MS Dhoni recently celebrated his 45th birthday. The legendary India captain retired from international cricket long ago but continues to be part of the Chennai Super Kings side in the IPL. However, in the 2026 edition, Dhoni did not play a single match. He was recently spotted at the India vs England third T20I at Trent Bridge, where he was seen interacting with fans through gestures. “I’m old now. My beard has gone grey, and I can barely walk,” he seemed to be saying in jest, as decoded by a social media handle.
MS Dhoni: “I’m now. My has gone grey, and I can barley walk.”
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MS Dhoni had everyone emotional with his honest words while attending the 3rd T20I between India and England on his birthday. pic.twitter.com/TofsHWUCMy
Dhoni has one of the most inspiring journeys in sports history. From working as a ticket collector at a railway station, he transformed into India’s biggest trophy collector, leading the team to the ICC T20 World Cup 2007, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, and ICC Champions Trophy 2013 titles as captain. He made his international debut in 2004 and carved out a reputation as a ferocious hitter of the cricket ball before evolving into a finisher who guided his team to victories with calculated aggression and exceptional tactical acumen.
With 17,266 international runs, 829 dismissals, and 538 appearances across formats for India, Dhoni is not only one of the greatest cricketers the game has ever seen but also a revolutionary who redefined the role of a wicketkeeper-batter and transformed India’s approach to limited-overs cricket.
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In 350 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), Dhoni amassed 10,773 runs at an exceptional average of 50.57, including 10 centuries and 73 half-centuries, with a career-best score of an unbeaten 183. He remains India’s sixth-highest run-scorer in ODIs, with Sachin Tendulkar leading the list with 18,426 runs.
What makes Dhoni’s record truly remarkable is that he accumulated more than 10,000 ODI runs while batting predominantly in the middle order, maintaining an average above 50 despite often arriving at the crease under pressure and with fewer overs at his disposal.
He led India in 200 ODIs, winning 110 and losing 74. Five games were tied, while 11 produced no result. He has a winning percentage of 55.
Across 98 T20 Internationals, Dhoni scored 1,617 runs at an average of 37.60 and a strike rate of 126.13, registering two half-centuries with a highest score of 56.
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While his batting numbers are impressive, it was his leadership that truly defined his T20I legacy. As captain, he guided India to its maiden ICC T20 World Cup title in 2007, laying the foundation for a new era in Indian cricket.
Affectionately known as ‘Mahi’, he led India in 72 T20Is, winning 41 matches and losing 28, with one tie and two no-results, finishing with a win percentage of 56.94.
Coming to his long-format career, Dhoni played 90 Tests, scoring 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09. He scored six centuries and 33 half-centuries, with a best score of 224. He is India’s 14th-highest run-scorer in Tests.
As Test captain, Dhoni led India in 60 matches, winning 27, losing 18, and drawing 15, finishing with a win percentage of 45.00. His tenure marked a defining phase in India’s Test cricket journey, as he guided the team to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings for the first time.
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He also etched his name in history as the only Indian captain to whitewash Australia in a Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, achieving emphatic 4-0 victories in both the 2010-11 and 2012-13 home series.
With ANI inputs
Featured Video Of The Day
Tushar Deshpande’s Brilliant Final Act Ensures Thrilling Win For RR Over Gujarat Titans
Jul 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker (23) hits a 2-RBI single in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Mookie Betts delivered a go-ahead single in the eighth inning and Kyle Tucker drove in two runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled off a 4-3 victory over the visiting Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.
Roki Sasaki rebounded from a shaky outing last week to allow three runs over six innings as the Dodgers managed to win two of three in the series despite seeing early leads erased in all three games. Los Angeles improved to 21-3 at home against Colorado since 2023.
Edgardo Henriquez (4-0) recorded one out to earn the win, and Tanner Scott pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 13th save.
In his first career start and second appearance, Colorado’s Gabriel Hughes allowed three runs over six innings, and he retired 16 of the last 17 batters he faced. Kyle Karros and Edouard Julien homered for the Rockies, who played a trio of one-run games against Los Angeles.
