Thompson sets sights on Fritz as Wimbledon quarter finals beckon, Alcaraz eyes Rublev challenge
While Carlos Alcaraz could face his toughest challenge yet against volatile Russian Andrey Rublev, and Aryna Sabalenka eyes a deep Wimbledon run as other top seeds fall around her.
Unseeded Australian Thompson has taken several big scalps through the first three rounds, with come-from-behind, five-set victories against Vit Kopriva and Benjamin Bonzi before he dispatched Lucian Darderi in four sets.
It sets up a mouth-watering clash with fellow big server Taylor Fritz, the American fifth-seed who has battled his fair share of adversity.
Fritz was on the cusp of elimination in the first round, down two sets to none against Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard before fighting his way through in five sets, before advancing at the expense of Gabriel Diallo and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Rublev is aware he has to be at the top of his game to cause an almighty upset and break his curse of never progressing beyond a Grand Slam quarter-final.
The world number 14 has reached the last eight on 10 occasions without ever making it to a semi-final.
'You cannot show any weaknesses,' said Rublev on the challenge of facing Alcaraz.
Rublev has already enjoyed a much happier time at Wimbledon than 12 months ago when he repeatedly smashed his racquet over his own leg during a shock first-round exit.
But he has credited the influence of two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin, himself a notorious hothead in his prime, for bringing some calm to his game.
'There are two options,' he added. 'Try to go deeper. Or if I lose, to lose it in a mature, adult way.
'That would be success as well, to lose it in the right way.'
Three-time Grand Slam champion Sabalenka missed last year's Wimbledon due to a shoulder injury and was excluded in 2022 as part of a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Sabalenka overcame a stern test of her tennis and temperament to end British favourite Emma Raducanu's run in the third round in arguably the match of the tournament so far.
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The Advertiser
28 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Champ through at Wimbledon but mystery over Sinner scan
Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz has eased into the semi-finals, where he will face fifth seed Taylor Fritz, but mystery surrounds the fitness of his expected challenger in Sunday's final, Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz brushed aside the remaining home player, Briton Cameron Norrie, 6-2 6-3 6-3, on the same Centre Court on which less than 24 hours earlier Sinner had escaped when two sets down after Grigor Dimitrov had to retire with a chest muscle injury. Amid the drama surrounding the Bulgarian on Monday night (local time) it was largely forgotten that Sinner had himself been nursing an injury to his elbow, incurred while breaking a fall, and had taken a medical time-out for it. On Tuesday morning Sinner, who is due to meet American Ben Shelton in the quarter-final on Wednesday, had an MRI scan, and in the afternoon he cancelled his planned practice session. There was no official update from Sinner's camp but his Australian coach Darren Cahill reportedly told ESPN the Italian had a hit indoors for 20 to 30 minutes. "It was quite an unfortunate fall," Sinner said on Monday night. "I felt it quite a lot, especially on serve and forehand. We are going to check with MRI to see if there's something serious, and then we'll try to adjust it." There were no such worries for Alcaraz. He lost the first three points on serve, but prevented Norrie securing the break and never looked back. He took the first set in 28 minutes and the match in 99. The victory extended his winning streak to 23 matches and his record on grass to 34 wins from 37. "To be able to play another semi-final here at Wimbledon is really special," Alcaraz said. "I am really happy with the level I played today against a really difficult player like Cam." Fritz's path to the last four was not as smooth as the Spaniard's. Russian 17th seed Karen Khachanov won the third set 6-1, the American needed a medical time-out, and there was another technology malfunction with the automated line calls. "The match was going so well for me for two sets," he said after taking a fourth set tie-break to wrap up the match 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-4). "I've never had a match just flip so quickly, so I'm really happy with how I came back in the fourth set and got it done. "I felt I couldn't miss and then all of sudden I'm making a ton of mistakes. "Momentum was definitely not going to be on my side going into a fifth." Fritz said the treatment on his right foot ahead of the fourth set was just a minor matter. "It's totally fine, it's pretty common, a lot of players do this tape job so your foot doesn't get irritated," he said. "I think I ripped it off at some point in the second so I just needed to get it re-done." The erroneous line call came soon after when 'Fault' was incorrectly called after a Fritz backhand landed well inside the baseline. It became evident the system was still tracking the initial serve so chair umpire Louise Azemar-Engzell ordered the point be replayed. The All England Club explained the system had failed to reset because the ball from Fritz's first serve was still being retrieved when he started lining up his second. Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz has eased into the semi-finals, where he will face fifth seed Taylor Fritz, but mystery surrounds the fitness of his expected challenger in Sunday's final, Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz brushed aside the remaining home player, Briton Cameron Norrie, 6-2 6-3 6-3, on the same Centre Court on which less than 24 hours earlier Sinner had escaped when two sets down after Grigor Dimitrov had to retire with a chest muscle injury. Amid the drama surrounding the Bulgarian on Monday night (local time) it was largely forgotten that Sinner had himself been nursing an injury to his elbow, incurred while breaking a fall, and had taken a medical time-out for it. On Tuesday morning Sinner, who is due to meet American Ben Shelton in the quarter-final on Wednesday, had an MRI scan, and in the afternoon he cancelled his planned practice session. There was no official update from Sinner's camp but his Australian coach Darren Cahill reportedly told ESPN the Italian had a hit indoors for 20 to 30 minutes. "It was quite an unfortunate fall," Sinner said on Monday night. "I felt it quite a lot, especially on serve and forehand. We are going to check with MRI to see if there's something serious, and then we'll try to adjust it." There were no such worries for Alcaraz. He lost the first three points on serve, but prevented Norrie securing the break and never looked back. He took the first set in 28 minutes and the match in 99. The victory extended his winning streak to 23 matches and his record on grass to 34 wins from 37. "To be able to play another semi-final here at Wimbledon is really special," Alcaraz said. "I am really happy with the level I played today against a really difficult player like Cam." Fritz's path to the last four was not as smooth as the Spaniard's. Russian 17th seed Karen Khachanov won the third set 6-1, the American needed a medical time-out, and there was another technology malfunction with the automated line calls. "The match was going so well for me for two sets," he said after taking a fourth set tie-break to wrap up the match 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-4). "I've never had a match just flip so quickly, so I'm really happy with how I came back in the fourth set and got it done. "I felt I couldn't miss and then all of sudden I'm making a ton of mistakes. "Momentum was definitely not going to be on my side going into a fifth." Fritz said the treatment on his right foot ahead of the fourth set was just a minor matter. "It's totally fine, it's pretty common, a lot of players do this tape job so your foot doesn't get irritated," he said. "I think I ripped it off at some point in the second so I just needed to get it re-done." The erroneous line call came soon after when 'Fault' was incorrectly called after a Fritz backhand landed well inside the baseline. It became evident the system was still tracking the initial serve so chair umpire Louise Azemar-Engzell ordered the point be replayed. The All England Club explained the system had failed to reset because the ball from Fritz's first serve was still being retrieved when he started lining up his second. Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz has eased into the semi-finals, where he will face fifth seed Taylor Fritz, but mystery surrounds the fitness of his expected challenger in Sunday's final, Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz brushed aside the remaining home player, Briton Cameron Norrie, 6-2 6-3 6-3, on the same Centre Court on which less than 24 hours earlier Sinner had escaped when two sets down after Grigor Dimitrov had to retire with a chest muscle injury. Amid the drama surrounding the Bulgarian on Monday night (local time) it was largely forgotten that Sinner had himself been nursing an injury to his elbow, incurred while breaking a fall, and had taken a medical time-out for it. On Tuesday morning Sinner, who is due to meet American Ben Shelton in the quarter-final on Wednesday, had an MRI scan, and in the afternoon he cancelled his planned practice session. There was no official update from Sinner's camp but his Australian coach Darren Cahill reportedly told ESPN the Italian had a hit indoors for 20 to 30 minutes. "It was quite an unfortunate fall," Sinner said on Monday night. "I felt it quite a lot, especially on serve and forehand. We are going to check with MRI to see if there's something serious, and then we'll try to adjust it." There were no such worries for Alcaraz. He lost the first three points on serve, but prevented Norrie securing the break and never looked back. He took the first set