Former England forward Rachel Yankey has warned that the Lionesses’ World Cup opponents will all want to be the side that eliminates the European champions when the tournament kicks off in Australia and New Zealand.

Sarina Wiegman’s team are amongst the favourites as they seek to become the first England side to win a world title since 1966, particularly following last summer’s Euro 2022 success on home soil.

They fly out this evening to begin preparations for their opening match against Haiti and will be sent on their way by a message of support displayed beneath the flightpath out of Heathrow reading “Lionesses, you’re our pride.”

The gesture, arranged by the Football Association’s commercial partner Kind Snacks, is tagged with thousands of messages submitted by fans nationwide, and is a mark of how support for women’s football has been transformed since Yankey’s playing days.

The former Arsenal player, who won 129 caps during a 16-year international career, believes that whilst the prospect of holding both the world and European crowns simultaneously will be a motivation for England, other sides will be motivated to topple them starting with their first opponents Haiti.

“I don’t think anybody from our nation or any other would have said England were a favourite to win the World Cup when I was playing,” said Yankey, who won the last of her caps in 2013. “They are now.

“That’s because we’ve won the Euros, but there comes a pressure with that because everybody wants to beat a winning side. The games become harder. It’s a chance to knock you off the stage.

“Haiti will have nothing to lose. They’re expected to lose that game and that makes it dangerous. They go out there, if they got a goal or a win, they get plaudits. Our team need to set their own standards, they need to push each other on, they need to make sure every game they’re at the highest level.

“The main thing is getting through the group. How you do it is kind of irrelevant. We’d all like to see fantastic football, but just make sure you get the wins.

“The fact that they could become European and world champions has got to drive them on. We’ve got players there who are hungry for success and they’ll want more.

“The players will also understand that the better they do, the more it will inspire the younger generation, whether it’s boys or girls. It’s a chance to change how we view women’s football.”

After opening their campaign in Brisbane, Wiegman’s side move on to face Denmark in Sydney before concluding the group stage against China in Adelaide.

They are looking to reach what would be a first final for the Lionesses, whose  previous best were semi-final appearances in 2015 and 2019.

Yankey hopes that the increased backing from the FA as well as commercial partners will continue to drive the exposure that the women’s game needs in order to grow.

She explained: “It’s hugely different from 2009 (when England reached the European Championship final, losing to Germany). That’s why it’s important that commercial partners come on board, because they make a difference to the way people view the game.

“In 2009 or any other year, you’re out there and fully focused, but once you’re out of the tournament you would come home and nobody knows about it. We don’t want that to happen.

“We see now when the girls are going on holiday and people are wanting to take photos of them. The landscape of women’s football has changed. That’s because of engagement, companies look at women’s football as a business and thinking that this is the right thing to do, but because women should have the same opportunity in all sports, but also it’s a business opportunity, a change to engage.”

:: KIND Snacks have created a giant message of support for the Lionesses as they head off to Australia for the first game in the tournament. The 100-metre wide sign was made out of thousands of messages of support from the public, including ex-Lionesses Rachel Yankey and Faye White.

Former amateur star Rose Zhang admits the brilliant start to her professional career has exceeded her expectations.

Zhang spent a record 141 weeks at the top of the amateur rankings and became the first female player to win two NCAA individual titles, a victory which saw her exceed the number of wins Tiger Woods achieved at Stanford.

The 20-year-old also won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur in April and the US Women’s Amateur two years ago, as well as helping the United States to Curtis Cup wins over Great Britain and Ireland in 2021 and 2022.

Just nine days after joining the paid ranks, Zhang defeated Jennifer Kupcho in a play-off to win the Mizuho Americas Open, becoming the first player to win on the LPGA Tour in their professional debut since Beverly Hanson in 1951.

And on her next start she contended for a major title in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, getting within a shot of the lead in the final round at Baltusrol before finishing in a tie for eighth.

