Laurel will miss the rest of the season due to the injury which saw her ruled out of Royal Ascot.

John and Thady Gosden’s lightly-raced daughter of Kingman was due to line-up in the Duke of Cambridge Stakes at the summer showcase, but was a late absentee having suffered setback the weekend before her intended engagement.

Connections did have their sights on a quick return in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket later this week.

But it appears the issue is more serious than first envisaged with the Group One-placed filly set to remain on the sidelines for the rest of the current campaign and a decision on her future still to be made.

“Unfortunately she is going to miss the rest of the season,” explained Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte.

“Initially it looked like it was going to be an insignificant thing, but it turned out to be a bit more than we thought.

“She’s on her way back to the farm for a rest, she definitely won’t run again this season and it is to be decided whether she stays in training next year or not.

“She’s a very lightly-raced filly and John and Thady both said to me last week they would love to keep her in training next year.

“She’s a high-class filly who could win a Group One and she’s only run five times in her life so I can sort of understand their point and maybe that is the right thing to do. But we will speak with Prince Khalid’s family and see what they would like to do and unfortunately she won’t be running again this season.”

Tom Pidcock believes he is learning more about himself and his capabilities on a bike as he tests himself in the general classification at the Tour de France.

The 23-year-old Olympic mountain bike champion went into Monday’s rest day seventh overall, five minutes 26 seconds off yellow having picked up time on a number of rivals as he finished fourth amongst the overall contenders after a breakaway triumphed on Sunday’s stage atop the Puy de Dome.

Pidcock, who memorably won the stage on the Alpe d’Huez on his Tour debut last summer, began this year’s race wanting to see if he had the discipline and consistency to stay high on the general classification, not having a bad day across the full three weeks.

As he sat exhausted at the top of the mountain on Sunday he had said he still wanted a stage win “and then I’ll be happy”, but when he spoke on Monday Pidcock was looking at the bigger picture.

“I’m enjoying it,” the Ineos Grenadiers rider said. “I’m getting a bit better. With each test I’m improving and staying near the front, it’s actually motivating me.

“Before if you’d said racing for top 10 I wouldn’t really be so bothered but actually now I’m really enjoying the challenge and each little win.

“I wouldn’t normally have the patience and focus required for three weeks riding the GC, it’s not really in my characteristics but now I’m kind of enjoying it. It’s my first actual time riding with senior pros in a proper stage race like this, it’s all kind of new and I’m enjoying it…

“I’m growing in confidence and just exploring my limits.”

After Michael Woods won from a breakaway, Sunday’s stage saw Tadej Pogacar take eight seconds out of defending champion and race leader Jonas Vingegaard’s advantage in their battle for yellow.

But Simon Yates and Pidcock were the next riders over the line, a result that moved the Yorkshireman up two places from ninth overall.

“Yesterday was a great day and if I can replicate that again, that’s fantastic,” Pidcock said. “The next two weeks now, there are some pretty tough days ahead, back-to-back days and three days in the Alps and it’s going to be a big test.

“Week two into week three is where cracks start to show. My goal is to be consistent. Personally, in my head, it’s becoming more of a challenge and a target to see where I can go on GC because I’m enjoying it.

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“If that means I don’t get a stage win maybe that’s the case but I feel I can learn a lot about myself if I fully commit to the GC now.”

Pidcock has ambitions to one day challenge for yellow himself in the Tour, but for now the former world cyclo-cross champion continues to compete across different disciplines – and will be back on his mountain bike at next month’s world championships in Scotland.

How these next two weeks go will tell Pidcock a lot about what he might be able to do in the future.

“As soon as we finish this race I’m going to be going to try and win the mountain bike worlds, which is not very normal for all the people I’m racing against, it’s a bit strange,” he said when asked if this Tour was making him change the way he thinks about balancing his goals.

“I don’t know. We’ll see in a week’s time.”

Royal Ascot runner-up Sacred will head to Deauville for her next appearance with the Prix Maurice de Gheest identified by William Haggas as the perfect destination for his versatile mare.

The Cheveley Park Stud-owned five-year-old has been a consistent performer for connections throughout her career and won on reappearance at Lingfield in the Chartwell Fillies’ Stakes in May.

