The Chicago Blackhawks’ rebuild officially began hours before the start of Thursday’s NHL draft and continued right into the opening moments of the first round.
Chicago’s teardown began in the afternoon with Alex DeBrincat being traded to the Ottawa Senators for the seventh and 39th pick in this year’s draft, and a third-round selection in 2024.
The Blackhawks didn’t stop there, however, as Kirby Dach was then traded to the Montreal Canadiens for the 13th and 66th overall picks.
In a statement, the Blackhawks' first-time general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement that he feels it is the right way to go about building a contender.
"It was an incredibly difficult decision to trade a player of Alex’s caliber," he said. "We feel as if this move sets the Blackhawks up for future success by giving us additional flexibility and future talent.
"Securing this early of a first-round pick for tonight and an additional second-round selection tomorrow allows us to fortify our prospect base with high-end players who we expect to be difference-makers in the coming years."
DeBrincat was an All-Star for the first time this past season, as he led the team with an equal career-high 41 goals to go with a career-best 37 assists. In five seasons with the Blackhawks, the 24-year-old winger racked up 160 goals and 147 assists in 368 games, but Chicago was in danger of losing the young playmaker, as he’s due to fetch a big payday once his current contract expires after the 2022-23 season.
Dach just finished up his third season with the Blackhawks, registering career highs of nine goals and 17 assists. The 21-year-old centre has 19 goals and 40 assists in 152 career games, but has not yet reached the production Chicago envisioned after selecting him with the third overall pick of the 2019 draft.
The Blackhawks, who haven’t made the playoffs in four of the past five seasons and have won just one playoff series since capturing the 2015 Stanley Cup, also made a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 25th pick by helping the Leafs free up cap space by taking on goaltender Petr Mrazek’s salary.
After beginning the night without a first-round selection as a result of last year’s trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Seth Jones, Chicago ended up with three picks in the first 25.
The Blackhawks took Canadian junior defenseman Kevin Korchinski at pick seven, U.S. development team centre Frank Nazar at 13, and Minnesota high school defensemen Sam Rinzel with the 25th selection.
Orlando Magic fans were treated to a delightful Summer League debut from number one overall pick Paolo Banchero in a 91-77 win against the Houston Rockets and third pick Jabari Smith Jr.
Smith was the heavy favourite to be taken by the Magic with the first pick from the day they won the NBA Draft Lottery, before a draft-day shocker saw them pivot to Banchero, allowing Smith to fall to the Rockets at three.
Banchero was terrific, and was the dominant force in the contest, operating as a six-foot-10 lead ball-handler.
He finished with 17 points on five-of-12 shooting, hitting two-of-three from long range and all five of his free throws, while also adding a team-high six assists and posting a game-high plus/minus of plus 20 in 26 minutes.
Fellow draftee Caleb Houstan, who was selected by the Magic with the 32nd pick, was the Magic's top-scorer with 20 on seven-of-12 from the field, shooting an impressive five-of-nine from three-point range, while also grabbing six rebounds.
For the Rockets, Smith's stats were less impressive, finishing with 10 points on four-of-10 shooting, although he was not put in a position to succeed.
While Banchero is an on-ball operator, meaning he can initiate his own offense off the dribble, Smith was used as an off-ball threat, relying on the Rockets guards to find him in favourable positions, which they did not.
Smith's tremendous size at six-foot-10, combined with his picture-perfect jump shot form and his defensive upside to guard at least three positions mean there is no reason for panic in Houston after a slow start to his first Summer League.
Second-year guard Josh Christopher top-scored for the Rockets with 22 points on seven-of-18 shooting, 17th overall pick from this year's draft Tari Eason showed what he can do with 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Houston's third first-rounder (29th overall) TyTy Washington flashed glimpses of a skillset that could lead him to becoming the floor general his team is lacking, coming off the bench for seven points, four rebounds and three assists.
