Bublik wins first claycourt title in Gstaad
French Open quarter-finalist Bublik, seeded second in Gstaad, was playing in his first final on clay. He had not dropped a set en route to the final but had to regroup after a patchy second set to seal the win in just over two hours.
"Juan, as I told you at the net, this was not tennis. It was complete torture," Bublik joked at the trophy ceremony.
"This is my sixth title and I have played the greats of the game, but this final I will remember as one of the toughest I ever played."
"I can't wait to come back next year. The beautiful Alps. It's an amazing spot. I'm really happy that I'm standing here as a winner, but even if I'd lost in the first round, the view is amazing anyway."
The victory for the ever-entertaining Bublik was a solid return to form after his first-round Wimbledon exit. It was his second title of the season and the sixth of his career. The world number 34 lifted the ATP 500 grasscourt trophy in Halle last month.
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The Guardian
36 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Sarina Wiegman's England can join greats by retaining their Euros title
Twice in the past week, England's Lionesses have rolled the dice, ridden their luck, and performed sleight of hand worthy of the magic circle. The question now, as they prepare to face Spain in Sunday's Women's Euro 2025 final in Basel, is can they pull yet another rabbit out of the hat? Perhaps the only thing we know for certain is that the country will be watching. More than 10 million saw England's women claw their way past Italy in Tuesday's semi-final, a figure that brought in ITV's highest viewing figures of the year. After that, though, everything is up for grabs. The former tennis player Brad Gilbert wrote Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis, about how to emerge victorious when not playing well or facing a superior opponent. In Switzerland, the Lionesses have often served up the football equivalent. Yet they are just 90 minutes away from planting their size 6s in the pantheon of great England sports teams. That may raise some eyebrows. But make no mistake, Sarina Wiegman's side are a staggering success story hiding in plain sight. Since she took over as manager in September 2021, England's women have won 34 of their 47 competitive matches, drawing six and losing seven – an impressive win percentage of 72.5%. That record, as sports data company Opta shows, compares favourably with the 'golden generation' of the England's men's team between 2001 and 2010, led by David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard. They won 45 out of 67 matches – a win percentage of 67% – although they never got beyond the quarter-finals of a major tournament. It is also better than Gareth Southgate's record of 61 wins from 102 matches between 2016 and 2024, a win percentage of 59.8%, although England did reach two Euro finals and a World Cup semi-final along the way. In fact, perhaps the closest parallel with the Lionesses is with the heyday of Sir Alf Ramsey's World Cup winners, who won 26 out of 36 competitive matches between 1966 and 1971, a win percentage of 72.2%. Incredibly, Sunday will mark England's fifth final in as many summers, with the men having reached the Euro finals in 2021 and 2024, and the women having lifted the Euros in 2022 before losing to Spain in the 2023 World Cup final. As a nation England gone from expecting heroic failure to being almost blase about a golden age. It is also easy to forget just how far women's football has travelled. Just before the London 2012 Olympics, for instance, organisers withdrew 500,000 tickets for the football tournament from public sale because of a lack of interest – with Team GB women's first game against New Zealand filling just a third of what was known then as Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, which has a capacity of 74,500. 'There will not be many events over the coming two and a half weeks with so many no-shows and the attendance of 24,549 was a clear disappointment,' the Guardian wrote. 'But to put it into context, the crowd was almost five times the number that watched Arsenal play Chelsea in last season's women's FA Cup final.' In a quirk of fate the 2025 Women's FA Cup final, between Chelsea and Manchester United at Wembley, was watched by 74,412 people. Enough to pack out the stadium in Cardiff. If you had predicted that in 2012 you would have been sneered at. Of course, England's latest European adventure has been far from smooth. They were outplayed in their opening game against France. Then, in the quarter-finals against Sweden, they first came from 2-0 down with 11 minutes remaining to make it 2-2, before winning the penalty shootout after the Swedes missed two chances to knock them out. If that wasn't fantastical enough, England also appeared to be going out in their semi-final against Italy until a late equaliser from the substitute Michelle Agyemang in the final minute of injury time. And there was then even more drama as Chloe Kelly scored the winner deep into extra time. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion Afterwards, Wiegman was asked for her secret. 'I don't know,' she replied. 