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SPORTS Friday 7 July 2023

Wimbledon is finally dry after 3 days of rain. Wawrinka wins and

gets Djokovic next

By CHRIS LEHOURITES losing to British hopeful Liam
AP Sports Writer Broady 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) on Centre Court.
— The courts are finally dry “In the fifth, he was just
at Wimbledon and the sun dominant,” said Ruud, who
is even shining through the reached the final at three
clouds at times, giving or- of the last five major tour-
ganizers hope of fitting in a naments but has never got-
full day of tennis on Thurs- ten past the second round
day for the first time at this in four appearances at the
year’s tournament. All England Club. “Getting
The first three days of ac- more experience here at
tion at the All England Club Wimbledon is fun. Playing
were affected by rain. Only on Centre Court was amaz-
eight matches were com- ing.”
pleted on Tuesday. Those Also in the women’s draw,
matches were played on Sofia Kenin and Elina Svito-
either Centre Court or No. 1 lina both advanced to the
Court, the only stadiums on third round. Kenin eliminat-
the grounds with roofs. ed seventh-seeded Coco
Because of the all the dis- Gauff in the first round,
ruption, there were a hand- while Svitolina beat five-
ful of first-round matches time Wimbledon champion
played on Day 4. Normal- Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka returns to Argentina’s Tomas Martín Etcheverry in a men’s singles Venus Williams.
ly, the first Thursday of the match on day four of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Thursday, July 6, 2023. Kenin, the 2020 Australian
tournament would wrap up Associated Press Open champion, will next
the second round. scheduled to be played Fri- competitive match, but if reached the 2020 U.S. face Svitolina, who is back
Among the winners was day on Centre Court. you will look at recent re- Open final but missed most on tour after the birth of her
Stan Wawrinka, a three- “There’s zero opportunity sults, I don’t really stand a of last season after injur- first child in October with
time Grand Slam champion to win Wimbledon for me, I chance.” ing his ankle in the French husband Gael Monfils.
from Switzerland. Wawrinka think,” said Wawrinka, who The defending champion Open semifinals, finally got “I’ve got to figure out a
beat No. 29-seeded Tomas reached the quarterfinals in the women’s tourna- on court and beat Dutch good strategy against her,”
Martin Etcheverry of Argen- at the All England Club in ment, Elena Rybakina, qualifier Gijs Brouwer 6-4, said Kenin, a 24-year-old
tina 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to ad- 2014 and 2015. “I’m playing moved into the third round 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in the first American. “She gets a lot
vance to the third round. better each match, and as by beating Alize Cornet round. of balls back, from what I
The 38-year-old Wawrinka, I say, I think it’s an honor 6-2, 7-6 (2). Fourth-seeded The 19th-seeded German remember. I mean, she’s
who won his major titles at to play Novak here. I was Jessica Pegula defeated has twice reached the got a big serve, big back-
the other three Grand Slam missing that on my career Cristina Bucsa 6-1, 6-4. fourth round at Wimbledon, hand. There is nothing off
tournaments, will next face to play him in the Grand Later Thursday, two-time including in 2021. He again about her game.”
Novak Djokovic — the 23- Slam in Wimbledon. That’s champion Andy Murray reached the French Open Mirra Andreeva, a 16-year-
time Grand Slam cham- the last I never played him, was playing fifth-seeded semifinals this year. old qualifier from Rus-
pion who is going for his and it’s going to be a dif- Stefanos Tsitsipas on Centre Fourth-seeded Casper sia who is ranked 102nd,
record-tying eighth title at ficult challenge. Court in the second round. Ruud, however, was elimi- reached the third round in
Wimbledon. That match is “Hopefully I can make a Alexander Zverev, who nated in the second round, her Wimbledon debut. q

Pogacar wins Pyrenees big stage and Vingegaard claims yellow

CAUTERETS-CAMBASQUE, the second and last stage Overnight leader Jai Hind-
France (AP) — Tadej Poga- in the Pyrenees. ley dropped to third place
car was not done yet. “I would not say revenge, overall, 1 minute, 34 sec-
Just 24 hours after losing but it’s good to win today onds off the pace.
more than a minute to his and take back some time,” The brutal 145-kilometer
biggest rival at the Tour de Pogacar said after an epic (90-mile) Stage 6 with a
France defending cham- day of racing in thin air. “I mountaintop finish from the
pion Jonas Vingegaard feel a little bit of relief and southwestern city of Tarbes

Pogacar showed he was feel much better now.” to the Plateau of Cam-
not ready to give up, and Vingegaard crossed the basque featured three
revived the suspense at cy- finish line 24 seconds be- tough climbs including the
cling’s biggest race. hind Pogacar following legendary Col du Tour-
Two-time champion Poga- their pulsating duel and malet.
car, who was dethroned seized the yellow jersey, It was on the steepest
by Vingegaard last sum- 25 seconds ahead of his part of the famed moun-
mer, claimed a 10th career Slovenian rival. “I would tain pass, in thin air, that
Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard leads Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar stage win on Thursday after say it’s almost perfect the Vingegaard, riding behind
during the sixth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 145
kilometers (90 miles) with start in Tarbes and finish in Cauterets- a stunning counterattack gap, and it’s going to be a a small group of break-
Cambasque, France, Thursday, July 6, 2023. that dropped the reigning big, big battle until the last away riders, started the
Associated Press champion in the finale of stage,” Pogacar said. battle.q