At the lowest moment of a tumultuous first six months, mentoring a weakened Australian team through the troubles waters that followed the Newlands scandal, Justin Langer's wife Sue broke down in tears at the toll the job was taking on their family.

Over breakfast at the team hotel in Sydney, the Langer family was about to be separated again as the coach went to travel to the SCG for another day of being ground down by Virat Kohli's relentless Indian touring team, and Sue and their four daughters travelled home to Perth after being together for Christmas and New Year.

Still wrestling with the scrutiny of the job, a world away from what he experienced as coach of Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers for the preceding six years, Langer was confronted by a sight he could not recall in 23 years of marriage.

"We got to day three or day four of the last Test in Sydney and my family had been over for Boxing Day and for the SCG Test match," Langer told ESPNcricinfo. "I've known my wife since I was 14 years old, so she knows everything about me, and they were leaving. I had to get in the team car to go to the ground at 8.15am. They were leaving that day, and we were at breakfast at 8 o'clock and my wife started crying at the breakfast table in front of my daughters.

"I said what's going on, I had never see my wife cry - we know everything about each other. She said 'I just don't like what's happening here, I don't like what it's doing to you, I don't like what it's doing to us, people are so mean, what people are saying about you and the team and Australian cricket'. That was a real eye opener for me, that it was affecting my family."

A few days later, ahead of the ODI series that began Australia's run to the World Cup, Langer was confronted by some awkward questions about how Glenn Maxwell had been wrongly led to believe he would be playing long-from cricket for Australia the year before. The press conference exchange did not play well on camera, emphasising to Langer much of what Sue had told him. He now regards the period to be as critical to his coaching career as being dropped from the Test team in 1993 and 2001 was for his playing days.

"I got, I'd say two out of 10 grumpy with the journalist in Sydney, and I was also amazed at the backlash of that as well," Langer said. "I apologised straight after the event, that's me, but I realised then and the way people said 'he's getting angry, he's losing it'. I didn't feel that but my wife was getting upset, that was a real moment. I've said privately and publicly a few times if I look back to my career, 1993 when I got dropped for the first time, really tough time, but pivotal in my life.

"I got dropped in 2001, a really, really tough time, but pivotal in my life. I look to January 2019 in Sydney, really tough time, but I've got no doubt it'll be a massive part of my evolution as a coach. I got a really nice email from Malcolm Conn [former journalist and now New South Wales communications manager], just after that press conference. He'd obviously watched me grow from a young player to a player who retired however many years later and he gave me some really good advice. He knows what it was, but when I'm getting that sort of feedback from my wife, that sort of feedback from the team, I knew I had to find ways to get better and hopefully I've done that."

Langer has subsequently been steadily surrounded with more and more trusted allies to help him in the job while also balancing him personally. Ricky Ponting was recruited as an assistant coach for the World Cup, Steve Waugh as a mentor for the early part of the Ashes series, and Ben Oliver has been formally installed as the new head of national teams - a similar role to the one he performed successfully alongside Langer with WA.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo to mark 10 years of coaching, Langer also reflected on the infamous 2009 "dossier" leak in which his frankest thoughts about English cricket and players such as James Anderson were splashed across the pages of the Telegraph, an episode that happened a matter of months before he moved from playing retirement to an assistant role with the Australian team.

Recalling what he had written about Anderson in what was originally intended as a personal email of advice to the then national team coach Tim Nielsen, Langer said that the evolution of the Englishman from youth to maturity and greatness mirrored how he had grown and changed so much, first as a cricketer and now a coach.

"If we get specific, I said in that email, which caused great headlines, that James Anderson was a pussy," Langer said. "Now that's my way of just talking about his body language. When we played against James Anderson as a young man, we felt that if we got on top of him, hit anything loose he bowled, because his body language would drop a little bit. I'd take back the word I used, that wouldn't be my style now, that's for sure, but it was two Aussie blokes talking to each other about someone's body language.

"Do I think that now about James Anderson? Absolutely not, and I hope you write this in the article, James Anderson has turned into a brilliant, great English fast bowler. He will be the person we talk about most when we go through our plans for winning this Ashes. He's a brilliant player. When he was a young man he was different than he is now, and that happens with most. When I was a young batsman, I was dour, I couldn't hit the ball off the square, I probably didn't smile much, and people would've said that about me when I was younger, to where I finished up playing.

