Latest from The Guardian
The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Can I trust my sunscreen? Choice test results have created uncertainty over SPF claims and lab testing process
Sunscreen has been in the spotlight this winter, after testing by the consumer advocacy organisation Choice found 16 of 20 brands failed to provide the level of skin protection advertised on their bottles. With Australia having one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, the Choice report left many worried and wondering: can I trust my sunscreen to protect me? Even four Cancer Council branded sunscreens were flagged in the report: its Ultra Sunscreen SPF 50+ was found by Choice to have a sun protection factor of 24. The worst result, though, belonged to Ultra Violette's Lean Screen SPF 50+, which Choice's testing found had an SPF of just 4. While some brands have fiercely disputed the findings, the investigation has prompted debate over the reliability of sunscreen testing, as well as questions over the way these products are regulated. What's going on? Australians love spending time in the sun and sun safety is instilled in people from a young age. So the Choice investigation, with its results published in June, created a storm. Choice tested 20 popular SPF 50 or 50+ sunscreens from a range of retailers and prices in a specialised, accredited laboratory and found 16 of them did not meet their SPF claims. No surprise, the Choice results have been contentious. Choice has said it handed over its findings to the companies before they were released publicly. Some have produced test certificates showing that their product met the claimed SPF using the same testing method that Choice used. When contacted by Guardian Australia, the brands stood firmly by their SPF claims and said they test their products in accordance with the regulations. The Cancer Council said it stood by its previous results but, out of an abundance of caution, has submitted their four products that Choice reviewed for additional testing. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Ultra Violette, the sunscreen brand that had by far the worst-performing product according to Choice's testing, has fiercely disputed the findings. The Ultra Violette Lean Screen SPF 50 plus Mattifying Zinc Skin Screen, a higher-end product that retails for upwards of $50, returned a result of just 4 in Choice's test. A second test returned a result of 5, Choice said. Ultra Violette has disputed Choice's findings very strongly and very publicly. It has taken the step of speaking directly to consumers via social media. One of the brand's co-founders, Ava Chandler-Matthews, posted a video on Instagram in which she strongly disputed Choice's methodology. In response, Choice has defended the rigour of its testing. The SPF or sun protection factor rating of a sunscreen measures how well it protects the skin from sunburn by indicating how much ultraviolet radiation can still penetrate the skin through the product when applied properly. For example, SPF 30 is estimated to filter 96.7% of UVB radiation, whereas SPF 50 is estimated to filter 98%. Dr DJ Kim, a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales' school of chemistry, says the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 is actually 'very marginal'. Kim says SPF ratings are given by timing how long it takes skin to burn with and without the sunscreen. 'Let's say that you took 300 seconds for your skin to burn with sunscreen, and then if … it took 10 seconds to burn without the sunscreen, then 300 divided by 10, that becomes SPF 30,' he says. 'So, it's not the most scientific method to measure the SPF factor, honestly.' SPF claims in Australia are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Sunscreen brands must get approval from the TGA to sell their products to Australian consumers. To do this, they undertake SPF testing in accordance with the Australian/New Zealand standard in an approved laboratory. The accepted method is to test sunscreen on human skin. The methodology involves putting the sunscreen on 10 volunteers who are exposed to artificial solar UV radiation. This is the method Choice says it used, working with an accredited laboratory that specialises in sunscreen testing. Sunscreen brands submit their results to the TGA for approval to 'self-certify' that they have tested their SPF claims and that they stack up. The TGA does not usually do its own testing. Dr Michelle Wong, a cosmetic chemist, says she doubts the TGA would have the resources to do all of the testing itself. 'And so, in terms of the regulations, most of the time, in this sort of situation where it's a public body, there is always going to be some level of an honour system,' she says. There are potential inconsistencies in sunscreen testing. SPF effectiveness is measured by essentially getting people to put sunscreens in patches on their skin and measuring how 'red' they get over time. A TGA spokesperson says it is a known issue that there is variability in SPF testing results across laboratories because testing on humans can be highly subjective and the response to a test can differ dramatically from one individual to another. 'While progress is being made internationally toward in-vitro sunscreen testing (for example, not on human subjects), which will improve consistency of results, these methods are not yet in place,' they said. Wong, who is known for her work on social media and her blog Lab Muffin, says in-vitro testing would be easier for the TGA to run in-house, which would limit the variability of the results and stop the potential for fraud at labs seeking to make a profit. She also suggests having a limited number of designated labs that are accepted by the TGA for sunscreen testing. Wong says although sunscreen is complicated and there are 'technicalities' in the testing and regulation process, the most common problem is 'user error' in that people aren't applying enough product often enough. 'Sunscreens, in general, they work very well, and they are very effective at protecting your skin against sun exposure,' she says, noting that a sunscreen with an SPF of, say, 24 still offers very good protection. Not long after Choice published its findings, sunscreen was back in the news for different reasons. Last week, the TGA said it would begin consultation on additional controls for some sunscreen ingredients, including the controversial oxybenzone. The medicines regulator says it has conducted a review of sunscreen ingredients used in Australia and is recommending additional safeguards for three chemical compounds. The review proposes that some sunscreen products containing homosalate, oxybenzone and benzophenone be reformulated to ensure sunscreens meet what the TGA considers 'the highest standards of safety for prolonged and frequent use'. Homosalate and oxybenzone are active ingredients in sunscreen, while benzophenone arises from another ingredient called octocrylene, either as an impurity during the manufacturing process or from degradation as the product ages. The TGA has begun a consultation process to help determine the level in sunscreens at which these ingredients remain suitable for use. A week before that, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission launched legal action against the maker of two popular sunscreens over allegations it had misled consumers by falsely claiming its products are 'reef-friendly'. The consumerregulator alleges Edgewell Personal Care engaged in greenwashing. While these sunscreens do not contain oxybenzone or octinoxate, another chemical linked to coral damage, the ACCC alleges that they contain other ingredients that risk causing harm to coral and marine life. Edgewell is contesting the proceedings.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Wildfires destroy historic lodge on Grand Canyon's North Rim, park says
