British tennis in healthy shape as attention turns to US hard-court swing
Norrie and Sonay Kartal, who reached the fourth round for the first time, take top honours in singles, while Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool became the first all-British pair to claim the men's doubles trophy since 1936.
Cameron Norrie reached the quarter-finals (Mike Egerton/PA)
There were first Wimbledon victories for the likes of Arthur Fery, Jack Pinnington Jones and Oliver Tarvet, whose run through qualifying was one of the feelgood stories of the fortnight, and teenage trio Mimi Xu, Hannah Klugman and Mika Stojsavljevic all gained valuable experience.
The major disappointment was that Jack Draper, having elevated himself into the world's top four, was such an early faller, losing in the second round to former finalist Marin Cilic.
The draw was not kind, and Draper fronted up brilliantly, as he always does, recognising that the big improvements he has made on hard and clay courts have not yet translated to grass.
Former British number one Greg Rusedski has no doubt he will get there, saying: 'No question about it. Jack is the best British player by far since Andy Murray, one of the most complete players.
Jack Draper, right, was beaten by Marin Cilic (Mike Egerton/PA)
'Give Cilic respect. He played great, he's been a finalist here, he won the US Open. For me, that wasn't a bad loss at all and Jack will be back strong. He's got a consistent team, he's willing to invest and the future's bright. He'll be deep in this tournament for many years to come.'
A consistent team is something Emma Raducanu is still searching for, and the encouragement of her strong performance in defeat against Aryna Sabalenka was tempered by the fact she may be back to the drawing board again on the coaching front.
Raducanu and Mark Petchey have clearly gelled but the latter's TV commitments make a full-time role impossible at the moment.
Britain's Billie Jean King Cup captain Anne Keothavong has worked with Raducanu on and off court, and said: 'It obviously is important and we've seen the positive impact Petch has had on her over the last few weeks.
'Equally, it's not that straightforward. Hopefully she's clearer than ever of what is required in terms of what kind of team she wants around her and she finds that. If they can find a way to make it work, then that would be brilliant.'
There will be six British men and women in the world's top 60 on Monday and the target ahead of the US Open will be for the likes of Raducanu, Kartal, Norrie, Katie Boulter and Jacob Fearnley to try to climb into the seeded positions in New York.
'I think it's brilliant that we've got three women inside the top 50 and I hope they continue to push each other and the others take inspiration from what they're doing,' added Keothavong.
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The Herald Scotland
32 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
MLB trade deadline: Astros' Cam Smith stars after Kyle Tucker deal
These two teams pulled off the perfect trade in December, and seven months later, would each do it again in a heartbeat. The Astros decided they weren't going to be able to meet All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker's price tag to keep him from becoming a free agent after this season, shopped him during the winter to make sure they could receive a healthy return before he walked way. They found the ideal dance partner with the Cubs, who believed Tucker would be the missing piece to lead them back into the postseason. The Astros, who won the AL West last year while Tucker missed half the season with a fractured shin, weren't going to simply unload Tucker for prospects. They still planned to contend in the AL West. Astros GM Dana Brown wanted third baseman Isaac Paredes, who had fallen out of favor in Chicago, but whose pull power would be perfect for the Crawford Boxes in left field. They wanted a top prospect to go with him, and identified the 6-foot-3, 224-pound third baseman Cam Smith, the 14th pick in the 2024 draft. And they wanted a pitcher thrown in the deal too, Hayden Wesneski. "I remember digging into the Cubs' roster with Dana," Astros manager Joe Espada said, "and Cam was one of the first names that popped up. I'm looking at the video and I'm like, 'This dude is the real deal.' He hadn't played a ton in the minor leagues, but every clip you saw, you saw the athleticism. "Then, you start making call, and you about the makeup of the kid. All of a sudden, you're getting real excited about him." A deal was born. The Cubs believed they pulled off a coup, and would worry about Tucker's free agency later. The Astros had a third baseman to replace Alex Bregman, who was a free agent, and one of the premier, but unproven prospects in the game in Smith. Debates raged who got the best of the trade, with questions being asked whether the Astros didn't get enough in return, or the Cubs gave up too much. Well, nearly eight months later, and the deal has worked out perfectly for both sides. The Cubs are sitting tied with the Brewers for the best record (61-43) in the National League with Tucker performing just as they envisioned, hitting .274 with 18 homers and 58 RBIs. And the Astros have the best record (60-45) in the American League West, with Paredes hitting 19 home runs, 50 RBIs and playing exceptional defense until he went on the injured list when he pulled his hamstring last week. Yet, the biggest surprise of all is Smith, 22. He not only made the opening day roster as the starting