The British and Irish Lions will face the Sharks for the second time this week after the scheduled clash with the Bulls was postponed.
Warren Gatland's men were due to take on the Bulls in their third match of the trip on Saturday, but that match was called off due to coronavirus cases in the Pretoria-based franchise's squad.
Instead, the tourists will do battle with the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld, just three days after hammering them 54-7.
SA Rugby chief executive Jurie Roux said: "The choice of the Sharks was dictated by the fact that they have been in a bubble, have returned negative tests throughout and were prepared to take on the fixture.
"No other team in the country could meet those conditions right now – without going into a five-day lockdown. It is not an ideal situation, but COVID-19 has made sure that we do not live in an ideal world."
Lions managing director Ben Calveley said: "We’re very grateful to the Sharks for agreeing to play us again this Saturday at Loftus Versfeld.
"We have further COVID-19 testing scheduled for today [Thursday] and tomorrow. The results of those tests will determine whether we will be able fulfil this fixture, but, as it stands, we are optimistic.
"We remain committed to the tour in South Africa and determined to rise to the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic."
Lions head coach Gatland insisted he is not concerned about the viability of the tour despite a coronavirus outbreak hitting his squad just hours before their midweek drubbing of the Sharks.
South Africa were due to do battle with Georgia but COVID-19 cases in both camps put paid to that fixture just a fortnight before the first Test against the Lions.
The Springboks playing and management group returned 12 positive tests this week, with Georgia returning four.
German Nils Politt produced a mighty ride to win stage 12 of the Tour de France on the day his Bora-Hansgrohe team lost star man Peter Sagan from the race.
The 27-year-old Politt held his nerve and showed impressive endurance to cross the line first in Nimes, after a 159.4-kilometre largely flat stage from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux.
The maiden tour win for Politt provided succour for his team, after Slovakian Sagan withdrew before the start, the seven-time Tour points classification winner bowing out due to a knee injury.
Politt formed part of a four-man breakaway with Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ), Imanol Erviti (Movistar) and Harry Sweeny (Lotto Soudal) that splintered over the closing 15km.
Erviti, a 37-year-old Spanish rider and Tour mainstay for over a decade, was chasing his first stage win in cycling's most famous race. For a while it was on, but he ultimately crossed the line in second place, with Sweeny third and Kung eventually a distant fourth.
Politt said on Eurosport: "It's unbelievable. It's a dream to win a stage in the Tour de France. We had to decide that Peter had to leave the race because of his knee problems, so it changed also a little bit of tactics.
"I've been feeling well in the last days and was trying to give my best today. There was quite a lot of sprinters in our group and quite a lot of fast guys.
"I had to do the race hard and I had to attack quite early. There was the first attack with four guys gone. I did it again and to go solo to the finish line was unbelievable.
"It's my passion, cycling, and for my whole family, and I'm away from home so much because of training camps and races and now it's like the biggest win you can have, winning a stage on the tour."
The outcome at the front of the race had no substantial impact on the general classification standings, with Tadej Pogacar remaining over five minutes ahead of closest rivals Rigoberto Uran and Jonas Vingegaard, as the Tour heads towards the Pyrenees.
The bulk of the field arrived in Nimes almost 16 minutes behind Politt, with Mark Cavendish producing a sprint to lead the peloton over the line.
STAGE RESULT
1. Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) 3:22:12
2. Imanol Erviti (Movistar) +0:31
3. Harry Sweeny (Lotto Soudal)
4. Stefan Kung (Groupama-FDJ) +1:58
5. Luka Mezgec (Team BikeExchange) +2:06
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 47:22:43
2. Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First) +5:18
3. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) +5:32
Points Classification
1. Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 221
2. Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) 162
3. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) 142
King of the Mountains
1. Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) 50
2. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 44
3. Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) 42
What's next?
The 219km ride from Nimes to Carcassonne has all the hallmarks of a relatively straightforward stage before the teams head into the Pyrenees over the weekend.
Ash Barty gave Australia a first Wimbledon women's singles finalist since 1980 as she fended off former champion Angelique Kerber.
The first women's top seed to reach a semi-final at Wimbledon since Serena Williams in 2016, Barty needed to be at her sharpest to win 6-3 7-6 (7-3) in Thursday's Centre Court contest.
On Saturday, the 2011 girls' champion can look to join compatriots Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong on the list of those who have lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish.
Goolagong, who saw off Chris Evert in the 1980 final, was the last Australian woman to reach the title match, although Pat Cash in 1987 and Lleyton Hewitt in 2002 have delivered triumphs in the men's event since then.
Barty set the tone for the first set against Kerber when she read the direction of a smash and rattled back a forehand passing winner down the line to earn an early break.
The second set was far more nip and tuck, Kerber seemingly in charge at 5-2 against a ruffled opponent, but back came the world number one, snatching the break back in grand style with a whipped forehand across court.
