Sizzling Iga Swiatek blasts past Belinda Bencic into Wimbledon final
banished the last of her grasscourt demons to blaze into her first
Wimbledon final
with a quick-fire 6-2 6-0 demolition of
Belinda Bencic
on Thursday.
Swiatek, the claycourt specialist who had never gone past the quarter-finals at the All England Club before this year, romped past Bencic on a sun-drenched
Centre Court
to tee up a final against American
Amanda Anisimova
.
Anisimova had stunned world number one
Aryna Sabalenka
earlier in the day but a second upset never looked on the cards as five-times
Grand Slam
champion Swiatek quickly got her nose in front.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Victoria Principal Is Almost 75, See Her Now
Reportingly
Undo
The 35th-ranked Bencic did not do a lot wrong but was broken twice in the first set and three times in the second as a sizzling Swiatek brought her A-game to what turned into a one-sided contest.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Kevin Durant starts heated debate over Finals MVP crown in seven words
Kevin Durant starts heated debate over Finals MVP crown in seven words (Image Source: Getty Images) Kevin Durant did something that caught many fans off guard this weekend. Even though he left the Golden State Warriors years ago, he still talks to their fans online. A recent message from Durant sparked a lot of talk and some strong feelings. What did Durant say to Warriors fans? This caught the eye of many basketball followers. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry's Finals MVP rivalry explained On August 9, Kevin Durant wrote a short but powerful message on X. He said, 'Them finals MVPs, they will never recover.' This was his answer when fans asked why Warriors supporters still dislike him. — kdtrey5 (@kdtrey5) Kevin Durant talked about the two Finals MVP awards he won with the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. He scored the most points for the Warriors in those Finals. But many people say he should not have won both. They think his teammate, Stephen Curry, should have got one of those awards. Stephen Curry played very well in the 2018 Finals. The Warriors played against the Cleveland Cavaliers that year. Curry was 37 years old then. He scored about 27 points each game. He gave about 7 assists and got 6 rebounds every game. He made about 40% of his shots and about 41% of his three-pointers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Once A Huge Star, It's Hard To Look At Her At 61 The Noodle Box Read More Undo Curry's best game was Game 4, played in Cleveland. He scored 37 points that day. His strong game helped the Warriors win all four games. This gave the team the championship. Durant's recent message made fans talk again about who should have won the Finals MVP award. The argument between fans about Durant and Curry still goes on. The fight between fans shows how big this debate still is, even after many years. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry: The ongoing debate and what it means now Kevin Durant left the Golden State Warriors in 2019. After that, he played for other teams. Now, he is getting ready for the 2025-26 season with the Houston Rockets. Even so, Durant still talks about his time with the Warriors and his Finals wins. Durant joined the Warriors in 2016. He helped them win two NBA championships. Stephen Curry was the team's main star. Both Durant and Curry were important players. Some fans think Curry played better in the 2018 Finals. They say Curry should have won the MVP instead of Durant. Durant's message on social media came after many fans asked why Warriors supporters still react strongly to him. His short and sharp comment shows he still feels proud of his achievements. It also reminds fans that the rivalry between him and the Warriors' fanbase is not over. Also Read: NBA champ Tristan Thompson disrupts telecom giants with bold plan to expand internet access worldwide This kind of talk keeps the story alive, even years after the players moved on. It shows how sports and social media mix to keep old rivalries going strong. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Team owner predicts van Gisbergen will make a deep run in NASCAR playoffs
Labeling statistics as 'kind of an American thing,' Shane van Gisbergen avoids dwelling on his record-setting rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Team owner predicts van Gisbergen will make a deep run in NASCAR playoffs 'It normally hits me on the plane ride home or at 4 a.m. after a few beers,' van Gisbergen said Sunday after conquering the Watkins Glen International road course in New York for his fourth victory this year. 'I try to reflect on it, but I also try and get to the next week pretty quick. I'll try not to tweet at 4 a.m. this morning.' If the laid-back Kiwi were into chest-pounding on social media, the list of heady accomplishments includes being the third driver with four consecutive Cup wins on road or street courses, joining 2020 champion Chase Elliott and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon. It also includes being the first rookie with four victories — breaking a tie with seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson and three-time champion Tony Stewart — and the largest margin of victory in Watkins Glen history and second largest this season behind his 16.567-second win at Mexico City that was the biggest gap from first to second since 2009. The next achievement could be the loftiest yet for the driver from Auckland, New Zealand, who struggles massively on the ovals that comprise most of the season. Can van Gisbergen be a legitimate championship contender in Year 1? Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks, who put his reputation on the line and convinced sponsors to risk millions on an audacious plan to make the Cup playoffs with an inexperienced and unheralded rookie, suggests a deep run awaits the No. 88 Chevrolet. 