World number one Ashleigh Barty and defending champion Angelique Kerber comfortably navigated their way into the Wimbledon second round with straight-set victories on Tuesday.
French Open champion Barty overcame Chinese world number 43 Zheng Saisai 6-4 6-2 and will now play Belgian Alison van Uytvanck.
Kerber saw off fellow German Tatjana Maria 6-4 6-3 on Centre Court.
She will face American world number 95 Lauren Davis in round two.
More to follow.
Harriet Dart and Dan Evans led the British charge into the Wimbledon second round on a bumper day of matches for home players.
Dart, whose first set was watched by the Duchess of Cambridge on court 14, beat Christina McHale 4-6 6-4 6-4.
British number three Evans had a much more straightforward time in a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over Federico Delbonis.
He will play 18th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili next after the Georgian beat James Ward in five sets.
Briton Ward led by two sets, but he allowed the world number 16 back into the match, growing frustrated as it swung away from his favour.
Basilashvili's 2-6 4-6 6-4 6-4 8-6 win means Ward has now failed to progress past the first round at SW19 since 2015.
There are 10 Britons in the singles draws here, with four into the second round so far after victories for Kyle Edmund and Heather Watson on Monday.
Dart's first set against McHale was watched by the Duchess of Cambridge, who sat alongside Fed Cup captain Anne Keothavong and injured British player Katie Boulter.
Whether it was the pressure of the extra attention - from both the royal eyes on her and the many extra photographers' lenses on the court - or simply first-match nerves, Dart endured a frustrating opening set.
The 22-year-old failed to convert all five of her break points and produced 21 unforced errors to hand the first set to the 27-year-old American and leave herself shaking her head at the changeover.
The VIPs left court 14 at the end of the set and from then on Dart seemed to settle into her stride more, cutting out her mistakes and coming to the net more often and winning points from there.
There were seven breaks of serve in the final set, with Dart eventually sealing victory when McHale fired into the net.
Dart, who had never been past the first round at Wimbledon, will face 2017 champion Garbine Muguruza or Brazilian world number 121 Beatriz Haddad Maia next.
Dart's compatriot Katie Swan could not follow her into the second round though, losing 6-2 6-4 to Germany's Laura Siegemund.
Dan Evans continued his fine form on grass against Argentina's Delbonis.
Evans, who won at Surbiton and Nottingham last month, cruised through the opening set, breaking his opponent's serve at the first time of asking.
The second set proved a much tighter affair with both holding serve throughout, resulting in a tie-break in which Evans went 6-1 up but needed six set points to wrap it up.
In the final set, it went with serve until Evans broke Delbonis to go 5-3 ahead, taking victory on his first match point in two hours and 16 minutes.
In his latest BBC Sport column, Andy Murray discusses how his time out with a career-threatening hip injury allowed him to discover art and led to some 'disastrous' attempts at painting and pottery. The Scot also talks about the emotions of his competitive return to Wimbledon and his men's doubles partnership with Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
While I was out injured I decided to give painting a go one night when I was bored - and from that point I started getting into art.
I wouldn't say it was a means of escape from my injury problems as such, it was more that I had more time on my hands and that made me realise there are other things to do out there, not just the sport or the job you're doing.
So, how did I get into it? Well, a couple of my friends are really interested in art and I always used to make fun of them because they would show me a piece of art and I would say 'that looks like something I could do'.
My wife Kim is a talented artist and paints and has canvasses, oils and acrylics, so one night I gave it a go.
I wasn't trying to paint anything in particular. When I've looked at different pieces of art, sometimes I've not known what it is. So I was just trying to paint something - and my attempts were hilarious!
I was trying to flick the paint and use all sorts of techniques but I was getting it on the ceiling, everywhere. It was a disaster!
It was a one-off experiment, and I am happy to hang up my brushes!
But from that point I realised art is something I should appreciate more. I think that happens with sport as well, when you try something new or you sit close to the pitch or court and watch it, you appreciate it more and just how difficult it is.
That developed my interest in art and I learned a bit about it, by going to galleries and exhibitions and then chatting to friends about it.
I realised it is much harder to paint than it looks and once you start to get into it you are then able to tell which artists painted which piece by their style, which is interesting.