right fielder, despite just 32 games in the minors and having never played the position in his life, but is a rookie of the year candidate. He's hitting .260 with seven homers, 17 doubles, 43 RBIs and a .718 OPS, to go along with his defense that ranks third in outs above average among all right fielders. "I said from Day 1 this will be a good trade for both sides," Brown told USA TODAY Sports. "We knew exactly what we were giving up, one of the top players in major league baseball, so we knew we had to get a pretty decent return back. "We wanted to compete in the present and compete in the future. This trade really allowed us to that. Essentially, we got two everyday players, a starting pitcher, and 14 years of control for one year of control of Tucker. We thought it was a good deal all of the way around." It's the deal that should be the exemplary role model for all trades this week where everyone comes out happy,and no one having a single regret. Now, if the Cubs can't re-sign Tucker and aren't playing deep into October, perhaps the sentiments will shift, but for the Astros, they not only are returning to the playoffs without Tucker, but they have a bona fide star for the future. "He's going to be a perennial All-Star," Houston's Jose Altuve says. "It's amazing what he's doing. He's 22, he barely spent any time in the minor leagues, and it's as if he's been in the league for 10 years. "He wants to be great, too. I'm telling you, this guy is going to be a star for a long, long time." Says Gold Glove first baseman Christian Walker: "He's incredible. It's crazy to think how young he is and what he's doing with hardly any experience. Once he gets a little time, he's going to be a .300 hitter with 30-plus homers every year.'' "This guy is going to be a star for a long, long time." Just 13 months ago Smith was in the College World Series with Florida State, and now he's trying to help lead Astros to their fifth World Series appearance since 2017. Despite zero experience in right field, he's already become one of the top defenders in the game at the position. "The crazy thing is that we asked him to play a new position at the highest level," Brown says, "and to do it on a good club. It's not like we're a rebuilding club. He's already a plus defender. He's still going through his growing pains, but he's got a really chance to be a really good player. "He's got a special makeup. He's very likable, and very competitive at the same time, which is hard to find." Says Espada: "It's amazing how he's adapted to this league. I think we were hoping he could maybe help us at some point during the season when we got him. No one thought he'd make our team out of spring training, but was never overwhelmed. All of the attention he was getting from the Kyle Tucker trade never bothered him. He handled the whole thing so well. "He was looking really good at third base, but we had an opening in right field. We wanted to see how he looked there, and in three weeks, he picked it up and showed that he could play the position. He made the adjustment quickly, throwing to the right base, reading swings, all of the things to make himself a complete player." Smith took the job, won a spot on the opening day roster, and has ran with it. "It's like I'm living out my dream every single day," Smith tells USA TODAY Sports. "I mean, I was living out my dream at Florida State, too, and the next step obviously was the major league level." Still, but this quickly? Learning a position he had never played in his entire life, playing shortstop in high school and third base in college Hitting major-league pitching when he had only 134 plate appearances in the minors? Are you kidding? "It's just so impressive," Astros hitting coach Troy Snitker says. "Here's a young kid who has never seen this good of pitching consistently, and he's holding his own without being overmatched. You just don't see that." Smith still has trouble believing it himself, almost awestruck when he met Marcus Semien of the Texas Rangers, Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets and Lawrence Butler of the Athletics. He had goosebumps just being on the same field as Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton, even though he didn't meet him. Oh, and don't even get him started on the sheer thrill of facing Shohei Ohtani at the plate, with a strikeout never feeling better. "I think what helped me so much is learning from these guys, my own teammates," Smith says. "They made me believe I could do this. It would have been pretty tough to do it on my own. Just having the comfort of talking to veteran guys, asking them questions, and having them let me know it's going to be all right. "They told me, 'Hey, you're here for a reason.' Smith, after getting off to a slow start, even solicited the advice of Hall of Fame first baseman Fred McGriff over lunch in Tampa in May, with McGriff stressing to him the importance of being aggressive at the plate. He has hit .277 with four homers, 31 RBI and a .755 OPS since early May. While it would have been easy for Smith to melt down while trying to live up to the void left by Tucker, Smith never blinked. Instead of it being a burden, he viewed it as an opportunity. Come on, someone had to replace Tucker in right field, why not the guy who was in the same trade? "I think it's pretty cool, really," Smith says. "I talk about it all of the time." Smith smiles easily, showing the confidence of a 10-year veteran, not a rookie. Sure, he was given a golden opportunity, but he was the one who took