Reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper has vowed to return this season but declined to commit to a timeframe following a thumb injury.

The Philadelphia Phillies star was ruled out indefinitely late last month after fracturing his left thumb against the San Diego Padres when struck by a 97mph fastball from pitcher Blake Snell.

Harper, 29, has since had three pins put in the thumb, with his hand in a cast.

"I don't want to give anybody a timetable because I don't know," Harper told reporters on Tuesday.

"If I knew a specific date that I'd be back, I'd tell you. I just don't think it's fair to anybody.

"I'll be back when I'm ready to go."

There is hope that Harper can return as a designated hitter for the Phillies, who are currently 43-38 in the NL East.

"I don't want to hope or think about anything," Harper said.

"I just want to go day by day and be back when I can, whenever I feel healthy, whenever that is to help this team win.

"Granted, if we're out of it, I'm going to come back and play no matter what, just so I know that I can go out there and play the game. I don't want that to be my last day playing this year.

"No matter what the outcome, I'm going to come back and I'll be playing."

Harper is hitting .318 with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs and a .984 OPS this season.

The Memphis Grizzlies and rookie Kennedy Chandler have agreed to a four-year, $7.1million contract with $4.94m in guarantees, The Athletic reported Tuesday.

Chandler’s deal contains the most guaranteed money ever given to an American-born second-round rookie.

The Grizzlies selected Chandler 38th overall in last month’s NBA Draft, with a pick that originally belonged to the San Antonio Spurs.

A guard out of Tennessee, Chandler averaged 13.9 points and 4.7 assists as a freshman while helping the Volunteers to a SEC Tournament championship and third seed in the NCAA Tournament.

"Kennedy was very high on our board going into the night, someone we felt very strongly about," Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman said.

"[Chandler] easily could have been a first-round pick of ours...absolutely shocked that Kennedy was there given how we felt about him.

"So we were very excited to extend that one beyond the amount of picks we had coming into the night because we felt really strongly about adding Kennedy to this group."

Kleiman was busy on draft night, orchestrating two other trades. The Grizzlies sent De’Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers for veteran swingman Danny Green and the No. 23 overall pick, David Roddy.

Memphis also sent picks 22 and 29, Walker Kessler and TyTy Washington, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 19th pick, Jake LaRavia.

Rory McIlroy believes players who have joined the LIV Golf Invitational Series should not be "having their cake and eating it" by being eligible to compete on other tours.

On Monday, Ian Poulter was informed he could play at this week's Scottish Open after an appeal against his ban was upheld, despite the DP World Tour barring him from playing.

Poulter was also one of several high-profile players to have been indefinitely suspended by the PGA Tour by signing up with LIV Golf.

One of the more vocal supporters of the PGA Tour, McIlroy insisted players should have to live with the consequences of choices to earn more money if they do sign with the breakaway competition.

"I think at this stage, if you go over and play on a different tour, then go over and play on a different tour," he said.

"You're sort of basically leaving all your peers behind to go make more money, which is fine. But just go over there. Don't try and come back and play over here again.

"This whole having your cake and eating it type thing is what the resentment [stems from] within the membership."

McIlroy's comments follow Branden Grace taking out LIV Golf Portland last weekend, with Billy Horschel also saving harsh criticism in the lead up to the Scottish Open, which will be an important preparation for the Open Championship.

Fronted by former world number one Greg Norman, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund is the majority shareholder of LIV Golf Investments, allowing for substantially larger prize money and an eased schedule.

Horschel, who won the Memorial Tournament in June, believes it is hypocritical of defectors to cite a lighter schedule and then play on multiple tours.

"They shouldn’t be coming back over here to play the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour, he said. "To say that they wanted to also support this tour or the DP or PGA Tour going forward, while playing the LIV Tour, is completely asinine in my opinion.

"To play the PGA Tour, you’ve got to play 15 events and their [LIV] schedule is eight events, [planned to be] 14. So to say they are going to play 29 events a year and still hold membership on the PGA Tour is ridiculous. They decided to go play on a tour and they should go play that tour.

"The last week’s events I’ve been really frustrated by because there are a lot of guys who are hypocrites that are not telling the truth and lying about some things."

The chairwoman of both the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, Jody Allen, said in a statement on Tuesday that the teams are not for sale at this time. 

