Sport

Dillian Whyte insisted he was innocent after “adverse analytical findings” from a random anti-doping test prompted the cancellation of his heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua.The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association said a “random anti-doping protocol” undertaken by Whyte had returned the adverse findings, leading to the all-British grudge match being called off. Joshua’s rematch with Whyte had been due to take place at London’s O2 Arena on August 12.Fight promoter Matchroom said in a statement: “Today, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) informed Matchroom, the Association of Boxing Commissions and the British Boxing Board of Control that Dillian Whyte had returned adverse analytical findings as part of a random anti-doping protocol.“In light of this news, the fight will be cancelled and a full investigation will be conducted.”Whyte claimed he had done nothing wrong and deserved a chance to clear his name.“I am shocked and devastated to learn of a report by VADA of adverse findings relating to me,” he wrote on Twitter.“I only learned of it this morning and am still reacting to it. I have also just seen that the fight is being cancelled without having any chance to demonstrate my innocence before the decision was taken.“I can confirm without a shadow of doubt that I have not taken the reported substance, in this camp or at any point in my life.”Whyte said he had produced false positive tests in the past and vowed to fight the result.“I insisted on 24/7 VADA testing for this fight, as I have done voluntarily and at my own expense for all of my fights for many, many years,” he said.“This is not the first time that I have been reported as having an adverse finding for a substance which I have not taken, and as I did last time I will again prove that I am completely innocent.“In the meantime all I can do is express my extreme disappointment to boxing fans, who will miss out on what was sure to be a great event.”Whyte lost his 16-fight unbeaten record when he was stopped by Joshua at the O2 Arena in 2015 when contesting for the vacant British heavyweight title.The rematch was announced in July after talks over Joshua taking on Tyson Fury broke down.Former world champion Joshua had also been linked with a fight against Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia.Joshua’s win over Whyte almost eight years ago avenged a defeat to his Jamaica-born rival when they had met as amateurs.Whyte recovered from his defeat to Joshua by winning his next 11 fights and after losing to Alexander Povetkin in 2020 he gained revenge by stopping the Russian in a rematch.Defeat to defending WBC champion Tyson Fury at Wembley in 2022 was followed by a points win over Jermaine Franklin the following November.

Russell Henley fired a four-under par 66 on Friday to maintain his one-stroke lead in the Wyndham Championship as Justin Thomas boosted his bid to make the US PGA Tour playoffs.Henley couldn’t match the fireworks of his first-round 62 at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. But his five birdies and one bogey gave him a 12-under par total of 128, one clear of Billy Horschel – who signed for a 62 of his own for 129.“I would say just off the tee didn’t quite get it in the fairway quite as much,” Henley said of the difference in his rounds so far this week, adding that the back nine played “a little bit more difficult” in drizzly conditions and a changed wind.Henley, who ended a five-year title drought with his fourth tour victory at Mayakoba, Mexico, in November, said his plan for the weekend would be to “continue the same things: Just committing to my lines, committing to what I decide to hit off the tee andjust making the best swing that I can.”One thing he won’t do is get ahead of himself. He was chasing a wire-to-wire victory at Sedgefield in 2021 when a birdie at the 10th hole on Sunday had him feeling “in control of the tournament.”Instead he missed the six-man playoff won by Kevin Kisner.“It’s why I’ve got to play all 72 holes,” Henley said. “It’s just hard to do, hard to finish it off, but I’m excited hopefully for another good weekend.”Horschel squeezed past a quartet of players sharing third on 10-under 130 with a round that included an eagle at the eighth and seven birdies.Horschel, hoping to salvage a disappointing season, said his game has been improving in recent weeks.“There’s been a lot of positive stuff coming, a lot more confidence in my ability to strike the golf ball, which has been the biggest issue all year,” he said.But at 116th in the FedEx Cup playoff standings, Horschel had a mountain to climb to try to push his way into the top 70 that qualify, with this week the last opportunity. “I know I have to win or finish solo second,” he said. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”Former world number one Justin Thomas, who is also trying to muscle his way into the playoffs from 79th in the standings, went the right direction with a five-under par 65 that put him at five-under 135 heading into the weekend.Australian veteran Adam Scott, 81st in the standings, went the wrong way with a one-over 71 that left him eight off the pace. Well ahead of them the group at 10-under featured South Korean An Byeong-hun, Canadian Adam Svensson and Americans Lucas Glover and Brendon Todd.Todd had eight birdies in his seven-under 63, Glover posted a 64, Svensson carded a 67 and An – coming off a bogey-free 63 – had two eagles and a double-bogey in his 67. “Two eagles, still four shots worse than yesterday,” An said. “Today was a little disappointing.Some of the sting was relieved by a 66-foot eagle putt at the 15th, his sixth hole of the day, and a hole out for eagle from 94 yards out in the fairway at his final hole, the par-four ninth.Leading second-round scores(USA unless noted, par-70)128 - Russell Henley 62-66129 - Billy Horschel 67-62130 - Adam Svensson (CAN) 63-67, Lucas Glover 66-64, An Byeong-hun (KOR) 63-67, Brendon Todd 67-63132 - Ludvig Aberg (SWE) 66-66133 - J.T. Poston 65-68, Troy Merritt 70-63, Brandon Wu 68-65, Stephan Jaeger (GER) 67-66134 - Andrew Novak 64-70, Tyler Duncan 68-66, Chesson Hadley 67-67, Eric Cole 69-65, Robert Streb 69-65, Max McGreevy 67-67, Nate Lashley 69-65, Davis Thompson 68-66, Nicolai Hojgaard (DEN) 68-66.

Celine Boutier inched closer to her second title in as many weeks after seizing a three-stroke lead following the third round of the Women’s Scottish Open on Saturday in Ayrshire, Scotland.Boutier, who captured her first major title at last week’s Evian Championship in her native France, carded a 6-under-par Saturday to boost her tournament score to 13-under 203 at Dundonald Links.Boutier, 29, collected eight birdies – including four on her first seven holes – against just two bogeys to take the lead over Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit (66 on Saturday) and Sweden’s Maja Stark (72).Tavatanakit rose up the leaderboard on the strength of two eagles – on the par-5 Nos. 3 and 14 holes – and three birdies. She is bidding for her first win since her maiden Tour victory at the 2021 ANA Inspiration.Stark made a birdie at the 10th hole to move up to 13-under, however bogeys on three of her final eight holes knocked her into a tie for second place. She is seeking her second LPGA Tour title after winning the 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland. Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom (68) benefited from a birdie on the 18th to sit alone in fourth place at 9-under.“I feel – my game feels good. So I’m just going to keep having this game plan and keep having the same feelings,” Sagstrom said. “Hopefully that still works out on the range. And then just hope the putter gets hot. That’s all I can hope for.”Sagstrom was one stroke ahead of Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup (68) and two in front of the trio of second-round leader Hinako Shibuno (77) of Japan, Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall (67) and Australian Sarah Kemp (72).Defending champion Ayaka Furue of Japan shot a 69 on Saturday to sit in a tie for 37th at even-par for the tournament.

