Christian Walker continued his Dodger Stadium rampage with two more home runs and Joc Pederson added a blast against his former team to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 9-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.
Walker went deep in his first two at-bats for his 18th and 19th home runs in 42 career games at the ballpark. He has homered in five straight games at the third-oldest park in the majors, tying the longest single-season streak at Dodger Stadium with Pederson, who did it in 2015 with Los Angeles.
Walker hit five home runs in the three-game series, and he has nine this season against the Dodgers and 22 overall.
Pederson and Walker went back-to-back with two outs in the first inning off rookie Landon Knack. Pederson walked with two outs in the third and Walker followed with a two-run shot to extend Arizona’s lead to 4-0.
Justin Martinez struck out five over three scoreless innings for the win.
Gabriel Moreno had three hits, including a two-run double in the ninth, as the Diamondbacks won for the fourth time in five games.
Dodgers’ stars Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman struck out three times each.
Reds sweep struggling Yankees
Nick Martini, Jonathan India and Spencer Steer homered to back Frankie Montas’ triumphant return to Yankee Stadium as the Cincinnati Reds defeated reeling New York 8-4 to complete a three-game sweep.
Steer’s three-run shot in the fifth inning off Marcus Stroman extended Cincinnati’s lead to 5-0, and Jake Fraley made it 8-2 with a bases-loaded triple in the seventh.
The Reds became the first NL team to sweep a regular-season interleague series in the Bronx.
Montas took a shutout into the fifth and allowed two runs, four hits and three walks in five-plus innings to end a four-start winless streak. He struggled to a 6.35 ERA in eight starts with the Yankees in 2022.
Ben Rice hit his first career home run, Austin Well also went deep and Juan Soto added his 21st of the season for the Yankees, who have lost 13 of 17 and 14 of 19 after a 49-21 start.
Irvin, Nationals 1-hit Mets
Jake Irvin pitched one-hit ball over a career-high eight innings and Jesse Winker hit a pinch-hit home run to lift the Washington Nationals to a 1-0 victory over the New York Mets.
Irvin struck out eight, walked one and threw 99 pitches. He gave up his only hit on Jeff McNeil’s third-inning single.
Derek Law pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.
Winker hit a curveball from reliever Adrian Houser 407 feet to right-center field for his fifth career pinch-hit home run and his 10th of any kind this season.
Jose Quintana nearly matched Irvin, allowing four hits over seven scoreless innings.
Washington won its second straight and sent New York to its seventh shutout of the season.
Lewis Hamilton acknowledged "anything's possible" but dismissed speculation surrounding his interest in buying MotoGP team Gresni.
The seven-time world champion has spoken of his desire for further involvement in sports teams in order to boost black ownership and equity.
Hamilton joined the ownership structure of NFL franchise Denver Broncos in 2022 - the same year he was part of an unsuccessful bid to buy Premier League side Chelsea.
Reports in British and Italian media have suggested he is looking to invest in MotoGP - a sport close to his heart having once taken part in a sponsored swap of machinery with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.
However, Hamilton revealed it is a potential avenue he will explore further down the line.
"I've always loved MotoGP," he told reporters ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix. "I'm interested in the potential growth of the sport, but I haven't looked that far into it just yet.
"But anything's possible. I'm definitely interested in equity and already with the Broncos, it was a first step in team ownership. I think over the next five to 10 years, there'll hopefully be more. We'll see where."
Hubert Hurkacz was the highest-profile casualty on day four of the Wimbledon men's singles, with the seventh seed forced to retire injured during his clash with Arthur Fils.
The Pole beat Roger Federer on the way to reaching the semi-finals in 2021, while he was runner-up to new world number one Jannik Sinner in Halle last month.
However, when trailing by two sets to one against his French opponent, Hurkacz sustained a knee injury during the tie-break in the fourth.
Despite valiantly attempting to battle on, he aggravated the problem further soon after when diving for a return, and was subsequently unable to continue with Fils advancing to round three.
There, he will play Alex de Minaur after the ninth seed enjoyed a straight-sets victory over Jaume Munar.
