Osaka out of Wimbledon as Pavlyuchenkova battles back
Osaka was in a strong position after taking the first set, but her bid to finally make the last 16 imploded as Pavlyuchenkova battled back to clinch a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory.
The 27-year-old is a four-time Grand Slam champion, but she has not won a major since 2021.
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NHK
13 hours ago
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En garde! Japan-made glove takes fencing world by storm
Fencing is engaging people across Japan, and a glove from the nation's mitt-making heartland is playing its part. Japanese fencers are on the up. The national team won five medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024, including two golds. Interest in the sport has consequently surged across the country, and a fencing glove handcrafted in western Japan is sharing the limelight with the athletes themselves. Matsuyama Kyosuke, right, is a member of men's team foil which won a gold medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Matsuyama uses the Japan-made fencing glove. Half a century of expertise The glove is produced by Hosokawa Katsuhiro and his wife Kazue. Both in their late 70s, they have been making gloves for more than half a century. They delved into the world of fencing two decades ago, when their daughter took up the sport but couldn't find an overseas-made glove that fit. Hosokawa Katsuhiro and his wife Kazue Katsuhiro designs and selects the fabrics, and Kazue brings his ideas to life on the sewing machine. They have never taken part in the sport themselves, but Katsuhiro believes that allows them to be more receptive to advice, and break with convention. "We jumped into a completely new world, tried to listen as much as we could," he says from their workshop in Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture. Kazue says she appreciates her husband's inventive spirit ― but not so much his lack of financial prudence: "I admire all his ideas, although he doesn't care about costs!" Sewing a glove Every last detail considered International fencing has three disciplines, and the Hosokawas make gloves for two: foil and epee. In the latter, the entire body and the clothing are a target. The couple's design comprises more than 30 parts, all shaped for an optimum grip. The couple's gloves comprise more than 30 parts. The robust and slippery outer layer makes it harder for an opponent to score, while a protective fiber similar to bulletproof vests helps to safeguard against injuries. A breathable material in direct contact with the back of the hand ensures comfort during long matches. The epee glove has four layers that cover the back of the hand. The work is painstaking: together, Katsuhiro and Kazue produce just five or six gloves per day. But their efforts are now paying off with recognition. Many Japanese fencers use gloves made by the Hosokawas. They include Minobe Kazuyasu, a member of the men's epee team that won silver in Paris and gold at the previous Games in Tokyo. He regularly visits the couple to discuss his needs. Olympic gold medalist Minobe Kazuyasu is a big admirer of the Hosokawas' glove. "Their design allows for delicate movements without straining the fingers," he says. "And this lets me control the sword in a way no other glove can do." Minobe recalls using one of their gloves for the first time. "I was impressed right from the start. Like, 'Wow, they made a great glove!'" Flying the flag for Higashikagawa Higashikagawa City, Kagawa Prefecture Higashikagawa accounts for more than 90 percent of Japan's domestic glove production. Like many craftspeople in the region, Katsuhiro and Kazue initially operated as subcontractors for big manufacturers. But the Hosokawas are now exporting their own gloves to over a dozen countries. "The reputation of our gloves is driving our business," says Katsuhiro. The Hosokawas' products are on display at a glove museum in Higashikagawa City. Striving for perfection The number of people registered with Japan's fencing federation rose to a record 6,800 in 2024. Officials say inquiries at clubs nationwide have surged since the Paris Olympics. Fencing is booming in Japan. The Hosokawas know they will eventually have to retire, but now is not the time, when their work is in such high demand. And besides, Katsuhiro is still striving for the perfect design: a glove that suits every athlete. "I want to get one step closer," he says ― like a fencer, going for gold on the piste. Hosokawa Katsuhiro and Kazue
Japan Times
13 hours ago
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Alcaraz finds magic touch at Wimbledon as Sabalenka heads to quarterfinals
Carlos Alcaraz found his best form after a shaky start to beat Andrey Rublev and reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Sunday as hot favorite in the women's draw Aryna Sabalenka also progressed. The Spaniard, hunting a third straight title at the All England Club, has taken his fans on an emotional roller-coaster but is into the last eight after a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win. While Alcaraz's main rivals, seven-time winner Novak Djokovic and world number one Jannik Sinner, are in ominous form, the second seed has blown hot and cold so far. He will next face Cameron Norrie, who is the last British player standing at Wimbledon after beating Chile's Nicolas Jarry in five grueling sets. Alcaraz lost three sets across his first three matches and fell behind against Russian 14th seed Rublev under the Centre Court roof. But he turned the match around in style, producing some of his best tennis in front of his adoring fans. "I think I played intelligent and smart today against him, tactically," said the 22-year-old. "A really good match, which I'm really proud about." The five-time Grand Slam champion said he always believes in himself, even when facing adversity. "One point can change the match completely, turn everything around. "In tennis, you have to stay there all the time. Being strong mentally, to stay there. I knew that I was going to play better." Aryna Sabalenka in action during her round of 16 match against Elise Mertens in Wimbledon, London, on Sunday | REUTERS Women's world No. 1 Sabalenka has yet to drop a set in four rounds at the All England Club as every other top-six seed has fallen, but was given a tough workout by Belgian world No. 23 Mertens. The Belarusian came through 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) against her former doubles partner to set up a clash against Germany's Laura Siegemund. The three-time Grand Slam champion is making up for lost time after missing last year's Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury. She was excluded in 2022 as part of a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes. "With your support guys I think everything is possible," said Sabalenka, who has never been beyond the semifinals. "I don't know. It's such a beautiful tournament. "I always dreamed of winning it. Every time I'm here I'm trying to give my best and really hope for the best." Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova also progressed at the expense of Britain's Sonay Kartal, but had to mentally reset after a bizarre electronic line-calling failure. At 4-4 in the first set, Pavlyuchenkova held game point when a Kartal backhand landed clearly over the baseline but no call came and the umpire ordered the point be replayed. Kartal went on to break for a 5-4 lead. Pavlyuchenkova angrily made her case to the umpire, saying: "They stole the game from me, they stole it". But she broke back and won the tie-break, which proved a launchpad for a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory. The technology glitch in the fourth-round match follows concerns raised by other players. The All England Club released a brief statement on the incident. "Due to operator error the system was deactivated on the point in question," said an spokesman. "The chair umpire followed the established process." Russia's Karen Khachanov was the first winner of the day, brushing aside Polish player Kamil Majchrzak 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 on Court Two. The 17th seed will face U.S. fifth seed Taylor Fritz, who was only on court for 41 minutes before Australia's Jordan Thompson retired injured, trailing 6-1, 3-0. America's Fritz faced grueling five-set battles in his opening two matches but it was a different story in his fourth-round encounter on Court One. The Eastbourne champion broke Thompson twice to seal the first set in just 21 minutes and led 3-0 in the second set when the Australian decided he could not go on, due to an apparent thigh injury.
