Sports

LONDON — Eight-time champion Roger Federer eased into the third round of Wimbledon on Thursday, beating British wild card Jay Clarke 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 to equal American legend Jimmy Connors’s record of 17 appearances in the last 32.

The 37-year-old Swiss great’s rival Rafael Nadal won 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) in an engrossing tussle with the fiery but talented Australian Nick Kyrgios.

On the women’s side, there will be a new name adorning the trophy as defending champion Angelique Kerber went out in three sets to lucky loser Lauren Davis 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Federer said his game had not been perfect but Clarke had helped his cause.

“I struggled to take care of business a bit from the baseline,” said 37-year-old Federer who has now reached the third round at the Slams for the 70th time.

“Thankfully I played a pretty good breaker, I had some help from him as he gave me a couple of unforced errors.”

Federer and Nadal’s half of the draw lost two of the potentially more awkward customers in big serving duo John Isner and Marin Cilic.

Ninth-seeded Isner, who played in the epic semifinal last year with Kevin Anderson which lasted over six hours, fell in five sets to unseeded Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in just over three hours of play.

Cilic, the 13th seed and finalist in 2017, lost in straight sets to Portugal’s Joao Sousa, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Kerber looked in control after the first set but once she went 3-2 down in the second Davis — ranked outside the top 250 earlier this year — gained in confidence.

“Its been a tough journey and a process of learning and growing as a player and person,” said Davis.

“The drop in ranking has made this win even more fulfilling.”

There was a scare for seven-time champion Serena Williams, who dropped the first set against 18-year-old Slovenian qualifier Kaja Juvan before prevailing 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.

“It brings the best out of me the pressure,” said 37-year-old Williams.

“I play best when I am down sometimes. I am a fighter I never give up.”

Ashleigh Barty’s bid to become the first woman since Williams in 2015 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year stayed on track with a 6-1, 6-3 second round victory over Belgium’s Alison van Uytvanck.

The 23-year-old Australian World No. 1 will play British wild card Harriet Dart for a place in the last 16.

Barty said she would not be concerned by taking on a home hope in front of a partisan crowd.

“I wouldn’t be playing a British crowd; I’m playing against Harriet,” said Barty.

“Yes, she’ll get more support being in Britain, as I would if we were in Australia. It’s no different.”

Barty, only the second Australian woman after Evonne Goolagong Cawley over 40 years ago to be No. 1 in the world, said the most pleasure she has had in her new status is when she speaks to her niece back in Australia.

“Over and over she tells me you can go to infinity and beyond,” sad Barty.

“She’s an incredible little girl who gives me so much inspiration.

“It’s been a very nice journey for myself, my team, my family, everyone. To be where we are now is really special.”

Dart, for her part, could not contain her excitement at playing the World No. 1.

“Super exciting,” she said. “A great opportunity for me.

“I have nothing to lose. I actually met her a few weeks ago at an LTA schools visit.

“Lovely girl, great champion.”

Home fans appetites were sated at the end of the day when Williams’s mixed doubles partner and former World No. 1 Andy Murray began his men’s doubles — months after “life-changing hip surgery” — with French partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert against Marius Copil of Romania and Herbert’s compatriot Ugo Humbert.

“To share the court with a British icon will be amazing,” said Williams.

AMMAN — The Jordan Rally Championship heads to the northern forests for round three on Friday with many of the Kingdom’s top drivers entered for what promises to be a thrilling event.

With championship leader Marouf Abu Samra sitting out Friday’s event, a host of drivers will be looking to secure points to set the series up nicely going into the final two rounds.

Khalid Juma, accompanied by Imad Juma, will lead the cars off on Friday in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10, with Oman’s youngster, Abdullah Al Rawahi, sitting second in the championship, posing his biggest threat in a Subaru Impreza with Jordanian Ata Al Hmoud as co-driver. Crowd favourites Ihab Al Shurafa and Salameh Al Gammaz are also on the entry list which consists of nine teams.

The day will get under way from 10:30am with a ramp start at the Royal Automobile Club (RACJ) before cars tackle the first of two morning runs of the 15.39km Salhoub stage at 11:03am. In the afternoon, there will be two runs of the popular 15.46km Rumman stage, making a total competitive distance of 61.7km. The podium will take place back at the RACJ at 4pm. 

