logo
Defending champion Krejcikova battles into Wimbledon third round

Defending champion Krejcikova battles into Wimbledon third round

eNCAa day ago
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova moved into the third round with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over American world number 67 Caroline Dolehide on Thursday.
The Czech 17th seed took one hour and 51 minutes to grind out another hard-fought victory to keep her title defence alive.
Krejcikova had powered back from a set down to beat Philippines star Alexandra Eala in the first round on Tuesday.
The two-time Grand Slam champion has endured a difficult time since defeating Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the final last year.
The 29-year-old was out of action until May after suffering a back injury and lost in the second round of the recent French Open.
Krejcikova pulled out of last week's Eastbourne Open before the quarter-finals with a thigh problem and has played just eight matches this year.
But Krejcikova is relishing being back on the hallowed turf of the All England Club, describing walking onto Centre Court for her first-round match as a "very beautiful and just very joyful experience".
Playing on the less glamourous Court Two in the second round, the Czech was broken in the fourth game of the first set, but responded emphatically.
She won four consecutive games to regain control and served out the set.
Krejcikova wobbled in the second set, dropping serve in the sixth game as Dolehide levelled the match.
But the Czech steadied her nerve in the deciding set and landed the decisive break for a 4-2 lead before serving out the win.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Australian Open champion Keys stunned at Wimbledon
Australian Open champion Keys stunned at Wimbledon

eNCA

time3 hours ago

  • eNCA

Australian Open champion Keys stunned at Wimbledon

LONDON - Australian Open champion Madison Keys became the latest star to crash out of Wimbledon as the American sixth seed was stunned by Laura Siegemund on Friday. Keys slumped to a 6-3, 6-3 loss against the German world number 104 in the third round on Court Two. The 30-year-old is the fifth player among the top six seeds in the women's draw to suffer a surprise exit from this year's tournament. Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and Zheng Qinwen had already bowed out, though world number one Aryna Sabalenka is still alive. Keys, who beat Sabalenka to clinch her maiden Grand Slam crown in Melbourne in January, is yet to make it past the quarter-finals in 11 visits to the All England Club. She made 31 unforced errors in a lacklustre display against Siegemund. It was a miserable way to spend the fourth of July for Keys while her compatriots celebrated the Independence Day holiday back in the United States. Siegemund, who beat former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the second round, is through to the Wimbledon last 16 for the first time. At 37, she is the oldest player left in the women's tournament, with her best Grand Slam singles run coming when she made the French Open quarter-finals in 2020. "When you beat a great player like Madison you have to be really happy," said Siegemund. "I managed to keep my nerve in the end. If you don't have nerves in this moment you are probably dead. "It was a big opportunity. You just take a deep breath and remember your strategy. "All the girls on the tour are perfectionists. I'm the same but there was no pressure for me. I don't feel like I need to prove anything anymore."

The race problem behind the racy ‘F1' movie
The race problem behind the racy ‘F1' movie

