Sports

LONDON — Italy’s Jasmine Paolini reached her first Wimbledon final with a stirring fightback to beat tearful Croatian Donna Vekic 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) on Thursday in the longest women’s semifinal at the All England Club.

Paolini had never won a main draw match at Wimbledon before this year, but the world number seven tenaciously saw off Vekic in two hours and 51 minutes on Centre Court to secure a second successive Grand Slam final appearance.

The 28-year-old, who lost the French Open final last month, will face 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina or Czech 31st seed Barbora Krejcikova in Saturday’s final.

After surviving the emotional encounter with Vekic, Paolini could celebrate becoming the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final.

It has been a breakthrough year for Paolini, who reached her maiden Grand Slam final at Roland Garros before losing to world number one Iga Swiatek.

Paolini, who made the Australia Open last 16 in January, had not gone past the second round in any Slam before this year.

Without a win at the All England Club heading into the tournament, Paolini now has six victories under her belt and has dropped just two sets in the process.

“You know there is no place better than here to fight for every ball and every point,” Paolini said.

“I was struggling at the beginning. I was serving really bad, so I’m so happy. This match I will remember forever.”

Vekic paid the price for 57 unforced errors, with the semi-final fittingly ending on another wild forehand from the unseeded Croatian.

Unable to contain her frustration at letting 3-1 and 4-3 leads slip in the last set, Vekic broke down in tears in the closing stages of a rollercoaster clash.

Feisty Paolini

Vekic landed the first break in the fifth game of the opening set, taking a 3-2 lead gift-wrapped by two wayward Paolini forehands.

Unloading baseline winners and deft drop-shots at will, the Croatian broke again in the seventh game and emphatically served out the set.

Paolini couldn’t convert her first break opportunity of the match in the fourth game of the second set.

But Vekic squandered two break points in the following game, losing her momentum as the feisty Paolini levelled the match with a ferocious forehand to take the set with a break at 5-4.

Vekic took a lengthy break off court to gather herself before the decider, reemerging to break in the first game of the third set.

Yet, as the tension mounted, the nervy Croatian stumbled as Paolini broke back to level at 3-3,

Vekic earned another break in the following game before handing Paolini a lifeline by tamely dropping serve for 4-4.

In a dramatic finale, Vekic ignored an apparent injury to save a match point in the 10th game.

When Vekic couldn’t take a break point in the next game, she broke down in tears at the change of ends.

Vekic managed to compose herself enough to save a second match point, but she blew a 3-1 lead in the tie-break as Paolini gutted out a memorable victory.

In the day’s second semifinal, world number four Rybakina will be chasing a second Wimbledon final appearance.

Krejcikova has a 2-0 record against the Russian-born Kazakh.

LONDON — Novak Djokovic progressed to a record-equalling 13th Wimbledon semi-final without hitting a ball on Wednesday after Alex de Minaur pulled out injured as former champion Elena Rybakina eased through.

Australian ninth seed De Minaur, 25, announced shortly after midday at the All England Club that he was “devastated to pull out due to a hip injury”.

It means Djokovic has now equalled Roger Federer’s men’s record of 13 semifinal appearances at Wimbledon as he closes on the Swiss great’s mark of eight singles titles.

The 37-year-old Serbian is also through to a record-extending 49th men’s Grand Slam semifinal.

De Minaur, who beat Djokovic at the United Cup in January, said: “It’s no secret that this would have been the biggest match of my career but it’s a unique injury.

“I woke up this morning wanting to feel some sort of miracle, but there was a high risk of making the injury worse if I stepped on court.

“One stretch, one slide could take this from a three to six weeks’ injury to four months out.”

Djokovic will play Italian 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti for a place in Sunday’s showpiece match.

The World No.2 — who had knee surgery last month — does not have a title to his name this year and is still seeking a first victory against a fellow top-10 player.

But a historic 25th Grand Slam triumph is coming into sharp focus for Djokovic, who demolished Holger Rune in straight sets in the fourth round.

Ruthless Rybakina 

In early action on Wednesday, 2022 champion Rybakina barely broke sweat in swatting aside last year’s semi-finalist Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-2 in 61 minutes.

She will face Barbora Krejcikova for a place in Saturday’s final after the Czech 31st seed came out on top against Jelena Ostapenko in a battle of former French Open champions.