"That was my interpretation of him, having played against him, I didn't know him at all, it's not personal. Would I say that now? No way in the world, he is a great bowler and we respect him enormously, I personally respect him for his longevity, for his skill. The greatest compliment we can give James Anderson now, the same person who wrote that 10 years ago, me as young and naive, wasn't expecting it to get into public hands, certainly wouldn't say that about him now."

The full ESPNcricinfo interview with Justin Langer will be published later on Monday

New Zealand have named four spinners in their squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka which marks the beginning of the World Test Championship for both teams.

Offspinner Will Somerville and left-armer Ajaz Patel are reunited after their role in helping New Zealand to their 2-1 victory over Pakistan in the UAE last year. They are joined by Mitchell Santner, who played his last Test in December 2017 before being sidelined by injury, and legspinner Todd Astle who made his debut in Colombo seven years ago.

Neither Santner or Astle were part of the success over Pakistan with Patel making his debut in the opening game of the series in Abu Dhabi where his 5 for 59 in the second innings secured a gripping four-run win. Then in the deciding match Somerville, making his Test debut at 34, bagged seven wickets in the game - alongside another five for Patel - as New Zealand won by 123 runs.

"Playing three spinners is an option in Sri Lankan conditions and we believe this group provides the best variations and skill mix on offer," New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. "England were playing three spinners against Sri Lanka on their successful visit there last year and the slow bowlers also dominated the previous series against South Africa."

The dominance of spin in the squad leaves just three frontline quicks - Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner - alongside the medium pace of Colin de Grandhomme. It means that Lockie Ferguson, who was one of the stars of the World Cup, will have to wait for a Test debut although with series against England, Australia and India to come over the next six months it is likely to just be a matter of time.

The rest of the squad is as expected with a settled top order. Tom Blundell, who was part of the World Cup squad, has been included as back-up to BJ Watling.

After taking time to reflect on the dramatic end to the World Cup, Stead said it is good to be able to get back to playing with a new structure to Test cricket under the WTC which begins with the Ashes series on Thursday. "It's good timing for us after the World Cup," he said. "It was an incredible time for the team and the country, but we're now excited to move forward as a group and sink our teeth into another opportunity."

Squad Kane Williamson (capt), Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Jeet Raval, Will Somerville, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Dalilah Muhammad broke a 16-year-old world record in the 400-meter hurdles by finishing in 52.20 seconds on a drizzly night at the U.S. championships.

With puddles on the track Sunday, the reigning Olympic champion eclipsed the mark of 52.34 set by Yuliya Pechonkina of Russia on Aug. 8, 2003.

Muhammad's previous best time was 52.64 in 2017.

Teenager Sydney McLaughlin was second and Ashley Spencer wound up third to also earn spots in the world championships in Doha, Qatar. Kori Carter didn't compete in the event but has an automatic bye into worlds as the defending champion.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Brooks Koepka knows everyone wanted to see a tight final-round duel with Rory McIlroy.

"That would have been incredible for the fans, for everybody that showed up, and I'm sure that's what everybody wanted," Koepka said.

Too bad Koepka drained all the drama Sunday on the way to his first World Golf Championships title.

Koepka had three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the front nine and cruised to a three-stroke victory in the FedEx St. Jude Invitational.

Playing with McIlroy in their first final-group pairing, the top-ranked Koepka closed with a bogey-free 5-under 65 at TPC Southwind for his seventh PGA Tour title. He finished at 16-under 264.

McIlroy followed his third-round 62 with a 71 to drop into a tie for fourth at 11 under. McIlroy declined to talk to reporters after the round.

"Rory didn't play the way he wanted to today, but still it's so much fun to watch him play," Koepka said. "You kind of get glued watching him hit balls. I mean, it's mesmerizing watching him hit. You know it's always nice to squeak out a victory over probably the best player right now."

Webb Simpson had a 64 to finish second. Marc Leishman (67) was third, four strokes back. Tommy Fleetwood (66) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (69) joined McIlroy at 11 under.

