Rachael Blackmore has been made an honorary MBE for services to sport.
The 33-year-old won the 2021 Grand National on Minella Times and the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2022 on A Plus Tard, becoming the first female rider to win the two biggest prizes in National Hunt racing.
She was crowned leading rider at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021 and in the same year won the BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year award.
Blackmore is perhaps best known for her association with the Henry de Bromhead-trained mare Honeysuckle, who won 17 of her 19 races including two Champion Hurdles at Cheltenham.
Honorary MBEs recognise those from overseas who excel in their field in Britain.
Frankie Dettori was made an honorary MBE in 2001 for his services to racing.
Marco Botti is banking on his decision to skip the Gold Cup at Ascot paying dividends in the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup for Giavellotto.
Promoted to third in the St Leger behind Eldar Eldarov last season, he beat that rival in the Yorkshire Cup last month, admittedly in receipt of 5lb.
Botti decided against going to Ascot feeling two miles is as far as his stable star wants to go, and an entry in the Irish St Leger suggests he may even be coming back in trip later in the season.
“Giavellotto is very well and the plan was always to go straight for the Goodwood Cup,” said Botti.
“The horse won well at York and then we were keen to give him more time rather than stepping up to the Gold Cup, as we think two miles is his best trip.
“He has matured a lot mentally from three to four and we expected him to improve this season, as most stayers do with age. He used to wear a hood and get quite warm before his races but that was not the case in the Yorkshire Cup.
“We were disappointed on his first run back in the Dubai Gold Cup but he was drawn wide and the race did not pan out for him, so it was nice to see him show what we thought he was capable of at York.
“You never know until you run at Goodwood whether they will handle the track, but he seems a well-balanced horse and the long straight will be in his favour.”
Giavellotto is one of 26 entries for the Goodwood race, which include the Gold Cup winner Courage Mon Ami.
His John and Thady Gosden-trained stablemate and Queen’s Vase winner Gregory, who is so far unbeaten, is another potential rival.
Subjectivist, Coltrane, Eldar Eldarov and Emily Dickinson are others given the option.
Sir Nick Faldo believes LIV Golf cannot survive the proposed deal between golf’s warring factions, but that Rory McIlroy can thrive following the shock outbreak of peace.
Earlier this month the PGA Tour announced it was creating a new commercial entity with the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which bankrolls the breakaway circuit.
The deal is subject to judicial scrutiny in the United States and details remain thin on the ground, but the “framework agreement” does state that LIV’s future will be determined by the new entity, whose board will be controlled by a PGA Tour majority.
Asked ahead of the British Masters if LIV can survive, tournament host and six-time major winner Faldo said: “I don’t think so, because nobody’s really interested.
“They’re not going to get the sponsorship that they want. They call it a team (event) and it’s not because it’s strokeplay.
“You see your mates on the putting green and say ‘play well’ and you see them in the scorers tent and say ‘What did you shoot?’ That’s it. A team is out there helping, shoulder to shoulder. That’s a true team.
“You have the ultimate team event, the Ryder Cup, you know the passion and the atmosphere of that. They’re not playing with the same passion and atmosphere as the Ryder Cup.
“It’s only half a dozen (players) that are really current, half of the field I don’t really know and half the field are there for the very nice last-placed money that you still get if you shoot 20 over.”
Unsurprisingly, LIV player and HyFlyers team captain Phil Mickelson has a different view and believes everything that the rebels were promised by LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman is coming to pass.
“I think that right now we have basically an agreement to have an agreement and everything over the last couple of years that we’ve been told by Greg and everybody on LIV has come to fruition, so we have a lot of confidence in what they have been saying to us because everything has been happening,” Mickelson said ahead of the LIV event in Valderrama.
Asked if he felt vindicated by developments, Mickelson added: “I would say I felt appreciation that we got to this point where we’re working together because it makes me confident with where the game of golf is headed in the future.
“We felt like it was going to be about two years roughly before we got to that point. It took a year and a half, or six months quicker than I thought it would be.”
McIlroy admitted he felt like a “sacrificial lamb” when the proposed deal was announced, the four-time major winner having emerged as the public face of the PGA Tour in its battle with LIV.
