Alexander Zverev made it belatedly into round two at Wimbledon and then insisted his horror ankle injury is behind him.

The German, back in action this season after requiring surgery on the ankle ligaments he tore in last year’s French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal, had to wait until day four to play his opening match due to the rain in south-west London.

He quickly made up for lost time, however, beating Dutchman Gijs Brouwer 6-4 7-6 (4) 7-6 (5) on Court One.

“Am I pleased to be in the second round? Very, yeah. It took me three days, but I’m here. I’m happy about that,” he said.

“No, look, the tournament starts when the tournament starts. For further matches, it’s not going to be easy because the big difference between here and normal tournaments is we’re playing best-of-five sets.

“But I hope that I’ll be fine. I hope that I am physically prepared for this kind of moment.

“It’s not helpful, let’s put it that way, but it is what it is. Nobody has a magic switch for the rain. Nobody can do anything about that.

“Usually winning in three sets at slams is great. Especially in this case it’s even better for me.”

Zverev let out a blood-curdling scream after slipping on the clay at Roland Garros last year and left the court on crutches.

The former world number two, seeded 19th here, was sidelined until February but believes he is now fully fit and firing.

“I mean, I proved at this year’s French Open that my fitness is at a good stage,” he added.

“I think I’m not thinking about these kind of things anymore. That’s usually a good sign, when you’re not thinking about it. It means that you’re prepared.

“For now, as I said, I played three sets. I feel pretty fresh and I feel pretty ready to go.”

Former finalist Matteo Berrettini was another playing catch-up after his match with fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego was suspended on Wednesday night.

Berrettini, who has endured an injury-hit season, was unhappy that the match continued for so long with the court conditions becoming slippery.

The pair resumed on Thursday with Berrettini 2-1 up and he eventually came through in four sets.

Afterwards, he said: “I think sometimes it’s just a little bit weird, like, supervisors or referees dress up with sneakers and say ‘no, it’s playable’. It has to be a little bit more than that.

“I get, for example, that they wanted to finish the tie-break, but we fell three times in the tie-break. I think it’s really tough.

“I know everybody was in a rush. Everybody wanted to finish the match. But when it’s not safe, it’s dangerous, you don’t want to get injured.”

Russian teen sensation Mirra Andreeva revealed she had met her idol Andy Murray at Wimbledon but was too shy to speak to him.

The 16-year-old recently revealed that the two-time champion was a lucky charm after he sent her a good luck message in Madrid in response to Andreeva calling him “beautiful”.

She went on to make the fourth round in the Spanish capital and more good luck could be about to follow in SW19 after she reached the third round when her opponent Barbora Krejcikova retired injured in their second-round match.

But even though she got to meet Murray, she could not bring herself to say anything.

Andreeva, who was 6-3 4-0 up when the former French Open could not continue, said: “I met Andy Murray here. But I’m too shy to talk to him.

“When I see him, I try to leave the facility super quick just to not talk to him because I’m super shy.”

Anett Kontaveit’s singles career is over after she was easily beaten by 32nd seed Marie Bouzkova.

The Estonian, who reached number two in the world, is retiring after this tournament and will not have a fairytale ending after a 6-1 6-2 defeat.

She left Court 18 in tears, but will compete in the mixed doubles.

French Open finalist Karolina Muchova is out after she was beaten 4-6 7-5 6-1 by Jule Niemeier.

Muchova suffered an injury early in the third set after slipping and was unable to recover.

Asked about the injury she told the PA news agency: “I don’t know much about it yet, it is tough to know how, hopefully it is not serious.

“It affected me for sure, but she played great, it would be tough either way, even if nothing happened.”

Sofia Kenin looks like she could be an outsider for the tournament after following up her statement win over Coco Gauff with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Wang Xinyu, while Elina Svitolina’s comeback from giving birth last year continues to go well with a 6-1 1-6 6-1 success against 28th seed Elise Mertens.