There had been reports that an offer was made to buy the Trail Blazers, but Allen's statement dispels any rumours a sale is imminent. 

''As chair of both the Portland Trail Blazers and Seattle Seahawks, my long-term focus is building championship teams that our communities are proud of,'' said Allen, who has overseen both teams since her brother Paul died in 2018.

''Like my brother Paul, I trust and expect our leaders and coaches to build winning teams that deliver results on and off the court and field. As we've stated before, neither of the teams is for sale and there are no sales discussions happening.'' 

Paul Allen's will called for both teams to be sold and the proceeds be given to philanthropic efforts, and Jody acknowledged she plans to honour his wishes, though not at this time.

''A time will come when that changes given Paul's plans to dedicate the vast majority of his wealth to philanthropy, but estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down. There is no pre-ordained timeline by which the teams must be sold,'' Jody said. 

Paul Allen purchased the Trail Blazers in 1988 and bought the Seahawks nine years later. Jody Allen has been the trustee for her brother’s estate since the Microsoft co-founder's death.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Cameron Norrie has pledged to take the fight to Novak Djokovic in their last-four tie.

Norrie defeated world number 58 David Goffin 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5 on Tuesday to seal his progression to a maiden grand slam semi-final.

He is the first British man in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon after Roger Taylor, Tim Henman and Andy Murray.

The world number 12's reward is a tie against top seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who is in the hunt for a 21st grand slam title. Yet that daunting challenge is not dampening Norrie's enthusiasm.

"It's great to get this now but it's only going to get tougher," said Norrie in his on-court interview.

"I'm going to take it to Novak and hopefully you guys can get behind me and I'm sure you will."

Jannik Sinner became the first player to win two sets against Djokovic at Wimbledon since Roger Federer did so in an epic final in 2019, but the Serbian hit back to win 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 on Centre Court.

Djokovic has now won 84 singles matches at Wimbledon in the main draw, a tally that trails only Federer (105).

Norrie has won two titles on the ATP Tour this year, but acknowledged it was hard to get an immediate grip of what he has achieved so far at Wimbledon.

"I think just winning a match like this, I'm in shock. I don't know what to say now," the 26-year-old said.

"I have flashbacks of all the hard work and all the sacrifices I have had to make and it's definitely paid off – and it feels pretty good."

The San Jose Sharks have named former NHL forward Mike Grier as their general manager, making him the first black GM in league history.

San Jose announced the historic hire on Tuesday.

The 47-year-old Grier, who spent three of his 14 seasons playing for the Sharks from 2006-09, replaces Doug Wilson after he stepped down in April following 19 seasons at the helm for health reasons.

"I am extremely proud and grateful to be given the opportunity to be the general manager of the San Jose Sharks," said Grier.

"Along with my staff, I look forward to the challenge of building a fast, competitive, and hardworking team that Sharks fans will enjoy watching and be proud of.”

His first order of business as GM will be hiring a coach. The Sharks are the only team without one after firing Bob Boughner.

San Jose finished in sixth place in the Pacific Division this past season, missing the playoffs for a third year in a row after qualifying in 14 of the previous 15 seasons.

"Really excited to work and to be back in the Bay Area," Grier said. "I know there's been lots of ups and downs but I'm ready to work hard and get at it and get this thing back on the tracks. We're going to start winning some games in the Shark Tank and get it going again."

In addition to his time with the Sharks as a player, Grier also suited up for the Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres.

Since retiring from the NHL as a player in 2011, Grier served as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils and a scout with the Chicago Blackhawks before spending this past season as hockey operations advisor for the New York Rangers.

Ons Jabeur fought back from one set down to reach her first grand slam semi-final in impressive fashion, beating Marie Bouzkova 3-6 6-1 6-1 in the pair's Wimbledon quarter-final contest.

The second seed recovered from an error-strewn start on Centre Court to see off the 23-year-old Czech in quick time, recording her 10th consecutive grass-court win and her 21st victory in her last 23 outings. 

Jabeur also became just the second African player to reach the final four at Wimbledon in the Open Era, and the first since Yvonne Vermaak in 1983, after dominating the last two sets.

Bouzkova, whose second-round exits in each of 2022's previous slams represented her previous best major performances, showed no signs of nerves when breaking in just the fifth game of the opener.

