Daniil Medvedev prevailed 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 6-3 over world number one Jannik Sinner to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon.

In a four-hour epic, the Russian outlasted top seed Sinner to reach the last four at the All England Club for a second straight year.

Since 2000, Medvedev is only the fourth player to defeat the men's number one on three or more occasions at grand slams, along with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Stanislas Wawrinka.

Sinner, who was forced to take a medical timeout due to illness midway through the third set, rallied brilliantly from that issue in the fourth to force a decider.

However, the Italian ran out of steam in the fifth set, with Medvedev going on to clinch victory with three match points to spare, briskly sending Sinner around the court before drilling a winner down the line.

"I knew if I wanted to beat Jannik it was going to be a tough match, he's not a guy you can beat easily, even if he wasn't feeling that good," said Medvedev.

"I managed to stay at a high level, a great match and I'm really happy with my game looking forward."

Asked what it was like to face Sinner after the medical timeout, Medvedev added: "It's actually very tough. One moment, I could see he wasn't moving well.

"It's tricky because you want to play more points to make him suffer more, but then at the same time, you know he will come back and go full power. In a way, I would prefer not to have this situation."

Medvedev will face either Tommy Paul or reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

Data Debrief: Dragging on...

There have now been 36 five-set matches in the men's singles at Wimbledon this year, surpassing the 1983 US Open and 2024 Australian Open (35 each) for the most at a single grand slam event in the Open Era.

Medvedev, meanwhile, has now reached nine semi-finals at majors, though the 28-year-old has only progressed from two of those previous eight ties.

Keegan Bradley's appointment as the USA captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup was "surprising", says Xander Schauffele, but he is confident he is up to the task.

The PGA of America confirmed the decision on Monday after Tiger Woods decided against leading the team in New York.

Bradley was left out of the team for last year's 16.5-11.5 defeat to Team Europe in Italy, and emerged as a late contender before the announcement.

The move took many by surprise, with two-time Ryder Cup player Xander Schauffele admitting he was also expecting Woods to be named Zach Johnson's successor.

"Yeah, it's surprising," he said during a press conference ahead of The Open Championship.

"You typically expect someone that's a little bit older to get selected as a captain. I think a lot of people were banking on Tiger to do it.

"He obviously has a lot on his plate. Keegan expressed his love for the Ryder Cup publicly, which we all saw.

"I haven't talked to him or seen him yet, but I'm sure he's over the moon and is going to do a great job.

"He's a very passionate individual. On the course, he's intense, that's just how he competes and how he is.

"As a captain, he's going to have a mixed bag, and he's not going to be afraid to hold a speech with the guys and get everyone going."

The Girls team representing Jamaica at the 30th edition of the Junior Caribbean Squash Championship held in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, experienced great success with the team bringing home 6 medals: 2 gold; 3 silver and 1 bronze.

Mehar Trehan was the sole gold medallist in the individual competition defending her title in the U17 Girls category defeating her compatriot, Elle Wilson 3-0.  Trehan was strong from the outset and dominated her category and defeated all her opponents 3-0; without dropping a set. Wilson had a more difficult route to the final and had to overcome Sarrayah Yearwood of Trinidad & Tobago in 5 games.

Mehar Trehan

The doubles partnership of Sanjana Nallapati (Captain) and Katherine Risden captured the gold defeating their Barbadian counterparts and number 1 seed of Eboni Atherley and Joanna Atkins 2-1.  The Jamaican duo had to overcome a 1-set deficit to defeat the Bajans in a closely contested final; 9/11; 11/6, 11/9. 

In the Girls U19 catergory, Jamaica had two competitors, Katherine Risden, the #1 seed, and Sanjana Nallapati (Captain and #3 seed) vying for the top spot but they were denied gold both at the racquet of the eventual champion, Eboni Atherley of Barbados. Atherley dispatched Nallapati in the semis and Risden in the finals both with 3-0 victories. Risden and Nallapati captured silver and bronze respectively in the U19 girls individual competition. 

In her first Junior CASA tourney, Varenya Singh reached the semifinal of the U11 competition. Singh played with composure and grit for someone so young. She secured a 4th place finish in the U11 girls individual competition. 

The Jamaican Girls continued their winning ways in the Team event by earning the silver medal losing out to Barbados after the matches were knotted at 3 games a-piece.

Jamaica started strong in the final with Risden overturning her individual loss to Atherley by winning 3-0. Captain Nallapati and U17 Girls Champion Mehar Trehan secured 3-0 victories. However, Barbados needed the final tie at U13 to equalize and force a count back in games.