The following week he cancelled his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club, where he finished second to Wyndham Clark to extend his major championship drought.
“I’m pretty sure Rory’s suffered from being constantly asked, being a spokesman (for the PGA Tour),” Faldo said. “You want a clear head when you go and play golf, you want to be able to concentrate.
“I’d rather be playing well and fending off questions about why I finished second than why I finished 152nd. If you finish second it’s stewards’ inquiry and a dissection but he’s there, he’s playing that well every week.
“He’s playing beautifully so if he can just get those wedges a smidgen closer that changes everything. Putting under pressure to putting for birdie is a huge difference.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s seriously inspired at Hoylake. That’s where he won last time (the 2014 Open).
“There is scar tissue from nine years without a major and not too many players have come back from a long gap and then go on to reboot your career and win more, but I’m sure he would just love to be able to bowl up, go and practice and play with minimal off-course work and interference.
“You need that when you’re trying to play your best. You’ve got to have that all day long.”
Mick Appleby’s Big Evs is Goodwood-bound after a memorable victory at Royal Ascot.
The Blue Point colt had a second-placed debut run under his belt when he lined up at 20-1 in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Ascot last Wednesday, but under Jason Hart he was a decisive winner when defeating Aidan O’Brien’s 100-30 favourite Johannes Brahms by three lengths.
The Molecomb at Goodwood’s headline meeting is next on the agenda, a Group Three run over five furlongs, with a trip to the Knavesmire at York also pencilled in later in the season.
Appleby said: “I did quite fancy him because he worked well with Annaf (King’s Stand third) the Saturday before.”
“I was pretty confident he would finish in the first three but I didn’t think he would win like that. Obviously he is a very good horse.
“I had plenty of messages of congratulations afterwards which I was very appreciative of. It is what we do it for and Royal Ascot is where everyone wants to have winners.
“He is more than likely to now go for the Molecomb at Goodwood. I think that is the most obvious target for him and then we will go from there.”
At York the two-year-old could stick to five furlongs for the Nunthorpe, but there is also a chance he could step up a furlong and take on the Gimcrack Stakes instead.
Appleby said: “We’ve said we will possibly look at the Nunthorpe afterwards but Goodwood is next on the agenda. We did half think about going for the Gimcrack at York after Goodwood as well.
“Whether he will get six furlongs I don’t know, but it didn’t look like he was stopping at Ascot.
“At York I think he probably would get six furlongs, but we will get Goodwood done first then make a decision which route we take after that.
“The owner has had a few offers on the table for him but he is not interested in selling him which is good to see.”
Dermot Weld will give the Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes at Leopardstown “serious consideration” for his star filly Tahiyra.
The Aga Khan-owned three-year-old landed the third Group One success of her short career to date when successful in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last week.
She is currently on a short break at her owner’s Gilltown Stud with a view to an autumn campaign, with the race on Irish Champions Festival taking place on September 9.
“The Matron Stakes would certainly be a race we would definitely consider,” said Weld on the Dublin track’s website.
“Tahiyra has come out of last week well and is going on a short break at the moment and no decision has been made about her autumn campaign, but obviously the Matron Stakes will be given very serious consideration.”
Weld has won the race twice before, with Dress To Thrill (2002) and Emulous (2011), and he could also run Homeless Songs this year.
“Emulous was a very good filly I trained for Juddmonte. She was a very good winner of it. She was a very consistent filly, a multiple Group-winning filly,” he said.
“And of course Dress To Thrill was an unbeaten three-year-old filly that I trained for Moyglare. She was very talented. She won the Matron Stakes, the Sun Chariot at Newmarket and then, with a brilliant ride by Pat Smullen, won the Grade One Matriarch Stakes in California, beating the champion turf mare of America, Golden Apples.”
Above The Curve, Inspiral, Just Beautiful, Laurel, Moon De Vega and Aidan O’Brien’s Statuette, who has not run yet this season, are also among the 46 entries.
Mick Appleby’s Big Evs is Goodwood-bound after a memorable victory at Royal Ascot.