Jabeur's frustrating start eventually saw her succumb to a second break, dropping the first set, when she followed a double fault with two errors 41 minutes in, but she stepped up in remarkable fashion to take the match away from her opponent thereafter.

The world number two needed just over half an hour to take the second set 6-1 before forcing Bouzkova into a decisive backhand error to claim an early break in the decider.

That was the first of three successive breaks for the Tunisian, who hit a powerful backhand to go 4-0 up in the third before doing likewise after Bouzkova managed to hit back with a break of her own.

Jabeur then confidently served out the contest to love, and after setting up a last-four clash with world number 103 Tatjana Maria, will be widely considered the favourite to clinch the title.

Data Slam: In-form Jabeur demonstrates grand slam credentials 

When Iga Swiatek was dumped out by Alize Cornet in the third round on Saturday, most onlookers immediately looked to Jabeur as the new favourite to take the Wimbledon crown.

After a shaky start, Jabeur lived up to that billing with an imposing performance in the last eight. Only Swiatek (44) has posted more wins than Jabeur's 35 on the WTA Tour this year, while no female player can match her tally of 83 wins since the start of the 2021 campaign.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

- Bouzkova 14/17

- Jabeur 30/27

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

- Bouzkova 0/1

- Jabeur 0/2

BREAK POINTS WON

- Bouzkova 3/5

- Jabeur 6/9

Cameron Norrie will face Novak Djokovic for a place in the Wimbledon final after the British number one defeated David Goffin.

Tuesday's topsy-turvy quarter-final was only the second meeting between Goffin and Norrie and it was the world number 12 who came out on top 3-6 7-5 2-6 6-3 7-5.

The first appearance from a Briton in a Wimbledon quarter-final since 2017 did not get off to a good start from a partisan home crowd's perspective, though, and Goffin looked well in control when he broke to go a set and 4-3 up.

Yet Norrie's resolve got him through, the 26-year-old hitting straight back before breaking again to restore parity.

The momentum swung Goffin's way again in the third set, the Belgian breaking three times and getting back in front, but he lost his way from then on.

A near 50-minute fourth set went the way of the Briton, who claimed the crucial break at 5-5 and then converted a third set point.

Norrie saved a break point on his first service game of the decider, but it was neck and neck until a truly dismal serving display from Goffin gifted the home favourite the chance to serve out the win.

It was an opportunity he did not pass up as, despite seeing a first match point go begging when Goffin sliced a wonderful effort down the line, Norrie regained his composure and forced the world number 58 into an underhit backhand, wrapping up the Brit's progress to a clash with top seed Djokovic.

Data slam: Norrie the home hope

Having won two Tour-level tournaments already in 2022, Norrie is into his first grand slam semi-final, and there is hardly any bigger test than going up against reigning Wimbledon champion Djokovic.

Norrie, who was born in South Africa, is only the fourth British man to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals in the Open Era, after Roger Taylor, Tim Henman and former world number one Andy Murray.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Norrie – 49/46
Goffin – 38/46

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Norrie – 5/4
Goffin – 6/3

BREAK POINTS WON
Norrie – 5/8
Goffin – 5/10

Denmark star Pernille Harder is "so happy" that Christian Eriksen is back playing football, and is hoping the playmaker will join Manchester United.

Eriksen collapsed on the pitch while playing for Denmark in Euro 2020 last June, suffering cardiac arrest.

The former Tottenham midfielder recovered and was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, but that prevented him from playing in Italy for his club Inter.

Eriksen was subsequently released and did not find a new club until January, when Brentford offered him the chance to show his quality and prove his fitness.

He managed to do just that, making a huge impact by scoring once and assisting four more goals in 11 league appearances to help Brentford, who had been out of form prior to his arrival, stay up with ease.

To highlight Eriksen's importance, he created 30 chances following his Bees bow in March, with only Martin Odegaard (38) and Kevin De Bruyne (42) topping that in the division.

However, the 30-year-old only signed a short-term contract and is now expected to join United, to the delight of Harder, who is preparing for the Women's Euro 2022 with Denmark.

She told Stats Perform: "It's amazing, I'm so happy that he’s back and that he's playing really good football as well.

"It seems like he's enjoying playing, if he's going to Manchester United I will be happy as a United fan but also for him.

