Connections of Shaquille can hardly wait for his big date at Royal Ascot, with the exciting three-year-old reported to be in rude health ahead of his intended appearance in the Commonwealth Cup.
Winner of three of his four juvenile starts last season, Julie Camacho’s stable star picked up where he left off with an impressive comeback victory in handicap company at Newmarket’s Guineas Festival.
The Charm Spirit colt successfully stepped up to Listed class for the Carnarvon Stakes at Newbury last month and is now being readied for a tilt at Group One glory on June 23.
Camacho’s husband and assistant, Steve Brown, said: “He worked well (on Saturday morning) and you’re counting the days – the bubble wrap is on!
“He’s in good shape and we’re not changing anything. We’ll stick to his routine and he’ll have one more strong bit of work and then we’ll leave him.
“He looks good and we’re happy. It’s fantastic to think you’ve got a chance of going down there and being competitive and he’s a horse that keeps finding some improvement.
“We can dream a bit longer and see what comes.”
Coach Goran Ivanisevic believes Novak Djokovic has “a lot more” grand slam titles in him.
The Serbian broke the record he has been pursuing relentlessly with his 23rd major trophy at the French Open on Sunday, making him the most successful male player ever.
He can equal Margaret Court’s all-time record at Wimbledon, where he will be the hot favourite, and could break it at the US Open, where a first calendar Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver in 1969 would also be on the line.
That he has reached 23 despite the problems caused by his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19, leading to him being deported from Australia last year and missing the US Open, is all the more remarkable.
“It’s incredible,” said former Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic, Djokovic’s coach since 2019.
“If I go back last year in Australia where all this s**t started and then we didn’t know what to do. And now he’s with 23 grand slams and it’s no end.
“I’m really sorry that Rafa (Nadal) is not here, but I say a long time ago before even I became member of his team that him and Rafa, they’re going to go over 22.
“I am hoping Rafa is coming back winning one more and Novak is the only player who can win the calendar Grand Slam. He was one match away two years ago, so he has a chance this year.
“It’s still a long way. But grand slams are the goal. I don’t know how many, but I think he has in his body a lot more.”
Djokovic’s two children, Stefan and Tara, watched him lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires for a third time but Djokovic shows no sign of tiring of life on the road or the demands of top-level tennis.
“Sometimes I see it and then he comes on the court and then you’ll see how much he enjoys to practise, how much he enjoys to hit winners, how much he enjoys to work on little details,” said Ivanisevic.
“Winning in front of this unbelievable crowd, unbelievable stadium. He’s keeping his body great, he’s in great shape. Thank God not too many injuries.
“So it’s fascinating to see because sometimes you think, ‘OK, now you have 23’. But he’s going to find, again, some kind of motivation to win 24, maybe 25, who knows where is the end.”
While Djokovic defeated Ruud in the final, his biggest hurdle was getting past Carlos Alcaraz – who he has surpassed again as world number one – in the semi-finals.
After two pulsating sets, 20-year-old Alcaraz was stricken by cramp, ending his hopes of landing a rare meaningful blow for the next generation against Djokovic.
It is very unlikely to be their last grand slam battle and Ivanisevic said: “I love Carlos. First of all, he’s a great kid. And he’s such a well-educated (guy), nice, always laughing, great tennis player, already won a grand slam.
“He’s going to be extremely dangerous. There are few more guys, always (Daniil) Medvedev but Carlos, I love that guy. He’s a fresh air for tennis, how he plays, how he smiles, how he’s happy, how he plays tennis on the court, the ideas, is just amazing.
“For sure he’s going to be a threat. He’s going to be a threat on grass, he’s going to be a threat on hard court, he’s going to be a threat everywhere. But, it’s always this ‘but’. He’s still young. You have Novak and you can’t ever bet against Novak.”
Fourth seed Ruud has now made three slam finals in a year having lost to Nadal at Roland Garros 12 months ago and Alcaraz in New York.
He has won only one match at Wimbledon in three attempts and last year earned headlines for saying grass was for golf.
“It was more of a joke that got taken too seriously,” he said. “I think it’s fun to play. It doesn’t suit my game very well. I feel a little uncomfortable on it.
“But it’s always so fun to come to Wimbledon. It’s maybe the most historic event that we have. So I really look forward to being back there, and this year we’re playing for points again. I’m going to try to be ready and give it my best effort.
“I have become friends. I enjoy being on the golf course and I enjoy being at Wimbledon.”
Saeed bin Suroor intends to run both Shining Blue and Ghaly in the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot on June 21.
The Godolphin trainer won the annual cavalry charge with the high-class Real World two years ago, and his two entries are both towards the head of the betting this time around.
Shining Blue bolted up off a mark of 103 at York last month, while the lightly-raced seven-year-old Ghaly has not been seen since beating King Of Conquest at Newmarket in October.
