight

Is there something amiss with Adil Rashid - Morgan is adamant he's fine (see below) - or does he simply need an extra injection of confidence to get his game back to the levels that England so desperately want? Despite talk of a shoulder injury that might have tempted the management to give him a break, he has played in every game of the campaign to date, with Moeen Ali the spinner to miss out in each of the last two games. Rashid's returns have been poor without being appalling - two wickets at 101.50 and an economy of 6.15 - but crucially, he's not been offering the all-round wicket threat that Morgan in particular so values as a captain. Perhaps a flurry of cheap scalps will help him to rip that googly with renewed intent. Assuming his shoulder doesn't fall off in the process, of course.

At this somewhat critical stage of their World Cup journey, it's time for the experienced heads in the Afghanistan squad to take control - and few have more experience, and crucially, current form, than the wily allrounder Mohammad Nabi. With bat and ball, he's been an example of what could still be possible for this team - his three-wicket over against Sri Lanka ought to have set up a shot at victory in Cardiff last week, and while his batting in the main event hasn't yet caught fire, he was one of the few to take the fight to England in their warm-up at The Oval last month, with three big sixes in his 44.

Team news

After his unexpected absence against South Africa, Najibullah seems sure to slot back into Afghanistan's middle order … though who knows what the management is thinking at present. Asghar Afghan didn't exactly justify his recall with a five-ball duck against South Africa, and may be the man to make way once again. The prospect of spin may bring Mujeeb Ur Rahman back into the reckoning.

Afghanistan: (possible) 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Noor Ali Zadran, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 5 Gulbadin Naib (capt), 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Mohammad Nabi, 8 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Hamid Hassan

Roy's absence has been confirmed after his hamstring tear against West Indies - he will miss the Sri Lanka match as well, with James Vince set to slot straight in at the top of the order. Morgan's fitness was also under a cloud after he suffered a back spasm, but he was moving freely in the nets on the eve of the game and may yet feature. Liam Plunkett missed training with a stomach complaint but is not thought to be a serious concern.

England (possible) 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 James Vince, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Mark Wood.

Pitch and conditions

After the neighbouring strip served up 336 runs for India against Pakistan on Sunday, another straw-coloured surface augurs well for further big hitting, and probably the return of two spinners to England's attack. Judging by what he'd seen on Sunday, Morgan anticipated good carry for the quicks, allied to a bit of turn. The weather promises an overcast start and the potential for showers in the afternoon. Another bowl-first day would seem to be in prospect.

Strategy punt

• Afghanistan's spin-heavy attack offers another opportunity for England's batsmen to reaffirm their new-found credentials as masters of white-ball slow bowling. From 2011 until the end of the 2015 World Cup, England averaged 30.2 against spin while facing Asian opponents in ODIs. Since then, that figure has rocketed to 54.4. Consequently, their win percentage against Asian teams has rocketed in the same period. From 40.8% between 2011 and 2015, that figure is now a much healthier 70.5%.
• One of Afghanistan's established strategies in recent times has been to unleash the offspin of Mohammad Nabi against the left-handers in the opposition ranks. However, England's senior left-handers - Morgan and Ben Stokes - have largely negated such tactics with their prowess against the ball turning away from them. Both Stokes and Morgan average above 60 against offspinners in ODIs since the 2015 World Cup, and have done so with a strike-rate over 90 against that bowling type.

Stats and trivia

• England won their only previous ODI encounter with Afghanistan, a rain-affected nine-wicket win in Sydney at the 2015 World Cup.
• With England having already been eliminated from the World Cup following their defeat against Bangladesh in Adelaide, that fixture marked the final ODI appearance of a number of England stalwarts - Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, James Tredwell and James Anderson.
• This contest provides a match-up between the two most prolific ODI bowlers since the 2015 World Cup … and they are both legspinners called Rashid. England's Adil tops the charts with 131 from 87 games, but Afghanistan's Khan (128 at 15.86) has an average that is almost half that of his counterpart.

Quotes

"Adil has probably been at his best in the last two games. He's been unlucky. He's had two dropped catches. I think that might have been the turning of how his figures look, but actually how it's coming out of the hand is very impressive. The shoulder's fine. Thank you."
Eoin Morgan is adamant that Adil Rashid's form and fitness are not a concern for England

"Not only for us it's difficult, every team is struggling here. But specifically for us, like we played the last four games, we face four different kind of conditions. But we are trying to learn from them, and we shall be in good form now."
Gulbadin Naib, Afghanistan's captain, on the challenge of playing in English conditions and weather.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Eoin Morgan has conceded that there might be a "stigma" attached to calling up Alex Hales for the World Cup, a possibility that has cropped up following the injury to Jason Roy.

Hales was "deselected" in May after it emerged that he had lost the confidence of his team-mates following a second drugs test failure. But with Roy facing a race against time to recover from a torn hamstring, there is a possibility England may need to call a replacement batsman into their squad.

As an opener with six ODI centuries behind him, Hales would in normal circumstances be the obvious choice. These are not normal circumstances, however. At the time of Hales' deselection - the ECB does not want to use the word "suspension" for legal reasons - Morgan said Hales had "shown complete disregard for those [team] values" and described a "complete breakdown of trust between the team and Alex".

ALSO READ: Will Roy's injury open the door for Denly?

He also revealed that the side's senior players - Joe Root, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes - had been party to the decision with a view to ensuring the rest of the squad was not "dragged down". Meanwhile, team director Ashley Giles had also clarified that Hales' deselection was "to ensure they [the rest of the squad] are free from any distraction and able to focus on being successful on the pitch".

Now, a day before England's next game, against Afghanistan in Manchester, Morgan did not specifically rule out the possibility of an immediate recall for Hales, but there was little in his words that would have given the player any cause for optimism.

"We have not considered replacing any players yet," Morgan told the BBC. "But If Ed Smith, the national selector, came to myself and Trevor Bayliss, the coach, and said he felt that Alex was the best option, we would have to assess how that would sit in the changing room and the stigma it would bring with Alex coming back.

"Ultimately Ed gets the final call on who is involved in the 15, so then we would have to address how that would look in our changing room."

Hales' preparedness for a recall might also be an issue. He has not played since May 12 and is not currently due to play another game until the T20 Blast begins on July 18.

Morgan was optimistic that England would not require a replacement. While Roy has been diagnosed with an injury that, depending on its severity, would be expected to keep a player out of action for anywhere between two weeks and three months, England have decided to keep him with the squad in the hope that he regains fitness in time to play in the final couple of group games, with the match against India (at Edgbaston on June 30) a rough target. The ECB has so far proved reluctant to divulge the extent of the injury.