"I don't know if it's just rumours or if it's actually happening."

Harder's sentiments were echoed by her Denmark team-mates Sanne Troelsgaard Nielsen and Signe Bruun.

Nielsen said: "So happy, we just enjoy following Christian Eriksen, of course Manchester United is a big club and it's huge in Denmark as well."

Bruun added: "It was so sad last year, him going down at home in our national stadium but to see him coming back like that and performing like that for the national team and Brentford as well is great.

"We all supported him, we were all behind him and for him now to make a big move like that, I think he deserves it, he's a hard worker, so I'm very, very happy to see that."

Novak Djokovic revealed "a little pep talk in the mirror" gave him the motivation to rescue his Wimbledon mission after Jannik Sinner threatened a monumental Centre Court upset.

Seeking a fourth consecutive Wimbledon title, and seventh in all, Djokovic fell two sets behind against 20-year-old Italian Sinner and left the court for a toilet break at the height of his crisis.

Djokovic returned recharged to win 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 for a 26th consecutive Wimbledon match win, reaching the semi-finals for an 11th time and later revealing what had occurred away from the public glare.

"I went out and had a little bit of refreshment, toilet break and a little pep talk in the mirror," said Djokovic.

That sparked laughter from the crowd, but Djokovic said: "It's actually true. Sometimes in these sort of circumstances where nothing is happening positively for you on court, and the other guy is dominating the play, sometimes these things are necessary: a little break and a little pep talk and try to recuperate and regather the thoughts, and reassemble everything that you have, and come at your opponent with the best possible game.

"I was fortunate to start the third set very well. I broke his serve early in the set and I think that has given me a confidence boost, and I saw a little bit of doubt in his game, in his movement, and I guess the experience of playing on this stage for many matches helped me a little bit to deal and cope with the pressure."

It was a third victory from two sets in arrears for Djokovic at Wimbledon, and a seventh overall in his grand slam career.

Djokovic described Sinner as "so mature for his age", adding: "He's got plenty of time, and it was unfortunate for him today, but he's had a very good tournament."

The defending champion said the first two sets and the final three felt like "two different matches", the change having been striking once Djokovic emerged from his talking-to in the mirror.

"I go through the same kind of doubtful moments as anybody else," said 35-year-old Djokovic, who is chasing a 21st grand slam title this fortnight.

"The inner fight is always the biggest fight you have to fight on the court, and so trying to win that internal fight is a big challenge.

"Once you do that, the external circumstances are more likely to go in your favour. I always believed I could turn the match around. I've done that quite a few times in grand slams, from being two sets to love down. Maybe it's the experience, maybe it's the toilet break, maybe it's everything combined, but I'm just glad I'm through.

"Every single time I step on this court the love affair keeps going and keeps growing, so hopefully I can maintain that run."

Trinidad and Tobago hammered Martinique 8-2 on Sunday to secure the bronze medal in Men’s Futsal at the Caribbean Games in Guadeloupe.

Captain Che Benny carried the Trinidadians with five goals and two assists in the game played at the Palais des Sports du Gosier.

Cuba won the gold medal after a 6-2 win over Suriname while Guadeloupe came fifth after a 12-6 win over Curacao.

Wout van Aert put any frustration from the first three Tour de France stages behind him as he won in emphatic fashion in Calais.

Van Aert finished second in each of the first three stages in Denmark but made sure of victory on Tuesday with a wonderful late surge that left the rest of the race in his wake.

Having worked with his Team Jumbo-Visma team-mates and a clutch of INEOS Grenadiers riders - including Adam Yates and general classification hopeful Geraint Thomas - to catch Anthony Perez (Cofidis) on the final climb with just over 10 kilometres remaining of the route from Dunkirk to Calais, Van Aert powered off down the home stretch.

A brilliant all-rounder, GC leader Van Aert turned what might have been a bunch sprint finish into a solo time trial, and he was able to celebrate as he crossed the line, assured of a well-earned success.

Having been pipped to the line by Fabio Jakobsen on Saturday and Dylan Groenewegen a day later, Van Aert was in no mood to leave anything to chance.

"I didn't want to take the risk anymore," Van Aert said when asked if he was tired of bunch sprints.

