28/06/2025

SPORTS SATURDAY | JUNE 28, 2025

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Russell ready to hustle In-form Mercedes ace prepared to get his elbows out against Verstappen I N-FORM George Russell dismissed talk of a special spiky rivalry with four-time champion Max Verstappen as fic tional yesterday as he began Qatar Grand Prix and in Spain this year when Verstappen drove into Russell’s car. “I think when you’re racing against the best and you’re racing against the most

THE battle to be crowned Wimbledon women’s champion is wide open, with the possibility of an eighth successive first-time winner at the All England Club. Since Serena Williams lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish for a seventh time in 2016, the tournament has been in search of a new dominant female star and her fellow American Coco Gauff could be poised to seize the mantle. Reigning champion Barbora Krejcikova is hampered by a thigh injury, while world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is aiming to break her recent habit of losing Grand Slam finals. Here’s a look at three talking points ahead of the tournament, which starts on Monday: Gauff eyes more Wimbledon history Six years after she became the youngest player in the Open era to qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon, Coco Gauff could be poised to win the tournament for the first time. Gauff was just 15 when she captured the hearts of fans in London, combining school tests in the evening with a stunning run to the last 16 that included a victory over one of her idols, Venus Williams. Now ranked second in the world, the American has matured into a significant force and she arrives at Wimbledon on a high after winning the French Open. Gauff has appeared in three Grand Slam finals, winning the 2023 US Open and triumphing on the Roland Garros clay earlier this month. Wimbledon, where she has never been past the fourth round, has been Gauff’s least successful major, while no American has won there since Serena Williams nine years ago. Sabalenka looks to bounce back Aryna Sabalenka has her sights set on a fourth Grand Slam title as she looks to erase the painful memories of her final flops in 2025. The 27-year-old Belarusian was beaten by Madison Keys in the Australian Open final in January before narrowly losing another three setter against Coco Gauff in the Roland Garros showpiece. Sabalenka also lost the Stuttgart final to Jelena Ostapenko in April and the Indian Wells title match against Mirra Andreeva the previous month. She did take the Miami and Madrid titles but Sabalenka’s habit of stumbling with the silverware up for grabs might play on her mind at Wimbledon. Krejcikova in fitness scare Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova is entering Wimbledon under an injury cloud after pulling out of the Eastbourne Open with a thigh problem. The Czech world No. 17 is sweating on the outcome of a scan before deciding if she will be fit for the All England Club. Even if she features, there is no guarantee Krejcikova will make it to the latter stages. She has endured a difficult time since defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the final last year. Krejcikova, who has played just six matches in 2025, was out of action until May after suffering a back injury and lost in the second round of the recent French Open. Among a host of players hoping to replace her as champion is world No. 6 Madison Keys, who won her maiden Grand Slam title in Australia this year. Poland’s Iga Swiatek, ranked eighth, has five Grand Slams to her credit but has never won Wimbledon, while American world number three Jessica Pegula and Chinese world number five Zheng Qinwen are looking to win a first major title. AFP Wimbledon women’s singles: Three talking points

and if Max and I have come together a few times over the last six months, that’s just the way it’s panned out,” he said. Russell added that Red Bull’s post-race protest against him in Canada was unjustified. “It was nothing and it all came from Red Bull, as opposed to Max,” he said. “I don’t think he was even aware of the protests. “It was pretty clear that there was not going to be any penalty and my personal view is that they wanted to go and be offensive to protect Max, in case he got a penalty for going ahead of me during the Safety Car incident. “My personal view is that it was just a bit of a pfaff and not really necessary.” Verstappen meanwhile was in feisty form at the pre-weekend press conference. When it came to the tricky subject of his disciplinary record and his position, just a single penalty point away from a race ban, he was ultra-cautious. Asked to say if he felt racing in Formula One had become less natural due to the stringent execution of regulations, Verstappen declined to answer. “I’m not going to comment on that – I can’t risk getting a penalty point,” he said. The question was asked again, in various forms.

preparations for this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix. The 27-year-old Briton, who won last year’s race and the Canadian Grand Prix two weeks ago, arrived at the Red Bull Ring insisting that he is only concerned with his own performance. He described their summoning by the stewards in Montreal, after the race, because Red Bull had filed a protest alleging that Russell had deliberately braked when leading for Mercedes behind a safety car to try and cause Verstappen to pass him and be penalised as “pfaff”. The incident at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve led to more focus on their rivalry and revived stories of their spats in 2024 notably at t h e

aggressive, you need to stand tall and make sure you have your elbows out and give as much as the opponent will give. “That is sort of my approach when racing somebody of his calibre, but ultimately, I’m going about my own business. “I am fighting for myself, my t eam,

