Chaldean and Westover, two of the standout performers of recent seasons for the powerhouse Juddmonte operation, will again bid to carry the famous silks of the late Khalid Abdullah with distinction this weekend.

Trained by Andrew Balding and Ralph Beckett respectively, both colts are Group One victors – and Classic winners to boot.

Last year was a big one for Westover, finishing third in the Derby before taking the Irish Derby, while Chaldean picked up the Dewhurst and carried on where he left off this term with victory in the 2000 Guineas, after an unfortunate blip on leaving the stalls in the Greenham.

A son of Frankel, Chaldean was last seen occupying the runner-up spot behind Irish Guineas hero Paddington in the St James’s Palace Stakes and comes back to seven furlongs for Sunday’s Prix Jean Prat at Deauville, an event that has invariably been kind to British and Irish-trained runners of late.

With Frankie Dettori suspended, former champion Oisin Murphy rides in a race that features Newmarket second Hi Royal (Kevin Ryan), Craven winner Indestructible (Karl Burke), high-class filly Meditate (Aidan O’Brien) and St James’s Palace third Charyn (Roger Varian).

“Andrew was happy and Oisin was happy on Wednesday morning, so they hit the button to supplement, which would suggest his well-being is where they want it to be,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager for Juddmonte.

“We’re looking forward to it and you’d be hopeful, but it’s a deep race. Kevin Ryan’s horse is a good horse, Karl Burke’s horse is smart and you can never discount Aidan O’Brien, that’s for sure.

“The weather is good and I think they’re calling the ground good to soft. I’m not sure what watering they’ll do or whether it will dry out.

“He’s a Dewhurst winner over seven furlongs and a multiple Group-race winner over that distance, so hopefully that won’t inconvenience him.

“Oisin is a top-class rider and I’m sure he can jump into any situation and swim rather than sinking. He knows the horse and has ridden him plenty at home so I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

A day earlier and Westover is also in top-level action across the Channel, for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

With the exception of a below-par effort when favourite for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Westover – another son of Frankel – has done little wrong in his career to date. His two runs so far in this campaign have resulted in him finishing second to Japanese superstar Equinox in the Dubai Turf at Meydan and occupying the same position before Emily Upjohn in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.

“You’d like to think he’ll hard to beat, to be fair,” Mahon said.

“He’s had a nice break since Epsom, he’s coming in good form, it’s a small field and he has a pacemaker there to make sure there’s a bit of pace in it.

“We’d like to think that he’s going to take the opportunity.

“It’s always in the back of your mind (that he can get worked up beforehand). He did in Ascot last year, but in Dubai it wasn’t really the same as it was his first run of the year in a new environment and he was fresh.

“Hopefully Ascot was a one-off isolated incident and he’ll be fine on Saturday.”

Sea Silk Road will attempt to follow up her poignant victory in the Lester Piggott Stakes when she returns to Haydock for the bet365 Lancashire Oaks on Saturday.

The daughter of Sea The Stars provided trainer William Haggas with a fitting success in the race that was known as the Pinnacle Stakes but renamed in honour of one of the sport’s greatest figures and also the Somerville Lodge handler’s late father-in-law.

Having shown a liking for the course and distance, the four-year-old now gets the chance to repeat the dose and score for the first time at Group Two level.

“She did really well there last time,” said Haggas. “She won well, enjoyed the ground and she won quite nicely. I think that has done her good.

“It is probably a bit of a stronger race this time, but we will see.”

Last season Haggas saw Sea La Rosa follow the same route and have to settle for second in the Lancashire Oaks. The Newmarket handler is hoping for a different outcome this time around.

He added: “We had a filly in the same ownership last year who won the Pinnacle and then got beat in the Lancashire Oaks, but ended up winning a Group One (Prix de Royallieu) at the back-end. So I hope this filly will progress and Saturday will tell us a lot.”

Time Lock was sent off favourite when beaten three lengths in fourth behind Sea Silk Road last month and connections are eyeing a different result for Roger and Harry Charlton’s four-year-old on this occasion.

Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte, feels ground conditions were against her in that run and is hopeful of turning the tables if an on-song Time Lock turns up in Merseyside.

He said: “I was disappointed watching it, but Ryan (Moore) said afterwards the ground was very quick and she just didn’t appreciate it.

“She actually won on firm ground last year and that’s part of the reason why we went to Haydock, but Ryan felt maybe she got away with it the time before, she’s a bit older and has a few more miles on the clock and she didn’t like it.

“I think they’ve had some rain, so hopefully it’s just nice, good ground on Saturday.

“Her form is intertwined with the favourite. Last year they met each other a few times, we came out on top one day and they came out on top another day.

“If she was to run up to the best of her form you’d think she’d have a good chance. Her last run was a bit disappointing, so we have to hope she can put that behind her.”

Karl Burke’s Poptronic was third in the Lester Piggott Stakes and is another hoping to reverse course form with Sea Silk Road, while Richard Hannon’s Aristia was a Group One winner in France last season, but now steps up to 12 furlongs for just the second time following a lacklustre return in the Middleton Stakes at York.

Also sure to be in the mix is John and Thady Gosden’s Mimikyu who was a non-runner here last month but has two track victories to her name and has stamina to burn judged on her impressive Park Hill victory last term.

The Clarehaven team, along with jockey Robert Havlin, won this race with the George Strawbridge-owned Free Wind 12 months ago and Mimikyu – who also runs in the white and green silks – will bid to not only provide connections with back-to-back victories in the race, but also hand Havlin a fourth Lancashire Oaks 20 years after first striking with Place Rouge.

The jockey said: “The Lancashire Oaks always falls on the same weekend as the Eclipse. It was great when I won the race on Great Heavens as John also won the Eclipse that year with Nathaniel. Hopefully we can have another double this weekend with Mimikyu and Emily Upjohn.

“On these big Saturdays being involved with this yard you can always pick up a decent ride. I’ve been doing that for years and years and I’ll keep batting away at it.

“Mimikyu worked really well at the July course with the hood off. She has been racing with the hood on recently, including in the Bronte Cup, and I really felt an improvement with the hood off.

“She does have a 5lb penalty to carry for winning the Park Hill at Doncaster last year but hopefully she has got the class to overcome it. She is going there with a live chance.”

Tom Ward’s Luisa Casati and Roger Varian’s Peripatetic both arrive having claimed Listed contests at Goodwood in their most recent appearances, while Hughie Morrison’s One For Bobby landed the Nottinghamshire Oaks on stable debut before chasing home Al Husn and Nashwa in the Hoppings Stakes recently.

The field of nine is rounded off by Jim Goldie’s Wickywickywheels who drops back in trip having failed to feature in the Bronte Cup at York.

Hull KR coach Willie Peters knows any lingering memories of his side’s emphatic 40-0 derby win at the MKM Stadium in April will count for little when the city rivals meet again in a potentially pivotal Betfred Super League clash at Craven Park on Sunday lunchtime.

Rovers’ win gave Peters a best possible first taste of the derby drama whilst piling more misery upon Hull FC, who looked abject as they surrendered to a sixth straight defeat that appeared to leave the position of experienced head coach Tony Smith under serious threat.

Fast forward three months and it is injury-ravaged Rovers who are feeling the heat, scrabbling to cling onto a top-six slot while Smith’s men have belatedly stirred, their recent statement win over St Helens steeling them for a late play-off push that looked wholly improbable amid the wreckage of April.

Just as telling as the two sides’ form-lines this season are the respective attitudes of the two coaches as they head into a game that could go a long way towards defining their respective seasons, and for which the ‘sold-out’ signs have been hung over KR’s home for over a week.

Peters is intent on living and breathing every moment of his first home derby, which he describes as a “special occasion”, and which he firmly believes is precisely the right fixture to rejuvenate his ailing squad after last week’s disappointing reversal at Leigh.

But for Smith, who the baggage of being sacked as KR coach last season with him across the city, it is nothing to get excited about.