'Shane just continues to go showcase why we've made a long-term commitment to him, why we brought him over here from New Zealand and built this team around him,' said Marks, who signed van Gisbergen to a multiyear extension last week. 'Because in a sport like this where winning is so important and so hard to do, if you can catch some lightning in a bottle like we've got with SVG, you've got to really lean into it. That's what we've done. It's like seeing a plan come together.' The plan now has a path to the doorstep of a Cup title. The first round of 16 drivers is contested on three ovals, but van Gisbergen has a sizable 22-point cushion to overcome a 26.9 average finish on ovals. Pared down to 12 drivers, the second round features a road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway. A win there would catapult a driver into the third round, where eight drivers will square off for four berths in the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway. 'He's in a really good position,' Marks said. 'I think we have a real opportunity to get to the Round of 8.' The playoffs open at tricky Darlington Raceway, whose odd shape is among the most difficult layouts in NASCAR, but van Gisbergen is more concerned about the first-round cutoff race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He finished 38th in his April 13 debut on the Tennessee short track. 'I ran terrible there,' said van Gisbergen, who finished 20th a week earlier at Darlington. 'Bristol was so far from anything I've ever done, and that's a really tough place. That's probably the biggest worry. Darlington, I feel fine, especially now that we have a lot of points. You've just got to have three solid weeks, and you might get through. We just have to play the averages, make no mistakes and make sure we're in a good spot every week.' After pulling Connor Zilisch from the Cup race at Watkins Glen, Marks said it's unclear when the Xfinity Series points leader will return from the broken collarbone he suffered while celebrating his series-high sixth victory Saturday. With approval from NASCAR, Zilisch could skip the final three regular-season races and still be eligible for the Xfinity playoffs. 'He's a huge asset and a huge part of the future of the business,' Marks said. 'We have to make sure that we're not hurting any long-term opportunities by taking advantage of a short-term opportunity.' Having raced with a broken collarbone in 2021, van Gisbergen believes Zilisch could return for the Aug. 22 race at Daytona International Speedway. 'I had a weekend off and raced the next week, so pretty much what he's going to go through,' van Gisbergen said. 'I'd get a plate put in and then take it out at the end of the year. It's obviously going to be in pain. My biggest problem was tightening the belts. I could really feel the plate through the skin, and it was a horrible feeling. But I raced the next week and did pretty well. For sure with some good doctors and some good drugs, he'll get through the race fine.' With team owner Michael Jordan in attendance, Bubba Wallace finished eighth at Watkins Glen for a season-best fourth consecutive top 10. The stretch includes the Brickyard 400 victory that qualified Wallace for the playoffs and relieved enormous pressure from the No. 23 Toyota driver. 'Indy was life-changing,' Wallace said. 'It allowed me to not harp on all of the mistakes that I usually make at a road course. The big boss was here, so it's good to get MJ a couple of top 10s.' auto racing: /hub/auto-racing This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Impressive Pranav holds Arjun; Keymer still on top
German Vincent Keymer played out a draw against Vidit Gujrathi in the fifth round of the Masters section in the Quantbox Chennai Grandmasters chess tournament 2025, and remain ahead of the field, here on Monday. Local lad V. Pranav, the current World junior champion, played a solid game to hold top seed Arjun Erigaisi in 78 moves which allowed Keymer to retain his advantage. It was another creditable result for the 18-year-old, who had drawn with Vidit and Anish Giri in the previous rounds. 'I was preparing a lot for d4. I did not have a lot of time to prepare for e4. This line, which I played today, I had originally planned for Anish Giri a few days back. I thought it would be a good plan against Arjun, too,' said Pranav. The 20-year-old German Keymer, who has an one-point lead in the standings, faces Arjun with white pieces in the sixth round in a battle between the top two. Nihal Sarin and American Awonder Liang played out a quick 29-move draw while the Anish Giri-Karthikeyan Murali encounter too ended in a stalemate. Dutchman Jorden van Foreest scored the only win of the day in the Masters section, putting it across American Ray Robson Abhimanyu still in lead In the Challengers section, Abhimanyu Puranik outwitted D. Harika in 39 moves in an English Opening game for his fourth straight victory and maintain his one-point lead at the top of the table. His meeting with M. Pranesh in the sixth round could have a bearing on how their fortunes pan out for the rest of the tournament. Pranesh and Leon Luke Mendonca settled for a draw in their game. The results (fifth round): Masters: Karthikeyan Murali (2.5) drew with Anish Giri (Ned, 2.5), Vincent Keymer (Ger, 4) drew with Vidit Gujrathi (2.5), V. Pranav (2) drew with Arjun Erigaisi (3), Nihal Sarin (2) drew with Awonder Liang (USA, 2.5), Jorden van Foreest (Ned, 2) bt Ray Robson (USA, 2). Challengers: R. Vaishali (1) lost to G.B. Harshavardhan (1.5), D. Harika (0.5) lost to Abhimanyu Puranik (4.5), M. Pranesh (3.5) drew with Leon Luke Mendonca (3.5), Aryan Chopra (1.5) drew with B. Adhiban (2.5), Diptayan Ghosh (3.5) drew with Pa. Iniyan (3). Sixth round pairings: Masters: Anish vs. Karthikeyan, Vidit vs. Keymer, Arjun vs. Pranav, Liang vs. Nihal, van Foreest vs. Robson. Challengers: Harshavardhan vs. Iniyan, Adhiban vs. Diptayan, Mendonca vs. Aryan, Abhimanyu vs. Pranesh, Vaishali vs. Harika.