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev also prevailed in three sets as he continued his rich vein of form. The Italian Open champion, who was also runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at Roland-Garros, was a commanding 6-1 6-2 6-4 winner over Marcos Giron.
Next up for him is Cameron Norrie after the 2022 semi-finalist ousted compatriot Jack Draper in a battle of the Brits on No.1 Court.
Eastbourne champion Taylor Fritz overcame Arthur Rinderknech in four sets, as did 15th seed Holger Rune against Thiago Seyboth Wild.
Meanwhile, Grigor Dimitrov recovered from two sets down to beat Juncheng Shang in a decider. The 2014 semi-finalist will now play Gael Monfils, who completed a straight-sets victory over fellow veteran Stan Wawrinka.
Although, there was no joy for 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. The two-time major finalist was beaten in four sets by world number 87 Emil Ruusuvuori.
Andy Murray said he wished he could play on forever after his final Wimbledon began with a doubles defeat alongside brother Jamie on an emotional Centre Court.
Murray and brother Jamie suffered a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat to Australian pair John Peers and Rinky Hijikata, two days after he announced he would not participate in the singles.
The two-time Wimbledon champion, who underwent back surgery just over a week ago, has since announced he will pair up with Emma Raducanu in the mixed doubles.
Following his doubles match on Thursday, the likes of John McEnroe and Novak Djokovic were invited onto Centre Court for an emotional ceremony to mark his achievements at the tournament, which he won in 2013 and 2016.
In an interview with BBC Sport's Sue Barker, Murray said of teaming up with his elder brother: "It was obviously really special, I never had the chance to do it before.
"The way things worked out, there was a chance this year and it was a race against time.
"Physically it wasn't easy but I'm glad we could get out here and do it just one time together."
Murray has repeatedly said he will retire at the end of 2024, with an appearance at the Paris Olympics now his target.
Speaking about his impending retirement, Murray said: "It's hard. I would love to keep playing but I physically can't, it's too tough now.
"The injuries have added up and they haven't been insignificant. I want to play forever. I love the sport, it's given me so much and taught me so many lessons."
Reflecting on his two victories at SW19, Murray said the pressure of winning his first grand slam title meant he could not fully enjoy the 2013 success, but opened up on the big celebrations that followed his second triumph.
"I didn't really enjoy it as much as I should have done, I just found it very, very stressful," Murray said. "2016 was different.
"I felt way less pressure and the enjoyment I got out of that win was amazing, I could enjoy it with the people closest to me.
"Of the slams, that was my favourite one. I don't remember much of that night, I had a few drinks and I did unfortunately vomit in the cab on the way home!"
England intend to play on the front foot as they go in search of their first win in New Zealand since 2003 on Saturday, says captain Jamie George.
Steve Borthwick's team will face New Zealand at Forsyth Barr Stadium in the first of two Tests, on their first tour of the country since 2014, when they lost all three games.
England have not won on the road against the All Blacks since a 15-13 triumph in Wellington 21 years ago, though they did produce a memorable comeback to draw 25-25 when the teams last met at Twickenham in 2022.
George, however, is certain England will stand up to the challenge, telling reporters: "We've come to New Zealand to play our way and take New Zealand on.
"We can't sit back and wait because if we do that we'll be behind our poles 20 points down trying to create some sort of comeback, like we did in 2022.
"We've come to New Zealand to win. The challenge we've laid down is that we play at our physicality and our intensity.
"We'll know whether we're there or not within the first few minutes after kick-off. Walk towards it, embrace it, love it. What an amazing opportunity we have got here."
New Zealand have not played since losing the World Cup final to South Africa last October, with Sam Cane stepping down as captain and the likes of Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Aaron Smith and Richie Mo'unga no longer available.
Former England scrum-half Danny Care believes they could be there for the taking, telling BBC Sport: "I look at this New Zealand squad and there are so many unknowns.
"They don't have the players any more that you fear. They have players you massively respect, but as a team, do you go there with fear? I don't think New Zealand have that at the moment.
"This is a massive opportunity for England to go down there and shock the New Zealand world."