However, she was narrowly denied when taking her chance in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes for the second season in a row, having victory snatched from her grasp when headed late in the day by the fast-finishing Khaadem.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel holds entries over a mile closer to home over the next month, but following her fine effort at Ascot, Haggas is keen to keep Sacred to sprinting distances and will send her across the Channel for the six-and-a-half-furlong Group One in early August.

“She’s fine and we’re aiming her at the Prix Maurice de Gheest on August 6 which is a Group One over six and a half furlongs,” said Haggas.

“She likes going to her races relatively fresh, so she will go there and there is nothing overly obvious for her in the meantime.

“She’s in the Sussex, but I think we felt she ran very well over six furlongs at Ascot and six and a half in Deauville, providing the ground isn’t soft, should be fine for her.”

Haggas also revealed that My Prospero will head to York for the Sky Bet York Stakes on July 29 as the four-year-old attempts to tee-up a Knavesmire return for the Juddmonte International Stakes during the Ebor Festival.

“He’ll go for the Sky Bet at York,” added Haggas.

“He didn’t run as well as I hoped at Ascot. He didn’t run badly, but it wasn’t as well as I hoped and he will go to York and if he wins and wins nicely he will go back there for the Juddmonte.”

Test stars Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Filer return for England ahead of the decisive three ODIs in the multi-format Women’s Ashes after being overlooked for the T20s.

Beaumont became England’s first Test double centurion while Filer’s burst of speed on debut troubled Australia in the defeat at Trent Bridge but both were deemed surplus to requirements for the three T20s.

England lost the opener at Edgbaston but won twice in London at the Kia Oval and Lord’s in front of record crowds to breathe fresh life into their bid to beat Australia for the first time since 2013-14.

And Beaumont, an ODI regular after losing her T20 spot ahead of the Commonwealth Games last year, comes back into the reckoning as does Filer, who could make her debut in the format on Wednesday at Bristol.

Alternatively she could come in at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday or Taunton next Tuesday, with all three matches sold out and England needing a clean sweep – or two wins if there is a washout – to prevail.

“We were delighted with our T20 series win and look forward to the next stage of the Ashes with everything to play for,” said England head coach Jon Lewis, whose side currently trail 6-4 on points.

“We’re pleased to welcome Tammy and Lauren back into the group. Tammy showed her quality during the Test match with her double-hundred while Lauren offers us real pace in our bowling.

“The support the team have received throughout the series so far has been incredible and it is fitting to finish with this deciding ODI campaign as the first sell-out series in England Women’s history.

“We respect Australia and know that this part of the Ashes series will again be a big challenge.

“However, we take a great deal of confidence and belief from our recent T20 victories and will, as always, be trying to put on a great showing for our fans.”

Maia Bouchier, Freya Davies and Lauren Winfield-Hill drop out of the reckoning but all-rounder Danielle Gibson, who made her England bow in the T20 series, keeps her spot in a 15-strong squad.

England squad for three ODIs against Australia in multi-format Women’s Ashes: H Knight (captain), T Beaumont, L Bell, A Capsey, K Cross, C Dean, S Dunkley, S Ecclestone, L Filer, D Gibson, S Glenn, A Jones, N Sciver-Brunt, I Wong, D Wyatt.

Mark Randall believes lining up for Larne on the club’s Champions League debut will top his experiences with Arsenal.

The Irish Premiership champions are set to make history on Wednesday when they begin their two-legged first qualifying round tie against HJK Helsinki in Finland.

Former Gunners midfielder Randall made 13 appearances under Arsene Wenger between 2006 and 2009, including two European outings and a brief cameo in a north London derby against Tottenham.

The 33-year-old trained and played alongside the likes of Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Thierry Henry back then but is now preparing for what he anticipates will be the highlight of his career.

“This will be at the top, I think, because of the achievement for the club and the fans,” he told the PA news agency ahead of the midweek visit to the 10,770-capacity Bolt Arena in Finland’s capital.

“It’s little old Larne but it’s a massive achievement and everyone’s really looking forward to it.

“I think this tops it because at clubs like Arsenal you get that every year but this is such a massive thing for the club and the town.