Jyväskylä, Finland: Elfyn Evans swept to the brink of victory in the Rally of Finland on Saturday, hammering home the advantage handed to him by the retirement on Friday of Toyota teammate and world champion Kalle Rovanpera.The Welsh driver claimed seven of the day’s eight stages with fellow Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta of Japan winning the other on the course’s mud-filled tracks.“It’s good to be in this position but there are still four special stages tomorrow,” said Evans who has a commanding 32.1sec lead over Belgium’s Thierry Neuville of Hyundai.Neuville admitted that his chances of overhauling Evans today were slim.“I’m not really pushing. Everything is going well but I can’t do more. We’re too far now and we have to keep going in case something happens but we don’t have the means to fight for the win,” he said.The battle for third place is closer with Katsuta having a 6.4-sec lead over Finland’s Teemu Suninen of Hyundai.Rovanpera, the championship leader with a 55-point lead over Evans, was the overwhelming favourite to win in Finland.However, a mistake while leading the race on Friday saw him roll his Toyota on its roof.He was unable to return to the action on Saturday where he had been hoping to score points in the power stage which brings additional championship points.Rovanpera will still retain his overall lead in the standings with a maximum 30 points only on offer for Evans on Sunday.

British rider Charlie Hatton produced a flying run to win the men’s mountain bike downhill final at the world cycling championships in Fort William on Saturday.As rain fell in the Scottish Highlands, the 25-year-old Hatton mastered the mud to post a time of four minutes 26.747 seconds. He set a pulsating time, finishing 0.6sec ahead of Austria’s Andreas Kolb with another Briton Laurie Greenland finishing third.Defending champion Loic Bruni came in fourth and world number one Loris Vergier could only manage sixth. “I’m gobsmacked,” the world number 17 said.“I’m not sure if I’m shaking because I’m cold or I’m nervous or all of the above.”The English rider has never won a World Cup race but can now don the rainbow jersey as world champion. “That was absolutely insane,” Hatton said. “I knew I was riding well this weekend. But I never ever expected the win.”Austria’s Valentina Holl won her second consecutive women’s mountain bike downhill title ending two seconds faster than any other rider. Five-time world champion Rachel Atherton, who dislocated her shoulder on Thursday, came in eighth.The winding downhill track is made up largely of rocks and dirt with jumps and bumps marked out by tape on a barren mountainside at Fort William. The mentally and technically challenging course of 2.8km drops 550m with a lively crowd welcoming each rider at the finish.In track cycling, Denmark won the men’s team pursuit title by beating Italy in the final. Champions back in in 2020, the Danes succeeded Great Britain who won last year but were eliminated in qualifying after a heavy fall suffered by Charlie Tanfield. Denmark, made up of Niklas Larsen, Carl-Frederik Bevort, Lasse Leth and Rasmus Pedersen, gave little chance to Filippo Ganna’s Italy who also finished second in 2022. In the race for the bronze medal, New Zealand dominated Australia.Twists and turns galore in Glasgow showdownGlasgow’s usually busy streets were becalmed ahead of the weekend with cars banished from the city centre and only the occasional whirr of expensive bicycle wheels raising the volume.It will be a far more manic scene today, however, when the men’s road race of the UCI World Championships reaches what is likely to be a thrilling conclusion on a truly unique course. The 271km layout, the longest ever in world championships history, begins in Edinburgh, crosses the Forth Bridge and for the first 120km is nothing out of the ordinary. Crow Road, the one categorised climb, will not shred an elite peloton featuring Grand Tour and Classics winners, but once it rolls into Glasgow, battle will truly commence.A 14.3km circuit of the city centre will be tackled 10 times meaning a combined 400 tight corners. Throw in the predicted rain, slippery road markings, some short and punchy climbs up some of Glasgow’s steepest streets, and all the ingredients are in place for a wildly unpredictable fight for gold in front of an expected huge crowd. “The one major thing is that if it’s wet it’s going to be carnage,” British hopeful Fred Wright said of the layout. “But I think I’m ready for the carnage.”Technicals riders, with refined cornering skills and capable of explosive bursts of pace from almost standing starts, should thrive today. Those rhythm riders who prefer to smoothly wind up the power at stage finales could suffer. Dutch master Mathieu Van der Poel, one of the big favourites, was among those out on Glasgow’s closed off streets on Friday, running the rule over the layout alongside some awe-struck local riders revelling in the car-free zone. He tested his legs in relaxed fashion up Montrose Street, an 8% ramp that singularly is a mild effort for WorldTour pros. But he is under no illusions about what lies ahead around the labyrinthian-like circuit as he tries to become the first Dutchman to win the world road title since 1985 - a stark contrast to the dominance of the Dutch women.“It will be an accumulation of efforts,” Van der Poel, who will share the Dutch leadership with Dylan van Baarle, said on Friday. “Positioning is very important. If you only turn into some corners in 100th position, you are half a minute behind without being able to do anything.“It goes from corner to corner, it is on the edge. You will not be able to relax for a moment. It is a fair course. It should suit me. I expect a multitude of attacks.”Van Baarle was less complimentary, describing the road race parcours as a ‘glorified criterion’ but believes Van der Poel will thrive with the constant accelerations. Unlike in Grand Tours or WorldTour racing, teams will have no earphones connecting them to team cars so in the heat of battle it will be very much every man for himself. Other favourites for gold include Belgian trio Remco Evenepoel, the reigning road world champion, Jasper Philipsen, who won four stages at the Tour de France and Wout van Aert, one of the most versatile riders in the world.Evenepoel described the course as like an F1 circuit with every corner crucial.“It’s going to be full gas racing,” he said, while Philipsen said: “It will be turning, turning, accelerating all the time.”Other favourites include two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, Denmark’s former world champion Mads Pedersen and Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski.