"We were in perfect position, it opened up on the climb. I came over the top alone... so I decided to go alone and then it was 10km of all-out suffering."

Asked what it was like to win a stage of Le Tour while wearing the famous yellow jersey, 27-year-old Van Aert, who now holds a 25-second lead in the GC standings, replied "this jersey gives you wings", seemingly referencing his celebration as he crossed the line, when he spread out and flapped his arms.

"This stage was most likely to end in a sprint in a bigger group, so it's one of the most difficult things to do to go alone," he continued. "I could only do it with the help of my team-mates. They did half the work, it was up to me to finish it off."

Philipsen left red-faced

Joy turned to embarrassment for Jasper Philipsen, who executed a perfect sprint finish to snatch second place.

He celebrated wildly as he crossed the line, only to be told that it was Van Aert who had already claimed victory. Such was the latter's lead, it is no surprise that Philipsen lost track.

STAGE RESULT 

1. Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) 4:01:36
2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4:01:44
3. Christophe Laporte (Team Jumbo-Visma) same time
4. Alexander Kristoff (Intermarche–Wanty–Gobert Materiaux) same time
5. Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) same time

CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS

General Classification

1. Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) 13:02:43
2. Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) +0:25
3. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +0:32

Points Classification

1. Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) 170
2. Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 109
3. Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) 80

King of the Mountains

1. Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education–EasyPost) 11
2. Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) 1

Novak Djokovic pulled off a great escape on Centre Court to deny Jannik Sinner in five sets and reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for an 11th time.

Djokovic won 5-7 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 in three hours and 35 minutes for his 26th consecutive Wimbledon match win, moving two steps away from a fourth successive title at the All England Club.

It gave him a 10th victory in the 11 five-set matches he has contested at Wimbledon, a fourth-round loss to Mario Ancic in 2006 the exception.

From 4-1 ahead in the second set, Djokovic's game went into sleep mode for an hour as his inspired Italian opponent stole a march, Sinner threatening to pull off a shock to follow up his outstanding fourth-round win over Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner was profiting from Djokovic's lethargic and erratic display, the crowd lending him their full support, which was no doubt jarring for Djokovic given his status as one of the tournament's greatest champions.

Djokovic gained a foothold in the contest by breaking to love to lead 3-1 in the third set, beckoning to the crowd to show him a little love in the next game.

From that point he never looked back. The tide was not so much turning but lapping urgently at the Sinner shoreline, threatening to wash away his challenge, and when he conceded a break in the third game of the deciding set the script was almost complete.

Sinner had rolled an ankle at the end of the fourth set but was quickly back to his feet, only to be mowed down by the relentless Serbian juggernaut on the other side of the net, a highlights-reel crosscourt backhand winner from Djokovic crowning the comeback as the winning line approached.

Data slam: Joining Jimmy as Djokovic survives

Djokovic has still not lost at Wimbledon since having to retire from a quarter-final against Tomas Berdych in 2017 due to an elbow injury. He has now matched Jimmy Connors' total of 84 match wins at Wimbledon, a total only beaten in men's singles by the 105 achieved by Roger Federer. The 11 Wimbledon semi-finals also put him level with Connors, with Federer's 13 the total to beat.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 41/33
Sinner– 43/41

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 8/5
Sinner– 8/7

BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 6/15
Sinner - 4/9

Wimbledon surprise package Tatjana Maria said she was living out a dream after reaching her maiden grand slam semi-final.

Maria also matched a feat achieved by Serena Williams and only two other players since 1984 – Mirjana Lucic (1999) and Zheng Jie (2008) – in reaching the last four at Wimbledon as a player ranked outside the top 100 on the WTA list.

The 34-year-old German, who beat compatriot Jule Niemeier 4-6 6-2 7-5 on Tuesday, is ranked 103rd, and despite her efforts at Wimbledon she will not soar in the standings after the WTA's decision to strip the grand slam of ranking points.

Yet that will matter little for the mother of two, who knew she would face either Marie Bouzkova or Ons Jabeur in her first slam semi-final.

"I have goosebumps everywhere. It was such a tough match against Jule. I think today we made Germany really proud after our match," said Maria in her on-court interview.

"My two little girls, it's a dream to live this with my family, to live this with my two girls. Almost one year ago I gave birth, it's crazy.