Entering the tie-break, the set and the match hung in the balance, but Barty bossed it, winning the opening six points and surviving a minor wobble to get the job done, Kerber crashing a backhand into the net on the fourth match point.
Barty, smiling at courtside, said: "This is incredible. This is close to as good a tennis match as I'll ever play. Angie definitely brought the best out of me today. It was a hell of a match right from the first ball.
"I'm incredibly proud of myself and my team and now we get a chance on Saturday to try to live out a childhood dream.
"I've had an incredible journey. I've had ups and downs and everything in-between and I wouldn't change one day or one moment.
"It's been unique, it's been incredible, it's been tough. There have been so many things that have led to this point and I certainly wouldn't change one thing about it.
"I'm enjoying every single day. Being able to play on the final Saturday here at Wimbledon is going to be just the best experience ever."
Data Slam: For-lawn hope of grass expert Kerber as Barty comes through
Barty, the 2019 French Open champion, took out a player with the third highest number of grass-court wins among active tour players. Kerber has 80, behind only Serena Williams (107) and Venus Williams (97), but Barty says grass is her own favourite surface and that showed. She had 38 winners and rammed down eight aces to take her tour-leading 2021 total to 255.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Barty – 38/16
Kerber – 16/23
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Barty – 8/4
Kerber – 0/3
BREAK POINTS WON
Barty – 2/5
Kerber – 1/6
An uncharacteristically speedy Phoenix Suns performance left a half-fit Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks chasing shadows in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The Suns, who had 98 possessions per game in the regular season (ranking 24th), had 102 possessions on Tuesday as the usually more methodical Chris Paul picked up the pace.
Point guard Paul, 36, was the standout star as he belatedly made his Finals debut, finishing with 32 points and nine rebounds in a 118-105 Phoenix win.
Only Michael Jordan in 1991 had previously tallied 30 or more points and eight or more assists in a first career Finals game.
Even as the Suns attacked apace, Paul's steady hand limited the Western Conference outfit to nine turnovers – of which just two were his – to Milwaukee's 13.
The series is far from over ahead of Thursday's Game 2, but the Bucks need a response and will hope Antetokounmpo, their own elite performer, can provide it.
The 'Greek Freak' recovered from a hyperextended left knee sustained in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals to start the opener in Phoenix and initially impressed.
Antetokounmpo had eight points, five rebounds and two assists in a first quarter in which he played just over eight minutes, but he had only improved to 13 points by the end of the third.
"I wasn't nervous about my knee, I wasn't thinking about my knee," Antetokounmpo said on Wednesday.
"But hopefully, going into Game 2, I can feel more comfortable, more confident of going downhill, making more plays. We'll see. We'll see how it's going to be. Hopefully I can be in a position where I can make more plays."
Although the two-time MVP just about finished with a positive plus/minus, Milwaukee require more from their talisman – especially if the supporting cast continue to fluff their lines.
Khris Middleton had 29 points but five turnovers and just four assists; Jrue Holiday (10 points, eight rebounds, nine assists) was close to one of the most underwhelming triple-doubles in Finals history; Brook Lopez was a defensive liability, his -17 plus/minus a miserable game low.
Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday are on course to become the first trio of team-mates to each average at least 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the same postseason, but none of them reached that mark in Game 1.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Milwaukee Bucks – Jrue Holiday
The Bucks gave up two first-round draft picks and two potential pick swaps to get Holiday. With limited assets left, they need this to work. In Game 1, it did not. The All-Defensive First Team selection has been frustratingly inconsistent and his four steals in Game 6 against the Atlanta Hawks were followed by none against the Suns.
As Milwaukee switched on defense, Paul – Holiday's direct opponent at point guard – found joy with 27 points across the second and third quarters combined before the former New Orleans Pelican took matters into his own hands. "I really just saw him being aggressive, so at that point I felt like I wanted to just annoy him, get him off rhythm, make him pass the ball and take tough shots," Holiday said. "That's something we're going to have to make an adjustment to in Game 2."
Phoenix Suns – Deandre Ayton
The Suns have a significant drop-off at center, with Dario Saric tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Game 1, meaning Frank Kaminsky may now have to be trusted with playoff minutes. Fortunately, starter Deandre Ayton has shown himself capable of more than making up the deficit during his time on the floor.
A breakout postseason continued against the Bucks as Ayton finished with 22 points and 19 rebounds for a fourth consecutive double-double. It is tough to see how Milwaukee can live with the Phoenix big man, who shot eight-for-10 from the field and made all of his free throws – indeed, the Suns only missed once from the foul line.
Jesus Aguilar walked it off for the Miami Marlins who continued their perfect run in their four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 9-6 win on Wednesday.
Aguilar hit a three-run home run to clinch a walk-off victory over the reigning MLB champions, who had scored five runs in the third inning.
