Emma Raducanu simply could not refuse a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to partner her "hero" Andy Murray in the Wimbledon mixed doubles.
Murray pulled out of the men's singles draw on Tuesday after having minor surgery on a troublesome back issue, but confirmed he would partner brother Jamie for the doubles on the male side of the draw.
The two-time Wimbledon singles champion will be in action in another competition, too, after the tournament granted Raducanu and Murray a wild-card entry to the mixed doubles draw.
Speaking after sweeping aside Elise Mertens 6-2 6-2 in the women's singles second round on Wednesday, Raducanu revelled in her chance to play with Murray.
"My doubles record isn't exactly the longest, or the most vast, but I couldn't say no," Raducanu said after her victory over Mertens. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"It's been a dream of mine since I was a young girl, since watching the Olympics. Andy's a hero to all of us.
"So for me, it's a real gift and it's a real honour that he asked me and it's a moment that I could never say no to.
"And I'm just super excited to be on the mixed doubles court and hopefully learn a thing or two about coming to the net or something!"
Murray suggested there has always been a desire to partner Raducanu, with two of the biggest names in British tennis now joining forces.
"We'd spoken about it during the COVID year but obviously both of us were doing quite well in the singles and it didn't happen," Murray said after his practice session at the All England Club.
"Last night I messaged her coach and asked if he thought it might be something she'd be up for doing.
"He said it was worth asking, so I did. It was quite late yesterday evening when I sent the message, it would have been after 9 p.m. so I was a bit worried she might have been in bed.
"But I got a quick reply. She said: 'Yeah, let's do it.' That was it."
A tough test awaits for the newly formed pair, however, after being drawn to face Marcelo Arevalo and Zhang Shuai in the first round.
Arevalo secured French Open men's doubles glory for the second time last month, while Zhang is a two-time major champion in the same format.
Casper Ruud suffered a surprise second-round exit at Wimbledon on Wednesday as another seed was eliminated early on at the grass-court major.
The eighth seed was outsmarted on No.2 Court as Fabio Fognini scored a 6-4 7-5 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 win to send Ruud home from the All England Club.
World number 94 Fognini cut a calm figure throughout, manipulating his opponent from the baseline before snapping past Ruud with ease at regular intervals.
The victory saw Fognini through to his seventh third-round appearance in 14 attempts at Wimbledon, where he next faces Robert Bautista Agut after the Spaniard downed Lorenzo Sonego on the same day.
"Maybe 14 is the lucky one," Fognini said during his on-court interview. "I was 5-2 up and the match was almost done but then at 5-4 too many things were coming into my head.
"But this is why I love and hate this sport. In the end he's top 10 and I'm 37 and today was a good present for me."
Ruud joined sixth seed Andrey Rublev as a surprise early elimination, and Tommy Paul was fortunate to escape a similar upset on No.3 Court.
The 12th-seed American moved into the third round by overcoming Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen 4-6 6-3 5-7 7-5 6-4.
Paul will face Alexander Bublik in his next outing.
Data Debrief: Fognini proves age is no issue
Fognini, aged 37 years and 40 days, is the third player aged 37 or older to defeat an ATP top-10 player in a men's singles major event.
The Italian joined Ken Rosewall and Roger Federer as the only players to achieve the feat as Ruud's struggles on grass continued.
Former world number Naomi Osaka was outclassed in the Wimbledon second round as in-form Emma Navarro eased to a straight-sets victory on Wednesday.
Osaka was unconvincing in an opening-round win over 53rd-ranked Diane Parry before Navarro, the 19th seed at the All England Club, proved too strong on Centre Court.
Navarro never faced a break point in a one-sided showdown, triumphing 6-4 6-1 in just under an hour against the four-time major champion.
The 23-year-old was offered a glorious opportunity in the first set at 3-3 when Osaka fired four straight unforced errors to hand Navarro the advantage.
A poor volley attempt spelt the end for Osaka in the second set as Navarro cruised home in quick time with 16 winners and only five unforced errors.
