Wimbledon champion Krejcikova out of Eastbourne with injury
EASTBOURNE, England, June 26 (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova has suffered an injury scare after being forced to withdraw from the Eastbourne tournament on Thursday because of a thigh issue.
The Czech player had reached the quarter-finals at Devonshire Park after saving match points in victories over British players Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage.
"I'm very sorry to have to withdraw from my QF today in Eastbourne as I'm having some soreness in my right thigh," the 29-year-old Krejcikova said on social media.
"I've truly enjoyed my time down here the past week and loved being back on the grass."
Krejcikova looked to be moving okay against Burrage but with the defence of her Wimbledon crown beginning on Tuesday she has taken the decision to fully recover.
Her withdrawal means French qualifier Varvara Gracheva is in the semi-finals.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
44 minutes ago
- The Independent
From San Diego to Wimbledon: meet British No 33 college hotshot Oliver Tarvet
Two weeks ago, 21-year-old Oliver Tarvet concluded his third and penultimate year at the University of San Diego, basking in the sunshine on America's west coast. 'Excited for one more,' he posted on Instagram, at that stage unaware of the green-floored opportunity ahead. Fast-forward a fortnight, to Friday, and Tarvet will be one of 128 players to take his place in the men's singles draw for Wimbledon. Not half bad. 'This seemed so far away when I was a little kid,' said Tarvet, from St Albans, whose world ranking of 719 makes him the British No 33. 'Now it's a reality, it's obviously a great feeling. Winning on Monday [round one] was something I didn't expect, but I just kept on surprising myself this week.' Given an unexpected wild card for qualifying, Tarvet made a mockery of the numbers and – as the second-lowest ranked player in the draw – became the first British man in eight years to qualify for Wimbledon. Needless to say, he'll be the lowest-ranked player next week, by an astonishing 236 places. Tarvet's impressive four-set victory over Belgian player Alexander Blockx, ranked 579 places higher, in the final round on Thursday was met with jubilation in the unique setting of the 770-capacity Court 1, at the Bank of England Sports Centre in Roehampton; an old-school, makeshift venue which acts as the traditional gateway to the big dance at the All England Club, three miles down the road. Tarvet had supremely passed his first two tests this week in straight sets, stunning world No 126 Terence Atmane in round one. Yet Thursday's final round presented something different from London 's recent heatwave. With grey clouds overhead, the scene was decidedly gloomy but, fortuitously, the Briton is well accustomed to swirly conditions. 'Luckily, I play in wind because we're right by the coast, we get that coastal breeze,' he says of his time at San Diego, where he is majoring in Communications, with a minor in Marketing. 'This is a bit more swirly, a bit more unpredictable. In San Diego, it's a bit more consistent. 'A lot of it is about being scrappy. There's going to be bad bounces, but I did a good job just accepting it and making the most of it.' The first two sets were split, immediately placing Tarvet into new territory in his first best-of-five set match. Yet after a mid-match downpour, forcing the players off court for 45 minutes, Tarvet played lights out on his return, storming to the third set and a double-break lead in the decider. The wind picked up as he served out the match, but with an ace crisply sweeping the chalk on match point, the college star chucked his racket up in the air in unparalleled euphoria. He would later tell of 'mad' reactions on his college WhatsApp group – and a £66,000 first-round prize awaits him next week. 'After the rain delay, I did a really good job coming out with really good energy,' he added. 'It's really special. It was my first best-of-five match and it's something I knew I was ready for. I just need that same confidence going into next week.' Tarvey is the latest in a line of British players who are utilising the ultra-competitive US college system as a means of launching a professional career. Cameron Norrie and, just last year, Jacob Fearnley have all impressed stateside before steamrolling into the world's top-100, largely as a result of eye-catching results on the grass. Could Tarvet be next in line? 'It's incredible, college definitely teaches you to be loud and competitive,' Tarvey says, of an environment he has clearly thrived in. He won the singles and doubles at the ITA All-American Championships in September, the first man since 2015 to hold both trophies. 'Even if you're top-10 in the world, college is such a great option. I was a little bit immature when I was 18, I was not ready to be independent and expect the loneliness of the tour. It's a really good option to help you mature and develop your game. 'In college tennis, usually the more competitive team wins. You have 10 guys screaming your name, it's tough not to play well and enjoy the moment. Generally, I play my best when I'm more energetic.' Yet while Tarvey will be keeping a firm eye on Friday morning's draw, compatriot Hamish Stewart agonisingly missed out on a Wimbledon spot after a four-set defeat. The 25-year-old, from Strathblane in Scotland, who came through pre-qualifying last week as well, was very much in the contest at 4-4 in the fourth set, albeit a set down, but did not win a point after the rain delay, with the world No 550 losing seven points on the bounce to Switzerland's Leandro Riedi. Emily Appleton, the only British woman in the last round of qualifying, is in action later on Thursday.
