Sport

England turn up the volume and drown out doubts against Netherlands | Nick Ames
Posted on Wednesday July 09, 2025

Sarina Wiegman’s side delivered a warning shot to the rest in Zurich – the reigning champions will not go quietlyWhat was all the fuss about? On Saturday night England were staring into the abyss after a largely flat, listless defeat against France. Now their Euro 2025 campaign is up and running, a dominant dispatching of the Netherlands giving them a foot in the quarter-finals.This was a warning shot to the rest; a clear message that the reigning champions will not fade into the night. Originally billed as a knife-edge contest between close rivals, the tie turned into a 4-0 rout under an azure Zurich sky. Continue reading...

‘We didn’t put the brakes on’: Luis Enrique denies PSG spared Real Madrid
Posted on Wednesday July 09, 2025

Several key players substituted as PSG romped to 4-0 winXabi Alonso ‘hurt’ but says ‘next year will be different’On the afternoon that Paris Saint-Germain reached the final of the Club World Cup, placing them 90 minutes away from winning every trophy available this season, Luis Enrique underlined how far they had come by recalling: “In January, people said we didn’t have leaders and didn’t score goals.” Since then they have scored more than 100 and won their first ever Champions league with a 5-0 victory against Inter in the final. Here they put four past Real Madrid with a display so dominant that he had to deny that they had taken their foot off the gas.In doing so, however, the PSG head coach did reveal that he had made changes with Sunday’s final against Chelsea in mind. PSG were two goals up inside 10 minutes and had made it 3-0 before they had played half an hour, the game effectively over, before Gonçalo Ramos added a fourth in the dying minutes. Continue reading...

Djokovic survives Cobolli onslaught to reach record 14th Wimbledon semi-final
Posted on Wednesday July 09, 2025

Serb through to last four after 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 winDjokovic will face No 1 seed Jannik Sinner in semi-finalsThe siren call of a record 25th grand slam title grows ever louder for Novak Djokovic. But he was given a scare by the punchy young Italian Flavio Cobolli, as well as a nasty fall on match point, before coming through a pulsating quarter-final to win 6-7 (8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.Djokovic’s reward is a record 14th Wimbledon semi-final, one ahead of Roger Federer, and a meeting with the world No 1, Jannik Sinner, on Friday. It is a battle he is clearly relishing. Continue reading...

Iga Swiatek holds off Samsonova to reach Wimbledon semi-finals for first time
Posted on Wednesday July 09, 2025

No 8 seed through to face Bencic after 6-2, 7-5 victory‘It feels great … I got goosebumps after this win’From the moment she first set foot on the grass this year, there has been something different about Iga Swiatek. Where once trepidation would have been her overriding emotion on what has traditionally been her weakest surface, she has looked calm from day one and on Wednesday she held her nerve to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time, holding off a bold fightback from Liudmila Samsonova to claim a 6-2, 7-5 victory.Leading by a set and 4-2, 40-0, Swiatek was cruising to victory, crunching groundstrokes, moving brilliantly and improvising impressively. However, Samsonova suddenly started going for broke and at 5-5, she had 0-30 on the Pole’s serve. But unlike on several occasions this year, Swiatek did not panic, dug deep and claimed her place in the last four, where she will play Belinda Bencic. Continue reading...

Departure now leaves a question mark about the next chapter of one of the sport’s extraordinary success storiesThe removal of Christian Horner from his post as team principal at Red Bull represents both the end of an era in Formula One and, in the short term, the most turbulent period in the team’s history. It carries an import that will be felt right across the sport, a significance in how it played out and what happens next as the team Horner built and led to such enormous success faces an uncertain future.Horner has been at Red Bull since the team was formed in 2005 from the ashes of Jaguar, a team in no little disarray when Red Bull bought it. Horner was at the helm as it was transformed from an operation of 450 personnel, without so much as a win to their name, to one of 1,500 today that has won eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships, and is one of the most extraordinary success stories in F1 history. Continue reading...

‘He’s very determined’: England look to Archer before pivotal third Test
Posted on Wednesday July 09, 2025

Seamer’s pace has potential to upend India’s dominance, but England’s batting needs urgent improvementNearly six years after Jofra Archer made his Test debut against Australia at Lord’s he will finally return after England confirmed that he will replace Josh Tongue as the only change to the team so comprehensively beaten by India at Edgbaston last week.Archer is a man of few words and, as he has battled through a string of injuries across those intervening years, also not a lot of action. So the conversation that confirmed his return to Test cricket was entirely typical, said England’s captain, Ben Stokes: “I went: ‘Are you ready this week?’ And he went: ‘Been ready.’ That was literally it.” Continue reading...

India cruise to victory in fourth T20 and seal historic series win over England
Posted on Wednesday July 09, 2025

4th T20i: India 127-4, beat England, 126-7, by six wicketsIndia’s triumph is first T20 series win in EnglandIndia made history at Old Trafford on Wednesday night by winning the fourth Twenty20 international by six wickets, sealing their first T20 international series victory in England.“This time, this team, this atmosphere, it’s magical,” Radha Yadav said. “We want to create something big going forward. We are going to dominate, no matter what.” Continue reading...

Tour de France 2025: Evenepoel wins time trial as Pogacar powers into yellow
Posted on Wednesday July 09, 2025

Slovenian opens clear gap to rival Jonas VingegaardEvenepoel takes stage win in blistering run around CaenTadej Pogacar struck the first blow in his rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard by taking the overall Tour de France lead after finishing second to Remco Evenepoel in the stage five time trial in Caen.Pogacar’s performance exceeded expectations and will have hit hard on Vingegaard’s Visma‑Lease a Bike team bus, with the double Tour winner now more than a minute behind his Slovenian rival after only five days of racing. Continue reading...