The Dodgers were quick to get to Hughes in the opening inning. Tommy Edman singled with one out, Freddie Freeman doubled and Betts walked to load the bases. Edman scored on a wild pitch, and Tucker later delivered a two-out, two run single for a 3-0 lead.
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Karros and Julien both went deep in the second inning, cutting the Rockies’ deficit to 3-2. It was Karros’ eighth of the season and second ever at Dodger Stadium, where his father, Eric Karros, holds the ballpark record with 130 homers.
Colorado pulled even in the third inning when Brett Sullivan walked and ultimately scored on a sacrifice fly by Mickey Moniak.
Hughes allowed four hits and two walks while fanning seven. Sasaki gave up four hits and a walk, and he struck out five.
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The Rockies missed out on a chance to take the lead in the eighth inning when they had runners on second and third with no outs and the bases loaded with one out. TJ Rumfield struck out against Alex Vesia, and Karros flied out against Henriquez.
Edman and Freeman hit one-out singles in the bottom of the eighth off Antonio Senzatela (8-1) before Betts provided the tiebreaking hit.
Jacob Heyman, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman, just took a huge step in his career. Following in his father’s footsteps, Jacob has reason to celebrate with his genre-defying debut.
WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman’s son, Jacob Heyman, just made his directorial debut
Thanks for the submission!
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Jacob Heyman has made his directorial debut with “What’s YOUR Hustle” on HeymanHustleTV. The first episode of the show has brought A Day in the Life of Lord Sko from Washington Heights, New York City.
Looking to make his way to the hip-hop charts, HeymanHustleTV shared a video of Sko making his way around the city, attending an interview with SiriusXM, speaking to the camera about what he has been trying to do in the world of hip-hop, and ending with a concert at night.
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“BREAKING NEWS @HeymanHustleTV Presents the Debut of What’s YOUR Hustle? A Day in the Life of Washington Heights, New York City’s own Lord Sko, as he Hustles his way onto the hip-hop charts!”
Jacob’s father, Paul Heyman, broke barriers in hip hop back in the 90s in ECW, with The Public Enemy’s first theme song, “Slam,” by Onyx, and the video playing at a time when the song could only be seen on BET or Yo MTV Raps.
There were multiple other such themes, with Ruffneck and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels all getting the same treatment. The latter was even on ECW before it was on MTV or BET. The iconic New Jack had his theme song Natural Born Killaz become legendary on ECW, while it was relegated to Yo MTV Raps.
Bringing hip hop to the forefront, his son is now doing the same, helping showcase the real lives of artists in this innovative debut.
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New Orleans Saints legend Cam Jordan hopes the door to his career isn’t cracked an inch.
And he plans to slam it shut after year 16 in the NFL this upcoming season.
Jordan, coming off a 10½-sack 2025 campaign, re-signed with the Saints for one more year. And though the word “retirement” has not yet been uttered, Jordan has made it known he is going into this season expecting it to be his last in the league.
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“I’ve been doing this since year 10,” Jordan told Fox News Digital over the phone, while also discussing his excitement to work alongside fellow pass rushers at the annual Sack Summit in Las Vegas this week alongside third-year official sponsor Raising Cane’s.
Cameron Jordan of the New Orleans Saints before a game against the Chicago Bears at Solider Field on Oct. 19, 2025, in Chicago.(Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
“Do I feel good? Absolutely. Do I feel better not being part of OTAs? Physically, yes,” Jordan said.
One of Jordan’s superpowers, other than getting after the quarterback, setting the edge and doing what a future Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end can do, is being candid no matter the situation.
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After seeing what first-year head coach Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Brandon Staley had in place for him last year, Jordan knows his role on the Saints defense, saying he “can do whatever needs to be done” for his team. People questioned him playing a two-point stance (an upright position with no hands on the ground at the line of scrimmage), but it clearly worked out when you view his numbers.
Jordan knows he can help this Saints team that’s filled with potential, and that fire in his gut still burns to make a difference in the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. There’s also one last run in him to achieve his dream.