The New York Yankees' bullpen were terrific down the stretch to deliver a 6-5 win in the first game of their series against heated rivals the Boston Red Sox.
Played at Boston's Fenway Park, the Yankees threatened to blow the Red Sox away in the third inning when Josh Donaldson crushed a 429-foot grand slam to sntach a 4-0 lead. Aaron Hicks then followed it up with his own solo home run from the very next pitch.
But the Red Sox showed fight in the bottom of the third inning, with Rafael Devers connecting on his fifth career home run against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, and his 18th blast of the season, with a two-run, 434-foot shot to center-field.
The Yankees were able to add one more insurance run in the fifth inning through a Jose Trevino double, but the Red Sox answered straight back in the bottom of the frame once again.
After a double to Franchy Cordero and a walk to Kevin Plawecki, Devers came through again, this time with a 425-foot homer to straight center-field to score three runs, making it six career homers off Cole and 19 for the season.
The rest of the game featured spectacular pitching out of both bullpens, with the Yankees trio of Wandy Peralta, Michael King and Clay Holmes combining to allow no hits and one walk from the final three frames, while Red Sox arms Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, Ryan Brasier and Austin Davis combined to allow one hit and no walks in the last four innings.
Cole was credited with the win, despite it not being his best performance, finishing with six complete innings for five earned runs, with all five runs coming off the bat of Devers.
The Yankees also got the job done without the help of AL MVP favourite Aaron Judge, who missed with a lower-back complaint, as well as Anthony Rizzo, who is fifth in the league in home runs (22), eight behind Judge's league-lead (30).
Ohtani and Trout struggle as Rutchsman goes deep
Superstar Los Angeles Angels duo Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout finished a combined zero-for-seven from the plate as their side went down 4-1 on the road against the Baltimore Orioles.
The loss is the Angels' fifth from their past six games as another potential AL MVP season from Ohtani appears likely to end without a playoff berth unless things turn around drastically, now fourth in their division and 17 games behind the Houston Astros.
Baltimore was buoyed by top prospect Adley Rutchsman hitting his first career home run at Camden Yards – which the Orioles fans will be hoping was the first of many.
Rookie Strider shines in Braves loss
Atlanta Braves rookie starting pitcher Spencer Strider continues to make his case for NL Rookie of the Year after striking out a career-high 12 batters in his side's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the St Louis Cardinals.
Incredibly, the first nine outs Strider recorded were all strikeouts, and he would make it through six complete innings, allowing no runs from two hits and two walks in 100 pitches. It was the first time in Braves history that a pitcher has recorded each of his first nine outs via strikeout.
The scores were tied at 1-1 after nine innings, and after each side brought home a run in the 10th, the Cardinals were able to score another in the 11th off a Dylan Carlson infield-single, with Packy Naughton collecting the save.
Carlson finished three-for-three at the plate after being brought in as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning.
The Montreal Canadiens selected Juraj Slafkovsky with the first overall pick of the 2022 NHL draft on Thursday.
The 18-year-old left wing became the first Slovakian to ever be picked first overall in the draft.
Slafkovsky excelled for Slovakia at the 2022 Winter Olympics, leading the tournament with seven goals in seven games to earn MVP honours while helping the country capture the bronze medal.
Speaking to ESPN after being presented with his Canadiens jersey, Slafkosvky was lost for words.
"It’s unbelievable, I still can’t believe that this actually happened," he said.
"When I heard from Slovakia, I was like 'what is happening'. It's just a special moment in my life."
When asked how he thought his family and friends would have reacted to the news, being 2am local time in Slovakia, Slafkosvky said "I think people are going crazy, they have to be... I think they are all awake."
With the second pick, the New Jersey Devils selected another Slovakian in defenseman Simon Nemec.
"This is a special night for Slovak hockey," Slafkovsky said.
Adam Svensson shot a blistering 10-under 62 in the first round of the Barbasol Championship to lead the field by two strokes.