“It’s not expected over here, especially to have a good run. For me, it means a lot more, competing in that competition for Larne.”

Randall helped Larne claim the Irish Premiership title for the first time in their 134-year history last season.

The former England Under-18 international made his Champions League debut aged 18 in August 2008 when eventual semi-finalists Arsenal defeated FC Twente in the final qualifying round before he appeared in a group stage clash with Porto four months later.

Yet, following just two Premier League substitute appearances for the Gunners and a handful of loan spells, he moved on to Chesterfield in 2011 before arriving on Northern Ireland’s east coast via stints with Italian side Ascoli, MK Dons, Barnet, Newport, Crawley and Hemel Hempstead.

Randall is loving life in County Antrim after being tempted over by the vision of millionaire owner Kenny Bruce – co-founder of online estate agent Purplebricks – following the club’s promotion to the top flight in 2019.

“This was a new challenge for me and my family,” said the father-of-three. “We were looking to get away from England and this came up.

“I was a hundred per cent in, my wife was a bit worried at the start but as soon as she came over she absolutely loved it, the kids love it here, so it’s probably the best thing we’ve ever done.

“I wanted to come over and play in a league where I could win things instead of being in League Two, League One just floating about at mid-table teams.

“I could see the vision before I signed when I met Kenny and the manager (Tiernan Lynch) and they’ve been true to their word.

“I love it here. People around the town are just really great people. After games we’ll go and have a beer with the fans and it’s just little things like that that make a massive difference.”

Randall was initially tipped for big things by long-reigning Arsenal boss Wenger.

He has no real regrets about his time in north London but concedes his attitude and work ethic perhaps dipped below the required level.

“It’s the best coaching you will get at that age,” said Randall, who remains in contact with former Gunners team-mate Kieran Gibbs from that era.

“Back then, they had unbelievable players that you can learn so much from on a daily basis.

“At a top Premier League club, you’re going to get the best facilities, best training ground, best food and the lower you go, you don’t really get that.

“Probably, if I’m honest, my attitude and maybe my work ethic weren’t up to scratch as the top players are. They are 100 per cent professional and maybe that’s where I let myself down.”

Larne’s greatest European adventure follows two successive Europa Conference League qualifying campaigns, which included a run to the third round in 2021-22.

They will play next week’s second leg against HJK at Cliftonville’s Solitude stadium in Belfast after the synthetic pitch at their Inver Park home failed to satisfy FIFA criteria.

The 32-time Finnish champions have far more experience at this level and even reached the group stage in 1998-99, leading to clashes with Kaiserslautern, Benfica and PSV Eindhoven.

“We feel like on our day we can give anyone a good game,” said Randall. “I don’t think it’s going to be a walk in the park for them.”

Harry Brook announced himself on the Ashes stage with a match-winning knock for England that kept the series alive and delivered another memorable Headingley climax.

Brook batted with great maturity as he made a steely 75, taking a decisive chunk out of the 251-run target and set a fire under this summer’s rivalry, leaving Australia 2-1 ahead with two to play.

The Yorkshireman fell with 21 still needed as the third Test descended into nerve-shredding tension, but Mark Wood cut through the anxiety with a feisty 16 not out and Chris Woakes completed a remarkable return to the Test arena by crunching the winning runs towards the delirious Western Terrace to finish unbeaten on 32.

England’s three-wicket win was achieved despite Ben Stokes’ dismissal for just 13, a soft nick down the leg-side robbing the hosts of their inspirational captain and the architect of their 2019 Ashes miracle here at the start of the decisive final session.

Mastering the chase

Under the leadership of Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, England have now successfully chased down five 250-plus totals in the last 13 months. Hauling down 378 against India last summer is their highest-ever chase while Stokes has admitted in the past he would cheerily see England set totals above 400 to test their limits.

What they said

Stokes was succinct after being quizzed whether this was his most satisfying win as England’s Test captain.