Champions Celtic marked Brendan Rodgers’ return as manager with a 4-2 victory over Ross County, while Rangers crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock in the opening weekend of the Scottish Premiership season on Saturday. Rodgers is back in charge of the Glasgow club after Ange Postecoglou’s departure for Tottenham in the close season.After leaving Leicester by mutual consent prior to their relegation from the Premier League last term, Rodgers has opted to return to Scotland’s dominant force rather than stay south of the border in England. The former Liverpool boss, confirmed as Celtic manager in June, won two Scottish titles, two Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups in his first spell at Parkhead between 2016 and 2019.With Postecoglou having led Celtic to the domestic treble last season, Rodgers will be expected to maintain the Hoops’ dominance, while also looking to progress in the Champions League. On the evidence of their comfortable start to the new season against Ross County, Rodgers’ side should be capable of emulating last season’s success under his predecessor.Rodgers preferred David Turnbull to Reo Hatate in his first competitive match since returning and the midfielder vindicated his faith with two first-half goals. The 24-year-old had not started a league game since November 12 last year. Kyogo Furuhashi was also on the scoresheet for Celtic, with Matt O’Riley completing the hosts’ goal spree.“I spoke to him in pre-season and told him it would be a shame if you don’t achieve what you can do at a club like this,” Rodgers said of man of the match Turnbull.“You have the talent, but you have to be a working talent, and you have to be able to run and be aggressive in your game. If you can do that, then your qualities will come through.”County’s players and manager Malky Mackay gave Celtic a guard of honour as they entered the field before Hoops substitute James Forrest raised the league flag to cheers from the sell-out crowd.While Celtic lived up to their billing as title favourites, Rangers endured a worrying start to their bid to dethrone their Old Firm rivals. Michael Beale’s lacklustre side had laboured in the first half at Rugby Park and there was no improvement after the break before they were stunned by Brad Lyons’ goal after 65 minutes.The 26-year-old Northern Irishman pounced inside the box to fire home and Rangers were unable to respond.It was a huge setback for Beale, who has signed nine new players in an attempt to close the gap on Celtic. Beale knows the margin for error is already slim in the title race and now he must lift his players for the first leg of their Champions League qualifier against Servette at Ibrox on Wednesday.Elsewhere, Frankie McAvoy’s first game in charge of Hearts ended in a 2-0 victory at St Johnstone. Yutaro Oda scored 15 minutes from full-time before Lawrence Shankland tapped home in the closing seconds.Dundee marked their return to the top-flight with a 1-1 draw against Motherwell at Dens Park. Livingston and Aberdeen shared the spoils after a goalless draw.

Japan’s surprise title charge at the Women’s World Cup gathered pace with a clinical 3-1 win over Norway to reach the last eight while Spain thrashed Switzerland 5-1 on Saturday.The 2011 champions Japan will face either holders the United States or Sweden in the quarter-finals and on this evidence they will take some stopping. They have won all four games in Australia and New Zealand – including a 4-0 thumping of Spain – scoring 14 times and conceding only once. Hinata Miyazawa is also quickly becoming one of the breakout stars of a World Cup which has been full of shocks.The 23-year-old got the third nine minutes from time to seal Norway’s fate in front of 33,000 in Wellington.She is now the tournament’s top scorer. The teams went to the break level at 1-1, but Japan turned the screw on Norway in the second period through goals by Risa Shimizu and Miyazawa.Norway threw everything at Japan late on but goalkeeper Ayaka Yamashita stood firm and in injury time pulled off a breathtaking save from a close-range header, somehow clawing the ball back off the line.Ominously for the rest of the teams, coach Futoshi Ikeda said Japan are becoming harder to beat as the tournament progresses. “The team is very positive, kept up the pace and I think we have become tougher than before,” he added.Spain crushed Switzerland to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history and will face the Netherlands or South Africa next. Aitana Bonmati played a starring role with a brace and two assists in front of 43,217 fans at Eden Park in Auckland, a record crowd for a football match in New Zealand.Coach Jorge Vilda, who made five changes to his starting line-up including dropping reigning Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, said he had “the 23 best players in the world”. “Aitana played very well today, she scored goals and was player of the match, but the rest of the team played very well too. We have 23 Ballons d’Or,” he said.Barcelona’s Bonmati said the humbling by Japan in the group stage had been on their minds.“When you lose like we did the other day it is a really big blow but to win 5-1 in a World Cup knockout tie, be through to the quarter-finals and make history, that shows we are a team,” said the midfielder. “It was not easy after the other day but today we saw the character of the players and I hope we have a lot of days left here.”Spain were simply a class above a Swiss side who had reached the last 16 without conceding a goal but whose exit means they have still never won a major tournament knockout game.The United States, who have underwhelmed so far in their pursuit of an unprecedented third World Cup crown in a row, play Sweden today in Melbourne. It pits the two top-ranked sides left in the tournament after world number two Germany’s shock early exit.The top-ranked US won their last World Cup encounter 2-0 in 2019 on their way to the title, but world number three Sweden were 3-0 winners when they last met at the Tokyo Olympics. United States coach Vlatko Andonovski admitted the underfire title-holders were lucky to still be in the tournament after some insipid displays.They stumbled out of their group in second place with one win – against Vietnam – and nervy draws with the Netherlands and Portugal. “The fact we are in, we are lucky, but we are moving on,” said Andonovski.In today’s other last-16 encounter, the 2019 runners-up the Netherlands must avoid becoming the latest top team to go out at the hands of a lower-ranked opponent. South Africa, 54th in the world, beat Italy 3-2 to grab a place in the knockouts and defeating the Dutch would be another major upset.“Look, we’ve been underestimated so many times before,” South Africa’s coach Desiree Ellis said on the eve of the game. “I think this group has shown that nothing can stand in their way. “This group has shown that when the chips are down, they can stand up.”