LONDON — Three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka was knocked out of Wimbledon on Wednesday, falling in five sets to 2.1m Reilly Opelka as defending champion Novak Djokovic waited to push his bid for a fifth title.

Two-time quarter-finalist Wawrinka, 34, was beaten 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 8-6 by his American opponent, the tallest man in the sport and 13 years his junior.

Opelka fired 23 aces and 59 winners and goes on to face 2016 runner-up Milos Raonic of Canada.

Opelka will be appearing in the third round at a Slam for the first time having never won a grass court match in his career prior to coming to Wimbledon.

Wawrinka won heartfelt applause for giving a line judge a warm embrace after accidentally colliding with her as he sprinted to hit a backhand.

“I was a bit too far to return a serve. I think I went against her, so I was sure she had some pain and was not happy, so I gave her a little hug,” said the genial Swiss.

Also feeling the pain was Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan who was forced to retire when just two points from victory against Ukraine eighth seed Elina Svitolina.

World No. 62 Gasparyan was 7-5, 5-4 ahead when she collapsed to the ground on Court Three, suffering with cramping.

Although she bravely tried to continue, the Russian, who has undergone three knee surgeries in her career, was forced to quit.

“I was a little bit shocked, it’s never nice to get this when someone is injured like that,” said Svitolina who goes on to face Greece’s Maria Sakkari for a place in the last 16.

“It’s really unfortunate for her.”

Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco staged the comeback of the day when he recovered from two sets and 3-0 down to defeat British No. 1 Kyle Edmund 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 6-4.

Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova reached the last 32 with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Puerto Rico’s Olympic champion Monica Puig.

Pliskova, one of four players who could end Wimbledon as World No. 1, will face Hsieh Su-wei of Taiwan for a spot in the fourth round.

In a match which opened proceedings on Centre Court, 52nd-ranked Puig was clearly over-awed, winning just nine points in a 20-minute first set.

Former World No. 1 and double Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka swept past Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2, 6-0.

Azarenka, now at 40 in the world, was a semifinalist at the All England Club in 2011 and 2012.

Next up is a last-32 clash with fellow ex-World No. 1 Simona Halep who defeated fellow Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.

“We have had very tough matches in the past,” said Halep, who is 2-2 in career meetings with the 29-year-old Azarenka.

One of those wins came at Wimbledon in 2017 in the fourth round while it’s been seven years since Azarenka beat Halep.

“It’s going to be a big challenge for me, a tough one, because she’s playing not very flat but she’s very aggressive. So on grass it’s not that easy.”

Djokovic reached the third round for the 11th consecutive year with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Denis Kudla of the United States.

Top seed Djokovic goes on to face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz for a place in the last 16.

Djokovic defeated the Pole in straight sets in the first round at Roland Garros in May.

Djokovic’s path to a fifth title was eased on Monday when potential title rivals Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev were knocked out of his section of the draw.

Later Wednesday, the top seed takes on World No. 111 Denis Kudla of the United States where he will attempt to make the last 32 for the 14th time.

The Kiev-born Kudla, who moved to the US with his parents on his first birthday, made the third round in 2015, knocking out Zverev in the first round.

Cori Gauff, just 15 years old, was the sensation of the first round when she stunned five-time champion Venus Williams having already become the youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon.

She faces 30-year-old Magdalena Rybarikova who made the semi-finals in 2017.

LONDON — Cori Gauff, at 15 the youngest ever qualifier for Wimbledon, is not content with just beating five-time champion Venus Williams — now she wants to win the title.

The teenage American, who was not even born when Williams won her first two Wimbledon singles titles, showed not an ounce of fear on Court One, making light of the 24 years age difference and her ranking of 313 as she eased to a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Gauff made no bones about her ambitions at the tournament. 

“My goal is to win Wimbledon,” she said. “I said this before: I want to be the greatest.

“My dad told me that I could do this when I was eight.

“I’m still, like, not 100 per cent confident. But you never know what happens.”

Gauff said she was determined to make the most of her opportunities.

“I mean, like my motto is just like wing it,” she said.

“I’ve said that before. This is kind of a sad thing, we’re all going to die one day, I just want to make the most of it.”

Gauff, who revealed Rihanna and Beyonce were her role models off the court, said she had not allowed her admiration of childhood idol Williams affect her play.

However, she did have a slight wobble at the end when she let slip three match points. 