Iga Swiatek underlined her status as favourite in the women's draw at Wimbledon by beating Petra Martic in straight sets on Thursday to reach the third round.
The world number one, who has never previously gone beyond the quarter-finals at SW19, was a 6-4 6-3 victor in one hour and 20 minutes on Centre Court.
Martic held her own until the 10th game of the opening set but the first break point she gave up was converted by Swiatek, who came through strong pressure in several games on her own serve.
The second set followed a similar pattern, Swiatek needing two break points this time as she made the breakthrough eight games in.
Martic was a beaten player from there as Swiatek served out her final game to love, a crashing forehand winner teeing up three match points, and a big serve on the first giving world number 79 Martic no chance.
Data Debrief: Swiatek replicates Serena run
Swiatek has now won 21 consecutive matches as world number one, the longest such streak by any player on the WTA Tour since Serena Williams had an identical run between the 2014 WTA Finals and the 2015 Madrid Open.
She has also made at least the round of 32 at 18 consecutive grand slams.
In the Open Era, only Martina Navratilova (35), Conchita Martinez (30), Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (25) and Steffi Graf (19) have ever done so at more majors in a row.
Novak Djokovic secured his spot in the third round of Wimbledon by claiming a four-set victory over British wildcard Jacob Fearnley.
Djokovic emerged a 6-3 6-4 5-7 7-5 victor on Centre Court as he aims to lift a 25th grand slam title just weeks after undergoing knee surgery.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion had to wait until the eighth game to finally earn a break point against the world number 277, claiming the first set soon after.
Fearnley continued to impress, again going toe-to-toe with the Serbian, but was undone by a sole break once more as he found himself two sets down.
However, the Edinburgh-born star would roar back in the third set, serving five aces along the way to put pressure on the world number two.
Despite Fearnley's spirited display in a close fourth set, Djokovic's class would prove too much, ending a three-hour encounter with a strong forehand on match point.
"I was not really comfortable in my own skin in the third and fourth sets," said Djokovic, who was relieved the match did not go the distance.
"Sometimes you have rough days where you are maybe not feeling your best.
"Of course it depends on your opponents across the net. Jacob played at a high level and he made me earn this victory.
"He played very good tennis and deserves a great round of applause. It was a great effort from Jacob, he played great. I had not had a chance to see him play until two days ago. There is always an element of surprise and nothing to lose.
"Playing him at Wimbledon was always going to be tough. Most of the British players grow up being exposed to grass courts, quick surfaces, so they know how to play.
"I thought he served very well. It was very difficult to break his serve. He made me work. I was probably a bit lucky in the fourth not to go a break down.
"I could have won the match in three but this match potentially deserved to go into a fifth, with the way he played in the fourth. But I am very glad it didn't."
Djokovic will play Alexei Popyrin in the next round of the competition on Saturday as he continues to build up his fitness.
"On my side, I should have done some things better when I was a break up in the third," he said.
"Can I be playing better and moving better? Absolutely. I hope as the tournament progresses I'll be feeling much better."
Data Debrief: Djokovic progresses, but a memorable day for Fearnley
Djokovic's quest for a major title in 2024 continues after he showcased the class that has already seen him reach nine Wimbledon finals. He has now reached the third round an astonishing 18 times at the tournament, tying the record held by Roger Federer.
The Serbian, however, was made to work for the victory. The world number two faced six break points but was able to save four of them.
Fearnley can be proud of his efforts. The Briton won 71% of his first-serve points against Djokovic, while also serving 13 aces during the contest.
Lando Norris drew a line under his collision with Max Verstappen at the Austrian Grand Prix as he looked ahead to their next battle at the British Grand Prix this weekend.
Norris was forced to retire from the race at the Red Bull Ring after a collision with the Dutchman late on, allowing George Russell to swoop in and claim the win.
Verstappen was able to finish fifth, further extending his lead at the top of the driver's championship to 81 points over Norris in second.
The McLaren driver was visibly upset about the incident shortly after the race, but is excited to get back on the track to challenge Verstappen once again.
"It's clear how he races. It's tough, it's on the limit. It's what we love, it's what I love," Norris said.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the whole fight I had with him. Of course it was a shame things ended the way they did.