Highfield Princess claimed a brilliant victory in the King George Qatar Stakes at the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC)-sponsored Qatar Goodwood Festival on Friday. At the Goodwood Racecourse in United Kingdom, the 4-9 favourite, ridden by Jason Hart for trainer John Quinn, won by three lengths from White Lavender, with Raasel third.The five-day annual Festival will conclude today, with this year’s edition receiving tremendous turnout which indicates the keenness of the spectators to be part of the racing extravaganza, being a racing landmark in the UK and Europe.The fourth and penultimate day of the Festival had an eight-race card day. The feature and fifth race was the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes. The 1,000m sprint for three-year-olds and older is a veritable test of raw speed and has been a key feature of the Qatar-sponsored Goodwood Festival since 1911.And it was Trainers House Enterprises-owned Highfield Princess (Night of Thunder x Pure Illusion), which emerged triumphant. Saad Ali al-Kharji, Deputy Chairperson of Qatar Tourism, crowned the winners after the race.Earlier on the day, the Paul J Dixon & John Fox-owned and Scott Dixon-trained Fosroc was partnered by Annabelle Hadden-Wight to win the Markel Magnolia Cup. Fahad al-Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All (EAA), was present during the trophy presentation of the 1,100m race, which saw a Qatari representation by rider Khadija Abdulwahed who rode Classic Touch to finish third.The 12 runners in the race were sponsored by various organisations and all the riders were females. Wathnan Racing sponsored the running of Classic Touch, who was ridden by Khadija Abdulwahed. EAA sponsored the running of Educate A Child and Protect Education. Al Jeryan Stud sponsored the running of Al Bahar. In addition, Qatar Goodwood Festival sponsored the running of Stormingin.Highfield Princess back on topTriple Group 1 winner and the apple of her trainer John Quinn’s eye, Highfield Princess (Night Of Thunder) claimed her first victory of 2023 when winning the King George Qatar Stakes. Now a six-year-old, the exceptional race mare was sent off a short-priced favourite for the 1,000m named in the honour of the new British monarch. Rated 117, Highfield Princess faced ten rivals and was partnered by Hart, who was also on board when the mare claimed a trio of Group 1 successes last summer at Deauville, York and The Curragh.Quickly out of the gates and in command inside the final 400m, Highfield Princess was asked to extend her advantage close home by Hart and went on to win easily by three lengths over White Lavender (Heeraat), who finished a neck clear of Raasel (Showcasing) in third.Speaking after the race, her trainer John Quinn outlined his plans for the future with Highfield Princess. “Her plan will be to go back for the Coolmore Nunthorpe and then maybe onto Ireland for the Flying Five,” he said. “I have been thinking of Australia, but I’ve gone a bit cool on that, but she may go to the Breeders Cup, she is a great traveller”.Highland Princess went through the ring at Tattersalls December Yearling Sale in 2018, where she was unsold at 29,000gns. A daughter of the dual winner Pure Illusion (Danehill), Highfield Princess is one of five winning produce out of the mare and is a half-sister to the Group 2 July Stakes winner Cardsharp (Lonhro).The second dam, Saintly Speech (Southern Halo) raced only twice but won the Group 3 Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot and has produced seven individual winners, including Well Spoken (Sadlers Wells), who is the dam of the Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed Chrysanthemum (Danehill Dancer) and the Listed placed Spoken To Me (Dylan Thomas).Hadden-Wight leads Fosroc to Markel Magnolia Cup winAnnabelle Hadden-Wight partnered Fosroc to land the 2023 Magnolia Cup. They were prominent throughout and gamely held off Eliza McCalmont on C Eliza Doolots.Since its inception, the Magnolia Cup has raised £2.1mn for various charities. A record £324,000 was raised in 2022, with the sum donated to The Brilliant Breakfast. This year, the Markel Magnolia Cup is supporting Education Above All’s (EEA) ‘Educate A Child’ programme. All net proceeds will go to a project in Malawi that provides education and support for children most at risk of dropping out of primary education through a joint project between Education Above All and CAMFED. Hadden-Wight said: “He jumped really well, we got a good start, and I was in front most of the way. I had two each side and I decided that I was not going to let them come past! ... It has been an amazing experience ... the whole thing has been really well organised and we have been very well looked after.Khadija Abdulwahed, third on Classic Touch, said: “It was really amazing. That is the first time I have ridden in the Magnolia Cup, I’m so proud that I was a part of this race. I finished third, but I’m happy.”Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes takes centre stage on final dayThe fifth and final day of the 2023 renewal of the Qatar Goodwood Festival will have a seven-race card. The feature and third race of the day is the Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes, a Group 2 for three-year-old and older Thoroughbred fillies and mares over 2,800m.In a field of eight runners, the Al Wasmiyah Stud-owned Ghara will take on her seven rivals. The three-year-old daughter of Frankel started her career in November 2022 and has had five runs so far. She won her penultimate outing when she took a 2,300m maiden for three-year-old over 2,300m at Yarmouth on 1st June this year.She then finished in a mid-position over the same distance in a Gr2 for three-year-old fillies at Ascot on 22nd June. She is trained by John & Thady Gosden and will be partnered by Andrea Atzeni today.

Simone Biles makes her long-awaited return to gymnastics in Chicago today, with the dreaded “twisties” firmly behind her in what could be the first step on the road towards next year’s Olympic games.The 26-year-old superstar has not taken part in elite competition since her tumultuous campaign at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics two years ago.The four-time Olympic gold medallist and 19-time World Championships gold medallist arrived in Japan as one of the stars of Olympic sport, widely expected to crown her legacy with a successful defence of her 2016 Olympics all-around title.But in what became one of the most gripping dramas of the Tokyo Games, Biles’s challenge unravelled dramatically, with the American making a series of uncharacteristic stumbles during early qualification rounds.Biles later confided that she felt she had the “weight of the world on my shoulders” and after struggling in the early rounds of the team competition, she withdrew citing mental health issues.Those same issues prompted her withdrawal from the all-around competition as well as the vault, uneven bars and floor disciplines.She eventually returned for the balance beam final, opting for a safer-than-usual routine that earned a bronze medal.Biles attributed her problems to an attack of the “twisties” - a phenomenon in gymnastics where athletes become disoriented and lose their sense of where they are in the air at a given moment, potentially leaving them at risk of injury when they land.“It’s the craziest feeling ever. Not having an inch of control over your body,” Biles explained in 2021.“What’s even scarier is since I have no idea where I am in the air, I also have no idea how I am going to land. Or what I am going to land on.”Biles’ decision to withdraw from competition was widely hailed as a watershed moment for the issue of mental health in elite sports, with the gymnast applauded for prioritising her own well-being before competition.After confirming her return to competition last month, Biles said she is still undergoing therapy to help her “handle the mental side” of her craft.“Lots of therapy, I go once a week for almost two hours,” she said on Instagram.“I’ve had so much trauma, so being able to work on some of the traumas and work on healing is a blessing,” added Biles, one of dozens of elite gymnasts who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of jailed USA team doctor Larry Nassar.In a Q+A with fans on Instagram last weekend, Biles said her fear of the “twisties” had been put squarely behind her, even if she admitted to nervousness when returning to the gym.“When the twisties happen, you go right into the gym and work on it. I took over a year off and THEN came back ... So I was petrified,” she said. “But I’m fine. I’m twisting again. No worries. All is good,” Biles wrote. What the future holds for Biles beyond this weekend remains uncertain.She has not yet confirmed whether she plans to participate in the Paris Olympics next year.“For Paris, as of now, I would say, I’ll be there regardless,” Biles said in a September 2022 interview.“I just don’t know if it will be as an athlete or as an audience member.”This weekend’s US Classic has been a happy hunting ground for Biles in the past. In 2018 she used the event as her comeback meet after taking a lengthy break following her gold-medal winning campaign at the Rio Olympics.She followed that return with two world championship all around gold medals in 2018 and 2019. This weekend’s event in Chicago will also mark a return to competition for reigning Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee, who has battled a kidney-related health issue this year.

