Sports
TENNIS: Murray wins Australian Open epic at 4am
‘Tennis Breakfast’ is broadcast live from Melbourne, with selected live text commentary and match reports available on the BBC Sport website and app.
Andy Murray produced another unbelievable performance to come back from two sets down to defeat Thanasi Kokkinakis in an epic Australian Open match that ended at 04:05 local time.
On a grueling physical and mental endurance night, Murray won 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 7-5 in one of the most recent finishes in tennis history.
The second-round match began at 22:20 and lasted 5 hours and 45 minutes.
It was the longest competition in Murray’s eventful 35-year career.
Response to Murray’s late-night win over Kokkinakis
After taking his first match point, the exhausted Briton kept his face straight before the two players shared a warm embrace at the net.
With his mother Judy in the stands in tears, he let out a huge roar as he reflected on one of the best comebacks of his career.
Second Fastest Tennis Open In Australia Open History
A big, loud crowd stayed in Margaret Court Arena until the end. They thanked both men for their hard work and gave them much-needed vocal support.
The match is the second-fastest finish in Australian Open history, trailing only a match between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis in the third round in 2008.
“There was frustration, tension, excitement, all that stuff,” Murray said of the match.
“It’s fantastic to have won the match, but I’m also ready to go to bed. I need to sleep.”
Murray joins Dan Evans as the second British player to reach the third round at Melbourne Park this year, with Cameron Norrie hoping to join them by defeating Czech youngster Jiri Lehecka on Friday.
It was Murray’s longest match ever, longer than the Davis Cup match he played against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina in 2016.
Murrey Makes A Come Back
Murray makes an extraordinary comeback, even by his standards.
Murray has consistently defied the odds since returning from hip surgery in 2019 that he thought he would end his career, including a first-round win over Italian 13th seed Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday.
Two days later, the Scot did it again, this time with a comeback that was extraordinary even by his standards.
Murray spoke cautiously about the impact the five-set thriller would have on his body – a combination of his advancing years and the strain caused by his implanted metal hip – before facing 26-year-old Kokkinakis.
“I felt physically better today than I did the other day, which is a good thing, but finishing at 4 a.m. is not ideal,” said the former world number one.
Murray could not have asked for more time to recover, but the trade-off was playing in frigid temperatures, resulting in long rallies, points, and a very long night.
Murrey Worked Hard For His Win
The five-time Australian Open finalist got off to a slow start and struggled to find his rhythm, with his frequent chuntering to his support box indicating he wasn’t happy.
On his way to a two-set lead, Kokkinakis, backed by a raucous crowd at an initially packed Margaret Court Arena, punished him with plenty of powerful and precise forehand winners.
You wondered how much mental and physical energy Murray had left in the tank.
We had the answer almost four hours later.
Murray trailed 5-2 in the third set but used his experience to keep his cool as Kokkinakis tightened up when he tried to serve out the match.
Murray used the momentum to dominate the fourth set after a skewed smash summed up the strain felt by the world number 159.
Deep into the decider, it was impossible to predict who would win, but Murray decisively broke at 5-5 and served out for an extraordinary victory.
“It was by far the longest match I’ve played, but that’s what’s going to happen in those conditions,” Murray said.
“Playing in the cold at that time of day with balls like that will result in long rallies and long points.”
The one thing that has eluded the former world number one since his comeback in 2019 is another deep run at a major, which he used to do regularly.
Won 11 Matches
If he can recover enough to beat Spanish 24th seed Roberto Bautista Agut – who he played in what he thought was his final Grand Slam match before the hip surgery four years ago – he will reach the fourth round of a major for the first time since 2017.
Andy Murray has won 11 matches from two sets down, making him the player with the most successful comebacks.
‘Who benefits from it?’ Murray is displeased with the late finish.
The late finish raised more questions about why tennis allows this and prompted a closer look at the scheduling.
Murray screamed in frustration after losing a point and asked why they were “still playing at 3 a.m.” during the match.
Afterward, he continued to express his displeasure and told a huddle of journalists, who were waiting in a corridor underneath Rod Laver Arena in a bid to speed up his exit, it was a “farce”.
“Who will benefit from it? A match like that and that is the topic of the discussion. It ends in a farce rather than an epic match, “He stated.
“People stayed until the end and created an atmosphere, which I greatly appreciate. Some people must work.
“But if my child were a ball kid for the tournament and came home at 5 a.m., I’d be furious.
“It’s not good for them, the umpires, or the officials. It’s not fantastic for the fans. It’s bad for the players.”
SOURCE – (BBC)
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics promises to be unlike any other.
In a novelty for the Games, the show will be held on Paris’ famed River Seine rather than in a stadium.
Here is everything you need know about the ceremony…
What to expect from the spectacular opening ceremony.
The eye-catching celebration will take place over a 6km stretch of the Seine. It will start at Austerlitz Bridge and culminate among the gardens, fountains, and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.
Almost 100 boats will carry over 10,000 athletes and dignitaries as they cruise past Paris’ prominent monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf.
The boats will transport the parade’s participants as well as the artistic portion of the celebration, which will highlight Paris and France’s history and culture.
The performers’ identities, however, have been kept a mystery.
