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SPORTS Wednesday 10 July 2024
Daniil Medvedev beats Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon and faces

defending champ Carlos Alcaraz next

By HOWARD FENDRICH the 21-year-old Alcaraz,
AP Tennis Writer back-to-back tests against
LONDON (AP) — Jannik the two new young stars of
Sinner felt ill. He was dizzy. men’s tennis.
Hadn’t slept well the night In the women’s quarterfi-
before. Wimbledon’s top- nals, Donna Vekic reached
seeded man, who recently the final four at a major
attained the No. 1 ranking, for the first time in her 43rd
definitely did not want to Slam, defeating qualifier
quit playing against Daniil Lulu Sun 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, and
Medvedev in the quarter- French Open runner-up
finals, but things were not Jasmine Paolini eliminated
looking good. No. 19 Emma Navarro 6-2,
Sinner was treated by a 6-1 in less than an hour.
trainer and left the court Navarro got past four-time
during the third set Tuesday, major champion Naomi
then briefly surged before Osaka and reigning U.S.
faltering again down the Open champ Coco Gauff
stretch, eventually losing earlier in the tournament.
to a more-aggressive-than- Vekic, a 28-year-old from
usual Daniil Medvedev 6-7 Croatia, pondered quitting
(7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3. the sport on multiple occa-
“I was struggling physical- Daniil Medvedev of Russia plays a forehand return to Jannik Sinner of Italy during their quarterfinal sions including as recently
ly,” said Sinner, who had match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Tuesday, July 9, 2024. as right before play began
won his past five matches Associated Press at Roland Garros in May.
against Medvedev, includ- “I didn’t have any energy,
ing a five-setter in the final took a bit of time to get go- During a later changeover, fewer double-faults (11-4). any motivation to keep
of the Australian Open in ing in his quarterfinal, but Sinner draped a towel over “It’s a tough one to swal- practicing, keep pushing,
January. “It was not an once he did, there was no his head. low,” Sinner said. because I felt like the last
easy moment. I tried to stopping him during a 5-7, While he did regain his usu- Medvedev, a 28-year-old couple months I’ve given
fight with that what I had 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory over al verve, particularly on his from Russia, began playing everything for tennis, and
today.” No. 12 Tommy Paul at No. 1 booming forehand, and closer to the baseline than I wasn’t getting the results
It wasn’t enough. Court. Alcaraz is coming off pushed the match to a fifth he often does. He found that I kind of expected,”
Not against the crafty Med- a title at the French Open set the 36th this fortnight the space to deliver more Vekic said.
vedev, the 2021 U.S. Open last month and is seeking and the most at any Grand winners, compiling 13 in the “Now I’m the semifinals,”
champion who now will his fourth Grand Slam tro- Slam tournament in the closing set alone, broke for Vekic said. “Not just in ten-
face Carlos Alcaraz in the phy. Open era, which dates to a 3-1 lead in the fifth, and nis, (but) in life, things can
semifinals at the All England Over at Centre Court, it 1968 Sinner could not get was on his way back to the turn pretty fast.”
Club for the second con- was not immediately clear over the line. semifinals. Sinner was a Wimbledon
secutive year. what was wrong with Sin- Even though he won more “Today,” Medvedev said, semifinalist a year ago and
“Was a bit up-and-down ner, who leaned back in points (164-160), accumu- “a lot of tactical things carried a nine-match win-
match, in a way, from both his sideline chair, rested his lated more winners (61-56), worked well.” ning streak into Tuesday,
sides,” Medvedev said. head in a hand and had his made fewer unforced er- After eliminating the including a grass-court ti-
Alcaraz, the defending heart rate checked before rors (49-45), hit more aces 22-year-old Sinner, Medve- tle at Halle, Germany, last
champion and No. 3 seed, heading to the locker room. (17-15) and finished with far dev now goes up against month. q

Philipsen finally triumphs in sprint finish

on Stage 10 of Tour de France

SAINT-AMAND-MONTROND, France (AP) Philipsen, the Belgian rider known for his
— Jasper Philipsen edged a thrilling sprint powerful finishes, finally capitalized. This
to win his first stage of this Tour de France was his seventh career stage in the last
on Tuesday after finishing runner-up twice three Tours.
last week. “Today everything worked according to
Biniam Girmay, winner of two stages al- plan,” Philipsen said. “We came to the
ready, was runner-up a second time, and Tour de France with the goal of winning at
Pascal Ackermann was third. least one stage. I’m really happy that we
The overall leaders stayed the same. Tadej can now tick that box and go further in the
Pogacar retained the yellow jersey with Tour with more confidence in the team.”
the same 33 second gap on Remco Evene- Following the first rest day, the race un-
poel and more than a minute on two-time folded without major disruptions despite Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen celebrates as he crosses the finish
defending champion Jonas Vingegaard. intermittent showers. The peloton enjoyed line ahead of Germany’s Pascal Ackermann, second left,
The 10th stage from Orléans to Saint- a picturesque route, passing the 500-year- Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay, wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey,
Amand-Montrond in central France was a old Château de Chambord. and Belgium’s Wout van Aert, third right, to win the tenth stage
flat 187 kilometers (116 miles) without clas- Stage 11 on Wednesday will get the riders of the Tour de France cycling race over 187.3 kilometers (116.4
miles) with start in Orleans and finish in Saint-Amand-Montrond,
sified climbs, and set the stage for a mass back climbing again in the Massif Central France, Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
sprint. mountains.q Associated Press