“Shining Blue won well last time and he’s come back good, he’s in good form. Ghaly worked a few days ago and he worked well, but he still has a few more bits to do. Both are in good form and we’re looking forward to running them,” said the Newmarket-based handler.
“Shining Blue is back in good condition, in good form. He’s happy and healthy so he should run well.
“We’ll see how he gets on at Ascot before we make any more plans, but maybe we can start looking at Listed races for him.”
He went on: “Ghaly has had some problems, he had a setback earlier in the year so we’ve given him time.
“He’s been back in full training for some time and it has been going good, two more pieces of work and he’ll be ready to run.
“He’s not had many races for a seven-year-old and he’s not very big but he always tries.
“I think this race should suit the both of them, this is the right trip for them and they go on any ground.”
Zach Mercer and Danny Care have been selected in England’s first World Cup training squad of the summer.
Number eight Mercer, who will move to Gloucester from Montpellier next season, last played Test rugby in 2018.
But Exeter back-row forward Sam Simmonds – signed by Montpellier as Mercer’s replacement – has ruled himself out of World Cup selection following discussions with England head coach Steve Borthwick.
Simmonds joins another Exeter player – wing Jack Nowell – in making that decision. Nowell is set to join reigning European champions La Rochelle.
Mercer’s stint in France, which included him winning Top 14 player-of-the-season honours, meant he was not eligible for England selection.
Harlequins scrum-half Care, meanwhile, won the last of his 87 England caps on tour in Australia a year ago.
There are also places for Bath scrum-half Ben Spencer in a 28-player group, alongside the likes of Bristol scrum-half Harry Randall, Bath flanker Ted Hill, Quins prop Joe Marler and London Irish flanker Tom Pearson.
Irish last week filed for administration following their suspension from all club competitions by the Rugby Football Union.
The RFU confirmed that neither Irish’s owner Mick Crossan nor an American consortium planning to buy the club were able to prove they had the finances to compete in the Gallagher Premiership for the 2023-24 campaign.
All four Exiles players in the squad – Pearson, Ollie Hassell-Collins, Henry Arundell and Will Joseph – wanted to be listed on the official squad press release as London Irish players.
Former Wasps lock Joe Launchbury, meanwhile, was not considered due to a minor injury.
Borthwick’s group, which assembled in Surrey on Monday, does not include players from Premiership semi-finalists Saracens, Sale, Northampton and Leicester, who are on rest periods.
British cyclist Chris Froome was ruled out of the Tour de France after sustaining multiple serious injuries in a crash on this day in 2019.
The four-time Tour champion suffered a broken femur, a broken elbow and broken ribs during his reconnaissance ahead of stage four of the Criterium de Dauphine.
It was immediately feared that Froome had broken his leg and, after being taken to a nearby hospital, further injuries were confirmed as his hopes of a fifth Tour title were dashed.
Froome was eighth in the overall classification after three stages of the eight-day Criterium de Dauphine, just 24 seconds behind leader Dylan Teuns.
The Tour was only three-and-a-half weeks away, and Froome’s preparations had been built around peaking for the race as he looked to join an elite group of just four riders to have won five Tour titles.
Froome underwent surgery at a hospital in St Etienne, where he was joined by his wife Michelle and Team Ineos doctor Richard Usher.
Ineos team principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: “He had surgery to repair his femur, his hip, his elbow.
“He has got broken ribs, a little bit of internal damage as well, so he is staying in intensive care for the next couple of days and then we will go from there.”
Injury also scuppered Froome’s Tour chances in 2014, although on that occasion his hopes ended on stage five of the race itself.
Racing as defending champion, he was forced to pull out following a third crash in two days, suffering a fractured left wrist and right hand.
Froome’s absence meant that 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas would be Team Ineos’ leader for the Tour.
Three months later, Froome posted on social media that he was back in training on the road.
Nick Taylor has become the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open since 1954 after beating Englishman Tommy Fleetwood in a thrilling playoff finish, landing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole on Sunday.
The raucous crowd in Toronto willed the ball into the hole as Taylor hit the longest putt of his PGA Tour career, securing his third PGA Tour victory.
Taylor said after the tournament: “I’m speechless. This is for all the guys that are here. This is for my family at home.
“This is the most incredible feeling.”
As Taylor celebrated, throwing his putter into the air, his close friend and professional golfer Adam Hadwin was tackled by security as he ran onto the green to congratulate Taylor.
A strong outing for Tommy Fleetwood looked like he might land his first PGA Tour victory, but it was not to be.
“I played great today, even though I missed some chances, if you like, on those playoff holes,” Fleetwood said.
“Yeah, it was close. I just have to take the positives from it and start practicing tomorrow. I got a major next week. So can’t dwell on it too much.”
Taylor finished strong on the last day with eight birdies and two bogeys, with a crucial birdie on the 18th to send it to a playoff finish.
Fleetwood had the chance to win in regulation play on the 18th, but failed to capitalise, missing the birdie for a par.
