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Dialuna 5 Juli 2021

After last Middle Sunday, Wimbledon resumes with fresh faces

Cristian Garin of Chile, and fastest by a woman during
Federer’s, No. 23 Lorenzo Week 1 at 121 mph and her
Sonego of Italy, were a com- 23 aces rank second only to
bined 0-5 at the All England Barty’s 26.
Club until this year.
Britain’s Raducanu, a wild-
The other men’s matches card entry who is 18 and
Monday are No. 2 Daniil ranked 338th, is making her
Medvedev vs. No. 14 Hubert Grand Slam debut and ap-
Hurkacz, No. 4 Alexander pearing in only her second
Zverev vs. No. 16 Felix Au- tour-level event of any sort.
ger-Aliassime, No. 5 Andrey Other women at Wimble-
Rublev vs. Marton Fucsov- don for the first time include
ics, and No. 8 Roberto Bau- 2019 French Open champion
tista Agut vs. No. 10 Denis and Barty’s opponent, 2021
Shapovalov. French Open champ Barbora
Krejcikova, No. 18 Elena Ry-
Bautista Agut was a semifi- bakina (who plays No. 2 Ary-
nalist in 2019, the last time na Sabalenka) and Liudmila
the tournament was played Samsonova (who plays No. 8
because of the cancellation a Karolina Pliskova).
year ago amid the pandemic,
(AP) — Wimbledon’s tra- Djokovic, Roger Federer, a That’s because while there and is the only man left other The other women’s match-
ditional Middle Sunday of total of eight of the top 10 are representatives of the than eight-time champion ups: Raducanu vs. Ajla Tom-
rest will disappear in 2022, seeds and 20-year-old Ameri- old guard who have multiple Federer and five-time cham- ljanovic, Muchova vs. No. 30
as will the Manic Monday can Sebastian Korda in men’s Grand Slam titles, including pion Djokovic to even have Paula Badosa, Keys vs. Vikto-
that follows it. matches. at the All England Club — been to so much as one quar- rija Golubic, and 2020 French
Federer (20), Djokovic (19) terfinal at Wimbledon. Open champion Iga Swiatek
For one last time, the oldest It won’t be the same moving and Kerber (three) — there vs. No. 21 Ons Jabeur.
Grand Slam tournament was forward, and Federer under- truly are so many fresh faces. Kerber, No. 23 Madison Keys
quiet as Week 1 of this year’s stands why the All England and No. 19 Karolina Mucho- Only three of the top 12
edition ended. And for one Club is changing its ways in Of the 32 singles players still va are the only women with women in the WTA rankings
last time, Week 2 will begin this regard. in the brackets, 26 never have past quarterfinal experience will play Monday.
with a bevy of action, the been to the quarterfinals at at the place.
only major to schedule all 16 “Everybody wants more days. Wimbledon — and 20 are “The past couple of Slams,
women’s and men’s fourth- Look, more days means more participating in the fourth Kerber faces Gauff, a 17-year- we have seen that there have
round singles matches on the revenue, more options, more round for the first time. old American who also made been a lot of upsets ... and a
same day. this and that. I get it,” he said. it to the fourth round in 2019 lot of opportunities for re-
“I don’t think they did it only Korda, who faces No. 25 seed and is coming off her first ally anyone to do well at any
“I think I will miss it, to be because of revenue. I think Karen Khachanov, is making Grand Slam quarterfinal at tournament,” said Keys, the
honest,” 2018 champion An- they just think it’s going with his debut at Wimbledon, as Roland Garros last month. 2017 U.S. Open runner-up.
gelique Kerber said. the times, as well.” is Ilya Ivashka, a 27-year-old “It’s been great to watch.”
from Belarus who takes on “She’s really dangerous, es-
Get ready for a packed sched- It’s quite possible that the rest No. 7 Matteo Berrettini, a pecially on grass courts,” Note: The All England Club
uled Monday that includes of the fortnight could end up 2019 U.S. Open semifinalist Kerber said. “I see the fire announced Sunday that Cen-
teenagers Coco Gauff and being viewed as its own sort who leads all remaining play- (in) her, as well.” tre Court and No. 1 Court
Emma Raducanu, No. 1 Ash of referendum on the present ers with 60 aces. can be at full capacity as of
Barty and Kerber in women’s and future of tennis. A key to Gauff’s success is Tuesday, when the quarterfi-
matches, along with Novak Djokovic’s opponent, No. 17 her serve: She is tied for the nals begin.

Kurt Busch chases NASCAR playoffs with future uncertain

(AP) — Kurt Busch has welcomed our way.” finished eighth in an Xfinity Series overshot a corner.
the uncertainty of this season as Busch’s contract with Chip Ganassi race. He said he attended an IndyCar
he chases a playoff berth while Racing expires at the end of the year, race at the track as a fan in 1997. “I hated that I wrecked a really good
pondering his future in NAS- and Ganassi sold his NASCAR team car,” said Busch, who won the Xfin-
CAR. to Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Road America, located on 640 acres ity Series race later Saturday. “The car
Marks this week and will leave the about halfway between Milwaukee was fast. I think (crew chief) Ben (Be-
Busch posted the fastest practice time Cup Series at the end of the season. and Green Bay, has hosted an Xfin- shore) was trying to save my feelings
Saturday as NASCAR’s Cup Series ity Series race each year since 2010. there and tell me that the next car’s
returned to Road America for the Busch said the news broke when he But this weekend marks the first time really good as well too, so nothing to
first time since 1956. His younger was inside a simulator. He stepped Road America has hosted NASCAR’s worry about there. Just put it all back,
brother, Kyle Busch, had the second- out and saw he had a couple hundred premier series since Tim Flock won I said, and it will be fine. Driver er-
fastest practice time but crashed and text messages. a rainy Grand National event back in ror cost us a car, but hopefully we can
will have to start Sunday at the back 1956. still get a win.”
of the pack in a backup car. “You drive harder and push deeper
and push harder when news like This is the fourth of seven road- Ryan Preece also will start at the back
There’s plenty at stake for Kurt that comes out,” Busch said. “It was course races on this year’s Cup Series of the pack Sunday after being forced
Busch the rest of the year as he heads a surprise to me. All of us at Ganassi schedule, and red-hot Kyle Larson to go to a backup car.
into Sunday’s race 14th in the points looked at each other and said, ‘We’ve thinks it’s the toughest yet.
standings. got a playoff berth right in front of us.
Let’s go get it. Let’s win and let’s push “There’s just not much room for er-
“I haven’t really been in this situation as hard as we can here right now in ror here,” Larson said.
much,” Busch said. “Usually there’s 2021.’”
a win or really good points that give Kyle Busch discovered that Saturday
us a cushion. I’ve embraced this year Busch prepared for Road America when he spun across the track until
in a whole different level just because on the simulator for a refresher on the left side of his Toyota hit the con-
of all the challenges that have come a course he last raced 2012 when he crete. Busch said afterward that he