When there are so many artists out there, it is difficult to have a style that is unique to you. I suppose that's similar with sport too, where everyone has their unique way of playing, it can be hard to make your own particular style stand out.
I prefer modern, contemporary art. I like looking at that because it is fun and different.
And I don't care if I really like something and someone thinks it is terrible, it doesn't matter, That's the beauty of art - you like what you like and see it differently to other people.
There is a lady called Maggi Hambling, a British painter and sculptor, who I like - she is best known for landscapes and seascapes.
I have met her a couple of times and she is a big tennis fan.
I haven't been to many galleries, so I wouldn't say I've got a favourite gallery in the world, and I've not been travelling much while I've been injured.
But going to see more galleries and exhibitions was one of the things I tried to do when I was travelling on the tour.
When I was training in Philadelphia a few months back I managed to visit a couple of galleries. Miami hosts a big art fair, I enjoyed wandering round, it's definitely something I want to do more of.
Being at Wimbledon this year, where I'll be playing in the doubles as I continue my comeback from hip surgery, is very different to when I was here last year.
Last year I was planning to play in the singles but had to pull out on the eve of the tournament because I was in too much pain with my hip.
I had a practice with Diego Schwartzman a couple of days before the tournament and it was just miserable. It wasn't fun, it wasn't enjoyable.
I didn't feel like I could compete for three or four matches in a row. Maybe I'd have lost in the first round and that would have been painful.
Now I'm just enjoying playing tennis without any pain in my hip.
Practising with Pierre-Hugues Herbert, my partner in the men's doubles, has been fun. He's a great doubles player but relaxed and laid back.
Our first practice on Friday didn't go too well but we spent a bit of time together over the weekend and hopefully that has helped us understand each other better
Hopefully when the matches come we can play well and have a good run together. I can't wait to get back out there.
Andy Murray was talking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko at Wimbledon.
You have to wind the clock back to February 2015 for when Xu Xin last topped the charts in the men’s singles global ranking. Fast forward 53 months and the Chinese star is back on top of the world order (14,945 points) after a string of impressive results since April’s World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest.
Having dusted himself down from the disappointment of his round of 32 defeat to Simon Gauzy in the Hungarian capital, Xu has been a major force on the ITTF World Tour, reaching the semi-final in China and winning a remarkable triple crown in Japan.
Add to that two further semi-final appearances at the Hungarian and Qatar Opens earlier in the year and it’s clear that, for all his unpredictability and trickery at the table, Xu is among the most consistent performers of 2019 so far – and that’s not even taking into consideration his awesome record in the doubles, where he has claimed gold at this year’s World Championships and Japan Open (in the mixed doubles) and Hungarian Open (in the men’s doubles).
So, how long will the 29-year-old’s reign at the summit now last? Xu held the no.1 spot for an entire year between March 2014 and February 2015. He has led the world ranking for a total of 16 months in his career since claiming pole position for the first time in January 2013.
Xu Xin’s rise to the top brings an end to Fan Zhendong’s 15-month reign as world no.1, who has fallen to third place (14,670 points).
Since winning the ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup in early April, the 22-year-old has endured a tough couple of months and is still without a trophy on this year’s ITTF World Tour – something he will be looking to put right at this week’s Korea Open in Busan.
Fellow Chinese, Lin Gaoyuan, remains in second place (14,835 points) having been just five points behind Fan Zhendong during the month of June. The ‘Dark Knight’ has won the Hungarian and Hong Kong Opens this year, but – unlike Xu Xin – is yet to win a Platinum event on the ITTF World Tour this year, which garner greater world ranking points.
Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto and China’s Ma Long remain fourth and fifth respectively.
Significant movements on the men’s front, but it’s as we were in the women’s singles, where Chen Meng enters her second successive month as world no.1 (16,330 points).
Following behind are world champion Liu Shiwen, Ding Ning, Zhu Yuling and Wang Manyu, as China keep the top five positions, with Japanese duo, Kasumi Ishikawa and Mima Ito sitting in sixth and seventh places respectively.
Click here to view the July world ranking in full.
A few months after moving to a new professional office building, the ITTF was delighted to welcome Secretary General, Raul Calin to its Singapore Office.
