Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich has no concerns about his swing heading into the All-Star Home Run Derby, so it makes sense that he's confident everything will be fine after the showcase.

"Basically, Home Run Derby is batting practice," Yelich told reporters Thursday. "It's just trying to hit home runs with every swing. I'm not worried in the slightest about a swing change or it ruining my swing. Anybody that's educated in the manner understands it's going to be just fine.

"It's batting practice. Each round is four minutes. How much damage can you do to your swing in four minutes? It's 12 total minutes if you go all the way."

Yelich, the 2018 National League MVP, leads the majors with 31 home runs this season. He is the No. 1 seed for the Home Run Derby and will face Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the first round of Monday night's event at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

The other first-round matchups are Pete Alonso vs. Carlos Santana, Josh Bell vs. Ronald Acuna Jr., and Alex Bregman vs. Joc Pederson.

The winner will get $1 million of $2.5 million in prize money. The losing finalist will collect $500,000, and the six other participants will earn $150,000 apiece. The player with the longest home run will get an extra $100,000.

"Whether the second half goes good or bad for me, [participating in the Home Run Derby] will have no bearing on it," Yelich said. "If this was such a dangerous thing to do for your performance, guys wouldn't do it."

Brewers manager Craig Counsell said the perception that the Derby can hurt your swing is just "a myth," and Yelich pointed to 2018 Derby winner Bryce Harper to prove his point.

"[Harper] had a better swing in the second half than he did in the first half," Yelich said. "... It's a fun event. I'm going to have fun. It's something for the fans to enjoy. They all really like it. I'm going to go out and have a good time. You obviously want to go out and perform and do well and put on a good show. We'll see how it goes. It'll be a good time."

The All-Star break is right around the corner (already?), but first we've got one more weekend of games as teams try to end the first half on an up note. Here's what we'll have our eyes on:

The Rockies and Diamondbacks, two National League wild-card contenders, tangle this weekend in Arizona, with Zack Greinke starting for the D-backs on Friday. Greinke (9-3, 2.90 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) is having another great season. How close is he to being a Hall of Famer?

Eddie Matz: According to Baseball Reference, four of the 10 pitchers that Greinke is most similar to based on his age and career production are Hall of Famers (Mike Mussina, Jim Bunning, Roy Halladay, John Smoltz). Of the three active hurlers on that list (Justin Verlander, Jon Lester, Cole Hamels), at least one is going to Cooperstown. Not exactly an open-and-shut case. But check this out: Greinke currently sits at 64.5 WAR for his career. If he can pitch another few years without a huge drop-off -- a very reasonable "if" for a cerebral guy who eschews velo in favor of craftiness -- he should be able to reach the low 80s in WAR, which would put him on the all-time top-25 list for pitchers. With the exception of Roger Clemens, every single hurler in that top 25 is a Hall of Famer. All of which is to say, Greinke is firmly within shouting distance.

Sam Miller: Hall of Fame voting is not a mere WAR-leaderboard sort, by any means. But it's probably moving closer to that, especially with Cy Young and MVP voting (which provide a lot of the raw nutrients that build a Hall of Fame "feel") moving closer and closer to WAR sorts. As Eddie notes, Greinke's WAR at Baseball-Reference is up to Hall of Fame standards, and he is still adding to it. But here's the tricky thing: We can't say for sure how WAR will be calculated in 10 years; what philosophical choices WAR's guardians will make; how Statcast data will change the way we credit pitchers with different outcomes; how we determine the value of durability in a world of deep bullpens and short outings; and all that. As it is, Greinke is still shy of HOF standards by FanGraphs WAR and Baseball Prospectus' WARP. I think he'll make it in, but I'm just not confident enough in what the future of baseball analysis will look like to say whether the next big WAR adjustments will bump Greinke up to a no-doubter or down to that tier currently occupied by Bret Saberhagen, Kevin Appier, Tim Hudson and others.

David Schoenfield: Is Greinke a lock at this exact moment in time? Probably not. But it is interesting how favorably he already compares to Roy Halladay, who just got elected on his first ballot:

Greinke: 196-121, 3.37 ERA, 2,788.1 IP, 124 ERA+, 64.5 WAR
Halladay: 203-105, 3.38 ERA, 2,749.1 IP, 131 ERA+, 65.4 WAR

Halladay has the better adjusted ERA, but the fact that he made it with just 203 career wins shows that voters are finally adjusting to the idea that the Hall of Fame is as much about peak value as longevity. Greinke hasn't quite had that extended run of dominance that Halladay had; Greinke is more like Mike Mussina in that he is consistently very good and very durable. Greinke, however, did have two of the best seasons of the past 25 years -- his Cy Young season in 2009 with a 2.16 ERA (10.4 WAR) and his 1.66 ERA in 2015 (8.2 WAR) -- and that will help him in the voting, as compared to Mussina, who took six ballots to get voted in.

The battle of the Windy City is renewed, with the Cubs' Jon Lester facing Lucas Giolito and the White Sox on Saturday in an intriguing matchup. Let's fast-forward three years to July 4, 2022: Which team is better: the Cubs or the White Sox?