Rybakina is now 19-2 in main-draw matches at Wimbledon — only retired champions Ann Jones and Steffi Graf have better winning percentages at the tournament.

Russian-born Rybakina broke the Ukrainian 21st seed four times in the match on Centre Court.

The fourth seed was broken in the first game in front of the watching Queen Camilla but hit back straight away and barely put a foot wrong after that.

The 25-year-old, who crunched 28 winners to Svitolina’s eight, said she had “amazing memories” from 2022 but does not like the favourite tag.

“I have an aggressive style of game, I have a huge serve so it’s a big advantage,” she said.

Krejcikova took the first set against the Latvian 13th seed with a single break.

Ostapenko, the 2018 Wimbledon semi-finalist, finally broke through in the fourth game of the second set for a 3-1 lead and backed it up with a hold.

But she went dramatically off the boil as Krejcikova reeled off the next four games for a 5-4 lead.

Ostapenko clung on to break the Czech in the 10th game but 2021 French Open champion Krejcikova played the more composed tie-break to seal the victory.

“I told myself that I’m going to leave here everything I have and I’m really happy that I did and it’s a great moment for me,” said Krejcikova.

“It’s an unbelievable moment that I’m experiencing right now in my tennis career.”

Victory for the 28-year-old Krejcikova comes after a miserable run in 2024, with her season marred by injury and illness.

Her run to the Birmingham quarter-final last month allowed her to celebrate match wins for the first time since Abu Dhabi in February.

“It was a very, very difficult period. It was actually super difficult even before this tournament. I really want to thank my team that is there today,” she Krejcikova.

Fritz produced a stunning performance to come back against fourth seed Alexander Zverev in the fourth round, winning in five sets.

The American has form on grass, winning eight straight matches dating back to the start of the Eastbourne International last month.

DORTMUND, Germany — England manager Gareth Southgate has led his country to a third semifinal in four major tournaments but ahead of Wednesday’s last-four showdown against The Netherlands at Euro 2024, critics of the Three Lions’ boring football are mounting.

Should England end a 58-year wait to win a major trophy in Berlin on Sunday, supporters would not take umbrage with the team’s style, or lack thereof, but the inability of such an array of attacking stars to excite has stunned viewers across the continent.

Southgate’s team produced just five shots on target in 240 minutes of action against Switzerland and Slovakia in the prior two rounds, needing penalties and extra-time respectively to progress.

Former England striker Alan Shearer called the team “rotten” after staggering past Slovakia, while French Euro 2000 winner Emmanuel Petit echoed many fans and national media by labelling England “boring”.

Told his team was “not easy on the eye” by a German reporter, Southgate produced an assortment of reasons.

“I’m sorry for that, but our intention is always to play well with the ball — in football you have an opponent that’s trying to stop you,” he said after the win over Switzerland.

“These are not normal football matches, these are national events with huge pressure, with really young men in the middle of it.

“Our team has been under enormous pressure from the start. They are doing so well.”

Southgate pointed to England’s opponents using defensive formations and also blamed the grass in Germany for hampering his players.

“We’re not able to score a load of goals at the moment, but we’ve played three teams that play a back five, well-organised defences,” he continued.

“Pitches are a little bit bobbly so sometimes you need the extra touch and then the space is gone. None of this is easy, but we’re in a third semifinal in four tournaments.”

After reaching the 2018 World Cup semifinals and being beaten in the Euro 2020 final on penalties by Italy, England began this tournament as one of the two favourites along with France.

Les Bleus have also played in a rather tedious, yet adequate, fashion to reach the other semifinal, facing Spain.

Southgate noted even La Roja, who by contrast have dazzled this summer in Germany, modified their style to be more direct as they beat the hosts in the quarter-finals.

“It’s not just about playing well — Spain mixed their game up, they took seven yellow cards, they found ways to win,” said the coach.

They now face a Dutch team whose five games have produced nearly double the number of goals as in England’s, despite playing 60 minutes less.

In Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Burnley target man Wout Weghorst, Ronald Koeman’s side have a variety of different tools to create havoc at the other end, leading to hope of a more entertaining, higher-calibre clash.

One bone of contention England fans have had with Southgate is his reluctance to make changes.

Cole Palmer, arguably the player of the season in England, has not started a game in Germany, while Ollie Watkins would offer the ability to run in behind that Kane can no longer muster. Anthony Gordon, who would add dynamism on the left, has gone virtually ignored.

