Novak Djokovic comes through tough test against Katie Boulter's fiance Alex de Minaur to reach Wimbledon quarter-final
The Serbian, 38, came out looking out of sorts on Centre Court, but rallied through apparent physical issues to beat the Aussie 1-6 6-4 6-4 6-4.
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Djokovic was pushed to the limit by the Aussie
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The Serbian didn't always look physically comfortable
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Alex de Minaur is among the speediest players in the world
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Roger Federer watched his former rival from the Royal Box
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Irish Examiner
31 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
How Andy Farrell's Lions Test team in shaping up
Full-back: Blair Kinghorn's knee injury, though downplayed by Andy Farrell in his post-match comments, reopens the door for Hugo Keenan, whose tour so far has been limited to one start last Saturday against the Waratahs. He looked rusty after coming on tour with the calf injury that forced him out of Leinster's run to the URC title but a strong performance on the rebound on Saturday against the combined Aussie and Kiwi team in Adelaide could put him right back in the Test selection mix. If fit though, Kinghorn gets the start. Verdict: KINGHORN Right wing: Tommy Freeman got the nod over Mack Hansen for this Test dry run against the Brumbies but the Northampton and England wing was quieter in Canberra than in his previous starts at 14 against Argentina and the Queensland Reds. He did not do much wrong either but everyone in Ireland knows how much Andy Farrell appreciates Hansen's style of play and application and the Canberra native had another impressive cameo off the bench against his hometown former club, with a high work-rate piece of defensive work to save a Brumbies try sure to have been added to the highlight reel and the Test reckoning. The Connacht man seems sure to feature in the Test series in some capacity but maybe, initially, it will be off the bench. Verdict: FREEMAN Centres: After the mix and match policy of the first three games, Farrell has given his Scottish centres Sione Tuitupulotu and Huw Jones a run against the Waratahs before sending out his Ireland pairing of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose. If we are to assume the Lions will go more direct against the Wallabies than we've seen in all the tour matches so far, then the Irish 12 and 13's performances at GIO Stadium on Wednesday ticked the box more effectively than their rivals. They were more direct, and more influential in the attacking line, with Ringrose finishing a great try soon after half-time. Verdict: AKI and RINGROSE Left wing: James Lowe's stock took a bit of a hit with his failure to ground a gilt-edged try-scoring opportunity as he was held up over the line by full-back Andy Muirhead. Yet do not underestimate the value of the Ireland star's booming left boot to the Lions' cause. Lowe showcased that in spades against the Brumbies and the Lions benefitted in terms of territory gains after his kicks turned the home backfield with chasing pressure forcing kicking errors as the home side tried to clear their lines. Hansen could perhaps sneak in at his international team-mate's expense – he replaced Lowe from the bench for the final 17 minutes - but that left peg remains key against the Wallabies. Verdict: LOWE Half-backs: Scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park and fly-half Finn Russell have only had two starts together as a unit but their combined abilities to set tempo and manage the game are already impressive. The Northampton Saints and England pairing of Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith have also impressed in their time on the pitch, particularly in tandem, but Irish-Scottish axis remains the frontrunner to face Australia in 10 days. Verdict: GIBSON-PARK and RUSSELL Jamison Gibson-Park and Finn Russell. Pic: Billy Stickland/Inpho Loosehead prop: It's a straight shootout between Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter with the former getting the nod in this prototype Test front row on Wednesday. The Englishman was quietly efficient in his 50 minutes before being replaced by Porter and though the temptation for Farrell could be to field an all-Irish front row alongside Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, Genge's appearances to date have been more impactful while his is a more vocal presence on and off the field. In truth though, the Anglo-Irish tag team would pack a punch either way around and the Lios are blessed to have such quality as a one-two punch. Verdict: GENGE Hooker: Dan Sheehan has been a nailed-on Test starter since before the tour and has only enhanced that position in Australia with his athleticism in the loose, lineout throwing and scrummaging. Irish Lions supporters will be hoping Ronan Kelleher holds off fellow 2021 tourist Luke Cowan-Dickie for the bench role. Verdict: SHEEHAN Tighthead prop: For all the concerns that Tadhg Furlong had been in poor form at the outset of the tour following a season ruined by calf injury issues, the Leinster and Ireland prop looks destined to start his third consecutive Test series in 10 days time. He has played himself into form