England’s highly entertaining “Bazball” approach will face a test when the team travels to India next year for a five-match Test series, England captain Nasser Hussain believes.Under coach Brendon “Baz” McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, England’s result-oriented approach to Test cricket once again enthralled fans as they overturned a 2-0 deficit to level the Ashes series against Australia 2-2.They would encounter vastly different and spin-friendly conditions in India, where England lost 3-1 on their last tour in 2021 under Joe Root’s captaincy.“It’s the next test for Bazball,” Chennai-born Hussain said in the latest episode of the ICC Review.“The next challenge is India and everyone knows India in India is one of the sternest challenges in Test match cricket.”India have not shied away from milking their home advantage in recent years, rolling out rank turners and unleashing their wily spinners who have regularly tormented the touring batters.“It’s Bazball against spin. Bazball against Ravi Ashwin, (Ravindra) Jadeja and Axar Patel and that is going to be fascinating,” Hussain said.Zak Crawley has personified England’s swashbuckling batting and the opener said the series in India would be an “amazing opportunity” to test their philosophy.“I don’t really know much about their grounds,” the opener, who aggregated 67 runs in four innings in the 2021 tour, said after the final Ashes Test.“Sometimes in India it seams and swings a bit - and they’ve got unbelievable seamers - so hopefully there are a couple of pitches there that are like that as well, that will suit us a bit more.“But if it’s spinning, I feel like we play spin really well as well. We’ll just have to adapt, see what we get.”The first Test will begin in Hyderabad on Jan 29. Vizag, Ranchi, Rajkot and Dharamsala are the venues for the other matches.

Persistence paid off for Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo.The top seed yesterday held his nerve to down Nicolas Jarry 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-2 in Los Cabos and reach the semi-finals on his debut at the hard-court ATP 250 event.Tsitsipas had to hang tough as Jarry held the upper hand in the first half of the two-hour, 58-minute encounter, but a strong second-set tie-break display proved pivotal before the Greek dominated the decider.“Sometimes you feel like those kinds of matches are very important for your continuation in a tournament,” said Tsitsipas.“You get to play at a high intensity and a very high level, and it kind of brings the best out of you. I hope to move forwards stronger from this point onwards, to learn from this match, and take away as much as I can.”Jarry’s big serving had helped him defeat Tsitsipas in the pair’s previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting in June on the grass of Halle.The Chilean found good rhythm behind his delivery again on the Mexican Pacific coast, but he began to struggle physically in a deciding set in which Tsitsipas converted both break points he earned.“He was serving big, and in important moments where I had the chance to break, he was always coming up with a big serve,” said Tsitsipas of the need to stay patient on return.“It was something that made it a bit difficult. Those moments that I had to convert, I was trying to get behind the ball and the ball was constantly on the line. There isn’t much you can do.”Now 37-13 for the season, Tsitsipas rose above Andrey Rublev to fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin as a result of his triumph over Jarry.The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion, chasing his first crown on outdoor hard courts this week in Mexico, will take on Borna Coric in the semi-finals as he seeks a third tour-level final of the season. The fourth-seeded Coric defeated Ilya Ivashka 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals on his Los Cabos debut.The clash with Tsitsipas will be Coric’s second tour-level semi-final of the season, after he reached the last four on the clay at the Mutua Madrid Open in May.Pegula rallies past Svitolina to reach Washington semisTop-seeded Jessica Pegula outlasted Wimbledon semi-finalist Elina Svitolina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 yesterday, holding off a late fightback to reach the Washington Open semi-finals.The 29-year-old American booked a last-four berth in the WTA and ATP hardcourt event against the winner of a later match between US seventh seed Madison Keys and Greek fourth seed Maria Sakkari, who beat Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-5, 6-2 in a rain-postponed match.“I knew it was going to be a really tough match and that’s what it was,” Pegula said.Pegula broke to open the final set and denied Svitolina on five break points in the sixth game before holding for a 4-2 lead.Svitolina saved two match points before holding in the ninth game but Pegula saved a break point in the 10th game and advanced with a service winner on her third match point, improving to 3-1 overall against Svitolina after two hours and eight minutes.“I was like, ‘If I don’t serve this out, it might have been a quick 5-7.’ I probably would have lost,” Pegula said. “I was so tired. I know that sounds terrible to say. That’s not what you’re supposed to be thinking but... I sweated through the entire thing.”World number three Pegula, the 2019 Washington champion, reached her fifth WTA semi-final of the year and first since April on Charleston clay. Past success in the US capital helped her pull through, she said.“It helps me feel more comfortable,” Pegula said. “I’ve played a lot of matches on this court. I always love coming back.“That definitely helps me dig my heels in a little bit.”The rain-hit men’s side was hoping to play five round-of-16 matches and all four quarter-finals on Friday.US top seed Taylor Fritz and Britain’s Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, were set for a last-16 meeting, as were hometown hero and second seed Frances Tiafoe and Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng.American JJ Wolf awaits in the quarter-finals for either Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor or France’s Gael Monfils, the 2016 Washington champion. They were stopped by rain in the third set.

England batsman Alex Hales announced his retirement from international cricket on Friday.The powerful top-order player represented England in 156 matches across all three international formats - Tests, one-day internationals and T20 internationals.The 34-year-old’s last international appearance came in England’s T20 World Cup final win against Pakistan in November 2022.Hales, a white-ball specialist, scored 2,419 runs in 67 ODI innings at an average of nearly 38 and 2,074 runs in 75 T20 internationals at just under 31.But his England career was interrupted by off-field events.He was fined and suspended following a 2017 incident outside a Bristol nightclub also involving Ben Stokes.Hales was banned again in 2019 after testing positive for a recreational drug, costing him a place in England’s victorious squad for that year’s 50-over World Cup.“It has been an absolute privilege to have represented my country on 156 occasions across all three formats,” Hales said in an Instagram post.“I’ve made some memories and some friendships to last a lifetime and I feel that now is the right time to move on.”He added: “Throughout my time in an England shirt I’ve experienced some of the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows. It’s been an incredible journey and I feel very content that my last game for England was winning a World Cup final.”Hales will continue to play for his county side, Nottinghamshire, and franchise cricket around the world.