“Defeats all hurt,” insisted the 56-year-old veteran. “I’ve played against a lot of former clubs, and I was no more upset (after the derby) than some of the other games I’ve lost. What hurts is the manner in which you lost, and if we are not giving a good account of ourselves.”

Peters experienced a number of NRL derbies as a player and maintains there is nothing to rival the passion and noise levels of the east Yorkshire showdown, not least one which promises to shape the season run-in for both clubs so significantly.

“When I first came over here I was always told this was a special game and I experienced it first-half at FC’s stadium – obviously for the result but also the atmosphere and the build-up and everything the derby stands for,” said Peters.

“I knew it would be passionate but whilst I’ve experienced some great derbies, including the Roosters and the Rabbitohs, and the Dragons and Sharks, the crowd here is two or three times as loud.

“You can play it down and say it’s just another game but it’s not, it’s a special occasion. When you look back at your career you look at those moments that stood out the most and these are the moments – there is no doubt that performance we had last time is the best moment for the team this year.”

Both sides face selection dilemmas, with FC bolstered by the prospective returns of the likes of Tex Hoy and Liam Sutcliffe, whilst KR must reshuffle due to the absence of loose forward Eliot Minchella and the returns to Catalans of loan pair Tanguy Zenon and Fouad Yaha.

Smith’s return to Craven Park for the first time since his controversial departure is sure to give an already tasty tie an extra dimension but the veteran Black-and-Whites coach is unconcerned by the fiery welcome he can expect to receive.

“It’s the least of my concerns,” added Smith. “During my time, I have given my all to all of the clubs I was in charge of. For those who remember that, great. For those who don’t, that’s fine, I don’t care.

“I hope it’s a fantastic game that both sets of supporters can enjoy. I’m not one to encourage that rivalry to boil over into bitterness. I want people to enjoy rugby league for what it is. Whoever wins, the other tips their hat, and we move on.”

Alun Wyn Jones has joined Toulon on a short-term contract.

The former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain has signed for the French club as a “medical joker” for the duration of this year’s World Cup.

“We are delighted and honoured to welcome a legendary player like Alun Wyn Jones to Toulon,” director of rugby Pierre Mignoni told the official club website.

“His career demonstrates the immense talent of this player. His experience and his mental and physical strength will add to the locker room and to his team-mates.”

Jones, 37, announced his international retirement in May as the most-capped player in world rugby.

The second-row forward, who had been named in Wales’ preliminary World Cup squad, has played a world-record 170 Test matches – 158 for Wales and 12 for the Lions.

Jones ended his 17-year stay at the Ospreys in June.

He has initially signed a short-term Toulon deal to cover squad absences as the domestic Top 14 season starts in mid-August before resuming after the World Cup in the final week of October.

Andy Murray reached the “pinnacle of tennis” on this day in 2013 as he became the first British player to win the Wimbledon men’s singles title for 77 years.

Murray raised a standing ovation on Centre Court, where crowds bellowed their support as he sealed a thrilling victory over world number one Novak Djokovic in straight sets – 6-4 7-5 6-4.

The Scot broke down in tears of joy as he claimed the title that had eluded him for so long as a wave of celebration reverberated across the country.

In the players’ box, his mother Judy Murray wept freely while his girlfriend Kim Sears appeared to fight back tears as the British number one kissed his well-earned trophy. Fred Perry had been the last British men’s singles winner at Wimbledon in 1936.

Murray said: “Winning Wimbledon I think is the pinnacle of tennis.

“The last game almost increased that feeling. I worked so hard in that last game. It’s the hardest few points I’ve had to play in my life.

“I can’t believe it. I can’t get my head around that.

“It was different to last year’s final (against Roger Federer) for sure, and then (at) the end of the match, that was incredibly loud, very noisy.

“I’ve been saying it all week, but it does make a difference. It really helps when the crowd is like that, the atmosphere is like that.”

Murray won the Wimbledon crown again in 2016, beating Canadian Milos Raonic and giving him a third grand slam title following his 2012 US Open success.

