Aussie teen sensation Joint reaches Eastbourne final
Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser.
The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final.
Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she'll face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt.
The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement.
"Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint.
"I've definitely learned to love grass this week.
In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who became the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 in the other semi.
It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park.
For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing.
If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London 120km up the road from the seaside venue to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she'll be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50.
"I can take confidence that I won it last time (in Rabat), and maybe I'll be a little bit less nervous this time, but I'm just really excited to come out here and play another final," she said.
"I'm super excited to play Alex, we're gonna have a great match. She's a really nice girl, and, yeah, we're looking forward to it."
Up to No.41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at No.116.
In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she's shot up from No.1384.
Left-hander Eala, now a national figure in the Philippines after her own extraordinary breakthrough season in which she beat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the Miami Open semis, was left almost lost for words about her success.
Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser.
The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final.
Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she'll face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt.
The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement.
"Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint.
"I've definitely learned to love grass this week.
In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who became the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 in the other semi.
It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park.
For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing.
If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London 120km up the road from the seaside venue to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she'll be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50.
"I can take confidence that I won it last time (in Rabat), and maybe I'll be a little bit less nervous this time, but I'm just really excited to come out here and play another final," she said.
"I'm super excited to play Alex, we're gonna have a great match. She's a really nice girl, and, yeah, we're looking forward to it."
Up to No.41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at No.116.
In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she's shot up from No.1384.
Left-hander Eala, now a national figure in the Philippines after her own extraordinary breakthrough season in which she beat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the Miami Open semis, was left almost lost for words about her success.
Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser.
The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final.
Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she'll face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt.
The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement.
"Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint.
"I've definitely learned to love grass this week.
In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who became the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 in the other semi.
It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park.
For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing.
If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London 120km up the road from the seaside venue to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she'll be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50.
"I can take confidence that I won it last time (in Rabat), and maybe I'll be a little bit less nervous this time, but I'm just really excited to come out here and play another final," she said.
"I'm super excited to play Alex, we're gonna have a great match. She's a really nice girl, and, yeah, we're looking forward to it."
Up to No.41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at No.116.
In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she's shot up from No.1384.
Left-hander Eala, now a national figure in the Philippines after her own extraordinary breakthrough season in which she beat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the Miami Open semis, was left almost lost for words about her success.
Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser.
The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final.
Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she'll face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt.
The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement.
"Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint.
"I've definitely learned to love grass this week.
In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who became the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 in the other semi.
It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park.
For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing.
If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London 120km up the road from the seaside venue to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she'll be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50.
"I can take confidence that I won it last time (in Rabat), and maybe I'll be a little bit less nervous this time, but I'm just really excited to come out here and play another final," she said.
"I'm super excited to play Alex, we're gonna have a great match. She's a really nice girl, and, yeah, we're looking forward to it."
Up to No.41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at No.116.
In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she's shot up from No.1384.
Left-hander Eala, now a national figure in the Philippines after her own extraordinary breakthrough season in which she beat Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the Miami Open semis, was left almost lost for words about her success.
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ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Maya Joint into Eastbourne Open final with win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova as Wimbledon prospects grow
Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne Open curtain-raiser. The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-4 in the semifinal. Joint now has the chance to go into next week's main draw at Wimbledon, where she will face another Russian, 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, with a maiden grass-court title under her belt. The teenager, who was 5-3 down in the first set before taking control against the 33-year-old with her crisp hitting and sharp movement, was left astonished by her achievement. "Super exciting. I think if you told me at the beginning of the week that I'd be in the final, I wouldn't believe you," said Joint. "I've definitely learned to love grass this week." In Saturday's final, she will face another of the game's rising stars, 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, who became the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 in the other semi. It will be the youngest final at the event since two American teens, Tracy Austin and Andrea Jaeger, did battle in the 1981 showdown at Devonshire Park. For Joint, there are echoes of her run to her first WTA title on the clay at the Morocco Open in May when her victory came just a couple of days before she was due to play in her first French Open outing. If she wins the title in Eastbourne on Saturday, becoming the first ever Australian women's winner in the event's 50-year history, she will then dash straight to London to prepare for her maiden Wimbledon, where she will be ranked for the first time in the world's top 50. Up to number 41 if she wins her second title in five weeks, Joint's rise has been quite astonishing since starting the year at number 116. In just 18 months since deciding to base herself back in Queensland after leaving the US and choosing to work with her Australian coach, Chris Mahony, she has shot up from number 1,384. AAP
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Battered Tommo needs Harry Potter magic at Wimbledon
Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..." Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..." Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..." Injury-smashed Jordan Thompson is pondering whether to quit tennis for the season after Wimbledon - and admits he could do with a bit of Harry Potter-style magic to carry his battered body through his favourite event. Australia's No.3 men's player was keeping up a brave face on Friday as he admitted he would make a late decision on whether to compete in his opening-round match against Czech Vit Kopriva on Monday because he's suffering a back injury. But as he revealed how he'd recently been keeping his spirits up by reading through the complete series of Harry Potter books while sitting injured in hotel rooms around the world, the 31-year-old battler smiled wryly: "If he could weave a little bit of magic, and just take away the back pain, that would be great ..." The season after his career-best 2024 has been no laughing matter for the 31-year-old, as Thompson reflected: "Ruptured plantar fascia right foot - thought someone shot me - came back two months later, then a little groin tear, oblique tear, herniated disc, and now problems with the sacroiliac joint in the back. Good times..." It's become so bad, with his recent retirement during Queen's suggesting the problem was only worsening, that he admitted on Friday: "I'll make a late decision over competing here. I'm going to practice today, see how it goes, hopefully it warms up, and then give my all and play on some pain meds on Monday. "But If it wasn't Wimbledon, there's no way I'd play - I'd have been on QF1 back home." What happens after Wimbledon is clearly preoccupying him, as he even ponders taking the rest of the year off from the brutal treadmill of the ATP Tour that left him slamming the crowded schedule as "shit" after his French Open exit in May. Asked if he would consider taking six months out and get a protected ranking, the world No.45 said: "It's definitely not ruled out at this at this point, but hopefully that's not the case. "But after Wimbledon, I'll have to have at least a month or two off. It could be on the cards, but hopefully not. "If it's not improving - six months through the year and I've barely played any tennis - so maybe it's my body telling me that it might be the right way to go. "Let's just see what the back does, and if it's okay to get going, otherwise I'll have to seriously consider coming back next season. I don't want to be playing in pain any more - it's getting too frustrating." Still, Thompson will also be battling it out in the men's doubles, hoping to go one better than his agonising final loss when he and Max Purcell lost after holding three championship points in the final. This year, he'll be playing alongside Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the French five-time grand slam winner who US Open doubles winner Thompson describes as "a better doubles player than me". As for his new passion for going through the Harry Potter canon, Thompson explained: "I'm not a reader at all, but I've seen all the films and I thought it was about time I read the books. "For sure, he's kept me going - from hotel to hotel room, and not hitting many tennis balls, I thought I'd have to turn the telly off at some point." Asked who his favaourite character was, the famously hirsute 'Tommo' mused: "Jeez, early days ... Neville Longbottom? I'm a big fan of Dumbledore, so maybe a young Dumbledore, actually. He's very wise... "Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as him, though..."
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Norris and Piastri lead way as McLaren get back to work
It was back to something akin to normality for McLaren world championship rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris as the first blows for supremacy at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix were exchanged. Their last encounter had been a fortnight earlier, a much-debated and, for Norris at least, highly expensive coming together at the Canadian Grand Prix. The pair had been scrapping over fourth place but the result of the British driver's rash move was to put himself out of the race while his Australian teammate was left to salvage fourth place. Back in competition in second practice at the scenic Speilberg raceway, the pair sped to a McLaren one-two, with Norris just in front. Earlier, in first practice, Mercedes driver George Russell, the winner in Canada, was fastest with Piastri third. Norris handed his car to Irish rookie and Formula Two leader Alex Dunne, who promptly marked his Formula One practice debut by getting to with 0.069 seconds of Piastri. That prompted an outpouring of emotion from Dunne, the first Irish driver to take part in a grand prix weekend for 22 years and who benefitted from team obligations to give rookie drivers Formula One experience. .Thanking his team over the radio as the chequered flag fell, the 19-year-old Dunne said: "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car." Back among the contenders - Piastri has a 22-point lead over Norris at the top of the drivers' standings after 10 of the 24 races - it was down to business at the start of another critical weekend. Norris finished 0.157 sec clear of Piastri with four-time world champion Max Verstappen third. The Dutchman finished three tenths off the pace in second practice. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll ended the day in fourth, one place clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Russell, quickest in the opening session, slipped to sixth. For Lewis Hamilton, it was another difficult day at the wheel of his Ferrari. A gearbox problem restricted Hamilton's programme in the first session and then he was only 10th quickest in the day's concluding running. "For some reason I have just got no pace," said Hamilton on the radio, with his best lap nearly a second off the leading time and three tenths adrift of Leclerc in the other Ferrari. With PA It was back to something akin to normality for McLaren world championship rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris as the first blows for supremacy at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix were exchanged. Their last encounter had been a fortnight earlier, a much-debated and, for Norris at least, highly expensive coming together at the Canadian Grand Prix. The pair had been scrapping over fourth place but the result of the British driver's rash move was to put himself out of the race while his Australian teammate was left to salvage fourth place. Back in competition in second practice at the scenic Speilberg raceway, the pair sped to a McLaren one-two, with Norris just in front. Earlier, in first practice, Mercedes driver George Russell, the winner in Canada, was fastest with Piastri third. Norris handed his car to Irish rookie and Formula Two leader Alex Dunne, who promptly marked his Formula One practice debut by getting to with 0.069 seconds of Piastri. That prompted an outpouring of emotion from Dunne, the first Irish driver to take part in a grand prix weekend for 22 years and who benefitted from team obligations to give rookie drivers Formula One experience. .Thanking his team over the radio as the chequered flag fell, the 19-year-old Dunne said: "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car." Back among the contenders - Piastri has a 22-point lead over Norris at the top of the drivers' standings after 10 of the 24 races - it was down to business at the start of another critical weekend. Norris finished 0.157 sec clear of Piastri with four-time world champion Max Verstappen third. The Dutchman finished three tenths off the pace in second practice. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll ended the day in fourth, one place clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Russell, quickest in the opening session, slipped to sixth. For Lewis Hamilton, it was another difficult day at the wheel of his Ferrari. A gearbox problem restricted Hamilton's programme in the first session and then he was only 10th quickest in the day's concluding running. "For some reason I have just got no pace," said Hamilton on the radio, with his best lap nearly a second off the leading time and three tenths adrift of Leclerc in the other Ferrari. With PA It was back to something akin to normality for McLaren world championship rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris as the first blows for supremacy at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix were exchanged. Their last encounter had been a fortnight earlier, a much-debated and, for Norris at least, highly expensive coming together at the Canadian Grand Prix. The pair had been scrapping over fourth place but the result of the British driver's rash move was to put himself out of the race while his Australian teammate was left to salvage fourth place. Back in competition in second practice at the scenic Speilberg raceway, the pair sped to a McLaren one-two, with Norris just in front. Earlier, in first practice, Mercedes driver George Russell, the winner in Canada, was fastest with Piastri third. Norris handed his car to Irish rookie and Formula Two leader Alex Dunne, who promptly marked his Formula One practice debut by getting to with 0.069 seconds of Piastri. That prompted an outpouring of emotion from Dunne, the first Irish driver to take part in a grand prix weekend for 22 years and who benefitted from team obligations to give rookie drivers Formula One experience. .Thanking his team over the radio as the chequered flag fell, the 19-year-old Dunne said: "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car." Back among the contenders - Piastri has a 22-point lead over Norris at the top of the drivers' standings after 10 of the 24 races - it was down to business at the start of another critical weekend. Norris finished 0.157 sec clear of Piastri with four-time world champion Max Verstappen third. The Dutchman finished three tenths off the pace in second practice. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll ended the day in fourth, one place clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Russell, quickest in the opening session, slipped to sixth. For Lewis Hamilton, it was another difficult day at the wheel of his Ferrari. A gearbox problem restricted Hamilton's programme in the first session and then he was only 10th quickest in the day's concluding running. "For some reason I have just got no pace," said Hamilton on the radio, with his best lap nearly a second off the leading time and three tenths adrift of Leclerc in the other Ferrari. With PA It was back to something akin to normality for McLaren world championship rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris as the first blows for supremacy at this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix were exchanged. Their last encounter had been a fortnight earlier, a much-debated and, for Norris at least, highly expensive coming together at the Canadian Grand Prix. The pair had been scrapping over fourth place but the result of the British driver's rash move was to put himself out of the race while his Australian teammate was left to salvage fourth place. Back in competition in second practice at the scenic Speilberg raceway, the pair sped to a McLaren one-two, with Norris just in front. Earlier, in first practice, Mercedes driver George Russell, the winner in Canada, was fastest with Piastri third. Norris handed his car to Irish rookie and Formula Two leader Alex Dunne, who promptly marked his Formula One practice debut by getting to with 0.069 seconds of Piastri. That prompted an outpouring of emotion from Dunne, the first Irish driver to take part in a grand prix weekend for 22 years and who benefitted from team obligations to give rookie drivers Formula One experience. .Thanking his team over the radio as the chequered flag fell, the 19-year-old Dunne said: "A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car." Back among the contenders - Piastri has a 22-point lead over Norris at the top of the drivers' standings after 10 of the 24 races - it was down to business at the start of another critical weekend. Norris finished 0.157 sec clear of Piastri with four-time world champion Max Verstappen third. The Dutchman finished three tenths off the pace in second practice. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll ended the day in fourth, one place clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Russell, quickest in the opening session, slipped to sixth. For Lewis Hamilton, it was another difficult day at the wheel of his Ferrari. A gearbox problem restricted Hamilton's programme in the first session and then he was only 10th quickest in the day's concluding running. "For some reason I have just got no pace," said Hamilton on the radio, with his best lap nearly a second off the leading time and three tenths adrift of Leclerc in the other Ferrari. With PA