A historic lodge on the Grand Canyon's North Rim has been destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire, the park said Sunday. The Grand Canyon Lodge, the only lodging inside the park at the North Rim, was consumed by the flames, park Superintendent Ed Keable told park residents, staff and others in a meeting Sunday morning. He said the visitor center, the gas station, a waste water treatment plant, an administrative building and some employee housing also were lost. Two wildfires are burning at or near the North Rim, known as the White Sage fire and the Bravo Dragon fire, and have collectively burned more than 45,000 acres. The White Sage fire burned 40,126 acres near the North Rim, while the Dragon Bravo fire, burning to the south within Grand Canyon National Park, reached 5,000 acres according to InciWeb, a federal government wildfire tracker. The Bravo Dragon fire is the one that impacted the lodge and other structures. The park initially was managing it as a controlled burn but then shifted to suppression as it rapidly grew, fire officials said. It was sparked by lightning on 4 July. After a thunderstorm on 9 July, the US Bureau of Land Management began receiving reports of smoke in the area of the White Sage fire. On Friday, the Coconino county sheriff's office reported that the whole region was under evacuation and urged residents to leave immediately. Millions of people visit Grand Canyon National Park annually, with most going to the more popular South Rim. The North Rim is open seasonally. It was evacuated last Thursday because of wildfire. The burning of the water treatment plant resulted in the release of chlorine gas that prompted the evacuation of firefighters and hikers from the inner canyon, park officials said Sunday. Chlorine gas is heavier than air and can quickly settle into lower elevations such as the inner canyon, posing a health risk. Meanwhile, officials reported progress in battling a second wildfire burning north of the Grand Canyon. Fire lines on the White Sage Fire that forced evacuations at the North Rim and in the community of Jacob Lake were holding, officials said. On the southern edge of the fire, hand crews and bulldozers were working uphill, and the spread of the blaze had been minimal. But to the east and north, the fire has spread rapidly, with grasses and standing dead trees contributing to the fire's intensity, officials said. The fire was pushing downhill toward the Vermilion Cliffs area, and crews were assessing opportunities to create buffer zones that help slow or halt the fire's progress.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Ignore the memes, Harry – those splayed stumps speak of Brook's focus on glory
By strict formal logic any serious defence of Harry Brook's stump-splaying dismissal 13 minutes before lunch on the fourth day at Lord's should be showy, ill-timed and based almost entirely on hot air and flimflam. You could probably also chuck in unapologetic and maddeningly super-cool, peering down from its balcony, guns out, wraparounds in place. Be where your keyboard is. This, mate, this is how we save colour match reporting. It's just the way I sidebar. Brook will be chastised for that moment of weakness. He has already been mocked and memed on social media. It was a hugely frustrating way to get out, made all the more so by its context. England were 87 for three at the time and paddling for the interval, still semi-intact despite a high grade opening spell from Mohammed Siraj and a bizarrely wicketless Jasprit Bumrah. Brook and Joe Root were at the wicket, the match all set to veer decisively one way either side of lunch. At which point Brook decided it would be tactically smart to sweep an 83mph ball from Akash Deep, pre-programmed, already going down, and exposing his middle stump which was duly clanked out of the ground. This was an act of such decorative abandon it felt like watching a pair of escapers crawling for the barbed wire fence, dodging the watchtower lights, only for one of them to decide to stand up and put on an impromptu feat of juggling with a sabre, two grapefruits and a bowling ball. Brook was playing beautifully at the time, striking the ball with rare clarity on a tough pitch. The previous over from Deep he had gone four, four, six to move to 23 off 18 balls. Both of the first two boundaries came from the Hedgehog Sweep, rolling into a ball and scooping to fine leg, the second one almost for six. The energy had begun to shift in the ground, a buzz of counterattack in the air. Right up to the moment Brook tried the same thing again in Deep's next over and produced what looks, in isolation, like a witless swipe. That moment will be well-seasoned red meat to those predisposed to see only feckless entitlement in the Baz-bro mindset, a cult of alpha dog amour-propre. And yet, and yet, and yet. In context, well, it kind of scans. There are two other things worth saying about it. The first is that this was an excellent piece of captaincy. Shubman Gill might have taken Deep off after the previous over, which also saw him pumped into the pavilion by Brook with a lovely sense of open-shouldered freedom. Instead Gill kept him on and moved deep backward square leg finer for the ramp shot. India had read their man. The field change encouraged the same shot but squarer. Deep produced a fine delivery, too full for the shot, tailing late, and smashing into the base of middle stump. Never interrupt your opponent when he's making a mistake, as Sun Tzu, patron saint of inspirational business brunches, once said. This was Bazball decoded. And India's attack were excellent all day, complementary methods expertly deployed. The second thing, and the real Brook apologia, is that the thought behind the shot did at least make some kind of tactical sense. Conditions had been tricky though the morning. Zak Crawley was basically placed in the stocks in the opening half hour, hit on the hand, wafting constantly, edging and clothing every drive. It was like watching India bowl at a very brave, earnest hatstand. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Nitish Kumar Reddy came on and Crawley exhaled, lifted him over mid-on like Lord Wangleton hitting the under-gardener into the cabbage fields, then spooned a stiff-legged drive to point. Ben Duckett had looked both comfortable and skittish. There is something adorable about his own version of the rolling sweep, knees bent, paws coiled. It's like watching Paddington bat. But he went slashing for the north circular, leaving Ollie Pope to start, as ever, like a man trying to evade a sniper in the stands. This was the context of Brook's counterattack, a need to reverse the momentum. Like all outcome-based things, when it fails it looks both wrong and utterly avoidable. But it was at least logical, as opposed to a random brain fade. Even half an hour of batting like this might have shifted the score significantly in a tight game. The fact is Brook has succeeded like this before. There is a misconception his record is based on flat tracks, on bullying tired bowlers. But there have been some breathtaking tough-pitch hundreds to date in his Test career, compiled playing the same way that killed him at Lord's. The hundred in his third Test in Multan came in a game where nobody else got one. There was a century off 107 balls when it was doing loads in Wellington, another in Christchurch last November, 123 off 115 balls in Wellington again when England had been 43 for four. The shapes were terrible here. The highlights reel will look infuriating. But this was at least a thing that has worked before. The difference is to India's credit: excellent captaincy and a good piece of bowling. Plus Brook's own learning curve, the sense of reaching for too much of a good thing all at once. From that point England struggled to 192 on the back of some graft from Root and Ben Stokes, then took four wickets of their own late on. This Test has now become one of those epic slow burn affairs, there to be won by the seizing of key moments. Brook, at the very least, tried his hand.
