Venus Williams' doubles run at DC Open cut short after 2nd-round loss
Venus Williams' improbable run at the DC Open has come to an end in part. On Thursday, she was eliminated in the second round of the doubles tournament, per ESPN.
Williams and her doubles partner Hailey Baptiste lost to No. 2-seeded Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 in a tiebreaker.
Nevertheless, Williams is still competing in the singles tournament and is set to take on Magdalena Fręch in the Round of 16 on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Williams at 45 became the second oldest player to win a WTA singles match. She defeated Peyton Stearns in straight sets 6-4, 6-3.
All this happened as Williams was making some changes to her life. She announced her engagement to actor Andrea Preti.
At the same time, Williams said it would mean more to play if Serena were to come out of retirement. While Serena has gotten much of the glow over the years, Venus has never been too far behind.
Venus Williams adds to her legendary status
Since emerging onto the scene at 14, Venus has amassed a stellar pedigree. She has won 7 Grand Slam singles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles titles (all with Serena).
In addition, Williams has captured four Olympic gold medals (one in singles, three in doubles). She, along with Serena, helped change the face of tennis with their story, fashion sense, and activism.
Venus was the one who led the charge for equal pay at Grand Slam tournaments. A pursuit which culminated in 2007 when Wimbledon offered equal prize money.
A tournament in which she won.
She still has a chance to go far if not win the DC Open singles title. A feat that would place her in the same category of Jack Nicklaus and George Foreman.
Athletes who achieved big things at an advanced age. Nicklaus famously won the Masters in 1986 at age 46. Foreman recaptured the heavyweight championship at age 45 in 1994.
Related: Venus Williams reveals engagement to actor after historic comeback win
Related: Venus Williams drops hilarious quote after huge DC Open win
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Chicago Tribune
27 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Today in Chicago History: Cubs trade first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees
Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on July 29, according to the Tribune's archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) 1829: The Potawatomi, Ottawa and Chippewa ceded to the state more than 3,000 square miles in northern Illinois as part of the Treaty of Prairie du Chien. 1963: After finishing in a three-way tie at 280, Arnold Palmer, 23-year-old Masters champ Jack Nicklaus and U.S. Open champ Julius Boros treated Chicagoland fans to a dream playoff for the Western Open championship at Beverly. When Palmer won the 18-hole playoff, members of his 'Army' felt it was only fair. After all, Palmer had lost to Boros in a playoff for the Open title. And he fizzled to a final-round 73 in the Western to fall back into a tie with Nicklaus, who sizzled with 66, and Boros, who shot 67. 'There shouldn't even be a playoff,' said Nicklaus after 72 holes. 'This man sitting next to me should never have shot 73.' Palmer, a model of gracious restraint throughout his poor fourth round, wordlessly punctuated Nicklaus' remark. Palmer snapped one of his woods across his knee, then deposited both pieces of the club in his locker. 1988: Chicago Cubs pitcher Rick Sutcliffe stole home. He became the first Cubs pitcher to do so since Jim 'Hippo' Vaughan in 1919. 2016: Former Bolingbrook police Sgt. Drew Peterson was given an additional 40 years in prison for trying to hire someone to kill the prosecutor who put him behind bars for killing his third wife. 2021: The Chicago Cubs traded first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees. Cubs fans did not get a chance to say goodbye — Rizzo was not in the starting lineup for a 7-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. Also in 2021: Despite opposition from Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill transitioning the Chicago Public Schools school board from mayoral-appointed board members to a fully elected governing body in 2026. Subscribe to the free Vintage Chicago Tribune newsletter, join our Chicagoland history Facebook group, stay current with Today in Chicago History and follow us on Instagram for more from Chicago's past.