Next up for Zhang is another major as the US Women’s Open is staged for the first time at Pebble Beach, where Zhang set the women’s course record of 63 while in college.

“It certainly has (exceeded my expectations),” Zhang told a pre-tournament press conference.

“I would have never expected myself to be in this position. Just being able to be in contention has been incredible, feeling-wise, and I feel like my game has been on par with a lot of the professionals and the veterans out here.

“But yeah, it’s not something that I anticipated and I have just felt like these positions has helped me to really realise that I have a lot of potential and I can become better, get better, but I’m always just someone to try to put my foot forward and improve even more.

“So I have never really thought about results-wise how I would end up, but I assumed that the transition was going to be a lot more difficult for sure.”

Asked about her goals for the week, Zhang added: “Well, in order to be in contention and play well, you have to make the cut first, right? So that is the first goal.

“Then if I make it, if I play well, we’ll just continue from there. So it’s the same mindset as what I had at KPMG.

“Not any expectations on how I finish, but I certainly do have expectations on how I should perform and how I should play the sport.”

Australia’s Minjee Lee will defend the title she won by four shots at Pine Needles last year, her second major victory following the 2021 Evian Championship.

“I think the course itself is in really great condition,” Lee said. “The rough is very lush.

“The fairways and greens are also in great condition. I’m really looking forward to how the USGA sets up the course for the tournament.

“I do love it that the greens are small. I think the ball-striking is going to be really important, especially tee to green.

“The par threes are all very strong, so I think they’ll be quite a good challenge and a good test.”

Yaya Toure has told Harry Kane to stay at Tottenham for the rest of his career.

The England captain’s future has come under constant scrutiny this summer and Kane has regularly been linked with a move to Manchester United or Bayern Munich.

Spurs are insistent they will not sell their star player, despite him entering the last year of his contract, and Toure thinks Kane should end his career at his boyhood club.

Toure has had the chance to witness Kane at close quarters during his spell on the academy’s coaching staff and recognises his star quality.

“Harry Kane is a brilliant player and a brilliant leader,” the 40-year-old, who has just taken a coaching job at Standard Liege, told the PA news agency.

“For me I hope he is going to stay at Tottenham. What he did last season was incredible.

“I hope he is going to stay, being involved with the staff I can see how familiar they are, they all believe in each other.

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“He came from the academy, he is different. He is not like (Sergio) Aguero, who came in from Atletico, he is at home.

“I hope he is going to stay because he is a good player. Why not retire there, like (Paolo) Maldini or Gerrard did at Liverpool, if he does that it is going to be very significant.”

Spurs’ inability to win a trophy over the last 15 years has been the main reason why Kane has been linked with a move away.

But Toure believes the club is set up for success and Kane is integral to that.

“Tottenham have everything to be successful, when you see the stadium and facilities, they are brilliant,” he added.

“What’s left now? Maybe change players, I don’t know.

“But the competitiveness of the league, you have to match that. “What Manchester City are doing, you have to match that if you want to win.

“That is what I learned when I was at top clubs, week in week out, try to improve the club to be successful.

“I hope and believe that if Harry Kane stays, new players will join, the club will be improving and better and they will be able to challenge for something.”

Before Toure heads to Belgium to begin at Standard Liege, he will first put his coaching skills to use on the launch of Amazon’s Prime Day, as a Prime customer can buy a private coaching session for them and three friends.

He said: “I couldn’t stay away from coaching in the UK for long, but this is a fun one.

“Amazon approached me because like them, I’m known for reliable delivery, so for Prime Day I’m going to be working with a group of football fans to give them a training session and show them a thing or two.

“With the new season coming up, I’ll look to put them through their paces with knowledge I’ve gained through my years at clubs such as Barcelona and Manchester City.

“It’ll be one last training session in England for a while.”

::Yaya Touré will give one lucky Prime customer and their three friends a football training session to learn perfect delivery this Prime Day. Prime Members should check out www.amazon.co.uk/primeexperiences throughout 11th and 12th July to purchase.