Bianca Andreescu had been waiting since Tuesday to play her first-round match due to the rain and she came through 6-3 3-6 6-2 against Anna Bondar while Viktoria Azarenka made light work of Nadia Podoroska with a 6-3 6-0 success.

Tadej Pogacar raced clear of rival Jonas Vingegaard to take a solo win on stage six of the Tour de France as Jai Hindley’s spell in the yellow jersey proved short-lived.

A day earlier, Pogacar appeared to be suffering the effects of his long injury lay-off as he lost significant time to Vingegaard while Hindley raced into yellow, but it all changed on the second Pyrenean stage as Pogacar flipped the script once again.

After sticking to Vingegaard’s attack on the mighty Tourmalet, the two-time Tour winner put in an explosive dig to distance his rival with 2.7 kilometres of the final climb up to Cauterets-Cambasque remaining, winning the 145km stage from Tarbes by 24 seconds.

Vingegaard’s consolation prize was taking the yellow jersey, but Pogacar’s camp will surely be the happier one after this. Hindley eventually came home two and a half minutes after Pogacar, with the Australian needing to return to his original target of a podium finish after enjoying a day in yellow.

Vingegaard leads by 25 seconds from Pogacar, with Hindley 94 seconds down in third. Simon Yates is up to fourth, a little over three minutes down, with his brother Adam in sixth and Tom Pidcock into the top 10, ninth at a deficit of four minutes 43 seconds.

Vingegaard took on the stage with a clear plan to take the jersey from Hindley and also to again put pressure on Pogacar, who looked vulnerable on the climb of the Marie Blanque on Wednesday.

The Dane attacked close to the top of the Tourmalet, still with more than 50km of the stage to go, quickly distancing Hindley but keeping Pogacar glued to his wheel.

The Slovenian, usually so spritely on the bike, kept his poker face on as he appeared to be clinging on, but as the gradients ramped up on the final climb he sprang forward for a statement win.

“I would not say it’s revenge but it feels sweet to win and to take some time back,” Pogacar said. “I feel a little bit relieved, I feel much better now.

“The display Jonas showed yesterday was incredible and I was thinking when they started to pull on the Tourmalet, I thought, ‘S***, if it’s going to happen like yesterday we can pack our bags and go home’, but luckily I had good legs today and I could follow on the Tourmalet.

“I felt quite comfortable and when I felt it was the right moment in the end I attacked and it was a big relief… I would say now it’s almost the perfect gap and it’s going to be a big battle until the last stage I think.”

When Jumbo-Visma made their move four kilometres from the top of the Tourmalet, Hindley initially stayed with Vingegaard and Pogacar but, having invested so much in Wednesday’s breakaway, he soon fell back into the chasing group.

“What can I say? It was just an epic day,” the Australian said. “Riding around in the yellow jersey, doing some mythical climbs. To be honest I got my arse handed to me but I really enjoyed it.”

Vingegaard had his team-mate Wout van Aert, who ignited the day’s break, waiting for him on the descent of the Tourmalet, where speeds topped 100kmh as they chased down the lead group, and seemed to be in pole position for the win, only for Pogacar to spring a surprise.

“It’s nice to be back in yellow,” Vingegaard said. “I hoped to take the stage but in the end Tadej was really strong and deserved to win.

“We wanted to try to test him again to see how he felt. I suppose he felt better than yesterday.”

Attention returns to the sprinters on Friday with a flat run in to Bordeaux offering Mark Cavendish another opportunity to go for a record-breaking 35th career Tour stage win.

But Pogacar, only 24, is now already up to 10 himself.

“I’m coming for you Mark,” he said with a laugh. “I’m joking. It’s far away.”

The MCC is restricting access to its members inside the Lord’s pavilion amid the introduction of fresh operational measures following the unseemly scenes that unfolded during the second Ashes Test.

A ground renowned for its genteel atmosphere erupted into fury after the controversial stumping of England’s Jonny Bairstow on Sunday and tempers boiled over in remarkable scenes inside the Long Room.