English duo Tyrell Hatton and Aaron Rai narrowly missed out on joining Taylor and Fleetwood in the playoff, finishing one stroke short of the pair.
Joining them on 16 under par was CT Pan, while Rory McIlroy finished five strokes behind.
Andy Murray was looking forward to going home to tell his kids he triumphed at the Lexus Surbiton Trophy after they missed the end of the final due to the rain delay.
The Scot defeated Austrian Jurij Rodionov 6-3 6-2 in the men’s final, earning him a seeded position at Wimbledon next month, with the 36-year-old now eyeing a third title at his home grand slam after lifting the trophy in 2013 and 2016.
And he revealed afterwards that the heavy downpour, which caused a near three-hour mid-match delay, had meant his children missed seeing him secure his first title on home soil in seven years.
“They didn’t tell me they were coming, then obviously I won the first set and my wife decided to bring (the kids) in case I won,” Murray said.
“They arrived as the rain came and then left as they took the covers off. She messaged me saying, ‘well done, we have just got home, I can’t believe we didn’t stay’.
“So yeah it is obviously nice, I get to go home to them this evening. We are planning on driving to Nottingham tonight so hopefully go home and see them before they go to bed and hopefully get up to Nottingham tonight.”
Novak Djokovic also enjoyed a successful Sunday, moving alone at the pinnacle of men’s tennis by defeating Casper Ruud in straight sets in the French Open final to register his 23rd grand slam singles crown.
Murray was quick to congratulate the Serbian before joking he hoped the three-time Roland Garros champion would now “take his eye off the ball” in the build-up to Wimbledon.
“I’m not saying he makes it look easy but he makes it look a lot more easy than it should,” the Briton said of Djokovic.
“I am happy for him, he deserves it. When he beat me in the final of the (2016) French Open he lost motivation so maybe he can take his eye off the ball for the next few weeks heading into Wimbledon!
“But congratulations to him – it’s an incredible achievement.”
Murray, who said he was planning some “light” practice in Nottingham on Monday, showcased a powerful shot collection to dismantle Rodionov.
The Scot’s serve was a vital weapon on the day and his intricate shot selection left his opponent at times scrambling across the turf in the largely sweltering conditions.
Murray was pleased with his win, but was not resting on his laurels and said he would continue to “strive for more”.
“Winning any tournament is hard,” said the former world number one, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years including hip and abdominal issues.
“The journey of getting back to this point has been tough and I think I played some good tennis at times this week and tennis what will give me a good opportunity, especially if I serve like that against most players and I am excited about that.
“It’s taken a long time to get back to this place and a lot of work with some tough losses, but I’ve kept working and believing.”
He continued: “I didn’t know if I would be playing again, and I am fortunate to be back competing again at a high level.
“I don’t want to downplay this tournament because winning any tournament is great and winning tournaments at any level is not easy, but I still strive for more. I believe there is more in me so hopefully I can achieve that in the next few weeks.”
Earlier, Yanina Wickmayer prevented Katie Swan from securing the British number one spot after coming back from a set down to win 2-6 6-4 7-6 (1) in the women’s final.
In a courtside interview broadcast by the LTA, Swan said: “I feel like it was a high-level match all the way through.
“It was tough because as soon as I dropped my levels slightly she was all over me and I had to maintain that for as long as I could. It was so tough but it was really high level overall.
“She is in unbelievable shape, I don’t know how she can be that good after having a baby. I think it’s incredible what she’s doing.”
In an impressive display of shooting prowess, Jhaniele Fowler led the defending Suncorp Super League champions, West Coast Fever, to a 72-61 victory over the GIANTS at the RAC Arena on Saturday. Fowler's scoring prowess was on full display as she matched the GIANTS' final score of 61 points, missing only one shot throughout the match.
Contributing to the Fever's success, Sasha Glasgow maintained a perfect shooting record, going three for three and nailing four super shots. By halftime, the Fever held a narrow 37-33 lead.
Despite Jo Harten's 19 goals and the combined efforts of Matisse Letherbarrow and Sophie Dwyer, who both scored 10 goals, the GIANTS found themselves trailing by 10 points at the end of the third quarter. The Fever outscored them 21-15 in a dominant display.
Although the final quarter was a more evenly contested affair, the outcome of the match had already been decided.
With this victory, their ninth of the season, the Fever climbed to second place in the league standings. The New South Wales Swifts remain at the top of the table after a convincing 78-65 win against the Queensland Firebirds at the Nissan Arena. Romelda Aiken-George led the charge for the Swifts, racking up an impressive 43 goals. Supported by Helen Housby's 17 goals, the Swifts secured their 10th win of the season.
Despite Donnell Wallam's 34 goals for the Firebirds, it was another defeat for the team, marking their ninth loss of the season, and leaving them in seventh place in the league.
In the meantime, former league leaders Adelaide Thunderbirds slipped to third place after suffering a close 56-54 loss to the Sunshine Coast Lightning at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Novak Djokovic stood proudly at the pinnacle of men’s tennis – and then warned his rivals there is plenty more still to come.