Mason Mount has confirmed that he will be leaving Chelsea after 18 years at the club.

The 24-year-old came through the ranks at Stamford Bridge and since making his first-team debut in 2019 has gone on to score 27 goals and provide 22 assists in 129 Premier League appearances.

The PA news agency understands that Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign the midfielder for an initial £55million.

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Mount, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 and has earned 36 caps for England, posted a farewell message to Blues fans on Instagram.

He said on Instagram: “Hi Chelsea fans, given the speculation over the last six months this may not come as a surprise to you, but it doesn’t make it any easier to tell you that I’ve made the decision to leave Chelsea.

“I feel you deserve more than just a written statement, so I wanted to tell you directly how grateful I’ve been for all of your support over the last 18 years.

“I know some of you won’t be happy with my decision, but it’s what’s right for me at this moment in my career.

“I joined Chelsea when I was six years old and we’ve been through a lot together.

“Winning the Youth Cup, my Player of the Year awards, the Super Cup, the Club World Cup and of course that unforgettable night when we won the Champions League.

“I want to say thank you to the academy, Jim and Neil for being so influential to me from such a young age.

“The managers I’ve worked under, Frank (Lampard), Thomas (Tuchel) and Graham (Potter), the backroom staff, the unsung heroes of Cobham, all of my teammates over the years that have become my brothers.

“My family for the continuous love and support and most importantly you guys for sticking with me throughout. Wish you all the best.”

Lewis Hamilton praised his own pit-stop calls as he completed a hat-trick of home victories by winning an entertaining British Grand Prix at a rain-hit Silverstone on this day in 2015.

The reigning world champion recovered from another poor start to seal a 38th career win and remain on course to equal his hero Ayrton Senna’s haul of three Formula One championships that season.

Home favourite Hamilton timed both of his pit-stops perfectly, firstly leap-frogging the fast-starting Williams pair of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas – who had jumped the Mercedes duo from the start – and then putting on the intermediate tyres as the heaviest of the rain came, thus placating a push from team-mate Nico Rosberg.

“The race was very very tough,” said 30-year-old Hamilton, who took top place on the podium ahead of Rosberg (second) and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel (third).

“It was very slippery off the start but it made it more exciting when I was chasing down the Williams and it was very hard to get close and overtake.

“I got close enough on the first pit-stop and I came out ahead and then the rain came and I lost temperature on the front tyres. For the first time in my F1 career I made the perfectly right choice in terms of, I’m coming in now. So I feel extremely happy about that.”

The win was Hamilton’s fifth of the season, moving him 17 points clear of Rosberg at the top of the standings, and he would go on to be crowned world champion again that year.

Since then, Hamilton has won the British Grand Prix a further five times – taking his overall tally to eight, three clear of Jim Clark and Alain Prost – and improved his number of world titles to a record-equalling seven.

Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani was forced from him start with a blister on his right middle finger in an 8-5 loss to the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.

After Ohtani allowed back-to-back home runs to Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth with no outs in the sixth inning, a trainer came out to check on the Japanese sensation. Ohtani then exited after allowing five runs and seven hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

The right-hander said he doesn’t plan to pitch in next week’s All-Star Game, but he could still play a significant role if he’s healthy enough to remain the starting designated hitter for the American League next Tuesday in Seattle.

Ohtani’s exit came a few hours after the Angels learned star centre fielder Mike Trout will be sidelined several weeks because of a broken left wrist.

Joe Musgrove earned the win with a season-best 11 strikeouts in seven innings to help San Diego take the first two games of the three-game series.

Cronenworth also had two doubles to become the first player with three extra-base hits in a game against Ohtani.

Cronenworth and Bogaerts each finished with three RBIs.

The Angels drew four walks in the ninth and scored four runs, but Josh Hader got the final two outs for his 19th save.