The Guardian
35 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Jannik Sinner wins first Wimbledon title with four-set victory over Carlos Alcaraz
Update: Date: 2025-07-13T19:05:29.000Z Title: Otherwise, though, Tumaini Carayol's report is with us: Content: After suffering a heartbreaking defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final, Jannik Sinner rebounds to beat him in the Wimbledon final, taking the title by three sets to one Daniel Harris Sun 13 Jul 2025 20.59 CEST First published on Sun 13 Jul 2025 15.30 CEST 8.59pm CEST 20:59 So all that remains is for me to wish you all peace and love. Peace and love! 8.57pm CEST 20:57 Before we say goodbye, though, look at what we're bringing you this evening! 8.56pm CEST 20:56 So that's Wimbledon done for another year and, as every year, what a year it's been, with upsets, epics and fun all over the show. If anyone's any idea what we can do tomorrow, let me know – OK, I don't mean that, we've got the Test to comfort us and assuage our grief – but otherwise we're almost done here. Updated at 9.05pm CEST 8.53pm CEST 20:53 Sinner poses for photos, enjoying the moment – though I wonder if relief is the predominant emotion. Either way, his victory is what the game needed – as Andy Roddick noted of his matches against Roger Federer, a rivalry is only a rivalry if both players win titles. I can't wait to see where this goes next, as both men contemplate how to improve themselves and how to pick apart the other. 8.48pm CEST 20:48 Sinner, the first Italian to win Wimbledon, begins with Alcaraz, praising an amazing tournament 'and for the player you are'. He too kvels in the joy of their friendship, adding that he'll win more of these and already has two. 'It's so special,' he says, seeing his parents, his brother and his team, adding that his brother is only in attendance because there's no F1 race this weekend. Asked about what he's put himself through to win this trophy, his admits that emotionally, it's been a lot, following his tough loss in Paris, but ultimately it doesn't matter how you win or lose, you have to accept the result and work out what you did wrong. He and his team did that, which is one of the reasons he's now holding the trophy. He's grateful that he's heatlhy and has great people around him. Otherwise, he says he served out the last game very well having survived tough moments in his previous service game, and he's very happy he held his nerve. Then, asked about the champagne cork that landed near him, he laughs that only at Wimbledon could that happen, which is why we all love it. Back in the days when he was young, he never thought he could get to this moment, 'the dream of the dream' – that's a lovely turn of phrase – and in conclusion, he again thanks his team and everyone who came out for this special occasion. They give him so any emotions and he keeps pushing, trying to become a better tennis player but mostly a better person.' Finally, he thanks the ball kids and the fans, then off he goes, the new Wimbledon champion. He and Alcara are very different characters and players, opposites in many way, and yet it's impossible not to love them both, united by the rare and inspiring quality of their absolute menschlichkeit. 8.40pm CEST 20:40 'It's hard to lose,' says Alcaraz, experiencing the aching desolation for the first time in a major final. So he congratulates Sinner with a huge smile, saying his opponent and team deserve it. He's happy for him, tells him to keep it going, and he's happy to build a great relationship off the court as well as on it, that pushes him to improve every day. Otherwise, he's really proud of everything he's doing. At the start of the season he struggled on the court but suddenly he rediscovered himself and the happiness he has on the court, thanking his family and pledging to 'keep bringing joy.' He loves playing at Wimbledon, he loves the 'insane' atmosphere, and he'll be back. Finally, he thanks the King of Spain for coming to support him, and off he goes. 8.35pm CEST 20:35 Alcaraz comes to collect his runners-up trophy, raising it to cheers from the crowd. He wins well, and he also loses well – his parents must be so proud of the boy they've raised. And now it's Sinner's go – he receives the trophy from Kate and of the seven billion people in the world, he ranks no 1 for current happiness. 8.32pm CEST 20:32 Alcaraz played poorly today, but I'm sure he'll acknowledge he was also out-played and out-thought. Sinner gave him less of what he wanted, taking away much of what he does best, and he couldn't work out how to combat him. Now it's the Spaniard's turn to re-evaluate and find a tweak; I can't wait to see what he comes back with. 8.29pm CEST 20:29 Sinner slumps on to his haunches, slapping the grass to let out all the pain and frustration that's lived with him every day since Paris. Now, it is part of the richness of his life – without that, would he have this? He races up to his box, sharing moments with his family and team – they'll have been with him through the suffering, will have sacrificed in the hope that one day, they might enjoy exactly what they're enjoying now. Sinner now knows he can win on grass, against Alcaraz; Alcaraz now knows he can lose finals, to Sinner; we've always known these two were going to give us many, many days like this. 8.25pm CEST 20:25 So far, this match has been a triumph for Sinner's mentality, strategy and execution; can he hold it down? Alcaraz shanks a forehand wide for 15-0, then big serve facilitates a backhand winner for 30-o; the world no 1 is two points away. He seizes the first with two terrific volleys in succession, Alcaraz sprinting and sliding in desperation, and Sinner has three match points; he's been here before! We've all been here before! Can he land a first serve? He cannot, and when he nets a backhand, he'll be feeling the weight of the desolation, past and future. But what counts is the moment; can he stay in it? YOU BET HE CAN! AN ACE DOWN THE T AND JANNIK SINNER WINS WIMBLEDON FOR THE FIRST TIME! WHAT A PERFORMANCE, AND WHAT A MOMENT AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN PARIS! A beautiful affirming moment after who knows how many long nights of the soul! Sport! Updated at 8.43pm CEST 8.21pm CEST 20:21 Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 