Marley Price fought valiantly but lost to the #2 seed forcing a tiebreak. The tiebreak was broken on a countback of games won between the two teams. Throughout the team event, various team members played key roles to ensure Jamaica reached the final. In particular, Marley Price secured one game in the semifinal match which ensured Jamaica reached the final on game countback. 

Coach Tahjia Lumley stated, “the team is one of the best in terms of their fighting spirit and camaraderie. From the youngest to the oldest we are not far off! Gold in doubles and the girls going all the way in the team event! This was an extremely young boys team with many playing up in age-group. This has been an amazing experience for them and they are looking forward to continue to improve for next year’s event.”   

Jamaica finished 4th in the overall standings with the girls in 2nd place and boys team finishing in 8th place. 

Jamaica’s medal haul was 2 gold; 3 silver; and 1 bronze. 

The team was coached by Tahjia Lumley and managed by Nathlee Boreland.

Donna Vekic is through to the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time in her career after coming from behind to beat Lulu Sun.

After losing her previous two grand slam quarter-finals in straight sets, Vekic rallied to beat the qualifier 5-7 6-4 6-1 on Court No.1 on Tuesday.

After a slightly shaky start, Sun held her nerve brilliantly in the fourth game of the opener, holding out through 10 deuces and successfully defending break point three times.

Sun took full advantage of that let-off, getting the all-important break in the 11th game before holding strong to take the first set.

It was a different story in the second, Vekic continuing to show aggression in her serve before finally gaining an edge with her first break and holding out to force a decider.

The Croatian picked up where she left off in the third set, scoring 10 points in a row as she raced to a 3-0 lead, before clinching a second straight break.

Sun, who has spent the most time on court so far in the women's draw, avoided a bagel with her final service game of the match before Vekic finished it off.

She will face Jasmine Paolini or Emma Navarro in the semi-finals.

Data Debrief: Vekic too strong

Vekic is into her first grand slam semi-final on her 43rd major main-draw appearance. In the Open Era, only four players have made their first semi-final after more major appearances.

It is the fourth time at this edition of Wimbledon that Vekic's matches have gone the distance, and the second time she has had to bounce back from losing the first set.

Sun was bidding to become the first qualifier to reach the semi-finals at the All England Club since Alexandra Stevenson in 1999, but she fell just short.

Paul George admitted he did not want to leave the Los Angeles Clippers, but felt his hand was forced when he was offered a "disrespectful" first contract extension offer.

Last week, George signed a four-year maximum contract reportedly worth $212million for the Philadelphia 76ers.

However, the nine-time All-Star's move happened after he failed to come to an agreement with the Clippers over a new contract.

"I never wanted to leave L.A.," George said on his podcast, 'Podcast P with Paul George'.

"L.A. is home, this is where I wanted to finish at, and I wanted to work as hard as possible to win one in L.A.

"That was the goal, to be here and be committed to L.A. As it played out though, the first initial deal was, I thought, kind of disrespectful.

"In all of this, no hard feelings, no love lost...it's a business. So, the first initial deal was like two years, 60. So I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa.

"That's crazy! I'm like, 'Naw, I'm not signing that'."

The Clippers gave Kawhi Leonard a three-year $150million extension, something George said they refused to give him if he had a no-trade clause attached.

"Then I hear wind of what they're going to give Kawhi, so I'm like, 'Just give me what Kawhi got'," George added. "'Y'all view us the same. We came here together; we want to finish this s*** together.'

"Y'all give him that, give me that. They didn't want to do that."

The guard, who played 74 regular-season games – his most since being traded to Los Angeles before the 2019-20 season – acknowledged his link-up with Leonard did not quite go as planned but had hoped to build on it in the future.

"We couldn't remain healthy as a unit," George said. "But I thought I did enough to earn that [three-year, $150-million deal with a no-trade clause].

"They didn't want to do it. So, it was just a stalemate. Ultimately it was like, all right, that ship has sailed.

"I love Steve [Ballmer], I love Lawrence [Frank], but at that point, it didn't even feel right to come back with that type of energy and be comfortable playing back in L.A."

After Sean Murphy tied the game with a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning, the Atlanta Braves scored once in the 11th to rally for a 5-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday in a clash of 2023 National League play-off teams.

Marcell Ozuna drove in the eventual winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 11th that plated designated runner Austin Riley, who had advanced from second to third on an infield single by Matt Olson.

Riley homered earlier in the game and Murphy went 2 for 4 as the Braves took the opener of this four-game series and won their third consecutive contest.

