Lewis Hamilton has cast doubt on prospects for a Mercedes victory at the Styrian Grand Prix but promised to "give it everything" to challenge Max Verstappen.
Pole position went to Verstappen on Saturday as the Red Bull team showed impressive pace at their home circuit in Spielberg, Austria.
Championship leader Verstappen, who heads Hamilton by 12 points after the opening seven races of the season, expressed satisfaction as a job well done.
Hamilton reacted to being only third quickest, behind team-mate Valtteri Bottas, by saying Mercedes simply do not have the speed that Red Bull are showing at present.
A three-place grid penalty for a pit-lane spin on Friday means Bottas will drop to fifth, with Hamilton bumped up a spot, spared having to start on the second row.
Hamilton said: "Well done to Max. I've been giving it absolutely everything. It just wasn't the greatest of sessions, but nonetheless I'm still on the front row.
"I did everything I could and we go into the race on Sunday for a fight.
"Generally they [Red Bull] had a quarter of a second on us all weekend. I don't think we have the raw pace to overtake them, that's for sure."
But Hamilton added: "We'll be giving it everything. Maybe Sunday we'll be surprised, maybe it rains, who knows."
Verstappen has won two of the last three races to power ahead at the top of the drivers' standings, giving him early season hope of a first world title.
"It's been a very good weekend," said Verstappen. "Again in qualifying the car was really good to drive. I'm super happy to be on pole here at home. It's nice to see a Red Bull car first here.
"The lap, when you look at the track you think there are not many corners, but the corners you have are quite difficult. It's a small track but it's hard to get a good lap out of it. The first lap in Q3 was not too bad. It's never perfect, but it was good enough."
Looking ahead to race day, Verstappen said: "It's never easy – I wish sometimes it was easy. I'm sure again it will be very tight. Hopefully again it will be as interesting as it was in France."
Verstappen won after an undercut as he delivered victory last weekend at the French Grand Prix. Hamilton took second place there, with Sergio Perez third and Bottas fourth.
Bottas said his grid penalty this weekend was "a shame", adding: "It's a new day on Sunday with a race ahead and anything is possible."
Lando Norris (McLaren) and Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Perez will form the second row, with the relegated Bottas alongside Pierre Gasly on row three.
Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc struggled for pace with Ferrari in qualifying, and Sainz was bumped out of the top 10 close to the end of Q2, qualifying only 12th quickest.
Leclerc clambered to seventh on the grid, with Gasly's AlphaTauri team-mate Yuki Tsunoda eighth and Fernando Alonso ninth.
Sainz still qualified ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel – 13th and 14th respectively – with George Russell just a sliver away from making it through to Q3. Williams driver Russell was 11th, a mere 0.008 seconds behind Lance Stroll's Aston Martin.
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:03.841
2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) +0.194secs (has three-place grid penalty)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.226s
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.279s
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.327s
6. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) +0.395s
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.631s
8. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) +0.673s
9. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +0.733s
10. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +0.867s
A collision between Tony Martin and a spectator's placard led to a huge crash in the peloton on the first stage of the Tour de France.
Shortly after Ide Schelling had topped the final climb of the 197.8 kilometre ride from Brest to Landerneau to ensure he will finish the stage in the polka dot jersey, Martin was sent careering to the tarmac, his crash sending scores of riders to the ground.
The incident led the front of the race to be neutralised to allow those caught up in the crash to catch up, but Jasha Sutterlin of DSM was not able to do so.
Sutterlin was forced to abandon the race in an extremely unfortunate turn of events for a rider competing in only his second Tour.
Schelling was eventually caught by the peloton once the race was allowed to restart at normal speed.
Angelique Kerber defeated Katerina Siniakova in straight sets on Saturday to win the inaugural Bad Homburg Open and end her three-year wait for a title.
The number four seed, whose last tournament triumph was at Wimbledon in 2018, prevailed 6-3 6-2 on home soil in a time of one hour and 25 minutes for her 13th career WTA singles crown.
Kerber overcame Amanda Anisimova and top seed Petra Kvitova on Friday to reach her first final in two years but took time to get going against Siniakova, who won her only two career titles in 2017.
Siniakova broke Kerber's serve in the third game, only for the German to quickly respond by taking the next game as the pair continued to exchange blows.
World number 28 Kerber slowly found her rhythm and opened up a two-game lead at 5-3, but she had to save three break points before Siniakova fired into the net to concede the opening set.
