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A long-range strike from Jackie Groenen sent European Champions Netherlands into their first Women's World Cup final as they edged Sweden 1-0 after extra time in their semifinal on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old midfielder scored in the 99th minute when she collected a deflected pass outside the box and struck it expertly into the bottom right corner of the goal to put the Dutch into Sunday's final against holders the United States.
The game marked the first time a Women's World Cup semifinal had gone to extra time and it proved a tight contest between the two sides, who last met in the quarterfinals of Euro 2017 when the Dutch won 2-0 before going on to win the competition.
The match build-up had focused on the talented Netherlands forwards such as all-time top scorer Vivianne Miedema (60 goals) and the pacy attack of 2016 Olympic silver medallists Sweden, featuring Stina Blackstenius who had scored the winner against Germany in the previous round.
- FIFA Women's World Cup: All you need to know
- Full Women's World Cup fixtures schedule
However, it was the goalkeepers who found themselves the busiest players throughout the regulation 90 minutes.
Sweden were the brighter side in the first half but could not find a way past Netherlands stopper Sari van Veenendaal.
The captain routinely tipped over dangerous inswinging corners and instinctively saved with her foot a close-range toe poke from Lina Hurtig shortly before halftime.
The match opened up a bit more in the second half. Sweden defender Nilla Fischer hit the post 10 minutes after the restart and Miedema had her header tipped on to the bar by the fingertips of Hedvig Lindahl.
The 36-year-old keeper, who most recently played for Chelsea in England, was equal to the threat of a Dutch side who grew in confidence, particularly with the introduction of Shanice van den Sanden who flew down the right wing.
Lindahl tipped over a fierce strike from the pink-haired Van den Sanden in second-half stoppage time. However, her resistance was finally broken by an excellent quickfire strike from Groenen in the first period of extra time.
The midfielder, who will feature for Manchester United in England's top flight next season, chose the perfect time to register her first shot on target and first goal of the tournament.
Despite playing in only their second World Cup, the Netherlands keep their incredible journey going with a final date against the record three-time world champions on Sunday in Lyon.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Back on June 8, at an otherwise run-of-the-mill pregame news conference ahead of a friendly against Venezuela, U.S. men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter said that when forward Jozy Altidore "is fit and strong, there's not a better striker than him in America."
If that's the case, Berhalter's assessment hasn't always been in alignment with how he's doled out minutes at the Gold Cup. Gyasi Zardes has been the preferred starter for much of the tournament, while Altidore has officially logged 99 minutes. There was a 16-minute garbage-time stint in the 6-0 hammering of Trinidad and Tobago, then 83 minutes in a relatively meaningless group-stage finale against Panama in which he nonetheless bagged the winning goal.
To be fair, Altidore was carrying the remnants of a hamstring injury when he first arrived at U.S. training camp at the beginning of June. But one would have thought he had proved his fitness in the Panama match. When it came time to name his lineup for the quarterfinal against Curacao, Berhalter persisted with Zardes.
When asked about Altidore's availability for Wednesday's semifinal against Jamaica, Berhalter called the hamstring injury "irrelevant" and added, "Jozy is exactly where we need him to be." When pressed if that meant the forward is ready to play against the Reggae Boyz, Berhalter said, "Yeah, he's been ready to play."
-- Berhalter: U.S. needs to win Gold Cup for it to be a success
-- Carlisle: U.S. takes step back in unconvincing win over Curacao
Whether that means Altidore will actually start is another matter altogether. But there seems to be little doubt that his presence up top, and his ability to act as an auxiliary playmaker to Christian Pulisic, would provide a boost to the U.S. attack.
That is by no means the only attacking issue, as Berhalter admitted that against Curacao, the team's spacing "became disconnected."
"A lot of times in buildup you saw [a 4-1-5] or something like that where Michael [Bradley] would drop on the other side of the line and have only Weston [McKennie] central, or Michael would be central and we would have five guys high, and that's just not proper spacing," he said. "It becomes very difficult to get any kind of offensive flow when that's what your shape looks like."
That spacing had a ripple effect defensively in that Bradley and McKennie were out of sync and unable to prevent passes into Curacao's attacking players. Given Jamaica's ability on the counter, the U.S. midfield will need to be much better positioned in transition moments Wednesday.