The Blue Point colt had a second-placed debut run under his belt when he lined up at 20-1 in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Ascot last Wednesday, but under Jason Hart he was a decisive winner when defeating Aidan O’Brien’s 100-30 favourite Johannes Brahms by three lengths.
The Molecomb at Goodwood’s headline meeting is next on the agenda, a Group Three run over five furlongs, with a trip to the Knavesmire at York also pencilled in later in the season.
Appleby said: “I did quite fancy him because he worked well with Annaf (King’s Stand third) the Saturday before.”
“I was pretty confident he would finish in the first three but I didn’t think he would win like that. Obviously he is a very good horse.
“I had plenty of messages of congratulations afterwards which I was very appreciative of. It is what we do it for and Royal Ascot is where everyone wants to have winners.
“He is more than likely to now go for the Molecomb at Goodwood. I think that is the most obvious target for him and then we will go from there.”
At York the two-year-old could stick to five furlongs for the Nunthorpe, but there is also a chance he could step up a furlong and take on the Gimcrack Stakes instead.
Appleby said: “We’ve said we will possibly look at the Nunthorpe afterwards but Goodwood is next on the agenda. We did half think about going for the Gimcrack at York after Goodwood as well.
“Whether he will get six furlongs I don’t know, but it didn’t look like he was stopping at Ascot.
“At York I think he probably would get six furlongs, but we will get Goodwood done first then make a decision which route we take after that.
“The owner has had a few offers on the table for him but he is not interested in selling him which is good to see.”
Damon Hill has praised Lewis Hamilton for the “admirable” way he “kept his chin up” after the controversy of Abu Dhabi – and believes the Mercedes man is “absolutely motivated” to win a record eighth world title.
Eighteen months have passed since Hamilton lost out to Max Verstappen at the contentious season finale, with his Dutch rival going on to take last year’s title too.
And Verstappen, 69 points clear in this season’s championship, is primed to complete his hat-trick.
Hamilton, 38, has not won a race since the penultimate round of the 2021 campaign – the longest losing streak of his career – but he heads to this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix following two consecutive podium finishes in his revamped Mercedes machine.
“It is admirable the way Lewis kept his chin up after what happened in Abu Dhabi,” Hill, the 1996 world champion, told the PA news agency.
“He got back on with the task in hand and he is driving better again this year than he has done before. He is starting to gel with that car now and he has solved some of the problems he faced.
“So I would be amazed if he doesn’t want to go out on a high by winning that eighth title, and he is absolutely motivated by that. He has got that longevity and he looks after himself.
“He needs a competitive car, half-a-chance, and someone like Lewis will rise up to that challenge and find more in himself. At the moment we are seeing a happier Hamilton, and a happy Hamilton is a fast Hamilton.”
The British driver’s future on the grid, however, remains a hot topic of speculation.
Hamilton has entered the final six months of his current £40million-a-season contract with Mercedes. But despite a string of recent discussions with team principal Toto Wolff, a conclusion to the saga is not understood to be imminent.
“The talk is that Lewis is finalising a much longer-term deal that goes beyond his racing career,” added Hill, 62.
“The car company itself is involved, so there is a bit more bureaucracy in this deal.”
Hamilton is already 93 points behind Verstappen in the standings after the Red Bull driver raced to his sixth victory from eight rounds to equal Ayrton Senna’s career tally of 41 wins last time out in Canada.
Following Verstappen’s triumph, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said his star driver must now be considered among Formula One’s all-time greats.
“Comparing different eras is quite difficult,” said Hill, who was speaking at his Halow Project charity event in Sandown following a world-first kart run on Zero synthetic fuel.
“They do many more races than they used to in the sport. But, nevertheless, in every era there are one or two drivers who are the cream of the crop, and you have to say Max is one of them, along with Lewis and Fernando (Alonso).
“I certainly see him having his own era called ‘the Max Verstappen era’ where he wins practically everything.
“If you appreciate great drivers and the job they do then it is great to watch. But I understand people want to see a race and not a demonstration and we have to be patient and hope the others catch him up pretty quickly.”
Elina Svitolina makes a startling admission about her trips home to Ukraine.
The former world number three is discussing visiting her troubled homeland and how it fits in with life as a new mother.
Her husband, fellow tennis player Gael Monfils, is, she reveals, “really worried” about her safety.
