
Krejcikova rues bad luck after running out of gas in Wimbledon loss
The 29-year-old Czech was knocked out when she was beaten 2-6 6-3 6-4 by American 10th seed Emma Navarro in a disjointed display where she led by a set and a break but ended up drained in the final set and needing treatment from the doctor.
Tears flowed as she served to stay in the match at 5-3 and she fought on with a hold but the end came swiftly, continuing a frustrating season in which she has been battling a niggling back injury.
"I was enjoying every match that I played here. I was enjoying being on court, being able to play, being pain-free, having some good moments, having some tough situations but overcoming them, enjoying the atmosphere," Krejcikova said.
"I was also really enjoying the position that I was in. Unfortunately, it ended up this way, which is very unfortunate and really sad and disappointing for me."
Krejcikova said that American Navarro was ultimately fitter than her and had more energy when it mattered to take control of the match.
"First of all, I thought that it was the food, that I ate too early. That's why I started with all the bananas and all the sugars and stuff inside," Krejcikova said as she looked to pinpoint the reason for her on-court issues.
"But I wasn't really feeling better, I was actually feeling worse and worse with time on court. It's very sad for me, very unfortunate."
Krejcikova said she would now focus on the North American hardcourt swing with tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati ahead of the U.S. Open in August.
"I don't know if I'll play something in between," said the world number 16.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Mexico defeat USA 2-1 to retain CONCACAF Gold Cup
HOUSTON: Mexico defeated the United States 2-1 to retain the CONCACAF Gold Cup and lift the title for a record-extending 10th time on Sunday. A header 13 minutes from time from Mexico skipper Edson Alvarez completed a come-from-behind victory for 'El Tri' after a typically hard-fought tussle between the North American arch-rivals and 2026 World Cup co-hosts. The win was no less than Mexico deserved after dominating for long periods against Mauricio Pochettino's inexperienced USA side, who went into the tournament missing several first-choice regulars. Alvarez's winner capped a fairytale return to Houston after he had limped off in tears at the same venue during Mexico's opening game of the Copa America last year. "It's a very emotional moment for me," the West Ham midfielder said afterwards. "Ever since I got to Houston, I've been thinking about that heartbreak. I just asked life to give me one more joy." The USA had got off to a dream start, center-back Chris Richards heading the hosts into a fourth-minute lead in front of just under 71,000 fans at Houston's NRG Stadium. Sebastian Berhalter's perfectly flighted curling free-kick from wide on the right sowed panic in the Mexican defence and Crystal Palace defender Richards stooped to glance in a powerful header which cannoned off the underside of the bar and over the line. But that early effort was to be the USA's best chance of a first half that Mexico controlled, spending most of the opening 45 minutes camped in the host nation's territory. Mexico's 16-year-old prodigy Gilberto Mora threatened to grab an equaliser in the 24th minute but his curling shot was saved by USA goalkeeper Matt Freese. Three minutes later though Mexico drew level. Marcel Ruiz threaded a superb pass through to veteran striker Raul Jimenez, who crashed an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. Jimenez celebrated by producing a shirt bearing the name and number 20 of late former Wolverhampton Wanderers team-mate Diogo Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal star who died in a car crash in Spain last week. Mexico continued to carve out the better chances through the remainder of the half and Roberto Alvarado's low shot forced another good save from Freese in the 35th minute. Freese needed to be alert again five minutes from half-time, Mora's powerful strike being parried away by the USA goalkeeper as it hurtled towards the top corner. Alex Freeman almost nodded the USA back in front on the stroke of half-time after pouncing on hesitation by goalkeeper Angel Malagon, but his header cannoned back off the face of the Mexico stopper. The second half followed a similar pattern, with Mexico looking much the more threatening side as the USA struggled to create anything at the other end. The breakthrough finally came though in the 77th minute, when Johan Vazquez's flick-on from a free-kick was met by Alvarez who powered a header into the net past Freese. The goal was chalked off for offside, but replays showed Alvarez was clearly onside, and after a check by the Video Assistant Referee, the on-field decision was overturned and the goal stood. Mexico have now won the Gold Cup a record 10 times, three more than the USA, who have seven. "Obviously we're disappointed not to come away with a win," USA captain Tim Ream said after the defeat. "We started out really well and then they obviously got a spell in the game in the second part of the first half. We just missed a little bit of calmness when we won the ball, to try and move them around a little bit," Ream added. - AFP


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Wimbledon expansion plan goes into legal tie-break