With the teams trudging off for the lunch interval, television footage captured apparent clashes between MCC members and Australia pair Usman Khawaja and David Warner, leading to security stepping in.

Khawaja branded what occurred “disrespectful”, while Australia captain Pat Cummins felt his side experienced “aggressive and abusive” behaviour, prompting the MCC to apologise “unreservedly”.

Three MCC members have already been suspended pending an investigation while the organisation, which intends to take a tougher stance on the general behaviour of individuals, has promised more sanctions if anyone else is found to have engaged in direct confrontation with the Australian players.

MCC chair Bruce Carnegie-Brown set out a list of new protocols to be implemented immediately for the remainder of the summer in a letter to members which has been seen by the PA news agency.

These include expanding the roped-off area where players walk through as they make their way from the dressing room to the pitch and back again, while members will be prohibited from using the stairwell when the teams are coming on and off the field and must either wait at the ground or top floor level.

Carnegie-Brown also called upon members to police one another’s behaviour, as well as reacquaint themselves with the organisation’s code of conduct.

Liam Broady outlasted world number four Casper Ruud in five sets for a career-best win that made him the first British male through to the third round at Wimbledon.

In trademark gutsy fashion, Broady had to dig deep to fight back from two sets to one down but – carried by a buoyant Centre Court crowd – he clinched an excellent 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-0 victory in three hours and 27 minutes.

Ruud had made the finals of Roland Garros and the US Open during the past 12 months and yet had no answers to Broady’s mixture of flamboyance and grit, with this win sending the world number 142 through to the third round for a second year in a row.

Tadej Pogacar raced clear of rival Jonas Vingegaard to take a solo win on stage six of the Tour de France as Jai Hindley’s spell in the yellow jersey proved to be short-lived.

A day earlier, Pogacar appeared to be suffering the effects of his long injury lay-off as he lost significant time to Vingegaard while Hindley was racing into yellow, but it all changed on the second stage in the Pyrenees as Pogacar flipped the script once again.

After sticking to Vingegaard’s attack on the mighty Tourmalet, the two-time Tour winner exploded away from his rival with 2.7 kilometres of the final climb up to Cauterets-Cambasque remaining, winning the 145km stage from Tarbes by 24 seconds.

Vingegaard’s consolation prize was taking the yellow jersey, with the widely expected two-horse race between these two riders already emerging.

Vingegaard leads overall by 25 seconds from Pogacar, with Hindley 94 seconds down in third.

Simon Yates is up to fourth, a little over three minutes down, with his brother Adam in sixth and fellow Briton Tom Pidcock into the top 10m ninth at a deficit of four minutes 43 seconds.

Hindley eventually came home a little over two and a half minutes after Pogacar, with the Australian needing to return to his original target of a podium finish in this Tour after enjoying a day in yellow.

Vingegaard took on the stage with a clear plan to claim the jersey from Hindley and also to again put pressure on Pogacar, who looked vulnerable on the climb of the Marie Blanque on Wednesday.

The Dane attacked close to the top of the Tourmalet, still with more than 50km of the stage to go, quickly distancing Hindley but keeping Pogacar glued to his wheel.

The Slovenian, usually so expressive on the bike, kept his poker face on as he appeared to just be clinging on, but as the gradients ramped on the final climb he sprang forward inside the last three kilometres for a statement win.

“I would not say it’s revenge but it feels sweet to win and to take some time back,” Pogacar said. “I feel a little bit relieved, I feel much better now.

“The display Jonas showed yesterday was incredible and I was thinking when they started to pull on the Tourmalet, I thought, ‘S***, if it’s going to happen like yesterday we can pack our bags and go home’, but luckily I had good legs today and I could follow on the Tourmalet.

“I felt quite comfortable and when I felt it was the right moment in the end I attacked and it was a big relief…I would say now it’s almost the perfect gap and it’s going to be a big battle until the last stage I think.”

England paceman Josh Tongue will join Nottinghamshire ahead of next season on a three-year contract alongside fellow Worcestershire bowler Dillon Pennington.

