14/07/2025

SPORTS MONDAY | JULY 14, 2025

29

‘Leave me alone’ Swiatek hits out at media after winning first Wimbledon title N EW Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek has hit out at the media’s coverage of her this season, saying: “Leave me alone.” media sometimes described me – and I’ve got to say, unfortunately, Polish media – how they treated me and my team, it wasn’t really pleasant. “So I hope they will just leave me alone and let me do my job, because obviously you can see that we know what we’re doing, and I have the best people around me. “I have already proved a lot. Ű BY LAWRENCE OSTLERE

McIlroy pulls into tie for lead at Scottish Open He shot 4-under 66 in the third round of the Genesis Scottish Open, pulling into a share of the lead yesterday at North Berwick, Scotland. “I think I’m pretty close to being back to the level I was at going into the Masters,” McIlroy said. “I think I’ve had a little bit of a lull, which I feel is understandable. So I’m just getting back to the level that I know that I can play at.” McIlroy, bidding to win the tournament for the second time in three years, is tied atop the leaderboard with second-round leader Chris Gotterup at Renaissance Club. Gotterup had a 21-foot putt on the final hole with a chance to become the solo leader, but it was barely off the mark, so he settled for a third-round 70. “It’s going to take a good round for sure, and I’m going to go give it my best,” Gotterup said of the upcoming final 18 holes. The duo goes into the final round, which marks the last tune-up prior to this week’s Open Championship, with a two-stroke lead at 11 under 199. “I think when you’re playing the way you want to play and the ball is coming out of the window that you’re looking, that’s certainly more enjoyable than if it’s not,” McIlroy said. “Look, it’s fun to be back here and play in front of so many kids out there and to have that support and that enthusiasm.” Wyndham Clark made an early charge and posted 66, pulling to 9 under with Jake Knapp (68) and the English duo of Marco Penge (69) and Matt Fitzpatrick (69). McIlroy, who won the 2023 tournament at 15-under, played the last 11 holes in a bogey-free 4 under. “The atmosphere has been great all week,” McIlroy said. “Obviously the weather helps that.” McIlroy said there was good fortune as well, such as a bunker shot on No. 15 with the ball hitting the pin that allowed him to salvage par. Penge and Fitzpatrick, THE timing is just about right for Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

break after every single rally out there in my warm up. “So I think, if anything, it’s my physicality that I need to work on, and to be able to last two weeks in a grand slam is definitely something that you need to work a lot on. It’s not an easy feat. “So, there’s a lot of areas for improvement, I think. “I think it’s more experience for me on how to handle nerves, and it’s my first slam final. At least I have that experience now.” She added: “It’s been a long season, and I think it’s just something that I need to work on. It’s my physicality at the end of the day that I need to improve. “It’s just the way I felt. I don’t really know what exactly but it’s just a feeling I had, and I knew that that was a red flag.” Swiatek’s demolition job at the All England Club meant that she became the youngest woman since a 20-year-old Serena Williams in 2002 to lift major titles on all three surfaces. “It seems super surreal,” said Swiatek. “I didn’t even dream (about this) because for me it was just like way too far. I feel like I’m already an experienced player, but I never really expected this one. “I want to congratulate Amanda for an amazing two weeks. No matter what happened today, you should be proud of the work that you’re doing. “I hope we’re going to play many more finals here and other tournaments, you have a game for that.” – The Independent “I think the fact that it’s on grass, for sure it makes it more special, I would say, and more unexpected. “So it feels like the emotions are bigger because, at Roland Garros, I know I can play well, and I know I can show it every year. Here, I wasn’t sure of that. I also needed to prove that to myself.” The crowd, who had paid more than £300 (RM1,750) each per ticket, willed Anisimova to find a foothold in the contest but Swiatek was utterly ruthless. Another treat for the Pole was receiving the trophy from the Princess of Wales. “On court she just congratulated (me),” said Swiatek. “She told me some nice stuff about the performance. Later on, I don’t remember really because I was too overwhelmed. “I didn’t want to do any faux pas . I wanted to behave well. Overall the process of getting the trophy from Her Royal Highness was something surreal. “Since I’m a kid, honestly I’m a big fan of the Royal family. It was amazing.” – The Independent

