Brooks Koepka has no issue with Rory McIlroy's criticism of his decision to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series, a move he said was taken to allow more flexibility over his schedule.
Former world number one Koepka had previously stated his allegiance to the PGA Tour and commented in February that "somebody will sell out and go for it".
Koepka was not involved in the first event at Centurion Club earlier this month and was critical of reporters for casting a "black cloud" over the U.S. Open when players were probed about the controversial Saudi-backed series, which has been accused of sportswashing.
However, the four-time major winner has now signed up for the breakaway series and will tee off in Portland this week, joining the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson in doing so.
When asked about Koepka's decision last week, McIlroy said: "Am I surprised? Yes, because of what he [Koepka] said previously. That's why I'm surprised at a lot of these guys, because they say one thing and then they do another. It's pretty duplicitous on their part to say one thing and then do another thing."
Asked about McIlroy's comments, Koepka replied: "Look, I've got respect for Rory as a player. He's good. He's phenomenal.
"I'll be honest with you, I didn't see it. I didn't hear about it until basically like a day ago. So, look, he's entitled to his opinion. He can think whatever he wants. He's going to do what's best for him and his family, I'm going to do what's best for me and my family, and I can't hate on anybody for that."
Koepka insists he had not made a decision until after the U.S. Open. Asked what had changed since, he said: "Just my opinion, man. My opinion changed. That was it.
"You guys will never believe me, but we didn't have the conversation 'til everything was done at the U.S. Open and figured it out and just said I was going to go one way or another. Here I am."
Koepka has slid down to world number 19 after contending with a series of injuries to his hip, knee and wrist.
The 32-year-old believes signing up to the LIV series will allow him more time to recover physically.
"What I've had to go through the last two years on my knees, the pain, the rehab, all this stuff, you realise, you know, I need a little bit more time off," Koepka said.
"I'll be the first one to say it, it's not been an easy last couple of years, and I think having a little more breaks, a little more time at home to make sure I'm 100 per cent before I go play in an event and don't feel like I'm forced to play right away [is good]."
Asked about accusations of sportswashing levelled against the series, Koepka replied: "You know, we've heard it. I think everybody has. It's been brought up.
"But, look, like we said, our only job is to go play golf, and that's all we're trying to do. We're trying to grow the game, do all this other stuff. And we're trying the best we can."
While several players have resigned their PGA Tour membership, including fellow defector Patrick Reed, Koepka has not done so as yet.
It remains to be seen long term what decisions will be taken by the major championships over the participation of players who have jumped ship to LIV Golf.
Koepka insists he is comfortable with whatever outcome occurs.
"You play anywhere around the world, you'll be just fine. You'll get into them. I made a decision. I'm happy with it, and whatever comes of it, I'll live with it," he said.
Serena Williams "gave all I could" in an epic first-round Wimbledon defeat to Harmony Tan and could not assure fans she would be back on Centre Court again.
Williams is a seven-time Wimbledon champion – only Martina Navratilova has won the championships on more occasions in the Open Era – but her last championship victory came back in 2016.
There have been two final appearances since then but also now consecutive first-round exits, having retired with a hamstring tear against Aliaksandra Sasnovich in 2021; previously in her remarkable career, Williams had fallen at the final hurdle only once at any major.
Tuesday's battle with Tan was her first singles match since that injury, and Williams certainly did not lack spirit, recovering from losing the first set to dominate the second and then take control of the third, too.
Twice in the decider she led by a break, attempting to serve for the match at 5-4, only to be broken back.
Williams was then required to hold serve – and fend off a match point – to reach a tie-break, in which she led 4-0.
But Tan reeled off the next five points and eventually prevailed 7-5 1-6 7-6 (10-7) from the sort of titanic tussle Williams – now 40 and "really suffering" by the end – may not see again.
"That's a question I can't answer," she replied when asked if this was her last Wimbledon appearance. "I don't know. Who knows where I'll pop up?"
Williams "obviously" did not want this to be her lasting memory of the grass-court major. "You know me," she said. "Definitely not."
But the American added: "I gave all I could do. Maybe tomorrow I could have given more. Maybe a week ago I could have given more. But today was what I could do.
"At some point, you have to be able to be okay with that."
However, while her Wimbledon future is clearly in doubt, Williams appeared to suggest a US Open tilt later this year was highly likely.
"When you're at home, especially in New York and that being the place I first won a grand slam, it is always special," she said.