"He'll miss the next two games," Morgan said, "but we're giving him every chance to take that week to try to respond to treatment. We're giving him the best chance to get back into the tournament. He's obviously a huge part of what we've been doing. He's in the best form of his life. So he's very important.

"I'm optimistic about him returning to the team at some stage. I'll be very conscious of not pushing it, but that will also be dependent on results, how we're going in the tournament and what games we need to win to get into the semi-finals. As the week goes along, we'll find out more about Jason, and the results from the two games we play will reflect decisions that we make.

"There is an element of not considering him until the semi-finals. He is a very key player for us, considering his contribution on and off the field and the form he is in - it's his career-best. We need that Jason Roy back."

The San Jose Sharks have kept one of the premier free agents off the market, agreeing with defenseman Erik Karlsson on an eight-year deal for more than $11 million per season, according to multiple reports.

The deal makes Karlsson, 29, the league's highest paid defenseman, barely surpassing the eight-year, $88 million deal for the Kings' Drew Doughty.

The Sharks acquired the six-time All-Star and two-time Norris Trophy winner from the Senators in September. Since he re-signed with San Jose, Ottawa gets a second-round draft pick.

Karlsson had a down year offensively as injuries limited him to 54 games this past season. His three goals were the lowest of his career. His 45 points were the lowest since 2012-13, when he only played 17 games for Ottawa.

Karlsson had 62 points for the Senators last season, 71 the year before that and a career-high 82 in 2015-16.

When Kyrie Irving declared a week before the trade deadline that he didn't "owe anybody s---," he inadvertently provided the Los Angeles Lakers leverage in their trade talks with the New Orleans Pelicans surrounding Anthony Davis.

Due to an arcane cap rule, the Boston Celtics, who had been hoarding the mother lode for Davis for years, could not trade for him until after July 1. The Pelicans expected Boston's godfather offer, presumably built around Jayson Tatum, would be there July 1. The May draft lottery also could create a new suitor if the No. 1 pick landed right. Waiting was smart.

But if Irving was leaning toward bolting Boston, the Lakers could plausibly argue Boston's mega-offer would vanish with him; the Celtics could not risk losing Irving, Tatum, other prime assets and then Davis, in the event Davis also walked in free agency in the summer of 2020. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka could tell Dell Demps, then the Pelicans general manager: Take our offer today, because it might not be as good in July if Boston is in shambles.

The Lakers, through multiple avenues, absolutely tried to use the leverage Irving had given them in precisely this way. The Pelicans ignored them. Incredibly, everything the Lakers postured about then has come to pass, and the Pelicans somehow still pocketed a better deal than the one Los Angeles dangled four-plus months ago.

The Lakers' reported deadline offer oscillated, but according to most reliable reports, it coalesced around L.A.'s entire young core -- including Kyle Kuzma, still a Laker today -- and two first-round picks, plus salary relief in the form of the Lakers absorbing Solomon Hill.

In Saturday's reported deal, the Pelicans basically swapped out Kuzma and that cap relief in favor of extracting a third first-round pick and unprotected swap rights on the Lakers' 2023 first-rounder. The final tally: Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart; the No. 4 pick in this draft; the Lakers' 2021 pick only if it falls within the top eight, otherwise converting into the Lakers' unprotected 2022 first-round pick; swap rights on first-rounders in 2023; and the Lakers' unprotected first-round pick in 2024, with New Orleans holding the option (at some agreed-upon date) to pass on that 2024 pick in favor of the Lakers' unprotected 2025 selection. The protections protect the Pelicans, not the Lakers.

That is extraordinary return for New Orleans and David Griffin, its new executive president of basketball operations, given Davis will be on an expiring contract -- and the limited market that emerged in the end for him. The Lakers gave up more than any team has in exchange for a superstar -- including those with multiple seasons on their contracts -- in the past decade. Perhaps that price is fitting, considering Davis' age (barely 26), his dominance and that the Lakers likely conceive of Davis as already playing for them under a long-term contract given their prolonged public dalliance.

Davis for a year isn't worth this. Davis for the next five or 10 seasons is -- even if no other team was prepared to approach this price.

Several teams sniffed around the Davis sweepstakes, but it was mostly due diligence. The New York Knicks, reeling from the Achilles tear suffered by its prime target, Kevin Durant, backed away, per league sources. Boston's mega-offer never came, sources say.

To be clear: I'm not 100 percent convinced Tatum was off limits in talks, as some reports suggested. (ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported Sunday that the Celtics were "willing to discuss young, talented players such as Tatum.") Reconstructing offers that evolve by the day and sometimes the hour is tricky. In deals of this magnitude, some suitors proffer multiple general trade constructions at the same time. Which one is the most "real" or final? Are any?

I am convinced the Celtics did not combine Tatum with enough of their best assets -- Jaylen Brown, the lightly protected 2020 Memphis pick -- to compete with the Lakers deal, and as a result never mentioned him in anything like a realistic set-in-stone offer. That leaves a large middle ground, but nothing in that ground could outdo what the Lakers gave. Boston does not appear to have been close.

(This has been a disastrous year for Boston. I addressed their season from hell, and what those of us who, it turns out, were too optimistic about Boston can learn from it, in reflecting on the Toronto Raptors winning the title after beating the Celtics out for Kawhi Leonard.)

As ESPN's Kevin Pelton noted, a few factors might have pumped up L.A.'s desperation between February and this weekend. But only one of those is wholly new: injuries to Durant and Klay Thompson opening a path to the NBA Finals.

The rest, everyone basically knew in February. The fallout surrounding Magic Johnson's resignation revealed the Lakers as a dysfunctional train wreck, but that was not a secret among insiders. The public exposure of it might have pushed Pelinka to redeem the franchise.

Insiders understood in February that the Lakers could not risk keeping cap space open to lure Davis in free agency in 2020. Doing so would waste another year of LeBron James' prime. It also was consensus in February that the Lakers trailed in the race for most of this summer's top free agents. Acquiring Davis makes them more attractive, but that was true then.

A second interim change that warped the Davis trade landscape: the Lakers leaping from No. 11 to No. 4 in the lottery. That gave the Lakers a carrot New Orleans craved.

