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First semi-final at 1.30pm BST, Arnaldi v Cobolli to come Mail Katy | Andreeva routs Kostyuk to reach finalFirst set: Mensik* 2-2 Zverev (*denotes next server)Pacy and punchy from Zverev on his backhand – which is one of the very best in the business – and it’s 30-0. Make that 40-0, with a textbook one-two attack. Now it’s his forehand that does the damage, as he rifles away a winner. The first love hold of this semi-final and Zverev is in the zone. Continue reading...

Updates from the second day of the series at Lord’s Sign up for The Spin | Follow us on TikTok21st over: New Zealand 70-7 ( Smith 10, Jamieson 1 ) Jamieson marches in with intent after Philips loses his off stump. Bangs into a drive, throws the combine harvester at another, but only picks up one run. Smith drives the smiling Tongue’s last ball for four.Tongue’s first ball of the day fractionally straightens and Philips plays… and misses. A satisfying crunch of stumps. Continue reading...

⚽️ Latest football news before a big weekend of action⚽️ Get in touch: email John | And follow us on TikTokThe shortlists for the Men’s and Women’s PFA players’ awards have been revealed. Arsenal’s Premier League-winning trio of Declan Rice, Gabriel and David Raya all feature while Bunny Shaw and Yui Hasegawa have both been nominated for the Women’s Player of the Year award after helping Manchester City to title glory.Men’s Players’ Player of the Year nominations Continue reading...

A growing divide between fans and team, coupled with economic hardship and war, has dampened the moodAbbas Kiarostami, the late Iranian director, made a film called Life, and Nothing More …, set during the 1990 World Cup in Italy. The film tells the story of a father and son who, during the tournament, travel to an earthquake-stricken village that had served as the location for Kiarostami’s earlier films. The son, eager to watch Argentina play Brazil, finds a villager who, despite having lost several family members, is busy adjusting a television antenna to watch the game between the two South American football giants.Kiarostami later wrote about this scene: “This sequence is directly drawn from a similar experience during my trip to the earthquake‑stricken region in the early days after the disaster. [The man] had his left arm in a cast, was shirtless, and with his right hand was striking one stone against another at the base of the antenna to secure it. I saw that after that event, what mattered there was life – and then football.” Continue reading...

Ferrari last won race at Mexican GP in 2024Scuderia’s car should suit narrow streets of Monte CarloLewis Hamilton was circumspect about Ferrari’s chances in the buildup to the Monaco Grand Prix but, on paper at least, this weekend is perhaps his best shot at a first victory for the Scuderia to end their drought that stretches back to the Mexican GP of 2024.Mercedes have dominated the season thus far, with Kimi Antonelli leading the championship by 43 points from his teammate, George Russell, but the strengths of their car will be somewhat negated on the slow corners of the twisting street circuit in Monte Carlo, which should suit Ferrari’s SF26. Continue reading...

Ancient Egypt finally carries owner’s hopes at Epsom three years after huge spending spree at the SalesMany great gambles have been landed in the Derby down the years, from John Bowes’ bet on his horse, West Australian, in 1853 that won the equivalent of more than £5m today, to Raymond Guest’s £500 each-way on Sir Ivor at 100-1, a few months before his victory in June 1968 as the 4-5 favourite. And the 247th running of the Epsom Classic on Saturday could see another spectacular payoff, albeit without a bookie on the other side of the bet.Twenty months on from his three-day, £24m spending spree on yearlings at Tattersalls’ Book 1 sale in Newmarket in October 2024, the football super-agent Kia Joorabchian will be at Epsom to watch two of his big-money buys, Poker and Ancient Egypt, go to post for the premier Classic. Continue reading...

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The decision to extend Clarke’s contract before his side have proved they can finally progress to the knockouts could be a needless riskThe summit of Scottish football provides a wonderful environment for those who value long-term career stops. Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the Scottish Professional Football League, arrived at the then Scottish Premier League in 2009. Ian Maxwell, bizarrely headhunted from relegation-bound Partick Thistle, has been the Scottish Football Association’s chief executive since 2018. Scot Gemmill’s tenure as the nation’s under-21 manager has lasted a decade despite underwhelming results.Glass half full or half empty; either this is a domain that delivers admirable continuity or one in which no one makes sufficient progress to appeal to those in bigger ponds. Continue reading...

The FA’s data-driven approach towards the World Cup is into its final stages as Tuchel’s side take on New Zealand“It was hot in ’94,” thundered Alexi Lalas, the former USA defender turned Fox Sports analyst, who starred for his country when they were the sole World Cup hosts that year. “And guess what? It’s going to be hot again this time.”Lalas’s booming address came last December at the draw in Washington DC for this summer’s tournament and, to digress slightly, it was difficult not to fixate on his sheer vocality. Lalas is loud and confident, outspoken and there was the moment when he considered England’s chances at the finals. Notoriously, they failed to qualify 32 years ago. Continue reading...

Head coach looks forward to leading Sweden at World Cup after reflecting on failures with Chelsea and West HamIf management has taught Graham Potter anything it is that there is no point in trying to run away from failure. “You’ve got to face the bad stuff,” the 51-year‑old says as he thinks about how he recovered from bruising spells at Chelsea and West Ham. “The more you face it, the more chance your life is better. Then you get these beautiful moments.”Potter is in reflective, occasionally punchy mood during a long conversation about a rollercoaster few years and the brutal life of a football manager. He points out there have also been some successes – he has, after all, lifted Sweden out of the doldrums and led them into the World Cup – but knows people tend to focus on the lows. Potter lasted seven months at Chelsea after leaving the stability of Brighton in September 2022. Then, after a long spell out, he was tempted back when West Ham came calling at the start of last year. Continue reading...