LA's Mookie Betts had homered at the top of the third inning, before Justin Turner teed off with a 402 foot home run, which was his 14th of the season to make it 5-2 for the Dodgers.
In a game full of home runs, the Marlins hit back with Garrett Cooper homering, before Zach McKinstry got one of his own.
Cooper homered again, marking his first career multi home-run game to tie the game up in the sixth inning.
Aguilar stepped up at the bottom of the ninth with the Marlins trailing 7-6, launching a huge drive from Edwin Uceta for his first home run at LoanDepot Park this season.
deGrom brings up 1,500 Ks
Jacob deGrom reached 1,500 career strikeouts as the New York Mets claimed a 4-3 walk-off win over the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of their double-header.
After seeing an early Luis Urias' home run, deGrom reached the milestone as the second fastest player in MLB history, from198 games.
Jose Peraza scored a pinch-hit home run before Jeff McNeil's walk-off hit as Dominic Smith dived to home plate.
Shohei Ohtani homered again to bring up his 32nd of the season, the most ever in an MLB season by a Japanese-born player, as the Los Angeles Angels won 5-4 over the Boston Red Sox.
The Angels were helped by Jared Walsh's two home runs, taking his season tally to 22.
The Chicago Cubs snapped their 11-game losing run with an 8-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, avoiding reaching their longest streak of defeats since 2000.
Joey Gallo became the second player in Texas Rangers franchise history to hit 10 home runs across a 10-game span but they lost 5-3 to the Detroit Tigers.
Paddack and Padres rough shift
Not a lot went right for the San Diego Padres in their 15-5 defeat to the Washington Nationals, especially for Chris Paddack. The Padres pitcher only lasted two innings with the Nat 7-0 up, coughing up nine hits. Nabil Crismatt stepped in but Washington moved 9-0 up after the third inning too.
Special Smith catch among crowd
In the second game of the Mets-Brewers double-header, which Milwaukee won 5-0, Dominic Smith pulled off a spectacular catch riding the sidewall reaching into the crowd from a wayward Rowdy Tellez left-field skier.
Wednesday's results
Tampa Bay Rays 8-1 Cleveland Indians
Atlanta Braves 14-3 Pittsburgh Pirates
Chicago White Sox 6-1 Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers 5-3 Texas Rangers
New York Mets 4-3 Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds 5-2 Kansas City Royals
Tampa Bay Rays 4-0 Cleveland Indians
Los Angeles Angels 5-4 Boston Red Sox
Toronto Blue Jays 10-2 Baltimore Orioles
Miami Marlins 9-6 Los Angeles Dodgers
Milwaukee Brewers 5-0 New York Mets
Chicago Cubs 8-3 Philadelphia Phillies
Houston Astros 4-3 Oakland Athletics
Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 Colorado Rockies
San Francisco Giants 5-2 St Louis Cardinals
Washington Nationals 15-5 San Diego Padres
New York Yankees 5-4 Seattle Mariners
Athletics at Astros
The top two sides in the American League West will meet again as the Houston Astros (54-33) host the Oakland Athletics (49-39).
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper says his side were motivated to win before the group likely breaks up this offseason after lifting the Stanley Cup on Wednesday.
The Lightning won 1-0 over the Montreal Canadiens at Tampa's Amalie Arena to clinch a 4-1 Stanley Cup Finals triumph, lifting the trophy for the third time in franchise history.
Ross Colton, who along with David Savard has been linked with an offseason move away from Tampa, scored the only goal of the game in the second period to seal the back-to-back Stanley Cup triumphs.
"We didn’t talk about it publicly, the team knows they are probably not going to be together next year," Cooper said post-game.
"It was led by Ryan McDonagh, [Patrick] Maroon and [David] Savard, that was the conservation, 'don’t let this end, it's too special a group'.
"They weren’t going to go out without raising the trophy."
The Lightning's domination in recent years has seen them not lose consecutive playoff games since the first round of the 2019 series.
Cooper added: "It's a culmination of your whole life's work. Character that can trump skill. This group has it, gamers all over the place. The players did it. I just sat their chewing gum."
Maroon earned special praise, as he celebrated lifting his third consecutive Stanley Cup, after the left-winger triumphed with the St Louis Blues in 2018-19.
"This was one special," Maroon said. "It's hard to win. [I'm] Blessed to be a part of good teams.
"It's hard to go back-to-back. To be a part of a group that's so special, it's really good.
"You can put me in some good company. I'm truly blessed."
The Phoenix Suns have revealed forward Dario Saric tore the ACL in his right knee in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and is out indefinitely.
The Croatian's knee buckled in the first quarter of Tuesday's 118-105 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, as he drove on Bucks center Brook Lopez.
Saric did not return to the court and the Suns did not provide an update on his condition post-game.
Phoenix have since confirmed Saric's diagnosis, ruling him out indefinitely with a torn ACL.
