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Venus Williams makes a winning return to action at the age of 45

Venus Williams makes a winning return to action at the age of 45

The 45-year-old seven-time grand slam tournament winner accepted a wildcard to compete in the Mubadala Citi DC Open this week.
She and fellow American Baptiste proved too strong for Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue as they triumphed 6-3 6-1 in a last-16 encounter that lasted 72 minutes.
She's back 🤩
The one and only @Venuseswilliams returns to court.#MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/Sv6jO8qDu5
— wta (@WTA) July 21, 2025
Her comeback will continue as she takes on another American in Peyton Stearns in the first round of the singles. It is Williams' first appearances in a WTA Tour event since March 2024.
'It was great to come out here and see the energy,' Williams said on Sky Sports after the match. 'As we were walking out to the court, we knew this was going to be a match.
'Our opponents actually played very well. It wasn't easy for us but we brought it together quickly as a team. It was inspiring to be out here. I love this game and still hitting it big.'
Williams joked she wished she could have partnered with Baptiste, the 23-year-old world number 50, years earlier rather than playing with her sister Serena.
She said: 'I think from the first point, I could see that we were going to be a good team. We just should have started playing earlier, years ago, right? I think Serena was just in the way!'
Britain's Emma Raducanu scored an eye-catching win on her doubles debut alongside former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Competing together for the first time, the duo fought back from an early deficit to beat fourth seeds Tereza Mihalikova and Britain's Olivia Nicholls 2-6 7-6 (4) 11-9 in a decisive tie-break set.
It was a notable win for Raducanu and Rybakina against opponents who triumphed at the Berlin Open last month and also reached the final at Indian Wells earlier this year.
Look at what it means!!! ❤️‍🔥
2023 champion Dan Evans digs deep to overcome Bergs 3-6 6-4 6-3 to progress in Washington. @mubadalacitidc | #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/BBnWEPu1dA
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 21, 2025
British number one Katie Boulter fell at the first hurdle in the singles as she went out 3-6 4-6 to Greece's Maria Sakkari.
Boulter lost her opening service game in each set and was never able to regain the initiative.
Earlier, former men's singles champion Dan Evans enjoyed a triumphant return to the tournament as he came from behind to beat Zizou Bergs.
Evans, the veteran former British number one, triumphed in 2023 but opted not to defend his title last year as he focused on the Olympics.
The 35-year-old was awarded a wildcard to participate this time and took advantage as he overcame a slow start to beat the Belgian Bergs, the world number 52, 3-6 6-4 6-3.
Bergs looked to have resisted the fightback when he edged back ahead with a break in the final set but Evans powered back to secure victory by winning four successive games.
'I didn't just want to take the wildcard and lose,' Evans said on Sky Sports. 'I felt I needed to pay them back a bit and try to 'defend' my title, because I couldn't last year.
'It was great, really enjoyed it, but it was rally difficult. There wasn't much rhythm. He played very well and I was lucky to come through that.'
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The Donald and the art of golf diplomacy
The Donald and the art of golf diplomacy