Neser up

Are Australia planning on freshening up their attack for Emirates Old Trafford? Michael Neser has been released from the squad to rejoin Glamorgan for their County Championship match against Leicestershire, starting on Monday. He will then rejoin Australia ahead of the fourth Test with the school of thought being the move allows Neser to regain some match sharpness, having last played competitively on May 21. He had a stint at the start of the season with Glamorgan, taking 19 wickets in five matches at an average of 25.63. His most telling contribution there, though, was a hat-trick…at Headingley.

The magic numberRooted out

Root’s record against Cummins is not quite the stranglehold Stuart Broad has over David Warner. But the Australia captain has had the Yorkshireman’s number in three successive innings now. This was the most innocuous of the lot as a miscued pull from a shorter ball down leg-side tickled the glove on the way through to Alex Carey. Since a century at Edgbaston, Root’s returns have been diminishing.

Record-Brooking HarryWood fires – again

There was no keeping Wood out of the game. The Durham quick has made an impact every time he has been called upon with ball in hand – when he touched 96.5mph and averaged 90mph in the first innings. But his runs also proved crucial to England’s success. A cameo of 24 from just eight balls in the first innings lit the fuse for England to get somewhere near Australia’s total. He also faced just eight balls second time around but flayed an unbeaten 16 to help get England over the line. Seven wickets in the match and 40 runs from just 16 deliveries deservedly earned Wood his first man of the match award on home soil in Tests.

What’s next?

The teams will have a week’s rest before reconvening for a crucial fourth Test, starting on July 19 at Emirates Old Trafford.

Novak Djokovic will return to action on day eight at Wimbledon after the curfew curtailed his charge for victory on Sunday while number one seed Carlos Alcaraz will face his toughest test yet.

Elsewhere on a day that used to be called ‘Manic Monday’ – when all the fourth-round singles matches would be scheduled – last year’s beaten finalist Ons Jabeur tackles two-time champion Petra Kvitova while 16-year-old sensation Mirra Andreeva tackles Madison Keys.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what day eight has in store.

Match of the Day

Matteo Berrettini has had a tough time of it lately, having missed out on Wimbledon last year due to coronavirus and then injury ruining much of his 2023 campaign.

But the 2021 finalist is back and on the form he has shown so far looks more than capable of heading deep into this second week of the tournament.

However, there is the small matter of the world number one standing in his way.

Carlos Alcaraz, who won at Queen’s, is looking the real deal so far, so this fourth-round contest has the potential to be a classic.

Kvitova will have to be Ons it

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Petra Kvitova is rolling back the years and enjoying a long run in SW19.

The Czech player has got to the last-16 six times and she ended up as champion twice, reached the quarter-finals twice and the semi-final once.

Her run this year is a bit of an anomaly as it is just the second time she has got to this stage since her second title in 2014.

She will have her work cut out to get to the next stage as she is up against Ons Jabeur, who is looking to go one better than her runners-up spot last year.

Andreeva’s emergence continues

Mirra Andreeva is the youngest player to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon since Coco Gauff in 2019 as her star continues to rise.
At 16 she is the youngest player in the women’s draw and proved her breakout run at the French Open was no fluke, having come through qualifying.

Maddison Keys is up next and the American is playing some nice tennis, having won in Eastbourne in the final warm-up tournament, so a fascinating match awaits.

Order of play

Centre Court
Elena Rybakina v Beatriz Haddad Maia
Novak Djokovic v Hubert Hurkacz (Djokovic leads 7-6 (6) 7-6 (6))
Ons Jabeur v Petra Kvitova
Carlos Alcaraz v Matteo BerrettiniCourt One
Daniil Medvedev v Jiri Lehecka
Aryna Sabalenka v Ekaterina Alexandrova
Grigor Dimitrov v Holger Rune

Weather

Cloudy but generally fine

Allisen Corpuz finished three shots clear of England’s Charley Hull and Jiyai Shin of South Korea to win the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.

The 25-year-old Hawaiian closed out her tournament on nine-under-par, with a fourth round score of 69 enough to clinch her first win on the LPGA Tour.

Speaking after her victory, Corpuz said: “Every few holes I kind of looked out and said, ‘I’m here at Pebble Beach’.

“There’s not many places that are better than this.

“Twenty, 30 years from now, I think just the fact that it’s a US Open means a lot to me. But know that it’s at Pebble makes it even sweeter.”

