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sports Saturday 25 June 2022
Serena Williams practices on Centre Court; 1st foe No. 113

By HOWARD FENDRICH — beating Williams in the
AP Tennis Writer semifinals there.
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) Barty retired in March and
— Serena Williams walked is not defending her title. So
out on Centre Court un- the honor of playing the first
der a closed retractable match at Centre Court on
roof on Friday afternoon, Tuesday, a slot traditionally
taking advantage of Wim- reserved for the prior year’s
bledon’s new policy of al- women’s champion, will
lowing players to practice go to Swiatek, who just col-
there and at No. 1 Court lected her second French
before the tournament be- Open trophy and enters
gins next week. on a 35-match winning
Accompanied by coach streak. The tournament an-
Eric Hechtman — who has nounced Friday that Swi-
worked with her older sister, atek was its pick for that
Venus, and replaces long- Tuesday slot on the sched-
time coach Patrick Morato- ule. The projected wom-
glou, now with Simona Ha- en’s quarterfinals based
lep — and hitting partner on seedings are Swiatek
Jarmere Jenkins, Williams vs. No. 8 Jessica Pegula,
returned to the site of her Pliskova vs. No. 4 Paula Ba-
last official singles match dosa, No. 2 Anett Kontaveit
anywhere, nearly a full vs. No. 5 Maria Sakkari, and
year ago at the All England Serena Williams practices on Centre Court ahead of the 2022 Wimbledon Championship at the All No. 3 Ons Jabeur vs. No. 7
Club. That ended after less England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, in London, Friday June 24, 2022. Associated Press Danielle Collins.
than a set, when Williams The potential men’s quar-
slipped on the slick turf and na’s thousands of empty outside the WTA’s top 1,200 era. Tan, meanwhile, will terfinals are top-seeded
injured her right leg. green seats and the white and could have ended be making her debut at the Novak Djokovic vs. No.
Wearing an all-white outfit cover overhead as a light up anywhere in the field. grass-court tournament. 5 Carlos Alcaraz, No. 3
and visor, Williams followed rain fell outside. The scene She only returned to the If Williams gets past Tan, Casper Ruud vs. No. 7 Hu-
No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek played out a few hours af- tour this week by playing next up could be a match bert Hurkacz, No. 2 Rafael
into the main stadium and ter the draw determined two doubles matches at a against Sara Sorribes Tor- Nadal vs. No. 6 Felix Auger-
went through about 45 that Williams will begin her tune-up event in England. mo, who is seeded 32nd Aliassime, and No. 4 Stefa-
minutes of training, from Wimbledon comeback While the 40-year-old but has never been past nos Tsitsipas vs. No. 8 Mat-
groundstrokes to volleys by facing Harmony Tan, a American’s track record the third round in 19 past teo Berrettini.
and overheads to her best- 24-year-old from France would merit a seeding, the major appearances. Djokovic won his third con-
in-the-game serve. The who is ranked 113th and All England Club adheres The third round potentially secutive Wimbledon title
courtside “mph” monitors owns a 2-6 career record in strictly to the rankings for would put Williams against — and sixth overall — by
were switched off, so there Grand Slam matches. seeds. a tougher test: No. 6-seed- beating Berrettini in last
was no way to tell just how Because of her lack of Williams has won seven ed Karolina Pliskova, who year’s final. Djokovic starts
fast her serves were zip- activity over the past 12 Wimbledon champion- was the runner-up to Ash Centre Court play on Mon-
ping, but the echoes pro- months, Williams — who has ships, part of her total of 23 Barty last year at Wimble- day against 75th-ranked
duced by her hard-hit shots been No. 1 in the rankings Grand Slam singles titles, a don and also reached the Kwon Soon-woo of South
reverberated off the are- for a total of 319 weeks — is record for the professional final of the 2016 U.S. Open Korea.q

Ledecky grabs another gold, Aussies

set record at worlds

By CIARÁN FAHEY second and Italy’s Simona set by the United States at
AP Sports Writer Quadarella 10.96 behind the last worlds in Gwangju,
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — for third. South Korea, in July 2019.
Katie Ledecky extended It’s Ledecky’s 19th gold at “I don’t think there was
her record haul of medals a worlds and her fourth this any mention or any expec-
and Australia set a world week including the 4x200 tation or even a thought
record in the mixed 4x100 freestyle relay. about being able to break
meters freestyle final at the “Really good end to a that,” Wilson said. “So to Katie Ledecky of the United States reacts after the Women
world swimming champi- great week,” Ledecky said. do that and see that at the 800m Freestyle final at the 19th FINA World Championships in
Budapest, Hungary, Friday, June 24, 2022.
onships on Friday. Her 22 medals are the most end was just unbelievable Associated Press
American star Ledecky for a female swimmer in and a real surprise for us.”
won the 800 freestyle fi- world championships his- Canada’s team of Joshua Canada’s silver was the France’s Maxime Grousset.
nal for the fifth time at the tory. Only Michael Phelps, Liendo, Javier Acevedo, country’s ninth medal this “We’re missing quite a few
worlds to seal her fourth who won 26, has more. Kayla Sanchez and Penny week, eclipsing the eight it key players in the pool to-
consecutive 400/800/1,500 Australia’s mixed relay team Oleksiak finished 1.23 be- won in Gwangju. day,” Proud said, referring
triple at the event. of Jack Cartwright, Kyle hind the Australians for sil- Ben Proud won Britain’s first to the absences of Cae-
She clocked 8 minutes, 8.04 Chalmers, Madison Wilson ver, and the Unites States gold of the championships, leb Dressel, Florent Manau-
seconds to finish more than and Mollie O’Callaghan team of Ryan Held, Brooks clinching the men’s 50 free- dou and Bruno Fratus. “The
10 seconds ahead of her clocked 3:19.38 in the 4x100 Curry, Torri Huske and Claire style in 21.32 – 0.09 ahead whole podium from the
rivals. Australia’s Kiah Mel- to shave two-hundredths Curzan was third, 1.71 be- of American Michael An- Olympics last year wasn’t in
verton was 10.73 behind in of a second off the record hind. drew and 0.25 ahead of the final.”q