Matz: By 2022, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber will have hit free agency (unless they miraculously all sign extensions). Ditto for Cole Hamels, Jon Lester and Jose Quintana. In related news, the Cubs' farm system is hurtin' for certain: ESPN's Keith Law ranked it next to last, and MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list features one lonely Baby Bear. Yes, the Cubs made a splash this week by signing a trio of highly touted international prospects, but none of those 16-year-olds is likely to pay dividends by 7/4/22. Meanwhile, the White Sox have four top-100 prospects, including a pair of hurlers who should complement Giolito quite nicely for the next half a decade. Did I mention Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez? Or that the South Siders have almost no money on the books for 2022? (Or 2021 or 2020, for that matter.) Advantage them.

Miller: I have occasionally looked at what happens to the best and worst farm systems in baseball, and in one article I found that the future win totals of good farm teams and bad farm teams diverge most in year four. That is, if all you know about two teams is that one has a great farm system and one has a terrible one, then four years later you would expect the former to win about nine more games than the latter. Those labels accurately describe the White Sox (loaded farm) and the Cubs (depleted) before this season. So a simple answer is that in 2022 -- four years later -- the White Sox have a big edge.

But the Cubs will still have Theo Epstein running things -- at least through September 2021, they will -- and given how unpredictable ballplayers are, I might take the certainty of a great front office over the uncertainty of a bunch of ballplayers. I'll unconfidently take the Cubs for this exercise.

Schoenfield: Look, I get that the White Sox have a ton of potential, but they still have a long way to go. As of now, their one "proven" pitcher in the rotation is Giolito, and he only has been good for two months. Reynaldo Lopez has a 6.12 ERA, and Carlos Rodon, Michael Kopech and Dane Dunning all are out until 2020 after Tommy John surgeries. Dylan Cease just made his major league debut, but he had a 4.48 ERA in Triple-A. So their rotation is young, injured and unproven. The lineup also is young and unproven. They're 14th in the American League in runs, and they don't get on base enough, a long-standing franchise problem. Maybe this is Moncada's breakout season, maybe Jimenez will be a 40-homer monster, maybe Luis Robert will be a star.

I do like the financial flexibility that the White Sox have, but their pursuit of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper suggests ownership isn't exactly willing to go the extra mile to win in free agency. The state of the Cubs' farm system certainly raises concern about replacing what will be a very old rotation by 2022 (if those guys are still here). The other advantage the White Sox might have: The Tigers and Royals might still be rebuilding in 2022, and the Indians might have torn things down by then. I think it's close, and the Cubs' ability to carry a larger payroll will help. Cubs by a coin flip.

Baseball on the Fourth of July weekend stirs thoughts of the classic ballpark food: hot dogs. Do you have a favorite culinary treat from one of America's ballparks?

Matz: I do love me some criss-cut fries with Old Bay seasoning (a Camden Yards jawn). But I'm also a sucker for the soft ice cream that comes in the souvenir batting helmet (an any-stadium-in-the-country jawn), partly for the ice cream itself (swirl, of course), but more so for the overpriced souvenir mini-helmet that holds it. At Casa Matz, that's how my boys and I count the number of stadiums we've knocked off the list.

Miller: I have one great passion in my life, and it's avoiding paying ballpark prices for food. I haven't spent a dollar in a ballpark since I was a child, spending my parents' dollars. My favorite ballpark food is cashews from the supermarket bulk bin.

Schoenfield: I'm serious about this statement: The most important development in baseball over the past 20 years has been the improvement in ballpark food. Baseball attendance is down, but I'm convinced it would be down even more if the only offerings were still flavorless gray hot dogs that stick to the buns, stale pretzels and peanuts (not that there's anything wrong with peanuts!). Going to a ballgame gives you the perfect excuse to eat whatever you damn well please and not worry about the calories. I can't say I have any specific favorites. I was at T-Mobile Park in Seattle earlier this year and the crab fries were tasty. That was a new one beyond some of the old favorites (Bull's BBQ at Citizens Bank Park, Shake Shack at Citi Field, steak tips outside of Fenway, sausages in Milwaukee). What, you still prefer hot dogs and Cracker Jack? That's fine too. Nothing wrong with old school.

If you've still got room, what else do you plan to digest during this weekend's action on the diamond?

Matz: Well, I'll be at Nats Park this weekend. In terms of media dining, it's no Yankee Stadium (the gold standard), but it does have a decent spread with self-serve, buffet functionality that allows for easy access to seconds. Or thirds, depending on your level of gluttony.

Miller: Aaron Nola starts were such a letdown for the first few months of this season, but he finally has found his full repertoire: Over his past three starts, he has an ERA of 0.39, has upped his strike rate from 63% to 67, and has 28 strikeouts to five walks. After finishing third in the Cy Young voting last year, it's surely a disappointment that he'll be watching the All-Star Game from home. But on Sunday, he has a chance to head into the break with a roar.

Schoenfield: I'll be heading to Cleveland, so I'm all about the Futures Game. The game is fun, and batting practice is even better as the kids try to one up everyone else. Last year, Pete Alonso launched mammoth blast after mammoth blast -- a preview of things to come in the majors. This year's must-watch player is easy: Rays infielder Wander Franco, the new No. 1 prospect in the game. On the MLB slate, I'll be checking out Brendan McKay starting Friday for the Rays against the Yankees. He was supposed to be in the Futures Game, but after taking a perfect game into the sixth inning in his major league debut, I don't think he'll be back in the minors.