"It's just one of those situations that literally breaks your heart," Suns coach Monty Williams said on Wednesday.
"Dario is a guy that I've been with twice. I coached him in Philly, and to get a chance to be with him here, he's what Suns basketball is about. Hard worker, unbelievable guy, and he was so looking forward to playing in these Finals.
"And to play a few minutes and have that kind of injury, it was a tough thing to hear this morning."
Saric, who has been used as a back-up center to Deandre Ayton this postseason, averaged 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in the 2020-21 NBA season. The 27-year-old has seen action in each of the Suns' past 11 games.
British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland insisted he is not concerned about the viability of his side's tour of South Africa, despite a coronavirus outbreak hitting his squad just hours before their 54-7 win over Sharks.
One member of Gatland's playing squad and one of his management team tested positive for Covid-19, prompting the Lions boss to make eight changes to his matchday squad.
He handed debuts to Tom Curry, Josh Navidi and Adam Beard and saw the trio contribute to a confident performance in which Josh Adams and Duhan van der Merwe scored three tries each.
Asked whether he had experienced another day like it, Gatland told reporters: "No not really. It's been surreal. A real challenge.
"Players were in rooms until 6pm. I'm proud of performance and how they adjusted.
"I came away thinking I was proud of the togetherness of the group more than the performance or result.
"My message to the players is let's use this as a positive. Nothing is going to phase us.
"We had to go with the flow. We had to adapt and then change. The players were outstanding in their approach."
The Lions' clash with Bulls was postponed before the game, and positive coronavirus tests in the Springboks and Bulls camps have cast the entire tour into doubt.
But Gatland is confident it remains viable, saying: "We've been incredibly vigilant with what we’ve been doing for the last four weeks.
"The most challenging thing was the hotel. All our tests had been negative until today.
"We'll address it as it goes. We knew there'd be certain challenges."
On the prospect of arranging a replacement fixture for the Bulls game on Saturday, Gatland added: "I need to talk to the medical team about that.
"We'll talk about the chance of a game. We'll need to wait on the close contacts and see how the players from today are.
"Josh Adams has started three games so he needs a rest. These players have fronted up."
The British and Irish Lions brushed off uncertainty threatening to engulf their tour as they made it two emphatic wins from two matches in South Africa with a 7-54 win over Sharks in Johannesburg.
After two members of the Lions staff tested positive for Covid-19 hours before kick-off, ruling eight members of the squad out of the game, Warren Gatland gave debuts to Tom Curry, Josh Navidi and Adam Beard.
Three tries each for Josh Adams and Duhan van der Merwe ensured Gatland's patchwork side made light work of a defensively frail Sharks team.
Further tries from Bundee Aki and Louis Rees-Zammit and composed kicking by Owen Farrell and Finn Russell gave the Lions a scoreline that will keep morale in the camp high despite the uncertainty shrouding the tour.
Adams made it six tries in three matches before a neat attacking move saw Van der Merwe round Thaakir Abrahams to go over, with Farrell converting both to give the Lions a 14-point lead inside seven minutes.
Farrell sent a superbly weighted grubber deep into Sharks territory where Van der Merwe beat Elliot Daly to the ball and touched down to make it 0-19.
A fine half of attacking rugby was capped with a fourth try when Luke Cowan-Dickie drove Sharks back before Aki forced his way past James Venter and made his first score for the Lions, and Farrell converted to make it 0-26 at half-time.
Sharks improved after the interval and pulled a try back through Venter, who could not be stopped down the right touchline and went over before Curwin Bosch converted.
Farrell, struggling with a shoulder injury, was replaced shortly before Adams capitalised on a Marius Louw error, hacking on to score a try that Russell converted.
Adams fed Rees-Zammit, who showed his electric pace to score under the posts and Russell converted to make it 40-7 with 20 minutes left, and Van der Merwe completed his hat-trick when Daly's clever pass put him through in the corner.
Two minutes from time, Adams emulated his team-mate, scoring his third of the game after good hands in midfield from Beard and Taulupe Faletau.
Lions continue to roar, for now
Should the outbreak of coronavirus in the Lions camp spread beyond the two positives already detected, the uplift from this result may be shortlived.
What's more, Gatland has injuries to Farrell (shoulder), Rees-Zammit (hamstring) and Navidi (shin) to contend with.
Simmonds makes his mark
Sam Simmonds went into the game determined to make a point to England head coach Eddie Jones, who has not rewarded his outstanding performances for Exeter Chiefs.
The number eight had a superb first half, making more carries (six) than any other Lions forward, and only Josh Adams (31m) and Elliot Daly (51m) made more metres than his 30.
Roger Federer is unsure if he will make a return to Wimbledon, after the 20-time grand slam champion lost to Hubert Hurkacz in Wednesday's quarter-final.
Federer slipped to a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 defeat on Centre Court, with the 39-year-old failing to take the chance to become the oldest male to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in the Open Era.