Atlanta's bats were largely quiet for much of the night thanks to an impressive MLB debut by Arizona starter Yilber Diaz, but came alive against struggling closer Paul Sewald with the Braves trailing 3-1 in the ninth.

Sewald retired the first two hitters in the inning before Eddie Rosario extended Atlanta's chances with a single. Murphy then drove a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right center field to hand Sewald a third blown save in his last three appearances.

Diaz was in line for the victory after allowing just one run on four hits through six innings.

Both teams scored once in the 10th, with the Braves getting a sacrifice fly from Ozzie Albies and the Diamondbacks the same from Luis Perdomo.

Ozuna's fly ball in the 11th put Atlanta back ahead, and Joe Jimenez stranded the tying run in the bottom of the inning to record his second save of the season. 

Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias earned the win after working two innings and permitting one unearned run.

Riley's 12th homer of the season gave the Braves an early edge in the first inning, and the Diamondbacks were held scoreless by Bryce Elder through the first five innings before breaking through in the sixth.

Perdomo led off the bottom of the sixth with a bloop single and took second when Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia mishandled the ball on the play, then scored on Corbin Carroll's single to tie the game at 1-1.

Elder then walked the next two batters to load the bases before being relieved by Grant Holmes, who walked Christian Walker on four pitches to give Arizona the lead. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. followed with a sacrifice fly to provide the Diamondbacks a two-run cushion.

Elder was charged with three runs allowed on four hits over five-plus innings.

Late error allows Tigers to edge Guardians

Jake Rogers scored the game's lone run on a Cleveland error in the eighth inning as the suddenly surging Detroit Tigers came through with a 1-0 victory over the American League Central-leading Guardians to open a four-game series.

Rogers greeted reliever Scott Barlow with a double to open the eighth and took third on Wenceel Perez's second hit of the night. Two batter later, Mark Canha hit a grounder that eluded the glove of Guardians' shortstop Brayan Roccio to allow the Detroit catcher to cross the plate and break the scoreless tie.

The Guardians couldn't mount a baserunner after the seventh inning, as Tyler Holton retired all five batters he faced to record the win and Shelby Miller threw a perfect ninth to close out the Tigers' fourth consecutive victory.

Detroit went 8-18 from June 5-July 4 before sweeping a three-game series on the road from the Cincinnati Reds this past weekend.

The game featured a strong duel between starting pitchers that didn't factor in the decision. Detroit's Keider Montero allowed just three hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings in his third career major league start, while Cleveland's Gavin Williams struck out five over 5 1/3 scoreless innings in his second start back from an elbow injury that had sidelined him since spring training.

Cardinals stay hot with shutout of Nationals

Alec Burleson homered and drove in three runs to back a sharp start from Miles Mikolas as the St. Louis Cardinals recorded a series-clinching 6-0 win over the Washington Nationals.

Paul Goldschmidt added a solo homer among his two hits to help the Cardinals take three of four meetings of the wraparound series. St. Louis improved to 33-18 since May 12, the best record in the National League over that stretch.

MIkolas (7-7) scattered six hits without a walk over 6 1/3 innings before relievers Andrew Kittredge and JoJo Romero finished the shutout by working 1 1/3 innings each.

Washington starter Mitchell Parker (5-5) was hung with the loss despite yielding two runs - one earned - and striking out six over seven innings.

The Cardinals' first run off Parker came courtesy of an error by Washington shortstop CJ Abrams, who threw wildly to first base on a double-play attempt to allow Nolan Gorman to score from second in the third inning. Gorman and Michael Siani had opened the frame with back-to-back infield singles.

Goldschmidt's homer off Parker in the fourth extended the lead to 2-0, and Burleson increased it further with a solo shot off Jacob Barnes in the eighth. Goldschmidt reached on an error later in the inning and came home on Brendan Donovan's two-out double for a 4-0 St. Louis advantage.

Donovan finished 2 for 4 and extended his streak of reaching base safely to 21 straight games.

The Cardinals tacked on two more runs in the ninth when Gorman and Siani each singled before both later scored on Burleson's base hit.

 

 

Joel Embiid lauded the Philadelphia 76ers' planning as impressive "on paper" as he hailed a "fantastic" potential trio with Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.

Philadelphia signed nine-time All-Star George on a four-year maximum contract reportedly worth $212 million last week.

George is expected to help the 76ers contend for the Eastern Conference title next season after Philadelphia suffered a first-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks this year.

Maxey is coming off a breakout year, too, averaging a career-high 25.9 points per game en route to winning the NBA's Most Improved Player Award.

"I think as far as the fit, it looks amazing," Embiid told ESPN. "It is great, when you got a player that posts up, you need to have willing shooters and guys that are not afraid to pull the trigger.