PICK 'EM TIME

Two of the Home Run Derby competitors square off in Pittsburgh this weekend. Who will have more total bases: the Brewers' Christian Yelich or the Pirates' Josh Bell?

Matz: Yelich has a .606 lifetime slugging percentage against Pittsburgh's three projected starters. That's pretty darned stout. Meanwhile, Bell is slugging .194 against Milwaukee's trio. I'll trust the data and take Yelly over Belly.

Miller: A question like this sends each of us in search of colorful, small-sample splits that will support one player's case over the other's -- for example, Yelich is a career .344/.416/.615 hitter in PNC Park, his best road venue. But the simplest answer is that right now Yelich is the superior hitter, and he would be the pick in any park, against any pitchers, regardless of any hot or cold streaks, over any player in baseball except Mike Trout and maybe Cody Bellinger. So I'll take Yelich!

Schoenfield: Bell had that three-homer outing the other night, but even including that performance, he has slowed down a bit of late, hitting .237/.328/.526 in 29 games from May 30 to July 2. Meanwhile, Yelich has hit 57 home runs over a calendar year. I'll go with Yelich.

The Rays are looking to make up some ground in the AL East when they host the Yankees. Home runs for the Bombers on Friday through Sunday: Over or under 4.5?

Matz: Now that their home run streak is over, the Yankees will regress to the mean -- until Saturday, when Gary Sanchez (four home runs in 15 at-bats vs. Blake Snell) goes yard three times all by his lonesome. Dame el over, por favor.

Miller: The Rays must have a basement full of 2015 baseballs that they're using when they're on defense, as they've allowed the fewest dingers in baseball this year by a mile. In fact, if they somehow allowed 29 home runs this weekend, they'd still have the lowest HR/9 IP rate in the majors. The Yankees' loaded lineup might well score a lot of runs, but they'll probably have to play some small ball (doubles off the wall).

Schoenfield: The Rays have McKay, Snell and Charlie Morton lined up to start. Snell had a terrible June, but his most recent start was a good one (12 K's against the Yankees). He allowed three home runs on Opening Day, but he hasn't had a multihomer game since. All-Star Morton has been stingy with the home runs. I'll take the under.

Focusing in on two series between high-scoring playoff contenders, which series will have more total runs: Rangers-Twins or Rockies-Diamondbacks?

Matz: Trick question. It's going to be a tie, with both series featuring exactly 34 runs scored. But as everyone knows, in baseball, the tie goes to the runner. Since the (road) runner is commonly seen in desert areas of the southwest, Arizona (and its lucky opponent, Colorado) wins the tiebreaker.

Miller: Easy answer: The Rockies are on the road.

Schoenfield: The Rockies-Diamondbacks series is not in Coors Field, so the easy answer here is indeed Rangers-Twins. The Rockies are second in road ERA in the NL and last in road OPS, so they tend to play low-scoring games on the road.

TWO TRUE OUTCOMES

Each week, we ask our panelists to choose one hitter they think will hit the most home runs and one pitcher they think will record the most strikeouts in the coming weekend. Panelists can pick a player only once for the season. We'll keep a running tally -- and invite you to play along at home.

Home run hitters

Matz: Mike Moustakas

Miller: Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Schoenfield: Joey Gallo

Strikeout pitchers

Matz: Shane Bieber

Miller: Aaron Nola

Schoenfield: Clayton Kershaw

The IAAF Diamond League series moves on to the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne on Friday

As the Diamond League moves into the second half of the season, 49 Olympic and world medallists are scheduled to be on show at the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne on Friday.

Britain’s triple European champion Dina Asher-Smith is set to line up over 100m alongside Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Dafne Schippers and Marie-Josee Ta-Lou.

In the non-Diamond League 200m, Jodie Williams will look to continue her fine form after clocking recent lifetime bests of 11.17 for 100m and 51.22 for 400m. Her fellow Briton Ashleigh Nelson is also among those in action.

“Hopefully, having run a 100m PB and a 400m PB, if we merge them together that should equal something pretty good for my 200m,” said Williams.

Ahead of this evening’s @athletissima, Jodie Williams talks to @stuartweir about her recent 100m and 400m PBs, the 200m and future plans.
“Hopefully, having run a 100m PB and a 400m PB, if we merge them together that should equal something pretty good for my 200m.” @Jodiealicia27 pic.twitter.com/fpcr2z5MB5

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 5, 2019

Caterine Ibarguen, who last year won both long jump and triple jump Diamond League titles, is unbeaten in the latter since 2017. However, the Olympic champion will have to work to claim her 37th Diamond League win as she faces world champion Yulimar Rojas.

Following her 2.06m clearance in Rome, Mariya Lasitskene will be seeking to continue her high jump dominance, while world indoor champion Juan Miguel Echevarria goes up against outdoor world champion Luvo Manyonga in the long jump.

