World number one Aryna Sabalenka put this year’s record number of Wimbledon upsets out of her mind in a hard-fought victory over Marie Bouzkova.
Eight top-10 seeds across the men’s and women’s singles draws went out across the opening two days – the most at a Grand Slam in the Open era – but Sabalenka avoided that same fate with a gritty 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win over the world number 48.
The Belarusian is aiming to add a maiden Wimbledon title to her three other Grand Slam triumphs at the US and Australian Opens.
After her win, the top seed told the Centre Court crowd: “I hope it is no upsets anymore in this tournament, if you know what I mean”!
“Honestly, it is sad to see so many upsets in the tournament in both draws”, she added.
“I’m just trying to take it one step at a time. I know if I’m focused, if I’m there, if I’m fighting, I know I’m going to have my chance in each match.
” I think it’s really important to focus on yourself and to take it one step at a time – do not really look at the draw.
Sabalenka could face Emma Raducanu in round three, should the British number one overcome 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova later on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, American Keys breezed into the third round with a comfortable 6-4 6-2 win over Serbia’s Olga Danilovic.
If the sixth seed and Sabalenka continue to progress they could meet in the quarter-finals in a repeat of their Melbourne final.
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After a scorching couple of days at SW19, handheld fans were replaced by umbrellas on a drizzly morning which delayed play on the outside courts by almost two hours.
But the roof was off on Centre Court in time for Sabalenka’s round two match with the sun beginning to peep through.
The three-time major winner made tough work of the opening set, struggling to find consistency and, while not playing badly, she was not clinical in crucial moments.
Having watched three of the top five seeds fall on day two, including French Open champion Gauff, Sabalenka would have welcomed a draw that was beginning to open up.
But eye rolling and shouting in frustration at times, she could not conjure a break point in the first set and instead went down a break when she double faulted at 5-5 to hand Bouzkova the lead.
That was met with a big cheer from a Wimbledon crowd desperate to back the Czech underdog, but they were equally as animated when Sabalenka let out a huge roar as she dug deep to force the tie-break.
A more straightforward second set followed as she secured the break in the fifth game, ramping up the aggression and executing each of her signature powerful groundstrokes with a loud grunt.
Sabalenka is clearly well-liked among the Wimbledon fans but a potential third-round meeting against Briton Raducanu may, for once, put them against her.
A Hamas-run court in Gaza has ordered Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a criminal group allegedly backed by Israel, to surrender himself for trial.
The Revolutionary Court of the Military Judiciary Authority in Gaza gave the 35-year-old head of the Popular Forces group, which stands accused of collaborating with Israel to loot humanitarian aid, 10 days to turn himself in.
Abu Shabab faces charges of treason, collaborating with hostile entities, forming an armed gang and armed rebellion, the court said on Wednesday, adding that he would be tried in absentia if he fails to surrender.
The Popular Forces posted a response on a Facebook page that usually carries its announcements, describing the court’s order as a “sitcom that doesn’t frighten us, nor does it frighten any free man who loves his homeland and its dignity”.
The group and its leader were thrust into the limelight last month when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , said , his government had “activated” powerful local clans in Gaza on the advice of “security officials”.
Israeli and Palestinian media named the group as the Popular Forces, a well-armed Bedouin clan led by Abu Shabab, reportedly consisting of about 100 armed men.
The group later said online that its members were involved in guarding aid shipments sent to distribution centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which Israel contracted to distribute aid in the enclave.
Mass killings of aid seekers near the US-backed GHF distribution centres, which replaced existing distribution networks run by the United Nations and other experienced aid groups, have become a routine occurrence.
The European Council on Foreign Relations think tank has described Abu Shabab as the leader of a “criminal gang operating in , the Rafah area that is widely accused , of looting aid trucks”.
It said he was thought to have been previously imprisoned by Hamas for drug trafficking.
The court urged Palestinians to inform , Hamas , security officials about the whereabouts of Abu Shabab, who has so far remained beyond their reach in the Rafah area of southern Gaza held by Israeli troops.
Defending champions Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara began their men’s doubles title defence with a hard-fought victory over British duo Dan Evans and Henry Searle.