"PG, great shooter, 40%, 45 catch and shoot; Tyrese, we know great shooter, off the dribble, catch-and-shoot.

"On paper, and as far as the fit, it looks fantastic because you got both guys that can play off the ball, and they can play on ball and they're great shooters and they can handle the ball, and then you also got me."

The three 76ers star will be aiming to help Philadelphia improve upon a No. 7 finish in the Eastern Conference standings last season.

Embiid wants to create a new era with his side, though warned it will not all be straightforward.

"It feels like you're starting from scratch," he said. "And I know there's going to be a lot of growing pains. But you just got to stick it together.

"The goal is always to win a championship, but it just doesn't happen overnight.

"Hopefully, it doesn't take us as much time as it should when you're trying to bring everybody on the same page and making sure everybody knows their role and what they have to do to achieve that goal.

"But we're going to do the best job possible."

Having watched James Harden demand a trade last year, and Maxey still as an unknown quantity, the optimism now around Philadelphia proved to Embiid that patience is key.

"I'd be lying to say that patience wasn't tested," Embiid added. "Because I'm at the point where there's no awards, there's no regular season or no All-NBA or All-Stars is going to change the way my legacy is.

"Well, there's a few things that can change it, but the main one is the championship. So when you start thinking about what you want to be remembered as, you want to be remembered as someone that's won.

"When you are presented with a plan, sometimes it goes wrong, sometimes it goes right. We've still got long way to go. On paper it looks great. But we still got to go on the court and make it work."

Keegan Bradley has been announced as the surprise Team USA captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup, despite expectations for Tiger Woods to take the role.

The PGA of America confirmed its decision on Monday as the United States aim to bounce back from their 2023 humbling in Italy by Team Europe.

Woods had reportedly been in discussion with the PGA over leading his country next September, though Bradley emerged as a left-field contender late before the announcement.

"I am incredibly honored to accept this opportunity to Captain the United States Team at the 2025 Ryder Cup," Bradley said.

"I would like to thank the PGA of America Ryder Cup Committee for their trust in me as we embark on this journey to Bethpage Black.

"My passion and appreciation for golf's greatest team event have never been stronger.

"The Ryder Cup is unlike any other competition in our sport, and this edition will undoubtedly be particularly special given the rich history and enthusiastic spectators at this iconic course.

"I look forward to beginning preparations for 2025."

Stewart Cink, the 2009 Open champion, was another name alongside 15-time major winner Woods.

Yet Bradley will lead the USA fightback at Bethpage Black, succeeding Zach Johnson after a 16.5-11.5 defeat last year.

The 38-year-old Bradley is still an active member on the PGA Tour, having also featured twice as a player in defeats at the Ryder Cup in 2012 and 2014.

Former world number one Luke Donald will serve as Europe's captain for a second time, having led Europe to the aforementioned victory in Rome.

Novak Djokovic aimed a brutal swing at the Wimbledon crowd after slamming "disrespect" from Centre Court spectators towards him during his victory over Holger Rune.

The 24-time grand slam champion breezed past Rune in straight sets on Monday, reaching his 15th quarter-final at the grass-court major, a tally only bettered by Roger Federer (18).

Denmark's Rune struggled throughout a humbling 6-3 6-4 6-2 defeat, though enjoyed the majority support at Wimbledon's top attraction, with Djokovic shushing the crowd at one point during the second set.

The seven-time Wimbledon winner noted that interaction in his on-court interview, hitting back at those who were against him.

"To all the fans that have had respect and stayed here tonight, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I appreciate it," a visibly frustrated Djokovic said.

"And to all those people that have chosen to disrespect the player, in this case, me, have a good night!"

When Rishi Persad, master of ceremonies on Centre Court, suggested the support was purely for Rune and not to disrespect, Djokovic doubled down on his assessment.

"They were. They were. I am not accepting it. No, no, no, I know they were cheering for Rune but that's an excuse to also boo," the 37-year-old responded.

"Listen, I have been on the tour for more than 20 years. I know all the tricks. I focus on the respectful people that pay for the ticket, and love tennis and appreciate the players.

"I have played in much more hostile environments, trust me – you guys can't touch me."

Rune failed to break Djokovic's service throughout a one-sided clash as the latter set up a quarter-final meeting with ninth seed Alex de Minaur.

"I don't think he has played anywhere close to his best to be honest," Djokovic said of his 15th-seed opponent. "It was a tough start for him. He lost the first 12 points and I think that got to him mentally.