Since claiming his first grand slam title at the Australian Open in 2008, Djokovic has been pursuing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal through the history books, but he has surpassed both having broken the record he jointly held with Nadal by claiming his 23rd trophy at the French Open.
Djokovic’s 7-6 (1) 6-3 7-5 victory over Ruud draws him level with Serena Williams and he could equal Margaret Court’s all-time singles mark at Wimbledon next month.
It is now all but impossible to make the case for anyone other than Djokovic being the greatest male player of all time and, having won six of the last eight major tournaments he has played, at 36 he is more dominant than ever.
“Those two guys were occupying my mind for the last 15 years quite a lot,” he said. “So it’s amazing to know that I’m one ahead.
“I don’t want to say that I am the greatest because I feel it’s disrespectful towards all the great champions in different eras of our sport that was played in a completely different way than it is played today.
“So I leave those kind of discussions of who is the greatest to someone else. I have, of course, huge faith and confidence and belief in myself and for everything that I am and who I am and what I am capable of doing.
“I feel incredibly proud, fulfilled. Of course the journey is still not over. I feel, if I’m winning slams, why even think about ending the career that already has been going on for 20 years?
“I still feel motivated, I still feel inspired to play the best tennis at these tournaments the most. I look forward already to Wimbledon.”
The Serbian also becomes the first man ever to win at least three slam titles at all the major tournaments – a measure of his all-round greatness – while he will overtake Carlos Alcaraz on Monday to return to world number one.
Djokovic arrived in Paris without a title on clay this season but once again has showed that probably his biggest strength is being able to peak when it really matters, both within matches and during the season.
He outlasted Alcaraz in a semi-final that felt more like the de facto final and, although Ruud made much more of a match of it than he had against Nadal at the same stage last year, at no point did the outcome appear in doubt.
Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic has seen it all before. The former Wimbledon champion said: “He has this software in his head that he can switch when a grand slam comes.
“Grand slam is a different sport comparing to other tournaments. The day we arrived here, he was better, he was more motivated, he was more hungry.”
Nerves had got the better of Djokovic the last time he played for the outright lead at the US Open back in 2021 and he lost to Daniil Medvedev.
He made a nervous start here, going 3-0 down, but Ruud lost his break in the seventh game and the tie-break was again where Djokovic really stepped up – in six tie-breaks in Paris, he did not make a single unforced error.
Djokovic kept his foot down at the start of the second set and, although Ruud performed strongly in the third set, he is still yet to win one in five matches against the Serbian.
When the Norwegian’s final forehand flew wide, Djokovic lay down in the clay savouring the moment before celebrating with his support camp and then apologising for “torturing” them during his on-court speech.
“He is not an easy guy,” Ivanisevic said. “Especially when something’s not going his way. But we are here to put our back (for him) and to get beaten.
“He was torturing us, taking our nails off. A lot more things, but I cannot tell you that. But we are still here, we’re alive. My heart is still OK. I’m an old man, I need to be careful of my heart.
“I’m very proud of him, especially the last two matches. He’s unbelievable, and he’s still moving like a cat on the court. He’s there. Like a ninja, he’s everywhere.
“He takes the legs, then he takes your soul, then he digs your grave and you have a funeral and you’re dead. Bye-bye. Thank you for coming.”
Ruud joins an unwanted club including Andy Murray, Ivan Lendl and Dominic Thiem of players to have lost their first three slam finals, with Alcaraz having got the better of him at the US Open last summer.
The fourth seed took confidence from having overcome a poor start to the season and his own doubts to make it back to the final, saying: “I think this is maybe the most important final that I reached.
“Here I sort of proved that whatever happened last year is not a one-time case. Even for next year when we come back to Roland Garros, people are going to look, ‘Oh, Casper didn’t just make one final but he made it twice’.
“Probably going to plant some respect in my opponents’ eyes and hopefully I can build on that, and one day I’m going to try to obviously aim for a slam title. That’s my biggest goal, my biggest dream in my career and in my life. It’s been close – close but no cigar.”
Nadal, meanwhile, was among the first to congratulate Djokovic, saying: “Many congrats on this amazing achievement @DjokerNole 23 is a number that just a few years back was impossible to think about, and you made it! Enjoy it with your family and team!”
Andy Murray congratulated Novak Djokovic on his French Open triumph before joking he hoped the 23-time grand slam singles champion would now “take his eye off the ball” in the build-up to Wimbledon.
Both men enjoyed successful Sundays, with Murray stepping up his preparations for SW19 in style with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Austrian Jurij Rodionov in the men’s final of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.
Murray’s victory earned him a seeded position at Wimbledon next month, with the 36-year-old now eyeing a third title at his home grand slam after lifting the trophy in 2013 and 2016.