The second set played out in a similar manner to begin with as Siniakova battled back after losing serve in the first game to level at 2-2 against her former world number one opponent.
But Kerber showed her quality by reeling off four games in a row and getting over the line with her third match point to add to her trophy collection.
The victory for the 33-year-old was her 75th on grass, which is the third most among active players behind Serena and Venus Williams.
Kerber is seeded 25th for Wimbledon and will face Nina Stojanovic in the first round next week.
"Everyone knows that I love to play on grass, I really feel well," she said in her on-court interview.
"I had some great matches. The goal was to have some good matches to prepare for Wimbledon. Let's see and hope I can continue this next week."
There was concern for the British and Irish Lions when captain Alun Wyn Jones was forced off early in Saturday's Test against Japan.
Jones was withdrawn after doing damage while trying to turn the ball over in the eighth minute of the match at Murrayfield.
The lock appeared to injure his left wrist and walked off the field shaking his head in the warm-up match ahead of the tour of South Africa.
Jones, the most-capped player in Test history, was replaced by England lock Courtney Lawes.
The Lions start the three-match series against the Springboks at Cape Town Stadium on July 24.
The Russian Grand Prix will be staged at a new purpose-built circuit just outside St Petersburg from 2023.
The Sochi Autodrom has been the venue for the race since it was added to the calendar in 2014.
Autodrom Igora Drive, 54 kilometres from St Petersburg, will be the next Russian track to host a Formula One Grand Prix after it was given Grade 1 status by the FIA last year.
"I am pleased to confirm following joint intensive work with our Russian partners and detailed assessment of Igora Drive – Formula One will be racing at that amazing circuit from 2023," said F1 president and CEO Stefano Domenicali.
"I am impressed by St Petersburg and believe that the Russian Grand Prix at Igora Drive will be an incredible event."
The new circuit will feature 10 different track layouts in an area of around 100 hectares.
Lewis Hamilton has won four times in Sochi, but it was his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas who took the top step of the podium last year.
The 2021 Russian Grand Prix will be staged at the Sochi Autodrom on September 26.
Giannis Antetokounmpo dismissed suggestions he should get on with it from the free-throw line after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a series-levelling win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The Eastern Conference Finals could sway on how Giannis performs over the coming games, with the teams now poised at 1-1 following the Bucks' storming 125-91 win on their home court.
The Hawks are reportedly annoyed at NBA officials ignoring Antetokounmpo repeatedly taking longer than the allotted 10 seconds at the line.
It was reported by The Athletic that Antetokounmpo took between 11.5 seconds and 13.3 seconds for each of his eight free-throw attempts in Game 1 against the Hawks.
"Usually I take eight to nine seconds. So it was borderline 10 seconds," Antetokounmpo responded on Friday night.
"When my coaching staff tells me to speed it up I know I'm maybe around 10 and sometimes the referee will talk to me and say, 'You've got to speed it up'.
"Then I make an effort to take it a second or two seconds faster. But my mindset going into this game was to do my routine, get as many dribbles as I can, get my breath and just shoot my shot."
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo posted 25 points in 29 minutes and Jrue Holiday added 22 points of his own as the Bucks made light work of the fifth-seeded Hawks.
Antetokounmpo said the key for the Bucks after their 116-113 setback in Game 1 was to take a measured approach into the second clash in the series.
"I was calm, it wasn't the end of the world – if we had lost today I would have been a little bit more nervous," he said.
"I trust my team-mates, trust our habits. I think everybody's on the same page and know what we have to do. We knew we had to come in here and get this game and that's what we did.
"There's got to be some urgency, but you still have to enjoy the fact that we're here. We worked extremely hard to be one of the last four teams standing.
"We're going to try to play good basketball. The way I think about it is I'm going to be doing this for a long time so I've got to enjoy each game."
He relished the home support but added: "Also, there's an enjoyment factor when you're on the road and everyone's booing you and counting... '1, 2, 3, 4...'.
"What I do is enjoy each moment. You never know when it's going to be taken away from you, you can never take it for granted."
Ahead of Sunday's Game 3, Antetokounmpo said the Bucks would keep learning from each performance.
"We've got to focus on ourselves and how can we get better and put ourselves into position to win a game. We've got to keep getting better, each game at a time," he said.
"From Game 1 to Game 2 we've been better, we're happy about that, and hopefully from Game 2 to Game 3 we can get better."