"But apart from that, things are clear from what you see on TV and I'm excited to go racing again this weekend."
With all eyes firmly fixed on a new blossoming rivalry in F1, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton was keen to steer clear of the situation.
Hamilton, who has enjoyed many battles with Verstappen over the years, is focused on delivering a first win since December 2021 for Mercedes.
"Nothing really. I didn't think anything," Hamilton said on the situation between the two championship leaders.
"I was more concerned about my race and enjoying the team's win."
Asked if he had any advice for Norris about racing Verstappen, Hamilton said: "Again, I don't think I need to. They have raced each other for many years.
"It's nothing to do with me."
Should Hamilton emerge victorious at Silverstone, he would become the driver with the most wins in a single Grand Prix in F1 history (nine), surpassing the record of eight already held by the Brit in Hungary and Michael Schumacher in France.
DRIVERS TO WATCH
George Russell - Mercedes
Having secured his second victory in F1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, George Russell will be keen to emerge victorious once again on home soil.
The Brit has enjoyed an impressive season thus far, finishing in the top five in each of the last four races, as many times as in the previous 15.
Russell has also performed significantly better than Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, beating the seven-time world champion in 11 of the last 13 qualifying sessions and in nine of the last 12 races.
Mercedes have improved in recent weeks, and should Russell or Hamilton emerge victorious, it will be the first time the team has won two races in a row since 2021 between Sao Paulo and Saudi Arabia - all three won by Hamilton.
Oscar Piastri - McLaren
While much of the attention has been on team-mate Norris in recent weeks, Oscar Piastri's performances on the track have gone under the radar.
Piastri finished second behind Russell in Austria, but has been on the podium in two of the last four races, the other being in Monaco where he lost out to Charles Leclerc.
The Australian sits in sixth place in the driver's championship, a point ahead of Russell and six points behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez.
He could become just the third Australian driver to win the race after Jack Brabham and Mark Webber, and the first to claim a victory at Silverstone since Webber did so for Red Bull-Renault in 2012.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 237 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 156
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 150
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – 135
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 118
Constructors
1. Red Bull – 355
2. Ferrari – 291
3. McLaren – 268
4. Mercedes – 196
5. Aston Martin – 58
Oliver Bearman will take a full-time seat in Formula 1 next season, having officially joined Haas.
Bearman, who finished seventh on his F1 debut for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix earlier this season, has signed a multi-year contract with Haas ahead of the 2025 campaign.
The 19-year-old will become the fourth British driver on the grid alongside Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris.
Bearman's first appearance on the track came in March in Jeddah, replacing Carlos Sainz after the Spaniard was diagnosed with appendicitis, becoming the third-youngest driver to start an F1 race at 18 years and 305 days old.
"It’s hard to put into words just how much this means to me," said Bearman.
"To say out loud that I will be a Formula 1 driver for Haas makes me so immensely proud.
"To be one of the very few people who get to do the thing that they dreamed of as a child is something truly incredible.
The Ferrari reserve driver will be on track at the British Grand Prix on Friday for the first free practice session before handing the car back to Kevin Magnussen for the rest of the weekend.
Bearman is 14th in the F2 standings this season.
Chris Sale pitched six strong innings to become the second 11-game winner in the majors and Austin Riley had a two-run double to lift the Atlanta Braves to a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.
Sale allowed three hits and struck out nine with two walks to join Kansas City’s Seth Lugo as 11-game winners.
The veteran left-hander needed only six pitchers to retire the Giants in order in the first and struck out the side in the third. He added two more strikeouts to open the fifth before Curt Casali lined a single to center for San Francisco’s first hit.
Three relievers finished the four-hitter with Raisel Iglesias working the ninth for his 21st save.
Atlanta had three straight hits to open the second and took a 1-0 lead on Adam Duvall’s run-scoring double off Jordan Hicks.
Riley’s two-run double off the right-field wall in the fifth made it 3-0.
Kremer, O’Hearn lift Orioles
Dean Kremer pitched five scoreless innings in his return and Ryan O’Hearn homered and drove in three runs to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.