Djokovic, meanwhile, moved alone at the pinnacle of men’s tennis by defeating Casper Ruud in straight sets in the Roland Garros final.
“I’m not saying he makes it look easy but he makes it look a lot more easy than it should,” Murray said of the Serbian.
“I am happy for him, he deserves it. When he beat me in the final of the (2016) French Open he lost motivation so maybe he can take his eye off the ball for the next few weeks heading into Wimbledon!
“But congratulations to him – it’s an incredible achievement.”
Murray, who said he was heading up to Nottingham on Sunday evening and planning some “light” practice on Monday, showcased a powerful shot collection to dismantle Rodionov en route to his first title on home soil in seven years.
The Scot’s serve was a vital weapon on the day and his intricate shot selection left his opponent at times scrambling across the turf in the sweltering conditions.
And Murray, who was backed by a fervent Surbiton crowd, began to punish the Austrian with classy forehands which forced errors from his opponent as he took a firmer grip on the tie.
The number two seed continued to bombard Rodionov with a series of quality serves just before a heavy downpour suspended play, which offered some much-needed respite to both players after temperatures reached 29 degrees.
Play resumed nearly three hours later and Murray quickly reasserted himself on his unseeded opponent to close out the match, much to the delight of the Surbiton crowd.
Murray was pleased with his win, but was not resting on his laurels and said he would continue to “strive for more”.
“Winning any tournament is hard,” said the former world number one, who has been plagued by injuries in recent years including hip and abdominal issues.
“The journey of getting back to this point has been tough and I think I played some good tennis at times this week and tennis what will give me a good opportunity, especially if I serve like that against most players and I am excited about that.
“It’s taken a long time to get back to this place and a lot of work with some tough losses, but I’ve kept working and believing.”
He continued: “I didn’t know if I would be playing again, and I am fortunate to be back competing again at a high level.
“I don’t want to downplay this tournament because winning any tournament is great and winning tournaments at any level is not easy, but I still strive for more. I believe there is more in me so hopefully I can achieve that in the next few weeks.”
Earlier, Yanina Wickmayer prevented Katie Swan from securing the British number one spot after coming back from a set down to win 2-6 6-4 7-6 (1) in the women’s final.
In a courtside interview broadcast by the LTA, Swan said: “I feel like it was a high-level match all the way through.
“It was tough because as soon as I dropped my levels slightly she was all over me and I had to maintain that for as long as I could. It was so tough but it was really high level overall.
“She is in unbelievable shape, I don’t know how she can be that good after having a baby. I think it’s incredible what she’s doing.”
Hollie Doyle landed a Classic success when guiding Shavasana to victory in Sunday’s Oaks D’Italia Tattersalls at San Siro racecourse.
Stefano Botti’s filly, who had previously taken the Italian 1,000 Guineas in heavy ground under Cristian Demuro, travelled sweetly on her first try at a mile and three furlongs.
Doyle’s mount, a daughter of Gleneagles, took her unbeaten record to five in defeating 11-5 favourite View Zabeel by half a length in the Group Two contest.
It was a second Classic success for Doyle, having landed the French Oaks with Nashwa last summer.
Owned by Katsumi Yoshida, Shavasana was keen in landing the Italian Group Three 1,000 Guineas over a mile a Capannelle in Rome last month, and Doyle was not about to disappoint her this time.
Having enjoyed the run of the race from the front, she stayed on well to give the Herefordshire-born rider victory on her first visit to the Milan track.
Doyle said: “It was a great result. It all went to plan, really. She was stepping up from a mile and was very exuberant over a mile.
“She travels too well usually, but Mr Botti did not want me to get in a fight with her, so I just got her into a rhythm where she was happy. She ended up in front and stayed the trip well on the quick ground, which really helped the situation.
“She is a very talented filly and I got a soft lead on the front end, so hopefully there is more to come.
“I need a British Classic now! It’s great. The people here are so passionate and the people here were so welcoming. It was great to ride a winner, especially a Classic winner for Mr Katsumi Yoshida, who owns her now. He is a very influential person in Japan.
“I met him last year and had a tour of Northern Farms, which was a great day and it is great that I can ride him a winner like this.”
Novak Djokovic secured his most significant piece of tennis history with his 23rd grand slam title.
The Serbian defeated Casper Ruud 7-6 (1) 6-3 7-5 in the French Open final to break the men’s all-time record he shared with Rafael Nadal.
It was a third final defeat for Norwegian Ruud, who was unable to take his chances in the first set.