"I think their wingers are high-quality players," Berhalter said. "I think they have a different gear of speed than we've seen in this tournament and in the beginning of June."
One player the U.S. will need to keep an eye on is winger Leon Bailey. The Bayer Leverkusen attacker has yet to score for Jamaica in the tournament, but the U.S. will be no less wary.
"[Bailey is] very left-footed. He wants to come in and shoot from the top of the box area," U.S. defender Tim Ream said. "He's very pacy and likes to work in transition."
Just how much the U.S. can take from last month's 1-0 friendly defeat to the Reggae Boyz is up for debate. Only three U.S. players who started that match will likely take the field Wednesday. But seven Jamaica starters from that match played in the 1-0 quarterfinal victory Sunday over Panama, so in terms of style and personnel there might be a bit more carryover against the U.S.
In that match, the Reggae Boyz certainly showed there is more to their game than just attacking on the break. Jamaica was judicious in terms of when it applied pressure in midfield, with Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Michael Hector in particular proving adept at determining when the U.S. was vulnerable as it tried to play out of the back.
Of course, the U.S. midfield that takes the field Wednesday will be completely different from the one that played Jamaica a month ago, with Bradley and McKennie relied upon to provide a shield in front of the back line. Jamaica manager Theodore Whitmore is more than aware of this change, going so far as to say his biggest concern is "in the middle of the park."
Pulisic will be available as well, and his ability to threaten in the open field will do plenty to keep Jamaica from being too adventurous with its defensive pressure.
Teams have had success in the past by focusing on Pulisic and daring some other U.S. attacker to beat them, though Whitmore insisted that his team will be mindful of other American attacking threats.
"We don't want to concentrate on any one player," he said. "We see that we analyze the U.S. as a team. You have experience. Bradley, he can damage your team, so we don't want to pay attention to any one player and get hurt on the other side."
Keeping Jamaica honest in terms of its defensive focus will require getting more out of wingers Tyler Boyd and Paul Arriola, who were largely ineffective in the quarterfinal against Curacao. If they can deliver, that should ensure that the U.S. will move one step closer to its tournament goal.
"We've said all along the success of this team will be measured by if we're going to win this tournament or not," Berhalter said. "We want to get to the final. We want to win the final."
The U.S. is two wins away from accomplishing that goal, but first Jamaica stands in the way.
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England seek better batting performance against Australia in second Ashes ODI
Published in
Cricket
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 15:14
England will be seeking a vastly improved batting performance when they go into Thursday's second ODI against Australia 0-1 down in the Ashes.
A top-order collapse which saw England crash to 19 for 4 and then 44 for 5 proved the difference between the sides - with Ellyse Perry claiming 3 for 43 - the hosts failing to recover despite their bowlers putting Australia under pressure in a nervy, but ultimately successful, chase.
England's batting woes came down somewhat to poor shot selection and, were it not for No. 5 Natalie Sciver's fighting 64 and tailender Sophie Ecclestone's valuable 27-run cameo off as many balls, the defeat could have been much heavier. As it happened Australia won by two wickets with 45 balls to spare after making hard work of reaching the target.
Alyssa Healy's 66 was their only real batting performance of note as Ecclestone claimed three wickets and Laura Marsh two as part of a strong all-round performance from England's bowling unit in which Sciver and quicks Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole also claimed one wicket each.
Shrubsole said England wouldn't be making wholesale changes to their approach which saw them go unbeaten in 14 matches across all formats immediately before meeting Australia.
"We just need to be clear in our decision-making and commit with bat and ball," Shrubsole said. "There were a lot of positives from the game, despite the defeat, and I think we threw a few punches back - especially with the ball. We were excellent with the ball as a unit, Soph and Katherine especially were threatening and really troubled Australia. Hopefully we can keep that going."
One England wicket which fell through no fault of their own was that of Fran Wilson, who was given out lbw despite replays showing the ball had hit her glove first as she attempted a sweep off Jess Jonassen. With no DRS in this series, Wilson left the ground in furious disbelief, while England captain Heather Knight later said the players would prefer to have the review system in place. Healy and Australian coach Matthew Mott also supported the inclusion of DRS.