Canada's Svensson is taking advantage of the fact that most of the sport's biggest names are spending this week at the Scottish Open, posting seven birdies, two eagles and bogey in his round. On the four par-fives, he collected two birdies and two eagles.
Speaking to The Golf Channel after his round, he said he felt in good touch coming into the event.
"I was on the range today and I was feeling really good," he said. "I've been putting well, putting a lot of work in that.
"It just kind of all came together today. I made two nice eagles. The one on eight was exceptional – made a 30-footer – but was just trying to stay in there because it was just so hot.
"I was losing energy, I was trying to hydrate and stuff like that. I was just really relaxed and just tried to get through the day essentially."
Being a co-sanctioned event from both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour, there was a strong international contingent near the top of the leaderboard.
Tied for second place at eight under are Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia and France's Robin Roussel, with the latter managing to go bogey-free.
There is an eight-man logjam tied for fourth at seven under, including Germany's Matti Schmid, Colombia's Camilo Villegas and England's David Skinns.
Another pair of Englishmen – Tom Lewis and Andrew Wilson – were a further shot back at six under, along with Australia's Cameron Percy, South Africa's Justin Walters and Germany's Yannick Paul.
Japan's Satoshi Kodaira, Chile's Hugo Leon and Sweden's Niklas Lemke are at five under, while Spain's Alejandro Canizares and South Korea's Noh Seung-yul shot four-under 68s – one stroke better than Thursday's average score.
After a top-10 finish at last week's John Deere Classic, Canada's Michael Gligic will be content with his opening 69, while John Huh shot a 70 as he looks for his third top-15 finish from his past five starts.
Zhou Guanyu acknowledged he is lucky to be alive following his horrific crash at Silverstone last weekend.
The British Grand Prix was red-flagged on the opening lap following Alfa Romeo driver Zhou's terrifying shunt at turn one.
After George Russell's Mercedes careered into Zhou following contact with Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri, the Chinese driver's car flipped over and subsequently shot across the gravel, over the barrier and into the catch fence protecting spectators.
There was a worrying wait at Silverstone before it was confirmed the 23-year-old was not seriously hurt.
And Zhou, who is the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula One, reflected on the incident ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix this weekend, for which he received an all-clear to compete on Thursday.
"I had a massive hit and flipped over, going at a very constant speed but quite fast into the gravel and I realise that I'm not getting stopped," he remembered.
"So, I tried to release myself from the steering wheel and into a very locked position, making sure I'm solid inside myself waiting for the final impact. That's what causes injury and is the big issue.
"Once I stopped, I didn't know where I was because I was upside down. Then there was some leaking, but I didn't know from where. I wasn't sure if it was my body or if it was the car!
"So, I just tried to switch the engine off. I knew if the fire started it would be difficult to get out. I don't know how I survived. But looking back, obviously the halo saved me there.
"It did not hurt, but it was very cold on my left-hand side, so I didn't know if it was blood or if I had no feeling on my left-hand side."
Zhou also paid tribute to Russell.
He did not know at the time, but the Mercedes driver stopped his car before running over to check on his counterpart, sacrificing his part in the rest of the race as a result.
"One man made conversation with me, making sure I was OK," Zhou continued.
"Looking at the pictures, seeing George jump out of the car, calling the marshals, it was very respectful and sportsmanlike. Very nice to see people like him trying to make sure everyone is safe."
The Las Vegas have named Sandra Douglass Morgan as the team’s president, making her the first Black woman to hold that title in the NFL.
The Raiders held a press conference Thursday, announcing the franchise’s third president in the last year.
Morgan, who was an attorney for 20 years, had served most recently as the chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board from 2019-21.
Marc Badain resigned last July after a three-decade tenure with the organization, and Dan Ventrelle was named his successor.
Ventrelle was fired in May and later alleged that he was dismissed for sharing reports from fellow team employees of inappropriate conduct by owner Mark Davis.