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Women’s singles: Iga Swiatek (Poland)
Men’s singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Women’s doubles: Hsieh Su-wei (Chinese Taipei) and Wang Xinyu (China)
Men’s doubles: Ivan Dodig (Croatia) and Austin Krajicek (USA)
Mixed doubles: Miyu Kato (Japan) and Tim Puetz (Germany)
Girls’ singles: Alina Korneeva
Boys’ singles: Dino Prizmic (Croatia)
Girls’ doubles: Clervie Ngounoue (USA) and Tyra Grant (USA)
Boys’ doubles: Yaroslav Demin and Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez (Mexico)
Women’s wheelchair singles: Diede De Groot (Netherlands)
Men’s wheelchair singles: Tokito Oda (Japan)
Women’s wheelchair doubles: Yui Kamiji (Japan) and Kgothatso Montjane (South Africa)
Men’s wheelchair doubles: Alfie Hewett (Great Britain) and Gordon Reid (Great Britain)
Quad wheelchair singles: Niels Vink (Netherlands)
Quad wheelchair doubles: Andy Lapthorne (Great Britain) and Donald Ramphadi (South Africa)
Andy Murray stepped up his preparation for Wimbledon in style with a straight-sets victory against Jurij Rodionov in the men’s final of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.
Murray continued his fine form at the tournament as he beat Austrian Rodionov 6-3 6-2 to earn him a seeded position at Wimbledon next month, with the 36-year-old now eyeing a third title at his home grand slam.
Having seen off Australia’s Jordan Thompson in Saturday’s semi-finals, Murray showcased a powerful shot collection which dismantled Rodionov in just over an hour.
The pair were subjected to Surbiton’s soaring temperatures but maintained a high level of energy as they jostled for the lead in a competitive opening set on centre court.
Murray’s serve was a vital weapon on the day and he picked up crucial aces in the early stages to punish Rodionov, who trailed 5-3 as his opponent looked to take a one-set lead.
Murray rounded off the first set and showed signs of his best through his intricate shot selection which caused his opponent to scramble across the turf and pay an exhaustive price in sweltering conditions.
And the former world number one, who was backed by a fervent Surbiton crowd, began to punish the Austrian with classy forehands which forced errors from his opponent as he took a firmer grip on the tie.
Murray led the second set 3-1 but Rodionov’s persistence came to the fore as Murray began to let out frustrated groans as the visitor looked for a way back into the final.
But the number two seed continued to bombard Rodionov with a series of quality serves just before a heavy downpour suspended play, which offered some much-needed respite to both players after temperatures reached 29 degrees.
Play resumed nearly three hours later and Murray quickly reasserted himself on the unseeded Rodionov, taking a fourth game which put him within touching distance of the trophy.
The rain failed to dampen the Surbiton crowd’s spirit and excitement began to grow as they witnessed Murray in top gear on grass just weeks away from Wimbledon.
Murray sent down more punishing serves which further highlighted the gulf between himself and Rodionov as the Scot claimed a well-deserved victory.
England’s Dale Whitnell completed the journey from courier driver to DP World Tour winner as he claimed an emotional victory at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed.
Whitnell was regarded as one of British golf’s brightest prospects when he turned professional in 2009, shortly after playing on a Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team that included future European number one and Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood.
But he struggled to find his feet in the paid ranks and took on work as a delivery driver while playing on satellite tours before claiming a win on the Challenge Tour in 2019, the same year he earned his DP World Tour card via the Qualifying School.
He has been establishing himself on the main circuit since and a closing 70 in Stockholm handed him a 21 under total and a three-shot victory over American Sean Crocker.
“It’s awesome,” said a clearly emotional Whitnell. “It tested me out there.
“It’s been a long time coming, I’m ecstatic. It means everything to me, it’s what I get up every day for. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. I’ve dreamt of this for a long time.”
The 34-year-old brought a six-shot lead into the weekend and extended that to eight at one point on Saturday but he was not to have it all his own way at Ullna Golf and Country Club.
Despite a bogey on the second, he led by six after four holes of his final round but the advantage was back to four at the turn and when Crocker made a second eagle of the day on the 15th and Whitnell found water on the 13th, the lead was just two.
A seemingly nerveless 17-foot birdie putt on the 17th handed the leader some breathing room, however, and after finding the green in two at the last, he and caddie Garry Melia – who was only on the bag for this week – were left to celebrate.
Crocker’s closing 65 left him at 18 under, three shots clear of German Ryder Cup hopeful Yannik Paul and Anne Van Dam, who was the leading women’s player.
English duo Gabriella Cowley and Paul Waring were at 14 under, with Swedish amateur Hugo Townsend, son of two-time Ryder Cup player Peter Townsend, two shots further back.
The Miami Heat mascot reportedly had to attend hospital after being punched by Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor at basketball’s NBA finals.
What was a promotional stunt during game four between the Heat and Denver Nuggets ended badly as former UFC champion McGregor floored ‘Burnie’, who was wearing oversized boxing gloves, with a left hook before adding another punch as the stricken Miami mascot lay on his back.
‘Burnie’ – who is described as a “rough, anthropomorphic depiction of the fireball featured on the Heat’s logo” – was dragged off court by three people and it was later reported that the individual inside the mascot suit was taken to the emergency room of a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Heat have declined to comment on the incident, but it has been reported that the mascot is out of hospital and recovering.