“The ultimate dream is to win a Super Bowl,” Jordan said. “You go into childhood, coming out of childhood, like, ‘Man, I want to be just like the greats.’ For some reason, we accumulate the idea of success in football to winning a Super Bowl because it’s the ultimate team sport. That’s the ultimate team dream.”
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Cameron Jordan of the New Orleans Saints takes part in drills during mandatory minicamp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center June 17, 2026, in Metairie, La.(Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images)
The personal accolades have been abundant for Jordan since he came out of the Cal Bears’ system as the 24th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. The Saints took him, and he hasn’t left Louisiana, showcasing loyalty on and off the field while racking up 132 sacks, the 17th most all time.
Jordan’s goal during his final season in the black and gold will be to accumulate enough sacks to make it eight seasons in double digits. If he does so, he’ll be top 10 all-time in sacks.
“You look at year 16 — this is who I am. This is my body of work. It has never changed,” Jordan added.
But, again, Jordan believes his Hall of Fame worthiness is etched in stone already. He could write his speech for Canton, Ohio, now before playing his final season.
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Will that speech include the words “Super Bowl champion?”
Jordan certainly hopes so because what else is there to chase when you believe you’ve already done enough to earn a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Cameron Jordan of the New Orleans Saints reacts after his team’s 29-6 victory against the New York Jets at Caesars Superdome Dec. 21, 2025, in New Orleans.(Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
“I was sitting there this offseason, and I was like, ‘Man, what is it I want to accomplish?’ A Super Bowl. Personally speaking, I’ve done it all. All-Pro, Pro Bowls. Hell, I put together a Pro Bowl-esque season last year.”
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Jordan, who turns 37 Friday, is ready to give his all one last time before that door closes.
Thomas Muller and Brian White scored two minutes apart in the second half to turn the tides as the Vancouver Whitecaps kicked off their quest for a fifth straight Canadian Championship with a 4-1 win over Cavalry FC in the first leg of their quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Muller broke a 1-1 tie with a goal in the 62nd minute, with White adding another in the 64th. Rayan Elloumi sealed the game with another goal in the 74th minute at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, B.C.
Major League Soccer’s Whitecaps were done a favour in the second minute with an Adam Pearlman own goal. However, the Canadian Premier League side made it a 1-1 game with a 45th-minute equalizer from Daan Klomp.
The second leg of the quarterfinal will go on July 13 at ATCO Field in Calgary.
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The Whitecaps were not the only MLS side to be victorious in quarterfinal action.
CF Montréal defeated CPL side Vancouver FC 2-1 at Willoughby Stadium in Langley, B.C., in the first leg of their quarterfinal.
Vancouver FC opened the scoring in the 55th minute, with Damiano Pecile’s low shot deflecting in off Nicolás Mezquida. Montréal evened the score nine minutes later, with a Dagur Dan Thórhallsson cross caroming off the head of Vancouver FC defender Matteo Campagna.
Prince Owusu buried a 92nd-minute penalty kick to seal the come-from-behind win for Montréal.
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The second leg will be played at Stade Saputo on July 12, with the winner to face the Whitecaps or Cavalry in the semifinals.
In an all-CPL matchup, Supra du Québec jumped out to a 3-0 lead before eventually defeating Atlético Ottawa 3-1 in their opening leg in quarterfinal action.
David Choinière (29th minute), Sean Rea (50th minute) and Ibrahim Condé (83rd minute) led the way for Supra at Stade Boréale in Laval, Que. Wesley Timóteo finally put Ottawa on the board in the 86th minute.
The second leg of their quarterfinal will be Aug. 11 at TD Place in Ottawa.
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To start the day, Zakaria Bahous scored the tying goal in the 55th minute as semi-professional Ligue1 Québec club CS Saint-Laurent earned a 1-1 draw with CPL’s Forge FC in the first leg of their quarterfinal.
Nana Ampomah opened the scoring in the 15th minute for Forge, which entered the match held in Laval, Que., top of the table in the CPL.
Forge, runner-up to Toronto FC in the 2020 Canadian Championship, advanced to the semifinals last year before the Hamilton side lost to the eventual champion Whitecaps.