Williams, whose exploits along with her younger sister Serena inspired Gauff to take up the sport, made no secret of how far Gauff could go.

“I think the sky’s the limit, it really is,” said Williams.

“Just have fun. Enjoy life. That’s all you can do.” 

Gauff, who said Roger Federer had been a big help too re-energising her and could claim some credit for her winning the French Open junior title last year, said she had finally been able to muster the courage to address one of the Williams sisters after twice failing to prior to that.

“I was just telling her thank you for everything she’s done,” said Gauff.

“She and her sister have been, like, heroes for me and many other little girls out there. I was just thanking her.”

Gauff sank into her chair and cried in the immediate aftermath of the victory.

Later she recalled the previous time she had been reduced to tears.

“The movie ‘Endgame’ when Ironman died, I was crying,” she said.

“Every time I think of it, I get teary-eyed because I really liked Ironman.”

Gauff, though, said there is another side of her when she is off the court.

“I’m definitely really goofy off the court,” she said.

“I’m always cracking jokes. I was practicing, people were taking pictures of me.

“Actually quite a few people. I was actually, like, smiling.

“The pros who have been here for a long time, they’re serious.

“But I can’t just help laugh because it’s weird for people to take pictures of me and not smile.” 

LONDON — Defending champion Novak Djokovic got his campaign for a fifth Wimbledon title off to a winning start on Monday with newly-hired coaching team recruit, and 2001 winner, Goran Ivanisevic helping steer the ship.

Djokovic, chasing a fifth title at the All England Club, saw off 35-year-old Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.

But he had to recover from early breaks in both of the first two sets against a player who beat him at Indian Wells this year, as well as a nasty fall on the Centre Court grass.

Djokovic, chasing a 16th career major, will face Denis Kudla of the United States for a place in the last 32.

If his victory was routine, there was nothing predictable about the Serb’s surprise decision to bring Ivanisevic into his inner sanctum over the weekend.

Djokovic said that he and Ivanisevic have been long-time friends.

“I have always looked up to Goran. When he won here in 2001, I feel I was part of that as he had trained in Germany at the same base as me when I was 13-14,” said Djokovic.

“I feel as if I contributed to his victory,” he joked.

Fourth seed Kevin Anderson, runner-up to Djokovic in 2018, eased into the second round beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Anderson will now play Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic who registered his first win at the tournament in seven years when he defeated Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 5-7, 6-2.

In the women’s event, third seed Karolina Pliskova made it through, beating China’s Zhu Lin 6-2, 7-6 (7/4).

Czech former World No. 1 Pliskova, fresh from winning the Eastbourne title, has never got past the fourth round at Wimbledon.

She will next face Olympic champion Monica Puig.

‘It’s a great moment’

Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova, a semifinalist in 2017, caused the first big upset of the tournament when she put out 10th seeded Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-2, 6-4 in just 70 minutes.

It was Sabalenka’s second successive loss in the first round

Former French Open champion Simona Halep overcame an injury scare to make the second round with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

Halep, seeded seven and a semi-finalist in 2014, needed to have her left ankle strapped after a worrying fall on Court One.

She then slipped at 2-5 down in the second set before recovering to beat her Belarus opponent who knocked out two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova at the same stage in 2018.

Later Monday, Japanese second seed Naomi Osaka, the US and Australian Open winner, lost 7-6 (6-4), 6-2 to Yulia Putintseva who now has a 3-0 career hold over the Japanese.

One of those wins came on grass in Birmingham less than two weeks ago.

Osaka has yet to get past the third round at Wimbledon although her two previous visits saw defeats to 2018 champion Angelique Kerber and five-time champion Venus Williams.

Venus, now 39, first played at the All England Club in 1997.

Her opponent on Court One on Monday, 15-year-old compatriot Cori Gauff was still seven years away from being born.

Gauff is the youngest player ever to have qualified for Wimbledon and comes into the tournament ranked at 313 in the world.

She needed a wild card to play in qualifying while juggling her high school tests in the evening.

“She’s an exciting young player, and she’s so cool,” said Venus’s sister Serena of Gauff.

“She’s a great girl. It’s a great moment for her and for Venus.”

‘NextGen’ stars Alexander Zverev, seeded six, and seventh-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas face Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic and Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano respectively.