Kremer was excellent in his first start since May 20 due to a triceps strain. He yielded just two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.
Craig Kimbrel struck out two in the ninth for his 21st save of the season and 438th of his career, which moved him into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time list.
O’Hearn delivered a two-out, two-run double in a three-run third against Logan Gilbert and added a solo home run in the fifth.
Baltimore won for the sixth time in seven games and sent Seattle to its 10th loss in 13 contests. The Mariners’ lead in the AL West has been cut to two games over Houston.
Alvarez homers again as Astros roll
Yordan Alvarez homered for the third straight game and Jose Altuve delivered a tiebreaking single during a four-run seventh inning as the surging Houston Astros rolled to a 9-2 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Yainer Diaz had three hits and three RBIs to help the Astros win for the 11th time in 13 games.
Alvarez doubled home a run in the third, led off the sixth with his 19th home run, scored after an intentional walk in the seventh and capped his night with an RBI double in the eighth.
Alvarez, who has seven home runs in 13 career games in Toronto, is 11 for 22 with three homers and eight RBIs in his last six games overall.
Last-place Toronto (39-47) has lost 11 of 15 to match a season high at eight games under .500.
Jannik Sinner battled his way into the Wimbledon third round after overcoming Matteo Berrettini in an all-Italian classic on Wednesday.
Centre Court was treated to a hard-fought spectacle between the pair as the world number one triumphed 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-6 (7-4).
The victory marked somewhat of a changing of the guard between the Italian duo, with Sinner rising to the top after a fine year that has also brought Australian Open glory.
Berrettini is no stranger to the SW19 stage, reaching the final of the grass-court major in 2021 and taking the first set before falling to Novak Djokovic, and proved a tough opponent for Sinner in an enthralling clash.
The 14-time ATP Tour champion struggled to assert his dominance early on, failing to snatch a set point in the first before eventually triumphing in a tie-breaker with a thumping backhand.
Sinner repeated the same dose in the second set, trading breaks to leave the clash level at 4-4 before the top seed's forehand exposed Berrettini in another tie-break decider.
Berrettini responded by breaking twice to take a 4-1 lead in the third, though, striking back to halve the arrears and offering his countryman a stark reminder of his quality on this surface.
The pair once again exchanged a break apiece in the fourth set before Sinner squandered a glorious match-point chance when 6-5 ahead.
Yet, as was the case in the first two sets, Berrettini skewed a forehand into the net as Sinner sealed victory on his third match point with another tie-break success, just before the curfew at Wimbledon.
Data Debrief: Super Sinner downs another Italian
Sinner, who reached the semi-finals at this tournament last year, is now 14-0 against fellow Italians.
The 22-year-old is just the third player in the Open Era to win his first 14 ATP matches against compatriots, after Australia's Bob Hewitt and Argentina's Guillermo Vilas.
Sinner hit 32 winners and committed 25 unforced errors en route to his 40th tour-level win of the season, teeing up a third-round meeting with Miomir Kecmanovic, who overcame Tallon Griekspoor.
Emma Raducanu simply could not refuse a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to partner her "hero" Andy Murray in the Wimbledon mixed doubles.
Murray pulled out of the men's singles draw on Tuesday after having minor surgery on a troublesome back issue, but confirmed he would partner brother Jamie for the doubles on the male side of the draw.
The two-time Wimbledon singles champion will be in action in another competition, too, after the tournament granted Raducanu and Murray a wild-card entry to the mixed doubles draw.
Speaking after sweeping aside Elise Mertens 6-2 6-2 in the women's singles second round on Wednesday, Raducanu revelled in her chance to play with Murray.
"My doubles record isn't exactly the longest, or the most vast, but I couldn't say no," Raducanu said after her victory over Mertens. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"It's been a dream of mine since I was a young girl, since watching the Olympics. Andy's a hero to all of us.
"So for me, it's a real gift and it's a real honour that he asked me and it's a moment that I could never say no to.
"And I'm just super excited to be on the mixed doubles court and hopefully learn a thing or two about coming to the net or something!"