in 28 minutes and the match in 99. The victory extended his winning streak to 23 matches and his record on grass to 34 wins from 37. "To be able to play another semi-final here at Wimbledon is really special," Alcaraz said. "I am really happy with the level I played today against a really difficult player like Cam." Fritz's path to the last four was not as smooth as the Spaniard's. Russian 17th seed Karen Khachanov won the third set 6-1, the American needed a medical time-out, and there was another technology malfunction with the automated line calls. "The match was going so well for me for two sets," he said after taking a fourth set tie-break to wrap up the match 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-4). "I've never had a match just flip so quickly, so I'm really happy with how I came back in the fourth set and got it done. "I felt I couldn't miss and then all of sudden I'm making a ton of mistakes. "Momentum was definitely not going to be on my side going into a fifth." Fritz said the treatment on his right foot ahead of the fourth set was just a minor matter. "It's totally fine, it's pretty common, a lot of players do this tape job so your foot doesn't get irritated," he said. "I think I ripped it off at some point in the second so I just needed to get it re-done." The erroneous line call came soon after when 'Fault' was incorrectly called after a Fritz backhand landed well inside the baseline. It became evident the system was still tracking the initial serve so chair umpire Louise Azemar-Engzell ordered the point be replayed. The All England Club explained the system had failed to reset because the ball from Fritz's first serve was still being retrieved when he started lining up his second. Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz has eased into the semi-finals, where he will face fifth seed Taylor Fritz, but mystery surrounds the fitness of his expected challenger in Sunday's final, Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz brushed aside the remaining home player, Briton Cameron Norrie, 6-2 6-3 6-3, on the same Centre Court on which less than 24 hours earlier Sinner had escaped when two sets down after Grigor Dimitrov had to retire with a chest muscle injury. Amid the drama surrounding the Bulgarian on Monday night (local time) it was largely forgotten that Sinner had himself been nursing an injury to his elbow, incurred while breaking a fall, and had taken a medical time-out for it. On Tuesday morning Sinner, who is due to meet American Ben Shelton in the quarter-final on Wednesday, had an MRI scan, and in the afternoon he cancelled his planned practice session. There was no official update from Sinner's camp but his Australian coach Darren Cahill reportedly told ESPN the Italian had a hit indoors for 20 to 30 minutes. "It was quite an unfortunate fall," Sinner said on Monday night. "I felt it quite a lot, especially on serve and forehand. We are going to check with MRI to see if there's something serious, and then we'll try to adjust it." There were no such worries for Alcaraz. He lost the first three points on serve, but prevented Norrie securing the break and never looked back. He took the first set in 28 minutes and the match in 99. The victory extended his winning streak to 23 matches and his record on grass to 34 wins from 37. "To be able to play another semi-final here at Wimbledon is really special," Alcaraz said. "I am really happy with the level I played today against a really difficult player like Cam." Fritz's path to the last four was not as smooth as the Spaniard's. Russian 17th seed Karen Khachanov won the third set 6-1, the American needed a medical time-out, and there was another technology malfunction with the automated line calls. "The match was going so well for me for two sets," he said after taking a fourth set tie-break to wrap up the match 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-4). "I've never had a match just flip so quickly, so I'm really happy with how I came back in the fourth set and got it done. "I felt I couldn't miss and then all of sudden I'm making a ton of mistakes. "Momentum was definitely not going to be on my side going into a fifth." Fritz said the treatment on his right foot ahead of the fourth set was just a minor matter. "It's totally fine, it's pretty common, a lot of players do this tape job so your foot doesn't get irritated," he said. "I think I ripped it off at some point in the second so I just needed to get it re-done." The erroneous line call came soon after when 'Fault' was incorrectly called after a Fritz backhand landed well inside the baseline. It became evident the system was still tracking the initial serve so chair umpire Louise Azemar-Engzell ordered the point be replayed. The All England Club explained the system had failed to reset because the ball from Fritz's first serve was still being retrieved when he started lining up his second.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
How QLD captain Cameron Munster went from parties to property