Thousands of people are still expected to line the river and streets, with millions more watching on television all over the world.
“I’d like to show France in all its diversity,” said Thomas Jolly, the French actor and theatre director appointed as the ceremony’s creative director, a post previously played by Danny Boyle in London 2012.
“Illustrate the richness and plurality shaped by its history, which has been influenced and inspired by the diverse cultures that have passed through it, while itself serving as a source of inspiration.”
The ceremony will also involve the ceremonial opening of the Games, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
Many of the finer elements have been maintained as a surprise.
What is the date and time of the opening ceremony?
The ceremony will commence at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST) on Friday, July 26.
It is scheduled to take little under four hours, with the last parts taking place as the sun sets over the French city.
Fortunately, the Paris weather forecast for Friday evening is positive.
In what sequence will the nations be introduced?
In accordance with tradition, Greece will be the first nation introduced during the ceremony.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA star, is one of their flagbearers for the games.
Greece will be followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, with hosts France being the last to be unveiled.
Because of their countries’ involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian and Belarussian athletes participating as individuals will not participate.
How to follow the opening ceremony on BBC.
The opening ceremony will begin live at 17:45 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.
BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will provide radio coverage beginning at 19:00 BST.
There will also be live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app, bringing you all the action from Paris.
Source: BBC
Sports
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
PARIS — Coco Gauff, a tennis player, will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the United States Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.
Coco, the reigning US Open winner, is ready to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, becoming the first tennis player to carry the American flag. Team USA athletes selected her and James.
“I believe the Olympics are the priority. It’s equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn’t put it above or below because I’d never played before. “This is my first time,” Gauff explained earlier this year. “I always want to do well and get a medal.”
Coco Gauff | AP News Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
Coco and James, the 39-year-old NBA’s all-time top scorer, engage in sports outside the traditional Olympic realm and receive media attention year-round rather than every four years.
Coco, 20, joined the American team for the Tokyo Olympics as a youngster three years ago but had to withdraw because she tested positive for COVID-19 just before flying to Japan.
Coco, who now lives in Florida, has won Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles. She earned her first major triumph in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, and then won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in June with Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova.
The Paris Olympics will be played on the same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open. The bracket draw will take place on Thursday, and play will begin on Saturday.
Coco is seeded second in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind Poland’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and will be one of the medal favorites.
Coco Gauff | AP news Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
She and her normal doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded first in the women’s doubles. Gauff may also compete in mixed doubles; however, those pairs have yet to be determined.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on it, because I want to fully enjoy the experience,” Gauff said of her Olympic debut. “Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime, (but) I’ll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
SOURCE | AP
When LeBron James was chosen for his first Olympics in 2004, he was unsure what the opening ceremony entailed.
This time, he’ll be a star of the show.
His fellow American Olympians chose James to be the male flagbearer for the United States at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Friday night. He is the third basketball player — and the first men’s player — to carry the United States flag at the start of an Olympics, following Dawn Staley in 2004 and Sue Bird in 2021.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” James told reporters. “As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only me, but to my family, all the kids in my community, my teammates, other Olympians, and so many more people throughout the country with huge dreams. Sports have the capacity to unite us all, and I’m honored to be a part of this historic occasion.”
The 39-year-old James learned of the distinction Monday in London, just hours before the United States men’s team was supposed to play its final pre-Olympics exhibition game against World Cup champion Germany.
“We understand how much of an honor it is to be in that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself as him being worthy of that honor,” Curry said on the video announcing his nomination.
“He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion,” Curry pointed out. “And the work speaks for itself.”
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
The female U.S. flagbearer is anticipated to be revealed on Tuesday. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced that country delegations would have two flagbearers at the Olympics’ opening ceremony, one male and one female, to encourage gender equality. The United States is set to send around 600 competitors to the Paris Games, with approximately 53% women.
“Being chosen by your teammates to carry the flag is a tremendous honor—and a testament to LeBron’s passion for Team USA and dedication to his sport,” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said.
James, a global icon, four-time NBA champion, and the league’s all-time leading scorer about to begin his record-tying 22nd NBA season, is set to compete in the Olympics for the fourth time, having previously won bronze in 2004, gold in Beijing in 2008, and gold again in London in 2012. He participated in the opening ceremony at his previous three Olympics.
This will be an unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony, with thousands of participants sailing along the River Seine at nightfall toward the Eiffel Tower. According to Olympic officials, the route is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) one, with some 320,000 spectators expected to watch from the river bank and an estimated 1 billion more watching on televisions around the world.
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
Not all Olympic athletes attend the opening ceremony; many miss it for logistical reasons, such as having to compete the next day. James and the four-time defending gold champion U.S. men shall begin Olympic competition on Sunday, when they face Serbia in Lille, France.
James and the American Olympians will have to wait longer than virtually any other nation for their voyage on the Seine. According to IOC protocol, Greece will lead the march, with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as one of its two flagbearers. The Refugee Olympic Team and over 200 more national delegations will follow. The United States is slated to be next-to-last in the procession because Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.
As the host, France will be the last nation to participate in the opening ceremony procession. Its men’s basketball team, which includes reigning NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, begins Olympic competition on Saturday and is not scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.
SOURCE | AP
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