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
Tonight's rugby news as Warburton names five standout Lions so far and Wales get welcome party
Tonight's rugby news as Warburton names five standout Lions so far and Wales get welcome party The latest rugby news and headlines from Wales and beyond Sam Warburton has picked out five Lions who impressed against Argentina (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd ) Here are your rugby evening headlines for Thursday, 26 June. Warburton names five standout Lions Former Wales and British & Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton has named the five players who stood out in the Lions' tour opener defeat to Argentina last Friday - including one Welshman. Andy Farrell's side went down 28-24 to Los Pumas in Dublin ahead of flying Down Under, with the tourists currently in Perth preparing for their first match on Australian soil. They take on the Western Force on Saturday, with Farrell having named an Irish-heavy side as the preparations for the first Test against the Wallabies really starts in earnest. Warburton, who skippered the Lions in 2013 and 2017, admitted he wasn't too disheartened by the defeat to Argentina in his column for the Times, but did add that Farrell's side did force things at the Aviva Stadium. "As a player early on in a Lions tour you have to be careful about chasing those massive moments to further your case for selection," wrote Warburton. "As a seven I am not thinking about trying to win a turnover 5m from my own line, which would obviously be picked up as a special moment. "What I would be thinking is of trying to compete effectively at 10-15 rucks in defence, to win two or three lineouts and get all my lineout drills right, hit 25 rucks and make them all positive, not miss a single tackle, with maybe five of them being dominant, and carry the ball five or six times dynamically. Article continues below "If I do that I will be a Test player. You have to focus on what makes your cog turn in your position. If you do all those nuts and bolts exceptionally well, then an opportunity might arise for you to do something spectacular as an added bonus." In terms of the players who impressed him, Warburton only picked out five - but that list did include one of the two Welsh players on tour. "So, some will have been disappointed with the Argentina match," added Warburton. "I might have expected, say, seven players to stand out in that as being nailed-on Test starters but I'm not sure that was the case. "I thought Ellis Genge was good, Ben Earl impressed me, as did Tom Curry, and Tommy Freeman was excellent, while I enjoyed Tomos Williams off the bench, but that was it. It was a night on which it was obvious how wide-open selection is going to be." Wales get welcome party Wales have arrived in Kitakyushu ahead of their two-Test tour of Japan. Matt Sherratt's side left the UK on Wednesday, flying direct from Heathrow to Tokyo before a short internal flight to Kitakyushu. The northernmost city on Kyushu Island is where Wales will play Eddie Jones' Brave Blossoms on July 5, before travelling to Kobe for the second Test on July 12. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Kitakyushu is also where Wales were based in the 2019 World Cup, with the Welsh Rugby Union having spent a couple of years before the tournament building a relationship with the city through workshops and regular visits. At the end of the tournament, the Welsh team even took out a two-page advert in the local newspaper to thank the locals for their hospitality. The links between Kitakyushu and Welsh rugby clearly remain, with Wales being welcomed with a banner that read: "In 2019, we became a family. Welcome back, Wales." Content cannot be displayed without consent Dan Sheehan warns Lions will match Western Force's hunger By Duncan Bech, PA Rugby Union Correspondent, Perth Dan Sheehan insists his British and Irish Lions will use their pride in the jersey to match the determination of a Western Force side who are targeting a famous victory in Perth. Lions captain Maro Itoje has been stood down for the opening fixture on Australian soil so Ireland hooker Sheehan takes charge of Andy Farrell's men at Optus Stadium on Saturday. Henry Pollock makes his first start for the elite of British and Irish rugby after being picked at number eight while Finn Russell, the early favourite to take the playmaking duties against the Wallabies, is given his maiden outing of the tour at fly-half. The Lions know they are being targeted by Super Rugby teams eager to make history but Sheehan, who skippered Ireland against Wales in the Six Nations, declares they will not have a monopoly on passion. 'It's important to know where the opposition's mindset is and how they approach a game that only comes around every 12 years, like it does for the Western Force,' said the 26-year-old, who is one of nine players in the matchday 23 set to make their Lions debuts. 'I'm sure the Force will be 150 per cent of what they usually are. They will be flying into it and that bit of extra hunger can produce some powerful things. 'They would have been eyeing this game up since they probably first stepped into that Western Force change room. It'll mean an awful lot to them. 'But I don't want them to think that they're going to be hungrier than us. We have to demonstrate back our own mindset because this will be the first time I will be putting on the jersey, along with a few other lads.' The Force is the second game of a tour that began with a 28-24 defeat by Argentina in Dublin and while matches will soon come thick and fast, chances to impress Lions boss Andy Farrell will be limited. Article continues below Farrell, however, has cautioned over the danger of players wanting a Test place too much. 'That's desperation and that's what we don't want because desperation leads to people being distorted in the way they go about the game,' he said.
