London, July 3 (IANS) French Open winner Carlos Alcaraz extended his winning streak at Wimbledon to nine matches on Wednesday when he recovered from an early dip to record a straight-sets victory against Australian Aleksandar Vukic. Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev defeated Alexandre Muller in four sets; eighth seed Casper Ruud overcame Fabio Fognini of Italy in four sets while 16th seed Ugo Humbert of France defeated Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in straight sets.

Leading 5-2 in the first set, Alcaraz briefly lost his way to trail 5-6. However, with the pressure on, the third seed quickly broke back to force a tie-break and from there it was one-way traffic, with the Spaniard advancing 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-2.

In 2020, World No. 69 Vukic defeated a then-17-year-old Alcaraz in qualifying at Roland Garros. Nearly four years on, the task at hand was much harder for the Australian on the lawns of Wimbledon, where Alcaraz is the defending champion. The 21-year-old is now a three-time major titlist and played like one for large periods of his one-hour, 48-minute, second-round win against Vukic. Alcaraz used his feathered drop shot to great effect to cause the Australian to scramble around the court, while he struck his forehand fiercely to overpower Vukic in the baseline exchanges under the roof on No. 1 Court.

Alcaraz, who scored 40 winners in his victory, is in the third round at Wimbledon for the third consecutive year. The former Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion will continue the quest for his third trophy of the season when he meets Frances Tiafoe in the third round.

The American, who lost to Alcaraz in five sets in the US Open semi-finals in 2022, downed Croatian Borna Coric 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3 to earn consecutive wins at a tour-level event for just the third time this season.

In another second-round clash, Medvedev rallied from a set and a breakdown against Alexandre Muller on Wednesday inside the All England Club’s main arena. After saving two set points to avoid falling to a two-set deficit, the fifth seed dug deep for a 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-4, 7-5 second-round triumph.

Muller had seriously threatened to serve up a disappointing experience for Medvedev on the Centre Court grass. The No.102 in the ATP Rankings clinched the opening set in a tie-break before racing to a 3-0 lead in the second. Even after Medvedev reclaimed the Frenchman’s early break, Muller had set points at both 5-4 and 6-5.

Ultimately, however, Medvedev’s consistency from the baseline and booming serve proved crucial for his three-hour, 28-minute win in his maiden ATP head-to-head clash with Muller. He sent down 14 aces and converted four of 12 break points he earned en route to his 30th tour-level win of the year.

In other results, Ruud defeated Italian veteran Fognini in four sets, getting past his opponent 6-4, 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-4 in a Round of 64 clash on Court 2. Humbert defeated Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets, 7-6(9), 6-1, 6-3, getting into dominant mode after surviving a tough fight in the opening set. American Tiafoe was also taken to the tiebreak in the first set before overcoming Borna Coric of Croatia 7-6(5), 6-1. 6-3.

–IANS

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Berlin (Germany), July 3 (IANS) Self-confidence has grown to new heights for Germany before they face Spain in the UEFA Euro 2024 quarterfinal, former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos said at a press conference at the team’s base camp in Herzogenaurach.

“Faith has grown extremely within this team. We have learned we can survive tight situations; we believe in our quality much more than we did in recent months,” the 34-year-old said ahead of the match this Friday evening in Stuttgart.

After 10 years in the shirt of Real Madrid, he said that winning Euro 2024 on home soil was the driving force behind his return to the German team, after his initial retirement from international football in 2021. “I wouldn’t have returned if this idea hadn’t been in my head and was part of the talks I had with [head coach] Julian Nagelsmann,” the 113-cap midfielder said.

A European Championship title is still missing in his career record, despite having won 34 trophies for club and country since he started his career in 2007, reports Xinhua. “You are telling me that (Spain winger) Lamine Yamal was born that year makes me feel older right now. He is a great, great player and was assumedly the best performer for Barcelona last season,” the midfielder added.

Having announced his retirement from football after the tournament, Kroos said he is sure that crossing swords with Spain will not be his last game, despite Spain striker Joselu having announced to “hopes to retire him” by beating the tournament hosts. “That’s nice of him to have that idea, but mine is different,” Kroos answered.

The Germany midfielder said he is aware “I will stop playing football in some weeks, but I am not nostalgic about it. This day comes for everyone, and I am happy to have decided on my own.”

There will be days “I will miss football in the future,” he said. “There won’t be anything I can do as good as football. But I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life.”

The duel against Spain is decided by the team that dominates midfield. “The one taking the lead in the center is likely to win the game. We are aware of that, and we have set up solutions for all possible situations,” the 2014 World Cup winner said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) The Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has approved tennis ace Rohan Bopanna’s request for assistance for him and his men’s doubles partner Sriram Balaji to compete in two ATP Tour events ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji will head to Hamburg and Umaag, along with their coach and physiotherapist, to compete in the ATP 500 events before they head to Paris, the Ministry informed in a release on Wednesday. The 44-year-old Bopanna, ranked fourth in the World in men’s doubles rankings, has got a direct entry into the Paris Olympics and has chosen to partner the 34-year-old Balaji in the Paris Olympics.