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But Svitolina told the PA news agency: “Of course it’s unsafe because the country’s in a state of war. I have to plan it really well with the safety measures and be careful always. But mentally I feel safer in Ukraine than anywhere else in the world.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine coincided with the early stages of Svitolina’s pregnancy – baby Skai was born in October – and she was absent from the match court for a year.
As one of Ukraine’s most high-profile sportspeople, the hiatus gave her an opportunity to dive fully into doing what she could to support her compatriots.
Alongside family snaps and pictures of her on-court exploits, Svitolina’s Instagram feed features images of her highlighting the heartbreaking damage caused to Ukraine and in meetings with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
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Along with former Ukraine footballer Andriy Shevchenko, the 28-year-old is an ambassador for United24, the country’s official fundraising platform, while her own foundation, set up to support young tennis players, has widened its remit to provide relief for Ukrainian refugees.
Former boxer Vitali Klitschko made the switch from sport to politics and has a prominent role in Ukraine as mayor of Kyiv, but Svitolina is content with using her sporting profile to help her country.
“I’ve been quite interested in politics, and especially this time when I was pregnant, I have lots of friends who have different positions in Ukrainian politics and many friends as well who know a lot about it,” she said.
“But I never really wanted to go that way. I just want to be aware what is happening in my country, to learn and to understand how we can help at different levels for the people.
“I’m really happy with the position I have right now, using my platform, using my voice in every possible way through sports. This is my way and I feel I’m in the right place, and I want to use it as much as possible to help people.”
Next week sees Svitolina return to Wimbledon, where her best performance was a run to the semi-finals in 2019.
Svitolina’s ranking was not high enough to earn her direct entry into the championships but the All England Club awarded her a wild card.
She will hope to make a similar impression to her emotional French Open return, where she followed up a WTA Tour title in Strasbourg by reaching the quarter-finals to propel her back into the top 100.
“For sure it was a great step forward for me,” said Svitolina, who only returned to the tour in April.
“I played really well in Strasbourg, Roland Garros was a great run for me, so I’m really happy I could find again this fighting spirit, playing well under pressure. Hopefully I can build on that. I’m really motivated to go back on the practice court and find again my good game and my good mindset.”
Svitolina will hope, also, that the Wimbledon crowd are more generous should she face a Russian or Belarusian player after she was booed in Paris for sticking to the Ukrainian position of not shaking hands with opponents from the two aggressor nations.
She knows she has work to do on grass, which is not such a natural surface for her, and her first match in Birmingham last week ended in a one-sided loss to Czech teenager Linda Fruhvirtova.
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Svitolina now has to juggle training with life as a mother and managing the conflicting feelings of spending time away from Skai.
“It’s not easy, especially a performance like (against Fruhvirtova), it makes you feel not great,” she says.
“But me and Gael decided it’s going to be a better way for her as well to not travel so much because it’s very draining travelling, different zones. She will be coming to London if we both play there so it will be nice to spend some time together.
“I think the hardest thing is for sure being away from the baby. Also finding the mindset again, playing matches. Physically I feel I’m there and I’m hitting fine but the mindset of being in the match and being focused from the start until the end, this has been the most challenging to me.”
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Always on her mind as well will be Ukraine and Svitolina is already thinking of when she might be able to return to her home city of Odesa.
“I’m looking to go back home in the near future,” she says. “I don’t know exactly when, maybe in a few months, maybe half a year. Obviously the tennis season is packed with tournaments but, as soon as I have the opportunity, I will definitely plan to go there.
“I want to see my grandmother, who is there, my dad was there as well for a couple of weeks. And just to see my friends, to go back to my home. I really miss my country and especially what is now happening, lots of damage to a lot of the cities that mean a lot to me.”
Royal Ascot winner Waipiro will continue his career in Hong Kong, trainer Ed Walker has announced.
The three-year-old has made huge strides in four starts this term, winning a Newmarket novice in April before going on to finish second in the Lingfield Derby Trial and a respectable sixth in the Epsom Classic itself.
Dropped back to 10 furlongs for the Group Three Hampton Court Stakes last week, Waipiro posted his best performance to date when triumphing by a cosy two and a half lengths from Exoplanet.