Navarro has now reached the third round at all three majors this year as Diana Shnaider, who cruised past 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens on the same day, awaits for her next clash in SW19.
Data Debrief: Osaka's grass-court struggles persist
Osaka has now never beaten a top-20 player on grass courts in six attempts, with this another reminder of Navarro's ruthless quality.
This was her first appearance on Wimbledon's famed Centre Court, yet Navarro never looked troubled in a routine triumph.
A tougher test will follow in the third round, however, as Shnaider has downed Navarro twice this year, most recently just last week in the Bad Homburg Open semi-finals en route to winning the tournament.
Emma Raducanu cruised through her second-round meeting with Elise Mertens in straight sets at Wimbledon.
While she was put to the test in the first round, Raducanu made little fuss as she earned a 6-1 6-2 victory on Court 1.
Raducanu won the first five games of first set, but even after dropping one, she saved a break point to take the opener.
She went on another impressive five-game win streak in the second, with Mertens unable to launch any real counter against the Brit, who was in fine form.
Next up for Raducanu is either Arantxa Rus or Maria Sakkari in the next round.
Data Debrief: Raducanu maintains her high level
Raducanu described her first round victory as "winning ugly" but that was not the case on Wednesday.
Since 2000, the 21-year-old (16-7) is one of only two British female players with a winning record (playing a minimum of five matches) at grand slam events, along with Johanna Konta (39-29).
She is also the third British player in the Open Era to hold a winning percentage of 70% or higher in Women’s Singles Grand Slam matches (70.8%), along with Ann Jones (85.3%) and Virginia Wade (71.3%).
Raducanu is now just one round away from matching her best result at Wimbledon, having reached the fourth round in 2021.
For some, the Jamaica-China Sports Technical Exchange Programme is merely just a training trip, but to Lloye Guwalani, the programme represents a promise, illuminating the path to a brighter and more competitive future for Jamaican swimming.
Guwalani, who will serve as team manager to an 18-member delegation currently en route to China, pointed out that the journey marks a significant milestone for Jamaica in particular, as she highlighted the importance of the initiative, which was designed to enhance the development of Jamaica's swimming talent through international exposure and training.
The project started in 2018, was due for completion in 2020, but was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the final leg of the three-year initiative is now on course to be completed.
“I am extremely pleased that the programme is now back in full effect after the COVID pandemic. It provides our athletes with invaluable opportunities to train in world-class facilities, learn from top-tier coaches, and experience a different competitive environment. These are experiences that will undoubtedly elevate their performances at the local and international level, and also broaden their perspectives,” Guwalani told SportsMax.TV prior to departure.
Established as part of a broader cultural and sporting partnership between the two nations, the Jamaica-China Sports Technical Exchange Programme aims to foster mutual growth and development. For Jamaica, this means leveraging China's advanced training methodologies and infrastructure to benefit its athletes.
In fact, the swim delegation's visit, scheduled to last two months, includes rigorous training sessions, friendly competitions, and cultural exchanges that are set to enrich the athletes' experiences both in and out of the pool.
Members of the swim delegation pay a courtesy call on Minister of Sports Olivia Grange prior to departure.
Guwalani expressed delight to share in the initiative as a part of the programme also involves coaching experience and assists with enhances coaching abilities.
“I am also grateful that I was selected by the ASAJ, especially being a swim parent from Western Jamaica, team manager of the Sailfish Swim Academic, and having five out of the fifteen swimmers, who are from the West as participants in this programme. It is a phenomenal opportunity, especially given the absence of a 50-metre training facility to serve the growing demand of competitive swimming in the West,” Guwalani shared.
That said, she emphasized that the benefits of the exchange programme extend beyond the immediate training and competition opportunities.
“This is about building a foundation for the future of Jamaican swimming. Our athletes are ambassadors for the sport, and the experiences they bring back will inspire and motivate younger swimmers. It's about creating a legacy of excellence and fostering a culture of continuous improvement,” Guwalani said.