The second leg of this quarterfinal will be July 12 in Hamilton.
Jul 8, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) hits a two-run single during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
Luis Campusano homered while Miguel Andujar collected three doubles as the San Diego Padres tied their season high for runs in a 10-4 rout of the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
Michael King (6-7) pitched six solid innings for the Padres, allowing four hits and a run while walking two and fanning four. It marked the first time that San Diego won consecutive games since a four-game stretch from June 22-26.
Diamondbacks rookie Jose Cabrera (0-2) yielded four runs and four hits over 4 1/3 innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Padres scored in five consecutive innings, finishing with a total of 13 hits while adding three stolen bases. Everyone but cleanup hitter Gavin Sheets contributed a hit, and all but Sheets and Jake Cronenworth had an RBI. Campusano, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill each bagged two hits.
Arizona initiated the scoring in the top of the first on a two-out double by Gabriel Moreno that brought home Ildemaro Vargas. San Diego equalized in the third on Merrill’s infield out that scored Sung-Mun Song.
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Andujar put the Padres ahead for good in the fourth when he rifled his first double into the left field corner with two outs, scoring Campusano from first. Campusano had reached on a two-out walk.
San Diego made it 4-1 in the fifth when Xander Bogaerts slapped a two-run single off Vargas’ glove at short, scoring Tatis and Merrill. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo was ejected by home plate umpire Willie Traynor just before Bogaerts’ hit for arguing a balk call that pushed both runners into scoring position.
Campusano led off a four-run sixth with his fourth homer of the year, a 406-foot shot to left-center. Song, Tatis and Merrill added RBI singles later in the inning.
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Tommy Troy cracked a two-run homer in the top of the seventh for Arizona, his fourth of the year. The Padres answered with two in their half of the seventh on Andujar’s RBI double and Jase Bowen’s RBI single.
Arizona’s Max Kepler capped the scoring in the eighth with a double to the gap in right-center, plating Corbin Carroll.
Connacht No 8 Sean Jansen wins his first cap in the starting XV, with club colleagues Billy Bohan and Sam Illo providing prop cover and awaiting debuts from the bench. Ulster back row Bryn Ward completes the uncapped quartet in the matchday 23.
Lock Tadhg Beirne takes over the captaincy from Dan Sheehan, while Ciaran Frawley is installed at fly half.
Jamie Osborne moves to full-back from the wing as Jacob Stockdale is brought into the back three.
Ryunosuke Ito starts again at fly half for Japan (Getty)
“He’s a young 10, he’s going to have his ups and downs but we’ve got a team that’s going to support him,” said Jones. “Those guys will help look after him and we just want him to be himself.”
Jones returns after serving a four-match ban imposed by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) for abusing match officials. Taira Main replaces Kippei Ishida on the wing in Japan’s only change.
Japan XV: 1 Takato Okabe, 2 Mamoru Harada, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi; 4 Harry Hockings, 5 Warner Dearns (capt.); 6 Ben Gunter, 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 8 Jack Cornelsen; 9 Naoto Saito, 10 Ryunosuke Ito; 11 Taira Main, 12 Yuya Hirose, 13 Dylan Riley, 14 Kazuma Ueda; 15 Takuro Matsunaga.
Replacements: 16 Hayate Era, 17 Sojiro Otuska, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Michael Stolberg, 20 Michael Leitch, 21 Tiennan Costley; 22 Itsuki Kamimura, 23 Sam Greene.
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Ireland XV: 1 Tom O’Toole, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 3 Tom Clarkson; 4 Tadhg Beirne (capt.), 5 James Ryan; 6 Jack Conan, 7 Nick Timoney, 8 Sean Jansen; 9 Craig Casey, 10 Ciaran Frawley; 11 Jacob Stockdale, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 13 Robbie Henshaw, 14 Jimmy O’Brien; 15 Jamie Osborne.
Replacements: 16 Tom Stewart, 17 Billy Bohan, 18 Sam Illo, 19 Cormac Izuchukwu, 20 Bryn Ward; 21 Nathan Doak, 22 Harry Byrne, 23 Bundee Aki.
