Emma Raducanu has confirmed she hopes to return to competitive action in time for the start of the new tennis season.
The 2021 US open champion has been sidelined for six months having undergone surgery on both wrists and her ankle after successive injury setbacks.
The 20-year-old told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme that she had not set a date for her WTA Tour return, but would “be back for the start of this season for sure”.
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Raducanu, who has slipped to 280 in the world rankings from a career-high number 10, said: “I will be coming back with probably a lower ranking, but I’m actually looking forward to starting again, kind of resetting.
“I already have that in the bank, so now I can keep going and keep building from here. I still have new goals, new things I want to achieve.
“But I’ve still got like 15 years left in my career, so there’s no rush.”
Raducanu has not confirmed who will coach her when she returns to the tour having gone through five different coaches in just over two years.
She believes her inquisitiveness could have been an issue for some of them.
She added: “I ask my coaches a lot of questions. On certain occasions they haven’t been able to keep up with the questions I’ve asked so maybe that’s why it ended.
“It’s something I’ve always done. I keep provoking and asking questions to coaches and challenging their thinking as well.
“I’m not someone that you can just tell me what do and I’ll do it, I need to understand why and then I’ll do it.”
England’s World Cup semi-final clash with South Africa in Paris is the latest instalment of a rich history between the two nations on the biggest stage of all.
In their five meetings in the tournament, England have won only once ahead of Saturday’s match.
Here, the PA news agency looks at their rivalry.
1999 quarter-final – Paris, France:
England 21 South Africa 44
England ran into an unlikely road block in the form of Jannie De Beer’s unprecedented haul of five drop-goals, which started landing when the game was finely poised. De Beer’s record for drop-goals in a match still stands 24 years later.
2003 group match – Perth, Australia:
England 25 South Africa 6
A tight game was ultimately settled in the 63rd minute when Will Greenwood crossed after Lewis Moody had charged down a clearance, enabling England to extend a lead that was only 12-6 on the hour mark. England went on to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy.
2007, group match – Paris, France:
England 0 South Africa 36
England’s first World Cup defeat since 1999 – also against South Africa – was a calamity with the Springboks leading 20-0 against opponents who never threatened the line. A barrage of kicks and forward muscle overwhelmed England.
2007, final – Paris, France:
England 6 South Africa 15
England rebuilt following their pool debacle and gave a far better account of themselves in a tense final that saw wing Mark Cuteo touch down only for the try to be controversially ruled out because of a foot in touch.
2019 final – Yokohama, Japan:
England 12 South Africa 32
A week after demolishing New Zealand in sensational fashion, England were overpowered and contributed to their own downfall by making a series of errors. Eddie Jones’ side did not fire a shot and endured a harrowing evening at the scrum.
England will be appearing in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals for the sixth time when they lock horns with current champions South Africa at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Here the PA news agency looks back at their previous five last-four encounters.
1991, Edinburgh: Scotland 6 England 9
Rob Andrew’s drop-goal clinched the win for England but Scotland captain Gavin Hastings earlier missed a simple penalty in front of the posts with the score tied at 6-6. It was a gruelling encounter short on thrills and Scotland have never been as close since.
1995, Cape Town: England 29 New Zealand 45
A harrowing afternoon for English rugby saw giant wing Jonah Lomu run riot at Newlands, scoring four tries including one in which he marauded through Tony Underwood, Will Carling, Mike Catt and Rob Andrew.
2003, Sydney: England 24 France 7
It was far from a classic because of the conditions but England eventually prevailed through the boot of Jonny Wilkinson, who landed three drop-goals and five penalties. Frederic Michalak managed just one of his five shots at goal for France.
2007, Paris: England 14 France 9
Josh Lewsey scored an early try for England but hosts France fought back through three Lionel Beauxis penalties to edge 9-8 ahead. But Wilkinson came to the rescue once again by landing a penalty and drop-goal in the last five minutes.