Shrubsole said: "One or two decisions were slightly frustrating, but umpires are human and they're allowed to make errors. It would be nice to have DRS but it's the same for both teams and it was the same in the last Ashes.
"Going forward I'm sure DRS will become part of the women's game on a regular basis like it is in the men's and that's obviously a step in the right direction. It's come into ICC tournaments so bilateral series like this are the logical next step."
DRS was not brought in for this series because of cost and resource consraints, however it will be in place for every home England women's international from 2020.
Australia will also be looking to improve, particularly with the bat, and especially against an England side determined to do better.
"We never really know when we're beaten and we've made a habit of fighting back into games and that's a good quality in this team," Shrubsole said. "We didn't really get enough runs - and it's always hard to come back from a start like we did - but we took it pretty deep and that was impressive.
"It did look as if we might steal the win at a couple of points but we didn't get there in the end. As a team it was a really good effort to take it that far and we can take a lot from that."
The second match will be played in Leicester on Thursday, followed by the third and final match of the ODI series in Canterbury on Sunday. The one-dayers will be followed by a four-day Test and three T20Is.
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Williamson unlucky, I have the 'smallest' hands - Wood
Published in
Cricket
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 15:53
Mark Wood admitted he "got lucky" to dismiss Kane Williamson in freakish fashion in Durham.
Williamson was well set and averaging over 100 in the tournament when Ross Taylor punched a delivery from Wood down the ground only to see the bowler stick a hand out and, in attempting to stop the ball, gain only the slightest of deflections onto the stumps at the non-striker's end. Williamson, backing up in anticipation of a run, was out of his ground and out of the game.
And while Williamson generously suggested England's tight bowling might have played a part in forcing him to back-up so aggressively - "the English bowlers put us under pressure," he said, "I don't know whether the run-out came from that" - Wood accepted luck was a more pertinent factor. Especially bearing in mind his "small hands."
WATCH on Hotstar (India only): How England bowled out New Zealand
"I got lucky," Wood said. "He backed-up because he was looking for the run. It was nothing to do with my bowling. And it's not as if I deliberately palmed it back on the stumps. I was trying to actually stop it and got a little bit fortunate. I am pleased that in such a big game I managed to be so lucky.
"He doesn't know how unlucky he is because I've got the smallest hands for a bloke you've ever seen. I managed to just get a fingertip to it. The umpire wasn't sure if I'd tipped it, and I was like 'I swear to God I did.' I knew it had flicked the end of my finger.
"He is one of the best players I've ever bowled at. So to get him out any way you can is pretty important. It saved me bowling at him any more so I was pretty pleased."
Jos Buttler, meanwhile, reckoned that England's performance in their last couple of games - matches in which they have beaten India and New Zealand at a time they knew defeat could mean elimination from the tournament - should both give the side confidence and remind them to play the "brand of cricket" which works best for them.
"It's a really good sign for us," Buttler said. "We stood up and played our brand of cricket under that pressure. That breeds a lot of confidence for the group. It reminds us that our way is the best way and gives us a lot of chance of performing. That's what we have resorted to in the two must-win games and shows that we must continue that."
Both men admit their excitement at reaching the semi-final stage, though Buttler also accepted it had been a "minimum requirement" ahead of the tournament.
"We are very excited to be in a semi-final," he said. "But I think it was the minimum requirement; the first stage we had to get to. We have given ourselves a great chance and we're really excited for that challenge. We've obviously had two tough games to finish to qualify and we showed great character to come through with two very good performances."
"We've got some great momentum," Wood agreed. "We've had our backs up against the wall so to play with the values we have talked about in the past has showed a lot of courage from the team. Now we are going on to another huge game, but one we'll be pretty confident in."
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Gauff, 15, beats Rybarikova to reach third round
Published in
Breaking News
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 14:38
LONDON -- American teenager Coco Gauff just keeps winning at Wimbledon.
After coming through qualifying and then upsetting five-time champion Venus Williams in the first round, the 15-year-old Gauff extended her stay Wednesday at the All England Club by dispatching former semifinalist Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-3.