A half-brother to Waikuku, a multiple Group One winner in Hong Kong, Waipiro will not run again for Walker and will be campaigned towards the Hong Kong Derby in March for owners the Siu family.
Walker told Racing TV: “The reason I have horses for the Siu family, and they are such great supporters, is for that reason, to produce horses for Hong Kong.
“He’s the perfect horse for the Hong Kong Derby. Mr Siu tries to buy one or two horses for the Hong Kong Derby every year and why would you not take Waipiro and try to buy another one.
“Every owner in Hong Kong wanting a European horse for the Derby would want Waipiro. He’s the perfect horse – loves fast ground, has a high cruising speed, huge talent, 10 furlongs, he’s the right horse for the job.”
Shohei Ohtani once again displayed his two-way brilliance Tuesday, striking out 10 batters from the mound and hitting two home runs to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-2 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Ohtani was 3 for 3 from the plate with a walk, and solo shots in the first and seventh innings raised his home run total to 28 on the season, extending his major-league lead.
Ohtani (7-3) allowed one run while pitching 6 1/3 innings, striking out 10 and collecting the win.
The superstar from Japan is just the sixth player in baseball history to hit two home runs while striking out 10 or more batters in a game.
Ohtani is now batting .304 on the season with a 1.009 OPS, and Tuesday’s performance lowered his ERA to 3.02 this year.
Eloy Jimenez was 3 for 4 for the White Sox and scored on an Andrew Vaughn single in the ninth to make things interesting, but Angels closer Carlos Estevez shut the door for his 20th save of the season.
Mets beat Brewers ahead of owner Cohen’s presser
Brandon Nimmo hit two home runs, David Peterson tossed six shutout innings and the slumping New York Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-2.
The victory came hours after Mets owner Steve Cohen announced on Twitter that he plans to hold a news conference Wednesday to address his team’s struggles.
After winning 101 games last year, New York is 36-43 this season and had lost 16 of their previous 21 games before Tuesday’s victory.
The Mets entered the season with an all-time record payroll of $355million.
Manager Buck Showalter hinted before the game that the Mets’ struggles have been tough for Cohen to tolerate.
“He’s frustrated - very competitive man, trust me, very competitive man,” Showalter said. “He likes to win.”
Kershaw, Martinez in spotlight as Dodgers blank Rockies
Clayton Kershaw gave up just one hit in six dominant innings, J.D. Martinez went deep twice to reach 300 home runs in his career and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0.
Kershaw held the Rockies hitless until a Brenton Doyle single with two outs in the sixth and needed just 79 pitches to collect his 10th win of the season.
Kershaw, whose only career no-hitter came against the Rockies in 2014, said after the game that he was battling fatigue but plans to make his next scheduled start.
Martinez hit a two-run shot in the third inning, then hit his milestone home run in the sixth – a solo shot off Brad Hand.
The high-scoring New Jersey Devils have added another piece to help light the lamp in 2023-24.
The Calgary Flames have traded winger Tyler Toffoli to the Devils for forward Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in Wednesday’s draft.
The deal was announced about a week after media reports surfaced that Toffoli, who is entering the final year of his contract, would not re-sign with Calgary.
Toffoli just completed the best season of his career and was the Flames’ leading scorer with 73 points (34 goals, 39 assists).
At 31-years-old, Toffoli joins a young core of Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt that made New Jersey a top-five scoring offense last season.
Toffoli has 466 career points (227 goals, 239 assists) in 733 games with the Flames, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings.
Earlier Tuesday, the Devils traded backup goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to the San Jose Sharks for a sixth-round pick.
The Flames add Sharangovich, a 25-year-old forward, and the No. 80 overall selection in this year’s draft.
A Belarus native, Sharangovich was drafted in the fifth round in 2018 and features a two-way game. After a 46-point season in 2021-22, his offensive production dipped to 30 points last season, but he contributed heavily on the Devils’ penalty kill units.
The Winnipeg Jets traded Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings after signing the 25-year-old forward to an eight-year contract extension worth $68 million on Tuesday.
The deal includes Los Angeles sending fellow forwards Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a second-round draft pick in 2024 to Winnipeg.