Android Authority
27 minutes ago
- Android Authority
My favorite Google Pixel features that don't get enough love
Google Pixel phones are packed with intelligent and helpful features. While Google ensures many of these are front and center by promoting them when you first set up the phone or by periodically reminding you about them when you perform certain tasks, a surprising number of equally brilliant features fly under the radar. These hidden gems can significantly improve your daily experience with your phone. It's a shame that a ton of users simply don't know about them. With that in mind, this is a list of some of my favorite Pixel-exclusive features that, for whatever reason, don't seem to get the attention they deserve. You might be a power user who knows about all of these, but it's likely there will be at least a few readers who will walk away learning something new about the small computer in their pocket. Now Playing has a semi-hidden history Ryan Haines / Android Authority Most Pixel owners are familiar with Now Playing, considering it is one of the features Pixel UI asks you about when you first set up a Pixel. Now Playing identifies songs playing in your environment without you needing to do a thing to trigger it — the information appears on your lock screen automatically. Think of it as an always-on Shazam. What Google doesn't make immediately obvious, however, is that your phone keeps a running list of every song it ever identifies. Now Playing lets you see the music playing around you, but there's a running list of all the songs your phone has ever logged, too. This history can be incredibly handy, but accessing it is a bit convoluted. You can tap the music note on your lock screen when a song is actively playing, but that's not much help when you're trying to recall a track from last night's party while sitting on your couch slightly hungover. To find your full song history, you need to navigate to Settings > Display & touch > Lock screen > Now Playing, and then tap on Now Playing History. Thankfully, you only need to do this once. From the history screen, tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right and select Add to Home Screen. This creates a shortcut icon on your home screen, giving you instant access to your musical memories whenever you want. Quick Tap: A shortcut on the back of your phone C. Scott Brown / Android Authority While Now Playing is an opt-in feature made apparent the first day you use your Pixel, Quick Tap is one you need to discover for yourself. This feature triggers a specific action instantly whenever you double-tap the back of your phone. To enable it, go to Settings > System > Gestures > Quick Tap to start actions. Here, you can assign the double-tap gesture to a variety of tasks. You can use it to take a screenshot, access Gemini, play or pause media, or even open a specific app. I personally have it set to toggle the flashlight, as it's incredibly convenient and works even when the phone is locked. I prefer to use Quick Tap to launch the flashlight, but there are a bunch of other things you can have it do. Be aware that some actions, like launching an app, will require you to unlock your phone first, which can defeat the 'quick' aspect of the feature. Also, if you find yourself accidentally triggering the gesture fairly often, you can enable the Require stronger taps option on the Quick Tap settings page, which should help reduce that issue. Automate your settings with Rules C. Scott Brown / Android Authority If you want your phone to change settings automatically based on your context, Pixels have a built-in system called Rules. While it isn't as feature-rich as some competitor offerings, like Samsung's Routines, it's still quite useful once configured. On your Pixel, you can find it under Settings > System > Rules. You'll need to enable background services for it to work, so be sure to hit the Next button the first time you visit this page. Pixel's Rules allow you to automatically switch audio states depending on where you are. Once you've given it all the necessary permissions, you can create rules that trigger changes to your phone's audio state based on your geographical location or a specific Wi-Fi network. For instance, you can set your phone to automatically switch to Do Not Disturb when you're at the movie theater and then revert to your normal ringer profile when you connect to your home Wi-Fi. It's a simple but effective way to automate your daily routines. Again, I really wish Google made this more powerful like Samsung has with Routines, but it's a gem of a feature taken for what it is. Get better selfies with gestures and illumination Ryan Haines / Android Authority The Pixel camera has a few tricks up its sleeve that go well beyond just taking good photos. Did you know you can switch between the rear and front-facing cameras with a simple shake? When the camera app is open, two quick twists of your wrist will flip to the selfie camera, and two more will flip it back. If this isn't working, check that it's enabled under Settings > System > Gestures > Flip camera for selfie. There's a helpful GIF on that page that can help you master the wrist-flicking gesture. Selfie fiends will love the wrist-flicking gesture and the cheat code for getting better lighting. This gesture combines powerfully with another shortcut that most people already know about: double-tapping the power button to launch the camera. 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When enabled, your phone's screen will turn bright white for a moment right before capturing a selfie, acting as a makeshift front-facing flash to illuminate your face. This can dramatically improve the lighting of your self-portraits in dim environments. You'll only need to enable this in the camera's selfie mode settings once for it to stay active permanently whenever you take a selfie. However, it will reset when you restart your phone. Face-aware Auto-Rotate C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Everyone has experienced the annoyance of lying in bed and having your phone's screen rotate to landscape when you don't want it to. Pixels have a clever solution to this problem. If you long-press the Auto-Rotate tile in your Quick Settings, you'll find an option to enable face detection. With this active, your phone will use the front-facing camera to see the orientation of your face. 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Those are my favorite underappreciated Pixel features. Did I miss any? What's your favorite? Let me know in the comments below. Follow
Fox News
28 minutes ago
- Fox News
'Fantastic Four' stars Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby's handsy behavior raises eyebrows and movie hype: expert
Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby, whose recent flirtatious behavior towards one another has raised eyebrows, are just two of Hollywood's mega-stars who have sparked romance rumors from handsy, red-carpet appearances. From gentle neck rubs to hand-holding, the superhero power couple — who play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic and Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman in the Marvel film, "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" — have been noticeably touchy with one another while promoting the movie. But Pascal, who recently admitted physical touch helps him cope with anxieties, said there's nothing more to it. "I was always one to reach out when I'm facing something that is challenging or making me anxious," the actor, 50, told Men's Health. Kirby also defended her co-star's actions. Recalling the time in which Pascal caught heat after grabbing her hand during an appearance at Comic Con last year, Kirby told Vanity Fair the gesture was innocent. "What happened is we were both incredibly nervous going out in front of thousands of people who love this comic," Kirby said. "He wanted me to know that we were in this together, and I found it a lovely gesture and was very glad to squeeze his hand back." However, Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, said stars often use this tactic as a way to create buzz. "Nine times out of 10, this tactic is used as a buzz-builder, whether for the studio that financed the film, or the actors themselves, especially if the latter are up-and-comers, who haven't developed household name recognition yet. But again, there is always the '10th time' which could bring skepticism and, more importantly, scrutiny." "Pascal uses touch as a 'grounding' technique to navigate social situations, which might otherwise trigger his anxiety. Skeptics claim that's a farce, but clinical professionals have acknowledged the validity of this technique," Eldridge continued. "Wherever you fall on this particular case, the real 'winner' is the studio, as the internet has been filled with clicks and commentary surrounding Pascal, all of which creates a groundswell of buzz and potential 'butts in the buckets' for the upcoming release of 'The Fantastic Four' re-make." Steve Honig, founder of The Honig Company, told Fox News Digital that it's common for stars to use their on-screen and off-screen chemistry to their advantage during the promotional period of their upcoming project. "There are many ways co-stars can show chemistry on the red carpet without crossing the line into something that might be construed as inappropriate. The key here is to keep it fun and light, not sexual or anything heavy," Honig said. "At the end of the day, a red carpet is a place of work for actors, so the general rule of thumb is to not do anything a 'civilian' shouldn't do in their workplace." "Oftentimes, the intent of red carpet PDA is to generate some additional buzz for the film," he continued. "This can, however, easily backfire and generate negative press about the questionable behavior. Red carpets are great stomping grounds for celebrities to build their brands, and they should use premieres and other red carpet events to that end." "Celebrities, and their reps, need to remember that, unlike Las Vegas, what happens on the red carpet does not always stay on the red carpet," he added. "What happens at a premiere can, and often does, have a huge and lasting impact not only on the specific project but a celebrity's overall image. This can spill over to other projects, endorsements and either damage or build a celebrity's brand." Last month, Scarlett Johansson spoke out after her red carpet kisses with her "Jurassic World Rebirth" co-star Jonathan Bailey went viral. The 40-year-old actress and 37-year-old actor made headlines after locking lips at their film's premiere in London on June 17. On June 23, the two shared another kiss at "Jurassic World Rebirth's" premiere in New York City, where Johansson's husband, "Saturday Night Live" star Colin Jost, was in attendance. During a recent episode of "Today," host Craig Melvin told Johansson that he wanted to ask her about "this kissing thing that you and Jonathan have been doing all over the world." Melvin went on to note that Bailey was "so attractive," to which Johansson responded, "Yeah, you said it!" "Is that why we keep planting lips on him?" Melvin asked. "He's a lovable guy, what can I say?" Johansson replied. "I don't know. We're just friendly people." When Melvin asked whether she was surprised by the public attention to the pair's kisses, Johansson told him, "Nothing surprises me, you know what I mean?" "Nothing surprises me these days," she continued. "But, yeah, I've got a lot of love to give, what can I say?" In 2023, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, who starred together in "Anyone But You," sparked romance rumors as fans caught glimpses of the two filming. At the time, the duo appeared on the "Today" show to promote the film and their friendship was questioned by Hoda Kotb, who asked if there was "a little romance" going on at any point. Throughout the interview, Sweeney and Powell shared little looks, and the "Euphoria" star couldn't stop giggling. While Sweeney laughed in response to the question about their relationship status, Powell answered: "No, but we do love each other. And, honestly, this is one of the most spectacular humans I've ever met. She's really great." In September 2021, Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain were the stars of a viral video from their appearance at the Venice International Film Festival in 2021 to promote their show "Scenes From a Marriage," where fans noted the pair seemed to be a little too comfortable with each other. In the viral video, the two were posing with their arms around each other for photos. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until Isaac appeared to kiss and sniff Chastain's underarm area. Isaac spoke on SiriusXM's "The Jess Cagle Show" at the time and offered an explanation for the odd sniffing by comparing himself and Chastain to flatworms. "You know, you can cut them into like a hundred pieces and they will grow a whole new worm out of the little piece. So they're basically kind of immortal, and they've been doing work at the cellular level where they're seeing that the cells kind of talk to each other through electricity and kind of decide, 'Okay you're going to make the head.' 'All right, I'm going to make the tail'…they're communicating through some sort of electro kind of magnetic situation," Isaac explained. "Maybe we should use more actual human language to talk instead of sniffing an armpit and doing things like that," Isaac said. "That's kind of what starts to happen and no matter how much we annoy each other, no matter what happens, it's like, when you get us together, it's like, it's just other stuff that's going on that is making us grow two heads." While Eldridge said the public displays of affection during press are "seldom authentic," some are truly genuine. "It is seldom authentic, but a good rule of thumb is to stay away from terms like 'always' and 'never.' Point being, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have been together since 1983. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have been married for 40 years. Freddie Prinze Jr. and Sarah Michelle Geller have been married for 22 years. Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have been married for 10 years. Improbable and impossible are not the same thing. Just because 'most' of these relationships are manufactured, doesn't mean 'all' of them are." "It's not a question of good or bad [press], but rather inevitable," he said. "The purpose of organizing a global media junket is to drive ticket sales, but the formula is slightly more calculated than the target outcome. Again, the process is simple, not easy: build awareness, create interest/intrigue, generate a call to action."