Guardians win in 10 to snap Braves’ nine-game winning streak

David Fry singled home Amed Rosario in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Cleveland Guardians a 6-5 victory over the MLB-best Atlanta Braves, who had their nine-game winning streak stopped.

The game-winner came after Cleveland centre fielder Myles Straw threw out Sam Hlliard at the plate in the top of the 10th to keep the game tied.

Ozzie Albies’ second home run of the game off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase in the ninth forged a 5-5 tie.

Atlanta had won 17 of 18 of 24 of 27.

Phillies win 10th straight on road

Aaron Nola matched a career high with 12 strikeouts and the Philadelphia Phillies topped the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 for their 10th consecutive road win.

Nola outdueled friend and former teammate Zach Eflin by allowing one run and five hits over 7 1/3 innings to win his third straight decision.

Philadelphia’s 10-game road streak is its longest since the 1976 team won a franchise-best 13 in a row away from home.

The Rays tied a season high with their third consecutive loss.

Wimbledon organisers will try to play catch-up on day three after only eight matches were completed on a rain-soaked Tuesday.

Schedulers have had their work cut out devising an order of play for Wednesday, combining unplayed first-round matches with some second-round contests.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what promises to be an exciting day’s action.

Jodie’s Centre stage

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Jodie Burrage’s reward for registering her first win at Wimbledon is opening up Centre Court’s schedule on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old was best known for her affiliation with the Percy Pig sweets after offering some to a stricken ball boy at last year’s event but it is her tennis that is attracting attention this year.

She will have it tough in the second round against 11th seed Daria Kasatkina, but she is playing with confidence after an excellent grass-court season and a partisan home crowd could help deliver one of her best career wins.

Brit watch

Burrage is one of seven home players in action in a packed schedule around the grounds. Youngster Arthur Fery gets the honour of opening Court One against Daniil Medvedev and Heather Watson follows in a tough assignment against 10th seed Barbora Krejcikova.

George Loffhagen will finish his match against Holger Rune, finding himself a set down after Tuesday’s play, while Katie Boulter completes her contest with Daria Saville that began 24 hours previously.

Jan Choinski is also scheduled to play his former doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz.

Clearing the backlog

It will have been a nightmare for tournament officials to plan, but punters will get value for money as the schedule is packed following Tuesday’s effective washout.

There are a host of first-round matches that have yet to even start, while all of Tuesday’s outside court matches need to be finished.

With 18 second-round clashes also due to get under way, some courts are set to host five matches should the weather stay fair.

Iga and Novak hoping for calm

Amid all the chaos of matches elsewhere, big hitters Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek will be hoping to go about their business in serene fashion on Centre Court.

Women’s world number one Swiatek, in search of her first title at SW19, follows Burrage against Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo, against whom she should have few problems.

Djokovic is seemingly invincible on Centre Court, unbeaten in the arena since the 2013 final against Andy Murray, and Australian Jordan Thompson seems unlikely to be the man who is going to end that record.

Match of the day

The rain robbed fans of a potential classic clash between fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem on Tuesday as the heavens opened midway through the second set.

They will return to finish on Wednesday and it is even more intriguing given Thiem won the opening set on his first outing at SW19 since 2019.

Tsitsipas is hardly rich in pedigree on the grass having never gone past the fourth round.

Murray will be among those looking on with interest as he will face the winner in the second round.

Order of playWeather

Dan Evans admitted switching off from tennis for a little while would help him get over more first-round disappointment at Wimbledon.

The British number two exited SW19 at the first hurdle for a fifth time in eight main draw appearances following a 6-2 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-4 defeat to France’s Quentin Halys.

Evans was knocked out by Australian Jason Kubler in round one last year and quickly found himself in the familiar position of being two sets down at the All England Club on Monday, but had to return on Tuesday to complete his match.

Rain produced a further delay and when all of the outside court matches were cancelled, Evans saw his clash moved to Centre Court where he pulled a set back.

