WIMBLEDON
Carlos Alcaraz has ended Novak Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon by beating him 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in an engaging, back-and-forth final to win his first championship at the All-England Club. Alcaraz's victory gave him his second Grand Slam trophy overall. The No. 1-ranked Alcaraz prevented Djokovic from what would have been a record-tying eighth title, and fifth in a row, at the grass-court tournament. Djokovic also was kept from claiming his 24th career major. Alcaraz is a 20-year-old from Spain who became the third-youngest male champion at Wimbledon. The age gap between the two was the widest in any men’s Slam final since 1974.
Novak Djokovic lost on Centre Court at Wimbledon for the first time in 10 years and he has some regrets about it. There was that tiebreaker pretty early in the men's final when the 36-year-old Serb was one point from taking a two-sets-to-none lead over Carlos Alcaraz. And then there was that missed volley on break point early in the fifth set with all the momentum at that stage going the seven-time Wimbledon champion’s way. Djokovic ended up losing 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in a high-energy and highly entertaining championship match. Djokovic says “I had my chances. I think I could have closed out that second-set tiebreaker better.”
On the women’s side, Marketa Vondrousova has become the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon. She defeated 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 in the final on Saturday. Vondrousova is a 24-year-old left-hander from the Czech Republic who is ranked 42nd. She trailed in each set against Jabeur under a closed roof at Centre Court but collected the last four games of the first, then the last three games of the second. This is her first Grand Slam title. She lost in the final of the 2019 French Open as a teenager. Vondrousova missed Wimbledon a year ago after having surgery on her left wrist.
MLB
After failing to get a bunt down, pinch-hitter Luis Guillorme doubled home the winning run in the 10th inning to give the New York Mets a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Max Scherzer held the NL West leaders to one hit in seven shutout innings, and New York stopped the Dodgers’ six-game winning streak. Brandon Nimmo had an RBI groundout as the Mets snapped a four-game skid with their first victory since the All-Star break. David Robertson pitched two scoreless innings for the win in his first outing since July 7. He stranded a runner at third in the 10th with the help of a nice play by shortstop Francisco Lindor. Nick Robertson took the loss on his 25th birthday.
Nolan Jones led off the 11th inning with a tying, two-run homer off Nick Ramirez, Alan Trejo hit a game-ending drive off Ron Marinaccio and the Colorado Rockies beat the Yankees 8-7 to take two of three from New York. Colorado, a National League-worst 36-58, overcame a 3-1 deficit when C.J. Cron hit an eighth-inning grand slam off Clay Holmes. New York tied the score in the ninth against Daniel Bard on Gleyber Torres’ run-scoring infield single and Harrison Bader’s sacrifice fly. The Yankees opened a 7-5 lead against Gavin Hollowell on run-scoring singles by Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza.
Masataka Yoshida hit a grand slam and a two-run triple, powering Kutter Crawford and the Boston Red Sox to an 11-5 blowout over the Chicago Cubs. Rafael Devers and pinch-hitter Triston Casas also homered for the surging Red Sox, who have won seven of eight. Crawford allowed one hit in six shutout innings. He struck out nine. Yoshida launched the second grand slam of his rookie season in Boston’s five-run fifth against All-Star lefty Justin Steele. Rob Refsnyder had an RBI single. Yoshida added a two-run triple in the seventh and a single in the ninth.
Kyle Schwarber hit his 25th home run and ended the game with a 12th-inning sacrifice fly, giving the Philadelphia Phillies a 7-6 win over the San Diego Padres. The defending NL champions won three in a row over the Padres after opening the second half with a loss to San Diego. The Padres dropped to 44-60, including 19-27 on the road. Philadelphia (51-42) overcame a 3-0 deficit, then wasted a 5-3 lead when pinch-hitter Fernando Tatis Jr. had a two-run single in the eighth off Gregory Soto.
SOCCER
Lionel Messi has met his new fans at Inter Miami. An event billed as “The Unveil” was Sunday night at the team’s stadium in Fort Lauderdale. It came one day after Messi, Major League Soccer and Inter Miami finalized his signing through the 2025 season. It’s the start of a busy week of events for Messi with his new club. His first official training session is Tuesday and he is expected to play Friday in a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul.