Koepka wrapped up the regular-season points title a week early and claimed a $2 million bonus from the Wyndham Rewards program. He is assured of going into the FedEx Cup playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

Koepka became the sixth player to win a major championship and a World Golf Championship in the same year. He won the PGA Championship for the second consecutive year in May.

After tapping in for par on No. 18, Koepka celebrated with a little fist pump before hugging McIlroy.

Koepka had been so close in recent weeks, coming in second at the U.S. Open in June and tying for fourth last week at The Open. He also had a pair of top-10 finishes in this event when it was held at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, and he also won for the first time at the TPC Southwind, where he tied for third in 2015 and tied for second in 2016 when this course hosted the former St. Jude Classic.

Koepka said he feels he knows this course better than any other on tour, and finally winning here and a WGC title, too, is special.

"It's a thinker's golf course," Koepka said. "I probably don't get enough thought process going through my mind sometimes, just get up and hit it. It gets very routine. A lot of times it's drivers, but out here you've really got to position yourself off the tee depending on where the pin is."

Now Koepka has come from behind in three of his seven victories, though this time teeing off only a stroke off the lead. When they teed off, Koepka was among 10 players within four strokes of leader McIlroy.

After a couple of pars, Koepka took control.

Koepka rolled in a 9-footer for birdie and a share of the lead on the par-5 third he bogeyed in each of the first two rounds for a nice confidence boost. McIlroy missed his own 4-foot birdie chance a couple inches left after chipping from behind a green-side bunker.

Then Koepka hit his second shot on the par-4 fifth from 185 yards to 5 feet for his second birdie and the outright lead, while McIlroy's second was on the left fringe with his attempt 5 feet short on yet another par. Koepka birdied his second straight on the par-4 sixth, rolling in a 20-footer for a two-stroke lead .

Koepka padded that lead after the turn, hitting his second from 143 to 8 feet on the par-4 10th. Koepka rolled in the birdie putt to go to 15 under with a three-stroke lead, making the only question left whether anyone could get close.

He created the last of the drama by scrambling for par on the next two holes. He put his second into the intermediate rough on the edge of the green on No. 15, forcing him to hole a 9-footer, with a poor chip on the par-5 16th leading to another par. But he clinched the victory with a 12-footer on No. 17.

McIlroy had won three of his previous four when shooting at least a 62 in an event. The Northern Irishman who missed the cut at The Open by a stroke last weekend just couldn't keep up with Koepka.

Simpson eagled No. 3 and added a birdie on No. 6. Then he added four birdies on the back nine and tied the best round of the day with his best round since winning the 2018 Players Championship.

"Knowing that Brooks Koepka and Rory are out in front, I knew it needed to be a low round," Simpson said. "I didn't have a number in mind. ... Very happy with how the day went."

Divots: Koepka, who won the CJ Cup in South Korea last October, also is the first on tour with three wins this season. ... Justin Thomas, who won this event in Ohio last year, tied for 12th. Dustin Johnson, who won the FedEx St. Jude Classic here last year, tied for 20th.

Olympic champion storms to a time of 52.20 at USA Champs to improve on the 52.34 run by Yuliya Pechonkina in 2003

Dalilah Muhammad stormed into the history books on Sunday as she clocked an incredible time of 52.20 to break the world 400m hurdles record at the USA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa.

Running in lane four on a wet track, and after starting with the slowest reaction time (0.287), the Olympic champion powered away and had a clear lead off the final bend as world under-20 record-holder Sydney McLaughlin, Olympic bronze medallist Ashley Spencer and 2015 world silver medallist Shamier Little battled behind her.

But Muhammad did not falter and went on to record a mark which improves by 0.14 the previous record run by Yuliya Pechonkina in 2003.

WORLD RECORD!
Dalilah Muhammad wins the @usatf Championships 400m hurdles in 52.20! ? Improving on the 52.34 run by Yuliya Pechonkina in 2003! Sydney McLaughlin second in 52.88 #ToyotaUSATFOutdoor pic.twitter.com/uib6XQxjWl

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) July 29, 2019

McLaughlin came through to secure second in 52.88, while Spencer was third in a PB-equalling 53.11 and Little fourth in 53.91.