Events since February helped New Orleans in the aggregate. The bounty in draft assets is still a little surprising. They got damn near everything possible. The little extras that don't seem important in the rush to completion -- Wait, you want a pick swap in this Joe Johnson deal? Sure, whatever, can we just do this thing? -- can come back to haunt you. There are things you can say no to without killing the deal.

New Orleans was smart to push the Lakers' draft obligations almost as far out as possible under league rules. It is so easy to argue now that the Lakers' draft assets will be worth little in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The Lakers bet everything on that. They are right that this isn't the Brooklyn Nets-Boston Celtics heist of 2013. The Nets opened the vault for over-the-hill veterans. The prime-aged stars who were supposed to carry those veterans proved woefully inadequate.

Davis is a decade younger than Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were when that landmark deal happened. The Lakers also have cap space (more on that later) to round out their roster.

Even so: You never know. LeBron will turn 40 in the 2024-25 season, if he is still playing for the Lakers (or at all). He just suffered the first serious injury of his NBA career, bursting the aura of invincibility. He is on pace to be third all time in combined regular-season and playoff minutes by the end of next season.

Davis also has incentive to hit free agency again after the 2021-22 season -- his 10th, at which point he will be eligible for the largest possible contract. Davis staying with the Lakers beyond 2022 appears a fait accompli. He wanted to join. His agent, Rich Paul, declared it so to the media. Paul compared the Lakers to Jennifer Lopez. I'd bet heavily on Davis remaining a Laker for a long time. Still: You never know.

If Davis stays in L.A. through the duration of the Lakers' pick obligations, they have a safety net protecting them against bottoming out the way the Nets did when Boston controlled Brooklyn's picks.

Davis walks in the door as arguably LeBron's best teammate ever, though I will hear arguments for 2010-11 Dwyane Wade. (Stop sleeping on prime Dwyane Wade, people!) Davis and LeBron are perfect complements in a way LeBron and Wade could never be.

It is really hard in the modern NBA of zone defenses and complex help schemes for a big man to be the initiator in a championship offense. Even the best bigs need someone to get them the ball first. Few have the handle or passing vision to face up and attack elite defenses.

Davis improved at those things; he quietly averaged 3.9 assists per game last season, almost double his prior career high. But he still is most comfortable with lightning quick one- and two-dribble scoring attacks. He is not a great read-and-react passer once in motion. More than 60 percent of Davis' two-point buckets came via assists last season. He remains more finisher than starter.

Teaming with LeBron slots Davis into his ideal role. He will be the most well-rounded pick-and-roll partner LeBron has ever had -- the only one who can devastate both diving to the rim for lobs and popping out for jumpers.

You make the playoffs with Davis in the role he held in New Orleans. You win titles with Davis in the role he will inhabit next to LeBron. The two have readymade synergy. They will not overlap as most superstar pairs do. They will not take from each other. They will amplify each other.

Oh: Davis is also a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate who can cover for LeBron in his golden years. With good health and smart supplementary signings (kindly ignore last offseason in considering this), the Lakers advance right away to the inner circle of contenders.

So the Lakers should be fine. Right?

Have you watched the NBA of the past 36 months and come away thinking it is predictable? The NBA is insane. The No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft forgot how to shoot, and that is only, like, one candidate among a dozen for the honor of "Craziest NBA Thing of the Past Two Years." What if LeBron gets hurt again or just gets old like a normal player?

It's not like we have to look far for evidence that a poorly-constructed Davis-centric team might struggle. Davis has been mostly healthy over the last three seasons -- a great sign for the Lakers -- and the Pelicans made the playoffs only once in that time. Decent non-playoff teams have a better chance of vaulting up the draft under the revamped lottery rules, as the Pelicans did in leaping into the Zion Williamson spot. Just one near-miss for the Lakers could carry a heavier cost than it would have under the old lottery system.

The Lakers also need ambulatory human players. They barely have a starting lineup right now. There is debate raging within league circles over whether the Lakers should spend their remaining cap space on another star or multiple role players.

The Davis trade will make it hard for the Lakers to improve their roster going forward via other trades. Signing multiple guys on salaries in the $10 million-plus range -- the role player route -- would unlock more trade possibilities than possible on a roster with three max players, Kuzma and almost nothing in draft assets.

But a third star might better fortify the Lakers against nightmare scenarios in which LeBron and Davis are injured at the same time. Problem: It's unclear if the Lakers will have the cap space to sign such a player.

As ESPN's Bobby Marks and Adrian Wojnarowski reported, the timing of the trade is crucial in that regard. The Lakers are taking on money. The only question is when. If the deal closes on July 6 -- as the Pelicans seem to prefer -- the Lakers will be stuck well short of max-level space. If the Lakers can postpone closing until July 30, at which point whoever they pick at No. 4 on New Orleans' behalf will be trade eligible, the Lakers can maintain their current level of space -- just about the max for a player carrying from seven to nine years of experience -- to use in the meantime.

Marks and Wojnarowski reported the expectation as of Sunday is that the deal would close on July 6, when the league's moratorium on transactions lifts. That is a big whoopsie for the Lakers if they included this much draft compensation expecting to wield max-level space.

There are remedies. The Pelicans could in theory demand more for agreeing to the July 30 timetable. (How fantastic would that be -- a sequel of sorts to the dragged-out Isaiah Thomas saga of two summers ago?) The Lakers could toss Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga into this deal, or others, though doing so would not open cap space equal to their combined salaries; the league applies a $900,000 cap charge to every open roster spot.

The Lakers right now are operating on both fronts. They still hope to chase max players such as Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler and Kawhi Leonard, sources say. They also have begun discussing players expected to fetch somewhere in that $10 million-plus range, sources say.

Flash forward a year: With just Davis, LeBron and Kuzma on the books, the Lakers project as well short of max-level cap space. It will be fascinating to see how the Lakers fill out a team -- now and later -- around their new superstar duo.

Bottom line: Even if the Lakers suffer no bad seasons during the LeBron/Davis era -- if none of the Pelicans' wagers on the Lakers' downside pay off -- this deal represents a great return under the circumstances for New Orleans.

Ingram and Ball are still unfinished, even if Ingram already is up for an extension that could end up a damaging overpay if he fails to develop. It has become fashionable to compare Ingram to Andrew Wiggins -- another "looks the part" disappointment. They share a certain affection for bad pull-up midrangers.

But Ingram by age 20 -- he's still just 21 -- already was flashing the sort of playmaking feel that has eluded Wiggins his entire career. Ingram is better defensively and has the potential to be a multi-positional stopper.