VALENCIENNES, France — The Netherlands reached the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup for the first time in its history on Saturday after Vivianne Miedema and Stefanie van der Gragt scored in a 2-0 win over Italy in Valenciennes.

Germany were left “bitterly disappointed” after Stina Blackstenius’s winner knocked them out of the World Cup and sent Sweden into the last four of the women’s World Cup with a 2-1 victory in Rennes on Saturday. 

The Swedes had last claimed a tournament win over Germany at the 1995 World Cup, but here they came from behind to triumph in an enthralling game played in ferocious heat.

Appearing at just their second World Cup, the Dutch will travel to Lyon to face Sweden in the last four after fine headers from record goal-scorer Miedema and Van der Gragt in the last 20 minutes of this quarter-final.

The result also means they have qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as one of the three best performing European sides in France.

“The most important thing is that we won against Italy,” said Sherida Spitse, who set up both goals with stunning set-piece deliveries.

“That I can be important with my free-kicks I know that, but the most important thing is that we are going to the semi-finals and Tokyo.”

Both teams had complained about the scheduling of the match in the middle of the afternoon during a punishing early summer heatwave that is sweeping Europe.

However, it was the Dutch who responded best to the on-pitch humidity, with temperatures creeping over 30oC, completely dominating the second half in an impressive display that will give whoever wins later on Saturday pause for thought.

“It was really, really warm out there, but I’m just trying to tell myself that it’s not hot,” said Dominique Bloodworth, one of four Arsenal players in the Dutch team.

“The second half I felt much better and that we were going to score a goal and win the game so that gives you wings.”

Out of luck

The Dutch struggled initially to get behind Italy’s tenacious back line despite being gifted the the ball on countless occasions, and the “Azzurre” had the best opportunities of a cagey opening half through Valentina Bergamaschi and her AC Milan teammate Valentina Giacinti.

However, they took control of the match early in the second half, with Lieke Martens twice forcing Italy goalkeeper Laura Giuliani into action and Miedema just failing to connect with Desiree Van Lunteren’s fizzing low cross seven minutes after the break.

Danielle van de Donk then hit the bar just before the hour mark with a dipping effort before Spitse saw her powerful free-kick flick out off the post.

Italy’s luck ran out in the 70th minute when Spitse whipped in a perfect cross from the left flank that Arsenal striker Miedema glanced home with her head to make it 61 goals in 80 international matches.

Italy wilted and 10 minutes later the Dutch sealed their place in the last four, Spitse with another precise delivery that van der Gragt emphatically headed home at the far post to end the contest and Italy’s dream run in France, with their players crying in the aftermath.

“We are really upset because we got this far and had the chance to qualify for the Olympics. That is what we dreamed of,” said Barbara Bonansea, who started their unexpected run with two goals against Australia in their opening group game.

Italy had not reached the quarter-finals since the very first women’s World Cup in 1991.

“No-one expected all this from us so we can’t be anything but happy.”

The United States and England will face off in the other semifinal on Tuesday after the Americans beat France 2-1 in a pulsating encounter on Friday. England beat Norway 3-0 on Thursday.

Charles Leclerc stayed cool in the heat to claim a convincing pole position for Ferrari with a track record lap on Saturday, outpacing Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes by two-tenths of a second.

The 21-year-old Monegasque clocked his best lap of one minute and 3.003 seconds in the final seconds of a dramatic session that saw his Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel unable to run due to an air pressure problem.

Max Verstappen, backed by an “orange army” of fans in the steaming Styrian Alps, was third for Red Bull ahead of Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas who had taken pole for the last two years.

Defending five-time champion Hamilton struggled for outright speed and faced a stewards’ inquiry after the session following an incident in Q1 when he appeared to obstruct Kimi Raikkonen.

Kevin Magnussen wound up in fifth place for Haas, but will take a five-place grid penalty for taking a new gearbox, ahead of British rookie Lando Norris of McLaren, Raikkonen and his Alfa Romeo teammate Antonio Giovinazzi.

Frenchman Pierre Gasly was ninth in the second Red Bull and Vettel 10th, but he will start from ninth, at least, following the penalties.

“The car felt amazing,” said a delighted Leclerc, having claimed his second career pole – following his success in Bahrain.

“I struggled in P1, but after some changes we did well and I’m happy to bring pole home.

“Tomorrow, we have to finish the job.”