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola tied a 51-year-old strikeout record in MLB on Friday.
Nola matched Tom Seaver's strikeout record after striking out 10 consecutive batters in the Phillies' 2-1 loss to the New York Mets in game one of a doubleheader.
While the Phillies went on to lose, Nola joined Seaver (1970) as the only pitchers in baseball history to accomplish the feat.
"It's pretty cool being in a category with Tom," Nola said.
Nola finished with a career-high 12 strikeouts, but the Phillies still lost, though they bounced back 2-1 in the second game.
"It was tough," Nola said about the loss. "I mean, yeah, it's a cool accomplishment. But winning's cooler, in my opinion."
As for the Mets, they have allowed three runs or fewer in 21 of their last 22 home games. According to Stats Perform, they are the first team to do so in any span of 22 home games since the 1917 White Sox, who went on to win the World Series.
The Tatis show
Fernando Tatis Jr. recorded his first career three-homer game as the San Diego Padres crushed the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-5. Tatis took his tally to 25 home runs for the season, moving level with Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
The Los Angeles Angels fell 4-3 to the high-flying Tampa Bay Rays but two-way star Shohei Ohtani hit a 453-foot home run. It was his seventh homer in nine games and 24th of the season.
Johnny Cueto pitched seven shut-out innings to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 2-0 win over the Oakland Athletics. Cueto struck out six batters while allowing just five hits and one walk.
The Baltimore Orioles snapped their 20-game road skid after rallying past the Blue Jays 6-5 in 10 innings. An away drought tied for the second-longest in American League (AL) history came to an end thanks to a four-run eighth inning. Guerrero's home run had helped the Blue Jays take a 5-1 lead before their five-game winning streak was halted.
The Boston Red Sox made it four straight wins after upstaging bitter rivals the New York Yankees 5-3.
Luis Torrens homered twice to help the surging Seattle Mariners trump the Chicago White Sox 9-3. Seattle have won nine of their last 11 games.
A.J. Pollock, Max Muncy and Zach McKinstry homered in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 6-2 victory at home to the Chicago Cubs.
Martin struggles
The less said about Corbin Martin's performance, the better. In just 0.1 innings, Diamondbacks pitcher Martin gave up three hits, four runs, two homers and two walks without a strikeout. He finished with a 10.69 ERA. Arizona team-mate Riley Smith did not fare much better after allowing three hits, four runs and three homers in 3.2 innings.
Arenado milestone
The slumping St Louis Cardinals lost 5-4 to the Pittsburgh Pirates but it was a memorable outing for Nolan Arenado, who hit his 250th career homer in the third inning.
Friday's results
Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 Colorado Rockies
New York Mets 2-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 New York Mets
Baltimore Orioles 6-5 Toronto Blue Jays
Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 Los Angeles Angels
Atlanta Braves 3-2 Cincinnati Reds
Boston Red Sox 5-3 New York Yankees
Miami Marlins 11-2 Washington Nationals
Texas Rangers 9-4 Kansas City Royals
Minnesota Twins 8-7 Cleveland Indians
Seattle Mariners 9-3 Chicago White Sox
Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 St Louis Cardinals
San Francisco Giants 2-0 Oakland Athletics
San Diego Padres 11-5 Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros-Detroit Tigers (postponed)
Astros at Tigers
The Astros (47-28) and Tigers (32-43) will clash in a doubleheader after Friday's game was washed out. Houston are riding an 11-game winning streak and will send Framber Valdez to the mound in game one, while Casey Mize starts for the Tigers.
Andrei Vasilevskiy was labelled the "best in the world" after guiding NHL champions the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final.
Lightning goaltender Vasilevskiy starred after stopping all 18 shots he faced as the Lightning outlasted the New York Islanders 1-0 in Game 7 of the semi-finals on Friday.
Vasilevskiy produced his second shutout in three games, while Yanni Gourde scored shorthanded in the second period for the Lightning – who will face the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final.
Lightning captain Steven Stamkos hailed Vasilevskiy after the Islanders – who were trying to reach the Cup Final for the first time since 1984 – were shut out in a Game 7 for the firs time.
"I don't think we can say anything more about him," Stamkos said. "He's the best in the world for a reason. He's the steady rock that allows us to play with pace, play with confidence and play with a lead."
Canadiens star Carey Price and Vasilevskiy will be the first former Vezina winners to face each other in the Stanley Cup Final since Ed Belfour (Dallas Stars) and Dominik Hasek (Buffalo Sabres) in 1999, according to Stats Perform.