5-4 Alcaraz* Sinner won't want the pressure of serving for the championship if he can avoid it, and a gigantic forehand earns him 15-all, but another falls long; 30-15. But a battery of ferocious forehands takes him two points away from inexplicable, indescribable ecstasy at 30-all … then Alcaraz serves out his hold, noising up the crowd as he seeks to get himself in the frame of mind he needs to save himself with a break. The players sit down and Sinner has a few second to pretend the enormity of the situation is a lie. Good luck with that, old mate. 8.17pm CEST 20:17 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 5-3 Alcaraz Alcaraz has two more chances to save himself and his dream of joining Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as men who've won Wimbledon three times in a row. He'll know he may never get another go at this, or at least anyone normal would; on reflection, there's a pretty good chance he doesn't. Anyroad up, he makes 0-15 then, at 15-all,Sinner frames a forehand; in front of his eyes pass the words ROLAND GARROS, his world swimming just a touch. And when he goes long again, this time on the backhand, Alcaraz has two break-back points, suddenly back in the match, and I've no idea how Sinner can even raise his arms, the most desperate match of his life threatening to reincarnate. But a well-directed second serve, kicking out wide, surprises the champ, who can't control his return – the clarity of Sinner's thinking under pressure is perhaps the key difference in this final – and when Alcaraz strays long, we move to deuce. Was that his chance? Perhaps! Sinner steps inside the line, unloading the suitcase on a backhand that forces a long riposte, and a second serve down the T, high-kicking and just about unreturnable, ends a fantstic game. Sinner is an absolute brute, and he's a game away from the win of his life redeeming the loss of his life; what a life! Updated at 8.23pm CEST 8.10pm CEST 20:10 Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 4-3 Alcaraz* Sinner may be over what happened in Paris, but it seems unlikely it's on all of our minds, but totally absent from his. Nevertheless he's playing with such confidence now, like he knows he's going to win and, in the process, steal from us our five-set thriller; how dare he. And at 30-all on the Alcaraz serve, he's trying to get it done quickly, only to net a forehand when well in the rally; a beautiful serve-volley point from the champ secures the game, the crowd increasingly febrile. What is at stake is at stake, and for Sinner to win, he'll have to reconcile that fact with his sense of self: he should win, but he might lose. 8.06pm CEST 20:06 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 4-2 Alcaraz Sinner won't be thinking about much more than the next point, but if he could win here, he'd change the complexion of men's tennis and his career; currently, Alcaraz is 5-0 from finals, and until he loses one, no one will fully believe it to be possible. Shonuff, he makes 0-15 … only to wham a forehand into the tape after unleashing a decent return, a costly and unnecessary error in the circumstances that evidences the champ's state of mind and game. An ace follows, then a cunning body-serve on second delivery – at the moment, almost every decision he's making is the right decision – but he soon drops long on the backhand, then serves long, upping the tension … then, at 40-30, he sticks a forehand into the tape … and the ball clambers over and drops like a stone! Alcraaz feels the world is against him, and he's running out of opportunities to remind it who he is. Updated at 8.06pm CEST 8.00pm CEST 20:00 Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 3-2 Alcaraz* No one enjoys a tennis match more than Alcaraz, his game suffused with compelling, affirming, contagious joy. But he's not enjoying his performance today, apparently mystified by his inability to execute as he usually does. For that, though, he can only blame his opponent – Sinner has grown as the match has deepened, two terrific points turning 40-0 into 40-30; the champ can't work out what's going wrong, nor can he do the basics to his usual standard. A netted backhand underlines the problem, and at deuce momentum feels inexorable, regardless of who takes this game. And it's Sinner who's the protagonist in the next rally, hammering a forehand marginally long; from there, Alcaraz secures his hold, but he's having to fight for everything while the game is coming easily to the world no 1. But as long as he's only one break down, he's still in the match. 7.55pm CEST 19:55 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 3-1 Alcaraz Sinner, though, is under no illusions – Rasputaraz can come back from any position, and no one knows it better and more agonisingly than he does. But he's flying here, you so confident in his movements, thinking with clarity and executing with bravery, conviction and purpose. He consolidates his break for 3-1 … which means any subsequent loss wold sting even harder. The stakes area stratospheric, how will our players respond? 7.51pm CEST 19:51 Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 2-1 Alcaraz* At 15-0, a double invites Sinner into the game while, in comms, they lament the disappearnace of his slice backhand, all the more so given how well it worked for Dimitrov when he played Sinner, the low bounce denying him the height he needs to unleash. And an error hands over 15-30, Alcaraz restoring parity with a booming forehand … but then the ball bounces up when he's forced to play with too much elevation, Sinner annihilating a backhand winner for break point and, offered a go at a second serve … HE CARESSES A GORGEOUS BACKHAND RETURN DOWN THE LINE! Jannik Sinner is out-thinking the champ here, denying him what he does well, and he's four holds away from the title! Updated at 8.02pm CEST 7.47pm CEST 19:47 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 1-1 Alcaraz Sinner quickly makes 30-0, and from there he holds to love. He's serving and hitting with authority now, executing his skills are planned; Alcaraz is still searching, the match not going as he planned. A third consecutive title feels a way away. 7.44pm CEST 19:44 Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 0-1 Alcaraz* How many more of these