Murray suggested there has always been a desire to partner Raducanu, with two of the biggest names in British tennis now joining forces.
"We'd spoken about it during the COVID year but obviously both of us were doing quite well in the singles and it didn't happen," Murray said after his practice session at the All England Club.
"Last night I messaged her coach and asked if he thought it might be something she'd be up for doing.
"He said it was worth asking, so I did. It was quite late yesterday evening when I sent the message, it would have been after 9 p.m. so I was a bit worried she might have been in bed.
"But I got a quick reply. She said: 'Yeah, let's do it.' That was it."
A tough test awaits for the newly formed pair, however, after being drawn to face Marcelo Arevalo and Zhang Shuai in the first round.
Arevalo secured French Open men's doubles glory for the second time last month, while Zhang is a two-time major champion in the same format.
Casper Ruud suffered a surprise second-round exit at Wimbledon on Wednesday as another seed was eliminated early on at the grass-court major.
The eighth seed was outsmarted on No.2 Court as Fabio Fognini scored a 6-4 7-5 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 win to send Ruud home from the All England Club.
World number 94 Fognini cut a calm figure throughout, manipulating his opponent from the baseline before snapping past Ruud with ease at regular intervals.
The victory saw Fognini through to his seventh third-round appearance in 14 attempts at Wimbledon, where he next faces Robert Bautista Agut after the Spaniard downed Lorenzo Sonego on the same day.
"Maybe 14 is the lucky one," Fognini said during his on-court interview. "I was 5-2 up and the match was almost done but then at 5-4 too many things were coming into my head.
"But this is why I love and hate this sport. In the end he's top 10 and I'm 37 and today was a good present for me."
Ruud joined sixth seed Andrey Rublev as a surprise early elimination, and Tommy Paul was fortunate to escape a similar upset on No.3 Court.
The 12th-seed American moved into the third round by overcoming Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen 4-6 6-3 5-7 7-5 6-4.
Paul will face Alexander Bublik in his next outing.
Data Debrief: Fognini proves age is no issue
Fognini, aged 37 years and 40 days, is the third player aged 37 or older to defeat an ATP top-10 player in a men's singles major event.
The Italian joined Ken Rosewall and Roger Federer as the only players to achieve the feat as Ruud's struggles on grass continued.
Former world number Naomi Osaka was outclassed in the Wimbledon second round as in-form Emma Navarro eased to a straight-sets victory on Wednesday.
Osaka was unconvincing in an opening-round win over 53rd-ranked Diane Parry before Navarro, the 19th seed at the All England Club, proved too strong on Centre Court.
Navarro never faced a break point in a one-sided showdown, triumphing 6-4 6-1 in just under an hour against the four-time major champion.
The 23-year-old was offered a glorious opportunity in the first set at 3-3 when Osaka fired four straight unforced errors to hand Navarro the advantage.
A poor volley attempt spelt the end for Osaka in the second set as Navarro cruised home in quick time with 16 winners and only five unforced errors.
Navarro has now reached the third round at all three majors this year as Diana Shnaider, who cruised past 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens on the same day, awaits for her next clash in SW19.
Data Debrief: Osaka's grass-court struggles persist
Osaka has now never beaten a top-20 player on grass courts in six attempts, with this another reminder of Navarro's ruthless quality.
This was her first appearance on Wimbledon's famed Centre Court, yet Navarro never looked troubled in a routine triumph.
A tougher test will follow in the third round, however, as Shnaider has downed Navarro twice this year, most recently just last week in the Bad Homburg Open semi-finals en route to winning the tournament.
Emma Raducanu cruised through her second-round meeting with Elise Mertens in straight sets at Wimbledon.
While she was put to the test in the first round, Raducanu made little fuss as she earned a 6-1 6-2 victory on Court 1.
Raducanu won the first five games of first set, but even after dropping one, she saved a break point to take the opener.
She went on another impressive five-game win streak in the second, with Mertens unable to launch any real counter against the Brit, who was in fine form.
Next up for Raducanu is either Arantxa Rus or Maria Sakkari in the next round.