2019, Yokohama: England 19 New Zealand 9
England delivered possibly their greatest World Cup performance of all, routing the All Blacks with the scoreline failing to reflect their dominance. Manu Tuilagi crossed in the second minute, setting the tone, and George Ford kicked four penalties.
Friday’s jumps fixtures at Fakenham and Uttoxeter have been called off as Storm Babet continues to bring heavy rain and strong winds across the country.
Both tracks had called inspections for 7.30am but neither venue will race due to the weather conditions.
Uttoxeter had 12 mm of rain overnight, with clerk of the course Richard Fothergill anticipating a further 20 mm at least over the day.
He said: “We had the 12mm overnight but in the hour after I walked the course at 7am, we had a further 5mm. The forecasts are for upwards of 20mm, with some even saying 40mm.
“We were raceable yesterday, but we didn’t have much scope for more.”
Fakenham clerk of the course David Hunter felt a combination of factors had gone against the Norfolk venue.
He said: “We had 17mm by 6.15/30 this morning which was fine, but the problem is what is to come with our forecaster saying we could get 30-40mm, with the worst rain moving in around lunchtime.
“We have a drainage ditch that runs through the course from surrounding farmland with a pond that can overflow onto the track, we also couldn’t guarantee safety vehicles would be able to access all areas of the track and obviously horse and rider safety is paramount.
“Given the weather is not ideal for travelling either, we felt it best to make an early decision.”
Redcar’s Flat meeting has been given the go-ahead after passing a morning inspection, although officials at the track will continue to monitor the forecast strong winds – a proviso that also applies to Newcastle’s evening meeting on the all-weather.
Jack Welsby is determined to banish the memory of last year’s Rugby League World Cup semi-final defeat to Samoa when he leads out England for the first of three Test matches against Tonga in St Helens on Sunday.
The 22-year-old said he was “surprised and humbled” to be handed the captaincy in the absence of George Williams, who failed in his appeal against a two-match ban he picked up in Warrington’s play-off defeat earlier this month.
It continues a steep career trajectory for the Saints star, who made his international debut in the crushing opening World Cup win over the Samoans, before suffering with his team-mates as they slid to their agonising loss to the same team in the last four.
“I’m very excited and humbled,” said Welsby. “When Waney (England coach Shaun Wane) came up and told me I was surprised, especially with some of the senior blokes we’ve got in that dressing room.
“To be leading them out on Sunday afternoon is going to be a big thing for myself and my family. Nothing really trumps being England captain, no matter where it is, but there is also the added bonus of it being in St Helens.”
With the exception of a routine 64-0 win over France in April, Sunday represents Welsby and England’s first opportunity to right the wrongs against top-level opposition, whose squad includes two current Saints team-mates in Will Hopoate and Konrad Hurrell.
Welsby told to the PA news agency: “If we’re completely honest with ourselves, maybe there was a bit of complacency in the semi-final because we’d been putting some big scores on teams and we thought we were better than we were.
“It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had on a rugby field, and if you don’t learn lessons from days like that, you never will. I’m pretty sure after what happened last year, you’re not going to see the same mistakes against Tonga.”
Despite a stellar personal season which culminated in him being shortlisted for the Man of Steel award, Welsby endured another painful blow when his hopes of helping Saints to a fifth straight Grand Final triumph ended abruptly against Catalans Dragons in France.
Instead, he admits he forced himself to watch through his fingers as Wigan wrested the title against the French club, confirming that the domestic dominance he had experienced since becoming a first-team regular at the Totally Wicked Stadium in 2019 was at an end.
Welsby grimaced: “I did watch it, reluctantly. It was a tough watch, but I had friends and England team-mates involved in the match. Obviously we were very disappointed how it ended with Saints, but Wigan deserved it on the whole this year.
“I’m glad the England call-up meant my season wouldn’t end in France. Anywhere you get to pull on an England shirt it makes you immensely proud, and obviously being in St Helens in front of hometown fans will make it even more special.”
It is a mark of the importance placed by Wane in the series – which continues with subsequent matches at Leeds and Huddersfield – that five players currently based in Australia’s NRL have been flown over for the games.