Having taken the majority of 2020 out to recover from knee surgery, Federer had played in four tournaments prior to this year's grass-court grand slam, but failed to progress beyond the round of 16 in any of them.
He made it a step further at Wimbledon yet fell well short against world number 18 Hurkacz.
Following Federer's defeat, another legend of the Wimbledon courts – Boris Becker – suggested the end of the road may be approaching for the world number eight, who turns 40 in August.
And asked in a post-match news conference if he would be returning to Wimbledon, Federer conceded he is uncertain.
"I don't know. I really don't know. I've got to regroup. My goal was always for the last year and more to always try to play another Wimbledon," the eight-time champion said.
"The initial goal was to play last year, but that was never going to happen, plus the pandemic hit. I was able to make it this year, which I'm really happy about.
"With everything that comes after Wimbledon, we were always going to sit down and talk about it because clearly now Wimbledon is over. I've got to take a few days.
"Obviously we're going to speak a little bit tonight, depending on how I feel, then the next couple of days as well. Then we go from there. Just see, okay, what do I need to do to get in better shape so I can be more competitive?
"I'm actually very happy I made it as far as I did and was able to play Wimbledon at the level that I did after everything I went through. Of course, I would like to play it again, but at my age, you're just never sure what's around the corner."
Federer's exit leaves Novak Djokovic, who faces Denis Shapovalov in the semi-finals, as the clear favourite.
The 34-year-old world number one is aiming for his third grand-slam title of 2021, after triumphing in Melbourne and at Roland Garros.
Matteo Berrettini kept his momentum going with victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime in four sets to reach the Wimbledon 2021 semi-finals.
Champion at Queen's last month, Berrettini dropped just his second set of the tournament at SW19 but saw off Auger-Aliassime 6-3 5-7 7-5 6-3 in just over three hours.
The seventh seed hit 33 winners against Auger-Aliassime to set up a showdown with Hubert Hurkacz, who ended Roger Federer's quest for a ninth title earlier on Wednesday.
Berrettini promptly moved into a double-break lead but he then squandered four set points at 5-2 and allowed Auger-Aliassime to get back into it.
The Italian put things right in the next game even if he ultimately had to wait until his seventh set point, breaking for the third time in the set to move ahead.
Auger-Aliassime hit back with a break in the third game of the second, Berrettini finding the net after a double fault had given the Canadian an opportunity.
But a double fault of Auger-Aliassime's own allowed Berrettini to level matters at 3-3 and he soon forced three break points that would have allowed him to seize full control.
However, the younger man showed impressive character to save them and later broke again himself at 5-5 before holding to level the match.
The third set went the way of the serve until the 12th game when Berrettini earned a crucial break to move within a set of a showdown with Federer's conqueror Hurkacz.
And the world number nine did not look back as he got off to a flying start to the fourth set by breaking his nervy opponent in the second game.
Auger-Aliassime, who at 20 was bidding to become the youngest male to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since Djokovic in 2007, failed to hit back and big-serving Berrettini saw the job through to advance.
Data Slam: History-making Berrettini marches on
Berrettini showed more consistency than Auger-Aliassime, who was competing in his first major quarter-final, and with this victory becomes the first Italian to reach a Wimbledon semi-final in the Open Era.
The Italian has a 23-5 tour-level record on grass and, after winning his first ATP 250-level title at Queen's last month, he will now fancy his chances of overcoming Hurkacz for a place in the final.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Berrettini – 33/45
Auger-Aliassime – 24/41
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Berrettini – 12/3
Auger-Aliassime – 13/6
BREAK POINTS WON
Berrettini – 6/14
Auger-Aliassime – 3/12
Roger Federer may well have played his last match at Wimbledon after being dismantled at the quarter-final stage, according to Boris Becker.
Federer, seeking a ninth title at the grass-court grand slam, was comprehensively beaten in straight sets by the relatively unfancied 14th seed Hubert Hurkacz on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old was beaten 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 on Centre Court, missing out on becoming the oldest male to reach the semi-finals of the championship in the Open Era.
Three-time champion Becker thought the manner of Federer's defeat, in which he hit 31 unforced errors and suffered the ignominy of losing a set to love for the first time in his Wimbledon career, could leave him questioning whether this was his last visit.
"I don't know if we'll ever see the great man again here," he said to the BBC.
"It's normal for anybody to make mistakes, but if you're such a perfectionist as Roger Federer, some of these mistakes were way out of his league.
"It can happen in a game or a set even, but in his case it was pretty much the whole match.
"As they always say, time doesn't stand still for any man or woman."
Federer came into this year's tournament having played just eight matches in 2021 following a lengthy recovery from knee surgery.
The 20-time major winner battled through the first round when Adrian Mannarino retired in the fifth set but looked to have regained some sharpness in victories over Richard Gasquet, Cameron Norrie and Lorenzo Sonego.