Participants of this weekend’s Open Water Swimming World Cup were barred from a morning training session in Paris’ river Seine on Friday as heavy rainfall caused water quality to dip below health standards, while a women’s event was postponed.Organisers said the women’s 10 kilometre race originally planned for today - a qualifying event for marathon swimming at the Paris 2024 Olympics - had been postponed to August 6.International federation World Aquatics did not immediately respond to a request for comment about further backup plans for the races if the Seine’s water quality does not improve this weekend.“If the results are bad again ... obviously, to ensure the swimmers’ safety, we’ll have to continue with the same restrictions,” said engineer Aurelie Lemaire, as she was taking samples from the Seine.Last year’s open-water swim competitions took place at the French capital’s Parc de la Villette in northern Paris.The city has been working on clean-up efforts to make the Seine swimmable again, as it was during the 1900 Paris Olympics more than a century ago.But heavy rain causes the Parisian sewage system to overflow and be discharged into the river, polluting it with fecal bacteria E.coli and Enterococcus.As a result, bathing in the Seine has been banned since 1923, with promises to restore water quality going back to 1990, when Paris mayor Jacques Chirac - later French president - vowed to make the Seine swimmable again.“(Water) quality varies greatly depending on the weather,” said engineer Maelys Hemon.Construction on an €80bn euro ($88bn) underground overflow basin designed to prevent such contamination is expected to be completed before summer 2024.Cancelling the Seine swimming events would be bad optics for Paris ahead of the Olympics - this year’s first three qualifying races were swum in idyllic locales including the Red Sea’s Soma Bay in Egypt and Sardinia’s Golfo Arancini in Italy.Meanwhile, tourists wondered whether cleaning up the Seine would be possible at all.“We were wondering when we came and we did take a cruise on the Seine, how they could possible get the water clean enough and safe enough for swimmers in a short period of time also with all the visitors still coming,” said US tourist Lisa Larson.“It’s a worthwhile undertaking but I don’t know if financially and technologically that could be done,” said tourist Glen Kundert.Alberta government withdraws support of 2030 Commonwealth Games bidThe province of Alberta withdrew its support for a possible bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games on Friday, ending the chance of bringing the multi-sport event back to Canada.Minister of Tourism and Sport Joseph Schow said in a statement that hosting the Games, which typically attract more than 4,000 athletes from the 54 nations of the Commonwealth, was not in line with the interests of Alberta taxpayers. Schow said that according to current bid estimates hosting the event “could result in a cost of up to CAN$2.68bn (US$2.01bn).“The corporate sponsorship model and limited broadcast revenues for the Commonwealth Games would have put 93 percent of those costs and risks on taxpayers,” he added.“We committed to remain transparent with Albertans about the costs of hosting international sporting events and clearly demonstrating a return on our investment for the people and communities in Alberta,” Schow said.“That is why we have made the decision not to continue pursuing the bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.”The move comes weeks after the Australian state of Victoria pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games because of escalating costs, leaving organizers “hugely disappointed.”Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews said the initial estimate of Aus$2bn (US$1.36bn) needed to hold the Games would more likely be closer to Aus$7bn.Commonwealth Sport Canada, the body responsible for organizing Canadian teams participating in the Commonwealth Games, had been expected to complete a feasibility study for a 2030 Commonwealth Games bid by Alberta later this month.They issued a statement saying they believed Victoria’s decision to withdraw from hosting 2026 “was a significant factor” in the provincial government’s decision to pull the plug.Canada has hosted four Commonwealth Games, in 1930, 1954, 1978 and 1994.The last edition of the event was held in 2022 in Birmingham, after the English city stepped in to replace Durban in South Africa, which was stripped of hosting rights after a series of missed deadlines and financial problems.Victoria was the exclusive bidder for the 2026 edition.

Aleix Espargaro produced a late flash of magic to top the times of a crash-marred second practice for the British MotoGP at Silverstone on Friday.The Aprilia rider coped with the unseasonal chilly conditions best to lead the charge into qualifying today.The Spaniard’s lap of 1min 58.183sec was nearly seven tenths clear of Jorge Martin, with South African Brad Binder’s KTM placing third.MotoGP’s return after a mid-season break was going well for Marco Bezzecchi who was quickest in the morning session.And he was on target to remain ahead of the pack until a bone-crunching fall with around five minutes left on the clock.Catapulted into the air after losing control of his bike he walked gingerly back to the pits hoping he had done enough to make the top 10 and a direct pass to the main qualifying session.Despite times tumbling Bezzecchi, racing for Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Ducati-satellite team, held on to finish in seventh.World champion Francesco Bagnaia struggled for pace on his factory Ducati in the morning but posted the sixth best time when it mattered.He leads the riders standings by 35 points from Martin with Bezzecchi a further point back ahead of this ninth round of the 20-race season.In a change of format the first session had no significance on today’s qualifying order, leaving riders and teams the chance to try out different bike and tyre set ups without consequence.The top 10 from the second hour-long practice are joined as usual by the fastest two riders from Q1 to determine the first five rows of the grid both for today’s sprint race and tomorrow’s main event.Among those relegated to Q1 were a trio of former world champions - Marc Marquez, Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir.The MotoGP grid welcomed back Pol Espargaro, the Spanish rider and Aleix’s younger brother making his return after suffering serious injuries following a violent crash at the opening weekend in Portugal in March.

Remco Evenepoel will defend his men’s cycling world road race title in Scotland tomorrow on a course that culminates on the streets of Glasgow and which should suit the Belgian showman.An A-list of contenders includes fellow Belgian Wout van Aert, his great Dutch rival Mathieu van der Poel and two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia.The course is epic not only in its sheer length at 271km, but also because there are 480 corners in the final part of the race, which suits Evenepoel’s strengths.Urban courses tend to favour smaller men who can better negotiate high-speed cornering, gaining up to one second advantage per corner.“I’ve entered three one-day races this season and won them all,” said Evenepoel who also holds the Vuelta a Espana title.Belgium has two other potential winners in van Aert, considered the most powerful all-round rider, and sprinter Jasper Philipsen, winner of four stages at the Tour de France.He could be a likely winner if the race ends with a bunch sprint.Glasgow is the host of a new format 13-discipline world championships that include track, road, off-road and BMX.However, tomorrow’s road race is the major attraction for most fans. The 200 riders in tomorrow’s race embark from Edinburgh along a largely flat course which culminates with 10 laps of Glasgow city centre, at 14.3km per lap.Rain is forecast the whole day which will add another element of drama.Two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe is a dark horse.His coach Tommy Voeckler described the course as peculiar because of the winding inner-city loop. “There are 48 corners per lap, so almost 500 in total in the second part of the race,” he said, understanding that cornering will in fact be the cornerstone of any win. The distance may also suit Dutch powerhouse Van der Poel, who won two of the ultra long Monument races this year, the Milan-San Remo at 299km and Pari-Roubaix at 253km.He had been favourite at the 2022 worlds in Australia but ended up under arrest and in a police cell after a hotel confrontation with two teenage girls who he claimed had repeatedly knocked on his hotel door and ran away.

