Category Sports News

World number two Coco Gauff beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-2 6-4 to book her place in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open.

The two players had progressed to the last 16 in contrasting ways, with Gauff having won her only match in straight sets before a walkover against Dayana Yastremska in last round.

Bronzetti, on the other hand, had come through in three sets in her previous three rounds and the world number 61 quickly found herself 3-0 down.

Gauff was broken in the fifth game but it proved a brief blip as she went on to win the opening set in 33 minutes.

The American went 2-0 up in the second set but suffered another lapse when she was broken to love by the Italian in the third game.

Bronzetti raised her game and had a break point at 2-2, only to send a backhand return long as Gauff managed to hold.

“For the most part I played aggressive,” said Gauff, who won the Cincinnati Open in 2023 before going on to win the US Open that year.

“Maybe there were a couple that were a little bit passive in some of those games but it’s tough – the balls are super light and she wasn’t giving me much pace.

“I was just trying to play controlled but also aggressive and, for the most part, I think I did well.”

The Hundred women’s competition, Lord’s

Trent Rockets 149-6 (100 balls): Sciver-Brunt 51* (29); Gray 4-19

London Spirit 116 (95 balls): Knott 33 (25); Gordon 4-15

Rockets won by 33 runs

Defending women’s champions London Spirit’s winning streak came to an end as they suffered a 33-run defeat by Trent Rockets in The Hundred at Lord’s.

Set a target of 150 to win, Spirit slumped to 116 all out as spinner Kirstie Gordon starred with 4-19 for the visitors, who picked up their first win this year.

Kira Chathli and Georgia Redmayne added a patient 26 for the first wicket before Spirit slipped to 70-6, including in-form Australia batter Grace Harris departing for just eight.

Fellow Australian Charli Knott’s 33 was the only knock to rescue Spirit from a complete capitulation as spinners Ash Gardner and Gordon bowled beautifully in tandem, the former finishing with 2-14.

Earlier, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt set up the Rockets’ challenging 149-6, scoring an unbeaten 51 from 29 balls, after Bryony Smith bludgeoned 42 from 23 at the top of the order.

Smith added 62 in just 35 balls with fellow opener Nat Wraith, but Rockets were pegged back as both were dismissed in the space of three balls by seamer Eva Gray.

Sciver-Brunt combined with Australia all-rounder Gardner for a stand of 60, though a collapse of four wickets for 11 runs at the death saw Spirit fight back strongly as Gray finished with impressive figures of 4-19.

But Sciver-Brunt reached her fifty with a six off Charlie Dean from the last ball of the Rockets’ innings, pushing them to the competitive total and adding to a difficult day for the Spirit captain as she finished with figures of 0-40 from just 15 balls.

After consecutive defeats, Rockets needed performances from their senior players to get their campaign on track and Sciver-Brunt and Gardner delivered.

They were helped by Smith and Wraith’s dynamic start, punishing Spirit’s bowlers for bowling too short and wide. Smith was the aggressor, with seven fours and a six, before she was brilliantly caught on the boundary by England’s Dani Gibson.

Sciver-Brunt delivered a masterclass in the middle phase as she picked the gaps perfectly, manipulating the field with her trademark sweeps and unveiling a glorious lofted drive over extra cover for six off Dean.

However, she was starved of the strike after Gardner departed, as Gray removed Heather Graham and Emma Jones in consecutive deliveries.

Spirit’s resurgence, led by Gray and backed up by fantastic catches from Gibson, Glenn and Dean, kept them in the game after Rockets had threatened a much higher total, but they were unable to find any fluency with the bat, raising concerns about their dependency on Harris.

Northern Superchargers’ women will be looking to keep the pressure on the top two as they take on Birmingham Phoenix at 15:00 BST.

The men’s game follows at 18:30 BST with Phoenix hoping to gather momentum after they beat leaders Oval Invincibles in their most recent game on Tuesday.

For most young basketball hopefuls, the closest they will get to learning from the sport’s biggest names is by watching a YouTube video of them playing or training.

For seven Britons, this week in Manchester has been a rare exception.

From shooting while being marked by Los Angeles centre Ivica Zubac to being guided by Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, the first Basketball Without Borders camp to take place in the UK has the potential to be life-changing.

It was at a camp like this in Latvia where Amari Williams – drafted this year by the Boston Celtics to become only the NBA’s third English-born active player – was discovered.