"There's always motivation to get better and play at home."
Romelu Lukaku has arrived in Milan as he prepares to complete a return to former club Inter.
Lukaku began a second stint at Chelsea last August after the Blues broke their transfer record to bring him back to the Premier League for £97.5million (€115m).
But he was unable to recapture the form that persuaded Chelsea to secure his return, with injuries initially derailing his adaptation.
Lukaku then struggled to suitably fit into Thomas Tuchel's tactical setup, with Kai Havertz ultimately preferred to the Belgian in attack towards the end of the season.
His relationship with Chelsea and the club's fans was not helped by an interview he did with Sky Sports in December, during which he revealed frustration at his first few months back at Stamford Bridge and professed his love for Inter.
Ever since, rumours of a potential return to San Siro have not gone away, and in the past few weeks a deal has looked likely.
Reports recently began to suggest the two clubs had agreed a deal for Lukaku to return to Inter on loan for the upcoming 2022-23 season, and it would appear confirmation is imminent.
Lukaku was filmed leaving Milan airport on Wednesday, posing for photographs with an Inter scarf before getting into a car.
Inter are reportedly set to pay at least €8m (£6.9m) to take Lukaku on loan for the season.
Xavi Simons has turned down a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain, with confirmation on Tuesday he will leave for PSV on a permanent basis until 2027.
Simons, who made 11 senior appearances for PSG since signing in 2019, was reportedly set to leave on a loan with the intent to develop and find an opportunity for regular first-team minutes.
That reported loan deal had PSV as the eventual destination upon renewing with the Ligue 1 champions but, after spending his youth career at Barcelona and PSG, the talented 19-year-old will return to the Netherlands on a free transfer.
The Eredivisie club confirmed Simons had the opportunity to extend with PSG but chose to work under new boss Ruud van Nistelrooy instead.
"He was able to extend in France, but the youth international prefers PSV to the French champion, for whom he played nine games last season," a club statement said.
"We have seen almost all the matches this season where he appeared at the kick-off," PSV director of football John de Jong added. "Besides all the international matches he played for the Oranje squad, we saw him live in the Youth League in Leipzig, Paris, Bruges, Manchester and against Sevilla.
"In this he convinced us. Xavi has everything to grow into an important player for PSV. He would like to walk the path there with us."
Simons is the latest in a long line of youth products to leave PSG instead of establishing themselves in the first team, joining the likes of Kingsley Coman, Christopher Nkunku and Moussa Diaby, along with less successful stories in Adil Aouchiche and Jean-Kevin Augustin.
"After three wonderful years at the club, it’s time to say goodbye," Simons posted on Twitter. "I am very grateful to the coaches, the staff, my team-mates, and all the staff.
"PSG will always be in my heart. For the fans: from the bottom of my heart, Thank you. I love you!"
Kyle Tucker led the way to set up strong performances from Yordan Alvarez and Framber Valdez for the Houston Astros, who secured a 9-1 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday.
Tucker crushed a three-run home run off Carlos Carrasco at the top of the first inning, with the Astros taking the eventual 4-0 lead.
Leading the team for batting average (.321) and OBP (.415), and the major leagues for OPS (1.082), Alvarez reached base five times in claiming three hits and two RBIs.
In contrast to Carrasco for the Mets, Valdez was solid on the mound, striking out five and giving up six hits to pitch eight scoreless innings, with Enoli Paredes cleaning up in the last.
The Astros claimed the third of five games in this six-game New York stand with the win, before heading back to Houston to play the American League-leading Yankees.
Sears scorches A's in Yankees win
The Yankees maintained their lead in the American League (AL) and extended their record for the season to 55-20, defeating the Oakland Athletics 2-1.
J.P. Sears was in impressive form in only his second major league start, limiting the A's to three hits, while striking out and walking one each over 78 pitches, before he was pulled during the sixth inning.
Jose Trevino provided early support with an RBI single in the first off Frankie Montas, before Marwin Gonzalez homered in the second.
Polanco returns as Twins, Guardians split double-header
Jorge Polanco drove in three runs in his first game back from injury, as the Minnesota Twins claimed a 6-0 win in Tuesday's second game against the Cleveland Guardians.
Having lost 3-2 in the early game, the Twins restored their lead over the Guardians in the AL Central to three games, with Polanco scoring a two-run home run off rookie Konnor Pilkington in the second inning.
