Tennis’s great, good and just plain hopeful pressed their whites and descended on London SW19 for Wimbledon fortnight. In sweltering temperatures reminiscent of pretty much anywhere other than England, the first-week shocks were topped off with defending women’s champion Petra Kvitova, who was bundled out unceremoniously in the third round by Jelena Jankovic. “If I knew what happened, I would tell you,” a bamboozled Kvitova said, “but really I’m not sure.” In the men’s draw, Rafael Nadal’s steady withdrawal from the game’s elite continued with a chastening loss to the magnificently dreadlocked Jamaican-German qualifier Dustin Brown, the third time in four seasons the Spanish former world No 1 has exited Wimbledon in the first week.
Tour de France speeds off
In a blur of garish Lycra and mirrored wraparound shades, cycling’s big daddy, the Tour de France, got under way from its guest Grand Départ in the Netherlands. Australia’s Rohan Dennis took the first yellow jersey with an blistering start in Utrecht, registering the fastest average speed for a time trial in the race’s history. “It was my goal to do well,” the BMC rider said, even though it may arguably have been more newsworthy had the opposite been true. The Tour then sped along the pancake-flat roads to Zeeland, where André Greipel grabbed the second stage in a sprint finish.
Hamilton laps it up
Lewis Hamilton gave Formula One’s beleaguered promoters something to cheer, not to mention thousands of home supporters, by triumphing in the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. In doing so the Briton put the brakes on the mini-revival by his team mate Nico Rosberg, winner of three out of the previous four races, who finished second in yet another one-two for Mercedes. Still, a sell-out crowd of around 140,000 underlined F1’s peculiar ability to draw in the punters despite its almost systemic lack of proper competition. “An incredible day,” an emotional Hamilton reflected later. “On the last lap, last couple of laps I think it was, I was getting watery eyes.” Probably a bit of loose grit. Or money.
Tributes to Phil Walsh
Australian sport was in shock after the leading Australian Rules football coach Phil Walsh was stabbed to death and his son charged with murder. The sport’s chief executive, Gillon McLachlan, led the many tributes to the 55-year-old Adelaide Crows coach, recalling “a man of boundless energy, enthusiasm and great intelligence … there are not many words of comfort for those who feel this terrible loss in these most difficult of circumstances.” Adelaide’s game against Geelong last Sunday was called off as a mark of respect.