"Ons [Jabeur], I mean it would be really nice to play her [in the semi-final]. She is part of my family, she loves my kids, she is playing with them every day.

"It would be great to play her, we never know. But I am only happy that I am in a semi-final now."

Tatjana Maria's late-career Wimbledon charge continued into the semi-finals after she rallied past Jule Niemeier in the last eight on Tuesday.

The 34-year-old's best grand slam run before last week had taken her only as far as round three at the All England Club in 2015, but she is now one win away from a Centre Court final after edging Niemeier in an entertaining 4-6 6-2 7-5 triumph.

Niemeier, at the opposite end of her career at 22, was making her main-draw Wimbledon debut and had looked on course to ride her momentum into the last four.

In only the third all-German grand slam quarter-final of the Open Era, Maria's nerves showed in the first set as she immediately dropped serve and was unable to recover.

But after quickly being broken again at the start of the second, the veteran seized control, battling back as Niemeier appeared to lose her composure.

The decider could have gone either way, with one crucial point going in Maria's favour as Niemeier dived headfirst after a drop shot at the end of a 13-stroke rally, yet experience told at the last.

Data slam: Mother Maria in fine company

Maria gave birth to her second daughter just 15 months ago, but she has returned better than ever and joined esteemed company with a semi-final appearance at 34.

She is just the sixth female player in the Open Era to make the last four at Wimbledon after her 34th birthday, alongside Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams and Venus Williams. Meanwhile, Mirjana Lucic (2017 Australian Open) is the only other European player to achieve that feat at any of the majors.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Maria – 26/37
Niemeier – 39/54

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Maria – 4/7
Niemeier – 3/11

BREAK POINTS WON
Maria – 5/7
Niemeier – 3/9

Nick Kyrgios has been charged with common assault and summoned to appear before a court in Canberra next month, it has been reported in Australian media.

Australian Capital Territory Policing, who did not name Kyrgios directly, confirmed one charge of common assault relating to an incident in December 2021.

A barrister representing the tennis player responded by saying Kyrgios "takes the allegation very seriously" but would not be making an immediate public comment.

Kyrgios is in England, playing at Wimbledon, and is scheduled to face Cristian Garin in the quarter-finals of the competition on Wednesday.

The player's barrister, Jason Moffett, confirmed the charge.

"It's in the context of a domestic relationship," Moffett told the Canberra Times. "The nature of the allegation is serious, and Mr Kyrgios takes the allegation very seriously.

"Given the matter is before the court – he doesn't have a comment at this stage, but in the fullness of time we'll issue a media release."

An ACT Policing spokesperson in Canberra said: "ACT Policing can confirm a 27-year-old Watson man is scheduled to face the ACT Magistrates Court on the 2nd of August in relation to one charge of common assault following an incident in December 2021."

Olympic swimming gold medallist Bronte Campbell says any work on the sport's new open category should require talks with the "unbelievably marginalised" transgender community.

World governing body FINA last month announced the banning of all transgender women from elite female competition, if they have experienced any stage of male puberty.

The authority has received praise from long-time campaigners and strong criticism from LGBT advocacy groups for its decision, while World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the swimming body was acting in its best interest.

Campbell, who won freestyle relay gold medals with Australia at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, says any discussion over the introduction of an open category requires discussion with those who will be affected by the decision.

"I think it's important to look at all options," she said, quoted by the Australian Associated Press. "It's something you have to engage with the transgender community on. You have to figure out what they want to do in this situation.

"It's not for us to sit back and make up things without talking to the appropriate people."

Campbell's sister and fellow Olympic gold medallist Cate previously stated the gender inclusion policy would preserve the "fairness" of the sport.

Bronte Campbell added: "It's a really complicated issue. You're talking about a community that has been so unbelievably marginalised over the years and still faces that.

"So it's important to make sure that we're doing something to protect those people as well. Everyone's going to get past that next hurdle before they start thinking and engaging with it."

England wing Jonny May is set to miss Saturday's pivotal second Test against Australia in Brisbane as he makes a "graded return" from a coronavirus lay-off.

The 32-year-old Gloucester player has yet to return to full squad training after emerging from quarantine, and that means he is not expected to figure in Eddie Jones' selection for the weekend.

Defence coach Anthony Seibold said on Tuesday: "It was a long seven days for Jonny. He's been back on his feet today, running, but he didn't join in with the team. It will be a graded return to full training for him.

