Kim hits eagle-birdie-eagle on 18th and two playoff holes to pip Thitikul
24-year-old becomes fifth Australian woman to lift major golf trophy
Grace Kim has produced one of the most astonishing golfing fightbacks in history to join Australia’s illustrious group of major champions.
Kim recovered from four shots behind in a most dramatic final round to clinch victory over world No 2 Jeeno Thitikul on the second playoff hole at the Evian Championship in France.
Continue reading...Munster given time to grieve with his family after death of his father
But he still plans to lead Maroons in Origin III to honour his dad
The death of Cameron Munster’s father Steven has come as devastating news just days out from the State of Origin series decider.
The Queensland captain, in a brave decision to honour his dad, plans to still lead the Maroons on Wednesday night after taking time away to grieve with his family.
Continue reading...Australian beats Italian Luciano Darderi 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-3
Battling veteran now faces No 5 seed Taylor Fritz
Jordan Thompson’s adventures at Wimbledon have continued with the wounded Australian storming into the fourth round of his favourite event for the first time in his career.
Still troubled by a debilitating back injury that had him protesting after his two previous courageous five-set wins that even “snails move faster”, Thompson looked in much sharper nick as he had too much grass-court nous for Italian Luciano Darderi in their third-round clash on Friday, prevailing 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Continue reading...Sam Konstas out for a duck, Usman Khawaja makes just two runs
Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja’s fledgling opening partnership is on shaky ground after Australia’s openers were again dismissed cheaply against the West Indies. Australia slumped to 12-2 at stumps on day two of the second Test in Grenada, leading by just 45 after bowling the Windies out for 253.
Konstas was left shattered after he was out for a duck, playing on to his stumps from a Jayden Seales delivery. The 19-year-old, in just his fourth Test, looked better in the first innings with 25, after scores of 3 and 5 during the opening match of the series in Barbados.
Continue reading...Second Test, day one: Australia win toss and make 286 at stumps
Tourists had slumped to 93-4; Steve Smith dismissed for three
Wickets tumbled either side of Alex Carey and Beau Webster’s 112-run stand as Australia were dismissed for 286 at stumps on day one of the second Test against the West Indies.
Alzarri Joseph’s 61-4 helped restrict Australia, who are gunning for an unassailable 2-0 series lead in Grenada. The tourists were clearly struggling at 93-4 at lunch but Webster (60) and Carey (63) combined to restore some order in the second session as the tourists reached 209-5 at tea.
Continue reading...Australian beats France’s Arthur Cazaux 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-0
No 1 says grass tournament is like a ‘second home slam’
Alex de Minaur has been left relieved to blast back from being a set down and avoid joining the legion of seeds who have already been scattered at this shock-laden Wimbledon.
In perfect sunny conditions on Thursday morning, Australia’s big hope brushed off a woeful first set against French qualifier Arthur Cazaux before regrouping, asserting his superiority and eventually prevailing 4-6 6-2 6-4 6-0 to ease into the third round again.
Continue reading...Josh Inglis loses his spot to make way for returning No 4 batter
Pat Cummins says Smith won’t be back in the slips ‘too often’
Steve Smith will complete a rapid return to Test cricket, just 20 days after suffering a nasty compound dislocation of his finger.
The batter will bat at No 4 in Australia’s second Test against the West Indies in Grenada, starting at Friday midnight AEST.
Continue reading...Australian beats Benjamin Bonzi 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
He next meets Luciano Darderi, ranked No 59, or Arthur Fery
Jordan Thompson came into Wimbledon with a large box of painkillers, a thick black brace for his back, and a dream that somehow he would defy his body long enough to make an impact at the tournament he loves so much. Two titanic five-set matches later, the Sydneysider is still standing on the green lawns of SW19, just.
With Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt, the last Australian man to win at Wimbledon, watching on, Thompson beat Benjamin Bonzi 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in nine minutes shy of four hours. After Bonzi hit a return into the net on the second match point, Thompson let out a primal scream into the evening sky, smiled and pointed to his heart.
Continue reading...Kasatkina beats Emiliana Arango in one of four Australian wins on day two
Alex de Minaur, Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata also victorious
Australia’s Wimbledon challenge has been reinvigorated after a disastrous opening day, with the national No 1s Daria Kasatkina and Alex de Minaur leading a four-win revival.
On another sweltering day in London on Tuesday, the pair raced into the second round by early afternoon and were joined by Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata. Seven Australians had lost in Monday’s calamitous start, with only an injured Jordan Thompson battling through, but there’ll now be five in the last-64 draw.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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.
Continue reading...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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