Tongue made his Test debut earlier this summer against Ireland and made an instant impact with a five-wicket haul in the second innings.

The 25-year-old then continued his Test match journey in the Ashes at Lord’s last week as he removed David Warner and Steve Smith in both innings and finished with match figures of five for 151.

Tongue has taken 172 first-class wicket at an average of 26.02 and told Nottinghamshire’s website: “When I found out Notts were interested, I was delighted.

“From what I see and hear, it is a really well run club which places a big emphasis on player progress, which is what I want right now.

“I’ve worked a little bit before with Kevin Shine, and he is a big reason for joining, as I know he’ll help me to kick on. He and (coach) Pete (Moores) have made it clear that they see me getting better here, which is nice to hear.

“The Notts squad is also full of international experience and I am looking forward to watching and learning from these players in practice as well as in games.

“Whilst I have had a bit of success recently which is really rewarding, I still want to keep improving and developing to be the best player I can be.

“I know that’ll take hard work, but the prospect of taking my cricket to the next level is something I really embrace.”

Pennington has 119 first-class victims in 40 matches at just under 30, while also making an impact in white-ball cricket with 71 wickets across both formats.

The 24-year-old was Worcestershire’s leading Championship wicket-taker in 2022 with 44 at 22.63.

Pennington said: “I’m really excited for this move.

“I’ve thought at length about how best to develop as a cricketer to achieve the ambitions I have in the game, and coming to Notts felt like the best way for me to do that at this point in my career.

“It is a brilliant set up, with a strong squad who I will benefit from playing alongside. Both learning from the quality in the bowling group and practising against some of the best batters in the country will stand me in good stead.”

Reiss Nelson did not want to miss Arsenal going to the “next level” as he signed a new four-year deal at the Emirates Stadium.

The 23-year-old came through the ranks with the Gunners but his previous contract had expired before he agreed new terms, which include a one-year option.

Nelson made eight substitute appearances in the Premier League last season and scored a memorable last-gasp goal that saw the Gunners come from 2-0 down to beat Bournemouth 3-2.

Mikel Arteta’s side ultimately fell short in their title bid as Manchester City pipped them to the crown, but Nelson saw enough to believe there is more to come.

“I’m kind of lost for words, if I’m honest,” Nelson told the club’s official website upon signing his deal.

“I’ve been here since I was eight, I’m 23 now. It’s been a hell of a journey, and I’m just so happy. I’ve been here the good years and bad years, and last year especially.

“I’ve seen the rise that Arsenal have taken. Taking them to new heights and I feel like I want to be part of the journey.

“I want to be part of us going to the next level, which I think the boss, Edu, the backroom staff and the new players and the current players are making.

“So it was a train I really didn’t want to miss and I want to be here for it, so I’m glad that I made the right decision.”

The former England Under-21 international also hit a brace in a 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest as he played a bit part in Arsenal’s forlorn title bid.

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“Reiss is a player I have admired since the first day I was here,” said Arteta.

“He has tremendous ability and is such an exciting offensive talent. Reiss knows how important he is to our squad with the quality he has.

“It’s great that Reiss has committed his future to us – he knows this club so well, he grew up here and we look forward to enjoying many more good moments with him.”

While Nelson has extended his stay at the Emirates, Arsenal announced Steve Round has left his position on the backroom staff.

Round was appointed as an assistant to Arteta when the Spaniard first took the reins in December 2019 having previously filled similar roles at Everton and Manchester United.

Technical director Edu informed staff on Thursday, with Round’s exit a mutual agreement with the club.

Arteta and Edu are currently plotting for Arsenal to go one better than last season, where they finished runners-up to champions Manchester City.

Kai Havertz has already joined from Chelsea while a club-record fee has been agreed with West Ham for Declan Rice, who will undergo a medical on Friday.

Ajax full-back Jurrien Timber is the next who could come through the door as Arsenal prepare for a club-record transfer window outlay.

Katie Boulter battled into the Wimbledon third round for the second straight year and set up a potential meeting with reigning champion Elena Rybakina.