The Lakers rushed Ingram into an alpha scorer identity. Playing a secondary role alongside Ball and Williamson (and Jrue Holiday, if he remains with the Pelicans, instead of nudging them for a deal to a win-now outfit) will be perfect for Ingram. He can attack off the catch and run pick-and-rolls against scrambled defenses when Holiday, Ball or Williamson swings the ball to him.

His 3-point shooting will be the wild card -- the difference between Ingram being a solid veteran and something much more.

Same goes for Ball, though he brings preternatural playmaking, as well as plus rebounding and defense for his position. I'm excited to see what he does outside the L.A. circus -- and amid Alvin Gentry's go-go offense.

Hart is a solid complementary player, provided his 3-point percentage bounces back up; Hart had knee surgery in late March, and the Pelicans have to hope knee issues hampered his play last season.

Maybe Ingram, Ball and Hart stagnate. Maybe the Lakers remain elite through 2025 and cough up a series of picks in the high-20s. This deal could end up being painless for them.

Both teams got what they wanted -- what they needed.

The Pelicans' process to that end point appears to have been cleaner, smarter, more organized -- at least since Griffin's arrival.

But the Lakers got the in-his-prime superstar. Maybe that is all that matters.

Another week into the season, the Dodgers might still be on top of the pile, but they're no longer the easy choice. This week, our voters split their allegiances among three teams for the No. 1 slot, two going to the Dodgers, two more to the Astros, and the fifth vote going to the Twins. Could the Twins be the team that breaks up the Dodgers/Astros supremacy we've seen so far this season?

But even as the Dodgers face that kind of challenge, they're also faced with an expanding field of rivals within the National League. The Braves made the big gain this week, rising to No. 6 overall while taking the lead in the NL East, and skipping past the Cubs for the privilege of being the second-highest NL team in our polling.

But the Cubs still have plenty of fight left in them, as shown by their dramatic comeback win in L.A. on Saturday (though the Dodgers won the series). And powered by slugging star Christian Yelich, the Brewers, the team that almost took the Dodgers down in the National League Championship Series last year, aren't far behind. And nobody should be sleeping on the Phillies, Rockies or Diamondbacks, all of whom are keeping themselves in the contention conversation. The Snakes made the single biggest gain with this week's voters, moving up seven spots to No. 11 overall.

Every team obviously can't improve, however, and we saw several tumble this week. The Rockies fell from the top 10 after sneaking in just a week ago, losing three spots, as did the Phillies as they saw the Braves blaze beyond them in the standings. But the biggest drop was suffered by the Padres, down four rungs after going 5-10 so far in June to fall below .500 overall.

For Week 10, our panel of voters was composed of Bradford Doolittle, Christina Kahrl, Eric Karabell, Tim Kurkjian and David Schoenfield.

Previous: Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

2019 record: 48-24
Week 10 ranking: 1

Corey Seager's hamstring injury suffered early in the week puts a damper on the team's great start as Seager had hit .354/.409/.646 over his previous month, looking again like the Seager of 2016 and 2017. Luckily, the strain wasn't as bad as initially feared, a Grade 1-slash-2, as manager Dave Roberts called it, instead of the more severe Grade 3. In the meantime, Chris Taylor will get the majority of the time at shortstop and regular at-bats to see if he can start producing at the plate. By the way, the Dodgers' rotation in its past 40 games before Sunday night: 2.27 ERA, 253 SO, 36 BB, .210 batting average allowed. Hyun-Jin Ryu isn't the only starter lighting it up. -- David Schoenfield

ICYMI: Dodgers must address their one glaring weakness

2. Houston Astros

2019 record: 48-24
Week 10 ranking: 2

Those who had been clamoring for the promotion of slugger Yordan Alvarez have not been disappointed, as the 21-year-old masher is off to a soaring start in his big league career. Alvarez clubbed four homers and drove in eight runs over his first five career games. Perhaps more impressive than that, he has added four singles and six walks and has reached base in 14 of his first 23 career plate appearances. He won't keep up this pace, but it is going to be difficult to pry Alvarez out of the talented Astros lineup. -- Bradford Doolittle

3. Minnesota Twins

2019 record: 47-23
Week 10 ranking: 3

The team's designated hitters hardly struggled in the absence of injured Nelson Cruz, but it is nice to have the elder statesman back as he seeks his sixth consecutive season with 37 or more home runs. Cruz and his once-injured wrist returned to active duty and provided immediate power and lineup presence, with nearly a homer per day. While general manager Thad Levine will likely look to upgrade the rotation and bullpen in the next six weeks, the offense is one of the deepest in the sport. -- Eric Karabell

ICYMI: How the relaxed Twins are rewriting HR-hitting history

4. Tampa Bay Rays

2019 record: 43-28
Week 10 ranking: 5

There really isn't a clear front-runner so far in the American League Cy Young race but any short list of leading contenders has to include Charlie Morton. Morton thus far has hit yet another career-high level in strikeout rate (11.0 K/9) and is allowing a career-low 6.1 hits per nine. The shape of Morton's career has been remarkable, if somewhat emblematic of baseball in 2019. Through age 32, Morton had nearly 900 career innings with a 4.54 ERA and 6.3 K/9. Since then, he's at 3.14 and 10.6 over 401 frames. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: How Wander Franco became MLB's next can't-miss kid

5. New York Yankees

2019 record: 43-27
Week 10 ranking: 4

Adding AL home run leader Edwin Encarnacion to a lineup that will soon add Giancarlo Stanton (set to return Tuesday) and Aaron Judge could create one of the most devastating 1-through-9 power lineups ever seen. When everyone is back, Encarnacion will be the DH, pushing Stanton to left field and Brett Gardner to the bench (and Clint Frazier to the minors). That still leaves five infielders and with Gio Urshela continuing to excel on both sides of the ball, look for DJ LeMahieu to assume a full-time utility role, playing first, second and third base. And while the lineup still leans to the right side, considering three of the best starters in the AL East are Blake Snell, Chris Sale and David Price. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: Yankees can overpower all rivals after Encarnacion trade

6. Atlanta Braves

2019 record: 42-30
Week 10 ranking: 11

Sunday's 15-1 romp over the Phillies gave the Braves the series victory and concluded a 5-1 week (and 9-1 over their past 10 games). During that 10-game stretch, the Braves went from two games behind the Phillies to 2½ in front of them. In those 10 games, the Braves have hit .312 and averaged 7.8 runs per game, with Ozzie Albies leading the way with a .410/.489/.821 stretch and Ronald Acuna Jr. hitting .375 with four home runs. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: GM Anthopoulos on Keuchel signing, young stars