Tom Burgess, John Bateman, Elliott Whitehead, Victor Radley and Dom Young could all feature in a line-up balanced between experience and youth, as Wane looks to begin the long build towards a prospective re-arranged 2026 World Cup in the Southern Hemisphere.
However, Wane must work without Williams for at least the first two games of the three-match series, as well as a number of high-profile injury withdrawals, including Welsby’s Saints team-mate Jonny Lomax and Wigan centre Jake Wardle.
“When you see the NRL players over here and the quality in the Tonga squad, you realise it’s time to get started,” added Welsby. “After everything that’s happened, I just can’t wait to pull the England shirt on again and rip right in.”
What the papers say
Jadon Sancho will be placed on the transfer list by Manchester United unless he apologises to manager Erik ten Hag, according to the Guardian. The England winger, 23, has been out of the first-team picture since criticising Ten Hag in a social media post in early September.
Hannibal Mejbri, who has featured four times since Sancho was sidelined, is one of three United players reportedly set to receive contract extensions. The Manchester Evening News says the 20-year-old Tunisia midfielder and defensive duo Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 25, and Victor Lindelof, 29, will have their current deals extended by a year.
Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Jamal Musiala. According to the Daily Mirror, the 20-year-old is unhappy at not having a guaranteed starting spot at the German giants and Jurgen Klopp’s side are said to be interested.
Jose Mourinho, Xabi Alonso and Zinedine Zidane are all on Real Madrid’s shortlist should they need to replace manager Carlo Ancelotti in the summer, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Jack Butland: Wayne Rooney has made the former England goalkeeper, 30, his top target at Birmingham, but Rangers are not keen to sell.
Luis Suarez: Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino has confirmed he hopes to land the 36-year-old Uruguay striker.
Nikola Jokic had his best game of the preseason with 25 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
The two-time MVP shot 9 of 15 from the field and 3 of 6 from 3-point range.
Aaron Gordon and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each added 13 points for Denver.
Los Angeles’ Bones Hyland had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists against his former team.
Durant and James match up in Suns’ victory
Kevin Durant scored 21 points and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 123-100 in a game that put Durant and LeBron James on the court for the first time in almost five years.
James had 19 points and Anthony Davis added 15 for the Lakers.
The last time James and Durant were on the court together was Christmas 2018.
Devin Booker and Bradley Beal both sat out for Phoenix.
Timberwolves finish perfect preaseason
Anthony Edwards scored 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Chicago Bulls 114-105 to finish 5-0 in the preseason.
Minnesota had six players in double figures and 15 players scored at least one point.
Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago.
Trevor Lawrence and Christian Kirk combined for a 44-yard touchdown as Jacksonville Jaguars survived a New Orleans Saints comeback to win 31-24 on the road.
The Jaguars had seen a 24-9 lead vanish in the fourth quarter before Lawrence found Kirk with a short pass over the middle and they secured a fourth straight win.
Lawrence threw for 204 yards as the Jaguars continued their best start since 2007 when they also began 5-2.
Travis Etienne ran for two touchdowns as the Jaguars opened a 17-6 interval lead, Foyesade Oluokun returning an interception off Derek Carr 24 yards for a touchdown to open a 15-point cushion.
But Taysom Hill kicked off the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown run and Carr threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas and then found Alvin Kamara with the two point conversion which levelled the scores.
Carr, who completed 33 of 55 passes for 301 yards, could not connect on four straight attempts on the final drive after Kirk’s score as the Saints dropped to 3-4.
Jose Abreu hit a three-run homer and Yordan Alvarez knocked in three runs to lead the Houston Astros to a 10-3 rout of the Texas Rangers on Thursday, evening the AL Championship Series at two games apiece.
Chas McCormick had a two-run homer and Jose Altuve added three hits and three runs as Houston improved to 4-0 on the road this postseason.
The Astros have scored 18 runs in two road wins after managing just four in two home losses to open this series.
Houston jumped on starter Andrew Heaney for three runs in the first inning.