“In the end, I am hoping that our swimmers will make the best use of this opportunity. Set their goals and make the very best effort to achieve them. Our two coaches that are also a part of this delegation, Coach Zachary Johnson and Coach Omarie Sawyers seeking to gain the additional technical knowledge that can be garnered from this experience, and further take that to Jamaica and relay to our other coaches. So there is certainly a lot to be gained from this programme by all,” she reasoned.
Meanwhile, among the 15 swimmers is Zaneta Alvaranga, who was a prominent figure for Jamaica at regional and international swimming events, prior to taking a break from national representation for personal reasons. Alvaranga and her Kaizen Swim Club mate Devaughn Robe, are the only two returning swimmers from the initial batch of 15.
Zaneta Alvaranga (right) and members of the swim delegation share a photo opportunity during a stopover in Panama.
“I’m feeling good about going to China for a second year. The first time I went, I returned fitter and more competitive and I am hoping it will be a similar experience this time around. This programme is crucial for our development, as training in China allows us to push our limits, as well as improve on and learn new techniques, so I am excited to see what this trip holds,” Alvaranga stated.
By all indications, Alvaranga, known for her exceptional performances in the butterfly and freestyle events, is using this outing as a stepping stone to rekindle her passion for national representation.
"Every experience like this brings us one step closer to our dreams. The knowledge and skills we gain will not only benefit us individually, but also help to raise the overall standard of swimming in Jamaica. So, I am definitely hoping that it will get me back to a state of competitiveness for future competitions, including national competitions,” she declared.
"China has a rich history of excellence in swimming, and we are thrilled to learn from them. I think I can speak for the others in saying that we are ready to absorb everything we can, work hard, and bring our best back to Jamaica. And as I said, it is for me to get back into the groove of things,” Alvaranga ended.
The programme also involves women's football, basketball, badminton, and volleyball, among others.
Mark Cavendish made Tour de France history on Thursday as he won a sprint finish to take his 35th stage victory at the event.
That saw Cavendish, who won four stages in the 2021 edition of the race, surpass the great Eddy Merckx as the outright record holder for stage wins in the Tour de France.
Cavendish came out on top in a bunch sprint at the end of a 177.4km route from Saint Jean De Maurienne to Saint Vulbas.
At 39, he became the second-oldest stage winner at the Tour de France, behind Pino Cerami, who was 41 when he won in 1963.
"We just wanted to get the run-in to do it. I'm in a bit of disbelief," said Cavendish, who now rides for Astana Qazaqstan team and struggled to finish stage one last week.
"It was a big gamble for my boss and the team. You have to go all-in and we have done it. We did exactly what we wanted to do.
"Every little detail has been put towards specifically today. The Tour de France is bigger than cycling."
Geraint Thomas, Cavendish's good friend and former team-mate, said: "It’s unbelievable I am super happy for him
"To continue to do what he does at his age…at 39, everyone says you get slower when you get older but he has proved them wrong.
"It is great he has the record alone and is not sharing it with anyone. I said 'mate if you win this stage just drop your bike and walk away' but 'he was like, if I win the first one, I'll want to win more,' so he’s definitely going to hang around isn’t he."
Tadej Pogacar, who leads the general classification, quipped he cannot envisage himself taking Cavendish's slice of history.
The two-time Tour de France champion said: "Incredible. A 35th victory for Mark. He came to me and said don’t break the record but I don’t think I can."
Daniil Medvedev had to come from behind to get a hard-fought win over Alexandre Muller to reach the third round of Wimbledon.
After losing the first set, the Russian had to dig deep on Centre Court, winning 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-5.
Both players failed to break in the first set before Muller came out on top in the tie-break, and they similarly pushed each other in the second, though Medvedev finally found his groove.
He still did not have it all his own way, though he got the all-important break in the final game of the match to edge to a thrilling win in three and a half hours.
Next up for the world number five is Zhizhen Zhang or Jan-Lennard Struff in the next round.
Data Debrief: Medvedev rolls on
Medvedev has only failed to progress from the second round of Wimbledon once before, and after a tight first set, he would have been worried he would be adding to that.