Caitlin Clark huddles with teammates as the Indiana Fever battle the Sparks. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
Much of that disjointed performance falls squarely on head coach Stephanie White, who kept Clark on a ridiculously tight leash by limiting her to just 16 minutes. The stop-and-go approach could have sabotaged any chance for the phenom to establish a rhythm.
Clark finished with just 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Her minus-16 plus-minus told the story.
The Los Angeles Sparks were severely shorthanded, taking the floor without stars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink.
Yet while a depleted Sparks roster played to win, Indiana spent the night over-managing its biggest asset.
With Clark on a minutes restriction and Aliyah Boston out of the lineup, Kelsey Mitchell was forced to shoulder the entire offensive burden.
Mitchell did her part, pouring in 29 points while shooting 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
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Caitlin Clark orchestrates the Fever offense as Indiana battles the Los Angeles Sparks in primetime action. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)((Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images))
But one hot hand couldn’t stop an efficient LA squad.
The Sparks shot 45% from three-point range, going 9-of-20 from deep to cruise to the 106-92 victory.
White’s next move is to sit Clark against the Mercury on Thursday while Boston returns.
After Wednesday’s loss to a shorthanded Sparks team, it’s fair to question whether Indiana’s cautious approach is working. The Fever dropped to 12-9.
Caitlin Clark and Dearica Hamby face off as Fever and Sparks battle at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images)((Photo by Tyler Ross/NBAE via Getty Images))
Jockey Blake Shinn is scheduled to take a significant step towards his return to racing when he participates in the Flemington jump-outs this Friday.
Shinn is booked to ride War Machine for the prominent Lindsay Park training establishment of Ben, Will, and J D Hayes on Friday, in addition to four other mounts.
He has also secured rides from the stables of Leon and Troy Corstens, and Will Larkin.
Shinn has not competed in a race since sustaining a broken leg in a fall from She’s Got Pizzazz at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day last year.
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Following an extensive rehabilitation period, he gradually improved his fitness, initially riding trackwork for his partner Lucy Yeomans before progressively increasing his workload for outside stables.
Friday’s jump-outs represent the next logical progression in his campaign to return to race riding.
“Each stage has been ticked off and now we’re at the next stage, jump-outs and trials,” Shinn commented.
“I’ll do Friday, then maybe one day next week.
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“There are trials on the (July) 16th at Caulfield and that will determine where I kick off, whether it’s the 25th or wait a week for August 1.”
Shinn was present with Yeomans in the winner’s enclosure, celebrating the victory of Parvati Party in the MRC Membership Made Of Moments Handicap (2125m) at Sandown on Wednesday.
He indicated that should Yeomans have a midweek runner prior to his anticipated return, he might be in action earlier.
“I will play that by ear,” Shinn stated.
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“But in saying that, when I broke my neck, my first day back was at Randwick and I rode two winners and my first ride back, I won on Tom Melbourne.
“If it pans out, I’ll have a meeting before, but I’m in a good spot and I’m getting excited as all the hard work is done.
“We’re at the pointy end.”
The victory of Parvati Party marked Yeomans’ ninth win since establishing her own stable, with her first runner appearing last September.
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“We’ve only got 10 in work but only three or four up and racing,” Yeomans shared.
“That’s our ninth winner, and Blake and I set a little target of trying to get double figures by the end of the season, so hopefully we can get one more winner by then and we’ll be rapt.”
Keep an eye on the latest racing betting markets for Shinn’s potential return races.
Live Sport on TV This Weekend: World Cup, GAA, Rugby, Wimbledon, Tour de France and More
There is another huge weekend of live sport on TV, with FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, All-Ireland football semi-finals, Nations Championship rugby, Wimbledon, Tour de France, Scottish Open golf, racing and athletics all live across Irish and UK channels.