Jose Altuve led off with a double, moved to third on Mauricio Dubon’s single and both runners scored on Alex Bregman’s triple.
Alvarez then singled home Bregman for his first RBI of the night.
Texas battled back to tie on Adolis Garcia’s homer and Josh Jung’s sacrifice fly in the second and Corey Seager’s home run off Jose Urquidy in the third.
Houston responded with four runs in the fourth, as Alvarez had a 401-foot, tiebreaking sacrifice fly before Abreu connected for a three-run blast – his fourth home run of the postseason - off Cody Bradford.
Game 5 is Friday at Globe Life Field, where the Astros are 8-1 this season.
Marte’s walk-off single lifts Diamondbacks over Phillies in Game 3
Ketel Marte singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks trimmed their deficit in the NL Championship Series to 2-1 with a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Arizona bounced back after dropping the first two games in Philadelphia and can even the series at home in Game 4 on Friday.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. opened the ninth against Craig Kimbrel with a walk, stole second and took third on Pavin Smith’s infield single.
Gurriel was thrown out at the plate by shortstop Trea Turner on Emmanuel Rivera’s hard-hit grounder before Geraldo Perdomo’s walk loaded the bases.
Marte then stroked a liner in front of center fielder Johan Rojas for this third hit of the game.
Defending NL champion Philadelphia managed just three hits and suffered its second postseason loss in nine games.
Rookie Brandon Pfaadt was brilliant in keeping the hot-hitting Phillies in check, giving up two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings with no walks and nine strikeouts.
After Kevin Ginkel pitched a perfect eighth for the Diamondbacks, Paul Sewald earned the win with a hitless ninth.
The Phillies scored their lone run in the seventh when Bryce Harper came home on Ryan Thompson’s wild pitch.
Maro Itoje insists South Africa are not infallible as he urges England to seize the chance to clinch a place in the World Cup final.
The rivals collide at the Stade de France on Saturday with the Springboks red hot favourites to retain the crown they won against England in Yokohama four years ago.
But Steve Borthwick’s men are the only unbeaten side left in the tournament and Itoje is convinced they have yet to play their best rugby since landing on these shores seven weeks ago.
“South Africa are a good team. They are the current world champions, they’ve had a very good World Cup,” the Saracens second row said.
“We’ve played them twice since 2019, they’ve won one, we’ve won one. We’re not talking about a team that has never lost, we’re not talking about a team that is without fault – they are a good team, but so are we.
“I believe there is still a huge amount of growth to come from this team and I feel we haven’t seen the best of us yet.
“For us, it’s about imposing our game. We don’t want to sit back and just watch them do their thing, we want to be England rugby.
“I believe that if we put our best out on the field, we are going to be celebrating on Saturday night and have a positive night.
“When you get to these games, a lot of people say, ‘it’s just another game’. This isn’t just another game. This is a special game. People are aware of what’s at stake.
“These are special games and you don’t get many opportunities like this. It’s about us seizing the moment, being really present and taking any opportunities we get.”
Itoje is one of eight survivors from the starting XV that was routed 32-12 by South Africa in the 2019 final and while Saturday offers the chance to avenge that defeat, the 28-year-old sees no value in looking backwards.
“Different experience, different context, different opposition. It helps having the experience of playing in a semi-final before, but it’s completely, completely different,” he said.
“We have to play the game that’s in front of us. We have to play this South African team, not the South African team of however many years ago. This South African team, not the one that they may be after this.
“We have to be as individuals and as a collective, we have to be really present. We have to be really in the moment to deal with what we need to deal with.”
Having had a fairly successful taste of Formula Four (F4) action recently, Tommi Gore has developed an insatiable hunger for more, as he hopes to chart a fruitful career on the circuit.
Gore’s passion and, by extension, unflinching desire to make it big in motorsport is of no surprise given the fact that he comes from a proud racing family that has made its mark in local and regional racing. His father Douglas ‘Hollywood’ Gore is a multiple rally and Dover champion, while his grandfather, Neil, raced at Vernamfield.
