Lewis Hamilton was pleased with the "small step forwards" taken by Mercedes after setting the second-fastest time in practice ahead of the British Grand Prix.
The Briton was 0.163 seconds slower than pace-setter Carlos Sainz in FP2, while compatriot Lando Norris was third and championship leader Max Verstappen in fourth.
Hamilton has yet to win a race this season, but he offered plenty of promise heading into a big weekend on home soil at a packed Silverstone with his performance in practice.
However, the seven-time world champion offered a word of caution over the ongoing porpoising issue that has dominated recent races.
"It's bouncing still, quite a bit," he said. "Not necessarily on the straights but through the corners it's pretty harsh – not physically harsh but in the car on the tyres and everything.
"So we still have work to do but it feels like a small step forwards.
"Our long run pace isn't as good as the other guys but it's not miles off. We've definitely made an improvement. I'm sure overnight we can work and improve the car a bit more."
Hamilton may have endured a difficult campaign to date, lagging as he does 98 points behind leader Verstappen, but he boasts an impressive record on his home turf.
The 37-year-old has won the British Grand Prix eight times and could become the driver to have won the most races at a single Grand Prix with victory this weekend.
Mercedes, meanwhile, have recorded eight of the last nine wins at Silverstone, while also taking eight of the last nine poles.
McLaren driver Norris looks good value to challenge for a second podium of 2022 after a surprising rise up the timesheets, having finished 15th last time out in Canada.
"As good as it looked, it is still difficult to put things together and be consistent but I am happy," he said.
"The car seems to be in a decent place, at least a little better than we were expecting."
Friday was rather unimpressive for Red Bull's Verstappen, who has won six of the nine races this year, including five of the last six.
But the Dutchman – who is out to surpass Valtteri Bottas and equal Rubens Barrichello as the driver with the eighth-most podiums ever (68) – is confident of finding improvement.
"It's always a bit tricky, of course, after not driving in FP1 and then FP2 becomes a bit of guessing, let's say it like that," Verstappen said.
"It was maybe not ideal, but also not a big issue. I think we know what we have to work on and that's what we'll try to do overnight.
"But, again, tomorrow probably it's raining so you have again different kinds of conditions. This time probably was not amazing, but it was also not really bad."
Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo helped Worcestershire secure a 29-run win over Lancashire in their Vitality Blast North Group fixture at New Road on Friday.
Worcestershire posted a formidable 178-6 from their 20 overs after being sent in by Lancashire.
Opener Brett D’Oliveira (33) along with captain and England all-rounder Moeen Ali (31) were the main scorers while Kashif Ali (27) and New Zealander Colin Munro (26) also made valuable contributions.
Bravo, batting at number eight, played a decent cameo of 10 not out from five balls including one six.
Leg-spinner Luke Wells led the way with the ball for Lancashire with 2-26 from his four overs.
Lancashire’s reply can only be described as top-heavy as openers Phil Salt (44) and newly appointed England white ball captain Jos Buttler (42) were the only batsmen to pass 20 as they were dismissed for just 149 in 19.3 overs.
D’Oliveira capped off a fine all-round display with 4-20 from his four overs of leg-spin while Pat Brown and Moeen Ali took two wickets each.
Bravo, the leading wicket-taker in T20 history with 594 in 540 matches, added another to his tally with 1-26 from 3.3 overs.
Worcestershire remain at the bottom of the North Group with two wins, 10 losses, and one no-result from 13 games while Lancashire stay second with seven wins, four losses, and one no-result.
Yves Lampaert claimed a shock victory on stage one of the Tour de France in rainy conditions in Copenhagen to take the first yellow jersey of this year's race.
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider came out on top in Friday's opening 13.2-kilometre time trial in a time of 15 minutes and 17 seconds.
Lampaert dislodged Belgian countryman Wout van Aert, who finished five seconds back, while Tour favourite Tadej Pogacar was a further two seconds behind in third.
Time trial world champion Filippo Ganna and fellow heavyweight Mathieu van der Poel completed the top five, but it was surprisingly Lampaert who was celebrating at the end.
An emotional Lampaert said in his post-race interview: "My mind is exploding right now – I can't believe it. Top 10 would have been my expectation but to win is unbelievable.