Thursday 9 July
10:00am–8:00pm – Scottish Open Golf – Sky Sports
1:30pm – Racing: Newmarket July Festival Day 2 – Virgin Media One
9:00pm – France v Morocco – FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final – RTÉ2
Friday 10 July
10:00am–8:00pm – Scottish Open Golf – Sky Sports
5:00pm – USGAA v Warwickshire – All-Ireland Junior Football Semi-Final – TG4 YouTube
7:00pm – Diamond League Athletics, Monaco – Virgin Media Two
7:00pm – New York v London – All-Ireland Junior Football Semi-Final – TG4 YouTube
8:00pm – Belgium v Spain – FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final – RTÉ2
Saturday 11 July
6:10am – New Zealand v Italy – Nations Championship – Virgin Media One
8:40am – Australia v France – Nations Championship – Virgin Media One
10:00am–8:00pm – Scottish Open Golf – Sky Sports
11:10am – Japan v Ireland – Nations Championship – Virgin Media One
1:15pm – Racing: Newmarket July Festival, July Cup Day 3 – Virgin Media Two
2:10pm – Fiji v England – Nations Championship – Virgin Media One
3:30pm – Down v Wicklow – Tailteann Cup Final – RTÉ
4:40pm – South Africa v Scotland – Nations Championship – Virgin Media One
6:00pm – Mayo v Louth – All-Ireland SFC Semi-Final – RTÉ / BBC NI
8:10pm – Argentina v Wales – Nations Championship – Virgin Media One
10:00pm – England v Norway – FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final – RTÉ2
2:00am Sunday – Argentina v Switzerland – FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final – RTÉ2
Sunday 12 July
10:00am–8:00pm – Scottish Open Golf – Sky Sports
1:45pm – USGAA/Warwickshire v New York/London – All-Ireland Junior Football Final – TG4 YouTube
4:00pm – Dublin v Kerry – All-Ireland SFC Semi-Final – RTÉ / BBC NI
Monday 13 July
5:30pm – Ireland v Fiji – World Rugby U20 Championship – Premier Sports
All Weekend / All Week
Wimbledon Championships – live throughout the week on BBC One and BBC Two
Tour de France – live all week on TG4 and TNT Sports 1
All times listed are Irish time.
Keep up to date with the latest live sport on TV listings on SportsNewsIRELAND.
After twice going the distance, twice coming back from two sets and breaks down, twice winning match tiebreaks, and having used up many more than just nine lives, Arthur Fery took some pity on the nervous wrecks watching him at Wimbledon. His 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-0 demolition of ninth seed Flavio Cobolli was no improbable comeback, no defiant, last-gasp raging against the dying of the light.
This was a clinic; a demonstration of Fery’s powers at their best. A star born under the fierce sunshine on Centre Court. He went toe to toe with the recent French Open runner-up in two sets before dismantling him entirely in the third.
Nobody seemed more surprised than him, as he dropped his racquet and fell on his back, having served out nervelessly with two thunderous aces. In doing so, he has become just the second wildcard to reach the semi-finals here; infamously, the only other to do so was the 2001 champion, Goran Ivanisevic.
Fery fell to his back in disbelief after winning match point (AP)
He had recovered his extraordinary composure and self-belief by the time he spoke to press later, saying contentedly: “I’ve always believed in myself and believed that I could be a top player in the world. Obviously, a semi-finalist of Wimbledon is something else. I’ve taken it match by match. I haven’t looked ahead. I’ve just played every match as it is. Yeah, here I am.”
And here to stay, it seems. From 114th in the world, he is now up to around 36th in the live rankings; a morose Cobolli said afterwards that when Fery beat him in the Australian Open first round this January, “I felt that his level wasn’t from a guy that’s outside from top 100. Now I think [he] is close to, I don’t know, 50… 36, even better. I think he deserves it.” Having seen off the Italian, Fery will feel no fear against second seed Alexander Zverev, his opponent in the last four.
Fery made his approach known early; at 5ft 9in, he lacks the aerial advantage of other players but makes up for it with a nonetheless punchy serve, superb all-court coverage, and a deft touch at the net. He alternated powerful forehands with backhand slices, while his agility and movement were key as he scurried around the court like a terrier, retrieving balls from improbable positions. He showed no sign of being intimidated or awestruck by the occasion of a slam quarter-final, returning to Centre with his usual calm swagger.