Gauff is the youngest player to come through qualifying for Wimbledon in the Open era but showed her maturity once again in a match played under the new roof on No. 1 Court. She never faced a break point and had only 10 unforced errors compared to 24 for Rybarikova.
Meanwhile, eighth-seeded Elina Svitolina advanced to the third round after Margarita Gasparyan retired with a leg injury in the second set on Wednesday. Gasparyan was leading 7-5, 5-6 when she was forced to quit.
She had been on the verge of an upset, two points from the match at 5-4 in the second, but Svitolina held and her opponent was then injured after delivering a serve at 0-15 in the next game.
Gasparyan clutched her left thigh in pain, then remained lying on the baseline for several minutes getting treatment from a physical therapist, with Svitolina also coming over to bring her opponent water.
"I know when there is cramps, you need to drink lots of water," Svitolina said. "Your muscles are contracting. So it's important just to drink lots of fluids. So that's why I gave her some water, because no one really did anything. I mean, we were trying to help, but, yeah, it's tough to react straightaway."
Gasparyan, who has had three surgeries on her left knee since her last Wimbledon appearance in 2016, eventually got back up but was broken and then retired during the next game.
It's only the second time in eight appearances that Svitolina has reached the third round at the All England Club. Her best result was reaching the fourth round in 2017.
Former No. 1 Simona Halep also advanced, beating Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. She will next play Victoria Azarenka, who beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-2, 6-0.
Third-seeded Karolina Pliskova advanced with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig.
Another unseeded American, Danielle Collins, also advanced. Collins beat No. 12 Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Former Kentucky, NFL QB Lorenzen dies at 38
Published in
Breaking News
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 14:41
Former Kentucky and NFL quarterback Jared Lorenzen died Wednesday after a battle with cardiac and renal issues, his family confirmed to ESPN. He was 38.
Lorenzen, who battled weight issues both during and after his playing career, was hospitalized last week.
"It is with heavy hearts that the family of Jared Lorenzen would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation for all of your support and prayers over the past 6 days," Lorenzen's mother, Janet Hermes, said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Jared today, July 3, 2019. Again, we appreciate all of the warm wishes and prayers, but as a family, we would request your respect and privacy at this time. We will offer arrangement information in the coming days. Please keep Jared's family and especially his children, in your thoughts and prayers."
Kentucky's football program paid tribute to Lorenzen on Twitter:
We lost a great one too soon today. Our hearts are with the Lorenzen family.
We love you, 22. pic.twitter.com/btPrpk8knO
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) July 3, 2019
Lorenzen became a star at Kentucky because of his record-setting passing accomplishments and his size.
Nicknamed the "Hefty Lefty" and weighing over 300 pounds, Lorenzen became Kentucky's all-time leader in passing yards (10,354), completions (862) and total offense (10,637 yards).
Lorenzen signed as an undrafted free agent with the Giants in 2004 and spent parts of four seasons with New York. He signed with the Colts in July 2008 but was waived before the start of the season.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning said in a statement that Lorenzen was "a great teammate and friend."
"We competed against each other in college and came to the Giants together," wrote Manning, who played against Lorenzen's Kentucky team during his playing days at Ole Miss. "My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I will always remember his competitive spirit and his good nature. Jared has left us all way too soon."
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Meet Coco Gauff, the 15-year-old who has everyone at Wimbledon talking
Published in
Breaking News
Tuesday, 02 July 2019 13:45
Editor's note: This story originally published on Tuesday but has been updated with Coco Gauff's second-round Wimbledon win over Magdalena Rybarikova on Wednesday.
LONDON -- Corey Gauff still remembers watching the 2009 Australian Open final between Serena Williams and Dinara Safina.
It was early morning at their family home in Atlanta, but his young daughter was captivated by the match on the screen. Williams ultimately won in convincing fashion, 6-0, 6-3, to claim her 10th Grand Slam title. "She's the GOAT," Corey remembers saying in awe.
His daughter, then 4, didn't know what "GOAT" meant, but once he explained it stood for "Greatest of All Time," her eyes got wide, and she said defiantly: "I want to be the GOAT."
Corey told her she could be one day if she worked hard enough -- not knowing if she would ever love tennis or anything enough to actually achieve that dream, but wanting to make sure she knew she could do anything she set her mind to. He kept telling her that as she got older.