7. Chicago Cubs

2019 record: 39-32
Week 10 ranking: 6

Kyle Hendricks had a run of eight starts during which he went 6-0 with a 1.99 ERA and .538 OPS allowed. Then he got hammered by the Dodgers in his most recent turn and ended up on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation. Hendricks leads the Cubs in innings pitched, so as we wait to learn the severity of Hendricks' injury, the rising momentum of Chicago's season is suddenly in limbo. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Epstein: Zobrist could return to Cubs this season

8. Boston Red Sox

2019 record: 39-34
Week 10 ranking: 9

Nothing like a trip to Baltimore to make a team feel better about itself. After five consecutive victories, the past three against the hapless Orioles, the Red Sox face a much tougher foe with a three-game set at Minnesota. And that has been a problem for the Sox, who haven't won a series against a team that currently has a winning record since April 29-May 1, when they swept a three-game set with Oakland. -- Steve Richards

ICYMI: Which AL wild-card contenders should go for it before the trade deadline

9. Milwaukee Brewers

2019 record: 40-31
Week 10 ranking: 8

Remember that "let the kids play" promo early in the season in which Christian Yelich awkwardly declared that he was going to hit 50 home runs this year? Turns out he was being as humble as usual. Yelich is on pace to fly past the 50-homer mark and threaten 60 dingers. The Brewers have had one 50-homer season in franchise history, that coming when Prince Fielder hit that number exactly in 2007. As for Yelich, his rate of improvement continues to be staggering. His career-high 36 homers last season were 15 more than he'd ever hit before, but now he's making that total look quaint. -- Doolittle

10. Philadelphia Phillies

2019 record: 39-32
Week 10 ranking: 7

The Phillies have rotation issues and veteran Jake Arrieta, in his second season with the club, is not helping much. Arrieta is scheduled to start twice this week, and beat the Diamondbacks last Tuesday but allowed three runs and four walks over six innings. His ERA and WHIP rose to 4.31 and 1.45, even worse than last season, and his strikeout rate continues to be one of the lesser ones among starters. The Phillies need help, but they need a better Arrieta, too. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Real or not? This home run thing has gotten out of hand

11. Arizona Diamondbacks

2019 record: 38-35
Week 10 ranking: 18

Over the past two weeks, the D-backs are tied for the major league lead with 29 home runs. Leading the way? Ketel Marte, who has seven long balls over that span and is becoming a poster child for the out-of-whack homer surge this season. Marte, whose HR-to-fly ball rate of 20.9 percent is double his previous career high, has 20 homers in 317 plate appearances this year; in the previous three seasons combined, he had 20 home runs in 1,301 plate appearances. -- Richards

12. Texas Rangers

2019 record: 38-33
Week 10 ranking: 13

Texas keeps plugging along despite playing the offensive black hole that is Rougned Odor every day at second base. On the bright side, Odor snapped a three-week homerless stretch Friday and June has been his best month (he's slashing .232/.338/.375). On the down side, he entered Sunday ranking in the bottom five in baseball among qualifiers in average (.184, second worst), OBP (.265, fourth worst), OPS (.613, fifth worst), K rate (30.3 percent, fourth worst) and wRC+ (56, second worst). -- Richards

ICYMI: Taken down by rising Rangers, Red Sox have lost their way

13. Colorado Rockies

2019 record: 37-34
Week 10 ranking: 10

After missing 14 games due to a calf injury, Charlie Blackmon has picked up right where he left off, batting .500 (22-for-44) with six home runs, 16 RBIs and 14 runs scored in his past nine games. He played a large part in the team totaling 65 runs during its homestand during the past week, but now that the Rockies hit the road with key series at Arizona and Los Angeles during the upcoming week, we'll see whether he can improve upon his .233/.272/.357 road triple-slash line this season. -- Tristan H. Cockcroft

14. St. Louis Cardinals

2019 record: 36-34
Week 9 ranking: 12

Who'd have pegged Dakota Hudson, the final Cardinals starter to claim his Opening Day rotation spot, as the team's most reliable hurler during the past month-plus? Through Sunday's turn, he's riding a streak of seven consecutive quality starts, with the team winning each of the past six of those games. Hudson's 3.55 ERA for the season ranks 13th in the NL. -- Cockcroft

15. Cleveland Indians

2019 record: 37-33
Week 10 ranking: 15

In a season that has seen the Tribe's top asset, its rotation, wracked by injuries, there should at least be some satisfaction over Shane Bieber's breakthrough season. His 3.89 FIP is best on the team, he's sixth in the league in his swinging strike rate. At least rotation reinforcements are on the way -- after a pair of rehab appearances, Mike Clevinger returns to action to face the Rangers on Monday. -- Christina Kahrl

ICYMI: Ace Kluber cleared for strength work in recovery

16. Oakland Athletics

2019 record: 36-36
Week 10 ranking: 14

After notching his ninth win of the season, the emergence of Frankie Montas into a power/ground ball starter could not perhaps have come in a better season. He's in the top five in the AL in grounders generated (51.4 percent) and lowest home run rate allowed, and he has allowed three runs or less in all 10 of his quality starts in 14 turns. He might get crowded out of All-Star consideration, but he has earned a place in the conversation. -- Kahrl

ICYMI: What A's must do to stay in wild-card race

17. Washington Nationals

2019 record: 33-38
Week 10 ranking: 20

Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg are hardly the biggest issues with the Nationals, but both had terrible starts last week as Corbin allowed seven runs in five innings against the White Sox while Strasburg allowed four home runs and six runs in a loss to the Diamondbacks. After shutting out the Marlins on May 25, Corbin has given up 20 runs and 22 hits in 12⅔ innings in losing three straight games. Corbin blamed fastball command for his recent struggles, and if he isn't throwing the fastball in good spots, it makes his slider less effective because he's not getting ahead often enough. -- Schoenfield

18. New York Mets

2019 record: 34-37
Week 10 ranking: 19

Subpar production at the middle infield spots continues to be a problem for the Mets, who await the return of injured Robinson Cano and still have received nothing from free-agent addition Jed Lowrie. Shortstop Amed Rosario struggles to reach base and field dependably. The Mets presume Cano, a career .303 hitter, will hit as he did a season ago in Seattle and -- based on his history -- stay on the field. As for Lowrie, out with knee and hamstring woes, it might be a while. Rosario, still only 23, has time to develop, but after more than 1,000 career plate appearances and a sub-.300 OBP, is this all there is? -- Karabell