Times
an hour ago
- Times
Roger Taylor: British tennis star who auditioned to be James Bond
To say I warmed to Roger Taylor is an understatement. The former British No1 is engaging, earnest and, in his way fascinating. We talked about tennis, the British class system, Rod Laver (who Taylor defeated in the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1970 in perhaps the best match of his career) and so much more. We also talked about the time he auditioned to take over from Sean Connery as 007, of which more later. Taylor is 83 now but you can still glimpse through the mists of time the man with the matinee idol looks who wowed fans — female fans in particular — during his pomp in the 1960s and 70s. He made his way into tennis from a working-class family in Sheffield, playing with his mum on the public courts, travelling on three buses to get to tournaments in Ilkley, and even more to play in competitions further afield. Back then, this son of a trade unionist was more than a little conscious that he was gatecrashing a middle-class sport. 'I often felt self-conscious when playing in tournaments at posh clubs because I didn't have the right kit or the right accent, but what I did have was plenty of ability,' he said. 'It wasn't so bad when I played in matches in Sheffield or Hull because I fitted in. But I remember going to the All England Club and feeling a bit out of place. Most of the members were former military men who barked my name: 'Taylor!' I jumped to attention. It was a more deferential society back then.' At the age of 17, he moved to Wimbledon to live in the local YMCA along with Dickie Dillon, another Sheffield player. 'We worked at the Fred Perry warehouse in Soho during the day and then played tennis at Wimbledon Park or Fulham Park when we got back home, or ran around Wimbledon Common.' Why didn't he practise at the All England Club? He almost laughed. 'You weren't allowed to play there! If ever you walked past, it was like a ghost town.' Money was tight, but Taylor described it as a golden period in his life. 'Working at the warehouse was a bit like weight training, except we were shifting huge boxes of Green Flash trainers. We had a weekly salary of five pounds, two shillings and sixpence (around £75 today) and a lot of that went on the Tube fare to get to and from Soho from Wimbledon.' Lunch was a sandwich and half a pint of milk and for a treat at weekends, Wimbledon Broadway had a single café. 'The menu was pretty simple,' he said. 'It offered eggs, sausage and chips or sausage, egg and chips or chips, egg and sausage.' Taylor's big chance to win Wimbledon came in 1973, the year that many of the top stars boycotted the competition over a dispute with the tennis authorities (the players didn't feel they were sufficiently listened to). Taylor — one of only three of the top 16 seeds to play in the competition along with Ilie Nastase and Jan Kodes — made it to the semi-final. He led 5-4 in the deciding set against Kodes, a two-time French Open champion, before they were sent off court due to bad weather. It was (as with Tim Henman against Goran Ivanisevic 28 years later) a decisive interruption. 'After 42 minutes precisely, and without any warning, Captain Gibson [the tournament referee] shouted, 'Taylor, get back out there!' It was dull, dark and damp and many of the spectators had gone home. I completely lost my focus. Eight minutes and three games later, it was over,' he said. We move on to the James Bond audition, which occurred in 1967 and is, perhaps, the most eyebrow-raising anecdote in Taylor's autobiography, which comes out next week. 'They were looking for a new Bond because Sean Connery was moving on,' he said. 'I was playing at Queen's and Richard Maybourne, the screenwriter of the Bond films, was there as the guest of the vice-chairman of the club, Noel Berryman. As I was playing the final against John Newcombe, Maybourne's wife leaned over and said: 'There's your new James Bond.' ' If you think this sounds like a completely batty idea, I'm with you. A tennis player with no acting experience playing Bond? Back then, though, the franchise was desperate to find someone with the right 'look' to carry off the smooth British spy with his famously masculine appeal. Take a glance at an old photo of Taylor — dashing, smouldering, dark eyes full of mystery (or am I overdoing it?) — and you can see why they were smitten with him. 'On the Sunday, I went to St James's Street for what I thought would be an audition', Taylor said. 'I spent the week practising the line I assumed they wanted me to say: 'The name's Bond. James Bond' — even if I couldn't manage it without a pretty broad Sheffield accent. I walked into a room with a lot of guys staring at me. I felt like an exhibit of some kind. Cubby Broccoli [the legendary producer of the Bond movies] and another mogul did most of the talking, while smoking cigars, but they didn't ask me a single thing. I am not sure I said a word the entire time I was there.' 'Then, they invited me to Pinewood Studios and asked me to bring along my swimming trunks. I wouldn't have minded parading around in my trunks, but it was too much for my then wife. I don't think she wanted to be a Bond girl, so I didn't go to the interview and heard nothing more about it.' The part was ultimately given to George Lazenby — an Australian model who had only acted in commercials but, in my view, turned in an impressive performance in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Our conversation moved back to tennis but Taylor declined my invitation to offer an opinion on the question: who is the greatest male player of all? 'There is no such thing,' he said. 'You can only measure each player against his era.' But when I push him a little, it's pretty obvious that he favours Laver. 'He was such a special player, who had almost everything,' he said. 'I think Federer has described Rod as the finest to have played the game. That is why they named the Laver Cup after him.' Taylor was on terrific form during the interview but has been in ill health — in addition to battling prostate cancer for five years, he has just had a condition diagnosed called amyloidosis. In his book, he explains: 'It's caused by a protein called amyloid building up inside you, affecting the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system and digestive tract. Doesn't sound very nice and just happens to be terminal. Apart from that, it's totally harmless!' That kind of good-humoured stoicism is Taylor all over. He was a superb tennis player who could have won Wimbledon had the weather not interrupted him when the wind was in his sails. I also can't help thinking as the interview ends and those lovely eyes sparkle that he might just have made a pretty decent Bond.
