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SPORTS Friday 5 July 2024

Novak Djokovic grinds out a victory over wild card Jacob

Fearnley at Wimbledon

By KEN MAGUIRE The 28-year-old Miyazaki
AP Sports Writer committed 31 unforced er-
LONDON (AP) — Novak rors and five double-faults in
Djokovic says he wouldn’t falling to the No. 14-seeded
have been surprised if Kasatkina, a Russian who
his second-round match won the Eastbourne title
against young Jacob ahead of the grass-court
Fearnley at Wimbledon Grand Slam.
went to a fifth set, but he’s Harriet Dart came back
“very glad it didn’t.” to beat compatriot Katie
The seven-time champion Boulter, the No. 32 seed
at the All England Club who is Britain’s highest-
beat his 22-year-old Scot- ranked women’s singles
tish opponent 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, player, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-8).
7-5 on Centre Court on Dart trailed 6-2 in the de-
Thursday in another test of ciding tiebreaker. Boulter
his fitness following recent compiled 75 unforced er-
knee surgery. rors and 39 winners.
“Can I be playing better Later on Centre Court, Andy
and moving better? Yes, Murray was set to play dou-
absolutely,” Djokovic said bles with his brother, Jamie.
in an on-court interview. The two-time Wimbledon
“So I’m hoping that as the champion pulled out of the
tournament progresses Serbia’s Novak Djokovic plays a forehand return to Britain’s Jacob Fearnley during their second singles competition.
each day or each match round match at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 4, 2024. Top-seeded Iga Swiatek ex-
I’ll be feeling a bit better.” Associated Press tended her winning streak
Fearnley, a wild-card entry in the third round. best,” he added, “and of ish tennis, and there’s no to 21 matches with her 6-4,
who recently finished play- The 24-time Grand Slam course it also depends on better place to do it than 6-3 victory over Petra Mar-
ing college tennis at TCU, champion said he should the opponent across the at home at Wimbledon,” tic.
had a strong cheering sec- have closed it out in straight net. He made me earn this Fearnley said. “Yeah, it’s an No. 5 Jessica Pegula be-
tion that erupted when he sets but that he “was not re- victory.” unbelievable tournament, come the highest-seeded
took the third set. ally comfortable in my own It was a big day for Britain unbelievable crowd.” women’s player to lose. The
“He served very well, it was skin, particularly in the third on and off the court with It got off to a rough start American was defeated by
very difficult to break his and fourth. the U.K. holding a national when wild-card entry Yuriko Wang Xinyu 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-1.
serve. He made me work, “Sometimes you have election and several locals Lily Miyazaki won only 19 For Wang, it was her first vic-
definitely,” said Djokovic, rough days where maybe in the spotlight. points en route to a 6-0, 6-0 tory over a top-10 player.q
who will face Alexei Popyrin you are not feeling your “It’s a great day for Brit- loss to Daria Kasatkina.

Dutch sprinter Groenewegen wins Tour de France Stage 6 in a

photo finish

DIJON, France (AP) — with Pogacar staying 45 Thursday’s relatively short Aert and Christophe La- split in two but all the main
Dutch champion Dylan seconds ahead of Remco stage of 163.5 kilometers porte moved to the front contenders managed to
Groenewegen won the Evenepoel. Two-time de- (102 miles) started from to speed up the pace and stay in the first group, al-
sixth stage of the Tour de fending champion Jonas Macon, taking the peloton harden the race. though Pogacar found
France after a mass sprint Vingegaard remained in through the Burgundy vine- The peloton lined out and himself isolated.q
that was decided in a pho- third place, 50 seconds off yards. Early into the stage,
to finish on Thursday. the pace. riders rode past a giant
Tadej Pogacar kept the After Matthieu Van der drawing of France striker
yellow jersey after a ner- Poel opened the sprint in Antoine Griezmann, who
vous day on the bike amid the city of Dijon with an was born in Macon.
crosswinds. excellent lead-out for his Jonas Abrahamsen ignited
Groenewegen earned a teammate Philipsen, Groe- the first move of the day
sixth career stage victory newegen timed his ef- to claim points in the clas-
at cycling’s biggest race fort perfectly and used his sification for the polka-dot
ahead of Biniam Girmay, great power to prevail by jersey of best climber, at
the Stage 3 winner, and Fer- just a few inches. the top of a short climb and
nando Gaviria, the Stage 3 The fight between the main went on a breakaway with
runner-up. Jasper Philipsen contenders for the yellow Axel Zingle. The duo was
was initially the runner-up jersey is expected to re- caught soon after.
for a second straight stage sume on Friday during the On long sections of roads
but was relegated for an ir- race’s first time trial. The exposed to wind, the pelo-
regular sprint. 25-kilometer (16-mile) race ton rode at a steady pace, Netherlands’ Dylan Groenewegen, right, sprints to the finish line
“I actually don’t know what against the clock features with riders careful not to to win ahead of Belgium’s Arnaud de Lie, left, during the sixth
happened but I was first,” a climb with an average get caught in a split. About stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 163.5 kilometers
Groenewegen said. gradient of 6.1% that will 85 kilometers (53 miles) from (101.6 miles) with start in Macon and finish in Dijon, France,
There was no change put riders to the test in the the finish, Vingegaard’s Thursday, July 4, 2024.
among the overall leaders, final section. teammates Wout van Associated Press