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Photo highlights from Wimbledon finals

Photo highlights from Wimbledon finals

Yahoo11 hours ago
Julian Cash of Britain, right, and Lloyd Glasspool of Britain prepare to play a return during the men's doubles final match against Rinky Hijikata of Australia and David Pel of the Netherlands at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, July 12, 2025.(AP Photo/Joanna Chan)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry 'a gift to our sport'
Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry 'a gift to our sport'

Yahoo

time31 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry 'a gift to our sport'

The first person Jannik Sinner thanked in his speech after winning Wimbledon was Carlos Alcaraz. Speaking after the latest instalment of their captivating rivalry, Sinner said: "Carlos, thank you for the player you are. Advertisement "It is so difficult to play you but we have a great relationship off the court. "Keep going, keep pushing, you are going to hold this trophy many times - you already have twice!" A packed Centre Court crowd were almost willing Alcaraz to find a way to force a deciding fifth set and keep an absorbing contest going. But world number one Sinner powered to the finish line to end Alcaraz's title defence. It was their first meeting in a Wimbledon final. It is unlikely to be their last. Sinner is the first player to beat Alcaraz in a Grand Slam final. Alcaraz was the first to beat Sinner. Advertisement The pair have now won the past seven Grand Slam titles, with Sinner taking four. They met for the first time in a major final at last month's French Open, with Alcaraz recovering from two sets and three championship points down to win an epic, before Sinner took this year's Wimbledon title. They are the first pair to contest the French Open and Wimbledon finals in the same year since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in 2008. There is little that separates the two in terms of the numbers. Sinner has won 20 titles to Alcaraz's 21. The Spaniard also has the edge in Grand Slams, with five to Sinner's four. Advertisement Alcaraz still leads the head-to-head 8-5 - but Sinner has now snapped a five-match losing streak against the world number two. The Italian has also halted Alcaraz's winning run at 24 matches. Their trajectories have been similar. Over the past two seasons, Sinner has won 99 of his 110 matches and lifted 10 titles. Alcaraz has won 102 of his 121 matches and won nine trophies. Sunday's final was the second time Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz had met at Wimbledon, with Sinner also winning their 2022 fourth-round encounter [Getty Images] The pair also have consistently high-quality matches. Only four of their 13 matches have been straight-set wins, and three of their five major meetings have gone the distance. Alcaraz has won all three of their five-set encounters. The first came at the 2022 US Open, an epic quarter-final that lasted five hours and 15 minutes and finished at almost 3am. Advertisement Both of their French Open meetings went the full five sets, with this year's final lasting a gruelling five hours and 29 minutes. 'I keep looking up to Carlos' - Sinner on Alcaraz Sinner is the less expressive of the pair on court, although he was noticeably fired up throughout the Wimbledon final, with shouts of "let's go!" and the occasional sharp word to his box. In terms of playing style, he has the Novak Djokovic-esque movement in and out of the corners, ankles snapping worryingly close to the ground as he slides to chase down a shot. He used his huge serve and forehand to great effect against Alcaraz - but Sinner says he can still learn plenty from his opponent. Advertisement "I keep looking up to Carlos because even today I felt like he was doing a couple of things better than I did," Sinner said. "That's something we will work on because he's going to come for us again." 'No other rivalry has our level' - Alcaraz on Sinner Alcaraz is the showman of the rivalry. At times a walking highlight reel who smiles even when the point goes against him, he was mobbed by fans on his way to a practice session before the final. His serve was not at its best on Sunday - in part because Sinner did not allow it to be - but his shot-making ability is what makes him so watchable. Advertisement Alcaraz has often spoken about how the rivalry with Sinner pushes him to be better. "I think it's great for us and for tennis. Every time we play against each other, I think our level is really high," he said. "I don't see any player playing against each other having the level that we are playing when we face each other." 'These guys are saving men's tennis' With the 'Big Three' era having ended, and Djokovic the last man standing from the golden age of men's tennis, fans are looking for another rivalry to latch on to. Sinner and Alcaraz are the first to say their budding rivalry has some way to go before it reaches the heights of those before them - but it has all the hallmarks of another era-defining competitiveness. Advertisement "We have just come out of one of the most incredible eras and suddenly these two guys are stepping up," Pat Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champion, said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "I always say Andre Agassi saved men's tennis when he came back and these guys are saving men's tennis now." Former world number one John McEnroe said the pair reminded him of his own battles with Bjorn Borg - the 'Fire and Ice' rivalry that ended tied 7-7 - and that of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. "That's what makes it great. The way they behave out there is completely different but both are equally effective," McEnroe said on BBC TV. Advertisement Former Wimbledon doubles champion Todd Woodbridge agreed, adding: "They have the best parts of those players' games, and they have taken it to the next level." But Rod Laver, a four-time Wimbledon champion, perhaps summed it up best. "Their growing rivalry is a gift to our sport, and it's matched by the genuine respect they show for each other," he wrote. "Win or lose, they compete with joy, class, and sportsmanship. That's what makes champions."