The men’s 1500m includes Diamond League champion Timothy Cheruiyot, Ayanleh Souleiman, Britain’s Jake Wightman and Ingebrigtsen brothers Jakob and Filip. Britain’s Guy Learmonth, meanwhile, races 800m.

Runner-up in Rome and Rabat, Britain’s Andy Pozzi looks to continue his good form in the sprint hurdles against Pre Classic winner Orlando Ortega, but Sergey Shubenkov is out with injury.

Kori Carter, Shamier Little, Ashley Spencer, Janieve Russell, Zuzana Hejnova and Lea Sprunger race the women’s 400m hurdles, while Britain’s Seb Rodger goes in the men’s non Diamond-League event.

In the 200m, Diamond League champion Noah Lyles is up against Olympic silver medallist Andre De Grasse and world champion Ramil Guliyev. Meanwhile world champion Justin Gatlin takes on sub-10 men Mike Rodgers and Filippo Tortu in the 100m.

The women’s 400m features Salwa Eid Naser and Britain’s Laviai Nielsen.

The men’s pole vault sees world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie facing world champion Sam Kendricks and European champion Armand Duplantis.

In the 5000m, Telahun Haile Bekele is back after his 12:52 world lead in Rome. Selemon Barega, runner-up to him there, together with world champion Muktar Edris and Joshua Cheptegei will also line up.

Briton’s Richard Chiassaro and Dillon Labrooy contest the men’s wheelchair 1500m against home favourite Marcel Hug.

A women’s city pole vault event kicked off the action on Thursday evening, with Katie Nageotte winning after a clearance of 4.82m and Holly Bradshaw placing third with a season’s best and Doha qualifier of 4.72m.

Entry lists and live results can be found here.

World 800m semi-finalist won’t shy away from outlining his big ambitions for the summer ahead

This evening’s meeting in Lausanne should be a very different Diamond League experience for Guy Learmonth compared to his last race. He’s had time to prepare for it, for starters.

Having been on standby for Rabat, the length of wait for the 27-year-old had been such that he opted to keep training heavily and was tucking into a haggis and cheese pasty at a local café when the call came very much at the last minute.

A ninth-place finish in the 800m in a time of 1:47.51 after a mad dash to Morocco, he says, felt like the last rep of a really hard session. “It just so happened that, for that rep, I was surrounded by world-class athletes,” he chuckles.

“I believe I can beat anyone and I believe that I can compete with these boys but I need half a chance and I need to be prepared for it so I’m glad Lausanne have given me a chance and I’m going to go for it.”

The intention is to get used to keeping exalted company, to make moving in the finest athletic circles a habit.

After an incident-packed indoor season which, it’s safe to say, didn’t go to plan, Lausanne is the next step on a journey which Learmonth hopes will come to a climax in the final of the 800m at the IAAF World Championships.

Learmonth is guided by long-time coach Henry Gray in the Scottish borders, but a training camp in Florence with Australian 800m Olympian Peter Bol and his coach Justin Rinaldi has been the location for Learmonth’s most recent preparations.

Trips such as this are all part of the changes the former British champion has made in pursuit of success, an approach which he expands upon in the July 4 issue of AW.

His hopes are high, as are his ambitions.

He insists his PB of 1:44.73, which puts him third on the Scottish all-time lists behind Tom McKean and Jake Wightman, will have to go.

“We’re getting into the main bulk of the season now and I really want to start pushing things on,” adds Learmonth. “I’m in a good place.

“I feel like I’m in PB shape and that I’ve been knocking on the door of 1:44s. The main thing is to get these (world) standards but I don’t get too bogged down with that. I’ve hit the times every year and qualified for all the teams so it’s never a problem. I want to be running 1:43 by the end of the year and it’s about bringing it out and gearing the training so that I peak at the right time.

“Henry says he thinks I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in and now I’ve got some big races to look forward to and it’s time to bring out.”

It’s confident talk and might raise eyebrows among those who saw Learmonth punching the track and breaking his hand after crashing out at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham, then ending his participation at the European Indoors in Glasgow sat slumped at the side of the track after colliding with Mark English.

However, this is a man who will not shy away from saying – or showing – how he feels.

“Somebody said to me years ago that I should keep my mouth shut because every time I said something I could be setting myself up for failure, whereas I say ‘well I could be setting myself up for greatness’ – that’s the angle I come at it from,” says Learmonth.

“Other people are scared to do that because they’re scared of failure and scared of setbacks. I’m not scared of either of those and I know that if I do fall short in a race or a championships, then it just wasn’t meant to be and I’ll go back to working hard again and I’ll keep going until it does happen.”

Plenty of training miles have now been run since Learmonth left Loughborough to return north and reunite with Gray, who came out of retirement to coach the athlete who was a teenager when first they worked together.

“I’ve got some key figures in my life who are investing everything into me because they believe in me so much,” he says.

“In the first years after I left Loughborough it was ‘oh, I’m going to prove everyone wrong’ and I’ve already done that with the times I’ve run during that time.

“The proof is in the pudding with what I’ve run. I’ve improved by over two seconds since I left and I’ve done that off the bare minimum – with no facilities, no resources – and that says it all.

“Now, I’m trying to do things to prove myself right as opposed to proving people wrong. I want to prove that I can do this and prove that I can run crazy times.