Briton Patten and Finland’s Heliovaara prevailed 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 as they chase a third major triumph at their fifth slam as a pairing.
They won the Australian Open in January after claiming their first doubles title together at Wimbledon 12 months ago, having only joined forces in April last year.
They could face another all-British pairing in the second round, as they wait to see whether Marcus Willis and Billy Harris can overcome Alexander Bublik and Flavio Cobolli.
Men’s top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic were also among the first-round winners, beating Laslo Djere and Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4 6-2.
It took Patten and Heliovaara one hour and 20 minutes to end the resistance of Evans, who celebrated his first Wimbledon singles win in four years on Tuesday, and teenager Searle.
Excellent serving provided the foundation for their victory, they did not face a single break point in their 11 service games, conceding just eight points in those games.
Evans and Searle did well to limit their opponents ‘ opportunities.
EastEnders actress Heather Peace has opened up about her breast cancer battle, gruelling chemotherapy and how she found the strength to work throughout it
Soap favourite Heather Peace opens up about her cancer battle and how it’s made her a better person(Image: Kieron McCarron/BBC)
EastEnders star Heather Peace says hearing she had breast cancer “hit her like a sledgehammer” as she reveals both she and her wife have been battling the disease. Last month, the actress announced she’d undergone surgery and was going through chemotherapy since her diagnosis in October.
Now, as she’s about to start radiotherapy, Heather tells how partner Ellie Dickinson had got the same news earlier in the year. “Her breast cancer was a smaller, aggressive lump, so she had a lumpectomy and then radiotherapy,” explained Heather, who plays Eve Panesar-Unwin in the BBC soap. “Of course then I come along with my 12 cm lump, absolutely ginormous, and mastectomy, chemotherapy, just about to go into radiotherapy. She’s like ‘Even that you have to do bigger’. It’s like ‘Hold my beer’.”
READ MORE: EastEnders’ Ash Panesar’s return ‘sealed’ – and it’s bad news for Suki and Eve’s marriage
Heather and wife Ellie were diagnosed with breast cancer within months of each other, Heather revealed(Image: instagram.com/heatherpeaceofficial)
Parents to Annie, 10, and eight-year-old twins Jesse and Lola, the news was devastating to the pair. “There was no processing”, admits Heather.
Finding her own lump after noticing a change in her nipple, Heather admits she tried putting off getting checked because of her EastEnders filming schedule. Encouraged by wife Ellie to go straight away, they were shocked to discover Heather had breast cancer within just three hours of seeing a doctor.
“I swear everybody looked at me, it might be my imagination, but I felt like a dead woman walking”, admitted Heather. “I honestly did because it was so big and so quick that they told us and the seriousness and gravity with which I was told”.
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It came just as Heather was about to begin filming big New Year scenes which saw Eve marry Suki Panesar (played by Balvinder Sopal) in a historic lesbian wedding. Still reeling from the news, Heather called her bosses to tell them, who told her she didn’t need to come in. But Heather was determined to film the scenes, to give a “full stop” to the story, fearing she would die.
Heather’s devastating cancer news came the day before she was filming her big wedding scenes with Balvinder Sopal as Eve and Suki(Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Enduring a gruelling three week wait for her CT scans results, she said was “the scariest of her entire life” and all she could think about was dying and leaving her young family behind. “I looked at everything I’d done, everybody in my life – my kids, my wife, equal marriage coming in, crazy amounts of stuff – and I felt my goodness, I’ve really packed it in and it’s ok. And actually I’m a bit tired. Those were my honest thoughts. My only concern was breaking anybody else’s heart. I can tell you from the bottom of my heart that was the only thing that bothered me”.
Bradford-born Heather, who previously appeared in London’s Burning and Waterloo Road breathed a sigh of relief when scans showed her cancer hadn’t spread but she would have to undergo major surgery and aggressive chemotherapy. On November 29 she had a left breast mastectomy and immediate reconstruction. After doubts about having an implant put in – Heather says she’s delighted with the results and praised her surgeon for being an “artist”.