matches are we going to see over the next decade? We're trying to live in the moment, but in acknowledging the beauty of it, we're necessarily forced to consider its lasting significance, enjoyment uplifted by anticipation. At 15-all, Alcaraz outlasts Sinner from the back, moving him about as we discussed at the start but as has perhaps been forgetten in the maelstrom of the match – the champ has played as he likes, more than as is prudent. He secures his hold, and might it be that, down in the match, he is now dialled-in in a way he hasn't yet been today? Updated at 7.45pm CEST 7.41pm CEST 19:41 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 Alcaraz At 15-all, a double ratchets the tension up several more levels; an ace tamps it down a little. Another fine point – big serve, wide forehand, overhead – makes 40-15 and two set points, Sinner's even ultraer-aggressive approach paying dividends … and he closes out the set with a service winner! He's a set away from redeeming his French Open heart-devastation with Wimbledon glory! Updated at 7.55pm CEST 7.38pm CEST 19:38 Sinner 4-6 6-4 5-4 Alcaraz* An ace at 0-15 levels the game, but a return on to the baseline forces Alcaraz to balloon his riposte long; naturally, an ace restores parity at 30-all. But a fantastic return, backhand down the line, allows the clean-up backhand at net, and Sinner has break point; these are the days of his life … and he makes them his, nailing a return on second serve, then finishing into the space as Alcaraz drops his response short. Sinner has the break and after a little sit-down will serve for the third set! Sat in his seat, Alacraz chunters to himself – he's not playing well here. Welcome to under the pump, population You. 7.33pm CEST 19:33 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 4-4 Alcaraz Not if Sinner keeps playing points like this, directing Alcaraz about the court and this time dispatching his overhead. And though a netted backhand levels the game, Alcaraz then picks a drop with the point at his mercy, allowing sinner to clobber a forehand on to the outermost fibre of the sideline; sometimes, you can have too many options. And Alcaraz quickly forgets his oversight, a drop-lob combo-move making 30-all, and now he has a look at a second serve … for the all the good it does him, a swinger out wide leaping off the grass for an ace. This might be the aspect of the game that's improved most in the last year or two, and to underline the point, another ace, this time achieved in the more accustomed first-delivery manner, secures a vital hold. We're at the business end of set three, the tension near-sickening. 7.26pm CEST 19:26 Sinner 4-6 6-4 3-4 Alcaraz* Up 30-0, Alcaraz lands a serve on to the line and Sinner can't get it back; an ace curled on to the T follows, and that was exactly the kind of the hold the champ needed; can he convert the good vibes into the kind of streak that'll give him a breaking opportunity? 7.24pm CEST 19:24 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 3-3 Alcaraz After another partly-forced error gives Alcaraz 15-all, an ace restores Sinner's advantage … but he then bangs a forehand wide, upping the tension at 30-all. Then, at 40-30, the Italian finds himself caught at net after picking Alcaraz's side with a putaway; he responds with a tweener, up goes the lob … and he clouts his overhead unnecessarily hard and wide. That, mates, is pressure, doing too much to make sure … so Sinner gathers and, I short order, closes out his hold. The standard remains variable, the intensity stratospheric. 7.19pm CEST 19:19 Sinner 4-6 6-4 2-3 Alcaraz* A longer rally to open the game, Sinner netting a forehand for 0-15. But a drop into the net suggests Alcaraz is struggling for clarity as he sometimes he does; a forehand that falls wide for 30-all does too. Chance for Sinner, who then gets great depth on return … only to go long from the back when well in the rally. That's a missed opportunity, though it's worth noting that the athleticism and presence of Alcaraz on the other side of the net can make what, against anyone else, would be an unforced error, into one that's partially forced. From there, the champ closes out, and it feels like the next few games will decide this match. If Sinner takes the set, he's favourite; if Alcaraz does, you'd not bet on him losing two on the spin with the title at stake. 7.13pm CEST 19:13 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 2-2 Alcaraz An unreturned serve makes 15-0 and Sinner shakes racket at his box – he believes he can do this, and knows how important this set is. From there, he closes out a love hold, removing the pressure from himself and placing it upon Alcaraz in little more than a minute. 7.10pm CEST 19:10 Sinner 4-6 6-4 1-2 Alcaraz* A forehand cross, hit flat and wide, again turns Alcaraz's strength against him – he wants to be hitting his own forehand from the middle, not from out in the stands. But though the champ soon makes 30-15, a backhand drops long for 30-all, and this feels like Sinner's chance: he needs to cash in when in the ascendancy. But in this game, he cannot, Alcaraz securing his hold, and this match continues to stutter, of far lower standard than the final in Paris. But fear not, friends – we've time. 7.06pm CEST 19:06 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 1-1 Alcaraz If Alcaraz wins this set, you'll fancy him to close it out; if Sinner does, you still might, which would make no difference to anything save for the fact the players will probably understand things in the same way. My sense is that it's Sinner currently playing the better tennis, and he secures an impressive hold to 15, sealed with an ace then a terrifying forehand winner. 