Russell Henley used a short eagle putt and six birdies to leap in front of the pack in the first round of the Wyndham Championship on Thursday in Greensboro, North Carolina.Henley posted a bogey-free, 8-under-par 62 but led by just one stroke over Canada’s Adam Svensson and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An at the PGA Tour’s regular-season finale at Sedgefield Country Club. Andrew Novak (6-under 64) is in fourth.Henley was already 5 under when he arrived at the par-5 15th hole. His second shot over a pond nestled to within 6 feet of the pin, setting up his eagle. An 18-foot birdie putt at the par-4 17th made sure he had the outright lead at day’s end.The 34-year-old has four wins on the PGA Tour, most recently last November at the World Wide Technology Championship, and he’s finished in the top 10 at the Wyndham three years running. But in 2021, he led after each of the first three rounds before faltering down the stretch with a final-round 71, finishing tied for seventh.“I think about it a lot,” Henley said. “I mean, I was leading by three going in the final round a couple years ago and was leading the tournament by a few going into No. 11 the last, or a couple years ago and didn’t get it done. That’s a good learning experience, you know, and feel like I’ve gotten better as a player because of it.”Like Henley, Svensson also won last November, grabbing his first PGA Tour victory at the RSM Classic. He started his round on the back nine and birdied five of his final seven holes.“I hit my irons probably the best I’ve hit them in probably three or four months now,” Svensson said. “I’m starting to trend a little bit better off the tee and my mid-iron game. Yeah, very happy with (Thursday). Just got to keep it up for three more days.”An charged up the board at the end of the day, rattling off four birdies at Nos. 3-6 and closing his round with a 29 1/2-foot birdie putt at No 17 and a 9 1/2-footer at No 18. “Game plan, keep it in the fairway onto the greens. I believe I only missed one green today,” An said. “Golf could be so much harder if I’m missing the greens, but 17 greens, that’s the goal if you’re hitting every green.”Australian veteran Adam Scott shot a 5-under 65 during the morning wave and held the lead for much of the day before Henley and company overtook him in the afternoon. Scott is now tied with JT Poston for fifth.Scott is among the dozens of players who entered the tournament outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup points standings and trying to play their way into the playoffs, which start next week at the FedEx St Jude Championship. Scott is No. 81 in the standings and would squeak in at No. 68 if the current results held.“I feel like when I come out to play golf, I’m there to give it my best shot and if I make (the playoffs), I make it, and if I don’t, I don’t,” Scott said.Swedish up-and-comer Ludvig Aberg is part of a massive tie for seventh at 4-under 66.

Arsenal are determined to fight for all trophies in the new season as the Premier League runners-up begin their 2023-24 campaign against treble winners Manchester City in the Community Shield, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday.Arsenal’s title challenge crumbled last season in the face of a relentless City, who have won three successive top-flight titles before winning their maiden Champions League crown in June. Arsenal enjoyed an eight-point lead over City until mid-March but lost it at the end of April and will now look to seek revenge in tomorrow’s traditional curtain-raiser to the Premier League season at Wembley.Arteta, 41, served as assistant to Pep Guardiola at City from 2016-2019 before taking the reins at the north London club and leading them to the FA Cup trophy in his first season in charge. Since then, he has helped Arsenal qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. Arteta said he wants his team to build on the momentum from last season and elevate it to new heights.“Very excited to play a final to win a trophy, we are playing against the team to beat,” Arteta told reporters. “This is what we want (a new era for Arsenal), fighting for every trophy. We have to prove that. What we did last year was not enough to win the big trophy, and we have to be better. We have to try and maintain the level and improve it for them (fans).”Arsenal have already added more depth to their young squad with the additions of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber in the close season, but Arteta said the work is not over as he looks to bolster his team’s chances. Arsenal have most recently been linked with a move for Brentford goalkeeper David Raya.“We are in the process (of squad building) We are working on a few things - there is still time to do that. We are happy with the squad we have for sure,” Arteta said. “We want a healthy competition in the squad and we’re working on that.”Arsenal in better position than City, says GuardiolaArsenal hold an advantage heading into the Community Shield over Manchester City due to the treble winner’s packed schedule during the final stretch of the last season, manager Pep Guardiola said yesterday. City faced a gruelling schedule season thanks to their successful runs in the Champions League and FA Cup, while Arsenal had a less busy campaign.“The situation that we are in, we finished (last season) two weeks later than Arsenal and we start (this season) two weeks later. So, we are not in the best way,” the Spaniard told reporters. “We struggle to restart every season but it’s fine, and hopefully our mentality can help us to be there and compete.”Arsenal are looking to close the gap at the top of the league, and Guardiola believes the north London side has recruited players who could walk straight into the starting line-up. The signings of Rice from West Ham United, Havertz from rivals Chelsea and defender Timber from Ajax Amsterdam have strengthened Arsenal’s core.“Rice decided to go to Arsenal, I wish him all the best. He is a really nice guy, for the England team he is important. Arsenal have bought a really good player,” Guardiola said. “They didn’t buy players to make the squad bigger, they have bought starting players. I could not expect anything different.”Guardiola reiterated his desire to keep England defender Kyle Walker, who has a year left on his City contract, amid interest from German giants Bayern Munich. Bernardo Silva is another one of Guardiola’s key players who is linked with a move away from the club, with LaLiga champions Barcelona reported to be potential suitors for the Portuguese midfielder.“Kyle and Bernardo, what could I say? They are so important for us. We want them, (so) we are going to do everything (to keep them). We want (Silva) to stay because he wants to stay,” Guardiola said.Guardiola said Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol, who is set to join City from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, is undergoing his medical test.