“You’re joking, right? Is this a trap?” said Verstappen. “I’m getting this question every single time, every weekend.” Finally, he said: “I have nothing to add.” Given a chance to speak about his prospects this weekend, Verstappen insisted that he and Red Bull were not favourites, despite winning five times at the Red Bull Ring. “I’m here to do the best I can. And, of course, I hope to be on the podium.” – AFP

George Russell. – REUTERSPIC

Fritz wins twice in one day

TAYLOR FRITZ enjoyed two wins in one day as the world No. 5 beat Joao Fonseca and Marcos Giron yesterday to move closer to a fourth Eastbourne title. Fritz’s second round clash with rising Brazilian star Fonseca was suspended at one set all due to bad light on Thursday. Defending champion Fritz took the first set 6-3, but the 18-year-old Fonseca, ranked 57th, hit back to win the second 7-6 (7-5). When play resumed yesterday morning, Fritz won the deciding set 7-5 to reach the last eight. The 27-year-old, who won the grass-court tournament in Stuttgart earlier in June, returned to court just hours later and was pushed to the brink by fellow American Giron. Top seeded Fritz eventually prevailed against the world No. 46, winning 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 to book a semifinal date with Spain’s Alejandro

The Italian, a Wimbledon finalist last year, recorded her fourth win over Beatriz Haddad Maia in as many meetings with a 7-5, 7-5 victory. It was also her first win over the Brazilian in straight sets as the Italian reached her fourth semi-final of the season. Top-seed Jessica Pegula joined her in the last four after needing three sets to edge past fellow American and fifth-seed Emma Navarro 6-4 1-6 6-3. Pegula will face 20-year-old Czech Linda Noskova who outplayed third-seed Mirra Andreeva 6-3 6-3. – Reuters Alexandra Eala, a 20-year-old Filipino qualifier, won 6-1, 6-2 against Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska to earn a semifinal against Varvara Gracheva. French qualifier Gracheva was given a walkover into the last four when Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova pulled out of their quarterfinal with a thigh injury. Krejcikova, the world No. 17, is awaiting the outcome of a scan before deciding if she can defend her Wimbledon title next week. “I’m very sorry to have to withdraw from my quarterfinal today in Eastbourne as I’m having some soreness in my right thigh,” she said. “Overnight it just didn’t get any better; it actually got worse. I think it’s better with Wimbledon in the next couple of days just to rest it and to see what’s going on and to resolve that.” – AFP

Davidovich Fokina. Davidovich Fokina, ranked 28th, beat Czech third seed Jakub Mensik 6-4, 7-5 in the quarterfinals. The other semifinal pits French fourth seed Ugo Humbert against American world No. 149 Jenson Brooksby. Humbert beat Billy Harris 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, while Brooksby, who entered the tournament as a “lucky loser” after a withdrawal, defeated Dan Evans 6-2, 6-3. In the women’s event at Devonshire Park, Australian teenager Maya Joint followed her shock second round victory over former US Open champion Emma Raducanu by reaching the semifinals with a 6-4, 7-5 win against Russian Anna Blinkova. Joint, 19, will face 2021 French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat fellow Russian Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 2-6, 6-0.

Swiatek weathers rain to set up Paolini clash FOURTH seed Iga Swiatek solved crossword puzzles during an hour-long rain interruption yesterday but kept her focus to earn a 6-4, 7 6(5) victory over Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova and reach the Bad Homburg Open semifinals. the conditions because it was super windy,” Swiatek said. “On one hand to be intense on the other hand being safe.” “Ekaterina is a tough opponent. I have lost against her before. She can play amazing tennis and her flat shots really fit the grass so I am happy I am through.”

The Pole, who is playing her only grasscourt tournament in the run-up to Wimbledon which starts next week, struggled at times and had 37 unforced errors against Alexandrova before setting up a semifinal against second-seed Jasmine Paolini. “I think today was all about adjusting to

Swiatek said she kept focused by solving crossword puzzles during the break and it seemed to work as she held serve throughout the second set to clinch the tiebreak and face Paolini next. Swiatek currently leads Paolini in their head-to-head 4-0.