"I know I'm in good condition, but to win the first stage of the Tour de France, the prologue, is something I never dreamed of.
"To beat Van Aert, Van der Poel, Ganna… it's unbelievable for me."
Lampaert, the fourth Belgian to win the opening time trial in the Tour de France, added: "I'm just a farmer's son from Belgium, eh."
Despite finishing in third, Pogacar confirmed his status as the overall favourite for a third title in a row by finishing as the best of the likely general classification racers.
The Slovenian laid down a marker when posting a time of 15:24, enough to finish just behind Team Jumbo-Visma's Van Aert, who was then usurped by Lampaert.
Elsewhere on stage one of the 109th edition of the race, Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic conceded eight and nine seconds to Pogacar respectively.
STAGE RESULT
1. Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 15 minutes and 17 seconds
2. Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) +0.05 seconds
3. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +0.07s
4. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) +0.10s
5. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0.13s
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 0:15:17
2. Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) +0.05
3. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +0.07
Points Classification
1. Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 20
2. Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) 17
3. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 15
Tatjana Maria bumped Maria Sakkari out of Wimbledon as the German who once played at the All England Club while pregnant condemned the Greek star to a stunning exit.
Mum-of-two Maria dazzled in a 6-3 7-5 victory over the fifth seed, reaching round four of a grand slam for the first time in her career. She had suffered eight successive first-round losses in slams until this week's turnaround, last getting a win at the 2018 US Open.
The inspired Maria revelled on the Court Two big stage, becoming the oldest German woman in the Open Era, which began in 1968, to make it through to the last-16 stage of a major.
At the age of 34 years and 228 days, world number 103 Maria is also the oldest woman remaining in the Wimbledon singles this year.
Sakkari lost in two tight sets to Maria at the Australian Open in January, but the roles were reversed this time, the impressive German landing a fifth career win over a top-10 player.
Husband and coach Charles-Edouard Maria watched from the stands, while their daughters, eight-year-old Charlotte and one-year-old Cecilia, played in a nearby creche.
Maria said in an on-court interview: "I came here with my two kids for the first time. I was so happy to be in the main draw. I love to play on grass. It's such a special place for me. One year, when I was in my first pregnancy, I played pregnant.
"I love to play Wimbledon and to make this happen with my family there are no words for this, only joy and only happiness."
She said her daughters were probably "jumping in front of the TV", and spoke of wanting to set a positive example for her tennis-playing elder daughter.
"I try to be really a role model for my daughter, because she will be the next champion, so I try to show her the best way possible," Maria added. "I cannot wait to go over to the creche now and see my kids."
Neither Maria nor Sakkari had ever gone beyond round three at Wimbledon, with this the one grand slam where the Greek world number five has not reached the last-16 stage.
Maria was one of three mothers in the draw, the WTA said, along with Serena Williams and Yanina Wickmayer, both of whom made early exits. The next test for Maria will be posed by big-hitting Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.
Technical director Paolo Maldini and sporting director Frederic Massara have signed two-year contracts at Milan, the club confirmed on Friday.
The pair's previous deals had expired on Thursday with the end of the 2021-22 season.
However, Maldini had belatedly confirmed he would be staying at the club following a tough start to the close season.
Although Milan won the Serie A title last term with a team built in part by Maldini and Massara, they have struggled to add reinforcements for the coming campaign.
With the Rossoneri in the midst of a takeover, they could not compete with Newcastle United for highly rated defender Sven Botman.
The centre-back was said to be a primary target for Maldini, while reports have suggested Paris Saint-Germain have jumped the queue for Botman's Lille team-mate Renato Sanches.
However, Milan, Maldini and Massara have now come to an agreement that will see two key figures remain in their roles for at least another two seasons.
"This deal highlights the importance of continuity we see throughout the club as we continue to strengthen and grow," Milan said in a statement.
The Indiana Pacers have agreed to trade point guard Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Friday, bolstering the backcourt of the reigning Eastern Conference champions.
Indiana are getting a 2023 first-round draft pick from the Celtics, along with Daniel Theis, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Malik Fitts and Juwan Morgan.