The camp coming to Britain for the first time was part of the NBA’s continued push to grow the following of and participation in basketball in the country. It also followed last month’s announcement that the UK will host its first NBA regular-season games since 2019 with a match in London in 2026 and Manchester in 2027.

“We can virtually guarantee that a handful or more of the players sitting out there today will be in the [NBA and WNBA],” Nurse told BBC Sport, during the four-day camp where the Britons taking part were among Europe’s 60 highest-rated teenagers.

“It’s an amazing event, it always is. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of it before, but when they said they were coming to Manchester, I wanted to be a part of it.

“That’s always exciting to see them at this stage, and then down the line say, ‘I remember we had them in Manchester in the camp’. Always happens. It’s exciting to be among the most talented young players in the world.”

American Nurse played in the British Basketball League for Derby Rams in the 1990-91 season, and had coaching spells at Birmingham Bullets, Manchester Giants, London Towers and Brighton Bears before rising to land NBA posts with Toronto Raptors and the 76ers.

The event in Manchester, in which both current and former players and coaches from the NBA and WNBA were involved, is designed to help aspiring basketball stars of high school ages outside of the United States get valuable first-hand coaching and advice.

Yearly BWB camps also run across Asia, Africa and The Americas. The best performing players from the four camps combined are then selected to attend another BWB camp for the world’s best young players that take place during the NBA and WNBA All-Star weekends.

Almost a decade ago, Los Angeles Clippers centre Zubac was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers having played professionally as a teenager in Serbia and his homeland Croatia.

It is a similar path for many Europeans entering the NBA and WNBA.

One of the camp’s aims is to scout the best talents outside of the US from a young age.

“I never really had a chance to participate [in these camps] as a kid but I would’ve loved to,” said Zubac, 28.

“I think getting advice, knowledge and experience from the NBA players, NBA coaches, all the basketball legends here, some of who have won a lot of championships, it’s very valuable and I think it’s going to be really helpful.”

NBA’s 2024-25 Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is among the current stars who have attended BWB camps, as well as 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid and 23-year-old Williams.

A total of 129 players who have attended the camps, including 41 currently in NBA starting teams, have gone on to play in either the NBA or WNBA.

Irene Oboavwoduo, from Manchester, hopes this might happen for her too and first aiming for a US college route to help her chances.

“It’s pretty hard because basketball is not as big in England, but basketball is expanding in the UK,” said the 17-year-old. “I’m glad I’ve been able to do this as an experience for exposure.”

Nurse believes the return of NBA matches to the UK can only help the sport grow.

“The NBA and the WNBA are certainly turning into international leagues. There are players from all over the world now,” he said.

“It’s a huge boost. When the NBA brings its brand and brings its star power, bringing NBA players certainly draws a lot of attention.”

Williams’ arrival to the NBA will make him the fourth active Briton in the league alongside OG Anunoby, Tosan Evbuomwan and Jeremy Sochan, although Sochan plays internationally for Poland.

There are currently only two British players in the WNBA – Temi Fagbenle and Elizabeth Williams, who play for the Golden State Valkyries and Chicago Sky respectively,

The topic of top-level basketball heading outside the United States comes in a week where the first WNBA game to be held internationally takes place.

The Atlanta Dream face the Seattle Storm in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday night.

Could that lead to a future WNBA match in the UK?

“That’s always a possibility,” said two-time WNBA champion Sylvia Fowles, who is also part of the BWB’s coaching staff.

“I want to see the WNBA everywhere.

Wrexham have signed Wales international Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town on a deal which could eventually be worth £10m.

The versatile forward, 27, who was in the final year of his contract at Portman Road, has signed a four-year deal with the Dragons.

“It’s been a long time coming and I’m delighted to join the club,” Broadhead said.

“Belief is going to be the biggest thing for us this season. We want to get everyone from North Wales down to the Stok Cae Ras and to show that belief in us.”

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “I’m delighted to welcome Nathan to the club. We’re all looking forward to working with him in the coming seasons.”

While the initial fee is likely to be some way short of the reported £10m figure, Broadhead’s arrival will have shattered Wrexham’s transfer record.

They have broken their transfer record on numerous occasions since Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took control of the club in 2021.

The previous high mark was believed to be in excess of £3m, which Wrexham paid to sign midfielder Lewis O’Brien from Nottingham Forest last month.

He follows in the footsteps of fellow Wales internationals Danny Ward and Kieffer Moore in making the switch to the Stok Cae Ras.