Swiatek swept aside America’s Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in only 57 minutes to win her first Wimbledon title and sixth grand slam in all, cementing her place as the best player of the current generation. But the Pole has come under scrutiny this season after a dip in form and a slide down the rankings, following the turmoil of her one month ban from the sport last year. Swiatek had not won an event for 13 months before triumphing on Centre Court, and her decision to switch coach to Wim Fissette late last year was one that was questioned at the time. Asked whether she’d answered her critics, Swiatek replied: “Honestly, things that we as public people and as athletes, we can really react to everything, and we’ve got to just focus on ourselves. Sometimes it’s easier to do that, sometimes it’s harder. “And for sure, the past few months, how the

AMANDA ANISIMOVA put her 6-0, 6-0 thrashing by Iga Swaitek in the Wimbledon final down to fatigue at the end of a long tournament played in high temperatures, saying her warm-up struggles on the morning of the match were a “red flag” that trouble was ahead. The American 23-year-old was blown away by Swiatek, who secured her sixth grand-slam title and first at Wimbledon, and seemed gripped by nerves as she failed to recreate the performance which knocked out world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. A brave Anisimova delivered a speech in front of the Centre Court crowd, paying tribute to her family for their help in her journey, before collecting the runners-up plate from the Princess of Wales. “I know people want more and more, but it’s my own process and my own life and my own career. “So hopefully I’m gonna have the freedom from them as well to let me do my job.” Swiatek maintained her unblemished record in grand slam finals, making it six titles and becoming the first Polish player, male or female, to win a Wimbledon singles trophy. By adding the grass-court title to her four French Open crowns and one US Open trophy she has also now won slams on all the surfaces. She had never previously been beyond the Wimbledon quarterfinals, and she said: “It’s something that is just surreal. “I feel like tennis keeps surprising me, and I keep surprising myself.

Anisimova felt ‘red flag’ before final

Speaking to the media, she admitted to pre-match nerves but said that was not the reason for her defeat. “I was nervous, but it wasn’t anything out of this world. “If anything, I was more excited to go out there and compete. “But I mean, I didn’t practice yesterday and I think that I was just really fatigued, and I could feel it also in my warm-up this morning. “I had to take a

Amanda Asinimova. – REUTERSPIC

playing together in the second-to-last pairing, went to the 18th with a chance to pull into a share of the lead and instead they both took bogeys. But they’re still in contention. “It’s been over 18, 20 months since my last win,” Fitzpatrick said. “It would be a big deal.”– Field Level Media

Duo share lead at Evian Championship

ENGLAND’S Cara Gainer and Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels share a one-stroke lead at 11-under entering the final round of the Evian Championship. Gainer carded a 7-under 64 and Ruffels shot 66 in the third round at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France. World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, three time major winner Minjee Lee and fellow Australian Grace Kim, and second-round leader Somi Lee of South Korea are all 10-under at the fourth of this season’s five LPGA Tour majors. Gainer, 29, picked up her maiden title on the Ladies European Tour in Morocco in February. She tied for third at an LET event at this course in May.

birdies and an eagle at No. 7 to move into a tie for 12th at 7 under. Andrea Lee and Jennifer Kupcho are the leading Americans in the field and part of the group in 12th place, four shots off the lead. English amateur Lottie Woad (70) finished with a 60-foot birdie putt She is now tied for 19th at 6-under with Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, a two-time major winner. – Field Level Media

including four during a five hole stretch from Nos. 11-15. “Putter was really good today,” Ruffels said. “Made some putts inside 15 feet. And, yeah, was just super solid tee to green.” Japan’s Yuri Yoshida and China’s Ruixin Liu posted the low rounds of the day at 8-under 63. Yoshida finished a clean round with eight birdies and is tied for seventh at 9-under, while Liu collected seven

“I’ve got confidence coming from that tournament,” she said. “I know it’s set up slightly different, but I have good feelings and good vibes in this amazing beautiful place.” Gainer put herself into contention for her first major victory with six birdies, an eagle at the par 5 seventh hole and one bogey yesterday. Ruffels, 25, has three titles on the Epson Tour but her best finish in a major was a T13 at the US Women’s Open in 2020. She opened the third round with her only bogey of the day before posting six birdies,

Cara Gainer. – AFPPIC