Before this year, Muhammad’s PB for the 400m flat had been 52.63 but she proved her fine form with a time of 50.60 in Poland in June and her new hurdles time – which moves her up from sixth with 52.64 on the world all-time list – is faster than many 400m runners can manage, without 10 hurdles on the track.

“I wanted it so bad,” Muhammad told NBC after the race. “I knew I had to go out there and prove myself.”

Dalilah Muhammad breaks the 400m hurdles world record. pic.twitter.com/vldGRMkVAY

— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) July 29, 2019

The final day of USA Championships action also saw Donavan Brazier win the men’s 800m title in 1:45.62 from Clayton Murphy’s 1:46.01, while defending world champion Emma Coburn claimed her eighth US steeplechase title, clocking 9:25.63 ahead of Courtney Frerichs with 9:26.61.

World indoor champion Sandi Morris won the pole vault with a season’s best clearance of 4.85m as Katie Nageotte was second with 4.80m and 2012 Olympic champion Jenn Suhr third with 4.70m.

Lopez Lomong completed a 5000m and 10,000m double, running 13:25.53 ahead of Paul Chelimo’s 13:25.80 to win the men’s 5000m after his 10,000m victory on Friday, while Shelby Houlihan also secured two titles as she won the women’s 5000m in 15:15.50 to add to her 1500m title from Saturday.

World medallist Ajeé Wilson took the 800m title in 1:57.72, while Daniel Roberts won the 110m hurdles in 13.23 ahead of Grant Holloway’s 13.36.

More to follow…

Coverage of day one and day two action can be found here, while a day three report is here and results are here.

American teenage sensation Coco Gauff continued her stunning run by easing into the Washington Open main draw with a dominant win in final qualifying.

Gauff, 15, needed only an hour and five minutes to beat Japan's Hiroko Kuwata in a 6-1 6-2 win.

It will be her third WTA main draw appearance after Miami and Wimbledon.

After her SW19 exploits, where she beat Venus Williams on her way to the last 16, Gauff's qualifier was watched by a near sell-out crowd in the US capital.

And she received a standing ovation after clinching victory with a wonderful cross-court winner against 28-year-old Kuwata.

Now ranked 143rd in the world after her success at the All England Club, Gauff was unsure whether she would even get into Washington qualifying because she had to use her pre-Wimbledon ranking of 313th to gain entry.

The Washington Open, a combined WTA and ATP event, is one of the key warm-events on the American hard-court swing which culminates in next month's US Open.

Gauff was the youngest woman to reach the second week of Wimbledon since Jennifer Capriati in 1991.

Lyon clinched the 2019 Emirates Cup with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal thanks to two goals from Moussa Dembele, with Gunners' striker Alexandre Lacazette forced to hobble off injured.

Lacazette required treatment on his ankle early on and had to come off after just 12 minutes, to be replaced by the impressive Reiss Nelson. He was later pictured in a protective boot after the match, but manager Unai Emery played down concerns.

Not good news for #AFC pic.twitter.com/PghKS4urI8

— Mark Mann-Bryans (@MarkyMBryans) July 28, 2019

"We are thinking it's not serious," he said. "He [Lacazette] decided with a doctor and with me that it's better to not to take a further more risk. He tried to continue playing but it was better in preseason not to take a risk. The doctor said he is going to check tomorrow but he is thinking it is not serious. He has a sprained ankle."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave the Gunners the lead on 35 minutes when he bundled home Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross after some good pressing from Emery's men.

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However, Lyon were level on 66 minutes when Dembele headed home Memphis Depay's cross.

Arsenal thought they had re-taken the lead when summer signing Gabriel Martinelli squeezed the ball home, but the Brazilian saw his effort ruled out for offside. Then Lyon broke down the other end and Dembele kept his cool to slot past Bernd Leno.

The defeat was Arsenal's first in preseason, having so far claimed victories over Colorado Rapids, Bayern Munich, Fiorentina and a draw against Real Madrid before succumbing on penalties.

They face Angers on Wednesday, and play Barcelona on Sunday in their final friendly, before starting their Premier League campaign at Newcastle.

Earlier in the day, Arsenal Women were beaten 1-0 by their Bayern Munich counterparts thanks to Melanie Leupolz's goal.