Calin, who had been based at the ITTF Headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland over the last four years, linked up with many of the organisation’s core staff members in Singapore, providing a timely boost for the ITTF’s ambitions to keep growing the sport of table tennis over the coming years.
The key person for the governance of table tennis, Calin is now working alongside ITTF CEO, Steve Dainton, and liaising more closely than ever with the Competitions, Marketing, Media, Commercial Partnerships and HR teams, all of which are based at the ITTF’s Singapore Office.
I wanted to spend some weeks here in Singapore before making any comment. After completing my first 100 days here, I can say without hesitation that the pace of the work here is phenomenal. Under the leadership of our CEO, Steve Dainton, the ITTF has consolidated a group of young, dedicated and passionate staff, and I’m just happy to come to support the very many projects that the ITTF has in its hands at the moment.
World Table Tennis, the Home of Table Tennis, the new, fresh and modern World Championships, adapted finally to the era in which we live, are not the only tasks on our tables these days. The recent issues that the International Sport has faced makes the Governance Review that we are embarking on also very timely and appropriate.
Known for his high ethic mindset, the Secretary General continued:
I always felt we should be here to serve the sport and not the opposite, especially those of us who are paid employees or in prominent elected positions. At the end of the day, we are privileged people.
With the growth of activities in Singapore, the only honest options were either stepping aside and taking other responsibilities, or moving here and joining this team, trying to work as a team, for the best interest of the ITTF.
I had the confidence of our CEO and I took the opportunity.
Over the next 24 months we will hopefully see to what extent the ambitions we had in July 2017 have been realised. We will hopefully see how much the ITTF has grown compared to previous quadrennials.
There was plenty to attract the connoisseur.
…………Reigning Asian junior boys’ singles champion, Xiang Peng underlined his quality; he beat Hungary’s Bence Majoros (11-2, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6).
…………China’s aspiring young players proved inspired against their Swedish counterparts; Xu Yingbin beat Truls Möregard (11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3); Sun Wen accounted for Anton Källberg (11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-7).
…………The small Caribbean island of Puerto Rico shone; Brian Afanador overcame Chinese Taipei’s Chin Mao-Cheng (12-10, 9-11, 7-11, 14-12, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7), Daniel Gonzalez ended the hopes of Korea Republic’s Lee Gihun (11-9, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 15-13).
…………Crowned world junior champion in 2017, China’s Xu Fei made an imposing start; he accounted for Singapore’s Pang Yew En Koen (11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4).
…………Winners on the ITTF World Tour, the host country’s Kim Donghyun and China’s Zheng Peifeng both started in style. Kim Donghyun beat Hong Kong’s Kwan Man Ho (2-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4); Zheng Peifeng overcame Korea Republic’s Park Gyuhyeon (11-7, 11-4, 11-9, 4-11, 11-5).
…………Respective junior girls’ singles gold and silver medallists at the 2018 World Junior Championships, China’s Qian Tianyi and Shi Xunyao, made impressive starts. Both beat host nation adversaries; Qian Tianyi overcame Lee Yeonhui (11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7), Shi Xunyao accounted for Lee Eunhye (15-13, 8-11, 15-13, 11-5, 11-5).
…………Previously successful on the ITTF World Tour, there were successful starts for Germany’s Shan Xiaona and Japan’s Sakura Mori; both ended the hopes of the home country. Shan Xiaona beat Kim Yejin (11-2, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6), Sakura Mori defeated India’s Madhurika Patkar (11-8, 11-6, 11-3, 11-3).
…………Korea Republic’s Lee Dasom turned the clock back to 2013 when she had won on the ITTF World Tour in Zagreb; she accounted for India’s Madhurika Patkar (11-8, 11-6, 11-3, 11-3).
…………Only 13 years old, Japan’s Haruna Ojio underlined the fact that in the modern era, the defensive play can still succeed; she overcame Korea Republic’s Kim Yeonryeong (6-11, 15-13, 11-5, 11-4, 11-3).
…………Singaporean teenagers Josh Chua Shao Han and Pang Yew En Koen gave the performance of the round; they recovered from a two games to nil deficit to beat India’s Amalraj Anthony and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 12-10).