Tampa Bay's Brayden Point fell short of an NHL record after failing to score a goal in a 10th straight Stanley Cup playoff game.
Point was unable to match Philadelphia Flyers forward Reggie Leach, who scored a goal in 10 successive postseason games in 1976.
"We've come such a long way; I've been with this group for a while," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. " … It's so [darn] hard to win in this League, but last year, I just found we could win in different ways, but in the end, just the warrior mentality this group had, and it was prevalent tonight.
"After a really tough loss the other night [in Game 6], you just can't count them out. They've just learned how to defend, and again another masterful performance in the defensive zone to win a huge Game 7 for us."
The Lightning will host the Canadiens – featuring in the showpiece for the first time since 1993 – in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks trounced the Atlanta Hawks 125-91 to square the Eastern Conference Finals series at 1-1.
After dropping the series opener, the third-seeded Bucks responded by routing the visiting Hawks in Game 2 in the NBA playoffs on Friday.
Two-time MVP Antetokounmpo posted 25 points in just 29 minutes and Jrue Holiday added 22 points of his own as the Bucks eased past the fifth-seeded Hawks in Milwaukee.
The Bucks – ahead 103-63 at the end of three quarters – never trailed against the Hawks, leading by at least 30 points through the second half as both teams rested their starters for the entire fourth period.
In Game 1, Antetokounmpo and Holiday became the first pair of team-mates to each attempt 25-plus field goals and make at least half of them in a playoff game since Kyrie Irving (16-for-29) and LeBron James (15-for-27) did it for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals.
While they did not reach those numbers in the second showdown, Antetokounmpo (11-for-18 shooting) and Holiday (nine-for-14 shooting) were heavily involved again as the Bucks bounced back on home court.
Brook Lopez (16 points) and Khris Middleton (15 points) were the only other players to finish in double digits for the Bucks, who blew out the Hawks 43-17 in the second period.
Hawks star Trae Young came into the clash on the back of a 48-point, 11-assist performance in Game 1 but he was unable to replicate those numbers.
Young finished six-for-16 shooting for a team-high 15 points as starters John Collins (11 points), Clint Capela (two points and eight rebounds), Bogdan Bogdanovic (eight points) and Kevin Huerter (eight points) struggled.
Suns at Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers, still missing Kawhi Leonard (knee) can level the Western Conference Final at 2-2 when they host the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 on Saturday.
Nani scored a stunning late goal to lead high-flying Orlando City to a 2-1 win at MLS rivals Inter Miami.
Orlando rallied away to David Beckham's Inter Miami on Friday, Nani's memorable 80th-minute effort completing the comeback.
After a scoreless opening half, former Juventus and Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain had come off the bench to give Inter Miami a 67th-minute lead.
Higuain scored within seven minutes of his introduction, a low shot from distance putting the hosts ahead at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
But Orlando hit back within six minutes – Chris Mueller teed up by Nani for the equaliser before the latter decided the contest.
Former Manchester United star Nani cut onto his right foot and hit a powerful strike from the edge of the penalty area with 10 minutes remaining.
After three wins in six days, Orlando are now second in the Eastern Conference and just two points behind New England Revolution, while Inter Miami are 11th.
Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard will miss his sixth consecutive game after being ruled out of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
Leonard has endured an injury-hit NBA playoff campaign, having not played since suffering a sprained right knee in Game 4 of the Conference semi-finals against the Utah Jazz.
The Clippers will again be without Leonard when they host the second-seeded Phoenix Suns on Saturday, looking to level the matchup at 2-2.
In this season's playoffs, two-time NBA champion Leonard has been averaging 30.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists for the fourth-seeded Clippers.
The Clippers trail the Suns 2-1 in the series following Thursday's 106-92 win at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Paul George led the way with 27 points and 15 rebounds as the Clippers celebrated their first ever victory in the Western Conference Finals.
Entering the contest following back-to-back games on the road, George had scored at least 20 points in all 15 games this postseason.
The latest performance saw George eclipse LeBron James' run of 15 consecutive games (in 2016) with 20-plus points in the playoffs – Kevin Durant is the only other active player to achieve the feat in the postseason (20 straight in 2012 and 21 in a row in 2018).
Angelique Kerber won two games on Friday to progress to the final of the inaugural Bad Homburg Open, with unseeded Katerina Siniakova her opponent.