Gunnar Henderson homered twice and drove in five runs as part of the Baltimore Orioles’ 20-hit attack in a 14-1 drubbing of the New York Yankees on Thursday.

Henderson had a career-high four hits – all in the first four innings - with his first multi-homer game and Ryan O’Hearn added three hits and four RBIs to help Baltimore rebound with wins in the final two games of the four-game series between AL East rivals.

Henderson led off the game with an opposite-field home run off Luis Severino and the Orioles broke open the game with seven runs and eight hits in the third inning.

O’Hearn ignited the outburst with an RBI double and capped it with a two-run single.

The Orioles extended to a 13-0 lead with five runs in the fourth highlighted by Henderson’s three-run homer.

Every Baltimore starter had at least one hit except Colton Cowser, who walked twice in his second major league game.

Kyle Bradish didn’t need much help from his offense, as he limited the Yankees to three hits over six innings with two walks and five strikeouts.

Severino was roughed up for the second consecutive start, yielding seven runs and 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings. His ERA ballooned to 7.38.

Phillies sweep Rays to push road streak to 12

Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner delivered RBI singles in the 11th inning as the Philadelphia Phillies won their 12th straight road game with a 3-1 win over the slumping Tampa Bay Rays.

Darick Hall homered to help the Phillies move to 12-0 on the road since a loss at Arizona on June 12. The streak is one shy of the franchise record set in 1976.

Christopher Sanchez logged a quality start for Philadelphia, allowing one run and four hits over six innings. The bullpen held the Rays hitless over the final five innings.

The Rays’ losing streak reached a season-high five as they dropped to 6-11 in their last 17 games.

Lindor has 5 hits in Mets’ rout of Diamondbacks

Francisco Lindor had a career-high five hits and fell a double shy of the cycle to back Carlos Carrasco’s strong start in the New York Mets’ 9-0 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Lindor tripled in the first inning and scored on Pete Alonso’s 26th home run to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.

He tripled again in the third and came home on Alonso’s single, singled in the fourth and hit his 18th home run in the sixth. Needing a double for the cycle in the eighth, Lindor instead settled for another single.

Carrasco allowed three hits in eight innings as the Mets won their fifth straight.

Irish amateur Aine Donegan is one shot out of the lead after her first major championship round – despite a broken driver and the late arrival of her clubs.

Donegan recovered from starting the US Women’s Open with two bogeys to shoot a three-under-par 69 at Pebble Beach, one behind China’s Xiyu Lin and Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea.

She was joined in a group on 69 by compatriot Leona Maguire, who birdied two of the last four holes after also bogeying the first.

Donegan, playing in her first tournament on the LPGA Tour, arrived at Pebble Beach having helped Europe reclaim the Vagliano Trophy in Scotland – but without clubs.

When she was reunited with them on Tuesday, the driver was in two pieces and so she used one in a set pieced together by her club manufacturers.

The 21-year-old, who holed out with a wedge for an eagle to go with five birdies, said: “The whole thing has been a bit surreal to be honest. Nearly every five minutes it’s like a pinch-me moment.

“It wouldn’t be the first time I started bogey-bogey. For me to come back then and finish how I finished and play the rest of round, I’m really proud of myself for that.”

Maguire, who held the lead after the third round at last month’s Women’s PGA Championship before falling away, said it did not take her long to get over that disappointment.

She said: “It’s golf. These things happen. I think you have to get on with things pretty quickly, dust yourself off.”

She said playing a major at Pebble Beach has “been circled on the calendar”.

England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff opened with a one-under-par 71, two better than compatriot Charley Hull and Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh, English trio Alice Hewson, Charlotte Thomas and Bronte Law finishing on 74 with Georgia Hall a further two strokes back.

Rose Zhang, the 20-year-old sensation who won on her professional debut earlier this season, opened with a 74.

World number one Jin Young Ko made only one birdie in an opening 79, three worse than number two Nelly Korda playing alongside her who put her opening drive over the cliff and onto the beach at the 10th.

