Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Tennis-Isner hails Murray after ending his Wimbledon hopes
Big-hitting American John Isner paid tribute to Andy Murray after sending the two times champion crashing out of Wimbledon 6-4 7-6(4) 6-7(3) 6-4 with a barrage of booming serves and aces in a second-round clash on Wednesday. While 37-year-old Isner strode closer to Ivo Karlovic’s aces record of 13,728 on the ATP Tour, Murray made his earliest exit despite battling back from the brink by winning a third-set tiebreak.
Tennis-Normal service resumes as Djokovic outclasses Kokkinakis
Top seed Novak Djokovic looked every bit the dominant player who has won the last three Wimbledon titles in a commanding 6-1 6-4 6-2 win over Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis on Wednesday to power into the third round. The 35-year-old, bidding for his seventh Wimbledon title, looked scratchy during his opening win over Kwon Soon-woo but he was back close to his usual lofty standards against the 79th-ranked Kokkinakis.
Soccer-Stadium bans to be given to fans convicted of online hate crimes in the UK
Fans convicted of football-related online hate crimes can now be banned from attending matches, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said on Wednesday. British courts could previously only issue so-called football banning orders for in-person offenses.
Rugby-NZ out to reassert ascendancy over Ireland in Auckland
New Zealand will look to brush off a preparatory week disrupted by a COVID-19 outbreak in the squad and reassert their ascendancy over Ireland in Saturday’s first test of their July series at fortress Eden Park. Two defeats at the end of last year’s November tour of Europe, one to the Irish in Dublin, had All Blacks fans jittery and nothing less than a clean sweep of the series is likely to offer complete job security for coach Ian Foster.
Tennis-‘Fighter’ Gauff using Roe v. Wade decision as fuel at Wimbledon
Coco Gauff may still be just a teenager but the American is tuned in to real-world issues and is using the anger from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion to fuel her drive at Wimbledon. Gauff is no longer the wide-eyed 15-year-old who made her Wimbledon debut three years ago. She is not only physically stronger now but much wiser, as shown by her insightful post-match interviews in her run to this year’s French Open final.
Tennis-Disappointed Murray aiming to be seeded for future Slams
A disappointed Andy Murray said he was determined to rise back up the rankings to give himself a better chance in future Grand Slams after making his earliest ever exit from Wimbledon on Wednesday. The 35-year-old two-times Wimbledon champion, a former world number one currently ranked 52nd, bowed out in the second round after a four-set defeat to big-serving American John Isner, the 20th seed.
Tennis-Norrie embracing the pressure at Wimbledon
Cameron Norrie said he is ready to embrace the pressure of trying to reach the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time and keep the British flag flying at Wimbledon following the exits of Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu. The British number one beat former doubles partner Jaume Munar 6-4 3-6 5-7 6-0 6-2 on Wednesday to advance and will face American Steve Johnson for a place in the fourth round.
MLB roundup: Guardians score 4 in 10th to edge Twins
Josh Naylor belted a two-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning, capping a four-run rally that powered the Cleveland Guardians to a stunning 7-6 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. The Twins scored three in the top of the 10th, then got the first out in the bottom of the 10th with the automatic runner at second base. A walk to Steven Kwan (3-for-4) and a wild pitch put runners at the corners for Amed Rosario, who hit an RBI double to cap a 4-for-4 night.
Tennis-Djokovic could join Nadal, Federer, and Murray at Laver Cup
Watching the “Big Four” of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray playing together for the same team could be possible at the fifth Laver Cup in London this year. Earlier on Wednesday, Britain’s Murray was named as the third member of the six-man Team Europe along with Federer and Nadal, leaving tennis fans relishing the prospect of Djokovic joining his long-time rivals at the ATP-sanctioned event.
Cycling-Danish police search Bahrain Victorious hotel ahead of Tour de France
Danish police carried out a search at the hotel of cycling team Bahrain Victorious at the request of French authorities on Thursday, Copenhagen Police said in a statement on the eve of the Tour de France Grand Depart. Authorities searched all team vehicles and the rooms of staff and riders at 5:30 a.m. local time in Brondby. The homes of riders and staff were also searched by police on Monday before their departure for the Tour.
(With inputs from agencies.)