"Waiting all day to come out on the court is never easy. The tension is building up and [you are] stressed to get out on the court.

"On my end I think I've done things at the important moments. Things could have looked different if I lost those services games but very solid at the end and I'm very happy to get through in straight sets."

Djokovic appeared a doubt for this tournament, having pulled out of the French Open midway through at Roland-Garros before undergoing surgery for a troublesome knee issue.

"I'm feeling great on the court and let's take it day by day," Djokovic assured.

"There's always something to work on in the off days. I'll speak with my team tomorrow and analyse this match and get ready for the next one."

Novak Djokovic coasted into the Wimbledon quarter-finals after dispatching Holger Rune in straight sets on Monday.

The 24-time major champion held his serve throughout a dominant Centre Court performance, triumphing 6-3 6-4 6-2 to move into the 60th grand slam quarter-final of his illustrious career.

Djokovic never looked troubled by his opponent, nor by the knee injury that required surgery last month, en route to setting up a last-eight meeting with ninth seed Alex de Minaur.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion dropped sets in his previous two victories but Rune's early showing suggested a routine victory from the off, as the Dane committed nine unforced errors in a one-sided first set.

Serbia's Djokovic latched onto those failures at will, taking just half an hour to seize a 1-0 match lead after breaking Rune's first service game and holding out from then on.

Rune improved in the second set, yet a cruel drop of service handed a 4-3 advantage to Djokovic, who then relinquished six set-point chances on his opponent's struggling serve.

A partisan crowd appeared in favour of Rune, celebrating every point won, yet Djokovic needed just one more set point to seal the second before glancing towards the spectators to quieten them down.

Djokovic repeated the dose in the third – and final – set, breaking Rune's opening serving game, though the 15th seed did squander an opportunity to break when attempting to level midway through.

That missed chance was once again punished emphatically as Djokovic secured another break in the following game before sealing a convincing victory in just over two hours.

Data Debrief: Djokovic edging toward Wimbledon history

Djokovic held a modest 3-3 against top-20 players in 2024 before this clash, though Rune proved no match for the Wimbledon veteran.

With this victory, Djokovic moved second in the all-time list for most quarter-final appearances at the grass-court major, surpassing Jimmy Connors (14) – only Roger Federer (18) can better the Serbian's 15.

Djokovic's next aim will be levelling Federer's record eight triumphs at Wimbledon, starting with a last-eight clash against De Minaur.

An emotional Elina Svitolina says she struggled to focus during her last-16 win at Wimbledon after Russian attacks killed at least 29 people and hit a children's hospital in her native Ukraine.

The 29-year-old overcame China's Wang Xinyu to reach the quarter-finals on Monday but was reduced to tears in her on-court interview after the ongoings in her homeland.

The strike was part of one of the heaviest attacks on Ukraine's capital Kyiv since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, with Svitolina sporting a black ribbon to pay tribute to her home country.

"It was a good performance from my side and it's a very difficult day today for Ukrainian people," said Svitolina, who has regularly addressed the impact of the war on Ukraine.

"It was not easy to focus on the match. Since the morning it was very difficult to read the news and just to go on the court... it's extremely tough.

"I'm happy I could play today and get a win."

Wimbledon organisers made a rare exception to relax the tournament's strict all-white rules for Svitolina's fourth-round match, allowing the 2023 semi-finalist to wear the black ribbon on the chest of her white outfit.

"I feel like it would be understandable after such a big attack on my country," she later added at a press conference.

Ukraine's largest children's hospital was among the buildings hit in the attack and world number 21 Svitolina will continue to raise awareness of the war.

"It's [an] incredibly sad day today for all Ukrainians. It was really difficult for me to really be here in a way and do anything," she continued after her 6-2 6-1 win.

"I just wanted to be in my room, just be there with my emotions, with everything.

"I have to put my head down and show up and do my best, my very best. Every Ukrainian is using their own way to raise awareness, to raise money, to help in every possible way they can."

Svitolina faces Russia-born Kazakh player Elena Rybakina in the next round of the grass-court major.

Taylor Fritz fought from behind to win a five-set thriller against Alexander Zverev on Centre Court, reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the second time.

Fritz, who previously made the last eight in 2022, was on the brink of defeat as a typical big-serving display from Zverev saw him take the first two sets.  

However, the match turned on a fourth-set tie-break dominated by the American, Zverev losing his way as he missed out on a first quarter-final appearance at SW19, losing 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.

The Centre Court crowd had to remain patient for a break in the opening set with both players excellent with ball in hand, Zverev winning 83% of his first-serve points to Fritz's 81%. A powerful backhand ensured it was Zverev who got the breakthrough nine games in.