Natthakritta Vongtaveelap of Thailand only made it through five holes of the first round when she was disqualified for her caddie using a rangefinder, which is allowed at other LPGA events.

Andy Murray will return to Centre Court trying to finish the job in his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The two-time champion was two sets to one up against the Greek fifth seed when play was halted at around 10.40pm on Thursday night.

His addition to the line-up makes it a bumper day of action, with the British number one, men’s and women’s number ones and the player who has won more grand slam titles than anyone else also playing.

Here, the PA news agency looks ahead at Friday’s play.

More Murray mayhem

All eyes will be on how Andy Murray pulls up in the morning after the injury scare he suffered in the penultimate point of Thursday night’s action.

On set point, the 36-year-old went down screaming when trying to change direction before picking himself up and delivering an unreturnable serve that put him 2-1 up.

The match referee then decided it was too late to start a fourth set, meaning Murray and Tsitsipas must return on Friday afternoon to finish with the Scot leading 6-7 (3) 7-6 (2) 6-4.

Centre’s golden ticket

People with Centre Court tickets will be wondering how they got so lucky as they could hardly have picked a better line-up.

With the bonus of Murray finishing his match with Tsitsipas, those gracing Wimbledon’s main show court on Friday boast a combined 34 grand slam singles titles.

Carlos Alcaraz, who felt sidelined when he could not play on Centre Court in front of Roger Federer on Tuesday, opens against Alexandre Muller before Murray returns to finish his match.

Then women’s top seed Iga Swiatek will play Petra Martic before the headline act between Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka closes a thrilling day’s action.

Match of the day

One of the big rivalries of the last 15 years is reignited on Centre Court as defending champion Djokovic faces Wawrinka in the third round.

The pair have fought it out on the biggest stage over the years with two of Wawrinka’s three grand slam titles coming after beating Djokovic in the final, most memorably in a stunning performance at the French Open in 2015.

But injury has taken its toll on the Swiss in recent years and he is no longer competing at the same level as Djokovic, who has almost got better with age.

Wawrinka has given himself “zero” chance of winning Wimbledon but he will have plenty of support on Centre Court as he eyes a huge upset.

Brit watch

Along with Murray’s match to a finish, Cameron Norrie finally returns to action as he looks for a knockout blow in his second-round match with Chris Eubanks.

The British number one has not been on court since Tuesday due to rain delays so he will be at least rested for his Court One bout with the American.

And Liam Broady will look to follow up his stunning win over fourth seed Casper Ruud when he faces former semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov on Court Two.

Order of play

Centre Court
Carlos Alcaraz v Alexandre Muller
Andy Murray v Stefanos Tsitsipas
Iga Swiatek v Petra Martic
Novak Djokovic v Stan Wawrinka

Court One
Aryna Sabalenka v Varvara Gracheva
Cameron Norrie v Chris Eubanks
Ons Jabeur v Bai Zhuoxuan

Other British singles
Liam Broady v Denis Shapovalov (Court 2)

Weather

Sunny, with highs of 28C.

The Atlanta Hawks are finalizing a 4-year, $120 million maximum extension with veteran guard Dejounte Murray, according to multiple reports.

Murray, who was entering the final year of his contract, gets an extension that will run through the 2027-28 season.

The move comes less than two weeks after the Hawks agreed to a trade that sent John Colins to the Utah Jazz, clearing a significant amount of cap space.

In his first season with Atlanta, Murray averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 74 games. He shot 46.4 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from 3-point range.

Murray was acquired from the San Antonio Spurs in June 2022 for forward Danilo Gallinari and three first-round picks.

Although Murray had a strong season, the Hawks fell short of expectations and finished seventh in the Eastern Conference with a 41-41 record.

Liam Broady and Katie Boulter booked their places in the third round of Wimbledon with fine wins on day four, but Andy Murray will have to return on Friday in his attempt to join them.

Murray’s second-round tie under the Centre Court roof with Stefanos Tsitipas had to be suspended just before the 11pm curfew with the two-time champion leading 6-7 (3) 7-6 (2) 6-4.