The Celtics set out to find a traditional point guard this offseason after last season's NBA Finals run came up short largely due to a high turnover rate. Boston committed 353 turnovers during their 24-game playoff run, the most since the 2003 San Antonio Spurs (365).
Jayson Tatum was responsible for 100 of those turnovers, the most by a player in a single postseason since the league started tracking turnovers in 1977-78.
Brogdon averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists last season for Indiana but was limited to just 36 games by a lingering injury to his right Achilles tendon.
A second round pick out of Virginia, Brogdon spent his first three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and won Rookie of the Year in 2016-17. He has spent the past three seasons with the Pacers.
Even after acquiring Brogdon, Boston top executive Brad Stevens may not be done adding to the Celtics' roster.
ESPN reported earlier on Friday that veteran forward Danilo Gallinari – who was traded to the Spurs and was then to be waived – has identified Boston as his preferred landing spot.
Rishabh Pant's inspired counter-attack ensured India ended day one of the final Test against England at Edgbaston still firmly in the match.
England came into the rearranged final encounter of last year's series on a high following the whitewash of New Zealand and soon reduced India to 98-5, before Pant (146 off 111) and Ravindra Jadeja (83 not out) led the fightback.
Their partnership of 222 – in which Pant did the heavy lifting with a barrage of boundaries and the fastest Test century by an India wicketkeeper – helped carry the tourists to 338-7 by stumps.
Ben Stokes had unsurprisingly put India in to bat, potentially pursuing a fourth successive successful fourth-innings chase.
The England captain first needed his bowlers to deliver, and James Anderson (3-52) did exactly that in the morning session in tempting edges from Shubman Gill (17) and Cheteshwar Pujara (13) – Zak Crawley taking each catch either side of putting down a chance from Hanuma Vihari off the bowling of Matthew Potts.
Rain interrupted play – bringing an early lunch – but not England's momentum, as Potts (2-85) pinned Vihari (20) and then bamboozled Virat Kohli (11), who pulled his bat away too late and saw the ball run off the face into his stumps.
Anderson's third wicket from Shreyas Iyer (15) owed a great deal to a superb Sam Billings catch, yet Pant's big hitting turned the tide – helped by some increasingly untidy work from England.
Pant eventually departed to Joe Root, nicking to Crawley in attempting another blast to pass 150, but the hosts still have work to do with the ball before they will again be asked to score well with the bat in a continuation of this entertaining new era under Stokes.
New foe for Kohli
Many have pondered the possibility this is the last time Anderson and Kohli come face to face in a Test match, given the England great turns 40 later this month. No bowler has claimed more Kohli wickets in Tests than Anderson (seven).
But this time it was the turn of the new man. Potts had stunning figures of 3-3 bowling to Kane Williamson in the New Zealand series and quickly added another huge scalp, with Kohli now averaging an underwhelming 28.63 for this delayed series.
Pant profits
Despite India's 2-1 lead as they bid to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007, Kohli was not alone in struggling slightly with the bat last year. Pant's series average entering this match was 20.86, with a high score of 50.
But suspicions England's aggressive approach could soon meet their match were affirmed by his ability to find the boundary time and again, avoiding the sort of errors on which Stokes' attack might have preyed. Pant had 23 boundaries in this innings, surpassing his 15 in the previous four matches between the sides combined.
Jurgen Klopp put the Premier League and Europe's elite on notice when he warned Mohamed Salah's best years at Liverpool are still to come.
Superstar forward Salah has ended speculation about his short-term future by signing a three-year contract with the Reds, news that manager Klopp said "makes me smile thinking about it".
It means there is no danger of the Egyptian walking away as a free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season, and with the deal agreed before the start of the new campaign, there should be no more distractions when it comes to the 30-year-old's future.
Salah has had five successful seasons at Anfield already, helping Liverpool win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Inevitably, this had drawn admiring glances from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
His arrival from Roma has been one of the best pieces of business during Klopp's reign, and now Salah is staying around to spearhead the push for more success.
Klopp said he was "really pleased – really, really pleased", adding: "It's the best decision for us and best decision for him. He belongs with us, I think. This is his club now.
"I have no doubt Mo's best years are still to come. And that's saying something, because the first five seasons here have been the stuff of legend."