And already the young Gore has a solid platform on which he can build, having competed in the final round of the Radical Cup in the United Kingdom, and the final round of the FIA Formula 4 CEZ Championship, over the past month.
At the Radical Cup event held at the Donington Park Circuit, Gore driving for the Rob Weldon-owned Raw Motorsports team, had a series of mixed results in qualifying, but capitalised on wet conditions to not only win in the final race, but also the Sunoco Driver of the Weekend award.
“This was my first event outside of the Caribbean, and with only one other event in a similar Radical SR3, I know it was going to be difficult to adapt to this new track. But I saw the rain as an opportunity on the final day because I have always been confident in the rain even though I had never driven a Radical in the rain prior.
“So, it was an amazing experience and also great to place my stamp on the international scene and show the world that Jamaicans can be competitive in any genre of any sport that we are passionate about,” Gore told SportsMax.TV.
That performance was followed by the Formula 4 opportunity and while the call for Gore to journey to Hungary came at the last minute, the budding driver knew it was a no-brainer.
“Needless to say, I immediately booked the flight, called sponsors and emailed my professors to advise them that I would miss class,” Gore shared.
For Gore, it was the big break he had longed for, and as fate would have it, he performed beyond expectations.
The 18-year-old placed third in the second race of the weekend, as he staved off the challenge of champion Ethan Ischer and claimed the final podium spot. He also topped the Rookie class in each of his qualifying races and was later named top rookie for the weekend.
“Prior to that weekend I had never even sat in a Formula car let alone drive one, so the Jenzer Motorsport Team’s expectations were very low going in. But by qualifying, I was in the top four and was able to fight for a podium. I finished fourth overall in races one and three to finish out a very solid performance,” Gore shared.
“This was a jaw dropping opportunity, the professionalism of the team and preciseness needed to be on pace with the front runners was beyond imaginable; to only be two tenths of a second off the fastest lap by the final race was applauded by the team, especially knowing that I went up against drivers with two years in these same cars,” he added.
Though the end results were on point for the most part, Gore was not shy to admit that both outings in England and Hungary were mentally and physically draining.
In fact, he recalled that the last minute advise from his father, coupled with his stubborn determination to rise above challenges, as the fuel that drives his ambitions.
“Honestly, they (the races) were not easy; it was very physically and mentally challenging to be on my best performance to seize the opportunities presented. Fortunately, my dad has always been a large figure in my career, from watching his legendary battles with David Summerbell Jnr at Dover Raceway, to him giving me those last-minute tips while on the grid before a race,” Gore reasoned.
He also credits the likes of Peter Rae, Craig Lue, Collin Daley Jnr and Chris Issa for their role in moulding his career into what it is at present.
With his immense potential now clear for all to see, the jovial driver remains optimistic that he will reap the fruits of his labour in the near future.
“My personal goal is to become a paid driver for a racing team, whether that be in prototype cars such as the Radical or Formula cars such as the F4. So, I’ll keep putting in the work, showing what I can do and then let the rest sort itself out,” Gore ended.
Lewis Hamilton and his fellow Formula One drivers could be fined up to one million euros following a dramatic change to the sport’s rulebook.
Ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, F1’s governing body announced it has increased the maximum sanction that stewards can impose on a driver from 250,000 euros (£218,000) to 871,500 euros (£760,000).
The FIA said the amount had been static for the last 12 years and “does not reflect the current needs of motor sports”.
But their decision was met with surprise by the grid’s drivers. Daniel Ricciardo, back in action after missing five races with a broken hand, calling it “scary”, and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen branding the move “ridiculous”.
Hamilton, who next season will start a new £100million two-year deal with Mercedes, said: “If they are going to fine us one million euros, let’s makes sure that 100 per cent of that goes to a cause.
“There is a lot of money in this industry and there is a lot more that we need to do to increase diversity, improve access and create more opportunities for people who don’t have an opportunity to get into a sport like this.
“That is the only way they will get that money from me.”