“I think that has been a change in motivation. That has freed my mind up a bit as well – that I don’t feel like everyone’s against me. I feel like I’ve got so much love and support and it’s up to me now to push through that final barrier because I feel like we’re on the cusp of some massive things.”

A more professional, more grown-up approach has helped.

“When you’re younger you feel like you know everything and you won’t listen to anyone ‘it’s my way or no way’,” says Learmonth. “That was the mentality I had, whereas now as I’ve got a wee bit older, been around the block, made all the championships…I’ve been through everything.

“I never used to watch any of my races back because I just wasn’t bothered. Win, lose or draw, it was a case of ‘what’s next?’. I just wasn’t professional enough and now we analyse everything – working on my technique, trying to run more economically and rather than just smashing my body into the ground things are a lot more technical now.”

“Now I’m trying to prove myself right as opposed to proving people wrong”

Global success is the ultimate aim but, to achieve that – and book his ticket to Doha – Learmonth knows it will be no mean feat to do well at next month’s British Championships.

“I never want to do any worse than I’ve done at a previous championship and London was a semi-final so in Doha it has to be the final,” he says. “As you’ve seen in many finals it doesn’t usually go to plan, especially in the 800m, so the hardest part is getting to the final.

“It’s going to be very hard to make the team this year but it’s same every year – the UK is so strong and it keep every athlete on their toes.”

That strength was underlined by the recent record-breaking performance of the 17-year-old Max Burgin, who clocked 1:45.36 to become the fastest British U20 800m runner in history.

Learmonth, however, hopes that the youngster is given space to develop at his own pace.

“Regardless of age, 1:45 is fast as hell,” he says. “He front ran it and he’s a very special talent – I just hope he can be well looked after because we’ve seen a lot of talented juniors in the past who haven’t followed it through to the senior ranks.

“He’s raised the eyebrows of a lot of people in the UK and around the world. I hope he can stay in one piece and he’s got a very bright future ahead.

“Don’t force it. He’s 17, he’s young and he’ll be enjoying life. He’s got a long way to go.

“He’ll have college, university or whatever also going on in his life over the next few years so just let him develop naturally.

“Whatever he’s doing is working and I hope people don’t interfere too much.”

In his regular BBC Sport column, Andy Murray talks about his new mixed doubles partner Serena Williams, what he admires most about the American great and their chat about the Wimbledon creche.

Playing mixed doubles with Serena is something that hadn't been on my mind until this opportunity came up.

I don't know her that well and we've haven't played together before or spent much time hanging out - so let's see what happens!

But I think we do a lot of things quite similar on court that should bode well for us as a partnership.

Both of us play predominantly from the baseline and we are both good movers and athletes. And she serves unbelievably well.

I don't think we have ever hit together over the years, but hopefully we are going to do that today before this evening's match.

Serena's coach Patrick Mouratoglou has been keen for us to have at least one practice together before we go out so we can have a chat about things together on court.

We did chat briefly here at Wimbledon the other day and we spoke a little bit about the tennis - what side of the court we are going to play on. We also spoke about our injuries because she has had some issues with her knee recently and I've had the problems with my hip.

Aside from that, we were chatting about parenting because we've both got kids that are similar ages and that led to discussing how handy the crèche is here onsite, which a lot of the players use.

But the conversation hasn't extended to exchanging any parenting tips just yet.

'One-off partnerships make off-court bonding difficult'

Although I've never really hung out with Serena off court, we have spent a little bit of time together at tournaments over the years.

I remember we did the draw ceremony and media around the US Open in 2013, because we had both won the tournament the previous year.

And then in 2016 we both won Wimbledon so we had to sit at the same table at the Champions' Dinner. Thankfully we didn't dance together after, which has been a tradition in the past. No one needs to see my dancing!

Here at Wimbledon it is difficult to build a relationship with a new doubles partner by doing things away from the court, like going out together with our families and teams for dinner.

After my doubles match last night with Pierre-Hugues Herbert, we stretched, cooled down and did ice baths together after finishing our match at almost 9:30pm.

And then we are playing again today, so dinner is difficult because it is so late!

When it is a one-off partnership, finding the time to socialise together is hard.

But when you commit to playing with a new partner for a longer period of time, like my brother Jamie does, then you start to spend more time with each other at events and you can do things such as eating together because you're on the same schedule.

But here Serena is playing singles - so she will play mixed doubles with me late today and then she is playing singles again tomorrow. I'll be back playing doubles with Pierre too, so we're on different schedules.

'The rest of the tour has a lot to thank Serena for'

Serena is one of the world's greatest athletes so there are lots of things that are impressive about her as a player and as a person.

What I admire about her most is her longevity.

That's the one thing where she and Roger Federer differ from many players before them - and possibly many after them.

The length of time they have been at the top of the game is incredible and, after about 20 years on the tour, they seem to still enjoy competing and pushing for the biggest titles.

People sometimes take for granted how difficult that is to do, how hard it is to keep your motivation and drive for so long, especially when there are so many ups and downs - tough losses, injuries, families - to cope with.

That love for the game, and the amount that these players put into it, is maybe something which is not easy to see all the time and not always appreciated enough.

