Author: Australian Associated Press

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Alexei Popyrin crashes out of Wimbledon after losing to world No 461

  • Much-fancied 20th seed suffers opening day upset

  • Jordan Thompson brightens gloom for Australian contingent

One of Australia’s biggest Wimbledon hopes, Alexei Popyrin, has crashed out of tournament to a British player ranked No.461 in the world while only a wonderful trademark comeback from Jordan Thompson could rescue a poor start for the Australian contingent on the sun-drenched grass-court grand slam.

Big-serving Popyrin, the 20th seed and the biggest Australian men’s hope beyond Alex de Minaur, tumbled out to French-born English wildcard Arthur Fery 6-4 6-1 4-6 6-4 in one of the biggest upsets of the opening Monday.

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Oscar Piastri ‘probably pushed the limits a bit far’ in Austrian GP tussle with teammate Norris

  • Australian admits he got a bit too close to teammate at Red Bull Ring

  • McLaren pair finish one-two as championship race tightens up

It was the moment the great McLaren battle could have all gone disastrously wrong. Oscar Piastri moved to pass McLaren teammate Lando Norris but locked his wheels and veered perilously close to his championship rival.

The Australian regained control to eventually finish immediately behind the British driver in an enthralling Austrian Grand Prix that tightened up the race to the world title.

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Josh Papalii gets shock Queensland recall with NSW unchanged for State of Origin decider

  • Veteran prop comes out of Maroons retirement for Game 3

  • Blues camp back Brian To’o to recover from injury to play in Sydney

Canberra veteran Josh Papalii has been ushered out of State of Origin retirement to give Queensland’s forward pack fire and brimstone in this year’s decider, while NSW coach Laurie Daley has named an unchanged 17.

Papalii called time on his Origin career ahead of the 2023 series but will be named at starting prop when Billy Slater unveils his 17 for Origin III on Monday. The 33-year-old prop has been instrumental in the first-placed Raiders’ charge up the ladder this year and will add extra vigour to Queensland’s pack come 9 July in Sydney.

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Maya Joint at home on grass as Australian teenager marches into Eastbourne final

  • World No 51 beats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in semi-final

  • Alexandra Eala first Philippines player to reach a WTA Tour decider

Australian teenager Maya Joint has reached another WTA final at the age of just 19, giving herself the perfect pre-Wimbledon boost by powering into the championship match in the traditional Eastbourne International curtain-raiser.

The US-born Queenslander, competing in just her second senior grass-court event, took another illustrious scalp on Friday following her wins over Ons Jabeur and Emma Raducanu as she defeated Russia’s former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-4 in the semi-final.

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Australia to send strongest contingent for 30 years to Wimbledon

  • Total of 17 Australians will feature in main draw in London

  • Priscilla Hon, Talia Gibson, Alex Bolt and James McCabe complete lineup

Four more of Australians have qualified for Wimbledon, meaning 17 players will feature in the main draw at next week’s championships – the biggest Aussie contingent for 30 years.

While Priscilla Hon and Talia Gibson both saved match points in final qualifying to earn their dream Wimbledon dates and Alex Bolt and James McCabe also booked their spots at windy Roehampton, teenage star Maya Joint sealed the stellar day by reaching the Eastbourne International semi-final.

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Australia regain initiative as West Indies dismissed for 190

  • Hosts rue controversial dismissals at crucial moments

  • Beau Webster impresses with two wickets in fight back

Australia’s bowlers have hit back after a poor morning session to bowl out West Indies for 190 and regain the initiative in an absorbing and fluctuating first Test at Bridgetown.

But while the hosts grabbed a 10-run first-innings lead, they were again left unimpressed by two controversial dismissals of their key batters, captain Roston Chase and white-ball skipper Shai Hope, which may have tipped the game in Australia’s favour.

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New-look top order blown away by West Indies as Australia dismissed for 180

  • Batting ripped apart by Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales

  • Travis Head top scores with 59 in first Test

Australia’s new-look top-order has been shredded by a familiar West Indian tormentor Shamar Joseph as life without Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith began in wholly unconvincing fashion in Bridgetown.

Joseph, playing against the Aussies for the first time since his brilliance at Brisbane 17 months ago bowled the West Indies to their first Test triumph down under in 27 years, ripped through the new-look vanguard with four wickets as Pat Cummins’ men were dismissed for 180 in Barbados on Wednesday.

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Australia’s Minjee Lee wins historic third major at Women’s PGA Championship

  • Lee finishes with 72-hole four-under 284 total in Texas

  • She becomes just third Australian to win three different majors

Cementing her greatness, Australian golf superstar Minjee Lee claimed a historic third career major with a steely victory at the big-money Women’s PGA Championship in Texas.