Data Debrief: Raducanu maintains her high level
Raducanu described her first round victory as "winning ugly" but that was not the case on Wednesday.
Since 2000, the 21-year-old (16-7) is one of only two British female players with a winning record (playing a minimum of five matches) at grand slam events, along with Johanna Konta (39-29).
She is also the third British player in the Open Era to hold a winning percentage of 70% or higher in Women’s Singles Grand Slam matches (70.8%), along with Ann Jones (85.3%) and Virginia Wade (71.3%).
Raducanu is now just one round away from matching her best result at Wimbledon, having reached the fourth round in 2021.
For some, the Jamaica-China Sports Technical Exchange Programme is merely just a training trip, but to Lloye Guwalani, the programme represents a promise, illuminating the path to a brighter and more competitive future for Jamaican swimming.
Guwalani, who will serve as team manager to an 18-member delegation currently en route to China, pointed out that the journey marks a significant milestone for Jamaica in particular, as she highlighted the importance of the initiative, which was designed to enhance the development of Jamaica's swimming talent through international exposure and training.
The project started in 2018, was due for completion in 2020, but was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the final leg of the three-year initiative is now on course to be completed.
“I am extremely pleased that the programme is now back in full effect after the COVID pandemic. It provides our athletes with invaluable opportunities to train in world-class facilities, learn from top-tier coaches, and experience a different competitive environment. These are experiences that will undoubtedly elevate their performances at the local and international level, and also broaden their perspectives,” Guwalani told SportsMax.TV prior to departure.
Established as part of a broader cultural and sporting partnership between the two nations, the Jamaica-China Sports Technical Exchange Programme aims to foster mutual growth and development. For Jamaica, this means leveraging China's advanced training methodologies and infrastructure to benefit its athletes.
In fact, the swim delegation's visit, scheduled to last two months, includes rigorous training sessions, friendly competitions, and cultural exchanges that are set to enrich the athletes' experiences both in and out of the pool.
Members of the swim delegation pay a courtesy call on Minister of Sports Olivia Grange prior to departure.
Guwalani expressed delight to share in the initiative as a part of the programme also involves coaching experience and assists with enhances coaching abilities.
“I am also grateful that I was selected by the ASAJ, especially being a swim parent from Western Jamaica, team manager of the Sailfish Swim Academic, and having five out of the fifteen swimmers, who are from the West as participants in this programme. It is a phenomenal opportunity, especially given the absence of a 50-metre training facility to serve the growing demand of competitive swimming in the West,” Guwalani shared.
That said, she emphasized that the benefits of the exchange programme extend beyond the immediate training and competition opportunities.
“This is about building a foundation for the future of Jamaican swimming. Our athletes are ambassadors for the sport, and the experiences they bring back will inspire and motivate younger swimmers. It's about creating a legacy of excellence and fostering a culture of continuous improvement,” Guwalani said.
“In the end, I am hoping that our swimmers will make the best use of this opportunity. Set their goals and make the very best effort to achieve them. Our two coaches that are also a part of this delegation, Coach Zachary Johnson and Coach Omarie Sawyers seeking to gain the additional technical knowledge that can be garnered from this experience, and further take that to Jamaica and relay to our other coaches. So there is certainly a lot to be gained from this programme by all,” she reasoned.
Meanwhile, among the 15 swimmers is Zaneta Alvaranga, who was a prominent figure for Jamaica at regional and international swimming events, prior to taking a break from national representation for personal reasons. Alvaranga and her Kaizen Swim Club mate Devaughn Robe, are the only two returning swimmers from the initial batch of 15.
Zaneta Alvaranga (right) and members of the swim delegation share a photo opportunity during a stopover in Panama.
“I’m feeling good about going to China for a second year. The first time I went, I returned fitter and more competitive and I am hoping it will be a similar experience this time around. This programme is crucial for our development, as training in China allows us to push our limits, as well as improve on and learn new techniques, so I am excited to see what this trip holds,” Alvaranga stated.
By all indications, Alvaranga, known for her exceptional performances in the butterfly and freestyle events, is using this outing as a stepping stone to rekindle her passion for national representation.
