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A16 sports
Wednesday 15 June 2022
Serena Williams gets wild-card entry for Wimbledon singles

By HOWARD FENDRICH sidelined, first Ash Barty and
AP Tennis Writer then Iga Swiatek stepped
Serena Williams is going to into the opening left by her
play at Wimbledon, after extended absence. Barty
all. The All England Club won Wimbledon last year
announced on Tuesday and the Australian Open
that Williams was awarded this January to solidify her
a wild-card entry for sin- hold on the No. 1 ranking,
gles, marking her return to but then abruptly retired at
Grand Slam action after a age 25 in March.
year away. That allowed Swiatek to
The owner of a professional rise to No. 1, and she has
era-record 23 Grand Slam backed up that new status
singles trophies, and as big with an ongoing 35-match
a star as tennis ever has winning streak that in-
seen, is going to tune up by cluded claiming a second
playing doubles at a small- French Open trophy this
er grass-court event first, month.
teaming with Ons Jabeur That unbeaten stretch ex-
at Eastbourne, England, ceeds by one a 34-match
next week. run Williams put together
Main-draw play at Wimble- in 2013 and equals one by
don begins on June 27. Serena Williams of the U.S holds her trophy after winning the women’s singles final against Williams’ older sister, Venus,
Williams has not competed Angelique Kerber of Germany on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, for the longest since 2000.
anywhere since getting in- Saturday, July 9, 2016. Adding Williams to the
jured during the first set of Associated Press bracket at the All England
her first-round match at the Club adds quite a story line
All England Club in 2021. Two other women will get “SW” are her initials, of and then her right leg buck- for this year’s tournament,
And her name did not ap- invitations “in due course,” course, and “SW19” is the led, leading to just the sec- which as things stood was
pear on the women’s sin- the All England Club said. postal code for Wimble- ond mid-match retirement going to be filled with them,
gles entry list released by Seven of the eight men’s don. The 40-year-old Amer- at any Grand Slam tourna- including the ban on play-
the grass-court Grand Slam wild-card berths were also ican has won seven of her ment of her career and first ers from Russia and Belarus
tournament earlier this announced, including one singles trophies at Wimble- since 1998. because of the invasion of
month. for three-time major cham- don, the first in 2002 and With the lack of activity Ukraine, the subsequent
But Williams was among a pion Stan Wawrinka. most recently in 2016. Wil- since then, Williams — who removal of rankings points
half-dozen women given Earlier in the day, Williams liams was the runner-up first reached No. 1 in July by the WTA and ATP tours,
a spot in the singles draw posted a photo of her there in 2018 and 2019 (the 2002 — is 1,208th in the WTA the 100th anniversary of the
on Tuesday, along with five white shoes on what ap- tournament was canceled rankings this week. That is opening of Centre Court
British players: Katie Boul- pears to be a grass court in 2020 because of the why she was not automati- and the addition of sched-
ter, Jodie Burrage, Sonay and the message: “SW and coronavirus pandemic). cally placed in the Wimble- uled play on the fortnight’s
Kartal, Yuriko Miyazaki and SW19. It’s a date. 2022. See In 2021, Williams lost her don field. middle Sunday for the first
Katie Swan. you there. Let’s Go.” footing on the slick grass While Williams has been time.q

Padres star shortstop Tatis Jr can’t

swing a bat just yet

to show healing,” but not tion, Preller said. rotation topped by local
enough for the doctor to Tatis, 23, reportedly was in- product Joe Musgrove,
“give a full green light,” jured in an offseason mo- who leads the majors with
Preller said. torcycle accident in his a 1.50 ERA. Kim Ha-seong,
The shortstop, who signed native Dominican Repub- who signed with the Pa-
a $340 million, 14-year lic. Although there were dres before last season out
contract before the 2021 social media posts at the South Korea’s KBO League,
season, has been doing time that showed Tatis’ has made the bulk of the
a number of activities, wrist wrapped up, the ex- starts at shortstop.
including taking ground tent of the injury wasn’t Tatis finished third in vot-
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. reacts with teammates balls, throwing and run- known until he reported to ing for NL MVP last season
after hitting a home run during the seventh inning of a baseball
game against the Atlanta Braves, Sept. 24, 2021, in San Diego. ning. Swinging a bat will spring training. after hitting .282 with 42
Associated Press begin the last major step The Padres have pulled home runs, 97 RBIs and 25
his comeback. into a virtual tie with the stolen bases in 130 games.
By BERNIE WILSON manager A.J. Preller said “The full go, start swinging rival Los Angeles Dodgers He missed time with a trou-
AP Sports Writer Tuesday. the bat, playing in rehab atop the NL West without blesome left shoulder that
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fer- Tatis had a three-month games, that’s going to be Tatis, who brings a swag- led the Padres to play him
nando Tatis Jr.’s surgically follow-up exam in Arizona more of a week-to-week ger both at the plate and in the outfield for several
repaired left wrist hasn’t on Monday with Dr. Don- decision here going for- in the field. games as a precaution.
progressed to the point ald Sheridan, who oper- ward,” Preller said. Slugger Manny Machado The son of the former
where the electrifying All- ated on his broken wrist in Otherwise, the doctor has had an MVP-caliber big league infielder, Tatis
Star shortstop can start mid-March. felt positive about Tatis’ start to the season, and made his big league de-
swinging a bat, general The MRI exam “continues strength and range of mo- the Padres have a strong but in 2019.q