Neither player could force a break point in a slog of a second set, which Zverev took in a tie-break, roaring to the crowd as Fritz sliced a backhand wide on set point. 

But Fritz refused to go away, drawing Zverev to the net far more regularly and finally breaking the German's serve at the 15th attempt. 

It was a similar story in the fourth as both players served well, but Fritz stepped up in the tie-break, Zverev looking dejected as he fell 6-1 down before slicing a backhand long on set point.  

The momentum was with Fritz from there as he secured a huge break four games into the decider, holding his nerve from there to tee up a meeting with first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Lorenzo Musetti.

Earlier on Monday, Alex de Minaur sealed his place in the last eight – where he will face Holger Rune or Novak Djokovic – with a 6-2 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory over Arthur Fils.

Ninth seed De Minaur squandered a 4-2 lead in the third set but recovered to take the match in four, his flat groundstrokes proving too much for spirited 20-year-old Fils.

The Australian suffered a scare as he appeared to hurt his ankle on match point, but he played down fears over his condition after the match. 

"I will be alright, I will find a way," he said. "I made it a lot harder than I should have but I'm happy to get through."

Data Debrief: Rare upset for Fritz 

Fritz showed great character to hold firm in the face of Zverev's big-serving display before launching a rousing comeback in front of a delighted Centre Court crowd.

He previously held a 1-13 record against top-10 opponents at grand slams, but he has now become the first American to reach the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and Wimbledon in a single year since Andy Roddick in 2009.

The 2024 Caribbean Region Table Tennis Federation (CRTTF) mini and pre-Cadet Championship proved to be a fruitful one for Puerto Rico’s extremely talented group.

In the championships held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from July 1-7, the Puerto Ricans dominated both the Under-11 and Under-13 categories for both boys and girls.

They took all three medals in the Under-11 Mixed Doubles. Ryan Rivera and Valentina Rodriguez took gold ahead of Carlos Medina and Brianna Gomez while Kennuel Arroyo and Nahia Medina took bronze.

Rodriguez and Taviana Burgos combined to take gold in Under-11 Girls Doubles over the Dominican Republic’s Brendaly Jimenez and Shanya Polanco while Mia Ipia and Melany Quezada, also of the Dominican Republic, took bronze.

Rodriguez also took the Under-11 Girls Singles title ahead of aforementioned teammates Taviana Burgos and Nahia Medina.

The Under-11 Boys category was dominated by Jamaica as Malone Bird took gold in singles ahead of Puerto Rico’s Ryan Rivera and Trinidad & Tobago’s Zayden Sagramsingh.

Bird then combined with his brother Shacoil to take top spot in doubles ahead of Puerto Rico’s teams of Kennuel Arroyo and Ian Garcia and Ryan Rivera and Carlos Medina.

Puerto Rico also swept the medals in the Under-13 Mixed Doubles. Matthew Cao and April Cintron took gold ahead of Owen Shemesh and Isabella Castro while Angel Melendez and Brianna Rodriguez took bronze.

The Under-13 Girls Doubles title went to April Cintron and Brianna Rodriquez while teammates Isabella Castro and Ariana Aponte took silver. The Dominican Republic’s Mers Cabreba and Ana Sosa took bronze.

Cintron completed the treble with gold in singles ahead of Rodriquez and Cabrera.

Gold in the boys Under-13 Doubles went to Cuba’s Yadiel Hernandez and Andy Maqueira. The Dominican Republic’s Edwim Martinez and Eidhrian Paulino took silver while Puerto Rico’s Owen Shemesh and Jose Rivera finished third.

Cuba’s Maqueira also took gold in singles ahead of Matthew Cao and Edwim Martinez.

Elena Rybakina has reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon for a third straight year, with her progress to the last eight accelerated after opponent Anna Kalinskaya was forced to retire with an injury in the second set.

Fourth seed Rybakina was in complete control of the fourth-round match on Centre Court, leading 6-3 3-0 before Kalinskaya had to call time on the contest after 53 minutes of play, halting what had been her best career run at the tournament.

"Definitely not the way I wanted to finish the match," said Rybakina after her win.

"Anna is a great player. I know she was suffering with a couple of injuries and, if it is the wrist, it is of course very difficult to continue playing. I just wish her a speedy recovery."

Rybakina had also won the last contest between the two players – in Rome last year – due to a retirement from Kalinskaya.

With a strong grass-court record and as one of only two players seeded in the top 10 left in the women's singles tournament, Rybakina is seen as the favourite and player to beat in the second week. She will face either Elina Svitolina next.