"It’s no secret that this organization has faced some recent challenges," Morgan said at her inaugural press conference. "But I want to be clear – I am not here to sweep anything under the rug or avoid problems or concerns that need to be addressed.
"The fact is that I accepted this role because I believe in the promise of the Raiders, I believe in the future of the Raiders and I believe in this organization’s tenants of integrity, community and – most of all – commitment to excellence."
Morgan declined to address specifics regarding the franchise’s recent off-field turmoil.
"There’s been no secret that there’s been reports about turnover. My number-one goal is to meet with each and every employee… and making sure our Raider family is strong. Our house will be strong. We’ll be in order to ensure that we can continue to benefit and provide world-class entertainment to this community."
Morgan specifically mentioned looking forward to working with head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, who are both new to the organization this season, as well.
"There’s been a lot of changes in the last six months, but I know that Mark has made those intentionally, and I’m really just looking forward to the future."
Charles Leclerc has dismissed suggestions of tensions within the Ferrari camp after enduring a frustrating outing as team-mate Carlos Sainz won the British Grand Prix last week.
But the 24-year-old maintains his team could have made better decisions after he fell out of contention to finish fourth at Silverstone.
Leclerc sits third in the drivers' championship standings going into Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, trailing Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez after several underwhelming results.
The Ferrari driver has struggled since winning two of the first three races of the 2022 campaign, failing to secure a podium finish in any of his last five outings after doing so in four of his first five this season.
Leclerc had led at Silverstone before Ferrari chose not to pit him for fresh tyres during a late safety car period, allowing Sainz to clinch the first victory of his Formula One career.
Italian press reports claimed some of Leclerc's engineers subsequently refused to take part in a group photo to celebrate Sainz's win, but the Monegasque driver has told Sky Sports F1 there are no divisions within the team.
"It is a shame to see all of this type of things," Leclerc said in Austria.
"It is definitely not what is happening inside the team. We are a very united team, we've always been, and it's not these difficult races that will make it change.
"Were we disappointed after last weekend? I think we were because we were one-two, and we finished one-four, so part of the team were disappointed. But this was definitely not the reason whatsoever for not everybody being on the picture.
"Everyone was very happy for Carlos, and this is the feeling that there is inside the team.
"One of the strong points we have as team-mates and as drivers [is] a team spirit that we have in Ferrari and these things are always under control."
But Leclerc was still not entirely happy with the team's strategy last time out, adding: "There are things we could have done better.
"But we know where we did the mistakes and I hope we can grow from that.
"Me personally, there's nothing I could have done differently in a way. As a team, we have changed a few things already, just in the way of communication throughout the race, to be ready in that particular moment.
"Once a safety car is out, you need to take a decision there, and if you are not ready for that, it's tricky."
Ferrari have slipped to a distant second in the constructors' standings after Red Bull recorded three one-twos in the last seven races, Verstappen claiming six victories in that time.
Nick Kyrgios has taken to social media to wish Rafael Nadal a speedy recovery after the Spaniard withdrew from the pair's Wimbledon semi-final through injury.
Nadal appeared to be struggling throughout his epic five-set quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, and it was later confirmed the 22-time grand slam champion had suffered a seven-millimetre abdominal tear.
The two-time Wimbledon champion then announced his withdrawal from the competition at a news conference on Thursday, saying he doubted his ability to win two matches while enduring the pain.
Nadal's exit means Kyrgios will become Australia's first male Wimbledon finalist since Mark Philippoussis in 2003, and is the first player to receive a semi-final walkover in the competition in the Open Era.
The enigmatic 27-year-old has since taken to Instagram to wish the Spaniard well, writing: "Different players, different personalities.
"I hope your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon. 'Till next time…"
The Australian has enjoyed a heated rivalry with Nadal since beating him in their first head-to-head meeting at Wimbledon in 2014, with the pair engaging in a couple of high-profile spats.
Kyrgios will now face either Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie in Sunday's final, as he bids to become the first Australian man to win Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt defeated David Nalbandian in 2002.