Despite some decisive moments Jude Bellingham has looked jaded after his exploits with Real Madrid and Phil Foden is operating at a far lower level than with Manchester City.

Southgate only rang the changes against Switzerland after falling behind, before Bukayo Saka’s fine strike from distance pulled England level.

There are concerns that like in the World Cup 2018 semi-final against Croatia, if Southgate is too reactive rather than proactive, England could lose control of the game against better opposition.

If they can defeat The Netherlands with a convincing display instead of another isolated moment of brilliance, it will give the team hope ahead of a potential final.

Fans tossed beer cups at Southgate during a dull goalless draw with Slovenia but all will be forgiven if England triumph in Berlin on July 14.

“I don’t think it is normal to have beer thrown at you,” said Southgate.

“But we will keep grinding, keep fighting and keep enjoying this journey.”

Even if, for now, not many others have.

MUNICH, Germany — France goes into Tuesday’s Euro 2024 semifinal showdown against Spain hoping Kylian Mbappe can finally produce a performance worthy of his superstar status at a tournament in which he has struggled to find form and fitness.

The match in Munich is a mouthwatering prospect and a huge occasion in particular for Mbappe, in his first major tournament captaining his country and just before he starts a new chapter in his career at Real Madrid.

At 25, and having just completed his dream move to the Champions League winners, Mbappe should be in the prime of his footballing life.

But the man who won the World Cup as a teenager and scored an incredible hat-trick in the 2022 final in Qatar, has not been able to play anywhere near his best at the European Championship.

Mbappe joined up with the France squad after a difficult final campaign at Paris Saint-Germain which was marred by a slightly messy divorce from the club as his playing time was reduced.

Already floundering to some extent physically, lacking his usual explosive edge, a broken nose in Les Bleus’ opening game at the tournament against Austria has further diminished him.

He has scored just once, from a penalty, at the Euros and it may be no exaggeration to say his performance in Friday’s quarter-final against Portugal in Hamburg was the worst of his career in such a big game.

Mbappe ended up being substituted halfway through extra time — he later admitted he was simply exhausted — and so watched from the sidelines as his teammates won on penalties.

“He might not have been here at all, so we need to look at it in a positive light,” coach Didier Deschamps told broadcaster TF1 on Sunday.

“Kylian is here, even if he is not at 100 per cent, and I know that has an impact on the opposition who are forced to adapt to him.”

Whether Spain is too worried remains to be seen, with Mbappe clearly inhibited by the protective mask he has to wear over his injured nose.

There is little prospect of him challenging for a header, and he has indicated that his field of vision is reduced by the mask.

His poor form, along with that of vice-captain Antoine Griezmann, helps explain why France has scored just three goals in five games on their run to the semifinal — one being Mbappe’s penalty against Poland and the other two coming via own goals.

‘When he talks, 

we listen’ 

However, Mbappe’s teammates insist they are not worried about their captain’s performances.

“I don’t think he is going through a bad period. He had a great season. If he is not scoring goals we need to help him. The competition is not over. Apart from his little nose, he is fine,” said Randal Kolo Muani, who played with Mbappe at PSG in the last campaign, on Sunday.

Mbappe is France’s third-top scorer of all time with 48 goals in 83 appearances, but he has just two in his last nine caps.

In the meantime, he has settled into the role of captain which he was given after Hugo Lloris retired in the wake of the 2022 World Cup.

On Friday, after being substituted, television cameras caught Mbappe giving a rousing speech to his teammates just before the penalty shoot-out against Portugal.

“Kylian is the player who went through one-on-one three times in a World Cup final,” said midfielder Youssouf Fofana in reference to his hat-trick against Argentina in Doha.

“So when he talks about penalties before a shoot-out, we listen to him.”

Mbappe is also very much at ease in front of the media, and has notably used the platform given to him in pre-game press conferences to talk politics, making clear his opposition to the far-right National Rally in relation to the French parliamentary elections

He is a natural leader, but it is goals that this shot-shy France team want more than anything from him.

Mbappe will not come directly up against one of his future club colleagues against Spain, with right-back Dani Carvajal suspended after his sending-off against Germany in the quarter-finals.

Whoever replaces Carvajal, Mbappe will hope to come out on top and lead France to a third final in the last four major tournaments.

HAMBURG — Three goals scored in five games, one a penalty and two own goals, and yet Kylian Mbappe’s France is into the semifinals of yet another major tournament as Spain await at Euro 2024.