Byron Buxton claimed his 20th home run for the season, going long off Anthony Castro in the ninth inning. Jose Miranda also connected in the sixth inning for the Twins.
Thiago Silva has implored his Brazilian team-mate Neymar to join him at Chelsea if he decides to leave Paris Saint-Germain.
There has been recent speculation about Neymar's future at PSG, with the French club reportedly open to selling him should an acceptable bid come along.
Neymar's former agent Wagner Ribeiro said last week the 30-year-old wants to remain with PSG, to fulfil his dream of winning the Champions League there.
Chelsea's 37-year-old defender Thiago Silva, who has played alongside Neymar at international level and at PSG from 2017 to 2020, has urged to join him at Stamford Bridge.
"He has to go to Chelsea," Silva told Globo about Neymar who is contracted until 2025.
"If he is about to leave, then he must go there. If it happens, then the expectation is the best possible one.
"We don't even need to talk about Neymar's ability. Besides that, he is a super friend.
"I hope this happens instead of only being something on the news, but I don't know anything about it."
In recent days, Chelsea have been linked with another Brazilian, Leeds United's Raphinha, but are yet to spend in the transfer market this off-season.
Chelsea had a change of ownership completed in May with a group led by Todd Boehly replacing Roman Abramovich following a long association with the London club.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is bullish about his side's prospects for the 2022-23 season with the return of Kawhi Leonard.
The Clippers reached the Conference Finals for the first time in 2021, but missed the playoffs in 2022 with Leonard absent for the entire campaign due to an ACL injury.
Leonard sustained the injury in Game 4 of the 2021 Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Utah Jazz.
Paul George was also restricted to only 31 games in the 2021-22 season with a niggling elbow injury, as they finished with a 42-40 record.
The Clippers are expected to be boosted by Leonard and George both having a clean bill of health while point guard John Wall is set to join in a free-agent deal after he reached a buy-out agreement with the Houston Rockets.
"I think the sky is the limit for our team," Ballmer said. "It'll be our effort, our energy.
"Of course, you got to have a little good luck to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy, which is what we really like.
"I think if we stay healthy next year we are going to be having a chance to talk way late into the [postseason]."
Leonard, who is a two-time NBA Finals MVP (2014 and 2019), looms large as the key to the Clippers' chances.
The 31-year-old small forward averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and a career-high 5.2 assists per game in the 2020-21 regular season. He averaged a career-high 27.1 points in his first season with the Clippers in 2019-20.
"[Leonard is] not only your best player but one of the preeminent handful of top players in the world," Ballmer said.
"I am really excited about that. Kawhi's in the gym. He's working, and we got our fingers crossed everything keeps going on schedule."
The Clippers also confirmed on Tuesday that they had signed a three-year $33 million contract extension with center Ivica Zubac.
San Diego Padres' star Fernando Tatis Jr has been cleared to ramp up as he homes in on a playing return as early as next month following March wrist surgery.
The 2021 All-Star shortstop has not played at all this season, having undergone an operation to repair the fractured scaphoid bone in his left wrist on March 16.
Tatis Jr met with his surgeon on Tuesday and Padres manager Bob Melvin revealed that he has subsequently been cleared to ramp up "on the defensive end", although hitting is still to come.
"I know he's excited about the fact that he's going to be on the field with us, no restrictions as far as taking ground balls, throwing and so forth," Melvin said.
"Hitting's going to be the last thing."
It is anticipated he will return to hitting at full speed in a fortnight's time, with a playing return floated for late July or August.
"It depends on how we kind of configure it before he starts playing games," Melvin said.
"You certainly want him coming back when he feels good about how he’s swinging the bat. More days with us is probably better than less days with us."
Tatis Jr, 23, won the Silver Slugger Award in both 2020 and 2021 along with being last year's National League home run leader. He is a two-time All-MLB First Team selection (2020 and 2021).
The fall-out from Sunday's wild Los Angeles Angels-Seattle Mariners brawl has continued with Angels reliever Archie Bradley ruled out for "a couple of months" with a right elbow fracture sustained amid the chaos.
The Angels right-hander fell over the dugout railing as he attempted to join the brawl which erupted in the second inning when Andrew Wantz's pitch struck Jesse Winker, with the benches clearing in Sunday's 2-1 LA win.
The all-in brawl led to a raft of suspensions, totalling 47 games, including a 10-game ban for Angels manager Phil Nevin.
The Angels have been further hit with the news of Bradley's injury, meaning he will be shut down for at least four weeks and may miss up to two months.