The Miami Herald said that “the man behind the Burnie costume has never revealed his name publicly and the team does not identify him in its media guide”.
McGregor, who was booed by many in the Miami crowd even before walking on court, stayed for the entire game as the Nuggets won 108-95 to secure a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
UFC president Dana White questioned the practice of mascots taking punches from “professional fighters”, highlighting the 2018 incident when former world heavyweight boxing champion Deontay Wilder was invited to show his punching power on a hot-dog like creature.
Asked about the McGregor incident at the UFC 289 post-fight press conference, White said: “I saw the Deontay Wilder one too.
“What’s up with mascots getting punched in the face by professional fighters? What do you expect?
“What are those mascot things made out of? Unless you’re like the Golden Knights mascot…with a metal helmet…
“I wouldn’t have professional fighters punch me in the face if I was a mascot, doesn’t seem like the brightest thing in the world.”
Novak Djokovic stands alone at the pinnacle of men’s tennis after defeating Casper Ruud to win his 23rd grand slam title at the French Open.
Since claiming his first at the Australian Open in 2008, Djokovic has been pursuing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal through the history books but now he has surpassed both having broken the record he jointly held with Nadal.
Djokovic’s 7-6 (1) 6-3 7-5 victory over Ruud draws him level with Serena Williams and he could equal Margaret Court’s all-time singles mark at Wimbledon next month.
The Serbian, meanwhile, also becomes the first man ever to win at least three slam titles at all the major tournaments – a measure of his all-round greatness.
Ruud had impressed in making it back to the final, where he won only six games against Nadal last year, and was looking for his first title in his third final having also lost to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open.
He had failed to win a set in four previous matches against Djokovic, though, and missed his chance here in an 81-minute opener before the Serbian pulled away for his 21st consecutive slam victory.
This was the most humid day of the fortnight and, with black clouds looming, it appeared the match would be played under the roof on Philippe Chatrier only for the cover to be removed just before the start.
Ruud’s best chance was to make a fast start and take advantage of the nerves Djokovic would surely be feeling so close to a goal he has been pursuing relentlessly for years.
On his only previous shot at striking out on his own, at the US Open in 2021, he had rather frozen in sight of the line, losing to Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Ruud had read the script and came out sharp, exploiting Djokovic’s unusually leaden footwork with high shots to push his opponent back and breaking in the second game when the Serbian shanked a smash – the one remaining weakness in his game.
Djokovic had NFL great Tom Brady in his player box, while Kylian Mbappe and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were also in the crowd, and they witnessed Djokovic claw his way back, breaking in the seventh game after a punishing rally that ended with Ruud netting an overhead.
Djokovic refused to miss in another long rally after Ruud created a break point in the next game, but it was the third seed cursing himself for a missed opportunity at 4-4, with his irritation compounded when he lost his balance and fell sprawling to the clay.
Djokovic also complained vociferously to the umpire about the quick turnaround between games as the set extended beyond the hour mark.
The longer it went on, the more important it became to win it, and Ruud was two points away on Djokovic’s serve after winning a point with a tweener lob but that was as close as he would come.
One of Djokovic’s greatest strengths is the ability to raise his level at key moments and he won an absurd sixth tie-break of the tournament without making a single unforced error.
Given Djokovic had won his previous 100 slam matches once he had taken the opening set, it was a crushing blow for Ruud, and that was compounded when he dropped serve in the second game of the second set.
Djokovic now looked fully settled, with his forehand purring, and, although Ruud saved two set points at 2-5, the door was firmly shut in his face in the next game.
Ruud was now clinging on by his fingernails but he was determined not to allow Djokovic to run away with it, as Nadal had last year.
The Norwegian found a better rhythm on his serve and applied some pressure to Djokovic, although he was left cursing his luck when his opponent benefited from a lucky netcord down 0-30 at 3-4, giving the French crowd a final chance for a round of booing.
The question seemed to be when Djokovic would make his move, though, and it came at 5-5, a series of superlative groundstrokes earning him the break, and moments later his moment of history.
Nadal was among the first to hail the Serbian, tweeting: “Many congrats on this amazing achievement @DjokerNole. 23 is a number that just a few years back was imposible to think about, and you made it! Enjoy it with your family and team!”
Al Asifah could head to the Darley Irish Oaks on the strength of her a facile success in the Listed Weatherbys/British EBF Agnes Keyser Fillies’ Stakes at Goodwood on Sunday.
The Shadwell-owned Frankel filly had scored in impressive fashion on her debut in a Haydock maiden 17 days ago under Dane O’Neill and remained unbeaten with another scintillating run.
Jim Crowley sat motionless as the 4-7 favourite sauntered through the gears to trounce her six rivals by upwards of six and a half lengths in the 10-furlong contest.
Thady Gosden, who trains the three-year-old in partnership with his father, John, said: “She has always looked a classy filly.
“Obviously she didn’t run last year, but won in good style on her first start and she showed her class again today. Hopefully she can continue on her upward trajectory.”