However, he fought back, earning his 231st ATP match win since the start of 2020, the most of any player on the tour this decade.
Despite his strong start, Muller was unable to keep his nose in front and missed the chance to reach the third round of a grand slam for the first time in his career (now lost his last four such second rounds).
Carlos Alcaraz breezed past Aleksandar Vukic in the second round after a nervy start to continue his Wimbledon title defence.
The Spaniard endured a tough opening but soon found his composure to win in straight sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 6-2.
Alcaraz had his serve broken twice late on in the first set but returned the favour in the final game to take Vukic to a tie-break, which he edged.
After that, it was smooth sailing for the world number three, as he only dropped a further four games, none of which he served, with his power leaving the Australian scrambling with no answer.
Into the third round for the third consecutive year, Alcaraz will face Frances Tiafoe next time out.
Data Debrief: Alcaraz races on
In 2020, Vukic defeated a then-17-year-old Alcaraz in Roland Garros qualifying, but he faced a much different test this time around on grass.
Alcaraz's victory on Wednesday stretches his winning run to nine matches at Wimbledon, showing his fine form as he aims to earn the title for the second year running.
The 21-year-old has also achieved his 75th career ATP match win against an opponent ranked outside the top 50, stretching his record to 13-1 in 2024.
LeBron James will spend at least one more season with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he'll be able to play alongside his son, after reportedly agreeing to a new contract on Wednesday.
ESPN reports James will sign a two-year, $104 million deal that includes a player option for the 2025-26 season as well as a no-trade clause.
The agreement allows the Lakers to have the first father-son pair of teammates in NBA history after the team selected Bronny James Jr. in the second round of last week's draft.
LeBron James, who turns 40 in December, will be entering his 22nd NBA season and seventh with the Lakers, and remains among the league's elite players even at his advanced age. The NBA's all-time leading scorer averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 71 games last season despite playing through a lingering left ankle injury for much of the campaign.
James was one of only three players, along with NBA MVP Luka Dončić and Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokić, to average at least 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists per game in 2023-24.
The four-time MVP and NBA champion also achieved a pair of unprecedented feats last season, as he became the first player in league history to be named to 20 All-Star teams as well as the first to reach 40,000 career points.
James won his fourth career NBA title by leading the Lakers to a championship during the COVID 19-affected 2019-20 season, and helped the club to a surprise run to the 2023 Western Conference finals. The Lakers were eliminated in the first round of this year's play-offs, however, after losing to the Nuggets in five games.
The Lakers took Bronny James with the 55th overall pick after he spent one season at the University of Southern California. The younger James suffered a frightening cardiac arrest during a practice session last summer, but was later medically cleared following a surgical procedure and appeared in 25 games for the Trojans.
Coco Gauff continued her serene start at Wimbledon with an emphatic victory over Anca Todoni in the second round.
Having dropped just three games in her first-round win two days ago, Gauff was similarly dominant as she triumphed 6-2 6-1 on Court One in just 66 minutes.
Gauff did not drop serve in Wednesday's match and was particularly ruthless while closing out victory in the second set.
The second seed's section of the draw opened up nicely after Sorana Cirstea suffered an early exit, and she will play an unseeded opponent again in round three, either Sonay Kartal or Clara Burel.
Data Debrief: Gauff in fine form
Gauff has become an established grand slam performer and is one of only four players on the WTA Tour with more than 50 major wins since the start of 2020. This was her 51st.
The American needs just one more of those wins to match her previous best Wimbledon result, having reached the fourth round twice before, in 2019 and 2021.
But given her current momentum, Gauff will have bigger ambitions than that.
While anything other than victories would have been stunning upsets across the first two rounds, the emphatic nature of her wins over Caroline Dolehide and qualifier Todoni will come as a huge boost.
Gauff has only been broken once across her two matches so far, and she won 17 of her 20 first-serve points in this match.
Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu will play the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon as a wildcard entry.
Murray has been struggling with a back injury in recent weeks, for which he needed minor surgery, and pulled out of the men's singles on Tuesday.