Fast-forward 10 years and that same young girl is already leading some to wonder whether her bold declaration might actually come true.
On Monday, Cori "Coco" Gauff, now 15, crouched to her knees, put her hands to her head and then stood up triumphantly, choking back tears. She had just defeated her longtime hero, Venus Williams, in straight sets -- at Wimbledon, of all places -- in her first main draw appearance at a Grand Slam, and it seemed she had just realized the weight of the moment.
A moment she had been working toward since she first picked up a tennis racket.
After shaking Venus' hand -- and thanking Venus for everything she has done for the sport -- the young phenom couldn't help it. She cried with happiness. Coco Gauff had officially arrived on the world stage.
"I think the sky's the limit, it really is," Venus said after the match. "She did everything well today. She put the ball in the court, which was much better than I did. She served well, moved well. It was a great match for her."
And it wasn't just Venus who took notice. Others on the WTA and ATP tours watched in amazement as well.
"I thought it was super special for Coco," Roger Federer said after his first-round win Tuesday. "I thought she handled it great. She wanted to be on the big court. She wanted to play against her idol. That's what good players -- that's where they shine, I'd say."
"I've known [Coco] since she was 7, so a long time," Sloane Stephens said on Tuesday after her first-round win. "[Coco] is a great young lady. I really like her. I think she is a really amazing player. Obviously, to beat Venus on a stage like that yesterday is incredible.
"Just for her to qualify, I think that was a very huge step just for her in general. Obviously, to beat someone you looked up to your whole life, even more amazing. ... I think she's on the right path. I think she has two great parents that are looking out for her, protecting her, making sure she has everything she needs. From that sense, I think there's nothing but positives coming out of that corner. We'll just have to see. By the time she really peaks, I'll probably be retired."
Gauff: I had a feeling I was going to play one of the Williams sisters
Coco Gauff says she wasn't surprised to draw Venus Williams in the first round, and is excited to have played one of the greats at Wimbledon.
Corey Gauff played college basketball at Georgia State, and his wife, Candi, was a track star at Florida State. They encouraged Coco to try every activity they could think of -- basketball, track, dance, gymnastics, cheerleading, soccer, you name it. She was a natural at everything she tried -- even winning the first 5K race she ever ran -- but tennis was her favorite.
Corey had played casually while growing up but hadn't seen many players of color. He was inspired by the Williams sisters and their father-turned-coach, Richard Williams. He used their strategy as a model, eventually moving his family to Delray Beach, Florida, to ensure Coco was able to get the best training possible.
It didn't take long for her to show a rare talent. At 11, she worked with Serena's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, at his facility in France. She won the Junior Orange Bowl title the following year, in 2016, joining the likes of Steffi Graf, Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati. She then won the 2018 French Open junior singles title and the 2018 US Open junior doubles title with Caty McNally. The comparisons to the Williams sisters began, and tennis insiders began to take notice.
"She really started to impress me, and make me think she could play at the next level, when she would be down at these really big events, with so many people there and with so much pressure, and she would find a way to win," Corey said. "She would have to come back from behind and she would just come up with these amazing shots and show such gumption.
"I remember one match where she lost the first set 6-0, and then was down 5-0 in the second, and she somehow turned it around and won it. I asked her after what happened, or what clicked, and she just said she really didn't want to lose. It's those nerves and ability that make her so special."
Coco turned pro in 2018 and made her WTA debut at the Miami Open in March of this year, winning her first match before losing in the second round. She signed endorsement deals with New Balance and Barilla. She lost in the second round of qualifying at Roland Garros but was dominant during Wimbledon qualifying. She won three matches to line up her opening-round main draw clash with Venus.
Monday's match was hyped as a battle between one of the sport's legends and one if its brightest future hopes. Perhaps no one was more excited for it than Serena, who even said beforehand that she might watch it -- a rarity, as she usually gets too nervous to watch her sister play.
"She's such a fantastic young lady," Serena said at Saturday's media day. "She works very hard. Every time I have work, I see her out there working, training, her and her dad. It reminds me of the time where I was out there with my dad. I can't help but look inside of myself and be proud and be happy for her. Yeah, so it's really nice to see."