“The idea of an implant just gave me the ick”, explained Heather. “You have the option to use your own body material but that can’t happen for a year and it involves incisions in your stomach, bottom. Much bigger operation. Then they bring out the implants and you’re feeling these things. It was Ellie who said ‘ I know for you that you wouldn’t cope without a breast as such. ‘” So they said if you don’t get on with it we can take it out but I have got on with it. The level of care in the aesthetic, knowing how that can affect a woman mentally. I didn’t realise how much that part of me meant. “
Heather posted a video of her in her EastEnders dressing room putting on her wig as she announced her health battle last month(Image: heatherpeaceofficial/Instagram)
Back in her swimming costume able to take the kids to the pool again, Heather says that was a big moment”. I got in the changing rooms which were communal, I hadn’t considered the breast, doing that in a communal area was a really big move for me, “she said”. You couldn’t tell in a swimming costume. “
She says the hardest change to her appearance has been the hair loss”. The has devastated me actually, “she admitted”. I’m very self conscious at the moment. When you lose your eyelashes and your eyebrows. “
In her announcement last month, Heather was seen trying on a wig in her EastEnders changing room. The video was filmed in February as she underwent intense chemo. Traveling from her home in Brighton to Elstree in Hertfordshire, she continued to film at least two days a week throughout the treatment, determined to keep working, but admitting she could be “shaky”.
She praised the team for their support throughout. “Everyone knew,” Heather told Gaby Roslin on her Reasons To Be Joyful podcast. “I put out a post on our little group WhatsApp and I just felt absolutely enveloped and protected and looked after.”
Having just finished her chemotherapy and about to start on radiotherapy, Heather is looking ahead to a future she thought might be snatched away”. I need to live for the day, “she vows”. We’ve got our three kids. We’re going away on a holiday for two weeks. They’re at that golden age. The twins Jesse and Lola are eight, Annie is 10. The five of us are going away. We’re going on holiday for two weeks and that’s been the thing that I’ve held on to since February, through this whole chemo journey. I just want to enjoy them and try and savour every second. “
Heather says her cancer has made her want to spend more precious time with his wife and children
Heather says she couldn’t have got through it without Ellie – and says the turmoil has brought them even closer together”. This journey with Ellie, I feel proud of myself, I feel proud of our marriage, it’s the strongest it’s ever been because we can actually do the for sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, “said Heather”. We’ve been able to show up for each other. That bond is so much deeper than the romance from 15 years ago. Marriage is great. You know when you hit another level, there’s something special in that. “
Having turned 50 two weeks ago, there will be no big party – instead Heather will be heading off on a music writing retreat once she’s finished her three-week radiotherapy”. I have changed for the better, “she smiles”. It’s about investing time in the people that really matter in my life. “
Listen to the full interview on Gaby Roslin’s Reasons to be Cheerful podcast.
Tesla has reported another hefty drop in auto sales extending a difficult period amid intensifying electric vehicle competition and backlash over CEO Elon Musk’s political activities.
On Wednesday, the electric vehicle (EV) maker reported 384,122 deliveries in the second quarter, representing a 13.5 percent decline from this time a year ago. Its earnings report will be released after the market close. Sales were roughly in line with analyst expectations.
The global sales figures reflect the more contested nature of the EV market, which Tesla once dominated, but which now also features BYD and other low-cost Chinese companies, as well as legacy Western carmakers like General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen.
However, demand for EVs has slumped amid tariff fears and the looming end of the EV tax credit in the United States.
On Wednesday, Volvo also announced that fully electric sales fell by 26 percent in June. Rivian sales also tumbled. The electric carmaker said there was a 22.7 percent drop in sales compared with to this time last year.
Musk weighing on sales and the stock
Musk’s political activism on behalf of right-wing figures has also made the company a target of boycotts and demonstrations, weighing on sales. Musk donated more than $270m to US President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, barnstorming key battleground states for the Republican.
But in the last few weeks, he has had a falling out with Trump, driven by the president’s wide-ranging tax and spending bill. Musk’s objections to the “Big Beautiful Bill” has escalated tensions between the two. In a social media post, Musk accused bill supporters of backing “debt slavery”.