However, he confirmed he would still be competing in the men's doubles alongside older brother Jamie.
The two-time singles champion is playing at Wimbledon for the final time before retiring later this year.
It will be Murray's fourth appearance in the mixed doubles, most notably pairing up with Serena Williams in 2019, making it to the third round.
2021 US Open champion Raducanu has already advanced to the second round in the women's singles and will play in the mixed doubles for the first time at a grand slam.
The pair are playing together for the first time, with the first round of the event scheduled for Friday and Saturday. They will find out their first opponents on Wednesday.
Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 32nd home run but Elly De La Cruz and Will Benson each hit two-run shots and the Cincinnati Reds held on for a 5-4 win over the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.
Judge’s solo shot in the seventh off Sam Moll was his third hit of the game and pulled the Yankees within 5-4, but Fernando Cruz pitched the eighth and Alexis Diaz worked a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 20 chances.
Judge leads the majors in batting average (.321), homers and RBIs (83).
Luis Gil retired nine in a row to open the game before De La Cruz led off the fourth with his sixth triple of the season. He came home on a groundout and the Reds scored four times in the next inning to knock out Gil.
After Stuart Fairchild was hit by a pitch, Benson hit his fifth homer and first since May 28. Jonathan India was then hit near the left elbow and Caleb Ferguson relieved Gil. De La Cruz followed by sending a 2-0 fastball into the visitors' bullpen in left-center for his 15th homer and a 5-0 lead.
Graham Ashcraft held the Yankees scoreless for four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. He allowed three runs and four hits over five innings with two walks and three strikeouts.
New York has lost 11 of its last 15 games.
Ohtani homers as Dodgers rally
Teoscar Hernandez capped a two-out, ninth-inning rally with an RBI single to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Joc Pederson snapped a ninth-inning tie with a home run to give the Diamondbacks a 5-4 lead, but the Dodgers responded with two runs in the bottom half after Paul Sewald struck out Gavin Lux and Shohei Ohtani.
Will Smith doubled off the wall in center and scored on Freddie Freeman’s double into the right-center field gap. Hernandez then singled home Freeman for the game-winner.
Ohtani fell a triple shy of the cycle and homered for the 10th time in his last 14 games. He is batting .396 (21 for 53) with 20 RBIs during that stretch.
Ohtani, Smith, Freeman and Hernandez combined to go 10 for 20 with six RBIs and five runs as the Dodgers salvaged a game in which they led 2-0 and 4-3.
Christian Walker’s fourth-inning home run was his 15th at Dodger Stadium, with all coming since 2018. That is the most of any visiting player in that time.
Twins extend home run streak in win
Manny Margot and Carlos Correa went deep and the Minnesota Twins extended their club-record home run streak to 20 games in a 5-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Byron Buxton led off the seventh with a double and scored the go-ahead run on a head-first dive into home plate.
Minnesota’s bullpen came up big with Jorge Alcala working 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Griffin Jax pitching one inning before Jhoan Duran earned his 13th save of the season.
The Twins moved a season-high 11 games over .500 with their seventh win in nine games.
The news, however, wasn’t all good as third baseman Royce Lewis left after five innings with tightness in his left groin.
Andy Murray acknowledged "it was the right decision" to withdraw from the Wimbledon men's singles, despite the "extreme" disappointment of missing out.
The two-time champion pulled out of the men's singles event at SW19 early on Tuesday, after failing to recover from spinal cyst surgery in time to face Tomas Machac in the opening round later that day.
Murray's team confirmed his withdrawal after the former world number one gave himself every opportunity to be in a position to walk out and compete on Centre Court.
While it was not meant to be for the 37-year-old, he took pride in the strides he made just 10 days after going under the knife.
"I decided this morning. I slept on it," he said. "I told my team and my family that I didn't think I was going to play, just based on how I felt yesterday.
"I practised pretty well, and I was playing pretty good, I just wasn't happy with how my leg was feeling, and I wanted to sleep on it and make sure I was happy with the decision.