7.02pm CEST 19:02 Sinner 4-6 6-4 0-1 Alcaraz* Unusually for players this insanely driven and talented, we're not getting periods of one in the ascendancy, we're getting points. Which makes it so difficult to predict what's going to happen next, but why would we even want to when we can just enjoy? Meantime, Alcaraz – who, let's not forget was broken in the first game of set two, perhaps losing focus after the relief of winning it – finds himself down 0-30, and he'll be fearing a repeat performance. All the more so when, at 15-30, he sends down a tame double … then saves break point no 1 with an ace down the T … and no 2 when a Sinner forehand goes long; the Italian will be disappointed he didn't make more of the second serve offered him. From there, Alcaraz serves out the game, putting an exclamation mark on things with an ace; can he parlay his opponent's disappointment into something more tangible? Updated at 7.03pm CEST 6.56pm CEST 18:56 *Sinner 4-6 6-4 Alcaraz This is a proper test of nerve for Sinner, and we can be sure Alcaraz will look to exploit that by making him play. But just as it looks like the first point of the game is his, a backhand down the line forcing Sinner to stretch eveything just to get the ball back, the follow-up drop, when a whack into space would do,and allows the Italian to charge in and flick back a winner; fantastic behaviour. And though we're soon at 15-all, Sinner goes wide on the second serve then finds the thump he needs to force it home, and when Alcaraz turns up the volume with a forehand to the corner, Sinner responds with an absolute humdinger, cleansed hard and flat down the line! That is wondrous, but on 40-15 he's sent nashing off to the sideline … only to conjure a table-tennis winner cross-court to break the sideline! That is absolutely absurd conduct from Sinner; he didn't take that set, he seized it. Updated at 7.07pm CEST 6.49pm CEST 18:49 Sinner 4-6 5-4 Alcaraz* A high-kicker out wide … and ace. Alcaraz has so much variety on serve, so much that so another of the same genre, but on second delivery, also leaps away from Sinner for an ace. And though, at 40-0, a drop can't quite clamber over the tape, another ace, sent jumping out wide, forces the Italian to serve for the set. If he can manage it, he's in business; if he cannot, you'll fear for him. 6.46pm CEST 18:46 *Sinner 4-6 5-3 Alcaraz A love hold for Sinner, and he's a game away from the second set. 6.43pm CEST 18:43 Sinner 4-6 4-3 Alcaraz* Alcaraz is holding the easier now, but at 40-0 a poor drop allows Sinner in to feed a backhand pass into the corner. And when another ball catches the line expectedly, he forces the error for 40-30 and a double brings us to deuce. If this is Alcaraz losing concentration, as sometimes he does, this is Sinner's cue to jump on him, and when a double donates advantage he has a chance to near-enough secure the second set … only to net a backhand return when handed a second serve. And from there, an ace and a service winner box off the game; if the Italian wants to level the match, he'll have to do it himself, parity won't be presented to him. Updated at 6.44pm CEST 6.37pm CEST 18:37 *Sinner 4-6 4-2 Alcaraz A drop into the net hands Sinner 15-0, but at 15-all he runs around his backhand only to drop long. He does, though, soon make 30-all, a service winner raises game point, and a felicitous net cord turns a poor shot into a winner. The apology is moving in its sincerity. 'Since you're asking,' says Richard Hirst, '1969, a free concert in Parliament Hill Fields, with Soft Machine, Procul Harum, Yes (before even their first album) and others. Also the summer I went to Wimbledon (note the impressive linking) for the one and only time: Centre Court to see Pancho Gonzalez against Charlie Pasarell in what was at the time the longest match at Wimbledon.' My school sports day was there, the teachers grassed me to my parents for enjoying a Dunhill International in the bushes. 6.32pm CEST 18:32 Sinner 4-6 3-2 Alcaraz* Words we've not required for a while: a love hold. Alcaraz isn't playing especially well, but if the match is a longun, you get the sense he will at some point and in the meantime, he leads. 6.30pm CEST 18:30 *Sinner 4-6 3-1 Alcaraz There were signs of improvement but for now, it remains the case that neither man is at it, Sinner dominating a point before netting his putaway for 30-all; pressure. Alcaraz, though, relieves it for him by hitting long … but Sinner then butchers a forehand with the point all but won and ewe move to deuce. A break-back here would mean more than itself, the champ reminding the challenger that he can take him when not at his best, but Sinner makes advantage, after which a pause; 'Please do not pop a champagne cork just as the players are preparing to serve,' intones the umpire as one lands on the court; it reminds me of the time I asked a friend 'please don't be sick on my computer' in terms of things you never think you'll have to say. Anyway, though Alcaraz restores deuce, from there Sinner's serve takes over, and he remains in command of set two. 6.20pm CEST 18:20 Sinner 4-6 2-1 Alcaraz* So far, this match is more about unforced errors than brilliant shots; both players are some way off their best. Which is the time Sinner, as the man whose brilliant best is slightly less brilliant, needs to take advantage … and he makes 0-30, only to then lose a net exchange and botch a pass; 30-all. From there, Alcaraz holds courtesy of two gigantic serves, doing enough to stay in touch in the set. 6.16pm CEST 18:16 *Sinner 4-6 2-0 Alcaraz Have a look! At 15-all, Alcaraz breaks the wrists on a backhand as Sinner comes in, spiriting a winner cross-court; slowly, we might be hitting levels. As I type, though, at 30-all Sinner tries a wrong-footing backhand with plenty of space to hit, but looking for precision, he strays wide and must now face break-back point; he saves it via service winner and closes out from there, punching the air in celebration. He knows how important that was, for his state of mind as much as for the score. Updated at 6.19pm CEST 6.12pm CEST 18:12 Sinner 4-6 1-0 Alcaraz* Sinner will be feeling very, very poorly, his gizzard leaping and stomping through his throat. But he quickly makes 0-30, an error from Alcaraz hands him 0-40, and these are crucial moments coming up – if Sinner can't break, the hit to his confidence will feel immense, the champ allowing him a start then upping it beyond his reach when it becomes a problem. And Alcaraz saves the first, then the second when Sinner again slips in pursuit of a drop. But the Italian then goes after a 140mph serve, delivering a far better return than seemed possible and, into the rally, his opponent falters first, looping a forehand long. My days, Sinner needed that. Updated at 6.39pm CEST 6.08pm CEST 18:08 *Sinner 4-6 Alcaraz Between games, we're encouraged to turn the sound up and just listen to purity