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Updates from the fifth day’s play at Roland Garros Top seed Sinner crashes out in second round | Mail DanielBack with Kouame, he’s up advantage, takes control of the next rally, and a deep backhand incites Vallejo to net on the forehand! The 17-year-old takes the first set 6-3, with two breaks, and Lenglen is jumping!Kouame holds for 5-3, then makes 30-40 and set point; Vallejo saves it well, serving out wide then putting away a shoulder-high volley. But he’s soon down advantage, Kouame missing his backhand down the line to restore deuce, but Vallejo shanks his forehand so back round we go. Meantime, Jovic outlasts Navarro in a protracted game on 14, taking her sixth break point to leads 6-0 2-0. She’s taking an experienced top-10 talent to the absolute cleaners. Continue reading...

The 23-time grand slam champion set for London returnAmerican last appeared on court in New York in 2022Serena Williams is considering a return to elite tennis on the grass courts of Queen’s Club in London in 10 days’ time.The 23-time grand slam singles champion has been back in the drug testing pool for six months so has a green light to make her comeback aged 44. Continue reading...

With Oliver Glasner departing and key players coveted by big clubs, Conference League winners’ future is unclearAfter everything Steve Parish has been through over the past 12 months, he was just about able to compose himself. The man who fell in love with Crystal Palace as an 11-year-old schoolboy when they reached the FA Cup semi-final for the first time in 1976 from the old Third Division and stepped in to save his club from administration in 2010 reflected with pride on the journey that has taken them to three trophies under the shrewd management of Oliver Glasner.“It’s incredible,” said Parish after Jean-Philippe Mateta’s goal against Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig sealed their triumph in the Conference League. “An amazing achievement. All the ups and downs … To get to the Europa League, where we deserve to be. It just shows you: sometimes the good guys win. When I bought the club I wasn’t sure we’d ever play in Europe, let alone win a trophy. It’s a dream come true.” Continue reading...

Jurriën Timber’s likely unavailability means a reshuffle that will affect selections in all areas of the sideIt would be easy to look at Saturday’s Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal and see it as a battle of attack versus defence, of beauty against pragmatism, of French elan against English doughtiness, as some sort of tussle for the soul of football. But it would not entirely be true. And where, after all, was the honour at Agincourt? In the vainglorious charges of the dashing French cavalry or the stoic defiance of the British archers arrayed, naked from the waist down, behind their defensive stakes?On the one hand, the stats look stark. In the Champions League this season, Paris Saint-Germain have averaged 63.4% possession, higher than anybody apart from Barcelona; Arsenal’s figure is 52.6%, the 11th-highest of the 36 sides who made the league stage. PSG’s pass completion has been 89.3% to Arsenal’s 85.7% (third-highest to 14th-highest). PSG have scored 44 goals to Arsenal’s 29. But on the flip side, Arsenal have conceded six goals to PSG’s 22 and won 13.4 aerial duels per game to PSG’s 9.4 (sixth-highest to 29th-highest). Continue reading...

Kendall George injured after avoiding dog on fieldCanines are often used to fetch discarded batsBaseball can be a risky game. Batters are forced to duck 100 mph fastballs, pitchers regularly blow out their elbows and outfielders crash into each other while sprinting to catch flyballs. Now they can add dogs to the list of dangers.On Wednesday, the California Post reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers’ minor-league affiliate in Tulsa, the Drillers, are suspending their bat dog program after one of the team’s top prospects was injured. Continue reading...

Blues defeat Maroons 12-4 to complete 3-0 whitewashYasmin Meakes named player of the series New South Wales have secured the first whitewash in Women’s State of Origin since the series shifted to three matches in 2024, after grinding out a 12-4 victory over Queensland on the Gold Coast in game three.The scoreline flattered the home side, who were clearly second best against the shield holders, and have now lost back-to-back series. But they hung with the Blues until Jayme Fressard’s try with 17 minutes to go which proved to be the match-winner. Continue reading...

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Mark Langdon, Paul Watson and Ed Aarons as Crystal Palace win the Europa Conference LeagueRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on email.On today’s podcast: another trophy for Crystal Palace. At the start of last season they had only ever won the Kent Cup, now they add the Europa Conference League to last year’s FA Cup win. It was Oliver Glasner’s last game … we think – could he change his mind? While it just was not to be for Rayo Vallecano, it has given us the chance to learn about this wonderful throwback club in Spain. Continue reading...

Manager’s deal announced shortly before World CupClarke will have served for 11 years if he sees out contractScotland’s manager, Steve Clarke, has signed a four-year contract extension, meaning he will remain in place until the end of the country’s 2030 World Cup campaign. The fresh, improved terms are no surprise but the length of deal will raise eyebrows given Clarke has been in position since 2019. Should he complete the term, he will become Scotland men’s longest-serving manager.Clarke had initially been publicly confident he would step away after this summer’s World Cup. The 62-year-old has taken Scotland to three tournaments from a possible four, with this World Cup a first since 1998. More recently, Clarke spoke of remaining in post. Continue reading...

Special report: Allegations of sexism, racism and expenses fiddling are flying in US courts, drawing in leading figures in motor racing and some famous names in music. But the precise role of Peter de Putron, a Jersey-based billionaire, is one of the most intriguing subjectsOn the track, the Williams Formula One team are attempting to revive former glories through their talented driving team of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz and the team principal, James Vowles.Away from the track, the team and their parent company, Dorilton, are embroiled in a messy dispute with a former executive, Claudia Schwarz, who was dismissed in 2022. In court filings she alleges she was fired after raising concerns about sexism towards her and racism, with claims drawing in Lewis Hamilton’s foundation and the artists Wyclef Jean and Shaggy. The ultimate ownership of the Williams team is also questioned by the former executive, who makes a hotly contested claim that the team are controlled by Peter de Putron, a billionaire based in Jersey with close links to the Conservative party. Continue reading...

Inter bounced back under Cristian Chivu, Como made a splash, and Scott McTominay kept Napoli tickingThis has not been a happy year for Italian football. The men’s national team failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, while Serie A clubs endured one humiliation after another in Uefa competition.Inter went from Champions League finalists to elimination in the playoff round by Bodø/Glimt, while Juventus conceded seven goals to Galatasaray. They both did better than last year’s Scudetto winners, Napoli, who failed to even get through the group stage. At least Atalanta rescued Italy from having no representatives in the last 16 for the first time in almost 40 years when they overturned a two-goal deficit against Borussia Dortmund. And then they got walloped 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich. Continue reading...