After losing the opening set against Hurkacz, Federer let a 4-1 lead slip in the second before succumbing in the tie-break, after which he never regained a foothold in the contest.
"Maybe in the first round he was trying to find his feet, he was lucky to get through, but in the following matches, he played better and better. Did he have a perfect match? No, but he had moments of perfection," said Becker.
"On paper, he was the favourite today. For him to go out and lose potentially his last ever set six-love... oh, God.
"I hope [he comes back in 2022], I don't want to see Roger losing his last set here. But there are certain rules in professional tennis that even Roger Federer has to obey: it's matches. You don't get your match fitness in practice, you're not going to get it in rehab. You don't know how strong your knee, your thigh or your mind is unless you're put in a position [to win]. He wasn't good enough today."
Becker drew parallels between Federer's defeat and his own 1995 final loss to Pete Sampras – a match that convinced him his time on tour had come to an end.
However, the former world number one advised Federer to play the remainder of the year and see if he can start 2022 on a positive note.
"My moment came when I lost to Pete Sampras in the Wimbledon final of 1995. I thought I was playing good, and I lost in straight sets against the better player," he said.
"I always felt that, when I'm not able to win Wimbledon anymore, why bother coming? Roger won it eight times; he's not coming here to play a tough quarter-final. He's coming here to win.
"He has to take a bit of a rest, play the hard-court season, go to the US Open and play the rest of the year. Go to Australia – he won there a couple of times – and hopefully win another tournament or two. Only then [will] he realise if he's good enough still to compete at the highest level."
Roger Federer's quest for a ninth Wimbledon title is over after he suffered a stunning straight-sets defeat to Hubert Hurkacz in Wednesday's quarter-final.
Federer has not reached the heights of years gone by at the All England Club, as an injury spared his blushes in the fifth set in the first round against Adrian Mannarino and he lost a set to Cameron Norrie in the third round.
And the 39-year-old was undone in style by the big-serving Hurkacz, playing at this stage of a grand slam for the first time in his career after claiming a surprise five-set win over Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round.
That match stretched into a second day but Federer was the player bereft of energy, Hurkacz emerging victorious from the biggest match of his life by a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 scoreline.
Hurkacz settled quickly despite the challenge of facing his childhood idol and had three break points at 2-2 and 40-0 in the first set, only to let that advantageous situation slip.
He did not make the same mistake two games later, emphatically dispatching a backhand volley to claim the sole break he needed to take the opener.
That looked a rare blip for Federer when he surged into a 4-1 second-set lead, only for Hurkacz to reel off the next three games en route to forcing a tie-break.
Hurkacz's prowess at the net continued to cause Federer problems and it was the Pole who eventually forged ahead in the tie-break, moving two sets up with a booming serve down the middle.
Unsurprisingly errant on the forehand side, a frustrated and flat Federer surrendered a break in his first service game of the third.
And two more came with a tame shot into the net and a wide forehand as the 20-time grand slam champion's challenge came to an end with him losing a set 6-0 at Wimbledon for the first time.
Wout van Aert claimed a superb victory after Wednesday's unprecedented double climb of Mont Ventoux as Tadej Pogacar came through a stern examination of his bid for back-to-back Tour de France titles on stage 11.
It was the first time in Tour history that riders climbed the imposing and iconic Giant of Provence twice in the same stage and Belgium's Van Aert showed his superb all-round capabilities after finishing second to Mark Cavendish in the Green Jersey during Tuesday's sprint finish at Valance.
The Jumbo-Visma rider crested Ventoux first the second time around and then showcased his expert descending skills to claim an unforgettable first Tour win in five hours, 17 minutes and 43 seconds, ending the day triumphantly for his team after colleague Tony Martin suffered another painful fall and withdrew.
"I'm lost for words," Van Aert said. "It's stupid to say but I wanted to win this stage before the Tour de France.
"Maybe it's my best victory ever. If you believe in it everything is possible. It's emotional."
Pogacar's advantage is now five minutes and 18 seconds, ahead of Rigoberto Uran, with Australia's Ben O'Connor dropped by the Yellow Jersey group inside the final 30 kilometres to fall from second to fifth overall, behind fourth-placed Richard Carapaz and Van Aert's team-mate Jonas Vingegaard.
Vingegaard supplied the most dramatic moment of the day when he dropped Pogacar near the end of the second ascent and opened up a 37-second gap.
Pogacar was able to claw that back in the company of Uran and INEOS Grenadiers' Carapaz to cross the line in fourth – ahead of his Danish rival Vingegaard, who was given the same time of +1:38 having exposed hitherto unseen hints of weakness within the favourite's considerable armour.
World champion Julian Alaphilippe was the first over the summit of Ventoux on the initial climb but faded from contention.