of the ball-striking; it's a gorgeous, hollow, percussive zing-thump. But Sinner then overhits a backhand … only for Alcaraz to do likewise, just. Right decision, imperfect execution. A service winner follows, making 30-15, but then coming in for a simple +1, Sinner hesitates, perhaps not expecting the ball to come back, and he loops a terrible effort long; the champ is two points away from the first set. And when Sinner slips trying to push off in search of a beautifully-disguised drop, the ball is tapped into the space and, at 30-40, he's set-point down. Can he respond? Er, just about, a body second-serve cramping Alcaraz, who nets a ball you nevertheless expect him to make; to deuce we go ... whereupon a double donates advantage, the challenger faltering at the crucial moment. But he plays a fantastic next point, dominating from the back, and though Alcaraz switches momentum with a forehand hooked to the corner, the response, down the line into the space, is decisive … NO IT IS NOT! Somehow, the ludicrous magician stretches, hangs out a racket, and controls what I suppose we must call a drop, zonimg over the net to secure the first set in a moment of magic so symbolic it feels made up. Alcaraz holds a hand to his ear, the crowd go wild, and it'll take something to come back from that. How is he even real? Updated at 6.15pm CEST 5.58pm CEST 17:58 Sinner 4-5 Alcaraz* Sinner marches in to dispatch a forehand winner for 15-all; again, he is not waiting to be asked, and the first double of the match ups the tension. But down 15-30, Alcaraz finds a service winner, nails his next delivery out wide then cleans up at net, and an ace seals a crucial hold. Again, Alcaraz does what he needs when he really needs to do it, and if he can get a few returns in or a look at a second delivery or two, he'll put Sinner under some pressure as he serves to stay in the set. 5.54pm CEST 17:54 *Sinner 4-4 Alcaraz Alcaraz is struggling to make an impression on return, Sinner's targeting of his forehand taking the backhand slice – which sets up so many of his best plays – out of the equation. At 15-0, a drop is followed by a gorgeous volley which levels the game, then we have the kind of rally of which we've not yet seen much but expect to see plenty, thrashing from the back until Sinner errs with the 18th stroke of the exchange; at 15-30, the chance has a sniff and when a backhand drops long, he has two chances to break back. And he only needs one, Sinner slapping a backhand into the net, and he'll be really disappointed with how easily he ceded the advantage. Updated at 6.36pm CEST
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
PSG's Ousmane Dembélé takes centre stage as football's chief late bloomer
Ousmane Dembélé is right behind you and way ahead of everyone, which is just where Luis Enrique always imagined him. At the end of Paris Saint-Germain's destruction of Real Madrid in the semi-final of the Club World Cup in New Jersey this week, the coach declared his No 10 the season's best player 'by far'; not so much for the 35 goals and 16 assists but for something more simple. So simple it has taken a decade to do. But then Didier Deschamps, his national team manager with France, did say that being late is 'a little habit of his'. Well, it was. If there is a portrait that defines the PSG team potentially 90 minutes from winning it all, an image that embodies them and Dembélé's transformation, it may be that shot of him poised, coiled, at the edge of Inter's area in the Champions League final. Toes on the line, his eyes narrow and fixed on Yann Sommer like a leopard ready to pounce, a sprinter listening for the gun. It is a scene repeated relentlessly, opponents made prey, Wednesday at the MetLife another episode. 'I told him he was pressing a lot; he told me he has to,' Madrid's keeper, Thibaut Courtois, said. 'I get half a second to think.' That was half a second more than most. The semi-final had been virtually decided inside nine minutes, PSG scoring twice. Both times, Madrid made mistakes, Raúl Asencio and Antonio Rüdiger allowing the ball to escape them: not much, but enough. Both times, Dembélé was alert, on to them in a flash, sneaking up and then: bam. Like antelope narrated by David Attenborough, before they realised what had happened, Madrid's defenders were done. 'Scary,' Jürgen Klinsmann called it. 'They didn't let Inter breathe, not even for one moment,' said the Germany World Cup winner, who is analysing the tournament with Fifa's technical study group. 'They suffocate you from the first second; they get on to the pitch and get at you. Against Madrid, yes, the two goals were mistakes but they were forced; it's a high press with such energy, so aggressive it's scary.' And it starts with Dembélé. 'I would give the Ballon d'Or to Mr Ousmane Dembélé, for how he pressed,' Luis Enrique said after the Champions league final. 'That is leading a team.' 'I haven't always been like that,' Dembélé admits. He was always different: explosive, entirely two-footed, unpredictable. There is a reason Thomas Tuchel, his coach at Borussia Dortmund, had wanted him at Chelsea, Sunday's final opponents. A reason too – as well as desperation after Neymar's departure for PSG, admittedly – that Barcelona spent €145m on him. A reason Xavi Hernández had insisted that he could become the best player in the world in his position, making Dembélé's contract extension hisa first priority when he arrived at the Camp Nou as coach. But that was 2021 and a rescue mission: Dembélé had been in Barcelona four years and, what moments there had been were too brief, injuries invariably intervening, the feeling that he wasn't really looking after himself as unavoidable as it was perhaps unfair. When Dembélé departed two years later, the anger was about the way he went not the fact that he went: there was talent, everyone knew that, but the truth was that he had been largely irrelevant and they didn't lament his leaving. When he went all philosophical during the battles over his contract, denouncing 'blackmail', people wondered where this personality had suddenly come from. When the president, Joan Laporta, had said he was better than Kylian Mbappé, it was, well, just like Laporta. Mostly, people laughed. Turns out, he may be right. In the semi-final certainly, in this season too. 