But there would be no late-night heroics with Halys able to clinch his place in the second round with a booming forehand winner.

“I think now it’s important to spend time with family, friends. Tennis won’t be on my agenda for a little while,” Evans reflected after an underwhelming grass-court campaign.

“You know, it’s been a long six months or seven months, whatever it is. It’s important to recharge and get ready for a good swing in America, which I enjoy, but it’s important to rest as well. Yeah, that’s all I’m really going to do for a bit and then start back up.

“I think it’s important to totally switch off now. You know, it’s important to step away sometimes, to live a bit of a normal life and get away from living out of a suitcase for a long time.”

World number 30 Evans was at a loss to explain his flat display on Monday against a player who only made his Wimbledon debut in 2022.

After waiting all day to begin his comeback quest, Evans edged a third-set tie-breaker, much to the delight of those still in attendance on Centre Court.

Break points had been hard to come by for the Birmingham right-hander and when he was presented with an opportunity in the seventh game of the fourth set, Evans sent his forehand long and Halys claimed victory with his first match point to inflict a seventh defeat in eight for the 33-year-old home favourite.

Evans added: “I have done nothing different, so yeah it’s disappointing, but, you know, they’re good players out there. I think everyone is guilty of having opinions on certain players you should beat, you shouldn’t beat.

“I think when the draw came out, I must have had that many messages saying, ‘Quentin Halys is a clay court player’. It’s very easy to overlook people.

“They’re all good players on the tour and you have to put them away, that’s what I try and do but if I’m losing, which I am at the minute, you know – I wouldn’t say I’ve hit a wall. It’s frustrating, it’s annoying, it’s whatever.

“But I’m not sure what else you can do. You’ve just got to keep competing. It is no good practising, I tried that. I tried to take Eastbourne off and took Nottingham off, and first round, first round, it’s incredibly frustrating.”

Having not dropped outside of the top-40 since 2020, Evans will hope to bounce back for the hard-court US swing in August.

He will have to spend some of the next few weeks working out his coaching team after splitting with Sebastian Prieto last month.

“I’ve got to look at that,” Evans acknowledged.

“You know, I’ll leave incredibly frustrated after tonight, to work hard and then serve a double at 30-all.

“But like I said previously, it’s important to switch off. When I feel it’s right, I’ll start thinking about it.”

Andy Murray brushed aside Ryan Peniston in front of his old rival Roger Federer while Cameron Norrie battled his way into round two at Wimbledon.

Federer, whose career had been celebrated with a short video prior to the start of play, and the Princess of Wales made sure they were back in their seats in the front row of the Royal Box in time for the first shot of the all-British clash between Murray and Peniston.

Playing his 15th Wimbledon campaign, equalling the British record for a man held by Jeremy Bates, Murray claimed his second most convincing win ever at the All England Club, beating Essex player Peniston 6-3 6-0 6-1.

Federer gave Murray a thumbs up for his performance and the Scot enjoyed competing in front of the man who was on the other side of the net for some of the most significant moments of his career.

“It’s obviously brilliant to have him around the event,” said Murray. “I’m sure he will be around the sport a lot. I know he loves tennis.

“I didn’t find it strange. It was nice to have him there. I think (Pete) Sampras has sat up there and watched Roger and Rafa (Nadal). I’ve sat and Rod Laver has been at a bunch of matches at the Australian Open.”

Murray can relax on Wednesday while he waits to find out who he plays in round two, with Dominic Thiem a set up on fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas when rain intervened.

British number one Norrie also benefited from playing under cover, returning to the scene of last year’s memorable triumphs for a 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-4 victory over Czech qualifier Tomas Machac on Court One.

“It was a lot of fun coming out to that court, so special, a lot of good memories there,” said the 12th seed. “It was really fun to come out and see the audience and just good sensations.

“I played, I reckon, a really good match, with some normal drops in there, but a lot to learn from and take from that match. But a good day and nice to get the win.”