LONDON (Reuters) -Wimbledon fans will have eyes only for the tennis this week but for those who run the world's oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam, the real high-stakes contest will unfold not on their grass, but in London's Royal Courts of Justice. On one side of the legal net is the campaign group Save Wimbledon Park, while facing them in a judicial review of their ambitious expansion plan on Tuesday and Wednesday will be the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC). It is the latest stage of a long-running fight that has split the south-west London "village", which has been home to the Championships since 1877. Last September the AELTC secured planning permission from the Greater London Authority (GLA) to treble the size of the main site to include 39 new courts including an 8,000-seat show court by redeveloping a former golf course on parkland land it already owns. The 200-million-pound ($272.92-million) expansion aims to increase daily capacity to 50,000 people from the current 42,000, upgrade facilities and move the qualifying rounds on site to mirror the Australian, French, and U.S. Opens. The plans have the backing of several leading players, including Novak Djokovic, and 62% of 10,000 residents in Merton and Wandsworth, the London boroughs that share the new site, also support the scheme, according to the AELTC. 'Our confidence in the development and the proposals that we've been working on for many years is as strong as it ever has been,' Wimbledon tournament directorJamie Baker told Reuters. 'For the championships to continue to be in the position that it is and to deliver all the benefits to stakeholders including the local community it is vital that we are able to stage the tournament on one site and bring all the grounds together." However, this week's judicial review will decide whether the GLA's decision to grant planning permission was unlawful. Opponents of the development, including Thelma Ruby, a 100-year-old former actress who lives in a flat overlooking the park, and West Hill Ward Councillor Malcolm Grimston, say the club's plans will cause environmental damage and major disruption to the area. 'It's terribly important that it does not go ahead not just for myself but for the whole planet and future generations," Ruby told Reuters. "I overlook this beautiful landscape and there are all sorts of covenants that say you mustn't build on it, and yet the tennis people have this unnecessary plan they admit will cut down all these glorious trees, which will harm wildlife. 'They're using concrete, building roads, they're going to have lorries polluting and passing my window every 10 minutes. The whole area will be in chaos as they're closing off roads,' she said. Save Wimbledon Park says the GLA failed to consider covenants that were agreed by the AELTC, including restrictions on redeveloping the land, when it bought the Wimbledon Park golf course freehold from Merton council in 1993 for 5.2 million pounds. The AELTC paid a reported 63.5 million pounds to buy the Golf Club's lease, which was due to run until 2041. The campaign group also believes the GLA failed to consider the land's statutory Public Recreation Trust status which means it should be held as "public walks or pleasure grounds". 'It is not antipathy towards the AELTC that's driving this, as some of the benefits are real, such as the extension of lake,' councillor Grimston told Reuters. 'The problem is that it will treble the footprint of the current Championship and turn what currently has very much a feel of being rural England and a gentle pace of life into an industrial complex that would dominate the views of the lake. 'That's why it's classified as Metropolitan Open Land, which is the urban equivalent of the green belt that has been protected for many decades in planning law in the UK and rightly so,' he said. The AELTC say the plans will improve the biodiversity of the park, as well as bringing parts of it back into public use. 'The London Wildlife trust have endorsed the plans, they've spent many hours scrutinising our analysis and our expert views," the AELTC's head of corporate affairs Dominic Foster said. "We know that this expansion will deliver a very significant benefit to biodiversity, whereas golf courses are not good for biodiversity.' ($1 = 0.7328 pounds) (Reporting by Amy-Jo Crowley, editing by Mitch Phillips and Clare Fallon)


Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Alcaraz jokes he's done playing Murray after golf loss at Wimbledon
LONDON, July 7 — Carlos Alcaraz joked that he did not want to play Andy Murray again... in any sport after losing to the former world number one on the golf course. The two-time defending Wimbledon champion revealed last week that he and the retired British star were level at 1-1 after two games of golf. Murray tweeted on Saturday: 'We played the deciding match this afternoon. Maybe ask him what happened after the next match.' Alcaraz, who had just beaten Russian 14th seed Andrey Rublev to reach the fourth round at the All England Club on Sunday, pretended he had forgotten his defeat. 'I didn't remember playing any matches yesterday,' joked the 22-year-old during his on-court interview. 'I have to show up. I have to say he beat me. 'We were playing in his home, so it could be really bad for him if I beat him in his home so I let him win once. 'But I lost against him as a player, as a coach, on the golf course, so I'm not going to play against him anymore.' Murray, 38, retired last year after a career in which he won three Grand Slams, including two Wimbledon titles. The two men met twice on the tennis tour, with one win apiece. Murray also helped mastermind a win for Novak Djokovic against Alcaraz when he was coaching the Serb at this year's Australian Open. — AFP