Kerber made home advantage count, following up a 2-6 6-3 6-3 quarter-final win over Amanda Anisimova – a match that was pushed back from Thursday when rain washed out play – with a triumph over top seed Petra Kvitova.
The former world number one came back from behind to win 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) and take a spot in her first WTA singles final since 2019.
Kerber and Kvitova have now met 15 times, with the German winning on nine occasions.
She will go up against an unexpected finalist in the form of Siniakova, who defeated Sara Sorribes Tormo.
The Czech is the world number two in doubles, winning three grand slam titles in that format, and will be looking to replicate the feat of her regular partner Barbora Krejcikova, who triumphed at the French Open this year.
At the Viking International in Eastbourne, Jelena Ostapenko made light work of Elena Rybakina, while Anett Kontaveit made it into the final due to Camila Giorgi's retirement.
Latvian wildcard Ostapenko finished her 6-4 6-1 victory with zero double faults – the first time she has managed such a performance since winning in Luxembourg two years ago.
"I'm really happy with the way I played this week, and every match I played better and better," Ostapenko told a news conference after clinching a spot in her ninth career final.
"It's been a while [since making a] final, so I'm really happy to be in a final and looking forward to tomorrow's match."
The 2017 French Open champion will face Estonia's Kontaveit, who has won their previous two meetings and was 5-4 up in the opening set against Giorgi when her opponent retired hurt.
"It's actually nice to have a Baltic final, because [we're] not such big countries, but we still have good players," Ostapenko added.
"Anett, I know since juniors. We have been playing a lot, maybe not so many matches but we practice sometimes together, in juniors, and played even doubles. So I know her quite well."
Daniil Medvedev reached the first grass-court final of his career as he saw off Pablo Carreno Busta at the Mallorca Championships.
Medvedev, the top seed, had to come from a set down against his Spanish opponent, winning 3-6 6-3 6-2 to tee up a showdown against Sam Querrey.
The world number two has won 10 ATP Tour titles, but they have all come on hard courts.
"I know that I can play well on grass," said Medvedev, who followed up a quarter-final run at Roland Garros with a first-round defeat to Jan-Lennard Struff at the Halle Open.
"Unfortunately we don't have that many tournaments, only one ATP 500 and one grand slam. It's going to be a special feeling [if I] win my first title on grass.
"I still don't have one on clay, even if I have one final. Adding these titles, especially on different surfaces, can help your confidence and it’s just a great thing for your career."
World number 13 Carreno Busta had looked sharp in successive straight-set wins en route to the semi-finals, and started Friday's encounter in good form.
He had not dropped serve across the first four sets of his campaign in Mallorca and extended that streak by saving three break points in the opening set.
However, Medvedev – who has been drawn in the same half as Roger Federer at Wimbledon – rallied and served out the one-hour, 56-minute victory with an ace.
Querrey, meanwhile, will be going for his first ATP Tour title since 2017 after he cruised to a 6-4 6-3 win over unseeded Adrian Mannarino.
Another player who is hunting for his first Tour triumph on grass is Alex de Minaur, who defeated Soon Woo Kwon 6-3 7-6 (7-2) to progress to the Viking International final.
The world number 18 has won four hard-court titles and will go up against Lorenzo Sonego for the crown in Eastbourne.
Sonego beat De Minaur's compatriot Max Purcell 6-1 3-6 6-1. The Italian triumphed at the Sardegna Open in April.
Valtteri Bottas can start no higher than fourth in Sunday's Styrian Grand Prix, after the Mercedes driver received a three-place grid penalty.
Bottas, who sits fifth in the Formula One driver standings, was penalised for a spin in the pit lane during Friday practice.
The incident was adjudged to be "dangerous driving in the pit lane" by race strewards.
"When BOT pulled away from his designated pit stop position, he lost control of the car when he turned into the fast lane," read a stewards' statement.
"He oversteered, spun and came to a stop across the fast lane near the McLaren pits.
"During the hearing BOT stated that in the past they have been losing time in the pit departure. So they tried something new, which was to leave in second gear.
"As a result, the wheel spin was much higher and the result unexpected. Therefore he didn't manage to control the car properly into the fast lane. This has to be considered as potentially dangerous driving, especially as personnel were around in the pit lane."
The penalty is a dent to not only Bottas' chances for the race, but also Mercedes hopes in the championship. They are battling with Red Bull, whose driver Max Verstappen leads Lewis Hamilton by 131 points to 119.