In response, the president called for the Department of Government Efficiency to look at subsidies for Musk’s companies, sending the stock tumbling and it closed down 5.3 percent on Tuesday.
A brighter future?
But analysts believe that increased production of the Model Y and 3 could show a positive road ahead for the EV-maker, which produced 396,835 cars of the two models in the second quarter — up from 345,454 in the first quarter.
“We believe Tesla is on a path to an accelerated growth path over the coming years with deliveries expected to ramp in the back-half of 2025 following the Model Y refresh cycle,” Dan Ives, analyst at Wedbush Securities, said in a note to Al Jazeera.
Musk has acknowledged that his work as head of the Department of Government Efficiency and his embrace of European far-right candidates have hurt the company. But he attributed much of the sales plunge to customers holding off while they waited for new versions of Tesla’s best-selling Model Y, and recently predicted a major turnaround in sales.
The company is focusing more on robots, self-driving technology and robotaxis ferrying passengers around without anyone behind the wheel its test run of robotaxis in Austin, Texas, seems to have gone smoothly for the most part. But it also has drawn the scrutiny of federal car safety regulators because of a few mishaps, including one case in which a Tesla cab was shown on a widely shared video heading down an opposing lane.
The Club World Cup is devaluing football because players cannot perform properly, according to Professional Footballers ‘ Association chief executive Maheta Molango.
High temperatures have impacted players, while low crowds have also been a factor in Fifa’s extended competition in America.
Ten Juventus players asked to be substituted during their 1-0 defeat by Real Madrid, with the last-16 game in Miami on Tuesday played in temperatures reaching 30C and humidity of 70%.
Borussia Dortmund’s substitutes also spent the first half of their game against Mamelodi Sundowns last month watching from the dressing room because of the heat.
Six matches have had to be suspended because of thunderstorms, including a two-hour delay in Chelsea’s last-16 win over Benfica.
It means, less than a year before the start of the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, Molango is worried by how the competition is impacting the players and the sport.
“We’re devaluing the product and it’s a shame because if I’m a US fan and that’s my first exposure to soccer, that’s not good”, he said.
“We need to be mindful we’re competing with other sports and they’re very good at entertainment. Then it becomes a very poor comparison.
” We’ve reached a stage where the quality is dropping, because there’s no way you can have a good game if you play at 4pm in Mexico.
“It’s impossible, because the players themselves say to you ‘ I cannot. I need to manage my efforts” – which would mean what you see on the pitch is not good, the audiences drop, it’s as simple as that. This is all about money.
“My hope is that people now, even from a pure business perspective, will see that it does not make sense”.
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp called the competition “the worst idea ever implemented in football”, and days before the tournament, global players ‘ union Fifpro released a report saying players should be allowed at least a four-week off-season break.
“It’s this feeling of accumulation of competitions that just do not talk to each other and create a calendar that is just nonsensical”, added Molango.
“Let’s see what happens in October, November]to players] – that’s when you’re going to start seeing because you pay the price. This Club World Cup gives us a chance to start looking at the bigger picture”.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola understood Klopp’s position, but felt competing in the Club World Cup was the price of success.
Legal action against Fifa continues
Fifa has also defended itself with senior sources from the governing body telling BBC Sport last month the protection of player welfare has been at the core of decision-making, pointing to initiatives such as additional substitutes and permanent concussion subs.
Suggestions the competition has contributed to further congestion in the fixture calendar were firmly dismissed, with a source saying it was “not caused by the Club World Cup”.
It was pointed out a maximum of seven Club World Cup games will be played by two teams every four years, with the slot for the competition replacing the one previously used for the Fifa Confederations Cup.
The extended competition was a main trigger for a joint legal action last year by the PFA, along with the French and Italian players ‘ unions, against Fifa over the “overloaded and unworkable” football calendar. A hearing on that is likely to be held early next year.
It came before the top European leagues and players ‘ union Fifpro filed a legal complaint against Fifa with the European Commission over what it claims is an “abuse of dominance” by world football’s governing body.
“This is much more of a political one. It’s fair to say we are pretty confident the Commission will show an interest in probably taking the case, which is unusual”, Molango added.