Dan Evans was a late addition to the Centre Court schedule to complete his match against France’s Quentin Halys.

Evans, seeded 27th but having a torrid season, was two sets down after a poor start to the contest on Court Two on Monday.

He rallied under the roof, winning the third set against the big-serving Frenchman, but was unable to force a decider, losing out 6-2 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-4.

“Yesterday I wasn’t very good at all,” said Evans. “I have to give him credit. He played very well, and it’s frustrating, but that’s why I have to keep coming back and putting my game on the court, competing.”

The other British players scheduled all fell foul of the bad weather, with Katie Boulter and debutant George Loffhagen the only two to make it on to court.

New British number one Boulter was 5-6 down to Australian Daria Saville when the rain came while 22-year-old Loffhagen was edged out 7-4 in a first-set tie-break by sixth seed Holger Rune.

Cameron Norrie reaped the benefits of not being Wimbledon’s rain man as he got his campaign up and running with a four-set victory over Tomas Machac.

The 27-year-old dropped the second set but went on to record a 6-3 4-6 6-1 6-4 win over the tricky Czech youngster under the roof on Court One.

While play on the outside courts was virtually wiped out due to persistent rain, Norrie is safely into round two – unlike the vast majority of his rivals.

Last year Norrie had to deal with two rain delays as he eventually beat first-round opponent Pablo Andujar, but as the 12th seed and British number one – and a semi-finalist last year – he has earned the right to play on the show courts and stay in the dry.

“Yeah that’s, for me, such a big advantage – to win, first of all, and to finish my match and know that I’m going to play,” he said.

“I looked at the weather this morning and I knew it was raining. (But) I knew I could plan as per usual to play.

“Yeah, it’s difficult. There are some guys still in the first round, and I was obviously fortunate enough to play, which is a big thanks to the club.

“I felt that I earned the right to play on that court, and I was able to hit on that court before I played, so I think that was a good advantage as well.

“So, yeah, it was nice to be through in four tough sets. He made it really tricky for me. He played great, I thought.”

Machac, ranked 108 in the world, was making his Wimbledon debut and playing the first Tour level match on grass of his career.

But nevertheless the 22-year-old was a dangerous first-round opponent who beat Norrie’s compatriot Dan Evans in the Davis Cup and took Novak Djokovic to a deciding-set tie-break earlier this year.

There was no drama for Norrie in the opening set, though, as he secured a break for 3-2 and another to wrap it up.

The 12th seed is still sporting the tape on his knee that he wore throughout Queen’s, but whatever the issue is it was not bothering him unduly.

However, things unravelled in the second with Norrie twice pointing an accusatory finger at the grass after misreading the bounce of the ball and dumping forehands into the net before Machac levelled the match.

But Norrie got back on track in the third, securing a double break to take the set in just 24 minutes.

He retrieved an early break in the fourth with a forehand which left a flagging Machac in a heap on the baseline.

Further break points went back and forth but it was Norrie who made one stick to complete an encouraging victory in two hours and 32 minutes.

A sunny day in north-west England should have provided the ideal backdrop for Sergio Garcia’s bid to qualify for the Open Championship but while the 43-year-old had a place at Hoylake in his hands for so long he eventually let it slip.

The Spaniard was followed by bumper crowds at West Lancashire Golf Club in Crosby near Liverpool – a part of the world which has proved a happy hunting ground for Garcia in the past – but came up three shots shy of extending his run at the major into a 26th successive year.

Having got to eight under through 24 holes, which at the time was good enough for one of the top five spots to qualify, one bad lie and poor chip cost him a shot and halted his momentum.

From there it was all a bit of a struggle as he appeared to run out of steam – as a LIV golfer Garcia is more used to playing 54 holes over three days rather than 36 in a little over 10 hours.