It is a punishment that will also come as a surprise to Bottas, who said after the session: "We tried something different getting out from the box and there were some variables to what we normally do with the wheelspin, so that's why I spun.
"I would be surprised [if the stewards took action]. It's a normal mistake, it happens. I'm sure they want to understand what happened."
The British and Irish Lions can expect a rousing send-off when they face Japan for the first time at Murrayfield on Saturday before the tour of South Africa.
Rory Sutherland, Duhan van der Merwe, Josh Adams, Bundee Aki, Tadhg Beirne and Jack Conan will make their Lions debuts in a warm-up showdown with the Brave Blossoms.
Four weeks before the first Test against the Springboks, Alun Wyn Jones will lead out a Lions side that does not feature any England players.
One thousand four hundred and forty-nine days since the final match of a drawn series in New Zealand, Warren Gatland's men will be backed by a crowd of 16,500 for the historic 1888 Cup clash in Edinburgh against a Japan side playing for the first time since the 2019 World Cup.
Gatland said: "We're anticipating a tough game against Japan – a side that like to play at a high-tempo and shift the ball.
"We saw throughout the World Cup they have attacking threats across the park and a solid defence and set piece. I'm pleased with the progress we've made during our training camp.
"But we've a long way to go. You can see that the squad are starting to get to grips with our game strategies, but, as always with a Lions Tour, this takes time to bed in."
Japan head coach Jamie Joseph said: "There is a great spirit among the team and a collective excitement. Playing the Lions for the first time holds huge significance for Japanese rugby.
"And as a team, we’re looking forward to once again be playing on the world stage and to be taking on a team with the unique strength and history of the Lions.
"This is a strong Japanese team combining a solid foundation of experience, with some exciting new players who have earned the right to represent Japan at test match level."
VAN DER MERWE AMONG SCOTS WHO CAN FLOWER
Clinical wing Van der Merwe was the leading try-scorer in the Six Nations this year with five.
The flyer is among a strong Scottish contingent who will be so eager to put on a show in front of a home crowd.
Van der Merwe was born in the Western Cape province of South Africa but is ready to roar against his country of birth next month.
He has made a magnificent start to his international career, scoring eight tries in 10 Tests, and his ruthlessness will be key for the Lions in the coming weeks.
MURRAY AND BIGGAR CAN MAKE A STATEMENT
Gatland has gone with the experienced half-back pairing of Dan Biggar and Conor Murray to start against Japan.
Wales fly-half Biggar will be looking to lay down a marker, with Owen Farrell among the replacements.
Ireland scrum-half Murray got the nod ahead of Scotland playmaker Ali Price, who will get a raucous reception when he comes off the bench.
The Irish midfield pairing of Robbie Henshaw and Aki will be expected to give Japan a torrid afternoon with a combination of their power and pace.
The British and Irish Lions: Liam Williams, Josh Adams, Robbie Henshaw, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe, Dan Biggar, Conor Murray; Rory Sutherland, Ken Owens, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, Alun Wyn Jones (captain), Tadhg Beirne, Justin Tipuric, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Jamie George, Wyn Jones, Kyle Sinckler, Courtney Lawes, Taulupe Faletau, Ali Price, Owen Farrell, Anthony Watson.
Japan: Ryohei Yamanaka, Kotaro Matsushima, Timothy Lafaele, Ryoto Nakamura, Siosaia Fifita, Yu Tamura, Kaito Shigeno; Keita Inagaki, Atsushi Sakate, Jiwon Koo, Wimpie van der Walt, James Moore, Michael Leitch (captain), Lappies Labuschagné, Amanaki Mafi.
Replacements: Kosuke Horikoshi, Craig Millar, Asaeli Ai Valu, Jack Cornelson, Kazuki Himeno, Tevita Tatafu, Naoto Saito, Rikiya Matsuda.
KEY OPTA FACTS:
- Skipper Jones will play his 21st game with the Lions. The lock has scored two tries for the Lions, each one coming in the first game of a tour (v Royal XV in 2009 and the Barbarians in 2013).
- Japan failed to score a try in their most recent Test, a loss to South Africa in the quarter-finals of the World Cup on home soil. That ended of run of 46 straight Tests in which they'd crossed the try line at least once.
- The Brave Blossoms have played lost all five games in Scotland. Their most recent loss was a 42-17 thumping in November 2013.