TimesLIVE

time12 hours ago

  • TimesLIVE

The race problem behind the racy ‘F1' movie

Everybody loves a good sports movie, especially as streamers feed the insatiable hunger binge watchers have for documentaries. With the likes of David Beckham and Usain Bolt pulling back the veils from their misunderstood lives, the cinema of fast-paced flicks is slowly taking over. Coming into the fold is Joseph Kosinski's F1, which follows his winning trajectory of fast-paced dramas. Starring Brad Pitt, who plays the fictional Sonny Hayes, F1 follows a former American Formula One driver on the verge of a career comeback late in life. After a horrific crash earlier in his career, Sonny's life spiralled out of the limelight and into destructive behaviours and career changes. His former teammate Ruben Cervantes (played by Javier Bardem) pulls him from the chaotic world of NASCAR and back into Formula One racing in the hope of reviving fictional motor racing company Apex. Each cast member shines in what is a definitive movie that has pulled audiences back to the cinema, hitting $146m in its first week. While the movie successfully scores, directs and costumes Pitt into what could easily be an Oscar favourite, it runs into a snag with its supporting cast. Its most glaring issues can be seen with Apex GP's rising talent, Joshua Pearce, played by Snowfall star Damson Idris. With barely enough wins to save the company from a troubled reputation, the pressure is on Joshua to make the right moves on the track to secure a much-needed win. However, with Sonny looking to make a comeback, the story creates a conflict between the two, which makes for great tension. While Idris shines alongside Pitt, it does seem he may be miscast in this role — not due to a lack of talent, but because of issues left bare in the writing room. While Sonny is framed as a recluse loose cannon brimming at the helmet with talent, Joshua is framed as a template for a fame-obsessed rookie. However, with Idris being black and quite talented at showcasing the pain in Joshua's training, the storyline falls flat as a judgmental gaze at the pressures of success. The initial scenes on meeting Joshua showcase a number of these elements. He exposits about a former teammate who has been benched (in favour of Sonny) and racially discriminated against, with Apex GP's marketing team forcing Joshua to suck it up and fake it for the press. This is the same expectation thrust on Joshua when he meets Sonny, who makes an aloof entrance and does not co-operate with the Apex GP team. So much so that it costs him and Joshua multiple wins. Joshua confronts Sonny's insubordination but is met with little support from senior members of Apex GP, leading to a blow-up between him and Sonny, where cameras catch them in a heated exchange. Joshua reverts to his signature pose and a wide smile, playing nice for the camera and an impenitent Sonny who shames him for keeping a good face in light of the conflict. These moments go on to define Joshua's experiences, where there's very little understanding of the racial context to what he is experiencing. Joshua's experiences in F1 echo studies into black fatigue and code switching, which are efforts made by black people in workplaces where they have to work twice as hard as white counterparts to fit in to the professional environment. Joshua is the only other person of colour in the Apex GP team and with a lot of chatter from the corporate members around him looking to have him axed, it becomes increasingly difficult to trust his standing in his workplace. As a solution, Joshua and his manager cut outside deals through club appearances, brand-sponsored social media posts and an intense workout regimen that constantly gets contrasted with the detached world Sonny lives in. Rather than alleviate this pressure, we see Joshua struggle to secure his living due to not feeling as secure as Sonny or the benched colleague. This is also echoed in the many mistakes Sonny makes while Joshua is lambasted for one slip that the story continues to bring up until he accounts for it. As part of the flubbed attempt at making Joshua seem like an arrogant, fame-hungry member of the team, the movie constantly displays a dislike for technology. Whether it's Joshua's use of social media or the hi-tech training equipment he painstakingly uses to keep up with the high standards placed on him, the movie makes him the poster boy for a future that conflicts with a past it can't seem to fully define. In its poor attempt at stereotyping Joshua's character, it creates a supporting cast filled with uninteresting roleplayers who fall into tired tropes we've seen too many times before. It is especially glaring with Kerry Condon (Banshees of Inisherin), who is underutilised as a trope often mocked by TikTokers and today's leading ladies. A scientist whose place in the team is questioned based on gender and becomes defined by becoming the lead character's love interest. Rather than celebrating differences and allowing its main character to shine as an impulsive leader, F1 takes a wrong turn from a thrilling redemption story that's oversteered into a movie that longs for but can't quite give meaning to nostalgia.

SA gears up for epic weekend of sport
SA gears up for epic weekend of sport

The Citizen

time21 hours ago

  • The Citizen

SA gears up for epic weekend of sport

Springboks, Proteas, and the Durban July headline a weekend of world-class sport and entertainment. Last year Oriental Charm became the second straight Durban July winner to have been prepared by James Crawford at Randjesfontein. Picture: Gerhard Duraan/Gallo Images If you are a sports fan, then there is probably no better time than the first weekend of July. Our national rugby team host Italy at Loftus Versfeld tomorrow in the first of two Tests, while our Proteas men's cricket team – the world Test champions – are up against Zimbabwe in the second Test in Bulawayo from Sunday, having won by 382 runs with a young, new-look team at the same venue in the first Test this week. Both teams are led by new captains, the Springboks by Jesse Kriel in the absence of the injured Siya Kolisi and the Proteas by Wiaan Mulder, who covers for the injured duo of Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj. The Springbok rugby women are also in action in Pretoria against Canada. ALSO READ: Inside the must-attend marquees at the 2025 Durban July It's also time for Africa's premier horse race, the Durban July, which not only attracts racing fanatics, but also fashionistas at Greyville racecourse. Abroad, there's the start of the Tour de France cycling race from Lille tomorrow, tennis' third Grand Slam of the year finishes the first week of play on the hallowed grass of Wimbledon, the British and Irish Lions are on tour Down Under and there's several incoming rugby Test series between New Zealand and France, Japan and Wales, Argentina and England and Georgia and Ireland. Phew, we are definitely spoilt for choice.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store