He has embarked on a box-office run in SW19, coming through five-set thrillers against Paul Jubb and Brandon Nakashima, as well as winning a fiery third-round contest against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Some 6,944 days will have passed since an Australian man played in a Wimbledon final by the time Kyrgios takes to Centre Court on Sunday, though he will look to fare better than Philippoussis did in 2003's straight-sets loss to Roger Federer.
World number 40 Kyrgios is also the lowest-ranked – and the first unseeded – Wimbledon finalist since Philippoussis (number 48), as well as the lowest-ranked grand slam finalist since Marcos Baghdatis (number 54) at the 2006 Australian Open.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and veteran defenseman Kris Letang have agreed to a six-year, $36.6 million contract extension, the team announced on Thursday.
The deal runs through to the 2027-28 season, during which Letang will turn 41 years old.
"Kris epitomises what it means to be a Pittsburgh Penguin," general manager Ron Hextall said in a statement. "The role he plays on our team is irreplaceable.
"He is a leader in our locker room, and has made countless contributions to the organisation over the last 15-plus years, which includes three Stanley Cup Championships.
"We are thrilled to make him a Penguin for life."
Letang has only played for Pittsburgh in his NHL career after being drafted by the Penguins in the third round in 2005.
He has hoisted the Stanley Cup three times – in 2009, 2016 and 2017 – and set career highs last season with 58 assists and 68 points, helping Pittsburgh to a 46-25-11 record.
Letang has played 941 games in a Penguins sweater, passing Mario Lemieux for third in franchise history last season.
Only team-mates Sidney Crosby (1,108) and Evgeni Malkin (981) have played more games for the Penguins.
Rafael Nadal says prolonging his career is more important than any trophy after withdrawing from Wimbledon ahead of his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios due to injury.
The second seed played though the pain barrier in beating Taylor Fritz in a five-set thriller in Wednesday's quarter-final, but he later admitted he was unsure if a troublesome abdominal issue would clear up in time for Friday's semi-final.
Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday, despite tests reportedly revealing he had a seven-millimetre abdominal tear, though it ultimately proved in vain as he announced at a news conference later in the day that his match with Kyrgios would not go ahead.
While disappointed at being denied the chance of winning a first calendar Grand Slam, having already won the Australian Open and French Open this year, the 22-time major winner feels he had no choice.
"Unfortunately, as you can imagine, I am here because I have to pull out from the tournament," he said. "As everyone saw yesterday, I have been suffering with a pain in the abdominal [area] and something was not okay there.
"That is confirmed, I have a tear in the muscle and the communication is too late. I was thinking the whole day, I was thinking about the decision to make, but I think it doesn't make sense to go, even if I try through my career to keep going.
"It is very tough circumstances but it is obvious if I keep going the injury will be worse and worse. I never thought about the calendar slam, I thought about my diary and my happiness.
"I don't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at my best. The most important thing to me is happiness over a title."
Nadal showed incredible mental and physical resilience to dig deep and see off first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Fritz 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4), despite being a set down when calling for a medical time-out on Centre Court.
"I make this decision because I don't believe I can win two matches under the circumstances. It is not only I can't serve at the right speed, it is I can't do the normal movement to serve," Nadal added of his decision to pull out.
"After that, to imagine myself winning two matches and for respect for myself in some way, I don't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at the level I need to play to achieve my goals."
Kyrgios will now receive a bye through to a first grand slam final, where either Cameron Norrie or Novak Djokovic await on Sunday.
As for Nadal, he is hopeful of returning to action within "two-to-three weeks", meaning he will have time to get back up to speed in time for the US Open, which begins on August 29.
"My goal is to go to the Montreal Masters [on August 5]," Nadal said. "Injuries are part of my career. I saw myself with options to win the title, but you have to accept things as they come."
Rafael Nadal has been forced to withdraw from Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios, ending his hopes of a first calendar Grand Slam.