………… Partners in the team event at the recent European Games, giving Germany the perfect start in the final against Romania, Nina Mittelham and Shan Xiaona underlined the fact they are increasingly a formation to note. They beat the combination of the Czech Republic’s Dana Cechova and Slovakia’s Tatiana Kukulkova in four games (8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-9)
Sale Sharks second row James Phillips has signed a new one-year contract extension, with utility back James O'Connor leaving the Premiership club.
Phillips, 31, joined from Bath last summer on a two-year deal but Sale have now extended the contract until 2021.
Phillips said: "I have really enjoyed my first year at the club."
O'Connor, 28, has been released from his three-year contract to sign a deal with Rugby Australia, allowing him to be selected for the autumn World Cup.
"I will be forever grateful to (director of rugby) Steve Diamond, all the players and coaches, and the Sale Sharks supporters who have all helped facilitate my journey back to full power," O'Connor said.
Ex-Toulon man O'Connor played the last of his 44 Tests in 2013, and made 31 appearances for Sale in two years at the club.
Former Bristol and Exeter Chiefs player Phillips featured 30 times for Diamond's side last season.
"We have made some fantastic signings in the pack for the new season, so I'm looking forward to building on the progress we made last year with the new boys that are coming in," Phillips added.
Former international wing Tom James has joined Scarlets on a two-year deal.
The 32-year-old was capped 12 times for Wales, made 163 appearances for Cardiff Blues and also spent two years with Exeter Chiefs in England.
James took a break in 2018 while having treatment for depression, but returned with Merthyr, Pontypridd and Cardiff in the Premiership.
"I can't wait to get started. I am absolutely delighted to have secured this move with the Scarlets," he said.
James is the Blues' record try scorer with 60, but left the region by mutual consent in May 2019 after making only one appearance for them during the season.
"At the end of last season I felt I still had plenty to offer professional rugby, but the opportunity didn't come at the Blues," he added.
"I have worked hard in the off-season, feel in good shape and the hunger is there again after a tough couple of years.
"This is an exciting move for me, especially with the way the Scarlets play the game and hopefully I can also offer my experience to the younger players in the squad.
"I want to prove to people that Tom James is back."
Scarlets have 14 players with Wales preparing for the World Cup and are likely to have a large number involved when the final squad is announced.
"It is going to test the depth of our squad more than any other, so to be able to bring in an international player as cover as well as someone who will be challenging for a starting spot when those players return is invaluable," said Scarlets rugby manager Jon Daniels.
"As well as being a proven try-scorer, he will give us a powerful, physical presence coming off the wing
"He came in for some fitness testing with us and was one of the top performers in the squad."
Harlequins have signed South Africa international Travis Ismaiel from Super Rugby side Bulls on an undisclosed deal.
Ismaiel, 27, amassed 10 tries in 39 Super Rugby games following 22 tries in 42 games in the Currie Cup.
The Pretoria-born wing scored on his one Springboks appearance, crossing against Wales in a 2018 friendly loss.
He arrives at Quins as injury cover for Nathan Earle, who ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in April.
"I have no doubt he will be a huge presence on the pitch for us with his excellent aerial skills," said head of rugby Paul Gustard. "He is fast and is a big man who enjoys running hard.
"We will look for him to work hard to get his hands on the ball as much as we can because, like all our wings, they have magic in them, and we want them to show the league why they are so special."
Leicester Tigers have signed South African Super Rugby duo EW Viljoen and Hanro Liebenberg and back-rower Jordan Coghlan from Nottingham.
Tigers have recruited utility back Viljoen from Stormers and back-rower Liebenberg, 23, from Bulls while Coghlan, 26, joins after three seasons in the Championship.
Viljoen, 24, moves to Leicester after featuring 28-times for the Stormers.
"EW adds a lot to our outside-back stocks," said boss Geordan Murphy.
"EW is a versatile, skilful and exciting player to have as part of our group.
"Hanro is an aggressive ball-carrier and a physical player around the field, in the best traditions of South African back-row players."
Irish-born Coghlan, also a back-rower, played for Leinster and Munster before joining Nottingham.
Murphy added: "Jordan is a physical, athletic and experienced player who we are looking forward to welcoming in to the club."
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