'I am the lucky one – to work with so many people, good players and good staff. I can't believe it myself.' Speculating how they compare with other great England and British national teams is one for the pub or posterity. However, to these eyes, they do not have the dominance of the England men's Rugby World Cup winners in 2003, who won 42 of their 47 competitive matches between 2000 and 2003, a success rate of 89.4%. Many of the same players made it to a second World Cup final in 2007 too, though with a much poorer win record after their 2003 triumph. The England team who won the 2019 men's Cricket World Cup, led by Eoin Morgan, will also have their supporters. Not only did they win 48 out of their 63 completed one-day matches between 2016 and 2019 – with one tied – for a win percentage of 76.2%, they attacked with rare fire and freedom. Those of an older vintage would probably also point to UK Athletics during the golden era of middle distance running in the 70s and 80s, when Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram won Olympic gold medals and world championship titles and smashed 20 world records between them. Especially as Daley Thompson, Tessa Sanderson and Fatima Whitbread were regularly winning medals too. But for sheer achievement, the extraordinary performance of Team GB Olympians takes some beating. In 1996, Britain won a solitary gold medal, along with eight silvers and six bronzes, finishing 36th in the medal table. Yet thanks to a huge injection of government and lottery funding, they have won more than 60 medals in each of the last four Olympics – including finishing second in the table at the Rio Games in 2016. Yet the Lionesses' achievements should also not be underestimated. And they still have plenty of time to strengthen their case, starting on Sunday. It could yet be a classic. Spain like control, England thrive in chaos. The Spanish have the Ballon d'Or Feminine holder, Aitana Bonmatí, and another two-time winner in Alexia Putellas. And while England have great players too, they also have something much harder to define: that mystical combination of luck, fate, randomness and sheer bloody-mindedness. They couldn't, could they?
BBC News
36 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Thank you for the memories' - England's team behind the team
For fans watching England's Euro 2025 journey, it has been a wild a thought for the Lionesses' loved ones out in have been there every step of the way on the rollercoaster journey with Sarina Wiegman's side, following five matches over three weeks, cheering every goal, kicking every ball and watching every penalty from behind their Sunday's final against Spain, we hear Swiss stories from some of England's nearest and dearest, who send their good luck messages before one last push in Basel. 'Every goal she scores, he's watching over her' For England duo Ella Toone and Beth Mead, Euro 2025 has been particularly is the first major tournament both have played since losing a parent, with Mead losing her mum, June, to ovarian cancer in January 2023, while Toone's dad, Nick, was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died in September 2024."We were talking about him only the other day as a family," Toone's boyfriend Joe Bunney told BBC Sport. "Nick would've loved this."The inspiration Nick gave us to support Ella in the way he did was great. Hopefully one more step and we can win the Euros for him. Every goal she scores, every game, he's watching over her."For Ella, it's really important the people she has around her. Beth Mead as well. They're going through a similar thing. It's nice for them to have each other and they are so strong to get through what they've been through in a football season and then go to the Euros."While Toone and Mead have been united by grief and bonded off the pitch, throughout Euro 2025 the Lionesses' family and friends have been bonding off it, particularly celebrating England's late goals."It was all a bit of a blur," Bunney said of celebrating Michelle Agyemang's 96th-minute quarter-final equaliser against Italy. "Michelle's family were in front of me. The scenes were crazy."I was sat on row seven and I definitely didn't finish there, I ended up on row three. I was talking to Michelle's family about how proud they must be. It takes us back to 2022 when Alessia [Russo] and Ella were making an impact on the games. It's massive for Michelle and her family are a lovely family and we get on really well."Joe's message to Ella: "You already know what I think about how inspirational you've been. I know your dad's watching down proud of you, we're all proud of you. Go and bring that trophy home." 'Our job is to give them that normality' Euro 2025 is Lucy Bronze's seventh major tournament for has played a starring role for the Lionesses in Switzerland with her solid defensive displays, as well as scoring in the 79th minute against Sweden to help force extra-time, before converting a brilliant penalty in the shootout."My goodness the things they have put us through this tournament," Bronze's brother Jorge told BBC Sport."People keep asking me if I am having a great time out here and I say 'no!' It's just trauma after trauma after trauma. It's been a brilliant time, exhausting, emotional, thrilling and everything in between."Among the Bronze family out in Switzerland are Jorge's two young children."I've got a five-year-old and a four-year-old that Lucy absolutely adores, she loves playing silly games with them."It was 1am [after the Italy game] and they were playing a bit of hide and seek with auntie Lucy in the ground after a pretty intense game of football."Jorge said under Wiegman, players' family and friends now play their part behind the scenes in England's success."We have noticed a real shift," Jorge said. "Certainly under Sarina, there has been an approach to have the family and friends engaged but know what our role is."We took Lucy to a play park and gave her a half-eaten cheese sandwich that my four-year-old didn't finish. Everyone is having a slightly different experience but every player needs their own downtime in their own way."Our job as a family is to just give them that bit of normality. Whether that's smashing her at table tennis or Mario Kart, to remind her I am still her older brother, or if it's just chatting things through. Whatever it is, that is what we are here to do for the players."Jorge's message to Lucy: "Lucy, you know what it's taken to get to this point. You know you are a serial and born winner. You are already the most decorated English footballer of all time. Go and make that a full stop at the end of that sentence on Sunday and bring it home." 