Lee had her four-shot overnight lead slashed in half early in the final round before hanging on, then surging gamely for a three-shot triumph in more extremely trying conditions at PGA Frisco’s windswept Fields Ranch East course.

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Crusaders pile more misery on Chiefs to win 13th Super Rugby title

  • Crusaders win 16-12 for 32 straight play-off victories in Christchurch

  • Chiefs were minor premiers but lose third consecutive decider

The Crusaders are again the kings of Super Rugby Pacific after consigning the Chiefs to a third-straight loss in the title decider.

Playing in Christchurch, the Crusaders claimed a 32nd successive play-off home match victory over three decades of Super Rugby as they downed the Chiefs 16-12 in Saturday’s final.

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Marnus Labuschagne axed as Sam Konstas returns for Australia in first West Indies Test

  • Konstas expected to open; Josh Inglis also comes into side

  • Steve Smith to miss out in Barbados due to dislocated finger

Australia’s selectors have made their biggest call in recent memory, dropping Marnus Labuschagne from the top order and replacing him with Sam Konstas. Chief selector George Bailey confirmed on Friday that Labuschagne would miss next week’s first Test against the West Indies.

Steve Smith will also miss the match as he recovers from his dislocated finger, with medical staff to assess him ahead of the second Test. Josh Inglis will come into the XI, while it is expected Konstas will open, but Australia will unveil their batting order and bowling attack closer to the start of the first Test next Wednesday.

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Alex de Minaur crashes out of Queen’s to leave cloud over Wimbledon challenge

  • Australian No 1 swept aside by big-serving Jiri Lehecka

  • First round exit leaves de Minaur short of match practice

Alex de Minaur has crashed out in the first round of Queen’s leaving Australia’s big Wimbledon hope in danger of heading into the grass court grand slam severely undercooked.

The Australian No 1 took a break after suffering a first week exit on the clay of Roland Garros, admitting the unrelenting schedule of the tennis calendar had left him mentally spent and physically drained.

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‘Borderline unplayable’: Adam Scott finds silver lining after US Open collapse

  • Former world No 1 fades after holding share of lead on final day

  • Australian earns shot at 100th straight major with 12th-place finish

Exemption to a magnificent 100th consecutive major championship is the silver lining to Adam Scott’s latest crushing collapse.

Scott’s late fade in “near unplayable” conditions from a share of the lead on the 12th hole to a tie for 12th behind US Open winner JJ Spaun adds to the list of agonising finishes for Australia’s former world No 1.

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Pat Cummins admits ‘reset’ looms for Australia after crushing loss to South Africa

  • New WTC cycle could create opportunity for Australia to refresh ageing team

  • Cummins says ‘everyone gets thrown back into the conversation’ after loss at Lord’s

Australia’s captain Pat Cummins has acknowledged that a “reset” is coming for his team after another top-order capitulation opened the door for a South African upset for the ages.

Not having lost an ICC final since 2010, Australia were upstaged by Temba Bavuma’s fighting Proteas at Lord’s in a five-wicket defeat, crushing their hopes of defending the World Test Championship title they won in 2023.

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Jarome Luai called up by NSW Blues to replace injured Mitch Moses for State of Origin Game 2

  • Wests Tigers five-eighth to rekindle partnership with Nathan Cleary

  • Moses sent for scans after injuring calf in training session

Jarome Luai will replace Mitch Moses as NSW’s five-eighth for the second State of Origin match after a calf strain dashed Moses’s hopes of playing. Moses pulled up sore while running the ball during a training session at NSW’s Blue Mountains camp on Thursday, injuring the same calf that troubled him earlier this year.

The Blues have sent Moses for scans on the injury that delivers a blow to their hopes of sealing a series victory by winning Origin II in Perth on Wednesday.

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Sienna Toohey, 16, surfaces as bright hope for Australian swimming

  • Schoolgirl wins 100m breaststroke to qualify for world championships

  • Toohey only started swimming as she wanted to play water polo

A 16-year-old schoolgirl is being hailed as the future of Australian swimming after earning world championship selection. Sienna Toohey left seasoned campaigners including Kaylee McKeown in awe with a stunning swim at Australia’s selection trials in Adelaide on Tuesday night.

The Albury teenager, who only started swimming because she wanted to play water polo, triumphed in the women’s 100m breaststroke. Toohey’s victory, in a personal best time of 1:06.55, secured her berth at the world titles in Singapore from 27 July to 3 August.

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