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19 hours ago
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Alcaraz's Wimbledon win streak reaches 18; Sabalenka gets to another Slam quarterfinal
tennis By HOWARD FENDRICH Carlos Alcaraz's latest up-and-down Wimbledon performance began with a dropped set. Later Sunday, he was in danger of getting broken to fall further behind in the third. And then, as he so often does, Alcaraz seized the moment, produced some magic and moved closer to a third consecutive title at the All England Club. Alcaraz stretched his winning streak in the grass-court Grand Slam tournament to 18 matches — and his current unbeaten run across all events to 22 — by coming back to beat No. 14 seed Andrey Rublev 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 at Centre Court to return to the quarterfinals. In this fortnight's first matchup between two men ranked in the top 20, No. 2 Alcaraz brought out his best while down 3-2 in the third set. First, he needed to fend off a break chance for Rublev, doing so with a forehand passing winner. After eventually holding to 3-all, Alcaraz earned his own break opportunity and didn't let Rublev escape. On an eight-stroke exchange, Alcaraz sprinted from one corner of the court to the other and, with a stomp of his right foot and a bit of a slide, he flicked a cross-court forehand winner. Oh, did he relish that one. Alcaraz spread his arms wide, pointed to his right ear and basked in the crowd's loud adulation, the noise bouncing off the underside of the stadium's closed roof. Rublev sat in his sideline chair, looked up at his guest box and made a sarcastic 'OK' hand signal. Just 10 minutes later, that set belong to Alcaraz, who will face 2022 semifinalist Cam Norrie — the last British player in singles — on Tuesday for a berth in the final four. 'I always said that it's just about belief in yourself. It doesn't matter that you are one-set-to-love down,' Alcaraz said. 'Tennis is a sport that can change in just one point. One point can change the match completely, turn around everything.' The 61st-ranked Norrie, who played college tennis at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, advanced with a 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (7), 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over qualifier Nicolas Jarry, who hit 46 aces. Norrie had a chance to close things out much earlier than he did but failed to convert a match point while ahead 6-5 in the third-set tiebreaker. The other men's quarterfinal Tuesday will be No. 5 Taylor Fritz vs. No. 17 Karen Khachanov. Fritz, last year's U.S. Open runner-up, had a short day because his opponent, Jordan Thompson, quit after about 40 minutes with back and leg injuries that he'd been dealing with throughout the tournament. Alcaraz is just 22 and already owns five Grand Slam trophies, the latest arriving in June at the French Open. He hasn't lost a match anywhere since April 20 against Holger Rune in the final at Barcelona. There have been lapses, of course, including when Alcaraz fell behind by two sets against No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final at Roland-Garros. Or when the Spaniard lost four points in a row after going up 5-3 in the opening tiebreaker against Rublev. He hasn't been as close-to-perfect as others over the past week: Sinner, No. 10 Ben Shelton and No. 22 Flavio Cobolli haven't dropped a set heading into their fourth-round contests. So, sure, Alcaraz has ceded five sets already, but all that matters is that he hasn't lost a match. No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka reached the quarterfinals at her 11th consecutive Grand Slam tournament, defeating No. 24 Elise Mertens 6-4, 7-6 (4), and will play unseeded Laura Siegemund, the 37-year-old German who followed up her elimination of Australian Open champ Madison Keys by beating lucky loser Solana Sierra 6-3, 6-2. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova overcame a missed call late in the first set — when the electronic system accidentally was off — and beat Sonay Kartal 7-6 (3), 6-4 to return to the grass-court major's quarterfinals for the first time in nine years. Pavlyuchenkova's opponent Tuesday will be Amanda Anisimova or Linda Noskova. Monday's fourth-rounders include Novak Djokovic against No. 11 Alex de Minaur at 1:30 p.m. They were supposed to face each other in last year's quarterfinals at Wimbledon, but de Minaur was forced to withdraw with a hip injury. That'll be followed at Centre Court by Mirra Andreeva vs. Emma Navarro, and then Sinner vs. No. 19 Grigor Dimitrov. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