"I ran around at home a bit this morning when I got up, and it just wasn't where I wanted it to be, unfortunately. It's probably a few days too soon, but I worked extremely hard to at least give myself a chance to play.
"It was the right decision. It is extremely disappointing that I wasn't able to play but, at the same time, where I'm at -10 days after the operation in comparison to where I was told I would be and what my expectations were - is incredible really.
"I wanted to have a chance to go out there and walk out on my own on the Centre Court again and give it another go. But I also was only going to do that if I felt like I could be competitive, and I didn't feel like that today.
"I'm sorry for everyone that came and wanted to support and watch again. I wanted that moment as well, as much for me as the people who have supported me over the years.
"The fans but also my closest friends, family, my team. It was important for me to do that with them as well. It's one of those things. The timing was horrible, the surgery was a complex one, and it wasn't to be."
All is not lost for Murray, though, as he will compete alongside brother Jamie in the men's doubles.
The pair, who practised together on Tuesday, and are set to face the Australian duo of Rinky Hijikata and John Peers later in the week, and the three-time major winner is relishing the occasion.
"Getting the opportunity to play with Jamie here will be special," he added. "We've never done that before, and I'll make sure I make the most of it.
"It's easier said than done to just enjoy it when you're out there because you're competing and concentrating on trying to win the match. But hopefully, we can have a good run.
"We've got a good chance of winning. Jamie and I play great doubles together. We can definitely win the match."
Novak Djokovic hopes Andy Murray can make one final appearance in the Wimbledon men's singles, as the seven-time champion paid tribute to a "legend of the game" and "huge inspiration to all the players".
Two-time winner Murray withdrew from the men's singles event early on Tuesday, after failing to recover from spinal cyst surgery in time to face Tomas Machac in the opening round later that day.
The former world number one will instead partner brother Jamie in the doubles of what is set to be his SW19 swansong.
Djokovic saluted the Briton following his straight-sets victory over Vit Kopriva in the opening round, but believes the story may not be over quite yet.
"Hopefully, he can get another shot at next year's Wimbledon with singles," the 24-time major winner said of Murray. "Knowing him, he's going to try to do that.
"[He's shown] incredible resilience throughout his career. [A] multiple Grand Slam winner. Legend of the game. Number one in the world. Just a huge inspiration to all the players. He doesn't mind getting on court for hours every day. Incredible professional.
"His approach is something to study. His will to push and see how far he can go, even with an artificial hip, is something that's inspiring, but also serves as a great example to a lot of younger athletes that complain about this and that.
"He has left a great mark on and off the court for tennis. But something tells me that he'll keep going. He has every right to say when it's the finish line for him. If he wants to keep going, no doubt people will be very happy about it."
Murray had been due to appear on Centre Court, but the vacated slot was filled by current British number one Jack Draper who, somewhat fittingly, came through an epic five-set battle with Sweden's Elias Ymer.
The 22-year-old is full of momentum having recently claimed his maiden ATP title at the Stuttgart Open. He also paid tribute to the three-time major winner.
"You probably wanted to see Andy out here, but you were stuck with me instead!" Draper joked during his on-court interview.
"I wouldn't be here without Andy. He's an incredible guy off the court, so funny, so genuine. One of a kind. What a competitor, and what a champion."
Red Bull chief Christian Horner has no expectations of Max Verstappen changing his aggressive tactics after the contentious collision with McLaren's Lando Norris.
The pair were battling for the lead at last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix before crashing seven laps from the finish line.
Reigning Formula One champion Verstappen was deemed responsible and hit with a 10-second time penalty, though recovered to finish fifth as Norris was forced out of the race in a blow to his championship hopes.
That drama allowed Mercedes' George Russell to triumph but Horner does not expect Verstappen to hold back next time, even suggesting Norris must learn to adapt.
"I understand they've spoken already, I don't think there is any issue," Horner told Sky Sports News ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
"Certainly, from Max's side, he's not going to change. There's an element, I think, of Lando learning how to race Max and they're discovering that.
"Inevitably, there is going to be more close racing between the two of them as the cars look so close over the forthcoming races.