19. Cincinnati Reds

2019 record: 31-38
Week 10 ranking: 16

Joey Votto's poor performance continues to define the Reds' offensive struggles in 2019. His six home runs matches his worst output through 69 team games of any of his 12 big-league seasons, and his 15 multihit performances are fewer than he has had through that many games in all but 2014 (11), during which he was injured, and 2007 (seven), his big league debut year in which he played just 24 games total. -- Cockcroft

20. Los Angeles Angels

2019 record: 35-37
Week 10 ranking: 22

Do not blame Shohei Ohtani for the team's middling record. The team's DH hit for the cycle against the Rays last week and he continues to look like one of the AL's better hitters. Would the Angels consider making Ohtani the full-time DH in 2020, when he has recovered from Tommy John surgery and is ready to resume pitching? Should they do this? It is a fair question as Ohtani more than capably protects Mike Trout in the lineup. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Ohtani is baseball's forgotten source of wonder

21. San Diego Padres

2019 record: 35-37
Week 10 ranking: 17

Nothing seemed to go right for Padres pitchers during the past week. Rookie of the Year candidate Chris Paddack was demoted to Class A Lake Elsinore, while the team saw its seasonal ERA swell by nearly one-third of a run during a weekend series against the Rockies in which they allowed a combined 48 runs in four games. Paddack should be back soon, his demotion meant to keep his innings in check, and the Rockies series was played at hitters' heaven Coors Field. Still, there's that early-week series against the Brewers looming. -- Cockcroft

ICYMI: Tatis among phenoms following in dads' footsteps

22. Chicago White Sox

2019 record: 34-36
Week 10 ranking: 23

Chicago climbed back to .500 this week for the first time since early in the season but are still trying to get over the hump and above the break-even level. The White Sox last had a winning record when they were 2-1 after the games of April 2 of last season. Chicago is in a tough stretch of its schedule, with the crosstown Cubs piggybacking a four-game series with the Yankees, so climbing over .500 at this juncture would be a nice steppingstone for this emerging squad. -- Doolittle

ICYMI: Which teams just drafted their No. 1 prospect?

23. Pittsburgh Pirates

2019 record: 32-39
Week 10 ranking: 21

Injuries and the Pirates' inability to plug holes created by them have caused the pitching staff many headaches lately. In their past 27 games, they have an MLB-worst 6.55 ERA. During that same time span, the pitchers recalled by the team have combined to allow a 8.66 ERA, with top prospect Mitch Keller as responsible as any: He has allowed 12 runs in seven innings in two spot starts this season. -- Cockcroft

24. San Francisco Giants

2019 record: 30-39
Week 10 ranking: 24

It might risk getting lost in the disappointment the Giants' 2019 season has on tap, but Brandon Belt is having the kind of big season while healthy anticipated since his career year in 2016. His .357 wOBA is his best since that season, he has cut his strikeout rate to a career-best 20.4 percent, and with nine home runs already hit, he might surpass his career high of 18 this year. -- Kahrl

ICYMI: Giants activate Posey from IL

25. Toronto Blue Jays

2019 record: 26-45
Week 10 ranking: 25

Finding an All-Star from Toronto isn't easy. Marcus Stroman seemed like a semi-reasonable choice, but he's 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA in his past three starts and his overall numbers -- 41st among 81 qualifiers in xFIP (4.14), 67th in K/9 (6.98) -- certainly don't scream All-Star. Ken Giles -- with a 1.08 ERA, 11 saves in 12 chances, and 42 K's in 25 innings -- would work, but he's on the injured list with elbow inflammation. Could we just put Vlad Guerrero Jr. in the Home Run Derby and call it even? -- Richards

ICYMI: Vladdy Jr., Cavan Biggio among second-generation phenoms whose dads helped them rise

26. Miami Marlins

2019 record: 25-44
Week 10 ranking: 27

Since reentering the Marlins' lineup May 11, Garrett Cooper has given the Fish attack some desperately needed offense, delivering a team-best .406 wOBA on a .327/.403/522 line to go with the first six home runs of his MLB career, contributing to a 15-14 record when he has been in the lineup in right field or now over at first base. Already 28 years old, Cooper came over in the same trade before 2018 that also brought them Caleb Smith from the Yankees. -- Kahrl

ICYMI: MLB draft picks you can watch in College World Series

27. Seattle Mariners

2019 record: 31-44
Week 10 ranking: 26

Trader Jerry does it again, shipping Edwin Encarnacion (and cash) to the Yankees for pitching prospect Juan Then, a 19-year-old right-hander who hasn't pitched in the minors after posting a 2.70 ERA in 50 innings in 2018 in the Gulf Coast League. Here's the thing: Then used to be in the Mariners system, but Jerry Dipoto sent him to the Yankees after the 2017 season for reliever Nick Rumbelow, who had a 7.58 ERA in 16 appearances over two seasons with the Mariners and was recently released. So, umm ... the first trade was a big fat zero for Trader Jerry. Maybe his reacquisition of Then will work out better. -- Schoenfield

ICYMI: King Felix tires, exits rehab start after 31 pitches

28. Detroit Tigers

2019 record: 25-43
Week 10 ranking: 28

Closer Shane Greene might be the best asset the Tigers have to offer in trade at the deadline, but one wrinkle to consider is that, used almost exclusively to protect the few leads the Tigers have in the ninth, he hasn't gotten many chances to pitch on consecutive days this year. He has been excellent in the few chances he has had (no runs allowed in eight games pitching without rest), but after giving up 14 runs and five homers in 18 games in 2018 while pitching without rest, contenders might be wary until they see more. -- Kahrl

ICYMI: Top prospect Mize on IL for shoulder inflammation

29. Kansas City Royals

2019 record: 23-48
Week 10 ranking: 29

Outfielder Jorge Soler, acquired from the Cubs in the Wade Davis trade in December 2016, is on pace to shatter the organization record for home runs in a season. Mike Moustakas holds the Royals home run mark with 38 in 2017, which topped decades-old work by Steve Balboni, Gary Gaetti and John Mayberry. Soler, 27, clearly has power, but he offers little in the way of on-base skills and defense and likely is not a key player when the Royals become good again. However, keep an eye on his power chase. -- Karabell

ICYMI: Top 2019 pick Witt hopes to live up to lofty billing

30. Baltimore Orioles

2019 record: 21-50
Week 10 ranking: 30

Another one-win week for the Orioles, who remarkably (or not) have not had more than two wins in any week this season. There's never a shortage of problem areas for the O's: This week, the focus is the bullpen. In six games against the Blue Jays and Red Sox, Baltimore relievers allowed nine home runs and 33 runs (30 earned) over 27⅔ innings (9.76 ERA). -- Richards

ICYMI: Cobb to have season-ending hip surgery

Scot clocks 3:33.60 in Seattle to improve a mark set by Steve Cram

Coverage of Max Burgin’s UK under-18 800m best and other results from the British Milers’ Club Grand Prix meeting in Loughborough, plus AtletiCAGenève highlights, can be found here.