It is remarkable that any team could get to the last four of such a competition despite struggling so much in front of goal, but all the more so when that team is captained by arguably the best forward in the world.

Mbappe is surrounded by other world-class attackers, but his penalty in a group-stage draw with Poland is the only goal scored by a French player at this European Championship.

Having edged Belgium in the last 16 thanks to a late own goal, France came through a nail-biting quarter-final against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Friday, triumphing 5-3 on penalties after a goalless two hours of football in Hamburg.

“I have said it before lots of competitions. The most important thing is that we win,” Mbappe told reporters.

“People thought it was a wisecrack. I have only scored one goal but we are in the semifinals and I am really happy.”

In charge for 12 years and at his sixth major tournament, France coach Didier Deschamps has regularly been criticised for not playing thrilling football with an extraordinary collection of players.

But he has always got results, with France winning the 2018 World Cup and 2021 UEFA Nations League under his watch.

They lost the 2022 World Cup final on penalties to Argentina and the Euro 2016 final in extra time against Portugal.

Now they are in a fourth semifinal in the last five major tournaments despite their paltry record in front of goal.

Greece may be remembered as perhaps the least spectacular side to win such a competition, but its status as outsiders at Euro 2004 justified a more cautious approach, and they still scored seven goals in six matches.

Including their 0-0 friendly draw against Canada just before the Euros, France has gone six games without one of its players finding the net in open play, a first in 60 years according to statisticians Opta.

That record has not prevented them advancing to Tuesday’s semi-final against a Spain side which has found the net 11 times in Germany.

“I don’t want to lie. In the dressing room we were not thinking much about the fact we didn’t score,” Mbappe insisted on Friday night.

France’s captain is at the heart of the issue though.

Resisting against everything 

The new Real Madrid signing is having a poor tournament, struggling to adapt to playing while wearing a protective face mask after breaking his nose in France’s opening game against Austria.

Sports daily L’Equipe gave him two out of 10 for his performance against Portugal, when he watched the penalty shoot-out from the bench after being substituted midway through extra time.

The form of Antoine Griezmann is an ongoing problem too -- he has been shifted around various different positions and has now scored just twice in his last 33 international appearances.

“Obviously for different reasons Antoine and Kylian are not on their best form,” conceded Deschamps.

“The two of them are supposed to make us more clinical than we are. But we still have a collective strength. Others have stepped up and done very, very well.”

Their defensive strength is admirable, with France having let in just one goal so far, and that a penalty by Robert Lewandowski against Poland.

Maignan is an exceptional goalkeeper, and in front of him the back four of Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba and Theo Hernandez have got better with every game.

“They resist against everything,” was the headline in Saturday’s edition of L’Equipe.

The problem is that relying so heavily on a good defence is fine when you’re winning, but lose and there is really not much left.

“We have been lucky enough to be solid ever since the competition began, to have defended well all together,” said Saliba, of Arsenal.

“We have been saying to ourselves that if we keep a clean sheet we have a 90 per cent chance of winning the match. All we need to do now is score goals, and I am sure that will come.”

LONDON — World No.1 Iga Swiatek was dumped out of Wimbledon by Yulia Putintseva on Saturday as Novak Djokovic set his sights on making the fourth round for the 16th time.

On a dramatic, if cold and wet day at the All England Club, Andy Murray’s Wimbledon career ended with a whimper when Emma Raducanu pulled the plug on their mixed doubles plans.

Top seed Swiatek, who won a fourth French Open and fifth Grand Slam title last month, was stunned 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the third round by Putintseva, the Russian-born Kazakh.

The upset ended Swiatek’s 21-match win streak while the diminutive Putintseva goes on to face the equally fiery Jelena Ostapenko for a quarter-final place.

“Feels great, I was just so focused on just playing fast and not giving her any time and that’s pretty much it,” said 29-year-old Putintseva after her win on Court One.

“I was thinking during the match that I had already beaten a world number one on grass so I think it was meant to be,” she added, recalling her win over Naomi Osaka in Birmingham in 2019.

After winning the first set, it appeared business as usual for Swiatek, who went into Saturday’s match with a 4-0 head-to-head record over the 35th ranked Putintseva.

However, Putintseva, who stands at just 1.63m stormed back in the second set on the back of breaks in the fourth and sixth games.

She held her nerve to cruise to a double break and a 4-0 lead in the decider.