and his partnership with Sheehan and either Genge or Porter is turning into a real weapon for the Lions at scrum-time. Will Stuart's poor performance against the Queensland Reds on his Lions debut has possibly scuppered the Bath man's chances of a Test start and aided Furlong's cause while pre-tour call-up Finlay Bealham will feel has also done enough to earn a place on the Test bench. Verdict: FURLONG Locks: Handing Maro Itoje the tour captaincy naturally made him a definite Test starter but his performance on tour have confirmed his status in that regard. The question remains as to who will partner the Englishman in the second row against Australia and the answer could well be Ireland's Joe McCarthy, who has more than impressed on his debut tour as a Lion. McCarthy was excellent once more against the Brumbies, his passing ability in the line to the fore as the Lions put together some intricate attacking plays and adding value to his presence in the pack. Verdict: ITOJE and McCARTHY Blindside flanker: With McCarthy favourite to take a starting second row berth, the competition for the number six jersey has intensified with hybrid locks Ollie Chessum and Tadhg Beirne seemingly vying with Tom Curry for the role. Chessum started there against the Brumbies, with Curry on the openside at number seven, and the Leicester Tigers powerhouse impressed with a try in the first half, although he was held up over the line after the break. Beirne's hopes of adding Test caps to his Lions CV for the second tour in a row appear to have diminished with a couple of below-par performances while Curry was prone to errors against the Brumbies. Verdict: CHESSUM Openside flanker: Perhaps the most hotly contested positional vacancy with Josh van der Flier and Jac Morgan both playing excellent rugby while Ben Earl and Curry are also among the runners and riders. It was van der Flier who came off the bench against the Brumbies in this shadow Test side and the Irishman was excellent, finishing a maul try, and having another ruled out for being held up in a tangle of bodies. Yet Morgan, the lone Welsh survivor, has put in some strong displays and must not be ruled out. Verdict: VAN DER FLIER No.8: Jack Conan has emerged as the lead candidate ahead of Earl, who has had every chance to challenge the Irishman for the jersey that should have been, but for injury, Caelan Doris's. Conan was a machine once more against the Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesday, topping both the carry and completed tackle charts with 17 and 13 respectively. Verdict: CONAN
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Novak Djokovic survives Flavio Cobolli challenge to set up semi-final showdown with Jannik Sinner
Novak Djokovic 's pursuit of yet more career milestones continued unabated as he reached a record 14th Wimbledon semi-final and a showdown with world number one Jannik Sinner . The 38-year-old Serb recovered from a set down to beat Flavio Cobolli 6-7(6) 6-2 7-5 6-4 and is now only two victories away from an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title. Blocking his path next is a rather more formidable Italian in the form of Sinner who eased any worries about an elbow injury to beat American powerhouse Ben Shelton 7-6(2) 6-4 6-4. By reaching a record-extending 52nd Grand Slam semi, Djokovic also kept alive his hopes of equalling Roger Federer's men's record eight Wimbledon singles titles. READ MORE It remains a tall order even for a player widely regarded as the greatest of all time, especially with top seed Sinner and Spain's holder Carlos Alcaraz, the two new powers in men's tennis, most people's bet to contest the final on July 13th. But no one should be writing off Djokovic who has won 44 of his last 46 matches at the All England Club and seems to know every single blade of grass on the historic Centre Court. 'It means the world to me that at 38 I am able to play in the final stages of Wimbledon,' said Djokovic, who suffered a nasty slip on match point but appeared unscathed. 'Competing with youngsters makes me feel young, like Cobolli today. I enjoy running and sliding around the court. Speaking of the young guys, I will have Sinner in the next round so I look forward to that. That is going to be a great matchup.' Sinner may well have been back home in Italy had Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov not damaged his right pectoral muscle and retired with a two-set lead in the fourth round on Monday. The three-times Grand Slam champion also sustained an elbow injury early on in that match and there was some doubt about his physical state ahead of his clash with 10th seed Shelton. But he produced a clinical performance, reeling off seven successive points to win the first-set tie-break and then pouncing in the 10th game of the next two sets to match his run to the semi-final two years ago when he lost to Djokovic. Sinner, bidding to become the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title, wore a protective sleeve on his right arm but was rock solid against the big-serving Shelton. 'I had quite good feelings in the warm-up today,' Sinner, who dropped only six points on his first serve, said. 'I put into my mind that I'm going to play today. So the concerns were not that big if I would play or not. 'It was just a matter of what my percentage is. Today was very high, so I'm happy.'
Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Raducanu sends classy message to Sabalenka after Wimbledon defeat
Emma Raducanu's prowess on the court is unquestionable, with her commitment both on and off the court earning high praise from those close to her. The British star, who already has a US Open title under her belt at just 22, is tipped for even more Grand Slam glory in the future. Despite her Wimbledon journey coming to an end on Friday at the hands of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, confidence in Raducanu's potential to reach the zenith of tennis remains strong among the sport's top figures – Sabalenka included. It's not just Raducanu's athletic talent that draws attention; it's also her tireless work ethic and outstanding professionalism. Here at Mirror Sport, we delve into what some of the biggest names in tennis have said about Raducanu's performance on the court and her conduct behind the scenes. Following Raducanu's gracious social media post after her loss to Sabalenka where she congratulated the tennis superstar on her victory, the Express reports how the Belarusian responded with warmth and spoke glowingly of the potential she sees in the young Brit to expand her major haul. "You played incredibly good," Sabalenka replied to the 22-year-old, before the Wimbledon favourite added: "I'm sure we are going to play big matches in the future." Sabalenka is one win away from reaching the semi-finals of the tournament for the third time of her career, but must beat Laura Siegemund on Tuesday to do so. Whilst she's currently working alongside Jack Petchey, it was Tursunov who offered a glimpse into Raducanu's behind-the-scenes professionalism, praising the Brit's exemplary training mentality. Speaking to SportsKeeda, the coach revealed: "Honestly, I did not see or feel that there were a lot of outside things going on. "From the time that we started, Emma just really had her nose to the ground. She was very hard-working and I did not see her skip a lot of things. "There was no aura of diva or superstar about her and I think she has been managing that part very well. I was super impressed with her and couldn't be happier with the way she is as a professional athlete." A friendship several years deep, Carlos Alcaraz has long been close with Raducanu with the pair set to become team-mates as they compete together in the US Open Mixed Doubles event next month. As the world No. 2 and current French Open champion, the Spaniard would have surely had options from the WTA Tour to play alongside him but the 22-year-old cited Raducanu's influence on him as the reason he asked her to play with him. "I'm super excited about it," the five-time Grand Slam champion said upon the announcement of the news. "I think it's going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament. I was thinking that I couldn't play better if it wasn't with Emma. "I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request. She took a while to respond. Not that much, not that much! But obviously she had to ask, and she had to think a little bit. But it wasn't a minute! "I have known Emma for a really long time. I have a really good relationship with her. We are gonna enjoy it for sure. We will try to win. But obviously it's going to be really, really fun." Having had a first-hand account of Raducanu's rise throughout the ranks into becoming a Grand Slam champion, fellow Brit Jack Draper knows exactly how much talent his compatriot has and will continue to show. Before her clash with Sabalenka, Draper expressed full confidence in Raducanu's prowess as he said: "She has a real opportunity. I hope she goes on and does us all proud. She's definitely got the capability to do that."