Nadal played through the pain barrier in a mammoth four-hour quarter-final clash with Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, regularly being checked over by his physio during a 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) win on Centre Court.
The Australian Open and French Open champion admitted in the aftermath of that success he was "worried" about the prospect of having to withdraw from the tournament, adding: "I don't know [if I will be able to play] – I am going to have some more tests, but it is difficult to know."
Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday in a bid to find a way of competing but was unable to serve at full power, and reports said tests had revealed a 7mm abdominal tear.
The 36-year-old's efforts were ultimately in vain as he confirmed he was pulling out at a news conference later on Thursday, meaning Kyrgios advances to a first major final.
Rafael Nadal has been forced to withdraw from Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios, ending his hopes of a first calendar Grand Slam.
Nadal played through the pain barrier in a mammoth four-hour quarter-final clash with Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, regularly being checked over by his physio during a 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) win on Centre Court.
The Australian Open and French Open champion admitted in the aftermath of that success he was "worried" about the prospect of having to withdraw from the tournament, adding: "I don't know [if I will be able to play] – I am going to have some more tests, but it is difficult to know."
Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday in a bid to find a way of competing but was unable to serve at full power, and reports said tests had revealed a 7mm abdominal tear.
The 36-year-old's efforts were ultimately in vain as he confirmed he was pulling out at a news conference later on Thursday, meaning Kyrgios advances to a first major final.
Cameron Tringale was delighted with his "red-hot" putting display after shooting a remarkable nine-under 61 to take the lead at the Scottish Open, matching the course record in the process.
Tringale reached the turn at three-under after making a steady start, but the 34-year-old – whose only previous professional victory came in the Franklin Templeton shootout team event in 2014 – picked up the pace to birdie six consecutive holes through 10 to 15 and finish day one top of the leaderboard.
The American ended Thursday three shots clear of compatriot Gary Woodland and four ahead of South Africa's Justin Harding – one of four LIV Golf players to feature at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick.
In claiming a place among the early leaders, Harding fared far better than fellow LIV Golf star Ian Poulter, who made nine bogeys during a calamitous opening round to finish eight-over.
Poulter was allowed to feature pending an appeal against a DP World Tour ban but may be wishing he had not bothered after slumping to near the bottom of the leaderboard, at one point sharing last place in the expanded field.
But the story of the day was undoubtedly Tringale's career-best round. He is now targeting greater consistency after setting a terrific pace.
"I got lucky this morning with the wind not being up, the other guys in my group were off to hot starts, making some putts and I decided to join the fun on number five," Tringale told Sky Sports.
"Then my putter got red-hot, and that's how you do it!
"You do the best you can, I think I was just fortunate with the amount of putts I holed and I got plenty of practice shots around the green, I didn't have to use them all that much because I struck it pretty nicely.
"But I was just dialled in on the greens and that tells the story. I'm just really focused on what I can control, I've done it poorly enough to learn the lessons.
"Hopefully I can continue to go and play, and the good outcomes will come as a by-product if I can keep my head on straight."
Lewis Hamilton's optimism has been renewed by improvements to his Mercedes, as he now believes the team can compete for race wins in 2022.
Seven-time Formula One world champion Hamilton has endured a hugely testing season with the Silver Arrows.
New regulations were always likely to threaten his place at the forefront of the sport, but Mercedes' bouncing car has caused unexpected issues.
Hamilton has not secured a single victory through the first 10 grands prix of the campaign – his worst ever drought from the start of a year.
In fact, neither Hamilton nor new team-mate George Russell have even finished in the top two; not since 2011 have Mercedes waited so long for such a result.
Yet a Silver Arrow has finished third in each of the past three races, including consecutive podiums for Hamilton – his second and third of the season.
The Mercedes superstar was even in position to challenge for the win at Silverstone last time out.
While Hamilton ultimately fell short, the performance of his car encouraged hope for the remainder of the campaign as he bids to record a victory in a 16th straight season, a potential outright record ahead of Michael Schumacher (also 15).