advantage of it. He's the one who showed up first every day to spring training, arriving to the gym before 6 a.m., often the last to leave the complex. He was the one who took fly balls in the hot sun before workouts each day with Astros outfield coach Dave Clark. He was the who got into the cage for extra hitting before the veterans with Snitker. He was the one in the weight room late in the afternoon when others were on the golf course. "He's way ahead of his time," Walker says. "His maturity, the skill set, the talent, the raw ability, it's all right there. He's a freak athlete, but his ability to ask some good questions, and to think his way through a situation, has been impressive. He knows when to listen. He knows when to ask a question. "There's a lot of young guys that just rely on their skillset, but right away, he embraced the work ethic. You see him taking notes on guys, studying scouting reports, and doing all of those things behind the scenes. There's a time and place to just let it fly, and trust your ability, but his stance was calculated, and tactical, and playing chess right from the get-go. And when he pairs that up with his skillset, and how smart he is, it's obvious that he's trying to play for a long, long time. "He's not just trying to have some instant success." The Astros players still talk about his 22nd birthday in spring training when Espada asked Smith to address his new teammates. He wasn't nervous one bit. He spoke confidently, eloquently, as if he had spent his life as a public speaker. "I think that's when we all started to fall in love with him," Espada said. "We have a lot of veterans in this clubhouse, World Series champions, All-Stars, so it can be intimidating for a young guy. Not him. We knew we had something special." The entire Astros team has fallen in love with Smith and his work ethic. He's an integral part of their success, and who knows, one day could be the face of the team. "He's a guy I look up to, he's an inspiration," says Astros second Brice Matthews, who made his major-league debut in July. "He's such a great player. He's so calm every moment of the game. Just seeing how he's dealing with everything, I've been leaning on him a lot just to see how his transition was through all of this. It helped me slow things down a little bit. "It's super fun watching him go out there and play great defense, and then come back and just be a great hitter all of the time. Really, it's no surprise that he's as good a player as he is, seeing the work that he puts in every day, being the first guy in the cage, and being super diligent in his preparation. It helps when you're an uber athlete like he is, it's like he can do anything. He runs like a gazelle out there. "He's going to be a great player in this game for a long time." Smith hears the praise from his teammates and coaches, shrugs his broad shoulders, and says there's plenty of work to be done. The Astros have a five-game lead in the NL West, but also have 17 players on the injured list. They need Smith more than ever. It's already been a long season for the rookie, who never had played more than 66 games in a collegiate season and the team has reminded him to ease on his workout routine since they plan on playing deep into October. "It's all I know, is hard work," Smith says. "I just have a burning desire to show up and prepare. This is a winning ballclub. We're competing for first place. And I'm going to do everything I can to help get us into the playoffs. "It's an awesome feeling to be part of this." Around the basepaths - The Seattle Mariners, even after acquiring first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks, are aggressively pursuing Naylor's former teammate, All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez. The Yankees had extensive talks with the D-backs for Suarez, but thought the price-tag was too high when they pivoted and traded for Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, who is superior defensively. - The Diamondbacks never engaged in contract extension talks this season with Suarez. - The Chicago White Sox want third baseman Mark Vientos from the New York Mets in any deal for Luis Robert Jr., who has a .983 OPS in 11 July games. - Trade interest in Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara has soared since his last start with teams now convinced he will be moved by the July 31 deadline. - The Cleveland Guardians have no interest in trading reliever Cade Smith, and would have to be overwhelmed by an offer to move closer Emmanuel Clase. - Teams believe that the best three relievers traded at the deadline will be Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins, David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals. - The Pirates continue to listen to offers for everyone on the team but Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz, and are still expected to move starter Mitch Keller. - The Philadelphia Phillies, after signing free agent David Robertson to a $6 million contract, want to add one more high-leverage reliever by the deadline. - The Boston Red Sox have no plans to trade outfielder Jarren Duran at the deadline, rejecting the San Diego Padres' offers, and more likely to move him this winter. - The Padres have been quietly shopping starter Dylan Cease for about a month for controllable players who can help them now - and also in the future. - The New York Yankees are open to trading prized outfield prospect Spencer Jones, rival GMs say. - Now that the Rockies have traded McMahon, it opens