"Max is a hard racer – he's probably one of the hardest racers on the circuit and everybody knows that if you're going to race against Max, he's going to give as good as he gets."
Many pinpointed the blame at the hands of Verstappen, who has pushed the limits close in recent F1 seasons.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was among those to fiercely criticise the Dutchman, yet Horner believes the scrutiny is unjustified.
"He raced incredibly hard in 2021, he's a tough racer, and he hasn't really been racing anyone for two years because he's been out front so much," Horner said.
"The conflict between the two of them has been building over two, three, four races where they've been racing each other closely and hard, and at some point that was always going to spill over – and it did at Turn 3.
"He was punished in 2021 if he did something wrong just as Lewis [Hamilton], who he was racing so hard that year, was for things he did wrong.
"I think it's wrong and unfair to label a driver like that and I'm sure in the heat of the moment it was frustrating for Andrea, but that's just tough racing.
"He worked with Michael Schumacher [at Ferrari] for so many years – he of all people should know that."
The Bahamas opened up their Olympic Basketball Qualifying Tournament 1 Group B campaign with a 95-86 win over Finland in Valencia, Spain on Tuesday.
The Bahamians opened up a one point (27-26) lead at the end of the first quarter before their Finnish counterparts drastically improved their play in the second period on the way to a 28-20 victory for an overall 54-47 lead at the end of the first half.
Bahamas came back into the contest with a dominant third quarter in which they doubled Finland’s production 26-13 before a 23-18 advantage in the fourth quarter secured an eleven-point victory to open their campaign.
Buddy Hield was the main scorer for the Bahamians six three pointers on his way to 24 points along with six rebounds and three assists while Villanova University-bound Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr had 20 points, four rebounds and two steals.
Big man Deandre Ayton and sharpshooter Eric Gordon were also key contributors. Ayton, the Portland Trailblazers center, recorded 19 points and nine rebounds while Gordon, who recently signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, had 16 points and four assists.
The Bahamas will next play Poland on Wednesday with a win securing them a spot in the semi-finals of Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1.
In Group A play of Olympic Qualifying Tournament 1 on Wednesday, Spain hammered Lebanon 104-59.
Each Olympic Qualifying Tournament features six teams divided into two groups of three.
Each team plays each other once before the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals.
From there, the two semi-final winners will square off for one spot at the Paris Olympic Games.
Iga Swiatek soared into the second round at Wimbledon, after beginning her latest quest for a maiden title with a straight-sets win over Sofia Kenin.
The top seed, who is aiming to progress beyond the quarter-finals at SW19 for the first time, prevailed 6-3 6-4 in the battle of the Grand Slam champions after 79 minutes on No.1 Court.
Swiatek had won the two previous meetings between the players - both of which came in major events, at the 2020 French Open final and this year's Australian Open.
The four-time Roland-Garros winner made a statement of intent, breaking her opponent twice in her opponent's first two service games on the way to taking the opening set.
Former Australian Open champion Kenin, who stunned Coco Gauff in the first round 12 months ago, looked to respond and forced a break-point opportunity at 4-3 down in the second set.
However, the American saw it go begging as she sent a forehand into the net, and the set remained on serve as Swiatek set up a second-round clash with Croatia's Petra Martic.
"On this surface, it's not about the result for me, about the progress," the Pole said in her on-court interview. "I'm just trying to be better every day.
"It was a solid start and not an easy draw, so I'm happy that I have a chance to play another match here. It's not easy to play a Grand Slam champion in the first round, so we have to be ready for everything.
"Obviously, I had a great beginning of the season, so I feel like I can come here and not worry about points or anything, and just focus on what I want to focus on. These are experienced players, so there’s no time to get into the tournament."
Data Debrief: Super Swiatek matches Henin and Radwanska
Swiatek arrived at Wimbledon with five titles to her name already this season, including three on the spin in Madrid, Rome and the French Open.
The world number one has now won each of her last 20 matches, achieving that feat for the second time in her career. Justine Henin in 2005 was the last player to register multiple streaks of 20+ WTA match wins before turning 24.