Speaking to Liverpool's official website, Klopp raved about the physical power of Salah, an often overlooked aspect of his game. His silky skills and finishing prowess grab the focus, with Salah scoring 31 goals and adding 15 assists in 51 games last season.
However, Klopp said: "Fitness-wise, he's a machine – in the most incredible shape. He works hard on it, and he gets his rewards. His ability and his skill level gets higher each season, and his decision-making has gone to another level also.
"He is adored by his team-mates. As coaches, we know we work with someone special. And the supporters have crowned him a king. So, very cool.
"It is just great news. It makes me smile thinking about it. He stays with us for longer, and it means we can achieve more together."
Liverpool fell agonisingly short of an unprecedented quadruple last season, winning the FA Cup and EFL Cup before losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League final and being denied the Premier League title by Manchester City on a dramatic final day of that campaign.
All the time, doubts lingered over whether Salah would make a long-term commitment to Liverpool, or whether he might soon move on.
"Of course it has taken a little time," said Klopp, "but that's absolutely okay, and the best things are always worth waiting for anyway.
"Mo is one of the best players in the world; it's only normal there are things to sort when you are at his level."
Klopp said sporting director Julian Ward and Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon deserved "big credit" for getting the deal over the line.
"This is a special treat for our supporters to enjoy their weekend even more," said Liverpool's German manager. "I'm sure there will be some celebrations for this news tonight."
The torrential downpours at intervals may have tested the players' resolve, but it was a case of all's well that ends well, particularly for hosts Puerto Rico, who maximised their familiarity to take top team honours ahead of the Dominican Republic and scored several category wins as well. Jamaica captured third place overall.
In the senior boys (18 and under) Kurt Rivers of Turks & Caicos (with a three-Round aggregate of 226 foiled what would otherwise have been a sweep for the hosts, as Kelvin Hernandez, with a total of 210, led the 1-2 tandem ahead of compatriot Gustavo Rangel (222).
For the senior girls, it was a "case of the two Emilys" with Jamaica's Emily Mayne tying for first place with Barbadian Emily Odwin. Mayne's 2nd round 1 under par 70 was enough to ensure both golfers finished the 3 Round with the same aggregate score (224). Holly McLean of the Cayman Islands was just one stroke back, with 225.
There was better news for the Caymans in Boys 15 & under the action, and Danny Lyne, with an aggregate of 226 overcame early leader Huerta of the Dominican Republic to claim too honors. Huerta, with 230, finished third behind Puerto Rico's Hector Boria (227).
In the 15 & Under Girls, Jamaica's Samantha Azan, with 231 finished just ahead of Mattea Issa of Jamaica and the Puerto Rican pair Victoria Rivera and Krishny Erwin, for a three-way tie at 232.
Another Puerto Rican pair topped the Boys 13 & under age group on the leaderboard. Evan Peña in lead was followed by a tie between Fernando Leduc and Aidan Gorospe of the Bahamas.
The honours for the Girls 13 & under were basically a runaway for Ava Saavedra of Puerto Rico, with her compatriot Naomi Muniz finishing third behind Maria Fernandez of the Dominican Republic.
Spirits were high at day's end going into the trophy presentations, with the consensus being that this had been among the more competitive and evenly contested Junior Tournament for some time.
Congratulations to all winners, team members and all involved. Anticipation is already high for the 2023 CAJGC in the Cayman Islands.
Samantha Azan and Emily Mayne closed the championship on top of their respective age groups but Jamaica fell short of the team title at the 34th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships that ended on Thursday.
Azan won the 15 & Under category while Mayne was tied for first place in the 18 & Under categories.
Azan led on day one, dropped to third on day two but bounced back to win outright on the final day by just one stroke ahead of the day-two leader Mattea Issa. Issa was tied for second with Victoria Rivera and Elvin Krishny of Puerto Rico.
Azsan shot a six over par 78 for a three-day total of 231 while Issa posted her worst score of the competition of nine over par 81 to end on 232.
Mayne enjoyed a good tournament, moving from third on day one to first on day two. Her final day score of 80 saw her end with a three-day total of 11 over par 224, tied with Emily Odwin of Barbados. Meanwhile, Eryn Blakely maintained her second-day position of seventh place after she scored 80 to close the championship on 251.