Spectator

time2 hours ago

  • Spectator

The Donald and the art of golf diplomacy

In 1969, one of the great acts of sportsmanship occurred at Royal Birkdale golf club in Southport, when the Ryder Cup came down to the last green. Britain's Tony Jacklin had a three-foot putt to halve the final match with Jack Nicklaus and make the score 16-16, but the American picked up Jacklin's marker and said he was happy to share the spoils. 'I don't think you would have missed,' he said, 'but I didn't want to give you the chance.' The gesture was immortalised in the naming of a Florida golf course, the Concession, which has just been awarded the next three senior PGA Championships, one of the majors. I suspect that Donald Trump, who owns three courses in that state, might regard Nicklaus as a loser. The coat of arms for Trump's latest course in Scotland has the motto Numquam Concedere ('never let them have a gimme', to paraphrase) and the emblem of an eagle clutching two balls. Subtle. 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This came after the PGA of America removed the 2022 PGA Championship from Trump's Bedminster course in New Jersey following the attack on the Capitol in 2021. Since then, the position against giving Trump an Open has become more nuanced. Mark Darbon, the new R&A chief executive, says he would 'love' the Open to return to Turnberry but while he has discussed it recently with Eric Trump, Donald's son, there are 'logistical challenges'. The course is in the middle of nowhere and the transport links and hotel accommodation can't cope. Only 120,000 could attend Turnberry in 2009, while 280,000 came to Portrush. Sorry Donald, nothing personal. A feasibility study, that old favourite for kicking things into the long grass (and the rough can be very long at the Open), has been commissioned to ease the political pressure. If that fails, they can fall back on Sir Humphrey's 'in the fullness of time' tactic. 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He will not miss this Ryder Cup but if it is a rowdy one – expect no sporting concessions this time – the R&A may find a new reason to delay a decision. One thing that is certain about Trump's visit to Aberdeenshire is that he will have a GREAT opening round. He is a more than decent golfer to judge by footage (though his declared handicap of 2.8 raises eyebrows), but he has never knowingly played badly, certainly not at a club he owns. Two weeks ago, he won the members' championship at Bedminster yet again, while in 2023 he won a two-day competition at his West Palm Beach course, despite being 600 miles away on the first day. Trump explained that he'd had a brilliant practice round two days before and so submitted that as his Saturday scorecard in absentia, meaning the field began Sunday five strokes behind. This performance, Trump declared, proved that he had the 'strength and stamina' to deserve a second term. 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When Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House in May, the South African President took with him a pair of major-winning golfers, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, in the hope that it would impress Trump. Alexander Stubb, the Finnish President and a former college golfer in South Carolina, negotiated the purchase by the US of some Finnish icebreakers after he played (and won) a tournament in Palm Beach with Trump as his partner in March. That will be the challenge for Starmer when he pays homage. Unlike David Cameron, who rewarded Obama for his Brexit intervention in 2016 with a round at the Grove in Hertfordshire, Starmer can't fake an interest in golf. He was the first prime minister to reject honorary membership of the Ellesborough golf club near Chequers. Perhaps he will bring a star golfer like Sir Nick Faldo with him to swing for Britain. Starmer did have a professional golfer on his backbenches in Brian Leishman, MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, but the Socialist Campaign Group member, who recently lost the whip for rebelling, will surely not play ball. How about the Paymaster General? Nick Thomas-Symonds's skill with a mashie niblick is unknown, but he was named Nicklaus by a golf-mad father. For diplomatic reasons, Starmer may want to allow Trump to say that his course was blessed by a British Nicklaus. Just don't expect the President to concede any short putts.

Luke Littler requires stirring comeback to beat Jermaine Wattimena
Luke Littler requires stirring comeback to beat Jermaine Wattimena

South Wales Guardian

time2 hours ago

  • South Wales Guardian

Luke Littler requires stirring comeback to beat Jermaine Wattimena

Littler fell 4-0 and 7-2 behind but charged back into an 8-7 lead, the match then going to a tiebreaker before the teenager made it into the quarter-finals. Littler looked in ominous form with his crushing 10-2 win over Ryan Searle on Sunday but the tables were turned early on here. LITTLER WINS AN EPIC! ☢️ The comeback is complete! Luke Littler recovers from 7-2 down to deny Jermaine Wattimena in a World Matchplay classic! 📺 #MatchplayDarts | R2 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 23, 2025 Wattimena meant business and stormed into a 4-0 lead that left heads spinning in the Winter Gardens. Littler took the next two but it was only a temporary reprieve as Wattimena rediscovered his rhythm, making it 7-2 with back-to-back 180s part of an 11-darter. When Littler pulled back the next leg he gestured to the crowd, pointing to the world champion's star on his shirt as he indicated he was not ready to go home yet. And he then set about showing it as he won six legs on the spin, the pressure clearly getting to Wattimena as his earlier poise vanished. The Dutchman recovered to level at 8-8, then punished a Littler miss for 9-9 as the contest went the distance. SEVEN PERFECT DARTS! This is incredible! Jermaine Wattimena goes seven darts into the nine, before rounding off an 11-darter to stretch his lead to 7-2! Littler is on the ropes! 👀 📺 #MatchplayDarts | R2 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 23, 2025 As it went to extra legs both players were missing their throws before Littler got the D10 he needed to end the fight. 'When I pointed to the star on my shirt, I'm a world champion for a reason, I find these gears when I need it,' Littler said on Sky Sports. 'I've not felt pressure like that since the first round of the world championship. I was a bit nervous and it's on to my third game here, I've won two of them. 'I want to get back on stage and right now I can't wait to be in the quarter-final.' Earlier Gerwyn Price stormed through with an 11-3 rout of Chris Dobey. RECORD AVERAGE IN HIS SIGHTS 🧐 Gerwyn Price is averaging over 115 here in a performance for the ages… He leads 8-2 and needs just three more legs! 📺 #MatchplayDarts | R2 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 23, 2025 Price left Dobey with little chance, averaging 108.73 and hitting eight 180s in a performance highlighted by a 146 finish that put him 3-0 up. 'It was fantastic,' the Welshman said. 'The middle part of the game I felt like I couldn't miss. I put Chris under a lot of pressure. I think he still played decent in patches. 'I think early on we were both flying and I was just pipping him on a couple of legs, probably disheartened him a little bit. It's a good game for me.' Former UK champion Andrew Gilding made it through to the last eight with an 11-5 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Luke Littler requires stirring comeback to beat Jermaine Wattimena
Luke Littler requires stirring comeback to beat Jermaine Wattimena