"With the way he’s been throwing the ball recently and what he brings to the clubhouse, it’s a huge loss," Angels acting manager Ray Montgomery said.
"In the short term, guys are going to have to step up. I think we’ve done a good job all year of picking up other guys.
"We'll miss him, for sure, but the guys down there know what they need to do."
Bradley has posted a 4.82 ERA with 15 strikeouts, seven walks and one home run allowed in 18 and two-third innings this season.
"His overall time down could be a couple of months," Angels athletic trainer Mike Frostad said.
Boca Juniors claimed an important result in their first-leg tie against Corinthians in the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores, holding on for a 0-0 draw in Sao Paulo on Tuesday.
Corinthians dominated proceedings at home but were not able to capitalise, with Roger Guedes also failing to convert from the penalty spot with the interval approaching.
It would have been a deserved lead for the Timao after a positive opening 45 minutes, but Guedes was brilliantly denied in the 43rd minute by Agustin Rossi, who guessed correctly and quickly reacted to save.
The home side's best chance in open play fell to Giuliano after a mazy dribble into the penalty area from Willian in the 46th minute, but Marcos Rojo scrambled to quell the danger.
With Exequiel Zeballos and Dario Benedetto struggling to have a tangible impact, coming back to Buenos Aires for the second leg with parity intact is a positive for Boca, after also failing to defeat Corinthians in their two Group E games.
Ortiz denies CAM smash and grab
Emelec will have to progress past Atletico Mineiro in Belo Horizonte after only managing a 1-1 draw at home in the first leg.
As expected under Antonio Mohamed, CAM primarily looked to absorb pressure, and they scored against the run of play in the 16th minute. A spectacular first touch from Hulk to bring Everson's hoof under control put Ademir through, and he calmly converted past Pedro Ortiz.
Emelec captain Sebastian Rodriguez deservedly got his side back on level terms in the 58th minute, but CAM had a penalty of their own with two minutes of regular time remaining. Ortiz stood up this time, though, denying Hulk what would have been the winner.
Athletico-PR take first leg
Two first-half goals from Athletico Paranaense allowed them to secure a 2-1 win at home to Libertad in Curitiba.
After confirming Fernandinho's signing from Manchester City, Luiz Felipe Scolari's side were characteristically solid defensively, but only after they hit the lead a second time.
Vitor Roque put the hosts ahead in only the sixth minute but the Paraguayan champions equalised through Hector Villalba in the 20th minute. Athletico PR restored the lead 12 minutes later, with Nicolas Hernandez scoring the eventual winner.
Nick Kyrgios emerged victorious from an opening-round five-setter against British wildcard Paul Jubb at Wimbledon on Tuesday but controversy again followed, with the Australian blasting the "disrespect" he feels he receives.
The 27-year-old defeated Jubb 3-6 6-1 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 and hit 67 winners but after a drama-filled three hours and five minutes, his prompting of a line judge to speak to the chair umpire and demands for some fans to be removed were punctuated by spitting towards a section of the crowd upon victory.
Earlier this month, tournament organisers in Stuttgart investigated when Kyrgios claimed he was racially abused by sections of the crowd during a match.
At his post-match news conference, Kyrgios jousted with journalists on the capacity of older line judges to make accurate calls, but primarily focused on the perceived normality of on and off-court abuse.
"A lot of disrespect was being thrown today from the crowds," he said. "I’m just starting to think that it’s normal when it’s really not.
"I didn’t say anything to the crowd until they started just every time I came down to the far end, people just going. It’s just I don’t know if it’s normal or not.
"Just pure disrespect, just anything. Someone just yelled out I was s**t in the crowd today. Is that normal? No. I just don’t understand why it’s happening over and over again.
"Have you ever gone to a supermarket and just started berating someone scanning the groceries? No. So why do they do it when I’m at Wimbledon? Why is that?"
In a testy news conference, Kyrgios was himself accused of lacking respect, but he lamented over not being able to respond to the abuse he receives on the court without some kind of punishment.
The world number 40 insisted he has no regrets on spitting towards an unruly fan after his win.
"Today, as soon as I won the match, I turned to him," Kyrgios said. "I’ve been dealing with hate and negativity for a long time, so I don’t feel like I owed that person anything.
"Like, he literally came to the match to literally just, like, not even support anyone really. It was more just to, like, stir up and disrespect. That’s fine. But if I give it back to you, then that’s just how it is.