Why Vivianne Miedema was left out by Andries Jonker – and why it was the right call
Why Vivianne Miedema was left out by Andries Jonker – and why it was the right call

New York Times

time34 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Why Vivianne Miedema was left out by Andries Jonker – and why it was the right call

Back in 2003, renowned Dutch manager Co Adriaanse's AZ side had just lost an Eredivisie game to Roda JC 5-1. His tactics inevitably came under scrutiny from journalists. But Adriaanse hit back, and argued that his side had been better on the day, had created the better chances and should have won the game. He coined a phrase that has become famous in Dutch football: 'scorebordjournalistiek', or scoreboard journalism. In other words, working backwards from the result and analysing the game inaccurately. Advertisement That phrase came to mind when watching another Dutch side concede five last night, in Basel. The Netherlands needed to beat France by three goals to progress to the knockout stage of the Euros. Andries Jonker, in his final game as Netherlands coach, took the brave decision to leave out Vivianne Miedema, who recently scored her 100th international goal. And the Netherlands ended up losing by three goals. From that, it seems clear that Jonker's approach backfired. But that would be scoreboard journalism. So here's a different interpretation of events: Jonker was entirely justified in not playing Miedema. The Netherlands' record goalscorer has, sadly, been desperately off the pace at Euro 2025. She's looked dreadfully sluggish, unable to go in behind the opposition, and has often miscontrolled balls that have come her way. It's not that Miedema is 'finished', it's simply that she's had two years of serious injury problems, has often been used in midfield since moving to Manchester City last summer, and isn't in the right condition to offer certain qualities. And this was a fixture against a dynamic, high-tempo side who leave space in behind. Therefore, the Dutch required someone who could play at a high tempo, and also make constant runs to sprint onto long passes. That was not Miedema. Therefore, Jonker went for Lineth Beerensteyn, renowned as one of the quickest players in the competition, and she constantly made runs in behind the defence as the Netherlands went direct. And, by and large, this worked very well. After falling behind, the Dutch equalised through Victoria Pelova, from a move that started with a lofted ball in behind France towards the onrushing Beerensteyn. Then they went ahead when Pelova raced in behind onto a good pass, and played a cut-back towards Beerensteyn, sprinting to the near post. It resulted in a scrappy own goal, but the Dutch were attacking with far more speed than in their previous two games. And they were, throughout the first half, outplaying France. 'They gave us problems with their long balls,' admitted Laurent Bonadei, the France manager, after the game. 'They played long passes and we had to retreat.' At left-back, meanwhile, Jonker surprisingly omitted Barcelona's Esmee Brugts, a converted attacker and not yet the most reliable defender. He instead deployed his regular right-back Kerstin Casparij on the left, and she proved capable of crossing with her left foot, but more importantly defended well against the dangerous Delphine Cascarino in the first half. A 2-1 half-time Dutch lead was fully deserved. Advertisement The problem of course, was that 2-1 wasn't enough for the Netherlands. They needed two more goals. So they played with an urgency and an aggression that allowed France chances to break. And France are very good on the break. After a sloppy concession to make it 2-2, France seized their chance with an eight-minute burst and found themselves 4-2 up. By that point, the game was over. The group was decided. The Dutch were going out. The concession of the fifth goals makes the performance look disastrous — and it was ironic that it came from a harshly awarded penalty after foul from Casparij, who had otherwise defended excellently. 'I look at one game at a time, and I look for players to give the best opportunity to give win,' Jonker said after the game. 'I don't consider age, status or past performances. I look at the moment and I approached the game against France from that perspective: what we needed, and that's why we changed four players.' And, more pertinently, that's why he left out Miedema. For a moment in the second half, it seemed Miedema would be summoned from the bench. She and Jonker spent 30 seconds discussing the matter while gazing at the play unfolding in front of them. But, as Jonker explained afterwards, he was realistic about the situation. His side needed to score several goals. It was impossible. There was no point Miedema taking risks when she's nowhere close to peak fitness. Jonker's time with the Netherlands is now over, but Miedema's is hopefully not. She has often explained that she prefers playing in a deeper position rather than as a pure goalscorer, and she's a less explosive player than during her peak goalscoring years. The presence of Bunny Shaw means she's likely to be a second striker at City, if not necessarily a pure midfielder. Working out her precise role will be among the main tasks for two incoming managers: City's new boss Andree Jeglertz, who coached Denmark at this competition, and the Netherlands' new coach Arjan Veurink, currently assistant manager of England. Advertisement Really, it was England rather than France who eliminated the Dutch from Euro 2025. That 4-0 defeat in Zurich was a terrible result that broadly reflected the balance of play. But this loss to France did not. 5-2 looks embarrassing on the scoreboard. But journalism, as Adriaanse said 24 years ago, should be about more than reflecting the scoreboard.