'If he doesn't win the Ballon d'Or, that's the Ballon d'Or's problem,' PSG's president, Nasser al-Khelaifi, said, which he probably would, butDembélé has been a revelation. Moved into a central position, he has scored more this season than in the previous five put together. He has scored against Real Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern, Arsenal, and Manchester City. His role was decisive in the Champions League final and the Club World Cup semi-final. He was Ligue 1's top scorer. You shouldn't buy Ballon d'Or winners, you should make them, Luis Enrique said, and perhaps he has. Should PSG beat Chelsea, they will join an esteemed list of elite European clubs – Celtic, Bayern Munich, Barcelona (twice), Ajax and PSV – to have won every men's competition they have participated in during a season. Celtic in 1966-67 won five trophies, clinching the domestic treble, the Glasgow Cup and the European Cup. PSG can match that tally. Linfield of Northern Ireland won all seven domestic tournaments they participated in 1921-22 and in 1961-62. Barcelona (2009) and Bayern won (2020) won 'sextuples' across different seasons. Ervin Ang Dembélé has benefited from the system and benefited the system. As much as a system, it is an ecosystem, a collective culture, at once simple and complex. Style, age, environment, opportunity all count, built in part by circumstance, timing. 'Last year I went empty handed because Kylian took it all again,' Dembélé joked when he collected his player of the year award in France, true words said in jest. 'He did it all himself,' Luis Enrique said, but at the heart of it all is a coach who brought 'extreme principles', in the words of Vincent Kompany. 'The coach has changed lots of things,' Dembélé said. Luis Enrique believed in Dembélé from the beginning, despite the warnings. At Barcelona, Gerard Piqué joked that the team's WhatsApp group was a handy reminder for a kid 'is always late', and Deschamps said Dembélé should be 'careful' about his timekeeping. But even in private conversations where others feared that the Frenchman could not apply the intensity demanded by a manager who can be extreme, when frankly they wondered if he was too lazy, unlikely to offer the commitment required, the coach was convinced. There could be criticism for others, but there was always a defence of Dembélé. Yes, it could be – is – like he is on his own planet sometimes, but there was a player in there. 'Dembélé has always been a phenomenon,' Luis Enrique said. 'The thing is, you have to go deeper to get the best version of Ousmane.' Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion His version. Aggressive, relentless, chasing everything. 'It's not just the goals or the decisive passes, it's his overall impact that makes the team win trophies,' Luis Enrique said. 'He has shown he is a step above. He is our best player, someone who can make the difference, because he has convictions.' It is that part of his game – the collective contribution rather than the individual, the press rather than the goals – that the coach returns to repeatedly. Yet they are not mutually exclusive; in fact they are mutually dependent. Dembélé is looked after, embraced, trusted and made to feel important as well as being made aware of his obligations, the demands. For a coach who is extremely strict, who likes working with young players because they are faster, hungrier and almost always more malleable, it is also about letting go, complicity, a connection. About warmth and support, belief. With Dembélé, who at 28 is among the oldest at PSG now, the relationship is especially close. Until the joking stops. 'The best thing I did was leave him out against Arsenal,' Luis Enrique said after he had felt the need to punish his player for indiscipline. 'I had to take a hard decision but I thought it was the best for the team and I would do it again a hundred times. We have had to do and say difficult things. 'Ousmane is a leader, but in what he does, not with words. Have you seen how he pressed? Tell me a No 9 in Europe who presses the goalkeeper and the centre-backs like that. When you press like that, the rest have to follow.' When you press like that, you are also closer to goal and to chances: the intensity is higher, the trigger points more sensitive, but the overall distances are reduced and when you can rob the ball in those positions everything opens. PSG play with two full-backs joining the rotation and movement through midfield, players carrying the ball all over the pitch, and forwards who are all dribblers – 'dribblers are scarce but we have five of them,' Luis Enrique said. That creates an environment that works for the players, Dembélé especially. 'You have a false 9, a wide player, two-footed, who can go both sides, who has the freedom and mobility to find pockets of space,' Portugal's coach, Roberto Martínez, said. '[But] when you analyse Dembélé, you have to start not at the end, with him, but the beginning. PSG work so hard to get players ahead of the ball, to give passing lines. People talk about them working off the ball but it's also with it: players offer to receive, don't get it, keep moving, offer again, don't get it, keep moving. They are relentless. They have a high volume of quality chances and they work incredibly hard for that. It's a whole lot of work, a whole lot of belief, an extreme belief and players who love to play that way.' They love it because it pays off, so it becomes self-perpetuating, reinforced with every win. And then there's something simple: fun, enjoyment, engagement. 'It's very easy to find the words to say it, but actually doing it is harder, [yet] that's the key to everything we do,' Luis Enrique said. Klinsmann said: 'As a striker it is a system you love. It is fascinating, because it's also about chemistry: you can only play this kind of football if everybody, everybody, buys into it. If there is even one who doesn't, the moment you have one not committing, not getting into people's faces, you are going to fail.' Why do players buy into an idea, why is Dembélé doing things he hadn't before? Because of everything, and because he likes it. The man who was always the last to arrive is now always the first, so sharp, so quick, so alive that other footballers don't see him coming until he's gone.