Swiatek saved two match points but was defeated on the third when she buried a forehand return into the net.

‘Cow on ice’ 

The Pole, who has never got past the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, committed 38 unforced errors to Putintseva’s 15. The Kazakh saved seven of eight break points.

Putintseva, a three-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist, extended her grass-court streak this year to eight wins after clinching the Birmingham title last month.

World No.4 Alexander Zverev put on another serving masterclass to reach the last 16 for the third time, seeing off Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (17/15).

Zverev needed six match points to seal the deal in a third-set tiebreak which stretched to over 20 minutes.

The 27-year-old German didn’t face a single break point and clubbed 15 aces in his 52 winners.

He has only faced four break points in three matches and saved them all.

“I do feel like a cow on ice sometimes,” he said of his grass-court movement.

France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard dropped serve for the first time in the tournament, but still clinched a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory against Emil Ruusuvuori.

Mpetshi Perricard, who turns 21 on Monday, is the first lucky loser to make the last 16 since Dick Norman in 1995.

On a memorable day for France, Arthur Fils claimed a 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over 2023 quarter-finalist Roman Safiullin.

Fils, ranked 34, unleashed 57 winners and will face ninth seed Alex de Minaur for a last-eight place.

French number one Ugo Humbert defeated Brandon Nakashima of the United States in four sets to set-up a last-16 clash with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.

American 14th seed Ben Shelton beat Denis Shapovalov in five sets and will face world number one Jannik Sinner in the last 16.

‘Big dog’ 

Shelton followed in the footsteps of his father Bryan who made the fourth round in 1994.

“We’re back, big dog,” Shelton told his father on court.

Djokovic is looking to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon triumphs and claim a 25th Grand Slam title in total.

Just weeks after a right knee operation, Djokovic tackles 47th-ranked Alexei Popyrin, whom he beat in four sets at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Andy Murray’s 19-year Wimbledon career finished on a low.

Former world number one Murray, who will retire after the Paris Olympics, didn’t play singles after failing to recover from surgery to remove a cyst from his spine.

On Thursday, he and brother Jamie were defeated in the first round of men’s doubles.

Murray, the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon champion, was scheduled to partner Raducanu in Saturday’s last match on Court One.

“Unfortunately I woke up with some stiffness in my right wrist so therefore I have decided to make the very tough decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles tonight,” said Raducanu.

Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, faces New Zealand’s Lulu Sun on Sunday for a place in the women’s singles quarter-finals

Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, the runner-up in the last two years, was defeated 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) by Ukrainian 21st seed Elina Svitolina, a semifinalist in 2023.

TOKYO — Japanese judo heavyweight Tatsuru Saito will be driven by the memory of his famous father when he goes for Paris Olympic gold.

Hitoshi Saito was a judo great who triumphed at consecutive Olympics in 1984 and 1988 at over 95 kilogrammes.

He died of cancer in 2015 aged 54 but his “spirit lives on” in his son, according to Yasuhiro Yamashita, a former Olympic champion who until last year headed Japan’s judo federation.

Yamashita has long been convinced of the 22-year-old Saito’s potential and said after watching him compete as a junior that they were witnessing a special talent.

“No other heavyweight can twist his hips as much as he does when he throws an opponent,” Yamashita said.

Hitoshi Saito enjoyed world and Olympic success in the 1980s, but lost to Yamashita in three consecutive finals at the open-weight All-Japan Judo Championships.

He quipped that he had “climbed Everest but never climbed Mount Fuji”, but he finally claimed the title in 1988 after Yamashita had retired.

His son did not have to wait anywhere near as long, winning the All-Japan Championships in 2022 to become the third-youngest victor at 20 years and one month.

The younger Saito now has the chance to scale the sport’s highest peak in Paris and warmed up by beating Tajikistan’s Temur Rakhimov in the final of the Grand Slam in Kazakhstan in May.

But Saito will likely have to go through 11-time world champion Teddy Riner if he is to triumph in Paris, with the Frenchman looking to win his third individual Olympic gold.

“I think I can win, I have no fear,” Saito said after losing to Riner in the final of the Grand Slam in Turkey in March.

Saito stands 191cm and weighs 170kg, but his imposing physique is in contrast to his cherubic face and sunny disposition.

His mother Mieko has described him as a “bold” child whose behaviour would surprise those around him.