Data Debrief: Rybakina in elite company

With a remarkable 18-2 match record at Wimbledon, Rybakina is now one of just three players in the Open Era to hold a win percentage of 90% or higher in the women’s singles.

The other two players are, like Rybakina, former Wimbledon champions: Ann Jones (12-1) and Steffi Graf (74-7).

While Rybakina thrives on grass, she has also impressed on other surfaces and she has now reached the quarter-final or better in 11 of her 12 tournaments played this season.

Aside from Rybakina, Iga Swiatek is the only other player over the past three seasons to hold a match win percentage of over 70% on all three surfaces at WTA level.

Stephen Curry believes the dynasty built by the Golden State Warriors throughout his career will be the last of its kind in the NBA.

Curry has won four NBA championships with the Warriors since being drafted seventh overall in 2009, leading them to glory in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. 

Golden State missed the playoffs for just the third time in the last 12 seasons in 2023-24, finishing 46-36 then losing a Play-In tie against the Sacramento Kings.

Between 2014 and 2022, the Warriors made the NBA Finals on six occasions, having failed to do so in 39 years after winning the 1974-75 championship.

Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have, alongside Curry, formed the spine of the Warriors' lineup throughout that period, but the former left for the Dallas Mavericks last week after 13 years in San Francisco.

Speaking to ESPN's Malika Andrews, Curry said: "Obviously defining a dynasty can take a lot of different looks.

"People thought this was over in 2019, but 2022 was an amazing championship because we defied the odds. That's 11 years, almost 12 years, of championship relevancy built around a certain core."

Asked whether the Warriors' achievements during that period will be replicated, Curry said: "I don't think it will, just because it's very hard to keep things together in this league. There's a lot more player movement. 

"Me, Klay and Draymond, we complemented each other so well for so long. We all brought something different to the table, so we'll see. 

"Records are meant to be broken. Dynasties come in all different shapes and sizes, so we'll see."

While Thompson has made the decision to leave the Bay Area, Curry – who has two years remaining on his own contract – wants to stick around for the rest of his career, as long as the team can be competitive.

"Being in one place for my whole career, I know it's really hard to do that," he said. "I want to be greedy and say we can be relevant and be in the mix and give ourselves a realistic chance to win while I'm still growing these grey hairs and doing high school visits in the Bay for my daughter. 

"It's crazy. It's just the nature of where I'm at. But yes, all that is to say I love the Bay and the Bay is home and I never want that to change."

Bronny James "doesn't give a f***" what people think of him, his father LeBron has warned.

LeBron and his eldest son will team up for the Los Angeles Lakers next season, after Bronny was selected as the No.55 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

But LeBron, the NBA's all-time leading points scorer, has warned the media not to expect Bronny to struggle under pressure or fail to cope with any criticism.

"I don't know if people really understand Bronny," James told ESPN.

"He doesn't care. I actually care a little bit. When I came in [as a rookie], I wanted people to like me, and some of the things that people were saying about me kind of bothered me early on in my career. He doesn't give a f***.

"He does not care about nobody. He doesn't even listen to that stuff. He's like the coolest.

"He's the complete opposite of his dad. His dad will say something [to address the critics]. This bro does not care. Everything that's being said about him, he really does not care."

LeBron, though, believes his son, who is 19, has shown a fantastic mentality and attitude to make his own way in basketball.

"Just imagine if you were a kid, you were born into a situation where your dad was super famous, super wealthy and you the kid still had the drive to want to be able to accomplish things for yourself," James added.

"I personally don't know if I would've been able to do that if the roles were reversed.

"When I was coming up, I had no choice. I literally had no choice. I had to make it out for me. My mom, my family, my hometown, my city.

"Bronny has all the choices in the world. If Bronny wants to stop right now or never played basketball or just wanted to be a gamer or wanted to be a chef or wanted to do whatever, he could have done that.

"People don't understand how hard that is and the commitment for him to be coming out of heart surgery less than a year ago, for him to be able to be in the NBA, the kid, he's special."

 Standout fitness athlete Kristen McGregor faced unexpected challenges leading up to the Mr. Big Evolution Olympia Qualifier held in Lisbon, Portugal, on Sunday, July 7, 2024. Competing in the Open Figure Category, she aimed to defend her title from the previous year but ultimately secured a top-five finish out of 24 competitors.

This year’s preparation was a stark contrast to her usual routine. McGregor, who typically trained in Jamaica, found herself in the unfamiliar territory of the United Kingdom. “This competition prep was done in the UK, where this was my first time visiting,” McGregor said. “There was limited access to my resources. I believe now that this may have contributed to my performance or conditioning for the show, meaning my recovery was not the same where I would have gotten my continuous massages and muscle recovery sessions. This was not my usual climate, and my atmosphere was way much different. Nevertheless, I made the best out of my situation.”