His frustrations boiled over at the par-five 16th where, having been pin-high on the right fringe in two, he backed off a five-foot birdie putt after being disturbed by a photographer and then when he missed he could not hold back any longer.

“D***! As if it’s not frickin’ hard enough” was the invective spilled at the unsuspecting bystander.

That was the point when Garcia knew he was probably not going to be successful in his quest and it was effectively confirmed when his ball rolled off the green into a hollow at the par-three next.

At six under he had already been passed by others to push him out of contention and even if he had holed his 12-foot birdie attempt at the last it would not have been enough.

“I was rolling nicely, I got a pretty bad break on seven in the afternoon and it stalled my momentum a little bit. Then it was tough to get going again but I gave it everything I had,” he said afterwards.

“I was thinking probably eight might get to a play-off but I was trying to get to 10.

“If you come here you put yourself in that situation. I felt I had it close, in the grasp of my hand, but that’s what it is.

“I was trying and unfortunately it just wasn’t good enough.”

The day began for Garcia at 7.20am off the 10th tee, where a crowd of about 200 had assembled under cloudy skies and windy conditions.

Such was the Ryder Cup star’s draw there would probably have been a few local schools double-checking their attendance registers but those who turned up were given a rare treat.

With the freedom to roam the fairway behind their hero the public got much closer to Garcia then they ever would at an Open Championship.

Although it was slightly chaotic, it was all good-natured, with the players not bothered by fans as they made their way through the melee, but six holes in it had started to cause an issue for the group behind who were continually waiting for the landing area to clear.

More stewards with long pieces of rope were called for and the issue quickly subsided.

Three successive birdies from the 18th moved Garcia to three under and after finding a bunker at the 154-yard third saw him drop his first shot, birdies at the fifth, where he narrowly missed eagle, and ninth saw him sign for a five-under 67 and sit just one off the lead.

Just over an hour later he was back out off the first, with an enlarged gallery basking in the sun, and two birdies in his first six holes got him to eight under.

Everything seemed to be well in this part of north-west England where Garcia has a good record, with three of his 10 best Open finishes coming at Hoylake, in 2006 and 2014, and Royal Lytham in 2001.

But then things started to stutter when he left himself an impossible up-and-down after his short chip flew the green at the almost-drivable 355-yard seventh.

A three-putt from the front of the 10th, missing a five-footer for par, and suddenly he was back to six under and under pressure.

A free drop off a path at the par-five 11th resulted in a 15-footer for birdie which brought Garcia’s first – and only – fist pump of the day but the frown was back again at the 363-yard 13th when his approach missed the green.

With holes running out the pressure was starting to build, resulting in his blow-up at the 16th, and while he was welcomed back by a large crowd in front of the clubhouse it was not the finish Garcia – or they – wanted.

Dan Evans suffered more Wimbledon disappointment after he exited the tournament in the first round for the second year in a row.

World number 30 Evans had started his match with Quentin Halys on Monday and quickly found himself two sets down, but had to wait until Tuesday to try and mount a comeback.

Rain from lunchtime onwards on day two forced a further delay before his tie was eventually moved to Centre Court and despite winning the third set, Evans exited 6-2 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-4.

Evans had been scheduled to be second up on Court Two on Tuesday but the wet weather arrived just after midday and subsequently saw all play on the outside courts cancelled for the day.

The British number two was made to wait before he was switched to Centre Court after women’s second seed Aryna Sabalenka beat Panna Udvardy in 62 minutes – allowing him to complete his round one match on the big stage under the roof.

Pumped up in front of a decent-sized home crowd, Evans watched his French opponent Halys take an early tumble in the third game of set three.

Halys grimaced in pain after he twisted his left ankle and would later call for the trainer, but he was fine to resume as the set stayed on serve.

The nip-and-tuck nature of the match extended into a tie-break and a backhand into the net from Halys saw Evans force a fourth set.

Break points were still hard to come by for the Birmingham right-hander, playing in the main draw for an eighth time, but an opportunity finally presented itself in the seventh game.

