England's Rhodes holds nerve to claim maiden LET victory
England's Mimi Rhodes held her nerve to claim her first Ladies European Tour victory at the Women's NSW Open in Australia.The 23-year-old rookie led by one heading into the final round in Wollongong and produced a composed final day to beat Australia's Kirsten Rudgeley and Italy's Alessandra Fanali by two shots.Competing in just her fourth event as a full LET member, Rhodes went bogey free on Sunday, carding a two-under 69 to finish on 17 under."I'm honestly still in shock, but I'm so happy," she said. "I've worked really hard for this."Victory came a week after Rhodes missed the cut at the Australian Women's Classic in Coffs Harbour.After heading down the New South Wales coast to Wollongong, she fired a course record on Friday, hitting a nine-under 62 to take a share of the lead with Sara Kouskova.During Saturday's round of 68, Rhodes gained the outright lead and did not relinquish it on the final day.After birdies at the second and fourth holes, Rhodes carded 14 straight pars as Rudgeley and Fanali put the pressure on.Home favourite Rudgeley had five birdies en route to a three-under 68 while Fanali's third birdie of the day on the par-3 17th put her one off the lead.But the Italian pulled her tee shot on the closing par-five 18th, forcing her to take a penalty drop, allowing Rhodes the comfort of two-putting to secure victory."I had a difficult week last week - I went through a swing change and it obviously worked," added Rhodes, who said she would celebrate with family and friends in Sydney."I was fine on the front nine but when it started to get tight, I got a bit stressed. I kept breathing and tried to remain focused. It's difficult in those situations but I'm just really glad I got it done."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Tennis boss responds to struggling stars calling for change to congested calendar
Jannik Sinner's recent withdrawal from the Cincinnati Open final has resulted in the latest complaint from top tennis players over the schedule, and the response has been swift ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi has fired back in defence of the tennis calendar following mounting complaints from players about fixture congestion. This summer has witnessed a succession of both men's and women's stars publicly slam the current system, claiming there are excessive commitments in a campaign that stretches too long. Spanish ace Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is among those to have targeted organisers recently. He highlighted the Cincinnati Open's men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner being staged on a Monday afternoon as a glaring illustration of how matters have spiralled out of control. Davidovich Fokina posted on social media: "A Monday final at 3pm in August in Cincinnati, after the whole Toronto-Cincinnati swing, with so many retirements and players dead needs to change." Sinner pulled out of the Cincinnati final through illness, with both competitors expected in New York on Tuesday for the start of the US Open 's revamped mixed doubles event. However, the Italian was compelled to withdraw rather than compete in a second match inside 24 hours. Worries were sparked earlier in the Ohio tournament when Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech collapsed on-court in scorching conditions. But Gaudenzi has launched a counter-attack in his response and maintained "players choose their own schedules," meaning they aren't obliged to enter any particular tournament. "Our schedule is complex. It's a long season, and reaching the highest level week after week is demanding," he said in a recent interview with SuperTennis."But this is also an individual sport: one player can be eliminated in the first round, another lift the trophy after the final. "Finding a solution that works for both ends of the spectrum is never simple, and you can't build a schedule around just one cohort of players. All cohorts must be considered. We must be clear: the ATP does not control the entire calendar. We work around the Grand Slams, the Davis Cup, and other fixed dates." Gaudenzi also attempted to calm those stars who have voiced concerns over pay, claiming players aren't rewarded enough for their hard work. He pointed to the Cincinnati Open's £192million renovation scheme as one example of a project that will eventually benefit competitors down the line. Davidovich Fokina isn't the only tennis ace to have criticised the current calendar. Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek recently described the schedule as "too intense" when questioned about the biggest danger to players' mental well-being. "I think these kind of obligations and the rules about mandatory tournaments just put pressure on us," she said in June. "I think people would still watch tennis, maybe even more, if we played fewer tournaments. The quality would be better." Meanwhile, fellow WTA stars Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Ons Jabeur each raised concerns over the failure to schedule more evening women's matches during this year's French Open. Fed up with the absence of progress after several years of the same row, American Pegula said: "It feels like just hitting my head against the wall, because I feel like we have been talking about this for two, three, four [years], probably forever, to be honest, because it's never been equal."