- This will be the first Lions match in Scotland and only the fourth time a game will be played at a venue in the UK or Ireland (also Twickenham, Cardiff Arms Park and the Principality Stadium). The Lions have a balanced record at home with one win, one draw, one loss, 55 points scored and 54 conceded on aggregate.
William Knibbs and Emily Mayne are the early leaders after Thursday’s opening day of the Jamaica Golf Association's (JGA) National Senior Trials at the Cinnamon Hill Golf Course in St. James and the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine.
Novak Djokovic will start the defence of his Wimbledon title against British wildcard Jack Draper, and Serena Williams takes on Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the first round.
Djokovic is just one grand slam title away from matching Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's record tally of 20 after winning the Australian Open and French Open this year.
The world number one will take on 19-year-old Draper, a quarter-finalist at Queen's Club last week, in his first match at SW19 for two years after the 2020 championships were called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Djokovic faces a potential quarter-final against Andrey Rublev, while Federer could come up against second seed Daniil Medvedev in last eight.
First up for eight-time Wimbledon champion Federer is an encounter with Adrian Mannarino, while injury-plagued two-time winner Andy Murray will start his home major against the 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, beaten by Djokovic in a thrilling French Open final this month, has been drawn to face American Frances Tiafoe in round one of a tournament that gets under way on Monday.
Simona Halep announced just before the draw was made on Friday that she would not defend her title due to a calf injury.
Williams, runner-up to Halep in the 2019 final, must get past Sasnovich of Belarus in the first round and could face third seed Elina Svitolina at the quarter-final stage.
World number one and top seed Ash Barty takes on Carla Suarez Navarro, who made a grand slam return at Roland Garros after recovering from cancer. Barty could come up against Bianca Andreescu in the last eight.
Petra Kvitova against Sloane Stephens is a standout first-round match, while Coco Gauff's first assignment will be a meeting with 20-year-old Briton Fran Jones.
Defending champion Simona Halep has withdrawn from Wimbledon due to a calf injury.
Halep has been out of action since she was helped off the court after suffering a tear of her left calf during a match against Angelique Kerber in Rome last month.
The two-time grand slam champion had hoped to be fit to defend her title at the All England Club after travelling to London, but pulled out just three days before the tournament gets under way.
"It is with great sadness that I'm announcing my withdrawal from The Championships as my calf injury has not fully recovered," said the 29-year-old Romanian, who also missed the French Open.
"I gave it everything I had in order to be ready to play Wimbledon and after having such special memories from two years ago, I was excited and honoured to step back on these beautiful courts as defending champion.
"Unfortunately, my body didn't cooperate and I'll have to save that feeling for next year.
"I can honestly say that I'm really down and upset about having to take this decision. This period has been difficult but to miss the last two majors has made it even more challenging mentally and physically.
"We will see what the future holds but I'm hoping it will make me a stronger person and athlete.
"Thank you to everyone at Wimbledon for your understanding and support."
Halep won her first Wimbledon title two years ago, outclassing Serena Williams 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.
Devin Booker refused to blame his broken nose for an ugly showing in the Phoenix Suns' Game 3 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The second-seeded Suns had stormed into a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals but saw that advantage cut in half with a 106-92 loss in LA on Thursday.
It was a tough outing for Booker, who was just five-for-21 shooting as he finished with 15 points in a team-high 40 minutes.
That disjointed display came in the wake of Booker having been subjected to some painful treatment to put his nose back in place, but he did not want to use that as an excuse.
"The nose feels fine," Booker, who wore a face mask during the game, said in quotes reported by ESPN. "We just lost the game."
Booker had to undergo a quick fix before the Suns flew in to LA from Phoenix and it was not a pleasurable experience for the shooting guard.
"That was probably the worst part," he said.
"It's a procedure that they usually say they put you under [anaesthesia] for, but we had a flight out a couple hours later, so they just numbed it up all over the place, it felt like.
"Like eight shots to numb it up and then they go in there and put it back, they break it again. They break it back in place."
Despite the defeat, Booker is confident the Suns will put things right in the next game.
"The spirit is high," Booker said. "We move on to the next one. That's what type of team we are. We've been like that the whole season, so we'll stick with that.
"We'll come in tomorrow, go over film, regroup and get ready for Game 4."
Suns veteran Chris Paul returned from the league's health and safety protocol to post 15 points and 12 assists.
Paul became the 13th player in NBA history with 1,000 playoff assists.
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