"Every experience like this brings us one step closer to our dreams. The knowledge and skills we gain will not only benefit us individually, but also help to raise the overall standard of swimming in Jamaica. So, I am definitely hoping that it will get me back to a state of competitiveness for future competitions, including national competitions,” she declared.
"China has a rich history of excellence in swimming, and we are thrilled to learn from them. I think I can speak for the others in saying that we are ready to absorb everything we can, work hard, and bring our best back to Jamaica. And as I said, it is for me to get back into the groove of things,” Alvaranga ended.
The programme also involves women's football, basketball, badminton, and volleyball, among others.
Mark Cavendish made Tour de France history on Thursday as he won a sprint finish to take his 35th stage victory at the event.
That saw Cavendish, who won four stages in the 2021 edition of the race, surpass the great Eddy Merckx as the outright record holder for stage wins in the Tour de France.
Cavendish came out on top in a bunch sprint at the end of a 177.4km route from Saint Jean De Maurienne to Saint Vulbas.
At 39, he became the second-oldest stage winner at the Tour de France, behind Pino Cerami, who was 41 when he won in 1963.
"We just wanted to get the run-in to do it. I'm in a bit of disbelief," said Cavendish, who now rides for Astana Qazaqstan team and struggled to finish stage one last week.
"It was a big gamble for my boss and the team. You have to go all-in and we have done it. We did exactly what we wanted to do.
"Every little detail has been put towards specifically today. The Tour de France is bigger than cycling."
Geraint Thomas, Cavendish's good friend and former team-mate, said: "It’s unbelievable I am super happy for him
"To continue to do what he does at his age…at 39, everyone says you get slower when you get older but he has proved them wrong.
"It is great he has the record alone and is not sharing it with anyone. I said 'mate if you win this stage just drop your bike and walk away' but 'he was like, if I win the first one, I'll want to win more,' so he’s definitely going to hang around isn’t he."
Tadej Pogacar, who leads the general classification, quipped he cannot envisage himself taking Cavendish's slice of history.
The two-time Tour de France champion said: "Incredible. A 35th victory for Mark. He came to me and said don’t break the record but I don’t think I can."
Daniil Medvedev had to come from behind to get a hard-fought win over Alexandre Muller to reach the third round of Wimbledon.
After losing the first set, the Russian had to dig deep on Centre Court, winning 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-5.
Both players failed to break in the first set before Muller came out on top in the tie-break, and they similarly pushed each other in the second, though Medvedev finally found his groove.
He still did not have it all his own way, though he got the all-important break in the final game of the match to edge to a thrilling win in three and a half hours.
Next up for the world number five is Zhizhen Zhang or Jan-Lennard Struff in the next round.
Data Debrief: Medvedev rolls on
Medvedev has only failed to progress from the second round of Wimbledon once before, and after a tight first set, he would have been worried he would be adding to that.
However, he fought back, earning his 231st ATP match win since the start of 2020, the most of any player on the tour this decade.
Despite his strong start, Muller was unable to keep his nose in front and missed the chance to reach the third round of a grand slam for the first time in his career (now lost his last four such second rounds).
Carlos Alcaraz breezed past Aleksandar Vukic in the second round after a nervy start to continue his Wimbledon title defence.
The Spaniard endured a tough opening but soon found his composure to win in straight sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 6-2.
Alcaraz had his serve broken twice late on in the first set but returned the favour in the final game to take Vukic to a tie-break, which he edged.
After that, it was smooth sailing for the world number three, as he only dropped a further four games, none of which he served, with his power leaving the Australian scrambling with no answer.
Into the third round for the third consecutive year, Alcaraz will face Frances Tiafoe next time out.
Data Debrief: Alcaraz races on
In 2020, Vukic defeated a then-17-year-old Alcaraz in Roland Garros qualifying, but he faced a much different test this time around on grass.
Alcaraz's victory on Wednesday stretches his winning run to nine matches at Wimbledon, showing his fine form as he aims to earn the title for the second year running.
The 21-year-old has also achieved his 75th career ATP match win against an opponent ranked outside the top 50, stretching his record to 13-1 in 2024.
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