She's also been a huge ambassador for women's sport for a number of years and I think that there is a lot of responsibility, pressure and stress which comes with that.

Serena, and her sister Venus, have been advocates for a lot of things which have benefited the women's game, including equal prize money, and these positive changes have come down to them, the pull they have and the new fans they have attracted to tennis.

The rest of the tour - especially the women's side - have a lot to thank her for.

'A brilliant feeling to be back playing at Wimbledon'

On Thursday night, I made my Wimbledon return in the doubles with Pierre and we won in four sets after making quite a nervy start.

It was a brilliant feeling to be back after missing last year's singles with my hip problem.

At the beginning we were both a bit nervous, maybe because we don't know each other that well, and in doubles that can show because the communication between each other is so important.

But as the match went on we started to relax, fed off each other and began to read each other's game better.

At first, Pierre was probably doing more of the organising in terms of where to serve and where we were going to move but as the match went on it felt as if we were communicating more as a team.

Ultimately that is the best way to go about it, rather than having a leader who calls the shots.

With two people, I don't feel as if you need a leader; you just need two guys to communicate well and feed off each other.

Hopefully we can continue building that understanding - by winning more matches!

Andy Murray was speaking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko at Wimbledon.

England coach Eddie Jones says he knows around 28 of his final 31-man World Cup group, and insists he will pick a squad with the "skill, desire and experience" to win the tournament in Japan.

Jones has already made some bold selection calls, bringing Joe Marler out of retirement and axing the experience of Mike Brown, Chris Robshaw and Danny Care.

"Selection is harsh," Jones said.

"It is always about picking the best player at that particular time."

Jones told BBC Sport that big names left out "are not out of the picture", but that the latest 38-man training squad picked itself.

"Of course it is tough. They have been good competitors for England and they still have more to give," he said.

"Players generally select themselves. I was taught that by [former Australia coach] Bob Dwyer. I feel for the other guys but I know if we call on them they will be ready."

Former skipper Dylan Hartley is currently not available for selection because of a lingering knee issue, with Jones unable to confirm whether the Northampton man would come into the picture if he proved his fitness.

"We don't deal with hypotheticals, but if that situation does occur we will have a good think about it," Jones said.

Although the make-up of the final 31 has now become much clearer, Jones says the door remains open for World Cup 'bolters' such as Northampton flanker Lewis Ludlam and Bath's former Sevens winger Ruaridh McConnochie, who are both uncapped and have come from nowhere to make the training squad.

"You are always looking for a couple of 'X-factor' players that come through later and are in form and excite the squad and the fans," Jones said.

"Lewis and Ruaridh have done that with outstanding performances for their club. They both have great desire and good character."

Jones will name his final World Cup squad on 12 August, shortly after the first of England's four warm-up matches.

"It's a moveable feast, but we have a pretty good idea of at least probably 28 of the players [for the final squad]," he said.

"Out of the squad of 38 we will get 31 players with the necessary experience, skill and desire to win the Word Cup for England."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has called on LA Galaxy to give more game time to Efrain Alvarez after the 17-year-old impressed on his first MLS start.

Alvarez set up the first of Ibrahimovic's two goals in the 2-0 win against Toronto as Galaxy snapped a three-match losing streak and the former Manchester United, Barcelona and Juventus forward said his teenage teammate is ready to play regularly.

"I said he is the biggest talent in this league and he's ready to play," Ibrahimovic said postmatch.

"He's only 17 and I believe that in this league, if you're 16 or 17, you can be ready to play, because the level is not like Europe.

"If you're 16 or 17 and not playing in this league, then it will be difficult in Europe."

Ibrahimovic's brace took him to 13 for the season, four behind LAFC's Carlos Vela in the scoring charts, but the 37-year-old played down talk of personal targets.

"I don't even know what the situation is," he said. "As long as they don't suspend me, maybe I can break some records. I'm not in control of that."

It wouldn't be a transfer window without fans scratching their heads wondering why their team wasn't in for the guy Juventus just picked up for free.

The latest arrived Sunday morning, when photos circulated on social media of France and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot exiting a private jet at Caselle. A fleet of Jeeps then taxied him and his entourage to Turin ahead of his fitness tests at J-Medical, the bespoke private health clinic adjoining the Allianz Stadium, the following day.

The 24-year-old's contract with PSG expired on Sunday, and on Monday, he was free to sign for the Italian champions.

The backdrop of the Alps and the number of French words that pop up in Piedmontese have helped make Turin feel like home away from home to Rabiot and his fellow countrymen for more than a century. Given how strong Juve's track record has been when it comes to recruiting over the nearby mountain range, it's often joked that the club's second language is French. Rabiot follows in the footsteps of Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Didier Deschamps and a host of others -- 25 in total -- in wearing black and white.

The most appropriate parallel of all, though, at least as it relates to the current front office at Juventus, is with Paul Pogba. Beyond the shared position and nationality, one tradition neatly intersects with another. Rabiot is not only French, he's the 15th Bosman free transfer completed by Juventus in the past nine years. No one has worked this angle of the transfer market better.