Ferrari are without a win this season or since the 2018 United States Grand Prix won by Raikkonen and seek to end Mercedes’ record run of eight season-opening triumphs and 10 victories in succession.

‘Young ones’

Hamilton said: “Congratulations to Charles. He’s been quick all weekend…. It’s cool to see three different teams as the top three and I get to fight the young ones tomorrow.”

Verstappen praised the support he received from his countrymen. “It’s so great and it brings a smile to my face… With our upgrades, the car seems to be working better and this is an amazing result for us.”

The session began in sweltering conditions with an air temperature of 30ºC, and the track at 52.

Norris went top briefly before Leclerc and Ferrari flexed their muscles.

Unexpectedly, Red Bull soared. Verstappen split the Ferraris for second and the under-pressure Gasly took fourth, within two-tenths. Mercedes, feeling the heat, responded by re-joining the fray in the final minutes, a rarity.

Verstappen went top as Hamilton followed, just 0.011 behind, to take second ahead of Bottas, in third, and the two Ferraris.

Out went Sergio Perez and his Racing Point team-mate Lance Stroll along with Toro Rosso’s luckless Daniil Kvyat, who swerved wide when he met heavy traffic on his late flying lap at the blind Turn Nine, and the two Williams.

That incident, in which Kvyat avoided George Russell of Williams, required a post-session stewards’ inquiry.

Mercedes switched to mediums for Q2 while Ferrari went, unexpectedly, for softs — the tyres used for their best times in Q2 being those to be used for the start of Sunday’s race.

The times tumbled immediately, Bottas leading the way into the 1:03’s with Verstappen and the Ferraris doing the same as Leclerc rose to the top.

“Bono, we’re not quick on the straights,” said a frustrated Hamilton, looking for a tow. Eventually, he improved to third behind Leclerc and Vettel while Romain Grosjean, Nico Hulkenberg, Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz missed the top-ten cut.

Before Q3 began, there was frantic activity at Ferrari where a side-pod of Vettel’s car was the centre of attention, including that of an FIA technical delegate.

After a slow start, Leclerc clocked 1.03:208 to top the first runs ahead of Bottas and Verstappen.

Hamilton, struggling by his high standards, was fourth as they re-emerged for the final showdown but could not overhaul Leclerc.

AMMAN — Husam Salem has stormed to the top of the Jordan Speed Test Championship following a sensational third round at the Royal Automobile Club, according to the Jordan Motorsport Media Service.

The 2018 champion won Friday’s event by just 0.13 of a second from Ghaith Wreikat who moves into second in the championship standings, with Khatshick Shadian completing the podium places.

Salem showed his class by saving his best until last, storming around the track in a blistering time of 1 minute 19.9 seconds, edging out Wreikat who is now Salem’s closest challenger following former leader Mohammed Tayseer’s failure to pick up a point.

It was a bumper entry with 64 cars listed, and the results set up the fourth round nicely on August 30.

PARIS — Titleholders the United States are the last ones standing in the way of a European winner at the women’s World Cup heading into the quarter-finals, as coach Jill Ellis and her team prepare for a heavyweight showdown with hosts France on Friday.

Italy and the Netherlands made it seven out of eight for Europe as they advanced on Tuesday, eliminating China and Japan respectively to end Asian ambitions in the process. The last African and South American teams had already bowed out.

There had never previously been more than five European teams in the last eight at the tournament since its inauguration in 1991, and the absence of the likes of Japan — 2011 winners and runners-up four years ago — and Brazil from the latter stages is not to everyone’s liking.

“As a football fan, to me I would want a little bit more diversity at this point. I find European football sometimes a little boring,” said US star Tobin Heath, who once had a spell at Paris Saint-Germain.

“These tournaments you can’t really predict. You’ve seen these games, they have been so close,” said Heath, whose team required a debatable penalty to beat Spain in the last 16.

Japan lost 2-1 to the Netherlands with Lieke Martens converting a 90th-minute penalty winner awarded for a Saki Kumagai handball.

Canada and Brazil suffered narrow losses to Sweden and France respectively, while Australia lost on penalties to Norway.

Ahead of Friday’s match in Paris, the USA remain the favourites to go all the way. The traditional stronghold of the women’s game, they have never finished off the podium at the women’s World Cup.