While his sensitive elder brother would cry if his mother bit the head off a bird-shaped candy, Saito would gleefully gobble one down whole.

It was brother Ichiro who first showed an interest in learning judo and Tatsuru tagged along — much to the delight of their father.

He could be a harsh teacher, drilling moves over and over again in pursuit of perfection.

“If my dad were here now, as soon as he’d shaken my hand he’d be telling me what I needed to work on,” local media quoted Saito as saying after he won the 2022 All-Japan title.

Saito’s world was rocked at aged 12 when his father developed a rare but rapidly developing form of liver cancer.

He believed that his father’s strength as a judoka would see him overcome the illness, and it took around a month for the reality of his death to sink in.

“Little by little, once I started to accept it, I began to get more serious about my judo,” Saito said.

“I felt I had to repay the people who had supported me, especially my dad.”

Saito watches old clips of his father in action and wonders what advice his dad would give him in matters of technique.

Experts see close similarities between the two, although Saito plays down comparisons and protests that he is “nowhere near” his father’s level yet.

He has ambitions of getting there one day, however, and watching the Tokyo Olympics on TV three years ago only fuelled his fire.

“It made me feel more than ever that I want to win a medal whatever it takes, to stand on top of that podium,” Saito has said.

“At the Paris Olympics I want to stand in the place where my father once stood.”

DUNBLANE, United Kingdom — In a quiet corner of the peaceful town of Dunblane in central Scotland stands the unassuming tennis club that launched Andy Murray on the path to Wimbledon glory.

Photos of the British star, preparing for his final appearance at the All England Club, are on display in a corner of the humble clubhouse at Dunblane Sports Club and his name is etched on various trophies.

Andy’s brother Jamie, a doubles specialist, also features and his mother, Judy, is on the honours board along with his grandparents, Roy and Shirley Erskine.

The monuments to Murray in the town itself are low key — there is a gold post box in recognition of his Olympic singles triumph in 2012 next to a wooden bench to mark his first Wimbledon title the following year.

It is in keeping with the unflashy character of a man who went toe to toe with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in arguably the greatest-ever era in men’s tennis, winning three Grand Slams.

But as he prepares for his final Wimbledon, where he is a two-time champion, those at the club cannot speak highly enough of their most famous export.

“He’s just a film star here, everyone loves him,” head coach Mark Walker told AFP. “Whenever he comes here it’s always so busy. And all the places are full and they follow him everywhere.

“There was an example where he came once to our summer camp — he was obviously visiting granny up the road there.

“And he just came down and wandered down and then came on the court and just said ‘I’m here to hit with all the kids’. And he made sure to hit with all the kids.”

Dunblane links 

Murray, 37, left Dunblane, a town of about 9,000 residents, as a teenager to further his career in Spain but has never cut ties with his home town, which is about 65 kilometres from Edinburgh.

He was married in Dunblane Cathedral and owns a hotel just up the road. His grandparents still live a stone’s throw from the tennis club.

“The family have been involved for 50 years — there’s been a connection with this club, which is really nice,” said Sandy Fleming, one of the coaches at the club.

The club, which has four artificial clay courts and two mini-courts, has around 500 members, half of whom are youngsters.

One of the more recent players off the production line is Ali Collins, who played doubles at Wimbledon last year.

“You walk up here and you don’t think this is a place of champions,” admits Fleming.

Membership secretary Emma Morson says Murray’s success has changed the narrative about Dunblane, which made global headlines in 1996 when a gunman killed 16 children and a teacher at the school attended by Murray and his brother.

“Before, Dunblane was only ever known for one thing and it wasn’t a positive so to have such a massively positive thing to represent is amazing,” she said.

Morson’s 12-year-old son, Alex, who shares the same initials as Murray, wants to follow in his “icon’s” footsteps.

“They [Andy and Jamie] come down quite regularly,” he said. “They come down and they play with all the kids and everyone surrounds Andy, everyone knows him, even little ones.”

Alex says he will miss Murray when he hangs up his racquet, with the Scot targeting the Paris Olympics — and a third singles gold — as his final act.

“When you go to watch Grand Slams you won’t have that excitement of knowing you are going to watch someone who grew up and played where you are playing right now,” he said.

“That will probably be the worst part of it.”

Murray legacy 

Fleming agrees that the departure of the former world number one will leave a big hole.