The sole British woman remaining in the singles draw recovered from a second-set wobble to beat Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-0 3-6 6-3 on Court 12.

Watched by Australian boyfriend Alex De Minaur, who won his delayed first-round match earlier on Thursday, Boulter equalled her best showing in SW19.

Tomova is ranked 10 places below Boulter at 99 in the world, but she appeared a dangerous opponent having recorded her first top-30 win in the opening round by defeating 27th seed Bernarda Pera.

Yet Boulter was all over her from the start, an aggressive opening return game securing the first of three breaks of serve.

Having seen the first set race away from her in just 27 minutes, Tomova finally got on the board in the second and then nicked a break from the previously impeccable Boulter serve.

The British number one hit straight back with a glorious winner, but Tomova had got in her stride, switching tactics and changing angles to unsettle her opponent and level the match.

Back-to-back net cords helped Boulter break for 2-0 in the decider and after that second-set blip, she regained her composure and asserted herself on the contest once more.

The Boulter serve was back on song, but she needed to come out on the right end of an epic 24-shot rally before converting a third match point with her 36th winner to wrap up a fine victory.

Daizen Maeda has handed Celtic another attacking boost by signing a new deal until June 2027.

The 25-year-old Japan forward has become a key player for the Hoops since taking only four minutes to score his first Celtic goal on debut against Hibernian in January 2022, following his move from Yokohama F Marinos, initially on loan.

Fellow Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi also signed a new deal earlier in the week which takes him to 2027 and has now been joined by Maeda, who scored in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar against Croatia amidst a treble-winning season for Celtic.

He told the club’s official website: “It is a very happy moment for me and my family.

“Since we moved from Japan, everyone at the club and, of course, the supporters have been amazing and we are enjoying our life in Scotland.

“Celtic is a special club so I’m very pleased to extend my stay here. When I signed I said that my ultimate goal was to win the league and we have done so, twice.

“Becoming a treble winner last season has been one of the highlights of my career but we must now prepare for next season.

“Our aim will remain the same, to work hard together with the manager to bring success to the club and our supporters.

“We have three trophies to defend, and we also have Champions League football, so I am excited to get started.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said: “Daizen has many qualities that I like in a player – high intensity, attack-minded and his work rate on and off the ball is exceptional.

“He has played a key role in the team since he arrived, helping to secure yet another treble for the club so I am delighted we have been able to secure a new deal with him.

“Daizen’s attributes make him a really exciting player and I am looking forward to working with him.”

Lewis Hamilton has defended the casting of Brad Pitt as a Formula One driver with the Hollywood actor to start filming for his new blockbuster at the British Grand Prix on Friday.

Pitt will race an adapted Formula Two machine between practice sessions at a sold-out Silverstone for the movie which Hamilton is helping to produce.

It is understood that the 59-year-old American will play the role of a veteran driver returning to the grid after a 30-year absence.

The plot line has raised eyebrows, given Pitt’s age, but Hamilton said: “Brad looks like he’s ageing backwards. He looks great for his age.

“Of course that was a big topic at the beginning when we were discussing the first story. But he’s super-fit.

“He is such an iconic actor. He’s always done such an incredible job. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Brad Pitt in Formula One. It’s incredible.”

Pitt has been getting up to speed in Formula Two machinery for two months – first at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France and then here at Silverstone.

While Pitt will be alone on track at Silverstone in a modified car prepared by Hamilton’s Mercedes team, it is believed that the assistance of computer generated imagery will make him look as though he is racing this season’s grid.

A garage has been set up in the paddock to replicate a fictional “11th team”, called Apex GP. They will also have a presence on the grid ahead of Sunday’s race, but will be withdrawn before the event gets under way.

“There are nerves because it is something we’ve been working on for so long,” added Hamilton.

“We want everyone to love it and to really feel that we encapsulate what the essence of this sport is all about.

“I don’t know if this would have been possible 10 years ago when the old management was in place. They wouldn’t have perhaps seen this as an important step in terms of the sport’s growth.