Fans lining the route at least had something to cheer as Frenchman Kenny Elissonde crossed the line in second alongside Bauke Mollema – the Trek-Segafredo duo each clocking in at +1:14 behind Van Aert.
STAGE RESULT
1. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 5:17:43
2. Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo) +1:14
3. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) +1:14
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +1:38
5. Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First) +1:38
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 38:25:17
2. Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First) +5:18
3. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) +5:32
Points Classification
1. Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 218
2. Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) 160
3. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) 142
King of the Mountains
1. Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) 50
2. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 44
3. Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation) 42
What's next?
After a day of hard toil, the sprinters can again be the main attraction on stage 12, with the 159.4km route from Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Nimes expected to end in a bunched finish.
Denis Shapovalov beat Karen Khachanov in an enthralling five-set thriller to move into his first grand slam semi-final at Wimbledon.
Shapovalov will face defending champion Novak Djokovic in the last four after fighting back to defeat Khachanov 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-1 6-4 in a pulsating contest on No.1 Court.
The exciting 22-year-old Canadian struck 59 winners and served 17 aces, breaking new ground at the All England Club with a brilliant performance.
Khachanov gave a great account of himself in his first quarter-final at SW19, but appeared to tire as 10th seed came out on top in a match that took three hours and 26 minutes to settle.
Shapovalov dug himself out of a hole to draw level at 3-3 after saving four break points and serving three double faults and claimed the first break of the match in the next game, putting away a backhand volley at the net.
The left-hander served out the set, but trailed 2-0 in the second when he sprayed a backhand wide and Khachanov maintained the momentum with another break.
Shapovalov got on the board at 4-1 but it was one set apiece when his backhand floated between the tramlines.
Khachanov produced some ferocious clean striking as he fended off two break points in a tight third set and the 25th seed had the chance to serve for the set after Shapovalov sent a forehand wide to trail 6-5.
He saved a break point before moving one set away from the last four, yet a fired-up Shapovalov was pumping his fist while bellowing out a roar when he went 3-1 up in the fourth.
Shapovalov was brimming with vibrancy and confidence as he took it to a deciding set in commanding fashion.
Khachanov showed great fight to dig deep from 0-40 down and hold for a 3-2 lead, then again to save another three break points in a tense game before he overcooked a forehand to go 5-4 down and Shapovalov kept his cool to serve it out.
Data slam: Persistence pays off for Shapovalov
A combination of great fight from Khachanov and unforced errors from Shapovalov prevented the world number 12 from getting the job done earlier.
He failed to convert 14 break points, but five proved to be enough to set up a showdown with the world number one.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Shapovalov – 59/48
Khachanov – 31/50
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Shapovalov – 17/10
Khachanov – 3/7
BREAK POINTS WON
Shapovalov – 5/19
Khachanov – 3/8
Novak Djokovic continued his pursuit of a third successive Wimbledon title with a straight-sets quarter-final victory over unseeded Marton Fucsovics.
The number one seed was not at his brilliant best but still emerged with a comfortable 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory on Centre Court.
Djokovic is now two matches away from a record-equalling 20th grand slam title and will play Denis Shapovalov or Karen Khachanov in the last four.
The Serbian's calm celebration - having taken the first of his two match points when Fucsovics sent a forehand long after two hours and 17 minutes - highlighted how untroubled he had been.
Djokovic raced into a 5-0 lead and although Fucsovics broke back in the seventh game – the only time he was able to do so in the match – the world number one closed out the opener.
The second set was a much closer affair, though Djokovic never offered up a break-point chance and then made the decisive breakthrough at 4-4.
Djokovic capitalised on his momentum with a break in the first game of the third set and then cemented that advantage with a crucial hold after saving four Fucsovics break points.
Despite his Hungarian opponent continuing to battle from there, that break proved enough and Djokovic soon got over the line to reach his 10th Wimbledon semi.
"Going for history is a huge inspiration for me – let's keep it going," Djokovic said after his win, which came as Shapovalov and Khachanov neared the end of a gruelling five-set battle.
"It was a solid performance – I started off extremely well - then one break of serve in the second and third set was enough to clinch victory.
"Credit to Marton for fighting and hanging in there - he had a great tournament."
Data Slam: Second set key for Djokovic
The second set was pivotal to Djokovic's victory. The Serbian failed to take four break points in the opening game and that allowed Fucsovics to find some momentum.
But in not offering up a break point, winning 16 of his 18 points on first serve, Djokovic was ultimately able to claim the set and remain on track despite being short of his best.
He ended up with only 23 winners to 30 unforced errors in the match, but victory never looked in doubt.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 23/30
Fucsovics – 24/31
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 4/3
Fucsovics – 5/5
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 4/14
Fucsovics – 1/6
The British and Irish Lions' clash with the Sharks is in doubt after a member of their management team tested positive for coronavirus, while South Africa's game with Georgia is off.
