All these years later, all the changes in tennis, all the generations. All the changes in the world, really. And what do we get?
Roger Federer. Wimbledon champion. Again and again. And again, and again, and again…eight times now.
Federer beat Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 in the Wimbledon final Sunday, and he was so dominant that Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champ, seemed to have a panic attack in the middle of the second set—crying hopelessly while he sat on a chair as a trainer stood by him, consoling and working on his blistered foot.
It was Federer’s record eighth Wimbledon title, record 19th major title. About to turn 36, Federer just went two weeks without losing a set and without being pressured in the most prestigious tournament in the world. There must be a few more records in that sentence.
Trading blows from the baseline with Garbine Muguruza with two set points in hand to clinch the first set, it looked like Venus Williams was on the way to her sixth Wimbledon crown.
Then, with Muguruza serving to stay in the first set at 5-4 down, came a 19-shot rally that changed everything.
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Williams lost it as she dumped a forehand into the net, and was never the same player again.
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It was all Muguruza after that, taking nine straight games to win her first Wimbledon crown, 7-5 6-0.
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What looked like a classic Wimbledon final after the first set turned into an anti-climax when Muguruza won the second, and the championship, 6-0 in 26 minutes on a challenge in front of a stunned Centre Court crowd.
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“It was my hardest match today,” said Muguruza, as former Spanish king Juan Carlos watched from the royal box. “I grew up watching her play.”
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Garbine Muguruza of Spain celebrates after beating Venus Williams in the Wimbledon final.
Even Stan Wawrinka had to smile before Sunday’s French Open final when the stadium announcer listed year-by-year each of the nine previous titles Rafael Nadal had won at Roland Garros.
Another one can now be added to the list — and it is one for the ages — after the Spaniard crushed Wawrinka 6-2 6-3 6-1 to become the first man to win the same grand slam on 10 occasions.
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The ‘Decima.’
Indeed it is a feat that may never be duplicated.
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He collapsed to the court when Wawrinka sent a backhand into the net and seconds later an emotional Nadal sunk his head into his towel while in his chair. He was soon cradling the famous trophy like a baby.
Manny Pacquiao has lost his WBO Welterweight title to a relative unknown in a shock defeat for the Philippines boxing hero.
Australian underdog Jeff Horn dispatched “Pac man” in an unanimous 12-round decision Sunday in a match dubbed the “Battle of Brisbane.”
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“The Hornet,” a 29-year-old former schoolteacher, was considered an uneven match for veteran Pacquiao, who is considered one of the world’s greatest boxers.
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Suncorp Stadium, packed with 50,000 people, erupted in cheers as Horn was declared the winner on points: 117-111, 115-113, 115-113.
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Australian boxer Jeff Horn takes on Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 1, 2017.
Two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry has agreed to a five-year, $201 million extension — the richest contract in league history — with the Golden State Warriors, his agent Jeff Austin of Octagon told ESPN.
Curry is the first NBA star who will sign a supermax contract, the crossing of a $200 million threshold that eventually will become the norm for the NBA’s biggest superstars.
Golden State general manager Bob Myers said Friday that the Warriors will finalize the contract once the free-agency moratorium ends Thursday.
An eight-year veteran, Curry has been the foundational star for the Warriors, who recently won their second NBA championship in three years.
New York Yankees outfielder Dustin Fowler was called up from the minors on Thursday only to be carted off the field with a horrific knee injury during the first inning of his debut game in major league baseball.
Fowler underwent emergency surgery for an open rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee. The 22-year-old, who was called up to play right field, crashed into the short-wall as he tried to catch a foul ball. When he attempted to walk it off, his leg buckled, sending him to the ground.
Fowler remained composed as team personnel carted him off the field. He was taken to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago for surgery.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi looked visibly shaken following the incident. Fowler was just one out away from his first MLB at-bat.
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Elsa via Getty Images
Dustin Fowler poses for a portrait during the New York Yankees photo day on February 21, 2017. Fowler was injured on Thursday night and will be out for a year.
But for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it was a thing of beauty.
The Penguins became the first repeat Stanley Cup champion in the salary cap era on Sunday night, thanks to Patric Hornqvist‘s goal with 95 seconds left for a 2-0 win over the Predators in Game 6.
Co-favorite Always Dreaming, ridden by John Velazquez, won the 143rd Kentucky Derby at Louisville’s Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Always Dreaming, a 9-to-2 betting choice, had a great start and was second down the backstretch as State of Honor led. But Always Dreaming made his move with heading into the final turn.
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As they turned for home, Always Dreaming was close to the rail and began to pull ahead to a comfortable margin.
“He responded right away,” Velazquez said in the winner’s circle. “It was a great feeling.”
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Always Dreaming won by 2 3/4 lengths.
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Lookin At Lee finished in second place, and Battle of Midway rounded out the top three.
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Irish War Cry, the other co-favorite, finished 10th.
Four picks into this year’s draft haul, the Browns have finally landed a quarterback.
Cleveland selected Notre Dame star DeShone Kizer with the No. 52 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Kizer is the first quarterback selected in the second round by the Browns in the common draft era (since 1967).
At nearly 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, Kizer offers prototypical size as well as the arm talent to make every NFL throw. Many scouts believe he’s the most physically gifted quarterback in this year’s draft class.
That said, he comes with questions about his accuracy, field vision, mechanics and decision making under pressure. He slumped severely enough against Stanford last season to earn a first-half benching.
“He is the classic boom or bust,” one AFC evaluator told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “In terms of arm strength, athleticism, talent, intelligence, he’s the highest-end guy. At the same time, he’s also the one with the most flaws.”
This past weekend, something kind of incredible happened; basketball aficionados from across the globe were able to don high-tech goggles to live-stream stereoscopic virtual reality of a highly paid athlete receiving a bounce pass from a custom-designed drone to perform a highly technical slam dunk.
This is the NBA in 2017.
New technologies have always played a major role in how sports organizations attract new audiences and build closer ties between players and fans. This past weekend, the NBA’s tech initiatives were on full display in New Orleans at the sight of the NBA All-Star game.
The new technologies powering efforts on the floor were awesome and plentiful but when I arrived I was interested about the combination of using new tech to enable crazy experiences on the court while also drawing on technologies that allow viewers at home to get closer than ever to the action.
This all centered around a dunk. The NBA Slam Dunk Contest defending-champ, 21-year-old Orlando Magic player Aaron Gordon, was set to perform one of the craziest dunks yet, a high-flying drone-assisted shot that relied on the most intimate of communications between man and machine.
Film and Writing Festival for Comedy. Showcasing best of comedy short films at the FEEDBACK Film Festival. Plus, showcasing best of comedy novels, short stories, poems, screenplays (TV, short, feature) at the festival performed by professional actors.
Garbine Muguruza of Spain celebrates after beating Venus Williams in the Wimbledon final.
How clay helped Nadal
Australian boxer Jeff Horn takes on Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 1, 2017.
Stephen Curry
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Co-favorite Always Dreaming wins Kentucky Derby
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James' World 2 