It's true that Juventus have become richer and more successful in the meantime. They have smashed the Serie A transfer record twice in the past three years, paying €90 million for Gonzalo Higuain and €117m for Cristiano Ronaldo. But the attention given to opportunities in free agency is as strong as ever. After all, the foundation myth of this dynasty starts with Andrea Pirlo's move from Milan to Juventus for "nothing" in 2011.

Pirlo's move shifted the balance of power in Italy back to Turin. People are quick to forget that at the time, he was considered over the hill. Marginalised in Milan's most recent title-winning season, they were willing to offer him only a one-year rolling contract. Juventus, by contrast, felt he still had a lot to give and presented Pirlo, who'd just turned 32, with a three-year deal instead.

Go back and look at the position Juventus were in at the time. They'd just finished seventh for a second consecutive season. They were out of the Champions League again. They hadn't won the league officially since 2003. After the costly errors of the Cobolli Gigli, Blanc and Secco management team -- €27m wasted on Diego Ribas, for example -- Juventus had to get smarter in recruitment.

The impact of the Pirlo free cannot be understated. It changed everything, ushering in a fresh cycle of dominance for Juventus. A year later, Pogba arrived and proved as transformative, albeit in other ways. Not only did he help Juventus consolidate and dominate, but he generated a hype and interest that made them feel relevant to a new generation of players. The proceeds from his sale to Manchester United for a world record €105m in 2016 were reinvested in Higuain and Miralem Pjanic, the best players on rival teams as Juventus cannibalised the league, killing it in some people's eyes.

It would be reductive to argue that these two moves alone explain eight league titles in a row, four Italian cups, two Champions League finals and a series of new records. There's a lot more to it, from the vision of chairman Andrea Agnelli and the opening of the new stadium, to the mentality and culture imposed by managers Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri, several other aspects of the club's transfer strategy as defined by Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici, to say nothing of Juventus' daring and ambitious rebrand, which aims to appeal to and win over new supporters. Yet it's still fair to say both of those deals were major contributing factors in Juventus ascending to, and reclaiming, a position in world football which culminated in Cristiano Ronaldo, of all people, thinking to himself: I'd like to play for them.

It's also fair to say that Juventus have completed the transition from stepping-stone club to final destination. Sources have told ESPN FC that Pogba wants to come back, while Ronaldo's presence serves to only enhance Juve's appeal to emerging superstars like Matthijs de Ligt. More than just a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, he acts as an endorsement, validating the club's project and signalling its ambition.

- When does the transfer window close?
- Anatomy of a transfer: What's real and what's not
- Inside Liverpool's new transfer policy

Of course, this isn't an exclusive strategy, and some of Juventus' competitors are beginning to wake up to this approach. Inter are placing a renewed emphasis on free agency as a reaction to Juventus' success at it, and Marotta's appointment as CEO of the football side of the business at Inter has only sharpened the focus further.

At the same time as Rabiot underwent his medical in Turin, Inter announced the signing of Diego Godin on a free. Last year, Kwadwo Asamoah and, most notably of all, Stefan de Vrij joined in the same circumstances. Inter have rebuilt and strengthened their defence with Bosman deals in much the same way Juventus have their midfield with Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey and Emre Can.

It makes you wonder why more clubs aren't concentrating on this niche of the market. The "free" transfer was once considered a way of filling the gaps, but Juventus have made their team better with frees, acquiring established winners (Pirlo, Dani Alves, Sami Khedira) and potential superstars with high upside and great resale value (Pogba to Kingsley Coman) alike. Consider how much it would have cost to sign Rabiot and Can, both lured away from their respective clubs at age 24, from the likes of PSG and Liverpool had they been locked into long contracts. Can, for instance, was valued at €45.1m by CIES in January.

Doing business this way is a no-brainer if you can do it, and Juventus are masters at it. Talking to people familiar with how they operate, it's very much a case of obtaining good information, acting decisively and being super-aggressive. Where that manifests itself is in big salary packages and hefty agency commissions. Check the press release for the Can transfer and what stands out is the line: "Juventus will incur additional costs of €16m to be paid over two years." Can's representatives did very well for themselves.

As you'd expect, "free" transfers certainly don't come cheap when fees and salaries are factored in, but they're still much cheaper than signing a top player with years left on an existing deal. As such, Juventus will (within reason) go the extra mile to reach an agreement for a player they like. They are unfazed when it comes to negotiating with agents who, rightly or wrongly, have a reputation for being difficult and for driving a hard bargain, too. Above all else, a characteristic of all their transfers, something Maurizio Sarri enunciated well in his first news conference as coach of Juventus, is the impression they make when they come to talk to you.

"They made a strong impression," Sarri said. "It's not so much about when [they make their move], more about how. They're a very determined club. When it comes to appointing a coach, I have never seen a club so determined in my 30-year career. This is what convinced me. Seeing a group of directors so unanimous on what coach they were after. Determined and unanimous, that and the name behind them."

A source familiar with Juventus' methods confirms as much to ESPN: "That's Juve." Other elite clubs like to keep targets guessing, a negotiation tactic of sorts. They give the idea there's always somebody else, but as an approach, it can leave a coach or player feeling like the interest is lukewarm. When it comes to Juve, "they are the exact opposite." They come in hot. A transfer target is left in no uncertain terms that Juventus want them. They are made to feel that there is nobody else the club desires. Couple that with the imagination capturing history and tradition of the club and it's hard to resist.