"With a bit more hard work, hopefully we can get closer to having a chance of winning," Hamilton said ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.
"I truly believe we can get a race win this year.
"There was a long way back. Earlier this year, I definitely wasn't sure we would ever get a win in this car, but that was not the way we like to think.
"It felt there's a long way to catch everyone up, knowing the progress everyone makes."
Mercedes have five wins at the Austrian GP – one shy of McLaren's record of six – but Max Verstappen and Red Bull have triumphed at three of the past four editions.
Hamilton added: "At Silverstone, there was definitely potential to win the race.
"With our current performance, we are not at the same level as the teams ahead of us – we needed everything to align.
"We have always struggled in Austria, so it is going to be hard to win here knowing the combination of corners – but not impossible.
"The weather is up and down. I am hopeful we will be pleasantly surprised [on Friday], but I might be wrong. I am staying hopeful."
World Rugby has hit out at "irresponsible" safety campaigners who have criticised the governing body's head injury assessment (HIA) process.
Safety campaign group Progressive Rugby claimed the HIA protocols had been "exposed" after Johnny Sexton was passed fit to play in Ireland's second Test against New Zealand.
Ireland skipper Sexton was taken off with a head injury during last weekend's first Test, but he passed the subsequent HIA checks and was given the all-clear to play again on Saturday.
Responding to the criticism, World Rugby said in a statement on Thursday that the wellbeing of players is never put at risk.
"It is the duty of any individual or organisation commenting on the head injury assessment process to do so using the facts," the statement read.
"Attempting to diagnose a serious medical condition like concussion from afar, without all the relevant information including a player's medical history, is irresponsible and no substitute for the world-leading medical care received by elite rugby players.
"Doctors are supported by the head injury assessment and recently updated return-to-play protocols put in place by World Rugby.
"These protocols are developed using scientific evidence and independent expert opinion which are kept under constant review, as we never stand still on player welfare."
As part of changes announced by World Rugby last month, players now face an increased minimum period of 12 days out of action should they be found to have suffered a concussion.
That has seen the likes of Tom Curry and Tomas Francis return home from England's and Wales' tours of Australia and South Africa respectively this week after sustaining such injuries in their opening Tests.
Elena Rybakina is determined to enjoy herself after setting up a groundbreaking Wimbledon final against Ons Jabeur.
Rybakina had not won a single grass-court semi-final prior to Thursday's match against Simona Halep, but she rose to the occasion in a stunning 6-3 6-3 win.
While the Kazakh said she was "quite nervous", it did not show as she forged nine break point opportunities – including in each Halep service game of the first set – and faced just one.
Rybakina's serve was similarly effective, with five aces and no double-faults; Halep had no aces and nine double-faults.
"It was really, really good," the victor said. "Usually, I have ups and downs. But I think today I was mentally prepared, and I did everything I could, and it was an amazing match."
Now, attention turns towards facing Jabeur, with both women playing their first major finals.
It will be the first time in the Open Era the women's singles final at the All England Club will be contested between two players who have not played a championship match at a grand slam before.
The stakes are only getting higher for Rybakina, but she is relishing the opportunity.
"I think it's going to be a great match," she said. "I'm going to try to do my best, but I'm going to enjoy it. I've already done a lot; it's time to enjoy the final."
Cameron Norrie can thrive as an underdog against Novak Djokovic and cause a sensation in Friday's Wimbledon semi-final, according to a former coach of the British star.
Ninth seed Norrie has battled through to a showdown with 20-time grand slam winner Djokovic, who had to come from two sets adrift to beat Jannik Sinner at the last-eight stage.
Their clash will be first on Centre Court on Friday, with Norrie bidding to follow in the recent footsteps of Andy Murray, Britain's last men's singles champion at the All England Club.
Djokovic is riding a 26-match unbeaten run at Wimbledon into the match, as the top seed bids to move a step closer to a fourth consecutive title at the tournament.