The two-time Wimbledon winner will hope the fall he suffered on set-point has caused no serious damage and he can resume his efforts to make the last-32 on day five.

Plenty of other matches did get completed on a busy day, with defending champion Elena Rybakina and 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini progressing.

Grand slam champions Daniil Medvedev and Stan Wawrinka were able to win, but Estonian Anett Kontaveit lost in what is the final singles match of her career.

Tweet of the dayPicture of the dayQuote of the dayBrit watchShot of the dayStat of the dayDay of the Comeback

It was comeback central at the All England Club with Broady leading the charge, hitting back from two sets to one down to stun world number four Casper Ruud, but all across the grass courts in SW19 there were marathon fightbacks being completed.

Mikael Ymer roared back from the brink to beat Taylor Fritz in five sets and Yosuke Watanuki was two sets down to Marc-Andrea Huesler before producing an outstanding turnaround triumph.

Perhaps the most epic comeback of day four was reserved for Donna Vekic, who was a set and 5-2 down to Sloane Stephens and heading for an early exit. Instead, the Croatian 20th seed rediscovered her form and won 11 of the next 15 games to clinch victory.

Murray will hope to finish off his fightback on Friday.

Andy Murray will try to join Liam Broady and Katie Boulter in the third round of Wimbledon when his compelling duel with Stefanos Tsitsipas resumes on Friday.

On the eve of the 10th anniversary of his first title at the All England Club, Murray rolled back the years with a performance showcasing all his famous grit, skill and grass-court nous to lead 6-7 (3) 7-6 (2) 6-4.

There were boos when it was announced the match would be halted with 20 minutes still to go until the 11pm curfew but Murray was probably not too disappointed after a hugely concerning moment at set point when the Scot screamed in pain and fell to the ground clutching his left groin.

Mercifully he quickly got to his feet and clinched the set with a serve that drew a Tsitsipas error, and the hope must be he has not done anything that could jeopardise his chances.

The match did not begin until gone 7.30pm, mostly as a result of the win of Broady’s life, with the 29-year-old outlasting world number four Ruud to clinch a 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-0 victory.

The win over Ruud, who has made the finals of Roland Garros and the US Open during the past 12 months, was even sweeter for the Stockport left-hander given it took place in front of a buoyant Centre Court crowd.

“It was a pretty terrifying, exhilarating experience coming out at Centre Court on Wimbledon, but it’s been my dream since I was five-years-old,” said Broady.

“I played on Court One in the finals of the juniors (in 2011). I was a set and a break up. I completely choked it, completely guffed it. That has kind of haunted me my entire career, to be honest.

“It always bothered me coming back, playing on the bigger courts and never really feeling like I was comfortable and had performed. That’s why it felt good. I feel like it’s taken a monumental effort for me personally to be able to win a match on Centre Court at Wimbledon.”

Like Broady, British number one Boulter is through to the third round for the second consecutive year after a 6-0 3-6 6-3 win over Viktoriya Tomova, and will meet last year’s winner Elena Rybakina.

“I think it’s a super great opportunity for me,” she said. “I’ve got nothing to lose. She’s clearly the defending champion for a reason.

“I’m going to have a swing and go for it. I’ve got a lot of tennis behind me. It’s time for me to test my skills against an incredible champion. I think I’m playing really well. I feel very comfortable.”

Jan Choinski was the only British singles player to lose, the German-born 27-year-old going out 6-4 6-4 7-6 (3) to his former junior doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz.

Choinski hopes to improve his ranking enough to earn direct entry in 12 months’ time, saying: “I would be very happy coming back next year. Maybe even without needing a wild card for the main draw, try my best to get my ranking to a position where I can enter the tournament by myself.”

Andy Murray is one set away from a place in the third round of Wimbledon after a late-night classic against Stefanos Tsitsipas was halted by the tournament’s 11pm curfew.

On the eve of the anniversary of his first title at the All England Club, Murray rolled back the years with a performance showcasing all his famous grit, skill and grass-court nous to lead 6-7 (3) 7-6 (2) 6-4.