England’s Hull did well to find herself in the hunt on Sunday, having carded scores of 73, 72 and 71 heading into the fourth round.

She opened her final session with an eagle on the second, before birdieing three of her next four holes.

Hull picked up three more shots on the back nine to keep an element of pressure on Corpuz, but was ultimately left to rue two costly bogeys.

Two weeks after winning the College World Series, LSU achieved a feat never accomplished before by any baseball program.

Tigers pitcher Paul Skenes was taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the first overall pick of Sunday's 2023 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, one spot ahead of teammate Dylan Crews' selection by the Washington Nationals.

Skenes and Crews are the first set of teammates to be taken with the first two picks in the draft's history. Skenes also becomes the first college pitcher to go No. 1 overall since the Detroit Tigers took Auburn's Casey Mize in 2018.

The 21-year-old Skenes went 13-2 with a 1.69 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 122 innings this season as the ace of the LSU staff. The hard-throwing right-hander capped his tremendous junior campaign by being named the College World Series most outstanding player during the Tigers' run to the national title.

"He had an incredibly special season this year at LSU," Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said of Skenes. "I think we saw a really good pitcher at the end of the College World Series who has all the weapons to go on and succeed in pro ball but may still have more."

Crews, an outfielder, earned the Golden Spikes Award honouring the best amateur player in the United States in 2023. The Florida native hit .426 with 18 home runs and 70 RBIs in 71 games as a junior and concluded his college career having reached base safely in 75 straight games.

“He’s got a whole bag full of tools; he does everything well,” Nationals general manager and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo said. “His baseball IQ is terrific. He’s a great baserunner -- he’s a fast runner, but he’s a great baserunner also. He plays both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively. He’s got a propensity to barrel up baseballs. He’s an on-base percentage machine."

Franklin, Indiana outfielder Max Clark, the national high school player of the year, was selected third overall by the Detroit Tigers. The Texas Rangers took University of Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford at No. 4, while North Carolina high school outfielder Walker Jenkins went fifth to the Minnesota Twins.

All-Star Yandy Diaz went 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs to help the Tampa Bay Rays end a season-high seven-game losing streak with a 10-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

Isaac Paredes added a two-run homer as the Rays roughed up Braves All-Star Bryce Elder to prevent a sweep of the three-game series between teams with the two best records in the major leagues. The loss was just Atlanta's third in 23 games since June 14.

Elder entered the contest leading the majors with a 2.45 ERA but lasted only 3 1/3 innings in his shortest start of the season. The young right-hander allowed a career-high seven runs on six hits and walked four without striking out a batter.

Rays starter Zach Eflin issued five walks in five innings, but limited the damage by holding Atlanta to two runs to earn his 10th win of the season, one shy of teammate Shane McClanahan for the American League lead.

Former Rays catcher Travis d'Arnaud had a solo homer to extend Atlanta's streak of consecutive games with at least one home run to a franchise-record 26 games.

Red-hot Orioles blast six home runs to finish sweep of Twins

Anthony Santander had two of six Baltimore home runs as the hot-hitting Orioles rolled to a 15-2 rout of the Minnesota Twins to complete a three-game series sweep.

All-Stars Adley Rutschman and Austin Hays also went deep while knocking in two runs each in Baltimore's fifth consecutive victory. The Orioles also got a three-run homer from Aaron Hicks and a two-run shot from Ramon Urias, who finished 2 for 5 with three RBIs.

Baltimore collected 17 hits for the afternoon and has averaged 8.8 runs per game during the winning streak while batting .309 as a team.

The Orioles also received a strong pitching effort from Kyle Gibson, who tied a season high with 11 strikeouts while holding the Twins to two runs and three hits over seven innings.

Joe Ryan fanned 10 in 4 1/3 innings for Minnesota, but served up Hays and Urias' homers and was tagged for five runs.

In search of their first winning season and playoff appearance since 2016, the Orioles enter the All-Star break with the AL's second-best record at 54-35 and are two games behind Tampa Bay for first place in the AL East.

The Twins dropped to 45-46 and missed out on a chance to regain the top spot in the AL Central after Cleveland lost to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The Guardians maintained a half-game edge on Minnesota.