NBA SUMMER LEAGUE
Isaiah Mobley had 23 points, including the winning shot in overtime, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Brooklyn Nets 102-99 to advance to the NBA Summer League championship game. They will play today against the Houston Rockets, who beat the Utah Jazz 115-101 in the other semifinal game Sunday. With the Cavaliers needing to hit the target score of 101, Mobley maneuvered his way into the lane, where he faked a turnaround jumper and sank a soft one-handed shot to keep Cleveland unbeaten in Summer League play. Journeyman Nate Hinton had 27 points while first-round draft pick Cam Whitmore continued to shine with 25 points, four rebounds and four assists in Houston's win over the Jazz.
NFL
The Tennessee Titans hope they’ve filled their major need at wide receiver with three-time All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. A person familiar with the agreement said Sunday the Titans have agreed on a two-year deal worth $26 million with incentives that could push that to $32 million. The Titans had the advantage of being the first NFL team Hopkins visited after his release by Arizona in May. The person confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Hopkins hasn't signed the contract. Hopkins would immediately boost a receiving group for a team whose head coach had more career NFL touchdown catches than anyone currently on the roster.
GOLF
Rory McIlroy finally is a winner in Scotland. McIlroy birdied the last two holes in whipping wind for a 68 to beat Robert MacIntyre by one shot in the Scottish Open. They delivered a great finish at The Renaissance Club. MacIntyre hit 3-wood from the rough on the 18th to 4 feet for birdie and a 64. McIlroy birdied the par-3 17th to catch him. And on the final hole, McIlroy hit 2-iron to 10 feet for birdie. The win gives McIlroy a boost going to the British Open next week at Royal Liverpool.
For an old course, Royal Liverpool offers a new finish. Players began arriving Sunday for the British Open. Only 38 players in the field were at Hoylake in 2014. And only nine players competed at Royal Liverpool in 2006 and 2014. The big change is at the end. The par-3 15th is now the longest par 5 in Open history. What used to be No. 15 is now the par-3 17th, except it goes in the opposite direction. Cameron Young did his best to take it all in after his long flight. He was runner-up last year at St. Andrews.
Linn Grant has won her first LPGA Tour title after an outstanding start to her career in Europe. The Swede endured a charge from U.S. Women’s Open champion Allisen Corpuz and closed with a 3-under 68 for a three-shot victory in the Dana Open in Sylvania, Ohio. The 24-year-old Grant has five victories in Europe but didn't play in the United States until this year because she is not vaccinated against COVID-19. Grant took a six-shot lead into the final round and closed it out after Corpuz got within two on the back nine. She finished at 21-under 263 at Highland Meadows.
BOXING
Boxer Anna Lysenko dedicates long hours preparing for next year’s Paris Olympics in a modest gym located in the heart of Kyiv despite the unsettling sounds of explosions booming outside. Lysenko nearly won an Olympic medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021 but her training routine this time has been disrupted by the war in Ukraine. Lysenko says “it’s stifling. It probably doesn’t allow me to feel at peace." The 31-year-old Lysenko has sacrificed almost 10 years of her life for the sport but her chances of competing in Paris remain uncertain because of the possible participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
HORSE RACING
The Grade I Diana stakes was run Saturday on the first weekend of the 2023 Saratoga Race Course season. Whitebeam, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by jockey Flavien Prat, took the race by a nose over favored In Italian in a final time of 1:48.33.
Meanwhile, Funny Cide, the “Gutsy Gelding” who became a fan favorite after winning the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2003, has died from complications of colic. He was 23. Kentucky Horse Park, the Lexington farm where Funny Cide lived for his final 15 years, confirmed the thoroughbred died Sunday, as did Sackatoga Stable, the group that owned him. Funny Cide won 11 of 38 starts and earned more than $3.5 million in his career. He was undefeated in three starts as a 2-year-old. Funny Cide lost his first three starts the following year but won the Derby and Preakness before finishing third in the Belmont Stakes.
© 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