Notching her fifth straight win against a former major champion, Swiatek has now registered 72 Grand Slam singles wins, more than any other woman since the turn of the century.
She is also only the second player in the Open Era to win in the opening round of all the first 18 major events in a single decade, after compatriot Agnieszka Radwanska did so in the 2010s.
Andrey Rublev suffered a shock early exit at Wimbledon on Tuesday as numerous other seeds progressed through to the second round.
Rublev, a 17-time ATP Tour champion, reached the quarter-finals at this tournament last year but failed to make it past his opener this time after Argentine Francisco Comesana upset the sixth seed.
Comesana triumphed 6-4 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-5) on No.2 Court, where play was disrupted by heavy downpour, as Rublev became the highest-ranked male player to fall so far at the All England Club.
Unlike Rublev, fourth seed Alexander Zverev coasted past Roberto Carballes Baenai in straight sets on No. 1 Court.
"I want to compete, I want to do well here at Wimbledon. It's the most historic tennis tournament that we have," Zverev said after reaching the second round for the seventh time in eight attempts at this tournament.
"I've struggled over the years here on these beautiful courts, unfortunately, but I feel different this year."
Hubert Hurcakz progressed through his first challenge, though the seventh seed conceded the first set before defeating Radu Albot 5-7 6-4 6-3 6-4, smashing 24 aces in the process.
Alex de Minaur headed into this year's edition as the ninth favourite and his opening performance befitted that status, overcoming fellow Australian James Duckworth 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4).
Stefanos Tsitsipas fought off Taro Daniel with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 7-5 in just under two-and-a-half hours as the 11th seed aims to go further than his personal-best fourth-round appearances in 2018 and five years later.
It was not so straightforward for British number one Jack Draper, who secured a hard-fought 3-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-3 victory over Elias Ymer under the lights on Centre Court.
Draper is in fine form, having won the Stuttgart Open in June and defeating Carlos Alcaraz at the Queen's Club Championship, and will next meet fellow British player Cameron Norrie.
World number 42 Norrie had little trouble in his first-round test, dispatching Facundo Diaz Acosta in straight sets on No.3 Court.
Data Debrief: Comesana on cloud nine as Zverev powers through
Comesana may have expected to compete with Rublev in his first-round encounter, but this was only his second appearance on grass courts of his career at any level, professional or junior.
The world number 122 managed to battle to a hard-fought triumph after a clinical showing, converting four of five break points he earned.
Zverev had no such difficulty in progressing to the second round, powering 18 aces at an event he has never reached the quarter-finals in.
The German is now 12-2 for the year in major action, having reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the showpiece at the French Open before defeat to Alcaraz.
Novak Djokovic enjoyed a triumphant return to Wimbledon, where the 24-time major champion says he "would not have risked" his knee injury anywhere else.
The 37-year-old eased past Vit Kopriva 6-1 6-2 6-2 under the roof on Centre Court in Tuesday's first-round clash.
That victory comes less than a month on from the Serb requiring surgery for a knee issue after withdrawing midway through the French Open.
Djokovic, aiming to equal Roger Federer's record eight titles at the All England Club, suggested he would not have played through the pain at any other tournament on the ATP circuit.
"Everything that I could do, I have done over the last three weeks along with my team to be able to play here for you today," Djokovic said during his on-court interview.
"I think if it was for any other tournament I probably would not have risked it, would not have rushed as much but I just love Wimbledon, love coming back here."
Djokovic battled throughout with protective support on his right leg, though that appeared no issue in a dominant triumph against the Czech qualifier.
His reward will be a second-round clash against British wildcard Jacob Fearnley or Spanish qualifier Alejandro Moro Canas.
It will be Djokovic's 19th appearance in the second round at Wimbledon, equalling Federer for the most such outings in the men's singles draw at this event during the Open Era.
The message from the seven-time Wimbledon champion was clear heading into the next clash, with his focus on performance, rather than his troublesome injury.
"I tried to really focus on the game and not think about the knee too much," Djokovic added.
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