Scotsman
2 hours ago
- Scotsman
When does the Serie A begin? Here's when Scott McTominay's Napoli are back in league action for 25
Here's everything you need to know about the new 25/26 Serie A season as Scott McTominay looks to secure a second title with Napoli. Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... One of the most-watched domestic leagues in Europe, the Italian Serie A is now just days away from returning, with a horde of Scottish viewers expected to tune in once again for the new 2025/26 campaign. Can Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour chalk up a second successive title, following their glorious debut campaigns at Napoli last year? Can newly promoted Josh Doig avoid an immediate relegation and battle for survival with Sassuolo? Or will Scotland wonderkid Lennon Miller take the headlines this season following his £4.5million move to Udinese? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With a record six Scottish talents — McTominay and Gilmour at Napoli, Lewis Ferguson at Bologna, Che Adams at Torino, Doig at Sassuolo, and Lennon Miller at Udinese — joining Italy's finest, this season is set to be one of the most intriguing yet, with international flair meeting storied tradition. From the electric atmosphere of the San Siro to the tactical battles in Turin, Serie A will be one of the most captivating leagues on the planet. Want to know when the season begins, and how to catch every game live during the 25/26 campaign? Here's everything you need to know about the new Serie A season, including how to watch live: Can Lennon Miller be a headliner maker in Serie A this season following his summer transfer to Udinese? | SNS Group When does the Serie A begin for 25/26? The new Serie A season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, 23 August 2025. The first two scheduled games of the new season will see newly promoted Sassuolo at home to champions Napoli, with the game kicking off at 5.30pm UK time and screened live on TNT Sports and DAZN. The game will put Scotland internationals McTominay and Gilmour against former Hibs left-back Doig on opening day. The first league match ups of the season will begin on Saturday and run all the way through until Monday night, with Inter Milan facing Che Adams' Torino on Monday night at the San Siro. The season is scheduled to end on Sunday, 24 May 2026. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Which Scottish players play in Serie A? There are a total of six Scotland internationals currently playing in the Italian top flight. Below is a full list of which Scots are currently plying their trade in Serie A, and who they'll face on opening day. Lewis Ferguson (Bologna) - vs AS Roma (A), 23 August 7.45pm Lennon Miller (Udinese) - vs Verona (H), 25 August 5.30pm Che Adams (Torino) - vs Inter Milan (A), 25 August 7.45pm Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour (both Napoli) - vs Sassuolo (A), 23 August 5.30pm Josh Doig (Sassuolo) - vs Napoli (H), 23 August 5.30pm How to watch Serie A in the UK While the Italian top flight has a selection of games screened on TNT Sports throughout the season, the best place to catch Serie A football this year will be via DAZN. The streaming service will broadcast every game in the UK this season, with eight of those being exclusive.
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Man Utd lead race to sign former Arsenal target in £26m transfer
Manchester United have turned their attention to Sevilla midfielder Lucien Agoume in a bid to resolve their issues in midfield. Ruben Amorim is desperate to bring in another midfield option with United conceding defeat, for now at least, in their attempts to sign Carlos Baleba from Brighton. A huge £100milling asking price has forced them to shelve their plans until next summer, having already spent over £200m rebuilding their attack. Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro coped admirably against Arsenal in United's opening game of the season on Sunday but there is a worrying lack of depth with Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo the manager's only other recognised options. Reports in Spain claim United are interested in signing Agoume and are 'leading the race' to sign the 23-year-old, according to Orgullo Biri. Metro's new weekly football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it's an open goal. The France Under-21 international has a release clause of €40million (£34.5m) but the report states Sevilla could be willing to do business for €30m (£26m). Other unnamed Premier League clubs are also monitoring the situation. Arsenal were credited with interest in Agoume earlier this summer as a possible replacement for Thomas Partey before eventually signing Christian Norgaard having also brought in Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. Agoume made his professional debut with Sochaux at just 16 years old before moving to Inter Milan in 2018. He played just four times for the Italian giants, shipped out on loan to Spezia, Brest, Troyes and then Sevilla, who he joined in January 2024. Sevilla were suitably impressed to make the deal permanent last summer, managing to do so for less than €10m to sign Agoume in a deal that also included a 50 per cent sell-on clause. United are also thought to be considering a move for Morten Hjulmand, who starred under Amorim at Sporting CP. More Trending Recent reports have suggested they are willing to bid up to £50m for the Denmark captain who Amorim has previously described as a 'complete' midfielder. 'The big difference is that we have improved in our organised attack,' Amorim said following Sporting's title success last year. 'We had the principles of the first year, when defensively we were very good, but we didn't spend much time in organised attack,' Amorim said. 'We spent a lot of time creating offensive nuances and then we discovered what kind of players we need.' It's a normal evolution and then there's also the merit of scouting. I love Palhinha and Ugarte, but I would say that Hjulmand is the most complete player in his position. I'm certainly no longer their favourite coach, but it's a matter of everyone at the Academy understanding our playing philosophy.' MORE: Chelsea send message to Alejandro Garnacho over Manchester United transfer delay MORE: Tottenham turn to French winger as Savinho chase proves difficult MORE: Napoli monitoring Man Utd striker and Chelsea forward after Romelu Lukaku blow