Rhyl Journal

time2 hours ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Luke Littler requires stirring comeback to beat Jermaine Wattimena

Littler fell 4-0 and 7-2 behind but charged back into an 8-7 lead, the match then going to a tiebreaker before the teenager made it into the quarter-finals. Littler looked in ominous form with his crushing 10-2 win over Ryan Searle on Sunday but the tables were turned early on here. LITTLER WINS AN EPIC! ☢️ The comeback is complete! Luke Littler recovers from 7-2 down to deny Jermaine Wattimena in a World Matchplay classic! 📺 #MatchplayDarts | R2 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 23, 2025 Wattimena meant business and stormed into a 4-0 lead that left heads spinning in the Winter Gardens. Littler took the next two but it was only a temporary reprieve as Wattimena rediscovered his rhythm, making it 7-2 with back-to-back 180s part of an 11-darter. When Littler pulled back the next leg he gestured to the crowd, pointing to the world champion's star on his shirt as he indicated he was not ready to go home yet. And he then set about showing it as he won six legs on the spin, the pressure clearly getting to Wattimena as his earlier poise vanished. The Dutchman recovered to level at 8-8, then punished a Littler miss for 9-9 as the contest went the distance. SEVEN PERFECT DARTS! This is incredible! Jermaine Wattimena goes seven darts into the nine, before rounding off an 11-darter to stretch his lead to 7-2! Littler is on the ropes! 👀 📺 #MatchplayDarts | R2 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 23, 2025 As it went to extra legs both players were missing their throws before Littler got the D10 he needed to end the fight. 'When I pointed to the star on my shirt, I'm a world champion for a reason, I find these gears when I need it,' Littler said on Sky Sports. 'I've not felt pressure like that since the first round of the world championship. I was a bit nervous and it's on to my third game here, I've won two of them. 'I want to get back on stage and right now I can't wait to be in the quarter-final.' Earlier Gerwyn Price stormed through with an 11-3 rout of Chris Dobey. RECORD AVERAGE IN HIS SIGHTS 🧐 Gerwyn Price is averaging over 115 here in a performance for the ages… He leads 8-2 and needs just three more legs! 📺 #MatchplayDarts | R2 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 23, 2025 Price left Dobey with little chance, averaging 108.73 and hitting eight 180s in a performance highlighted by a 146 finish that put him 3-0 up. 'It was fantastic,' the Welshman said. 'The middle part of the game I felt like I couldn't miss. I put Chris under a lot of pressure. I think he still played decent in patches. 'I think early on we were both flying and I was just pipping him on a couple of legs, probably disheartened him a little bit. It's a good game for me.' Former UK champion Andrew Gilding made it through to the last eight with an 11-5 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode. That winning feeling. ✨#MatchplayDarts | @joshrock18002 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 23, 2025 In the final match, Josh Rock dumped out Michael van Gerwen 13-11 following a dramatic finale. Van Gerwen looked to on course to edge through when he moved into a 9-6 lead before Rock hit back to take four consecutive legs to lead, then keeping the Dutchman at arm's to reach the quarter-finals. Speaking to Sky Sports, Rock said: 'I don't know what was going on but I got into the game at the end. 'One of the most dramatic, my heart was pumping through the whole game. The stress has finally gone. What a game that was.'

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