Evans wheeled off three points in a row after trailing 30-0 but his attempted forehand winner down the line landed long and his French opponent held after a super drop shot was combined with a fine winner behind the baseline.

It felt decisive and proved to be with Halys able to book his place in the second round on his first match point with a booming forehand winner to inflict another early exit on Evans, who has now lost seven of his last eight matches.

A sunny day in north-west England should have provided the ideal backdrop for Sergio Garcia’s bid to qualify for the Open Championship but while the 43-year-old had a place at Hoylake in his hands for so long he eventually let it slip.

The Spaniard was followed by bumper crowds at West Lancashire Golf Club in Crosby near Liverpool – a part of the world which has proved a happy hunting ground for Garcia in the past – but came up three shots shy of extending his run at the major into a 26th successive year.

Having got to eight under through 24 holes, which at the time was good enough for one of the top five spots to qualify, one bad lie and poor chip cost him a shot and halted his momentum.

From there it was all a bit of a struggle as he appeared to run out of steam – as a LIV golfer Garcia is more used to playing 54 holes over three days rather than 36 in a little over 10 hours.

His frustrations boiled over at the par-five 16th where, having been pin-high on the right fringe in two, he backed off a five-foot birdie putt after being disturbed by a photographer and then when he missed he could not hold back any longer.

“D***! As if it’s not frickin’ hard enough” was the invective spilled at the unsuspecting bystander.

That was the point when Garcia knew he was probably not going to be successful in his quest and it was effectively confirmed when his ball rolled off the green into a hollow at the par-three next.

At six under he had already been passed by others to push him out of contention and even if he had holed his 12-foot birdie attempt at the last it would not have been enough.

“I was rolling nicely, I got a pretty bad break on seven in the afternoon and it stalled my momentum a little bit. Then it was tough to get going again but I gave it everything I had,” he said afterwards.

“I was thinking probably eight might get to a play-off but I was trying to get to 10.

“If you come here you put yourself in that situation. I felt I had it close, in the grasp of my hand, but that’s what it is.

“I was trying and unfortunately it just wasn’t good enough.”

The day began for Garcia at 7.20am off the 10th tee, where a crowd of about 200 had assembled under cloudy skies and windy conditions.

Such was the Ryder Cup star’s draw there would probably have been a few local schools double-checking their attendance registers but those who turned up were given a rare treat.

With the freedom to roam the fairway behind their hero the public got much closer to Garcia then they ever would at an Open Championship.

Although it was slightly chaotic, it was all good-natured, with the players not bothered by fans as they made their way through the melee, but six holes in it had started to cause an issue for the group behind who were continually waiting for the landing area to clear.

More stewards with long pieces of rope were called for and the issue quickly subsided.

Three successive birdies from the 18th moved Garcia to three under and after finding a bunker at the 154-yard third saw him drop his first shot, birdies at the fifth, where he narrowly missed eagle, and ninth saw him sign for a five-under 67 and sit just one off the lead.

Just over an hour later he was back out off the first, with an enlarged gallery basking in the sun, and two birdies in his first six holes got him to eight under.

Everything seemed to be well in this part of north-west England where Garcia has a good record, with three of his 10 best Open finishes coming at Hoylake, in 2006 and 2014, and Royal Lytham in 2001.

But then things started to stutter when he left himself an impossible up-and-down after his short chip flew the green at the almost-drivable 355-yard seventh.

A three-putt from the front of the 10th, missing a five-footer for par, and suddenly he was back to six under and under pressure.

A free drop off a path at the par-five 11th resulted in a 15-footer for birdie which brought Garcia’s first – and only – fist pump of the day but the frown was back again at the 363-yard 13th when his approach missed the green.

With holes running out the pressure was starting to build, resulting in his blow-up at the 16th, and while he was welcomed back by a large crowd in front of the clubhouse it was not the finish Garcia – or they – wanted.