Miley silences Reds' bats as Brewers gain ground in NL Central

Wade Miley allowed just four hits in six splendid innings as the Milwaukee Brewers closed the gap on the first-place Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central with a 1-0 win.

The Brewers took two of three games from their division rivals and will enter the All-Star break one game back of Cincinnati in the standings.

Milwaukee got the only run it needed in the first inning when Christian Yelich stroked a leadoff double off Ben Lively and scored on Jesse Winker's two-out single.

Miley made the lead stand by tying a season high with eight strikeouts and working around three walks. After Elvis Peguero and Joel Payamps each tossed a scoreless inning in relief, All-Star closer Devin Williams fanned two in a perfect ninth to register his 20th save.

Lively yielded four hits and two walks while striking out five over 5 2/3 innings in a hard-luck loss.

Austria’s Sepp Straka boosted his Ryder Cup chances by claiming a second PGA Tour title in the John Deere Classic, despite a double bogey on the 72nd hole.

Straka needed to birdie the 18th at TPC Deere Run to card a stunning closing 59, but pulled his approach into the water left of the green.

The resulting six meant Straka had to settle for a 62 and setting the clubhouse target at 21 under par, with six groups still to finish.

A birdie on the 14th took Brendon Todd to within a shot of the lead, only for the American to then three-putt the 16th and fail to birdie the par-five 17th.

Todd finished in a tie for second on 19 under with playing partner Alex Smalley, with Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg another stroke back in a tie for fourth with American Adam Schenk.

Straka, who had recorded an eagle and nine birdies in his first 14 holes, said: “The 59 was nowhere in my head really.

“I knew I had a chance but in that situation the only thing that matters is trying to win the golf tournament.

“It was not a good shot [on 18]. I was really just trying to go middle of the green, pulled it early and the wind dragged it over to the water. It was unfortunate but the first bad shot I hit all day so I’ll give myself a bit of slack.”

Novak Djokovic will have to cancel his day off and work overtime after falling foul of Wimbledon’s stubborn scheduling.

The defending champion and title favourite was leading by two sets, 7-6 (6) 7-6 (6), against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz when play was suspended at 10.35pm.

Wimbledon chiefs will again be under scrutiny for their insistence on starting play no earlier than 1.30pm on Centre Court despite knowing it cannot go past the council-imposed 11pm curfew.

Andrey Rublev’s five-set win over Alexander Bublik took three hours and 17 minutes, before Iga Swiatek beat Belinda Bencic in three sets, two of which were tie-breaks, which also took just over three hours.

Therefore seven-time champion Djokovic – who finished his match against Stan Wawrinka at 10.46pm on Friday night – and Hurkacz finally walked on to court at 8.41pm.

By the time the pre-match niceties, the coin toss and the warm-up were complete, Hurkacz hit the first serve of the fourth-round match at 8.49pm, giving Djokovic less than two-and-a-quarter hours to avoid having to come back on Monday.

Not that that would be beyond the 23-time grand slam champion against many players, but Hurkacz is the 17th seed, the man who ended Roger Federer’s Wimbledon career two years ago and who has not dropped serve so far this fortnight.

So, like Andy Murray on Friday, Djokovic will have to return in the afternoon and be crowbarred second into the Centre Court schedule.

Understandably, both players looked like they were in a hurry. There was scarcely a rally of more than four shots as the first set thundered towards a tie-break in just 36 minutes.

Djokovic rarely loses a tie-break. He has won all three he has faced this week, but an uncharacteristic double-fault gave Hurkacz the advantage at 4-3.

The underdog hammered down two aces to earn three set points, but two went by the wayside on the Djokovic serve before three unforced errors gifted Djokovic the set.

Djokovic fashioned three break points at 4-3 in the second but they were snuffed out by 134 and 139 mph aces and a 138 mph serve which Djokovic could only send long.

A fourth break point should have been taken with Hurkacz stranded mid-court having looped a defensive volley into the air, but Djokovic tried to be too cute and pushed it wide, almost toppling over the net as he did so.