A report on the Rabat Diamond League is here, while coverage of the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon, won by Yassine Rachik and Lilia Fisikovici and with Britain’s Steph Twell finishing fifth, can be found here.

Brooks PR Invitational, Seattle, USA, June 15

Josh Kerr clocked 3:33.60 to win the Brave Like Gabe men’s 1500m, breaking Steve Cram’s British under-23 best of 3:33.66 which had been set in 1982.

That time puts the 21-year-old joint 11th on the UK senior all-time list and second in the Scottish all-time rankings behind Chris O’Hare.

Also achieving the IAAF World Championships qualifying standard in the same race were James West and Neil Gourley, who clocked respective PBs of 3:35.74 for fourth and 3:35.95 for fifth. William Paulson ran 3:36.86 in eighth.

3:33.60!!!! @joshk97 wins the #BraveLikeGabe men’s 1500m! #brookspr pic.twitter.com/wZvH0Vl8AN

— RunnerSpace.com (@RunnerSpace_com) June 16, 2019

Chorzow, Poland, June 16

There were two world leading marks at the European Athletics Classic meet as Mariya Lasitskene cleared 2.02m in the high jump and Pawel Fajdek threw 80.87m in the hammer.

Britain’s Nick Miller was fourth in the hammer with 77.88m, while Sophie McKinna threw 17.97m in the shot.

Tom Walsh won the shot put with 22.18m to beat Michal Haratyk with 21.98m, while Sam Kendricks won the pole vault with 5.85m.

Karolina Koleczek won the 100m hurdles on home soil in a 12.75 PB ahead of Olympic champion Brianna McNeal with 12.79.

Mike Rodgers won the men’s 100m in 10.06 from Britain’s CJ Ujah with 10.18, while Ewa Swoboda won the women’s race in 11.18 and Dalilah Muhammad won the 400m in a 50.60 PB.

adidas Boost Boston Games, USA, June 16

Britain’s Zharnel Hughes won the straight 200m in 20.00 (-0.2m/sec), while 150m winners were Noah Lyles in 14.69 (-0.2m/sec) ahead of Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake with 15.10 and Shaunae Miller-Uibo in 16.37 (+0.6m/sec).

There was a 9.92 100m by Akani Simbine (+1.1m/s) and the women’s winner was Murielle Ahoure in 11.09 (+0.7m/sec).

Sprint hurdles winners were Sharika Nelvis 12.65 (+0.4m/sec) and Orlando Ortega with 13.32 (-0.2m/sec).

Chris O’Hare was third in the mile in 3:57.60, while Shara Proctor was second with 6.61m and Jazmin Sawyers sixth with 6.30m in the long jump.

Nijmegen, Netherlands, June 15

A total of 10 athletes went sub-28 minutes in the 10,000m as Tesfahun Akalnew won from fellow Ethiopian Haftu Teklu, 27:30.24 to 27:30.88.

In the women’s 5000m Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu clocked 14:59.79 ahead of Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat with 15:00.61 and Stella Chesang with 15:06.00.

Podium 5k road race, Barrowford, June 14

In wet conditions, 24 athletes dipped inside 16 minutes, led by Ben Connor with 13:54 ahead of Matthew Crehan with 14:42.

podium 5 record smashed @AthleticsWeekly pic.twitter.com/73hyG1CBdj

— david belshaw (@wahsled) June 14, 2019

Ahead of his return to tennis at Queen's, Andy Murray speaks to BBC Breakfast about being pain-free

The three-time Grand Slam champion had planned to retire because of hip pain, before having an operation in January.

Murray says the "life-changing" surgery allows him to play with his children and take part in escape rooms with friends.

‘Squash players will love the social side of padel, which is not always the case with tennis’
By ELLIOT SELBY 

Following Saturday’s introductory article about the growth of padel in the UK, Elliot Selby, a member of a very prominent squash family, writes about his love for this fun doubles game which is spreading rapidly across the country.

I started playing at the start of September last year at Maldon. I had/have been playing squash there quite a lot and knew they were going to be building padel courts. There used to be an old tennis court there previously, that was in bad condition and never used. In its place were put three padel courts. I had played once when I was 13 in La Manga!

I really loved it straight away and I had played tennis to a decent level when I was younger too (specialising in doubles), which I think also helped cement my quick obsession with it. My current job is quite flexible, so from September I have been playing about three times a week!

I think for most decent level squash players, it is relatively easy to pick up and be able to have some good rallies. It especially helps when taking the ball off the back glass.

However, Padel has a lot of tactics and variation of shots, so to get to a slightly higher level does require more experience. I have seen it with a few good squash players who have played recently. They are good, but end up over-hitting the ball and try to play down the line too much (most of the play should go down the middle and cross-court).

I have found the Padel community at Park Drive to be fantastic. Everyone is extremely friendly and there is a great social side to it, which will be familiar and appealing to squash players, which in tennis is not always the case from my experience.

The club has thrived since September, with about 150 Padel members now. The courts are always busy, with people playing matches or junior coaching, ladies coaching etc. The club itself has, as a result, benefited massively from this influx of new members, who are now using the bar, playing squash, swimming and using the gym.

The club has a head coach (Richard Hall-Smith), who is a very good player and former Real Tennis Coach and assistant coach Danny Troy, who does a lot of the junior and beginner squads. They have just added in a club house, which will have a cafe inside and around the courts. Decking has also been added. They have space for another court, which they are looking to add as a show court with seating.

They will also be looking to install a high awning to cover the three courts so they can be played on through winter too (although the courts were just as busy in the winter just gone!).