the door for Rockies third-base prospect Kyle Karros, the son of former Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros, to make his MLB debut. - The Houston Astros would like to find a third baseman while Isaac Paredes recovers from his hamstring tear, but have no interest in reigniting talks with the St. Louis Cardinals for third baseman Nolan Arenado. They had agreed to a trade during the winter, and the Astros had permission to speak to Arenado, but they couldn't convince him they were still going to contend this year. "We tried to convince him that we're not rebuilding, that the window is always open with our owner," GM Dana Brown said. "We planned to compete in 2025 and beyond. He misunderstood the plan." - Teams who have been heavily scouting the Diamondbacks view Merrill Kelly as their best available pitcher ahead of Zac Gallen. Kelly, 36, has a career 2.25 ERA in four postseason starts. Each are free agents after the season, with the Cubs expressing interest as they scour the market for a starter. - Atlanta DH Marcell Ozuna, who has 10-and-5 rights and can veto any trade, is now expected to approve any deal if the team guarantees him everyday playing time. He recently lost his starting job with Atlanta. - The Yankees now have about $66 million invested in former Rockies' third basemen with McMahon and recently released D.J. LeMahieu. McMahon is owed $16 million in 2026 and 2027. - Even with Atlanta All Star second baseman Ozzie Albies' struggles this year, Atlanta plans to pick up his $7 million option this winter, and will at least listen to trade offers for him. Albies also has a $7 million club option in 2027. - The biggest surprise at the trade deadline would be if the Dodgers don't come up with another closer. They have checked in with virtually every team for bullpen help. They also are looking to upgrade their outfield with Michael Conforto's season-long struggles, and have expressed interest in Minnesota Twins outfielder Harrison Bader and Cardinals utilityman Brendan Donovan. - There is talk among MLB officials of moving the World Baseball Classic to the All-Star break. - The San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks will play a series in Mexico City next April. - Ichiro Suzuki says he will give his Hall of Fame speech in English at Sunday's induction ceremony. - Tigers starter Jack Flaherty's two-year, $35 million contract turned into $45 million when he made his 15th start, triggering an escalator clause. He is now guaranteed $20 million next year but has an opt-out. - The Nationals say that their prized young core of James Wood, C.J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and Dylan Crews is staying put. - The Cubs desperately want another starter at the deadline, targeting Mitch Keller of the Pirates, and would include outfield prospect Owen Caissie to make it work. -The Milwaukee Brewers will start listening to offers for starter Nestor Cortes, who completed his last rehab start. - The Texas Rangers still plan to be aggressive at the deadline, believing that if they can just get into the playoffs, they like their chances as much as anyone with their fabulous rotation led by Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi. - The Diamondbacks had no intention of trading Josh Naylor so quickly, but the Mariners' offer overwhelmed them, and they quickly moved, acquiring pitching prospects Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi. - The Kansas City Royals are showing little interest in trading starter Seth Lugo and would love to sign him to an extension. - Is there a bigger surprise than the Miami Marlins of late? They have a 24-12 record since June 11 with only the Milwaukee Brewers having a better record in this stretch. - There were nine catcher's interference calls in 2002. There were 56 catcher's interference calls as of mid-week, after a record 100 last season. - Recent history shows that just getting into the postseason as a wild-card team does not provide nearly the same odds of winning the World Series as a division winner. Since 2018 (excluding the 2020 shortened COVID season), 13 of the 15 AL wild-card teams were eliminated in the ALDS. One team lost in the ALCS. The other lost in the World Series. In the NL, eight of the 15 wild card teams were eliminated in the NLDS, four teams lost in the NLCS, two teams lost in the World Series, and one team (the Washington Nationals), won the World Series. - Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz, who has played only 66 games, has pulled ahead of teammate Jacob Wilson in the AL Rookie of the Year race with his four-hour game, going 6-for-6. He is the only player in history to produce at least six hits, six runs and eight RBI in a single game, and tied Shawn Green's record with 19 total bases. "It's arguably the best game I've ever watched from a single player," A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters. "And I say that because I watched Barry Bonds and the season he had [73 homers]. And what Barry did was hands-down one of the greatest seasons you can have. "This kid continues to just have jaw-dropping moments. And to witness that was pretty special for all of us." Kurtz is now hitting .305 with a 1.060 OPS and has 43 extra-base hits in his first 66 games, a feat only accomplished by Joe DiMaggio. - Remember when the Padres were a season-high 12 games over .500 on May 14. Well, they since are 28-34 and barely clinging to a wild-card berth. - Hall of Fame players in attendance in Cooperstown this weekend offer their best wishes to Ryne Sandberg, battling prostate cancer. Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news -- fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Glasgow Times