Serena 'honored' to have been a role model to Coco Gauff
Serena Williams shares her thoughts on Coco Gauff after it was revealed the teenager had a poster of the 23-time Grand Slam champion on her wall.
Serena doubled down on her praise of Coco on Tuesday following her own first-round win.
"I don't know. I just love Coco and her family," Serena said. "They're just really sweet. Her dad is just a good guy. She's pretty awesome and pretty cool. Honestly, I feel honored that I was on her wall [as a poster] at some point in her life. Soon she'll be on other girls' walls. It's nice, because it will keep it going from the next generation to next generation."
With Monday's victory, Coco became the youngest player to win a match in the main draw at a Grand Slam since Anna Kournikova at the 1996 US Open, and the youngest at Wimbledon since Capriati in 1991. (By the time Coco was born, Venus had already won four of her seven Grand Slam titles.) The expectations for the young American have skyrocketed overnight -- literally -- and she went from being part of the sport's future to very much being part of the game's present.
On Wednesday night, in front of an adoring audience all hoping to catch a glimpse of the newly appointed star, Coco looked unfazed by her surroundings and beat 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-3, 6-3, in an hour and nine minutes. It was the first match played under the roof and lights of Wimbledon's Court No. 1, and Coco lived up to the moment, putting on a nearly flawless display and responding to everything Rybarikova could possibly throw her way.
Save for a few emphatic "Come on!" screams, Coco was poised and calm throughout -- and unlike the emotion she showed in her first-round win, she barely cracked a smile when it was all over. The crowd, on the other hand, gave her a very warm, and very loud, standing ovation. Her parents, seated with Mouratoglou, also couldn't contain their excitement, standing and cheering wildly.
"The last three days have definitely just kind of been surprising," Coco said after Wednesday's match. "It just shows if you really work hard, you can get where you want to go. Last week around this time, didn't know I was coming here. It just shows you have to be ready for everything."
Coco will next face Polona Hercog, who upset Madison Keys, in the third round Friday. Corey, who used to be an assistant basketball coach, studies film of Coco's matches and her upcoming opponents. One can assume he will be up late again into the night leading into the next match.
"I was up until 3 a.m. watching Coco's returns and serves," he said Tuesday, the day after her win over Venus. "I used to do the scouting reports and work with the statistical data during my basketball coaching days, so it's just natural for me to watch the videos. I look at percentages, and what each opponent likes to do and doesn't like to do. I run each practice specifically based on who she plays next, and we focus completely on that match."
Cori Gauff's parents relive daughter's Wimbledon victory
Tom Rinaldi gets Corey and Candi Gauff to reminisce about watching their daughter, Cori, stun Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon.
While she showed poise and talent well beyond her years on Monday, and during a practice session that drew much attention (and was just two courts away from Serena), Coco is still very much a teenager. She loves music (Beyonce and Rihanna are two of her favorites), meme culture ("And I Oop" is her current go-to) and watching sports. She wore a "Fun Guy" shirt to her postmatch news conference on Monday, in reference to NBA star Kawhi Leonard, who she admires for his quiet leadership and incredible skill. She's home-schooled, and she even had a science test this week. She got a B.
And she may not typically cry after tennis matches, but she does during movies. (Spoiler alert: Don't read the following quote if you haven't seen "Avengers: Endgame.")
"Actually [during] the movie 'Endgame' when Iron Man died, I was crying," she said when trying to remember the last time she cried before Monday. "Every time I think of it, I get teary-eyed because I really liked Iron Man."
During the closing credits of "Endgame," a teenage Spider-Man is anointed to pick up where his hero and mentor, Iron Man, left off. It doesn't require a movie geek to see the parallels between the film and Coco's win over Venus. While Venus has said nothing about her career being anywhere near over, it's tempting to think Coco could eventually emerge from the Williams sisters' success and carry on their storied legacy.
Coco herself certainly seems to believe she could do just that.
"I've said this before: I want to be the greatest," Coco said. "I'm still not 100 percent confident. But you have to just say things. You never know what happens. If I went into this match saying, 'Let's see how many games I can get against her,' then I most definitely would not have won.