Dubois set personal bests with 36 assists and 63 points in 2022-23, while his 27 goals equalled the second-most of his career.
Drafted third overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2016, Dubois has recorded 302 points (129 goals, 173 assists) in six NHL seasons.
"Pierre-Luc Dubois is an elite two-way center with a unique skillset, and we're excited to have him join the organisation and commit to us long-term," Kings general manager and executive vice president Rob Blake said.
"Over the last few seasons, he has proven the ability to contribute to all facets of the game and we are thrilled to be able to add a player of this caliber into our lineup."
Vilardi, 23, had career highs of 23 goals, 18 assists and 63 games played last season.
Iafallo, 29, recorded 36 points in 2022-23 (14 goals, 22 assists), while the 23-year-old Kupari collected 15 points in 66 games.
"On behalf of the entire LA Kings organisation, we would like to thank Alex, Rasmus and Gabriel for their immense contributions both on and off the ice," Kings president Luc Robitaille said.
"Their efforts over the last few seasons on the ice, as well as with fans and throughout the community, have made a substantial mark on our franchise and we wish them all continued success in their future."
Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from June 27.
FootballJack Grealish bids farewell to Ilkay Gundogan.
Gundogan made himself at home in his new surroundings.
Burnley got a new football friend.
Manchester United released their new kit.
Wilfried Zaha bought a football club.
England Under-21s were preparing for Germany.
CricketEngland welcomed Josh Tongue ahead of the second Ashes Test.
Kate Cross reflected on the Women’s Ashes Test.
The St. Louis Blues acquired All-Star forward Kevin Hayes from the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, Blues president of hockey operations and general manager Doug Armstrong announced.
Hayes, 31, spent the last four seasons with Philadelphia and was an All-Star for the first time in 2022-23.
He tied a personal best with 36 assists and added 18 goals for 54 points, the second-most of his career.
Drafted 24th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, Hayes has recorded 386 points (155 goals, 231 assists) in nine NHL seasons with the New York Rangers, Winnipeg Jets and Philadelphia.
St. Louis went 37-38-7 last season to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.
The Flyers (31-38-13) finished 14th in the 16-team Eastern Conference and have been to the postseason once since 2018-19.
British number one Cameron Norrie continued his preparations for Wimbledon with victory over American Frances Tiafoe in the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic exhibition event at the Hurlingham Club.
Norrie, who reached the last eight at Queen’s, made a solid start in the overcast conditions on Tuesday afternoon as he took the opening game on serve with an ace and then forced an early break chance to move 3-1 ahead.
World number 10 Tiafoe, who won the Stuttgart title on grass earlier this month, held to reduce the deficit to 5-3, but Norrie closed out the first set in the next game with a backhand winner down the line.
The pair last met in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells in March, Tiafoe winning in straight sets.
Norrie, who had made the semi-finals of Wimbledon last year, showed little sign of being troubled by recent his knee issue as he moved freely around the court to hold in the second set at 1-1.
Tiafoe survived a break point in the next game, then converted one of his own in the sixth before holding to open up a 5-2 lead and served out to level the contest.
Under the exhibition regulations, a 10-point match tie-breaker decided the winner rather than playing a third set.
Norrie secured the first mini-break at 6-4 after Tiafoe hit a wide return and then converted a match point on serve following another unforced error from the American to complete a 6-3 3-6 10-6 win.
The British number one is set to play at Hurlingham again on Thursday, when he is scheduled to take on Norway’s Casper Ruud.
Azure Blue is on course for the Darley July Cup at Newmarket, as long as the ground is suitable for Michael Dods’ new sprinting star.
The four-year-old is on a steep upward curve, winning four of her last five races, the most recent of which was in the Group Two 1895 Duke of York Stakes.
She beat Highfield Princess there, albeit in receipt of 5lb, and with John Quinn’s mare performing with extreme credit in both the King’s Stand and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, the form looks strong.
“Azure Blue is in the July Cup and that is the plan as long as the ground doesn’t firm up,” said Dods.
“She is in good form and obviously it will be a tough race, but the plan is to go to Newmarket with her. She seems to love it at both tracks at Newmarket (three wins on the Rowley Mile and one on the July course to date).