"There’s a fence there and I physically can’t do anything or say anything because I’ll get in trouble. They’re able to say anything they want."
Harmony Tan admitted she feared the prospect of facing a 23-time grand slam winner after defeating Serena Williams at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
It took Tan three hours and 11 minutes to claim the scalp of the seven-time Wimbledon winner, eventually winning the match 7-5 1-6 7-6 (10-7).
The SW19 debutant twice broke back in the third set, even setting up a match point which Williams saved before the eventual tie-break, and rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the tie-break to emerge victorious.
Despite the resolve shown and delight with the win on Centre Court at the All England Club, the 24-year-old revealed she nervously came into the contest.
"[Serena] is a superstar and when I was young I was watching her so many times on the TV," Tan said post-match. "For my first Wimbledon, it's wow. Just wow.
"When I saw the draw, I was really scared. Because, yeah, it's Serena Williams. She's a legend and I was like, 'Oh my God, how can I play?' If I could win one game or two games, it was really good for me.
"I would like to thank everybody today and my team and my coach Nathalie Tauziat, who also played Serena. Thank you so much for being with me."
Tan will now face 32nd seed Sara Sorribes Tormo, who defeated American qualifier Christina McHale 6-2 6-1.
Serena Williams' hopes of a winning a record-equalling 24th grand slam title at Wimbledon are over after she was beaten by the unheralded Harmony Tan in an epic first-round match.
Williams went down 7-5 1-6 7-6 (10-7) on Centre Court in her first singles match since being forced to withdraw in the opening round of last year's tournament at the All England Club, when she suffered a hamstring injury during a contest with Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion's much-heralded comeback proved to be an almighty battle and it was the SW19 debutant from France who came out on top late on Tuesday evening.
It took outsider Tan three hours and 11 minutes to claim a huge scalp, winning what could prove to be the great Williams' final singles match at Wimbledon.
Tan broke three times in a back-and-forth first set, with Williams unable to keep her at bay during the seventh game despite the world number 115 seeing three break points come and go before winning the fourth.
The underdog's slice in particular proved to be difficult for the 40-year-old - 16 years senior to her opponent - to counter, and the former world number one seemed to need the break afforded by the roof closure on Centre Court to regather herself.
Williams stamped her authority on the match in the second set to force a decider, breaking twice as she surged into a 5-0 lead before serving it out.
Tan refused to be beaten in the final set, twice breaking back to frustrate Williams.
Williams was able to force a tie-break after saving a match point, and surged into a 4-0 lead - but Tan rallied once more to seize back the momentum, and celebrated a famous win after her legendary opponent netted a forehand.
Data slam: Agony for battling Williams
Williams declared that she would not have competed at Wimbledon if she did not feel she was capable of winning the tournament, but she fell at the first hurdle in a thriller.
In what was her 420th grand slam match, the veteran played her first final-set tie-break and looked destined to come out on top before Tan roared back. Victory for Tan ensured Williams remains one major crown shy of the record held by Margaret Court.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Tan– 29/28
Williams – 61/54
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Tan – 3/3
Williams – 5/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Tan – 5/15
Williams – 6/17
Alize Cornet claims several players contracted COVID-19 at last month's French Open, but kept the outbreak quiet in order to avoid mass withdrawals from the tournament.
Wimbledon has already been rocked by two high-profile male players withdrawing after testing positive for the virus, with last year's runner-up Matteo Berrettini and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic both pulling out ahead of scheduled first-round matches on Tuesday.
Now Cornet, who equalled Ai Sugiyama's all-time record of 62 consecutive grand slam main-draw appearances in a win over Yulia Putintseva on day two, claims there were cases at Roland Garros that did not come to light.
"At Roland Garros, there was a Covid epidemic, no one talked about it. In the locker room, everyone got it and we said nothing," she told L'Equipe.
"When it comes out in the press, with big players, it will start to set fire to the lake everywhere and that worries me a little.
"[2021 French Open winner Barbora] Krejcikova withdrew saying she had Covid, and the whole locker room was sick.
"At some point, we all might have had the flu. The thing is, we have the symptoms, itchy throat… we play and everything is fine, it's fine.
"At Roland, I think there have been a few cases and it's a tacit agreement between us. We are not going to self-test to get into trouble!
"Afterwards, I saw girls wearing masks, maybe because they knew and didn't want to pass it on. You also have to have a civic spirit."
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