Dylan Brown cops brutal reality check about NRL role after surprise call from Eels
Dylan Brown cops brutal reality check about NRL role after surprise call from Eels

Yahoo

time39 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Dylan Brown cops brutal reality check about NRL role after surprise call from Eels

Greg Alexander says Dylan Brown's shock switch from five-eighth to hooker has signalled the beginning of the end of his playmaking days at Parramatta. Coach Jason Ryles made the surprise call before Sunday's loss against four-time defending premiers Penrith to shift the Newcastle-bound Brown to hooker and play youngster Joash Papalii in the halves instead, despite naming the Kiwi Test star at No.6. Brown is set to join Newcastle next season after signing a 10-year, $13 million deal and with the 15th-placed Eels little chance to play finals footy this season, Ryles has decided to turn his attentions to the future. And as far as Alexander is concerned, that means Brown has likely played his last game as Parramatta's starting five-eighth, with the league great backing the move to give Papalii a chance to prove he can be Mitch Moses' long-term halves partner. 'It's very odd,' Alexander said on SEN radio on Monday. 'Jason Ryles is looking to the future. The Eels are not going to figure in finals. Brown is not part of the future and you're now at a stage where you look back on the season." Alexander questioned whether the Knights may actually be having second thoughts on their mega-money move to bring Brown to the club next season after his recent performances for the Eels. And he said the fact Ryles replaced the Kiwi star in the first half and only brought him back on in the dying stages of Sunday's 32-10 defeat to Penrith, suggested Brown was no longer in the coach's starting team plans. RELATED: Laurie Daley's worrying call as glaring NSW Origin mistake exposed Nathan Cleary lifts the lid on father Ivan's act after heartbreak Sam Walker's future cast into doubt after news about father and uncle 'For Brown, has he done anything? Is he doing things during the game that are likely to win you a game? I'd say not," Alexander said about Brown's recent form. "Playing the Dragons a fortnight ago, Newcastle would be watching this and thinking '(is) that our man?' 'The Eels don't have a five-eighth for next year and they want to see Joash Papalii can handle it. After taking Brown off 30 minutes in and (Ryles) not putting him back on until the last five minutes when the game was lost, I think we know where Dylan Brown stands now... his time at the Eels is done in terms of playing at six.' With Moses out injured for much of the season, many expected Brown to stand up in the halfback's absence and lead the Eels as their chief playmaker. That hasn't been the case though, with rookie fullback Isaiah Iongi seemingly taking on that mantle and being a standout for Parramatta in his first season at the club. And after Sunday's defeat to Penrith, Ryles has since confirmed that Papalii will get another shot at the No.6 role for next weekend's clash with the ladder-leading Raiders. But with first-choice hooker Ryley Smith returning from suspension to share dummy-half duties with mid-season recruit Tallyn Da Silva, it raises further question marks over Brown's role for the rest of the season. "(Papalii) will get the first opportunity and then we'll just see what it looks like going forward," Ryles said. He's going to take a little bit of time to find his way; I think he's five or six games in. We'll just let him keep working on his game and let that keep evolving." The Eels coach says Brown understands the situation though and has handled his demotion well. "Whilst he's still here, he's happy to do what's best for the team. It's a good reflection of his character," Parramatta's coach said about the Kiwi playmaker.

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