Al Sadd face Iraq’s Al Shorta in the quarter-finals of the King Salman Club Cup on Friday. The kick-off is at 6pm at the Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium in Abha, Saudi Arabia.The Qatari giants qualified for the last eight by topping the Group B with seven points. The Wolves drew goalless with Morocco’s Wydad in their opener and beat Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia 3-2 and Al Ahli Tripoli of Libya 1-0. Hilal too progressed from the group with four points, while Wydad and Ahli both ended up with two points.On the other hand, Al Shorta made it to the quarter-finals as the second team in Group A with four points. Saudi side Al Ittihad topped the group with nine points and an all-win record. Shorta defeated Tunisia’s Sfaxien 1-0 in their opener, but played out a goalless draw with Esperance, also of Tunisia, and then lost 1-2 to Ittihad of Saudi Arabia.Sadd have been improving from one game to another in terms of performance and results, and will certainly strive for the best against Shorta as they seek to finish the tournament on a triumphant note.Shorta are fierce competitors and have many standout players, who were part of the Iraq team that won the last edition of Gulf Cup held in Iraq last January.On the eve of the match, Sadd defender Tarek Salman said they must focus and capitalise on opportunities to reach the semi-finals. “The match against Al Shorta will be tough as there are no easy teams in the quarter-finals. All the matches will be highly competitive,” he said.“Al Shorta has exceptional players, most of whom are part of the Iraqi national team. We are eager to reach the furthest point in this championship. Our encounters against Iraqi clubs and national teams are always tough; they play with great spirit and determination,” Salman added.He also pointed out that the Sadd players have enough experience to achieve victory, saying: “We have sufficient experience to secure a win. We must focus and capitalize on opportunities to earn qualification for the semi-finals.”Meanwhile, Sadd coach Bruno Miguel too expected a tough match against Al Shorta. The Portuguese coach said: “We are looking forward to another strong match that will help us prepare for the new season. We anticipate a tough game against a strong team that has only lost one match in the group stage.”He added: “Al Shorta is an organised team, both defensively and offensively, and they boast strong players, particularly in midfield. We will devise the appropriate strategy to face them and secure a victory.”Regarding the readiness of Al Sadd’s players for the match, Miguel said: “The team consists of 20 players and all are in great condition. We are in good shape and have multiple options to support us during the game, in order to secure our spot in the semi-finals of the championship.”

Underfire coach Jorge Vilda says his Spain team will learn from their heavy defeat by Japan as they aim to make history by winning a Women’s World Cup knockout game for the first time against Switzerland on Saturday.A Spanish side led by reigning Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas were seen as contenders coming into the tournament and started with two comfortable wins against Costa Rica and Zambia. But they were torn apart 4-0 by Japan in their last outing, which meant they advanced to the last 16 in second place in their group and with doubts swirling about their ability to compete with the world’s best sides.“The defeat the other day has not been forgotten and will not be forgotten,” Vilda said on the eve of the meeting with Switzerland in Auckland. “Defeats like that leave their mark but are also necessary for a team’s development and growth. We just need to look at what we can improve and also at what we did well because there were some positives.”This is just Spain’s second appearance in the knockout phase of the World Cup. In 2019 they reached the last 16 before going down 2-1 to eventual winners the United States, for whom Megan Rapinoe scored a late winner. Last year they made it to the quarter-finals of the European Championship before losing in extra time to hosts England. “The team is super-motivated and excited about the chance to make history and win a World Cup knockout tie for the first time,” said Vilda.The 42-year-old has been under pressure since a group of 15 players announced last September they did not want to be selected for their country in a protest against the Spanish federation and Vilda himself.Some have since returned to the fold, but the likes of Barcelona’s Patri Guijarro and Mapi Leon are not with the squad in New Zealand. Vilda has a contract until 2024 but was twice forced in Friday’s press conference to dodge questions about whether a defeat against Switzerland would mean the end of the road for him.He also refused to say if Putellas might get a full 90 minutes this time at Eden Park as she continues her recovery from a serious knee injury.

Top seed Taylor Fritz claimed his 17th win from 20 matches on American soil this season when he defeated practice partner Zachary Svajda 6-3, 6-3 in the feature night match at the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.Fritz, who twice rallied from 0/40 down in the second set, will next face former World No. 1 Andy Murray.Trying to work his way into contention to qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, Fritz has the opportunity to move inside the cut in eighth position in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin with a title this week.“Zach and I have trained together consistently for the past couple of years; I try to give him advice. He’s not someone you want to see on the other side of the court. I know what level he is capable of,” Fritz said.Coming off his second title of the season last week in Atlanta, Fritz stitched up the first set against 20-year-old Svajda with love breaks in the third and eighth games.The 25-year-old dug himself out of a 0/40 hold in the fifth game of the second set and claimed the decisive break three games later.Three factors underpinned Fritz’s victory: He won 29 of 34 points on his first serve, he clubbed 32 winners to Svajda’s nine and he saved all eight break points faced.“I played all those points well,” Fritz said of the break points he faced in the second set.“A mix of good serving and some good shots I hit. It was one of those nights when I was playing a bit loose. It’s going to be a tough match against Andy, who is such an amazing competitor. The conditions are really, really slow so that will help him in the match a little bit.” French wild card Gael Monfils used his dazzling court speed to thwart the variety in Alexander Bublik’s bag of tricks to claim a 6-3, 6-4 win.“I knew I needed to be really fast and sharp on every ball,” Monfils said. “He can hit a lot of drop shots so I knew I had to be free with my feet. I am fast He might be able to hit two or three (I can’t get) but I know I will get most of them,” Monfils said.The 36-year-old will next meet Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor.Gauff triumphs over Baptiste to book quarter-final spotNo.3 seed Coco Gauff won a main-draw match at the Mubadala Citi DC Open for the first time in her career on Wednesday, besting Washington DC native Hailey Baptiste 6-1, 6-4 in their second-round matchup.In the first singles meeting between the two young Americans, World No.7 Gauff ousted 204th-ranked Baptiste at the qualifier’s hometown event after 1 hour and 17 minutes of play.“Playing Hailey, a friend, known her for a long time,” Gauff said after her win.“It was really cool to play her in front of her hometown, and hopefully we have many more battles in the future.“We practiced together so many times. Camps together. We even shared a room together in Palm Springs for, like, three weeks or two weeks. We were roommates. Yeah, we know each other very well.”DC breakthrough: Gauff’s only previous appearance at Washington came in 2019, where she qualified for the main draw but lost to Zarina Diyas in the first round. However, Gauff did end that week with a trophy, when she won her first WTA doubles title alongside Caty McNally.Now, Gauff has a singles main-draw match-win in DC under her belt as well. On Stadium Court, 19-year-old Gauff never dropped serve, and she won over half of the points returning 21-year-old Baptiste’s second serves.Gauff, the 2022 Roland Garros finalist, had to stare down three break points in her second service game of the match. But after getting out of that jam, Gauff cruised through the rest of her service games in that set behind sturdy deliveries.In the much closer second set, Gauff took control by prevailing in a five-deuce game to break for a 4-3 lead.Gauff eased to victory from there, converting her first match point with her fifth ace of the day.