Warren Gatland's men are due to face the Sharks in the second match of their tour of South Africa on Wednesday.
However, four members of the touring party, including two players, are now isolating having been deemed to be close contacts of the individual who had the positive test result.
Kick-off has been pushed back to 20:00 local time (19:00 BST) pending the results of PCR tests for the rest of the touring party. The game will go ahead should those tests return negative results.
"We have followed all necessary precautions since the start of the tour, which included regular testing and rigorous COVID-19 counter measure planning and protocols," said Ben Calveley, managing director for the Lions.
"Our priority is to ensure the health and safety of the entire touring party, which is why we quickly isolated the players and staff upon receiving the news of the positive result.
"Everyone has subsequently been lateral flow and PCR tested. The Medical Advisory Group await the results of the PCR testing in order to make a decision on tonight's game.
"The five individuals affected will be monitored closely during isolation and receive the best possible medical attention as we await the results of their PCR tests."
The Springboks' second Test with Georgia was cancelled due to COVID outbreaks in both camps.
South Africa's playing and management group returned 12 positive tests this week, with Georgia returning four.
Jurie Roux, CEO of South Africa Rugby, said: "In the context of the loss of life and economic damage that COVID and this third wave are wreaking, the cancellation of a rugby match is pretty trivial.
"But it is still a major disappointment for the many stakeholders who have invested so much time, energy and resources into making these matches happen.
"I especially feel for the fans and players, and for our visitors from Georgia who travelled here at relatively short notice to take on the series, which has now been cut short. We've not been able to interact with them because of the bio-secure environments, but I'd like to thank them publicly for their support.
"We continue to plan for the Springboks' re-emergence from isolation and the completion of the Test series but in the short term we wish a speedy recovery for those who have been infected."
The Lions' clash with the Bulls on Saturday is already off and, while they are scheduled to face South Africa 'A' next Wednesday, the remainder of the tour now looks to be in question.
France suffered a heartbreaking late 23-21 defeat to the Wallabies in the first Test as their 32-year wait for an away win over Australia goes on.
Les Bleus travelled to Suncorp Stadium knowing history was against them, France's last away win over Australia having come 11,330 days ago on June 30, 1990.
But a pair of tries from Gabin Villiere put France in command, with Australia unable to respond until Brandon Paenga-Amosa went over in the 34th minute to make it a 15-7 half-time deficit.
Noah Lolesio reduced the gap to five points from the tee and his second penalty sandwiched three-pointers from Louis Carbonel and Melvyn Jaminet to keep the Wallabies in touch.
Australia captain Michael Hooper backed over the line nine minutes from time and Lolesio knocked over a simple conversion to fray France nerves as they were left to nurse a one-point advantage.
Lolesio had the chance to be the hero in the 77th minute but his drop goal drifted wide of the right-hand upright.
It looked as if Australia's chance had gone but France inexplicably failed to get the ball out of play from a lineout with the clock in the red, conceding possession and allowing Australia to earn a decisive penalty that Lolesio converted from in front of the posts.
Mike Budenholzer says Giannis Antetokounmpo deserves great credit for playing in the NBA Finals opener and expects the Milwaukee Bucks superstar to make a bigger impact in Game 2.
Antetokounmpo revealed he initially feared he would be out for a year after suffering a left knee injury during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks last week.
Yet the two-time MVP was back in action for a 118-105 Game 1 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Antetokounmpo scored 20 points and claimed 17 rebounds in his 35 minutes on court and Budenholzer praised the Greek forward for making such a swift return.
Asked how Antetokounmpo had gone from being doubtful to starting, the Bucks head coach replied: "He had a good workout before the game. I think you've got to listen to Giannis first. He felt good.
"The sports performance group felt good, he had been checking boxes the last couple days and making progress and so he was cleared, and he wanted to go and everybody was on the same page.
"it's just a credit to him. And we talked, just the work he puts in, the work the sports performance group puts in, for him to be back playing in Game 1, it's really impressive what he did."
Budenholzer was encouraged by Antetokounmpo and is looking forward to seeing what he can do in Game 2 at Phoenix Suns Arena on Thursday.
He said: "I think there were a lot of good things, considering five days and what he's been through these last five, six, seven days.
"I think 17 rebounds, 20 points, some great playmaking, passing, defending the rim, he's just like everybody else. I'm sure we'll find some things where he could be better.
"I think it usually takes him playing - he's a rhythm guy. So, I'm excited about how he'll improve from Game 1 to Game 2. We'll see how he feels. But I think play-wise, he always gets better when he plays."
Chris Paul – making the first Finals appearance of his stellar career – posted 32 points and nine assists, while Devin Booker added 27 points and Deandre Ayton finished with 22 points and 19 rebounds in a strong start for the Suns.
Veteran Paul became the third player ever aged 36 or older to score 30-plus points in a Finals game, after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan.
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