Yet the lower-ranked man can win, and he could even do it with a set to spare, according to Mexican David Roditi, head coach of the Texas Christian University's tennis team, with whom Norrie honed his talent as a youngster.
As well as studying sociology, Norrie's sports scholarship centred on playing for the Horned Frogs team. He spent three years at the university before leaving in 2017 to embark on a professional tennis career.
Roditi told Stats Perform he expects Norrie to thrive after his battling five-set win over David Goffin last time out.
"Obviously it's not easy to make Djokovic uncomfortable, not easy to beat him on grass," Roditi said. "What I will say is that this is finally the first time that Cameron gets to play as an underdog.
"I'm hoping that he's able to loosen up a little bit, be a little bit more aggressive, be able to go after him a little bit more than he was able to in the quarter-finals.
"I could feel he was not comfortable during that match [against Goffin]. He knew it was a great opportunity. So that underdog mentality has usually worked out well for Cameron. And I'm hoping that that's exactly what happens. And then once you get into the physicality of the game, and I think the longer this match goes, the better chances are for Cameron."
Looking at a prediction for the contest, Roditi said: "Oh, Cameron, it's got to be all Cameron. It's got to be him. So I'm saying Cameron in four sets? Wow. We'll give Djokovic a set. And well, then Cameron can win in four sets."
Roditi said there was "so much pride and so much excitement" being felt in Fort Worth at seeing Norrie grow into an elite performer on the world stage.
The 26-year-old won the Indian Wells Masters last year, the biggest achievement of his career until this fortnight.
Roditi says he always saw world-class potential in Norrie.
"There's no doubt he was head and shoulders above your typical 18-year-old coming in: extremely competitive, always willing to do the extra work physically," Roditi said. "He would go for long runs on his own, and so his endurance level is tremendous. It's great for him and his five-set matches – that showed in the quarter-finals.
"What I will say is that there was nothing he couldn't accomplish, [nothing] that we would ever be shocked or surprised [by]. He's always been able to defeat the odds and do more than anybody would expect of him.
"It's scary to think about what would happen if he wins this match. I think at this point anything's possible."
Elena Rybakina overpowered former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep 6-3 6-3 in the last four on Thursday to reach her first major final at the All England Club.
Rybakina is playing in the main draw in SW19 for only the second time, having debuted in 2021.
Yet the Kazakh looks every bit as accomplished on the London grass as the esteemed Halep, who had not lost at Wimbledon since 2018, taking the title in 2019.
Indeed, the Romanian met her match in Rybakina, who forged nine break point opportunities in a dominant display, aided by a flawless serve as Halep gave up a costly nine double-faults.
Despite being one of the game's great returners, Halep found herself on the back foot right from the outset.
She faced break points in each of her four service games in the opener, with a rampant Rybakina decisively seizing the first of them as she dictated play from the back of the court.
Rybakina's power continued to cause problems for Halep, although a trio of double-faults – including to both set up and secure the break point – were to blame as the first-time semi-finalist was gifted an early lead again in the second set.
That advantage was cancelled out in similarly generous fashion, with four straight unforced errors seeing Rybakina unexpectedly broken to love.
However, normal service was swiftly resumed as Rybakina won a sublime rally to tee up another break, and there was time for one final flourish as a sensational return from the 23-year-old left Halep rooted and wrapped up victory in 77 minutes.
Data slam: Simona's semi-final struggles
Losing at Wimbledon may have been an unfamiliar feeling for Halep after 12 straight wins at the tournament, including 10 in straight sets, but she is becoming all too accustomed to failing in the last four.
Excluding walkovers, this was the Romanian's fourth consecutive semi-final defeat. For Rybakina, it was a first win at this stage of any tournament on grass.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Rybakina – 13/16
Halep – 16/15
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Rybakina – 5/0
Halep – 0/9
BREAK POINTS WON
Rybakina – 3/9
Halep – 1/1
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