"My goal was to play my best. My dream was to win. That's what happened. I think people just kind of limit themselves too much. Once you actually get your goal, then it's like, 'What do you do now?' I like to shoot really high so that way I always have many goals along the road, but that way you have the ultimate goal."
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SACRAMENTO -- Jimmer Fredette left the Warriors' summer league team and will not be with Golden State in the Las Vegas Summer League as he considers other options.
Fredette played in the first two games for the Warriors in the California Classic in Sacramento. Fredette informed the team on Tuesday night that he would not play in the third and final game on Wednesday.
"I spoke with him last night," Warriors summer league coach Aaron Miles said. "He said he wasn't ... was kind of over it. I guess his agent has spoken with our people, so I called him and thanked him for his time. His reasoning is his reasoning. I'm glad he had a chance to come and impact us."
"He still can play," Miles added. "I think he should do whatever he feels is best for him and his family ... I don't know his situation, but he definitely has a lot of basketball left."
After scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds in Golden State's opener on Monday night against the Sacramento Kings, Fredette went 2 for 6, including 0 for 2 from 3, and scored five points in 16 minutes during a 100-90 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
During that loss, Fredette made a crowd-pleasing spin move on a Laker defender but missed the layup. He later drew a technical foul for taking out his frustration on an official late in the game.
Fredette, 30, was the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He has played a total of 241 NBA games for five different teams and averaged 6.0 points and 37.2% 3-point shooting. Fredette led the Chinese Basketball Association in scoring with 36.9 points per game and set a league record with 219 3-pointers last season with the Shanghai Sharks.
In Sacramento with Golden State, Fredette shot 1 for 7 from 3-point range during his two games.
The Warriors wanted to take a look at players like Jacob Evans and Damian Jones, and draft picks Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall and Alen Smailagic.
"We had quite a few draft picks and roster guys on our team so he wasn't able to play as many minutes," Miles said of Fredette, who played 16 minutes in each of his games. "I'm not going to say he might've thought he should play [more] ... I would imagine he would want to play a lot more minutes, but he was great in the minutes he played."
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Sources: Suns to waive Korver after Jackson deal
Published in
Basketball
Wednesday, 03 July 2019 15:34
As part of a Memphis Grizzlies-Phoenix Suns trade that includes four players, guard Kyle Korver is on his way to the Suns -- who plan to waive Korver and allow him to become a free agent, league sources tell ESPN.
Korver -- whose expiring contract can be waived for the cost of $3.4 million -- will consider signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers once he clears waivers, league sources tell ESPN.
The Suns are trading the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, underachieving forward Josh Jackson, to the Grizzlies with guard De'Anthony Melton, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 conditional second-round pick, league sources said. The Suns will also receive guard Jevon Carter, sources said.
The Grizzlies get a free look at Jackson, but have long evaluated Melton as a guard with an NBA staying power. History has shown that future Suns second-round picks are typically in the low-to-mid-30s.
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Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Jose Berrios and Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts were named to the American League All-Star squad as injury replacements on Wednesday.
Lowe leads all rookies in home runs (16), RBIs (49) and doubles (17) and is a strong early candidate for AL Rookie of the Year.
Lowe replaces Angels infielder Tommy La Stella, who fractured his right tibia when he fouled a ball off his shin against the Rangers on Tuesday night.
Lowe is also banged up -- he suffered a leg contusion in Tuesday's game against the Orioles and is day to day.
"As of right now, nothing is really set in stone," Lowe said Wednesday. "We're still looking at stuff, doing some treatment. Hopefully the next couple days we'll know more but as of right now it's too soon to say anything."
Berrios, who is 8-4 with a 2.89 ERA in 17 starts for the AL Central-leading Twins, replaces teammate Jake Odorizzi, who went on the injured list on Wednesday with blister. Berrios was also an All-Star last season.
Bogaerts leads AL shortstops in many offensive categories. He's hitting .301 with 16 homers, 58 RBIs and a .933 OPS through 82 games this season.
Bogaerts replaces Rangers designated hitter Hunter Pence, who is on the IL with a groin injury.
The 2019 MLB All-Star Game will take place Tuesday at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
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