“She didn’t go to Ascot and part of the reason for that was that the entries closed too soon so we came up with the plan of going for the July Cup.
“Had she had a run before the entries closed at Ascot then we would have probably entered her, but then it went pretty quick so whether she would have run is questionable.
“I think at the moment the speediest horse we had was Mecca’s Angel, but at this stage of her career I would put her up there with the best of them like Mabs Cross and Mecca’s Angel.”
Commonwealth Cup one-two Shaquille and Little Big Bear, older horses such as Kinross and Art Power and the likes of Lezoo and Meditate, remain in the mix.
A total of 19 stood their ground, although the American-trained Big Invasion was subsequently scratched, leaving 18.
British number one Katie Boulter insists successive first-round defeats have not dented her confidence ahead of Wimbledon following an early exit at Eastbourne.
Boulter was flying high after claiming her maiden WTA tour title at Nottingham on June 18 and expressed ambitions of one day becoming the world’s top-ranked player in an interview published on Monday.
But on Tuesday she failed to take her chances and was second best in a 6-4 7-5 defeat to world number 30 Petra Martic in the Rothesay International.
The 26-year-old’s loss in two hours and five minutes at a blustery Devonshire Park followed last week’s premature departure from the Rothesay Classic in Birmingham to limit her preparations for SW19.
“It wasn’t bad tennis – I’m playing someone ranked 30 in the world, I’m having a go at her,” said Boulter, who was initially drawn to face world number 10 Barbora Krejcikova before the withdrawal of reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina led to a reshuffle.
“Of course it was tough conditions and we could have that at any tournament, you could have that at Wimbledon, and I have to be ready for it and try and play the best I can on the day.
“Ultimately her experience showed today and she played better in the biggest moments.
“I feel like I’m playing some really good tennis. I’ve practised unbelievably well every single day this week. I’ve played seven matches going into the grass, I’m very happy with where I’m at.
“I don’t think I’ve lost any confidence this last couple of weeks just because I lost to higher-ranked players. I really don’t feel that at all.”
Heather Watson suffered elimination shortly after Boulter following defeat to Italian Camila Giorgi.
Watson, one of two lucky losers to benefit from the withdrawals of reigning champion Petra Kvitova (fatigue) and Anastasia Potapova (right shoulder), lost 6-3 6-4.
“I was prepared because yesterday I heard Kvitova wasn’t going to play,” said Watson. “I was very happy that I had another opportunity, but she was too good today.”
In the men’s draw, Liam Broady won the battle of the Britons by beating fellow Wimbledon wildcard Jan Choinski in straight sets.
The British number five, ranked 147 in the world, 20 places above Choinski, eased through 6-3 6-4 after breaking serve at the first opportunity in each set.
German-born Choinski briefly threatened a comeback following a break of his own in the sixth game of the second, but Broady immediately hit back before capitalising on his third match point.
The 29-year-old from Stockport will face Mikael Ymer of Sweden in the next round after he defeated Dutch ninth seed Botic van de Zandschulp 3-6 6-4 6-2.
Elsewhere, last year’s runner-up Jelena Ostapenko set up a last-16 clash with Britain’s Harriet Dart.
The Birmingham champion defeated lucky loser Barbora Strycova, who had replaced the absent Kvitova, 6-4 6-3.
World number seven Coco Gauff will play Britain’s Jodie Burrage in round two after she cruised past fellow American Bernarda Pera 6-3 6-2.
Also on Tuesday, former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Ons Jabeur overcame Italy’s Jasmine Paolini 6-3 6-2, second seed Caroline Garcia beat American Madison Brengle 6-1 7-5 and Beatriz Haddad Maia battled back to triumph 3-6 6-3 7-6 (3) against Marie Bouzkova.
Frankie Dettori’s hopes of winning the one particular race missing from his CV before he retires appear to be over after he was handed an eight-day whip ban for his ride on Inspiral at Royal Ascot.
The Darley July Cup, at his home course of Newmarket, is the one domestic Group One to have eluded the 52-year-old, who will retire at the end of 2023.