Despite these obstacles, McGregor maintained her focus and determination. She entered the competition without specific expectations about her competitors, aiming instead to give her best performance. “The intensity was not much different from last year, to be honest. I had no expectations of who would be there, so I didn’t find nor did I see anyone as most dangerous to my objective. My objective was to retain my title.”

Finishing in the top five left McGregor with mixed emotions. “To be honest, it just means that I finished fifth in the competition. This placement wasn’t expected, but at the end of the day, I would always say the sport is very subjective. You do the best you can do in preparing for it, and yet you go without expectation. At the end, you are left without disappointment knowing that you have done your best and it’s the physique that is displayed.”

Despite not reclaiming her title, McGregor remains grateful for the opportunity to compete. “It doesn’t justify me putting in the work that I have done. However, I am always grateful for the experience to be on stage.”

Emma Raducanu says her Wimbledon run has "fuelled the fire" as she looks to return to her best form.

Raducanu, who stormed to a shock US Open win in 2021, has endured a difficult few years.

Yet she looked strong in her opening three rounds at Wimbledon, dumping out Maria Sakkari en route to a tie with qualifier Lulu Sun on Sunday.

However, with the odds in her favour, Raducanu failed to deliver as Sun prevailed 6-2 5-7 6-2 to claim a surprise victory. 

With Aryna Sabalenka having withdrawn and both Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek also crashing out over the weekend, a path to glory might have opened up for Raducanu.

Instead, she is aiming to use an encouraging run at the All England Club as motivation for the rest of the season.

"I feel good about things going forwards. I feel optimistic," said Raducanu.

"As bitter as it is to take, I think [this defeat] happened for a reason.

"You don't want things to happen too easily and too quickly. I had that before. I don't necessarily want just a massive spike.

"Six months ago when I was starting out after surgery, I would have signed for the fourth round at Wimbledon.

"Of course I'm disappointed. Of course, I want more. It fuels the fire and makes me more hungry."

Raducanu has received some criticism, though, for withdrawing from the mixed doubles event on the eve of her match with Sun.

That withdrawal marked the end of Andy Murray's farewell Wimbledon appearance.

Rafael Devers hit home runs in the seventh and ninth innings, Kutter Crawford needed just 68 pitches to get through seven innings and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 3-0 on Sunday.

New York managed just four hits and were handed a 15th loss in their last 20 games.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, have fought their way back into contention in a competitive AL East by winning 16 of their last 22 games.

Devers, whose seventh-inning solo shot off Luis Gil broke a scoreless tie, has hit seven home runs in his last 11 games and is batting .405 over that stretch.

Boston’s other run came on an eighth-inning homer by Ceddanne Rafaela.

Crawford was efficient in collecting his third win in his last four starts, throwing 54 of his 68 pitches for strikes.

New York’s offence wasted a quality start from Gil, who allowed four hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings while striking out nine.

Three of the Yankees’ four hits came from batters in the seventh, eighth and ninth spots in the order.

 

Braves bash 4 HRs to back Lopez

Reynaldo Lopez pitched six scoreless innings, and the Atlanta Braves hit four home runs en route to a 6-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Playing for his fourth team in two seasons, Lopez improved to 7-2 and lowered his ERA to 1.71.

The Braves jumped on Phillies starting pitcher Michael Mercado early, with Jarred Kelenic, Matt Olson and Adam Duvall each homering in the second inning to build a 5-0 lead.

Eli White added an insurance run by hitting a solo shot in the sixth inning.

The Phillies had five hits – including Alec Bohm’s 30th double of the season – and three walks but were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Atlanta took two of three in the series but still trail Philadelphia by eight games in the NL East.

 

Guardians top Giants to continue home dominance

Bo Naylor launched a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the sixth inning to take the lead, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4 to continue their dominant play at Progressive Field.

The win gave the Guardians a league-leading 30-11 home record, and Cleveland are yet to lose a series at home this season.

Naylor’s clutch home run came with two outs and after falling behind in the count, 0-2. After working the count, Naylor sent a 2-2 pitch over the right-field wall for his first career pinch-hit home run.

Naylor’s older brother Josh, who was named to his first All-Star team on Sunday, had an RBI single in the fourth.

Josh Naylor will be joined at the All-Star Game by teammates Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, David Fry and Emmanuel Clase. Cleveland’s five selections were the most of any American League team.

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