There were boos when it was announced the match would be halted with 20 minutes still to go until the cut-off point but Murray was probably not too disappointed after a hugely concerning moment at set point when the Scot screamed in pain and fell to the ground clutching his left groin.

Mercifully he quickly got to his feet and clinched the set with a serve that drew a Tsitsipas error, and the hope must be he has not done anything that could jeopardise his chances.

Liam Broady’s five-set win over Casper Ruud earlier on Centre Court meant this match did not begin until after 7.30pm, with Murray looking to emulate his less-heralded compatriot by taking out a top-five seed.

For the first time since his second Wimbledon title in 2016, the Scot had arrived at the All England Club feeling fit and healthy, and he declared after dropping just four games to Ryan Peniston in round two that he was playing well enough to beat most of his rivals in the draw.

Murray may no longer be right at the top of the game but he knows his way around a grass court better than most, and there are few of the younger generation who relish competing on the surface.

Tsitsipas is certainly much more comfortable on clay and hard courts, with his best performance here so far a run to the fourth round five years ago.

He had needed two days and five sets to get past Dominic Thiem in round one while Murray had the luxury of the roof for his clash with Peniston, and the court was covered again as they stepped out, with little chance the match could be completed in daylight.

The atmosphere rippled with excitement and both players struck the ball crisply from the start, with not so much as a deuce until the 12th game, when an ill-advised HawkEye challenge from Murray on a ball that clipped the baseline left him facing break point.

He responded with his own forehand on to the line, yelling ‘let’s go’ when Tsitsipas missed the opposite sideline, and into a tie-break they went.

There the Greek took a page from Novak Djokovic’s book of how to play flawless tie-breaks, a series of exceptional points giving him the advantage and letting a little air out of the Centre Court balloon.

Tsitsipas has saved some of his best tennis for the grand slams this year, reaching a second final at the Australian Open, where he came up against the unstoppable Djokovic, and the last eight in Paris.

In the second set Murray was hanging on as Tsitsipas’ forehand really caught fire, the 24-year-old powering 11 clean winners off that side.

But Murray avoided giving up any break points and got his reward, with Tsitsipas finally making a few mistakes to slip to 6-2 adrift.

Murray used all his home advantage, lingering around the net and whipping up the crowd, and a huge roar greeted the next point.

At their only previous grand slam meeting, at the US Open in 2021, Murray said he had lost respect for his opponent over the length of his toilet breaks during a five-set loss for the Scot.

The rules have since changed but Tsitsipas, who had referred to the court as Murray’s living room, was booed on his return from an extended break to change his clothes.

The Greek carried his disappointment into the third set and Murray pounced immediately, creating his first break points of the match and breaking to love.

Tsitsipas recovered his composure and forced two break points in the fourth game but Murray’s serve was now purring and he appeared set to clinch the set comfortably prior to his unfortunate slip.

Houston Astros star Jose Altuve will remain sidelined through at least the All-Star break after the team placed the veteran second baseman on the 10-day injured list Thursday.

Altuve has missed Houston's last two games after hurting his left oblique during batting practice on Tuesday. The move is retroactive to July 4, so the 2017 American League MVP will be eligible to return for the Astros' first game after the upcoming All-Star break on July 14.

"We're in no rush to try to rush him back prior to the break," Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters Wednesday. 

Brown added that Altuve's injury is not as serious as the right oblique issue that caused the 33-year-ol to miss four games last month.

"Even if it's [an injured list], we thought about it, he would be back - maybe miss one day," he said.

Altuve is batting .264 with six home runs, 18 RBIs and five stolen bases this season. Three of those homers have come in his last six games.

Houston has also been without slugger Yordan Alvarez since June 9 due to an oblique strain. The 2023 All-Star is expected to return sometime in July.

Utlityman Mauricio Dubon will serve as the Astros' primary second baseman for their final series before the break, a four-game set against the Seattle Mariners that begins Thursday.

Dubon is batting .292 with four homers, 21 RBIs and five stolen bases in 68 games.