A trip to the Curragh and a step up in trip for the Irish fillies’ Classic may be her next landing spot, according to Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold.
He added: “It was nice. It was fabulous. We haven’t had time to discuss it yet, and we will talk to Sheikha Hissa (Shadwell owner), but a very obvious thing, if we want to be bold, we could talk about supplementing her for the Irish Oaks.
“Timing-wise, it was just a pity she had immaturity issues, her muscle enzymes were a bit high for a while, so they have just gone steady with her and typically taken their time.
“Everything about her, to me, she looks a mile-and-a-half filly from her action.
“Jim very much got that feeling today and the very encouraging thing was he was able to go past them so quickly off a relatively slow pace.
“She is a big, tall filly. She’s (from the family of) Unfuwain. You can argue she’s more a mile-and-a-quarter pedigree, but for me, I’m pretty certain she’ll stay a mile and a half.
“That was only her second win. The important thing is to make her a stakes winner. How we do it, obviously all the options are open. We could easily stay at a mile and a quarter next time, but that’s putting off the inevitable, I think.
“In Jim’s words, she could be even better over a mile and a half. If we had 10 more days, obviously we could consider Royal Ascot.
“She could be very good. If we were able to keep her in training next year and keep her in good form, she could be a filly for all the top mile-and-a-half races next year, so we won’t want to rush her straight back in.
“So, let’s see when the dust settles what everybody feels. If the family are happy to supplement and if John Gosden thinks she is in good form, having made rapid strides in a short space of time, she could go (to the Curragh).”
Meanwhile, Peripatetic was given a well-judged ride by David Egan to take the other Listed race on the card, the four-runner William Hill Tapster Stakes.
The Roger Varian-trained four-year-old, returning to the scene of a handicap success last August, had finished a close-up fourth in the Group Three Pride Stakes at Newmarket on her last run in October.
Egan gradually would up the pace from the three-furlong marker in the 12-furlong contest and having seen off Candleford, the 100-30 chance plenty to spare from the staying-on First Ruler to score by a length and a half.
Another mouthwatering clash with Tahiyra has got Saeed bin Suroor counting down the days to Royal Ascot with Mawj.
The pair were involved in one of the best races of the Flat season to date when duelling in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
On that occasion Mawj came out on top, but Tahiyra has since won the Irish equivalent and the bookmakers make her favourite to turn the tables in the Coronation Stakes on June 23.
“She grew a little bit when she was in Dubai,” said Bin Suroor of his diminutive filly.
“What I do with two-year-olds, when I see they are small and skinny, is give them time between races and that helps them.
“She hasn’t really grown that much but at least she has a big heart.
“We ran her over seven (furlongs) in Dubai and then she won well over a mile. When she came back to England she went and won a Classic. She’s a very special filly and we’re looking forward to Ascot.”
Looking ahead to the rematch he went on: “Dermot Weld’s filly is very good, she was second in the English Guineas and went and won in Ireland, she’s very tough.
“Our filly should run well, we’re happy with her and looking forward to it.
“I think a mile is perfect for her. Maybe in the future we might look at something different, but at the moment a mile is fine. We might look at nine furlongs some day.
“There are lots of races for her over a mile, the Falmouth, the Sun Chariot, races like that. We’ll see, but I think a mile suits her well.
“I don’t think we’d ever be looking to come back in trip with her.”
Paul Struthers will return to the Professional Jockeys Association as a consultant, along with Frankie Dettori’s commercial agent Peter Burrell.
Struthers, who left the organisation after 10 years at the helm in 2021, returns to assist the board in his capacity as chief executive of his own company Moya Sport, which specialises in PR support to governing bodies.
Burrell has been recruited to seek out additional income for the PJA and its members, and to act as an adviser on other important commercial matters.
The appointments, made with immediate effect, are to support “specific projects”, according to a statement from the organisation.
In recent months, heightened tensions over the perceived handling by senior PJA figures of critical issues such as the whip review, valets’ pay and the closure of racecourse saunas led to a revolt by jockeys and the resignation of CEO Ian McMahon.
Jon Holmes, the sports agent who counts the likes of Nick Luck, Gary Lineker and Ruby Walsh as clients, then resigned as PJA chair along with board members Simon Cox and Mick Fitzgerald.
Seven new members were appointed to the PJA board last week – Henry Brooke, Neil Callan, Tom Marquand, Andrew Mullen, Jonjo O’Neill Jr, Tabitha Worsley and Nick Attenborough, who was announced at Holmes’ successor.
Commenting on the appointments, Dale Gibson, interim CEO, stated: “This is positive news for the PJA. Adding Pete and Paul to our team helps ensure that we can deliver for our members both commercially and strategically.”
Attenborough added: “I’m delighted to welcome Pete and Paul to the association, their experience will strengthen the organisation considerably.
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Dale and the team for their tireless work and commitment during recent challenging times.”
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