Alessandra Coe was Jamaica's lone female in the 13 & Under category. She finished in eighth place with scores of 103, 99 and 106 for a combined total of 308. Ava Saavedra of Puerto Rico won the category after posting an overall score of 237.
The results of the female golfers are significant as it is the first time any female was winning any of the age group categories. The coaches, Jason Lopez and Jonathan Newnham, who won an age group category as a player, as well as team manager Alison Reid, were extremely proud of their performances.
Ryan Lue was the best-placed Jamaican male. He competed in the 15 & Under category and closed the championship with a score of 239, good for fourth place.
Aaron Gosh scored 167 for 10th place while Lek Drummond was tied for 14th place with Camdyn Forbes of the Bahamas on 275.
The 15 & Under category winner was Danny Lyne of the Cayman Islands after scoring 76 on the final day with a combined total of 13 over par 236.
Rocco Lopez ended eighth in the 18 & Under category. He scored 234 over the three days. Trey Williams came 10th with 241 while Aman Dhiman was tied for 14th on 244. Alexander Dupuch of the Bahamas posted the same three-day total.
The 18 & Under category went to Kelvin Hernandez of Puerto Rico with scores of 73, 68 and 69 for a combined total of three under par 210.
The final male age group of 13 & Under went to Evan Pena of Puerto Rico who led on all three days. He posted scores of 73, 74, and 81 for a combined total of 15 over par 228. The two Jamaicans - Kemari Morris 269 and Shasa Fedlefsen 272 were eighth and ninth respectively.
Mohamed Salah committed his long-term future to Liverpool on Friday by signing a new three-year deal.
The Egypt international was due to be out of contract at the end of the upcoming season, leading to strong links with a move away from Anfield.
However, out of the blue, Salah has penned an extension to – temporarily, at least – bring an end to speculation over his future.
After losing Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich, albeit with Darwin Nunez signed as a replacement of sorts, tying down Salah is a major boost for Liverpool ahead of the new season.
Here, Stats Perform looks at just how important Salah has been for Liverpool over the past five years, and how his record compares to Europe's other elite attackers.
ALREADY AMONG LIVERPOOL GREATS
It is difficult to remember now, but Salah's arrival from Roma in a deal rising to £43million raised more than a few eyebrows due to his disappointing earlier spell with Chelsea.
Six major honours later, including one as a key part in the club's first Premier League title triumph, and Salah will go down as one of Liverpool's all-time greats.
The 30-year-old has made 254 appearances for the Reds in total, 235 of those being starts, and has scored 156 goals while assisting 58 more.
Those 156 goals rank him ninth on the list of Liverpool's record scorers, with considerable ground to make up on Ian Rush at the top of that list with 346 goals.
CLOSING IN ON GERRARD RECORD
Salah might struggle to overhaul Rush, but he will also have another record in his sights when the 2022-23 campaign gets up and running next month.
With 164 direct goal involvements in the Premier League, Salah trails only Steven Gerrard (212) among Reds players in the competition in that regard.
Indeed, only two players from Europe's top five leagues have scored and assisted more goals across the same period – Robert Lewandowski (184) and Lionel Messi (200).
Kylian Mbappe, seen by many as the most desirable player in world football, is fourth on that list on 163 goal involvements, while Ciro Immobile is fifth with 159.
PREMIER LEAGUE PEDIGREE
Salah has scored 118 goals for Liverpool in the Premier League alone, which is 13 more than next-best Harry Kane among all clubs since the start of the 2017-18 season.
Those strikes have helped Salah to three Golden Boot awards – only Arsenal legend Thierry Henry (4) has finished top of the competition's scoring charts more often.
The former Basel forward also ranks top for minutes per goal among those to have played at least 100 times (126 minutes per goal), shots (678) and touches in the opposition box (1,575).
However, one metric he does not lead is assists, with Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne boasting 58 to Salah's 46.
MORE TO COME FROM MO
Salah's output has been consistent across his five years at Anfield, starting between 45 and 49 games a season and registering double figures for assists in all but one of those campaigns.
He has remained a prolific scorer throughout, with a high of 44 goals in the 2017-18 season and a low – but still respectable – 23 in the 2019-20 campaign. The latter was the season when Liverpool won the Premier League.