The last European nation to win the World Cup was Germany, in 2007. But while the Germans are an established force internationally, the rise of The Netherlands and Italy has put the spotlight on the work being done to grow the game at club level on the continent.

“European countries are developing very much and quickly. In Europe you see the competitions improve in several countries. You see players can make choices because they make a living out of football,” said The Netherlands coach Sarina Wiegman, whose team are in the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time as well as being reigning European champions.

Italy’s first run to the quarter-finals in almost three decades follows significant investment in the domestic game, with the Italian Football Federation obliging established professional clubs to field a women’s section.

Five of Italy’s starting line-up against China play for Juventus, the national champions.

“I think it’s been crying out for exactly what has happened to be fair,” said England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, who was born in California.

Bardsley, who plays for Manchester City, says the increased investment by European clubs has been crucial in raising the level of competition, as has the standard of the Champions League, which has been dominated by French giants Lyon.

Of the nine European nations involved at the competition’s outset, only Scotland failed to make it past the group stage.

Such success has its downside, though, with Germany coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg admitting she fears for her side’s place in the 2020 Olympics.

Only the three best European teams at the World Cup earn qualification for next year’s Games in Tokyo, meaning there is now even more at stake than usual in the latter stages of the tournament. 

RENNES, France — Lieke Martens celebrated making history as she converted a 90th-minute penalty to break Japanese hearts and take The Netherlands through to the quarter-finals of the women’s World Cup for the first time with a 2-1 win in Rennes on Tuesday.

Barcelona star Martens had earlier given the Dutch the lead in their last-16 tie at Roazhon Park with a brilliant backheel flick, but that contender for the most eye-catching goal of the tournament was cancelled out before the break as Yui Hasegawa equalised for Japan.

The Nadeshiko were the better team in the second half but were undone by yet another penalty in a World Cup dominated by spot-kicks, with Martens scoring after a Vivianne Miedema shot had struck the hand of captain Saki Kumagai from point-blank range.

The Netherlands, reigning European champions, go through to a quarter-final on Saturday against Italy, who defeated China 2-0 earlier in the day.

“It is history that we have made. We are really proud about that but we are not done yet here. We are really looking forward to the next game and we hope we can surprise more,” said Martens.

She accepted the penalty award at the end had been harsh on Japan, adding: “It’s not our decision, we are really happy with that and sometimes you need a bit of luck.”

After winning the 2011 World Cup and losing in the final four years ago, Japan goes home, ending Asian interest in France already.

Seven of the eight quarter-finalists are from Europe, with holder the United States the only exception. The manner of Japan’s defeat here drew sympathy from the crowd, with loud jeers greeting the final whistle.

“It was a penalty, it struck my hand. Of course it is very hard to accept. I am sad but I know that that’s football,” admitted a tearful Kumagai.

The Netherlands had been the more impressive of these two teams in the group stage, backed by an army of travelling supporters decked out in orange.

They had far fewer fans backing them this time in Rennes, where the heatwave suffocating much of the rest of France has stayed away too.

Nevertheless, the Dutch began strongly and almost went in front inside the first five minutes as Miedema met a Martens cross from the left only to see her effort take a deflection off Aya Sameshima, hit the post and go behind.

Touch of class

Sarina Wiegman’s side were rewarded for their enterprising start with the opening goal via a touch of class by Martens in the 17th minute, her near-post flick from a Sherida Spitse corner going through the legs of Yuika Sugasawa and in.

Japan’s starting line-up included only four players who featured in the 2015 final defeat against the USA and Asako Takakura’s youthful side were now in danger of following the tournament’s other Asian representatives and going home.

However, their quick response to falling behind saw Sugasawa hit the post with a curling effort, and the Nadeshiko drew level two minutes before the interval.

The Netherlands were cut open as Mana Iwabuchi supplied Hasegawa, and she poked a first-time effort high into the net.

Japan built on that and were the better team after the break, with Dutch goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal making excellent saves to deny Emi Nakajima and substitute Yuka Momiki.

In between, 11 minutes from time, Hina Sugita broke forward from midfield into the box and cut inside to hit a shot on her left foot that cracked off the crossbar.

Their opponents were hanging on for extra time until Miedema sent her shot off the arm of Kumagai, leaving the Honduran referee with little option but to give a penalty, and Martens made no mistake to send the Dutch through.