“After he won the Olympics [in 2012] he did a tour of Dunblane,” he said. “It was chucking it down but thousands of people came. He must have taken about five hours to walk up the high street in Dunblane and then after that came up here.

“We’re really, really proud of him here. He’s left some legacy. If you go and talk to any of the kids here, they know when he’s playing, who he’s played, when he won.

“He’s somebody who’s coming to the end of his career but he’s still really current. I’m absolutely gutted because it just seems that he’s been around forever.”

Murray, who has been plagued with injuries in recent years, last week had an operation on a spinal cyst, putting his participation in Wimbledon, beginning on Monday, in severe doubt.

But he is in the draw — due to face Czech player Tomas Machac in the first round — and is set to team up with brother Jamie, a two-time Grand Slam men’s doubles winner, in the doubles.

Members of his former club in Dunblane will be watching closely, hoping and praying he can do them proud for one final time.

LONDON — Marketa Vondrousova became the first defending women’s Wimbledon champion to lose in the first round for 30 years on Tuesday as Andy Murray ran out of time in his fitness race.

Novak Djokovic barely broke sweat as he launched his bid for a record-equalling eighth men’s singles title and women’s top seed Iga Swiatek eased through.

But it was a painful day for Czech sixth seed Vondrousova, whose time in the Wimbledon spotlight was cut short as she went down down 6-4, 6-2 to Spain’s unheralded Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in 66 minutes.

Vondrousova is only the second defending champion to lose in the first round at the All England Club in the Open Era.

The only other time it has happened was 30 years ago, when Lori McNeil defeated three-time defending champion Steffi Graf.

World number 83 Bouzas Maneiro, playing in only the third Grand Slam main draw of her career, broke her opponent five times in the match under the roof on Centre Court.

Vondrousova, who said she was wary in her first match since she hurt her hip at last month’s Berlin grass-court tournament, struggled with her serve and racked up 28 unforced errors.

“Practice was fine and everything,” said the Czech. “Today I was a bit scared because of my leg too. But I don’t think that was the reason. I felt nervous from the start.”

She added: “It’s tough to go out defending the title.”

It was a different story for women’s world number one and five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek, who beat former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-4 with a minimum of fuss.

Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion, cantered past Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-3, 6-1 while fifth seed Jessica Pegula lost just two games against US compatriot Ashlyn Krueger in a 6-2, 6-0 demolition job.

Murray pulls out

Murray confirmed the worst fears of his loyal army of British fans, deciding he was unable to compete in the singles at his final Wimbledon because he has not recovered sufficiently from recent back surgery.

The withdrawal of two-time champion Murray means Djokovic is the only member of the fabled “Big Four” remaining in the men’s draw at the All England Club.

Roger Federer has retired and Rafael Nadal opted to skip Wimbledon to prepare for a shot at another Olympic title.

Murray, 37, is hoping to end his stellar career at the upcoming Paris Games but desperately wanted to make a final singles appearance at Wimbledon, where he was champion in 2013 and 2016.

The Scot, who has been ravaged by injuries in recent years, will still play doubles with his brother Jamie, with whom he practised on Tuesday afternoon.

“I’m disappointed, I wanted to play in the tournament,” he said. “I wanted to have a chance to go out there and walk out on my own on the Centre Court again and give it another go.

“But I also was only going to do that if I felt like I could be competitive and I didn’t feel like that today. I’m sorry for everyone that came and wanted to support and watch again.”

Djokovic, born a week apart from Murray in May 1987, had a knee operation after pulling out before his French Open quarter-final — sparking fears he would not be fit in time for Wimbledon.

Djokovic eases through

But the Serbian World No. 2, who was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s final, dismissed Czech player Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 without facing a single break point.

He knows time is not on his side as he bids to equal Federer’s Wimbledon title record and become the first player — man or woman — to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles.

“I tried to really focus on the game and not think about the knee too much,” said Djokovic, bidding for a record 25th major.

“Everything that I could do, I have done over the last three weeks along with my team to be able to play here for you today.

“I think if it was for any other tournament I probably would not have risked it, would not have rushed as much but I just love Wimbledon, love coming back here.”

An angry Andrey Rublev, a quarter-finalist last year, exited in four sets against Argentina’s Francisco Comesana, playing his first Grand Slam match.

The Russian sixth seed repeatedly smashed his racquet against his knee in the third set in frustration but failed to turn things around and lost 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).

Fourth seed and French Open runner-up Alexander Zverev progressed in straight sets.