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The pair traded holds, with Fery showing his steel as he fell 0-30 down at 3-3, sprinting onto a Cobolli lob and somehow getting it back in play, leaving the Italian standing with his hands on his hips in exasperation as he shanked into the net. He saved a break point, serve-volleying with expertise and blasting a forehand into the far corner to hold, before holding to love in his next service game.
Fery said: “Throughout the match, I felt like it was very, very close. At times, he was serving really well. But I felt like I had always a little bit, not leeway, but a little bit of an edge.”
Fery’s inventive style and ability to retrieve balls from impossible positions frustrated Cobolli (PA)
His chance came as Cobolli appeared put off by a champagne cork popping at 30-30 on his serve, double-faulting to raucous applause. His first serve went out, then he hit wide, and Fery received a standing ovation as he skipped back to his chair with a one-set lead.
The generally genteel environs of Centre Court were transformed into a cauldron, the crowd whipped into a frenzy on the hottest day of the tournament so far. At times, the whooping and hollering and wolf-whistling was more reminiscent of football ultras – fitting, given Fery’s father is the former owner of a Ligue 1 club – than the Pimms-swigging clientele of SW19.
They were momentarily silenced as Cobolli attacked immediately after the break in sets, lasering a brilliant forehand winner down the line before Fery double-faulted for the first time as he was broken to love. But he refused to go away, drawing more errors from Cobolli at 1-2 before firing a stunning backhand winner into the corner to break back.
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Fery collapsed to the turf in disbelief as he sealed the match with an ace (Getty)
The Brit continued to dictate in the rallies and Cobolli began to crack, going for broke on second serves as he came under more and more pressure. The second set went to a tiebreak, where Fery’s shot selection – impeccable throughout the contest – proved decisive: he raced to a 6-3 lead as Cobolli continued to leak errors, and while the Italian retrieved one with a beautiful drop shot right at the net post, he had no reply for a lethal slice volley, which he sent long.
Fery headed off court for an extended break, while Cobolli sat on his chair to stew before an unhappy conversation with his box. There was to be no reset for the 24-year-old, who immediately fell a break down.
At times in the third set, Fery toyed with the miserable Italian. At 2-0, he dug out a genuinely excellent drop shot by Cobolli and feathered an insouciant one of his own right behind him, landing in by a hair’s breadth and prompting the ninth seed to remonstrate with the umpire.
The players shake hands after their Centre Court encounter (Reuters)
Clearly rattled, Cobolli pointed to his ear in defiance of the crowd as he saved a break point, but then came unstuck as he backhanded into the net and sent a beautiful Fery drop volley out by a millimetre.
Having been two sets and a double break down against Zizou Bergs in the third round, this was now unfamiliar territory for Fery, two sets and a double break up. He soon made that a triple break as Cobolli totally unravelled, increasingly tight on his powerful but error-prone forehand side.
Fery held to love to cement his double break as Cobolli deflated, finding no answers. At 4-0 and faced with the threat of falling down a triple break, Cobolli launched a risky second serve out wide – but Fery refused to go away, retrieving it, then a drop shot, then sending down a smash that Cobolli shanked into the net.
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At 5-0 up and serving for a place in a grand slam semi-final, Fery could be forgiven for feeling some nerves. He did not show them, planting a 123mph ace down the T, then – in a point which summed up the match – chasing down a backhand drop volley by Cobolli which just clipped the tape and landed on Fery’s side. The Londoner stumbled as he raced to change direction but just about managed it, dinking it back over the net to set up three match points.
An ace out wide was all that was required. Centre Court leapt to its feet, the chants of “Arthur, Arthur, Arthur” ringing out beyond the grounds. Later, he recalled Emma Raducanu’s breakout run at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2021, saying: “It was impressive how she didn’t let the occasion get to her. She would just keep going match after match, playing well, beating top players, until the title. It’s very tough to do when you’re not used to being on such a big stage. I’ve been trying to do that, as well. Just take it match by match, play my game, put what I do best on court.”
Sounds simple enough. And never beaten, never going away, Arthur Fery storms on.
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