"We tried to include Jonny while he was in isolation, so sending him the team meetings, the backs meetings. We've used him as a really experienced Test player. We have a really young group in the backs, so he's been a bit of a resource for those guys."

May was absent as England loss the first Test 30-28 in Perth, where two late tries prevented the tourists incurring a heavier defeat. London Irish teenager Henry Arundell made a big impression off the bench as a wing and could come into contention to start in Brisbane, or Jones may elect to use him again as a high-impact replacement.

England will also be without flanker Tom Curry, due to concussion, and the Sale Sharks man will not feature in the third Test in Sydney either.

Seibold said potential replacements Lewis Ludlam, Sam Underhill and Jack Willis were "three really good guys".

Quoted on Skysports.com, Seibold added: "Lewis Ludlam came on and competed really strongly when Tom Curry came off on Saturday.

"He's been a great leader for Northampton this year and when he comes into camp you can certainly tell why he is the captain of his club.

"Jack Willis is really good over the ball and competes really strongly defensively, while Sam Underhill was one of the outstanding players at the 2019 World Cup.

"He missed out on selection for the first Test, but he’s competed really strongly to put himself in the frame for the second. So we've got some options there. Tom's a big part of our team so he'll be a loss, but it's an opportunity for somebody else."

Losing senior figures means a difficult task for England becomes even more complicated. Australia have won their last five Tests on home soil – their best-such run since 2008 – and five of their last eight when hosting European opposition.

Rafael Nadal spoke about how he is fighting against his physical decline after defeating Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4 6-2 7-6 (8-6) to advance to the Wimbledon quarter-final.

It was Nadal's second consecutive straight sets win after dropping a set to both Ricardis Berankis and Francisco Cerundolo in his first two rounds.

After not competing at Wimbledon since reaching the semi-final in 2019, Nadal is back as he tries to keep his dreams of a calendar slam alive, having won the Australian Open and the French Open already this year.

Speaking to the media after his fourth-round win, the Spaniard declined to give detail about his injuries, saying he is "healthy enough to keep going".

"I am a little bit tired of talking about my body," he said. "It's not that I don't want to answer the question, but at the same time, sometimes I am tired of myself, and all the issues I'm having.

"I'd prefer to not talk about it now – I'm sorry for that – but I am in the middle of the tournament, and I have to keep going. 

"All respect to the rest of my opponents, I am just trying my best every single day, and for the moment I am healthy enough to keep going, and to fight for the things that I want."

He added: "I think I made a big effort to be here.

"It takes a lot of mental and physical effort to try to play this tournament after the things I went through the last couple of months.

"But as everybody knows, Wimbledon is a tournament that I like so much, and it's been three years without playing here. I really wanted to be back, and that's what I'm doing, so that's why it means so much to be in the quarter-finals."

Nadal did not want to get into a discussion about his physical struggles, but it was unavoidable when he was asked about how his grass-court play has evolved over the years.

"I won here in 2008, and I played the final in 2006 and 2007," he said. "So I have to say that during that period of time there were a lot of things I did well [on grass courts].

"At very early stages of my career I was able to play very well on this surface too, but of course I am running less than before, that is obvious.

"When I am losing things, in terms of physical performance, you need to add things to keep being competitive. That's what I did all my career, try to add things to my game, and improve things I need to still be competitive after losing some physical capacities, and other things you lose during your career.

"At the same time, one of the things I'm more proud of is the way I've been able to adjust and accept the challenges in terms of physical issues, and to be able to always find a way to be competitive and improve my game."

Looking forward to his quarter-final clash with American Taylor Fritz – who defeated Nadal in the final of the Indian Wells Masters back in March – the legend said he was in too much pain during that contest to learn any lessons.

"Honestly, what I learned out at our last match was zero, because I had a stress fracture in my rib," he said. "That made it difficult to learn many things, because honestly the pain was terrible playing that match. 

"He's playing at a very, very high level, having a great season, winning matches everywhere, and you can see it. He won the tournament last week – the week before Wimbledon – and now the quarter-finals, winning already in a Masters 1000, he's in a very high position in the race already."

He added: "At the same time, we're in a quarter-final, so you can't expect an easy opponent."

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.