Just four years ago, Queensland captain Cameron Munster was a self-confessed Tinder addict, losing thousands every weekend on gambling, and found himself in rehab after being caught with cocaine. Now, on the day of the Origin decider, the wildchild larrikin turned superstar player and business-savvy, millionaire property owner is mourning the death of his father. But instead of taking time off, the Maroons skipper is determined to play in honour of his dad. The 31-year-old's on-field transformation in recent years triggered an off-field revolution that has seen him branch out into property investment and business ventures, all while rubbing shoulders with some of the country's most powerful people. The first step for Munster was purchasing his first home in Melbourne — a home in Willsmere Rd, Kew, which piqued his interest in growing a property portfolio. Munster now owns multiple properties, including a number of investment properties in Queensland. Records show they include a three-bedroom home in Mooloolaba, which he purchased in May 2020 for $650,000, and a four-bedroom home in Peregian Springs, which he bought in 2016 for $575,000. It was last listed for rent in December 2023 for $820 a week. As well as climbing the property ladder, Munster teamed up with Terella Brewing to create an alcoholic ginger beer called Mad Dog — a tribute to his moniker at the Storm. The Storm playmaker also designed a casual clothing range with Ringers Western — an Australian western and country brand. The Maroons will get behind their grieving skipper at Accor Stadium tonight, with the team looking to win the series after losing game one at home. After their shock win in Perth, they now have the chance to make it back-to-back wins on the road with a rookie centre, a returning prop and a new fullback.
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Champ through at Wimbledon but mystery over Sinner scan
Defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz has eased into the semi-finals, where he will face fifth seed Taylor Fritz, but mystery surrounds the fitness of his expected challenger in Sunday's final, Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz brushed aside the remaining home player, Briton Cameron Norrie, 6-2 6-3 6-3, on the same Centre Court on which less than 24 hours earlier Sinner had escaped when two sets down after Grigor Dimitrov had to retire with a chest muscle injury. Amid the drama surrounding the Bulgarian on Monday night (local time) it was largely forgotten that Sinner had himself been nursing an injury to his elbow, incurred while breaking a fall, and had taken a medical time-out for it. On Tuesday morning Sinner, who is due to meet American Ben Shelton in the quarter-final on Wednesday, had an MRI scan, and in the afternoon he cancelled his planned practice session. There was no official update from Sinner's camp but his Australian coach Darren Cahill reportedly told ESPN the Italian had a hit indoors for 20 to 30 minutes. "It was quite an unfortunate fall," Sinner said on Monday night. "I felt it quite a lot, especially on serve and forehand. We are going to check with MRI to see if there's something serious, and then we'll try to adjust it." There were no such worries for Alcaraz. He lost the first three points on serve, but prevented Norrie securing the break and never looked back. He took the first set in 28 minutes and the match in 99. The victory extended his winning streak to 23 matches and his record on grass to 34 wins from 37. "To be able to play another semi-final here at Wimbledon is really special," Alcaraz said. "I am really happy with the level I played today against a really difficult player like Cam." Fritz's path to the last four was not as smooth as the Spaniard's. Russian 17th seed Karen Khachanov won the third set 6-1, the American needed a medical time-out, and there was another technology malfunction with the automated line calls. "The match was going so well for me for two sets," he said after taking a fourth set tie-break to wrap up the match 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-6 (7-4). "I've never had a match just flip so quickly, so I'm really happy with how I came back in the fourth set and got it done. "I felt I couldn't miss and then all of sudden I'm making a ton of mistakes. "Momentum was definitely not going to be on my side going into a fifth." Fritz said the treatment on his right foot ahead of the fourth set was just a minor matter. "It's totally fine, it's pretty common, a lot of players do this tape job so your foot doesn't get irritated," he said. "I think I ripped it off at some point in the second so I just needed to get it re-done." The erroneous line call came soon after when 'Fault' was incorrectly called after a Fritz backhand landed well inside the baseline. It became evident the system was still tracking the initial serve so chair umpire Louise Azemar-Engzell ordered the point be replayed. The All England Club explained the system had failed to reset because the ball from Fritz's first serve was still being retrieved when he started lining up his second.