They run tournaments there almost every week, at different levels. They have the Maldon Masters once a month which is like the open club tournament. Mixed Event, which is good fun and they have just introduced the Junior Masters for 11-16 yr olds. We have have the Maldon Mexican once a month, which is more fun and you have to rotate partners.

The club has just started to host British Padel level events now and have had two Bronze events so far, with a few more planned for the rest of the year. On July 6-7, we will also have a big Open event which has £3k prize money for the winners!

It is attracting some high level World Padel Tour ranked players (that is definitely one to come down for as there will be lots of social padel too that weekend).

The club is a 20-minute drive for me. There is Prested Hall, which is in Kelvedon and only 15 minutes from me. They have two indoor courts and two outdoor courts. I play there every so often. Apart from this, there are courts at David Lloyd in Chigwell, but I believe that is it for Essex so far.

I am also playing British Padel Tour events elsewhere, and last weekend played a Gold event at Stratford. They have three courts at the Stratford club, which is a very popular pay-and-play venue.

I will definitely try and watch the World Padel Tour event in Fulham in October. I was in La Manga training last month and we went up to Alicante to watch an event. The level is just unreal and it is extremely professional and almost on par with PSA-level squash events. I will not be playing, ha!

Padel has really opened up a whole new world for me and although I am still playing squash, the world of padel has introduced me to so many great people and it is really wonderful to see so many people, who perhaps aren’t naturally that sporty, take up a new sport and have fun.

My aim is to keep having fun but climb the British rankings and see what happens!

I genuinely think squash and padel can work incredibly harmoniously at clubs and will really complement each other.

I must go, I’m off to play padel now!

+++

Following our first article about padel, we have received feedback from various parts of the country. Edinburgh is not the only success story in Scotland.

Stewart Penman from Bridge of Allan, just north of Stirling, writes: “At Bridge of Alan Sports Club we have one padel court (two all weather tennis courts, four blaze tennis courts, four squash courts, a gym, sauna and lounge). We have approximately 400 senior members and 150 junior members, but we do not split membership by sport.

“The padel court was installed approximately six years ago to add a new sport to the club. Since then its usage has gradually grown with booked usage reaching 2,040 hours last year.

“Interestingly, the usage is a good mix of squash and tennis players; proving it is a good cross-over sport. This has led to the creation of our annual Squash v Tennis Padel tournament, which is a successful and (very) social summer event (with bragging rights currently held by squash).

“Regarding costs, I’m not aware of any running cost beyond minimal ongoing maintenance.

“Regarding revenue, I cannot say what review is generated by the padel court as we do not have separate sports sections. I can say that we have a small number of members that joined specifically as padel players, so it has contributed to some growth within the club.”

+++

On the professional scene, Valladolid is preparing to host a World Padel Tour event. Much like squash, it looks very much like courts and spectator seating can be set up in some spectacular locations.

The court in Valladolid, in north west Spain, is taking shape in the historic San Pablo Plaza (pictured).

London hosts its first World Padel Tour event at the London Padel Centre in Bishop’s Park, Fulham, from October 13-20.

England becomes the ninth country to host a World Padel Tour and organisers claim that 200,000 spectators watched the events live last year, with a worldwide audience of 16 million viewers on TV and digital platforms.

Tom Murray, who is Head of Padel at the LTA, said: “It’s a huge opportunity to get great visibility for padel in the UK, which is what the sport needs right now. It’s new to London and the UK, so finally the British public will see padel played at the highest level and that will drive them to try it out this very social sport.”

Squash Mad readers and padel enthusiasts are invited to comment below.

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Emerging victorious at the WeatherTech Chicago Region June Sprints, now in its 64th consecutive year, is a pretty big deal. But winning twice in a race class to sweep the weekend is something to cherish.

That achievement is exactly what 17 drivers accomplished Sunday on Road America’s 4.048-mile, 14-turn circuit during the annual event which was part of the 2019 Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour.

One person who doubled wins on the weekend, at the most opportune time, was GT-3 racer Rob Warkocki in the No. 78 Hoosier/TRO/Mazda RX-7 car. GT-3 races this weekend at Road America were part of the new GT-3 Challenge presented by MPI — a series supported by Mazda, Max Papis Innovations, Penske Racing Shocks, AiM Sports and Hoosier Racing Tire.

By winning both races at the June Sprints, Warkocki becomes the GT-3 Challenge representative from the Midwest Region at the 2019 VIRginia International Raceway SCCA National Championship Runoffs® in October. He will face three other GT-3 region champions at that year-end event for overall GT-3 Challenge championship honors.

Grabbing two wins on the weekend is special. Gathering up three wins, however, is amazing. And amazing is what Misha Goikhberg was this weekend after earning the Formula F win Saturday and sweeping the weekend with two victories in Formula Continental driving his No. 93 Hoosier/Rice Race Prep/Monte Carlo Polo Club Citation.

“It feels very good to win in my first June Sprints,” Goikhberg said. “I’ve been to Road America many times, just not for the June Sprints. I enjoy coming to Wisconsin and Elkhart Lake. Road America is a great place and one of the best race tracks in the world.”

Danny Steyn, who swept the Super Touring Lite class over the weekend in his No. 9 Ocean Machinery/Nelson Engines/OPM Autosport/G-Loc Brakes/Hoosier Mazda MX-5, looked poised to claim a third victory Sunday in the Spec Miata (SM) event. He held a substantial lead over the field through most of the race. But as laps ticked down, Steyn was hampered a bit by traffic, giving Tyler Brown and Jim Drago the opportunity to close up. What resulted was a last chance dash to the finish line, which Brown won on Sunday in his No. 07 Sneaky Moose Motorsports/Custom Wireless Inc. Spec Miata.

“Coming up to the checkered flag, I thought that was my only chance to get the win,” Brown said afterwards. “Thankfully, it worked. It was a really fun race.”

In true June Sprints fashion, the SM race was not the only 13-lap event Sunday decided by last-lap excitement. The Spec Racer Ford Gen3 class, which was won by Robeson Clay Russell on Saturday in the No. 31 SVN/Angry LLama/Comprent car, came down to the final corners on Sunday. Russell was in front with only a couple turns remaining, but it was Brian Schofield and his No. 61 PM Racing car that executed the last-moment move to grab victory by a .019-second margin of victory.

“I know how to race this track. I’ve got a lot of wins here,” Schofield said about Road America, America’s National Park of Speed. “Coming up the hill to the finish, he got a little loose and I planted may car just right to get the run. I knew the momentum would carry me up the hill and bring me to victory.”