“But we’ve already seen the great work and impact of the Netflix show, and this will take it to new heights beyond that.”

Apple has bought the rights to the movie with a reported budget of 140 million US dollars (£125 million).

Joseph Kosinski, the man behind Top Gun: Maverick, will direct the film, while Jerry Bruckheimer – who also worked on the Tom Cruise blockbuster – is listed as a producer.

Filming will continue at a number of races over the remainder of the season.

Stan Wawrinka rates his chances of winning Wimbledon as “zero” but can complete a notable set by knocking out his old rival Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon.

Wawrinka, 38, defeated 29th seed Tomas Etcheverry 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2 to reach the last 32 at the All England Club for the first time since 2015.

The Swiss veteran has won only six of his 26 previous meetings but two of those came in grand slam finals, at the French Open in 2015 and the US Open the following year, while he has also beaten him at the Australian Open.

Wawrinka is finally back in the top 100 after years spent trying to battle back from knee and foot surgeries, and he was determined to play down his chances against Djokovic.

“There’s zero opportunity to win Wimbledon for me, I think,” he said. “I’m happy to have won today again. I think it was a great match. I’m playing better each match and I think it’s an honour to play Novak here.

“I was missing that on my career to play him in the grand slam in Wimbledon. It’s going to be a difficult challenge. Hopefully I can make a competitive match, but, if you will look at recent results, I don’t really stand a chance.”

Asked if he believes he can beat Djokovic, Wawrinka said with a smile: “I don’t know. I have to be on the court, play my best tennis and like I did in the past, but right now it’s been a long time I didn’t play at that level.

“He’s the perfect player. If you look, everything is so clean. He plays the perfect shot in the right moment. I love to watch him play, as much as I was loving to watch Roger (Federer) play. He’s serving amazing, he’s returning everything. He can do everything.

“I like to watch tennis. So I’m going to be playing tomorrow and then watching the rest of the tournament.”

While Wawrinka insisted his last comment was a joke, it will suit him to pile all the pressure on Djokovic for the clash of the veterans.

The match will be the oldest combined age for a men’s singles match at Wimbledon since Ken Rosewall faced Barry Phillips-Moore in 1974.

Djokovic, 36, is now on a 30-match winning streak at Wimbledon and will be a big favourite but he will be wary of the power of Wawrinka.

“He took away two grand slams from me,” said the seven-time Wimbledon champion.

“After several surgeries of his knees, he keeps going strong and trying to create some more history for himself and tennis. We cannot forget that he’s a three-time grand slam champion and Davis Cup winner and also Olympic gold. He had a fantastic career.

“One of the nicest one-handed backhands that I have ever played against, ever seen. Very powerful player. Very strong. Very complete. He can play equally well on all surfaces.”

Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Dillian Whyte has been announced for August 12 at The O2 in London.

After discussions over taking on Tyson Fury broke down, former world champion Joshua had been linked with a fight against Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua, though, will now face off against Whyte again, having defeated his rival in a British and Commonwealth title clash in December 2015 to avenge a defeat when they had met as amateurs.

Joshua is continuing to build up his record again, having beaten Jermaine Franklin on points in April after suffering back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, the unified champion who is set to face Britain’s Daniel Dubois in Poland next month.

“I’ve been clear that my plan is to be active this year,” said Joshua. “August 12 is the date, I’ll be ready to fight. I look forward to dealing with business.”

Whyte, 36, recovered from his sixth-round loss against WBC champion Fury at Wembley in April 2022 with his own victory over Franklin in November last year.

If Joshua comes through his rematch with Whyte, which will be shown live by broadcaster DAZN, he is then expected to go on to meet Wilder in another lucrative heavyweight showdown.

Promoter Eddie Hearn said: “At times it may have looked like a game of bluff, but now we are set and with everything that’s on the line this is an absolute must win for both.

“The rivalry runs deep and there is something about these two where they will never back down from each other.

“Just like the first time at The O2, get ready for fireworks August 12 and a huge night of boxing.”