'I'm not used to this as a fan' Alessia Russo's brother Giorgio missed England's first two group games of Euro 2025 because he was on Love swapped Spain for Switzerland and flew out in time for the nervy quarter-final win over Sweden in Zurich."Me and her are best mates, we talk about everything outside of football," Giorgio said. "She was the first person I told about Love Island. We're really good friends and it helps her switch off from work."All Girgio has known at Euro 2025 is a rollercoaster. Missing the big wins over the Netherlands and Wales, the two games he has been to have seen a tense penalty shootout quarter-final win and a dramatic extra-time semi-final victory."It's been really hard. I'm not used to this as a fan," Giorgio said. "The group stages started shaky but really came back and when I got out here for the knockout it's been tough, but elation at the end."There is a different type of emotion when it's a family member, you really feel it from their point of view. For the penalty shootout [against Sweden] my mum, Ella's mum, Leah [Williamson]'s mum, they all couldn't watch. Leah's mum makes me laugh so much it's like she is in pain in the games."It's a tense environment, the girls can obviously feel it and when there is a goal, when we win the celebrations are absolutely crazy but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else I don't think."Giorgio's message to Alessia: "Keep doing what you are doing, you make us proud every single day and I love you." 'We tried to just keep it normal and keep it real' Described by Giorgio as one half of the 'fun police' alongside Joe Bunney, Georgia Stanways brother John-Paul helps to organise gatherings with the players' friends and when arranging a low-key meal with family, it turns into a team outing and JP said word spread about a meal the day after England's semi-final win over Italy."We went for a Chinese meal the day after the Geneva game," he said. "A few of the team got wind of this meal so there was us, the Toones, the Walshs, Jill Scott joined us."We didn't really chat about much. It's just calmness. We talked about tickets to the final, a little bit of how the game was. Our job was to take her mind off it and bring some calmness and normality. We tried to just keep it normal and keep it real."JP's message to Georgia: "I want to say thank you for the memories you've given us. Back-to-back-to-back finals. Not so thankful for the heart attacks you've given us for the past few games."I'm so proud of what you and the rest of the team and the staff have achieved. Hopefully, we can continue to make these memories. Good luck."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Prince William tells Lionesses nation is proud of them in Euro 2025 good luck message
The Prince of Wales has wished the Lionesses good luck as they aim for back-to-back European titles. William, patron of the FA, will be in Basel, Switzerland, to cheer the team on Sunday, as they face fierce rivals Spain, who beat them in the 2022 World Cup final. England's habit of dramatic late comebacks in this competition was not missed by the royal football fan, whose online message said: 'Good luck to the Lionesses tomorrow. 'The nation is so proud you are through to the final, after some stunning comebacks! We are all cheering you on! W.' England clinched their place in the final with a last-gasp victory over Italy in extra time in Switzerland on Tuesday. It also took a a dramatic penalty shootout win over Sweden to keep their title hopes alive and reach the semi-final, as England looked as though they were going out in extra time. England boss Sarina Wiegman conceded Euro 2025 has been the 'craziest' run of tournament matches in her managerial career. On Saturday, she said: 'In this environment you have challenges all the time. Before the World Cup, we had challenges with players who were injured. 'Of course, we prepare a lot and we know the players really well. We think of scenarios, 'Who is the first player to select? Who is the second?'. You're prepared for challenges. 'But in this tournament, it has been the craziest one with how the games went. That has been different.' Michelle Agyemang, 19, who had one England cap before the tournament, has been a rising star in this competition, and twice became the team's saviour with equalisers in their quarter and semi-final comebacks. She began her footballing career at Brandon Groves AFC in South Ockendon, Essex, and the club are anxiously waiting for the final. Roy Enright, 45, who manages the girls' team, said: ' I think it will be a tight game, very close and it might even go to extra time. 'Everyone is excited for the game. It is fantastic to see the impact Michelle has shown. 'The girls in my team are truly inspired by what Michelle is doing at the moment.'