Hamilton also accused the FIA of “poor communication” following the governing body questioning his status as “a role model” after he walked across the track at the previous round in Qatar.
Hamilton, 38, was fined £43,350 – half of which is suspended for the remainder of the season – in the hours after the race on October 8 in which he crossed the circuit following a first-corner crash with Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
But seven days after the incident in Lusail, and in a largely unprecedented move, the FIA said Hamilton’s actions are under review.
A spokesperson for the governing body said: “In view of Lewis Hamilton’s role model status, the FIA is concerned about the impression his actions may have created on younger drivers.”
It is understood that the FIA plan to meet with the seven-time world champion here in Austin.
It is unlikely Hamilton will face additional penalties – with the FIA opting against taking the case to the International Court of Appeal to increase his fine – but harsher punishments could be handed out in the future for a similar infringement.
“I don’t think I was singled out,” added Hamilton. “Ultimately, it was just poor communication. I don’t think what they said is what they meant.
“They are looking into how they can tackle these things going forward to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“There was a karting incident where a kid was hit when he walked on to the track so we need to make sure we focus on safety and that was the root of it. But they need to speak to their PR agent to do a better job.
“Their actual point is important. When I sat in the stewards’ office I put my hands up and acknowledged that in the heat of the moment it was the wrong decision. I apologised at the time.”
Juventus have pledged their support for midfielder Nicolo Fagioli after he was banned for seven months for breaching betting rules.
Fagioli had five months of a one-year ban suspended this week and was fined 12,500 euros (£10,848), while he agreed to a therapy plan of at least six months to tackle his gambling problem.
Juventus said in a statement on their official website: “The club has noted the official press release from the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) and confirms its full support for Nicolo Fagioli in tackling this path, providing the player with the necessary support in carrying out the indicated therapeutic plan and, as expressly provided for in the agreement, collaborating with the Federation to outline the scheduled appointments.
“We are firmly convinced that Nicolo, with the support of the club, his team-mates, his family and the professionals who will assist him, will face the therapeutic and training process with a great sense of responsibility and, once the disqualification has been served, will be able to return to competing with due serenity.”
Fagioli, 22, was one of several players named last week who were being investigated by the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office and the FIGC as part of an Italian football betting probe.
Newcastle confirmed midfielder Sandro Tonali was fully co-operating with the enquiry, while Aston Villa forward Nicolo Zaniolo, on loan from Galatasaray, is also being investigated.
Tonali and Zaniolo were both withdrawn from Italy’s training camp this week while Fagioli, who has one senior international cap, was not part of their squad for Saturday’s win over Malta and Tuesday’s defeat to England.
Head coach Ian Foster has warned New Zealand the past counts for nothing as they head into their World Cup semi-final against Argentina as overwhelming favourites.
The three-time champions have lost just two of 36 matches against Los Pumas and are widely expected to prevail again in Friday’s crunch clash at the Stade de France in Paris.
“There are two teams in the semi-final – anyone can win,” said the All Blacks boss. “That’s the first mindset both teams have.
“We are massively respectful of Argentina. We know that they have had a great tournament.
“We don’t live in the past in terms of results. Rugby World Cup tournaments are really about the present. It’s about the best team on the night.
“If you go into a World Cup semi-final with any expectation that the past is going to happen again, you have got problems.”
Foster has made two changes to his side following the hard-fought 28-24 quarter-final win over Ireland, with Samuel Whitelock coming into the second row and Mark Telea starting on the left wing.
Foster said: “We’ve been really impressed with Argentina. We’re playing a team that we know scrap and fight for every little bit of possession. We are going to have to be at our best.”
Argentina overcame a 10-point deficit to beat Wales last weekend and reach the semi-finals for a third time.
Coach Michael Cheika has recalled Gonzalo Bertranou at scrum-half in his one change to the line-up.
“The history is not in our favour, but it is up to us to change that,” said Cheika, who oversaw a famous win over the All Blacks in Christchurch last year.
“We have a chance to on Friday and we will be ready. When we arrive on the field we will do what we do best.”
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