In the inevitable tie-break, Djokovic squandered a set point after a rally broke out when he sent a forehand long, but he converted the next one to take a two-set lead before referee Gerry Armstrong came out to give everybody the predictable bad news.

Victoria Azarenka branded Wimbledon fans “drunk” and not “fair” after she was booed off court following a fourth-round loss to Elina Svitolina.

It was the first clash between a Russian or Belarusian player and a Ukrainian at Wimbledon since the lifting of last year’s ban on competitors from the aggressor nations.

The crowd, who had been overwhelmingly behind Svitolina throughout, produced a deafening roar when she clinched a 2-6 6-4 7-6 (9) victory.

The former world number three had been booed at the French Open, where she also made the last eight, for refusing to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents but here it was Azarenka, who put her hand up to acknowledge Svitolina before leaving the court, that received loud jeers.

It was unclear whether the fans thought it was she who had snubbed her opponent and Azarenka gave a long, lingering stare before banging her fists together in annoyance as she walked off.

“I can’t control the crowd,” she said. “I’m not sure that a lot of people were understanding what’s happening. It’s probably been a lot of Pimm’s throughout the day. It wasn’t fair. What can I do?

“I feel like it’s been pretty consistent for the last 18, 19 months. I haven’t done anything wrong but I keep getting different treatment sometimes.

“She doesn’t want to shake hands with Russian, Belarusian people. I respected her decision. What should I have done? Stayed and waited? There’s no thing that I could do that would have been right, so I just did what I thought was respectful towards her decision.

“But this conversation about shaking hands is not a life-changing conversation. So if you guys want to keep talking about it, bring it up, make it a big deal, headlines, whatever it is, keep going.

“I thought it was a great tennis match. If people are going to be focusing only on handshakes or a quite drunk crowd, booing in the end, that’s a shame.”

The reaction was even more vociferous than in Paris, and Svitolina believes the situation should be spelled out ahead of such contests.

“I think the tennis organisations, they have to come out with a statement that there will be no handshake between Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian players,” she said.

“I already said multiple times that, until Russian troops are out of Ukraine and we take back our territories, I’m not going to shake hands. I don’t know how more clear I can be.”

It did not look like it was going to be Svitolina’s day when she trailed by a set and 2-0 but, spurred on by the crowd, some of whom shouted Slava Ukraini – glory to Ukraine – she mounted a comeback.

It was Azarenka’s turn to fight back from 3-0 down in the deciding set and the light was fading when they entered a tense deciding tie-break.

Belarusian Azarenka, the 19th seed, led 7-4 and looked on course for victory but Svitolina recovered to create two match points, taking the second with an ace to set up a clash against top seed Iga Swiatek.

Svitolina, who had lost all her previous five matches against Azarenka, only returned to the tour in April following the birth of daughter Skai in October, and she beamed as she said in her on-court interview: “After giving birth to our daughter, this is the second happiest moment in my life.

“It was a really tough match. When I was 0-2 down in the second set I heard you guys cheering for me and I almost wanted to cry. I was really struggling and I really wanted to win today. You guys gave me so much strength today.”

Svitolina also drew strength from thinking of the plight of her stricken homeland, saying: “I was thinking back home there are lots of people that are watching and cheering for me, I know how much it means for them.

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“Any moments that they can share of happiness. I was thinking there is tough times in Ukraine and I’m here playing in front of you guys. I cannot complain, I just have to fight. And here I am, I won the match.”

She added later: “I feel responsibility, as well. So, if I’m going out to play this match against a Russian, Belarusian, I feel of course more pressure that I need to win. That’s why it means a lot to get these kinds of wins. In my own way, to bring this small victory to Ukraine.

“I heard a lot of Ukrainian people in the crowd. This was really special. And the crowd was amazing, was a really unbelievable feeling. I think one of the best atmospheres that I ever played in.”

On a lighter note, the 28-year-old revealed ahead of the match that her Wimbledon run meant she had to give away tickets to the Harry Styles concert she had planned to attend.

“I hope Harry is watching,” she said. “I’m a big fan of his.”

Styles was clearly aware of her accomplishment as he wrote to her on Instagram: “Congratulations! We have four shows to go, you’re welcome at any of them. Good luck with the rest of the tournament.”