The MOC also approved requests of shooters Rhythm Sangwan, Sarabjot Singh, Vijayveer, and Anish Bhanwala for assistance towards expenses of personal coaches or trainers during the Olympic Training Camp in Volmerange and the Paris Olympic Games 2024 at Chateauroux.

The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) will cover the cost of their flight, board and lodging, visa, and local transport.

Skeet shooters Maheshwari Chauhan and Anantjeet Singh Naruka’s requests for assistance to train with personal coaches Riccardo Fillipelli in Arrezo, Italy, and Ennio Falco at the Tiro A Volo Falco range in Capua, Italy respectively were also approved by MOC.

During the meeting, the MOC also decided to extend assistance to Steeplechasers Avinash Sable and Parul Chaudhary as well as their coach Scott Simmons for training in St. Moritz, Switzerland, for 24 days before the Olympic Games.

The Women’s Relay 4x400m team’s request for assistance to procure equipment and table tennis player Harmeet Desai’s request to support training in Biberach, Germany, and the purchase of various consumables as well fee for support staff were also approved by the MOC.

The MOC inducted 400m Sprinter Kiran Pahal, High Jumper Sarvesh Anil Kushare, and Shot Putter Abha Khatua in the TOPS Core group for the Paris Olympics Cycle.

–IANS

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Monaco, July 3 (IANS) Just three weeks ahead of the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, World Athletics has ratified the women’s marathon world record set by Peres Jepchirchir earlier this year. Kenya’s Jepchirchir rewrote the record book as she ran 2:16:16 to improve the women-only world marathon record by 45 seconds at the TCS London Marathon.

The field for the World Athletics Platinum Label race on April 21 was widely regarded as one of the deepest and highest-quality women’s fields ever assembled and no secret had been made of the fact that breaking Mary Keitany’s women-only world record of 2:17:01 was the big target.

Ultimately, Jepchirchir was the one to achieve it. Seven women had remained in the pack as they reached the halfway point in 1:07:04 – the second-fastest half-way split ever recorded in London and a mark that put them on schedule to smash the record by almost three minutes.

Jepchirchir went on to win in 2:16:16, finishing seven seconds ahead of Tigist Assefa. Joyciline Jepkosgei was third (2:16:24) and Megertu Alemu fourth (2:16:34), making it the first marathon in which four women finished inside 2:17.

On Wednesday, the new World Record in Women’s world indoor 60m hurdles by Devynne Charlton.

In Glasgow on March 3, Bahamian hurdler Charlton lowered the 60m hurdles world record to 7.65 as she secured her first global title at the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

Charlton had previously shared the world record of 7.67 with Tia Jones of the United States. Charlton achieved that mark in New York on 11 February before Jones matched it in Albuquerque just five days later.

–IANS

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Berlin, July 3 (IANS) Ronald Koeman seemed in doubt about what gives him more happiness: the letter he received from his grandson or the Netherlands’ clean 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16 of Euro 2024. The 61-year-old Netherlands coach praised his grandson’s colourful drawings and his prediction of a 3-1 win.

Both his grandson’s prediction and his national team’s performance came near Koeman’s ideal, with Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo stepping into the limelight. Koeman called Gakpo “so far the most important player in our squad” and praised him for having scored his third goal at the tournament, reports Xinhua. “He is at a top level at Euro 2024. I hope all others get to his level soon,” the coach said.

The former midfielder and Euro 1988 winner said his team “can reach the final if we continue.”

Optimism seems back for the Netherlands following a bumpy group stage performance. Dreams are growing of a repeat of the Netherlands’ triumph at Euro 1988 in Germany, with iconic striker Marco van Basten the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, including an iconic volley in the final against the USSR.

Around 36 years later, many see the circle close as Gakpo seems to push the “Oranje” to new heights, again on German soil.

“There is more to come, and I see us at a promising starting point,” the striker mentioned. His goal opened the doors to an undisputed victory over Romania taking the Netherlands into the quarterfinals, where they will face Turkey in Berlin on Saturday.

Having joined Premier League outfit Liverpool in January 2023, Gakpo initially struggled to meet his and his clubs’ expectations. “I am happy about the support I enjoyed in Liverpool. I took that good feeling to the Euros,” he said.

“There is nothing about him one doesn’t like. He is a fantastic footballer and a great human,” gushed departing Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp.

Just like Klopp, Koeman seems to have fallen in love with his game-changing forward. While following a rather unobtrusive playing style, the attacker can unleash surprising speed and dynamic power, sneaking into narrow spaces.

Additionally, he seems able to slip into the role of a reliable supplier of goals for the Netherlands.

Keeping his level, Gakpo remains the driving source for Koeman’s team. “We are Dutch and must play enchanting football. That’s the expectation. But we haven’t reached our limits yet and haven’t achieved what is in our minds,” the attacker said.

–IANS

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