Illusion or not, it works. As Iker Casillas tweeted last week: "Houdini makes Juventus signings. Pure magic."

Welcome to ESPNcricinfo's live updates and analysis of Bangladesh v Pakistan at Lord's. If the blog doesn't load for you, please refresh your page.

AW editor celebrates the 40th anniversary of one of the most famous feats in the history of middle-distance running

Forty years ago, in the summer of 1979, a 22-year-old middle-distance runner from Sheffield embarked on a world record-breaking spree that would change his life forever. During a memorable spell of 41 days, Sebastian Coe set new marks for 800m, 1500m and the mile as he became the most talked about athlete on the planet.

Coe’s main goal that year was mainly to finish his degree at Loughborough University. He had also trained through what British historians have dubbed ‘the winter of discontent’ due to the endlessly bleak weather and trade union strikes.

Yet on July 5, 1979, he took more than a second off Alberto Juantorena’s world 800m record with 1:42.33 in Oslo. Then just 12 days later he smashed John Walker’s mile record with 3:48.95, again in Oslo, followed by breaking Filbert Bayi’s 1500m mark in Zurich with 3:32.03.

As a young boy it was nothing short of inspirational. In May 1979 I watched my football team, Manchester United, lose to a last-gasp winner from Arsenal in the FA Cup final. But soon after my imagination was fired by the exploits of Coe – and subsequently Steve Ovett, Steve Cram and Peter Elliott – and I kicked football into touch and began a lifelong obsession with athletics instead.

To crack these records, Coe managed to combine rugged stamina with blistering pace. His endurance was shown when he won the UK indoor 3000m title at Cosford in 7:59.8 at the start of 1979. When it came to speed, he spent the spring and early summer racing a series of 400m and 4x400m races with a 46.3 relay split. Long before the Diamond League was invented, he raced himself into form at events like the Yorkshire and Northern Counties championships, plus the Europa Cup semi-final and final.

“During a memorable spell of 41 days, Sebastian Coe set new marks for 800m, 1500m and the mile as he became the most talked about athlete on the planet”

Coe’s first world record came at the Bislett Games. He already had a fine reputation as an 800m runner after winning the European indoor title in 1977 and then taking the field through an unprecedented sub-50 first lap at the 1978 European Championships before fading to third behind Olaf Beyer of East Germany and Ovett. But his exploits on July 5, 1979, set shock waves through the sport as he followed pacemaker Lennie Smith of Jamaica through 200m in 24.6 and 400m in 50.6 before letting rip through the final circuit in 51.8. “My world would never be the same again,” he later reflected.

After breaking Juantorena’s record he headed to Norway to honour a promise to run in a meeting in Meisingset, where he won the 800m in a modest 1:54.8. The following weekend he dropped down to 400m again to run a 46.87 PB for silver at the AAA Championships at Crystal Palace behind Kasheef Hassan of the Sudan. Then he travelled to Oslo again for the Golden Mile on July 17.

Coe was the slowest man in the race with a 3:57.67 PB. The line-up included Americans Steve Scott and Craig Masback, Ireland’s formidable Eamonn Coghlan, Commonwealth champion Dave Moorcroft, European record-holder Thomas Wessinghage, Scottish talents Graham Williamson and John Robson and Kiwi runners Dixon and Walker – the latter being the Olympic 1500m champion and world mile record-holder with 3:49.4. In fact the only major name missing was Ovett.

As Steve Lacy set the pace through 440 yards in 57.8 and halfway in 1:55.3, Coe floated around the track behind Scott. As Lacy dropped out, Scott and Coe drew away from the rest of the field and then, just before the bell, Coe drifted effortlessly to the front before coasting clear over the final lap to clock a sensational 3:48.95 with runner-up Scott narrowly missing Jim Ryun’s US record with 3:51.11.

“The early pace did not disturb me,” Coe recalled in his autobiography Running Free. “All day I’d been worrying about how I’d feel on the third lap. I was prepared for it to hurt but it did not happen.”

“My world would never be the same again” – Coe after his 800m record in Oslo

After taking the 800m and mile records in Oslo, the media began to put him under pressure to take the 1500m at his next big race in Zurich on August 15. Organisers of the Weltklasse meeting in the Swiss capital were also billing it as a world record attempt and even kept Ovett out of the field to increase the chances of a fast time.

Unlike Coe’s mile record, this 1500m was painful. Kip Koskei of Kenya set a crazily fast early pace of 54.2 through 400m with Coe a metre or two behind. Coe then passed 800m in 1:53.2, gritted his teeth through a solo third lap in 57.6 and went through the bell in 2:35.2 and 1200m in 2:50.8 before hanging on to clock 3:32.03, breaking Bayi’s record by 13 hundredths of a second.

It brought to a close an amazing season for Coe. He was named world athlete of the year and BBC sports personality of 1979 and during the end-of-season period he received so much fan mail they blocked his door from opening.

Still, as Olympic year loomed, his feet were kept on the ground when he was being paced by a friend in a car while training in Richmond Park in London and police stopped him for going too slow.