The Al Mokawloon youth product has managed 31 goals in each of the past two seasons, while the 15 assists registered last season was a career-high.
All that suggests Salah is far from finished on Merseyside, and with a new three-year deal signed, Liverpool fans have plenty more to look forward to from their 'Egyptian king'.
Zach LaVine will be staying with the Chicago Bulls after the All-Star guard agreed to a five-year, $215.2million maximum extension on Friday.
LaVine's agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, confirmed the agreement to The Athletic. The deal contains a player option for nearly $49m in the final year.
Acquired from Minnesota in 2017 as part of a draft-day trade that sent six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves, LaVine has emerged as one of the NBA's most consistent scorers during his time in Chicago. The 27-year-old joined the legendary Michael Jordan as the only players in franchise history to average 23 or more points per game in four consecutive seasons after averaging 24.4 per game in 2021-22.
LaVine also shot 38.9 per cent from three-point range and 85.3 per cent from the free throw line this past season to earn his second straight All-Star nod and help the Bulls reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.
By retaining LaVine, the Bulls keep a core intact that also consists of 2021-22 All-Star DeMar DeRozan, center Nikola Vucevic and playmaking point guard Lonzo Ball. That group led Chicago to a 46-36 finish last season, their most victories since 2014-15, and a sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.
LaVine was hampered down the stretch of last season by a left knee injury and underwent surgery in May, but is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp.
Novak Djokovic warned Wimbledon title pretenders his game is improving with every round as he eased past fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic on Centre Court.
Defending champion Djokovic won 6-0 6-3 6-4 in one hour and 53 minutes to book a last-16 clash with Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven.
The 20-time grand slam winner will carry out due diligence on Wimbledon rookie Van Rijthoven, who is through to the fourth round on his debut and has reeled off eight successive wins.
Van Rijthoven won the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships in the lead-up to this fortnight, stunning world number one Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Yet on the form that saw Djokovic crush Kecmanovic's hopes, Van Rijthoven will surely stand little hope of going any deeper into the tournament.
Djokovic won 88 per cent of points when landing his first serve in court, and he has now reached the fourth round at Wimbledon on 14 occasions, a performance only beaten in men's singles by Roger Federer (18) and Jimmy Connors (16).
"I thought I started off very, very well, very strong with a lot of good intensity, good focus," Djokovic said in an on-court interview.
"Honestly, I think I've been playing better and better as the tournament progresses, so that's something you wish for as a player, that every match you play you raise a level of tennis up a notch, at least, and I think that's what is happening at the moment.
"I know I can always do better, I always expect the highest from myself, and so far, so good, and I'm looking forward to the next challenge."
Data slam: Familiarity breeds familiar outcome
The battle of these Davis Cup team-mates was always unlikely to go the way of the 25th seed, and so it proved that Kecmanovic could not cope with the animal that Centre Court brings out in Djokovic.
This was a third career meeting in tournament action for the pair, with both previous encounters having come at the Serbia Open. Kecmanovic took the opener against Djokovic before slumping to defeat when they played in Belgrade in April, but this was a rout, the 22-year-old underdog trampled.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 36/19
Kecmanovic– 13/27
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 6/4
Kecmanovic – 1/5
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic - 6/12
Kecmanovic - 1/4
Another big-serving display from John Isner at Wimbledon means he now has the most ATP Tour aces on record.
Ivo Karlovic – one of only two tennis stars taller than the giant Isner – had set the benchmark with 13,728 across his career, the most since aces were first tracked in 1991.
But Isner has chipped away at that total over the course of this week at the All England Club.
The American's 54 aces in five sets against Enzo Couacaud in the first round made him the first player to pass 50 in a grand slam match since he had last done so versus Steven Johnson at the 2020 US Open.
And there were a further 36 in an epic second-round win over Andy Murray, leaving Isner just four short of matching Karlovic and five away from passing him.
Against Jannik Sinner, in Friday's third round, Isner raced past his target, tallying 12 aces in the first set alone.
It is a record Isner is likely to own for some time, with 43-year-old Karlovic absent from the ATP Tour this year and playing only six main-draw matches in 2021.
Roger Federer is third on the list, way back on 11,478.
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