He was hoping to have a final crack at it aboard Ralph Beckett’s dual Group One winner Kinross, but was found by the British Horseracing Authority’s Whip Review Committee to have used his whip seven times in the Queen Anne Stakes on John and Thady Gosden’s filly when second to Triple Time.
That is one over the allotted number of six on the Flat, which triggers a four-day ban – and as the race is a Group One that penalty is doubled.
With Dettori already due to be serving a nine-day ban due to run from July 4-12 inclusive for causing interference on Saga in the Wolferton Stakes – which he is appealing – his whip ban would begin after that suspension has been served, ruling him out of the July Cup on July 15. His dates of suspension for his whip ban are July 13-15 and 17-21.
Peeved by the fact that the sport has been underrated and the support minimal, Jamaica Lacrosse Association (JLA) president Calbert Hutchinson, is hoping the performances of the country's young prospects at the ongoing Men’s Lacrosse World Championship, will now attract the attention of the powers that be to throw their financial weight behind the sporting body.
Despite making significant strides over the years since the sport's introduction to the island in 2014, Hutchinson pointed out that continuous appeal for funding have mostly fell on deaf ears but says the men’s unbeaten run in San Diego so far, is another testament of their growth and development that should issue another clarion call to join the movement.
The Jamaicans drawn in Pool D, opened their campaign with a 5-3 victory over more illustrious opponents Germany, followed by 10-5 and 6-4 wins over Switzerland and Poland respectively. They then rewrote the history books by blowing away New Zealand 10-6 on Monday to enter the playoffs as one of five unbeaten teams, with their next assignment scheduled for Tuesday against Italy.
"I am extremely pleased with the overall performance of the team, considering the limited time they had to gel together. I know we had the talent and coaching abilities to demonstrate to the world that Lacrosse and Jamaica are the perfect match, so it may be a surprise to many but for me, this historic accomplishment is just another feat that I think, speaks volumes of our growth over the years," Hutchinson told SportsMax.tv.
"However, the lack of support from home has hit a new low. Financial and moral support from entities that would be quick to throw their names and money behind a traditional team or individual sport that is doing well in the moment has been slow in coming so we are still hoping that corporate Jamaica will throw some support behind the sport. I'll say again that your support is an investment in our youth because there are so many opportunities where lacrosse is concerned," he added.
Over the years, Hutchinson has stressed the importance of providing a platform for aspiring players to come to the fore, and this tournament is one such example behind the JLA's intentions to improve and expand the sport, particularly from a local perspective.
"A positive exposure on the international scene is always a major positive for local development which is why we ensure that we have local talents getting the well needed international experience to come back and transfer that knowledge. So, an outstanding Kingston College player Samuel Henry and KC's head coach Kenneth Subratie, are currently a part the Jamaican team and coaching staff making waves," Hutchinson shared.
"We want to establish more meaningful partnerships with selected stakeholders who are in a position to help us grow the sport for the youths of today and tomorrow. So, again, we are hoping that these performances among some of the best teams, will translate into more scholarships for our players coming out of the high school league, more sponsorship opportunities, and more meaningful partnership with local and international entities," he noted.
Given their remarkable performances so far, Hutchinson acknowledges that there are heightened expectations that the team can possibly snare an historic medal, but to do so, they have to maintain the high standard starting with the next assignment against Italy.
Should the Jamaicans come out on top, they will then meet another powerhouse in Canada for a chance to progress to the quarterfinals.
“I have always said that this sport is one that captures the spirit of the Jamaican people, the excitement, the intensity and the desire to succeed on every occasion. Every time you win the expectations are greater, and so we want to live up to those expectations, by continuing to execute efficiently and improving our opportunities to create problems for teams on defence," Hutchinson stated.
"But regardless of what happens, we are very proud of the grit and determination displayed by the team and hope we can build on this achievement going forward by getting the Government and Corporate Jamaica to pay a little more attention to non-traditional sports like ours that has the greatest growth potential when compared to the traditional sports and especially when we are out performing those sports with our world rankings," the president ended.
Jamaica's senior men's team is currently ranked 13th in the world and 28th among the women, while the Under-19 male team is ranked 9th and the women currently positioned at number 30.
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