36 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Jack Conan reveals video from Katie Taylor inspired Lions before second Test win
Taylor, an Olympic gold medal winner and current undisputed world super lightweight champion, sent the good luck message to Andy Farrell's squad in the build-up to Saturday's second Test at Melbourne Cricket Club. The 39-year-old's words on the ability to dig deep turned out to be prophetic as the Lions emerged 29-26 winners after fighting back from an 18-point deficit. 'The video was unbelievably poignant and powerful. It spoke about being prepared to win with skill, but also being ready to win by will,' said Ireland number eight Conan, who like Taylor hails from Bray in County Wicklow. 'That was something that was massively summed up in the game because we were not at our best at all. 'It's huge because she comes from the town I'm from. I'm incredibly proud of where I come from and I know Katie is as well. 'She's gone on to achieve incredible feats in the boxing world. To be such a superstar, incredibly humble and driven is something that we leant on as well because we knew that Australia are a hugely proud nation and they showed it in spades. 'Everyone loved it, even the English and the Scottish boys and the Welsh boy – it resonated with everyone. It was unbelievably poignant, it was class. It really hit home for us.' Hugo Keenan scored the winning try (David Davies/PA) It took a beautifully-taken try by Hugo Keenan with 51 seconds remaining to separate the rivals in one of the greatest Lions matches ever played. Remarkably, Keenan's touchdown was the first time they led in the match. Conan admits that victory tastes all the sweeter for having been taken to the wire as Australia raised their game to a whole new level a week after starting the series with a whimper in Brisbane. 'We were not at our best by any measure, but physically the lads dug in unbelievably well,' he said. Full time scenes in Melbourne 🥹🦁#Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) July 26, 2025 'It was disappointing how we played, but we played for 80 minutes. Hugo getting over the line in the last minute was just unbelievable. 'It wasn't my best game. A lot of us weren't at the races at all, but we stuck in there. You can't fault the effort. I thought the defensive sets we put in, just whacking people and just staying in there, was unbelievable. 'It's something that will go down in history. They won't be writing the history books about how s*** we were, but they'll say that we won and that's all that matters. 'Everyone's over the moon. To be part of a Lions winning series team is incredibly special. The celebrations in the changing room wouldn't have been the same if we'd won by 20.'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool transfer news: Reds get Alexander Isak boost as key star moves closer to exit
Liverpool may have signed Hugo Ekitike last week but the Premier League champions are still in the running to sign Alexander Isak amid talk the Newcastle star could move this summer Liverpool have already made some big moves in the transfer market this summer, but Arne Slot and Co are not done yet if recent noises anything to go by. Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike have all been signed up to bolster a squad which won the Premier League title last term. And more incomings are expected between now and the transfer deadline. The Reds are understood to be keen on signing a centre back after selling Jarrel Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer. And speculation linking Liverpool with a British record £150million transfer for Alexander Isak simply refuses to go away. Isak boost Eddie Howe has confirmed that there is "no chance" that Arsenal target Alexander Isak will join Newcastle on their pre-season tour of the Far East amid the current speculation over the striker's future. The Swede, 25, has been heavily linked with Liverpool this summer and it emerged last week that he would not be joining Newcastle overseas, with the player keen to explore his options. Speaking after Sunday's 3-2 loss to Newcastle in Singapore, Howe was asked whether the club's star striker would be heading out to join them and replied: 'No, no chance,' indicating that a parting of the ways could indeed be on the cards. Mega deal agreed Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle with Bayern Munich for the transfer of Luis Diaz. The Colombia winger, 28, has been linked with a move overseas in recent weeks and also had interest from Barcelona. It has also been noted that Diaz is keen on the idea of moving clubs this summer, though Liverpool were reluctant to sell. But The Guardian say Diaz is now close to leaving Liverpool after Bayern lodged a £70m bid for the attacker, who was left out of the team that lost 4-2 to AC Milan on Saturday. Fofana in Everton talks Liverpool-linked Malick Fofana is now in talks to join Everton from Lyon this summer. The Reds and other of the Premier League's top clubs have been credited with an interest the uber talented winger, who has scored 15 goals in 62 games for Lyon. The Athletic have confirmed that Everton and Lyon are in talks over a package for the 20-year-old with the Toffees also in contact with the player's camp to try and reach an agreement for a transfer. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