Forwards Josh Windass and Ryan Hardie, defenders Conor Coady and Liberato Cacace and midfielders George Thomason and O’Brien have also moved to the north Wales side this summer.

Bangor-born Broadhead – who was in Wrexham’s academy as a boy as well as Bangor City – started his professional career with Everton but joined Ipswich permanently in 2023 following loan spells with Burton Albion, Sunderland and Wigan Athletic.

He made two first-team appearances for the Toffees but swiftly became a prominent figure at Ipswich, helping them secure successive promotions from League One to the Premier League.

Broadhead scored two goals in 18 top-flight appearances under Kieran McKenna last season.

He has netted twice in 14 senior outings for Wales, with his first goal coming on debut against Croatia in 2023.

A new takeover deal has been agreed between Morecambe owners Bond Group and prospective buyers Panjab Warriors in a bid to save the beleaguered National League club.

The Shrimps are currently suspended from the league and had their first three games postponed because of concerns about the club’s ability to meet their financial obligations.

Panjab Warriors have previously had their takeover approved by the EFL in June, following the club’s relegation from League Two, but a chaotic summer has followed.

That has included Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy writing to owner Jason Whittingham urging him to sell the Shrimps, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged everyone involved with the club “to do the right thing”.

“It paves the way for continued stability and a positive future both on and off the pitch.

“Final legal documentation will now be prepared, with immediate steps being taken to inform key stakeholders, including the National League and the club’s management team.

Supporters’ group, the Shrimps Trust, said they understood “that sale and purchase agreements are in the process of being documented for submission to the National League”.

“This represents a significant step forward in the process,” the group said in a statement.

“While we remain cautious until the necessary approvals have been confirmed, all parties have verified this information with us, giving us some assurance that a resolution is in sight.”

Thursday’s announcement comes after the two parties agreed to a mediation session this week, after an initial session failed to take place.

Panjab Warriors, who have been trying to take over Morecambe for more than a year, were joined in a separate bid by businessman Jonny Cato in trying to mount a takeover.

Morecambe closed operations in late July, shortly after their suspension from the National League.

It is unclear from Thursday’s statement when Panjab Warriors’ takeover will be finalised, however.

“We would like to thank all of the staff at the club for their forbearance and can only apologise for the stress this has caused,” added the Bond Group.

Britain’s Matt Richardson and Will Bjergfelt set track cycling world records as Charlie Tanfield fell short in his bid to break the hour record in Konya, Turkey.

Richardson, 26, became the first cyclist to clock under nine seconds in the 200m flying start – doing so in an event set up with British Cycling backing to aim for a number of world records.

His time of 8.941 seconds lowered the time of 9.088 secs, set by Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I came here to do that [go sub-nine seconds] and that’s what I did so, it’s a pretty cool feeling to accomplish the one thing that I came out here to do,” said Richardson.

“It was a lot faster [than I’ve previously ridden]. I was basically just a passenger.

“I gave the bike a bit of direction and it was just steering itself almost. I rode of lot of it outside the sprint lane, so I know there’s a bit more there.”

Earlier on Thursday, Bjergfelt, 46, established a new hour record in the C5 classification as he became the first para-cyclist in history go beyond 50km.

He rode a distance of 51.471km to beat the previous mark of 47.569km, set by Italy’s Andrea Tarlao in 2014.

“It’s not quite sunk in yet really,” said Bjergfelt.

“While I was going round the track and everyone was cheering at the end there, it started to hit home. I don’t think it’s quite hit home yet that I’ve smashed the world record on the track and that’s a dream come true.”

In 2015, Bjergfelt was involved in a head-on collision with a car which shattered his right leg and left him with a bleed on his brain.

Having previously ridden for UCI Continental teams, he was given a C5 para-cycling classification when he returned to the sport.

He subsequently became the first para-cyclist to compete in the Tour of Britain in 2021 and took gold in the C5 road race at the World Championships in 2023.

Tanfield was aiming to become the fourth British rider to hold the famous hour record since the UCI, cycling’s world governing body, unified the rules for the event in 2014.

He began preparing for his attempt shortly after last summer’s Paris Games where he won a silver medal as part of Great Britain’s team pursuit squad.

However, despite making a strong start, he was unable to eclipse the 56.792km distance covered by Filippo Ganna in October 2022.

The 28-year-old rode 53.967km during his attempt at 1,200m altitude – 750m higher than the velodrome in Grenchen, Switzerland where the Italian set his benchmark.