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Tennis: Serena headed to Wimbledon seeking return to form

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Serena Williams will bring her quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title to Wimbledon next week, where she will try to shake off a nagging knee injury and show the tennis world that her window of opportunity is still open.

Williams has been stuck on 23 Grand Slam titles, one behind the all-time record held by Margaret Court for over two years and has shown little evidence of late that she will be able to snap that drought at the All England Club.

“As long as she’s playing, she’s going to be a threat to win anything,” ESPN tennis analyst and former world number one John McEnroe told a conference call.

“But it’s just now there are more things that can go wrong, I suppose, like more days where she might not have it and other days where players won’t give in as easily. So that just makes it more difficult.”

The 37-year-old American’s time on the court has been limited to a handful of matches since the Australian Open in January, due in part to a knee injury that kept her from competing in a tune-up event ahead of Wimbledon, where the action begins on July 1.

After losing in the third round at the French Open, Williams did not exactly sound her confident self when asked if she would have enough time to get in optimal shape for Wimbledon, where she is a seven-time winner.

“I hope so. I’m still working on it and working on getting there,” said Williams. “So I think it will be, I think it is enough time. We’ll see, but I definitely hope so.”

When Williams was at the peak of her career, she was so far above the competition that she could barrel her way through a Grand Slam draw even if she was having an off day.

But the combination of injury, a limited playing schedule and an increased standard of women’s tennis over the past few years have left many to question whether she can again triumph in one of tennis’ blue riband events.

Williams won the most recent of her Grand Slam titles at the 2017 Australian Open when she was in the early stages of her pregnancy, which led to her taking a year off from competition.

She came back with a bang in 2018 and in spite of not playing at her best managed to reach the final at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

“It’s hard for me to bet against Serena. Look what happened last year: Two finals in Grand Slams,” said ESPN tennis analyst and 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert.

“The one difference that I see in Serena is since she’s come back, she’s been one or two steps slower than normal. I think that’s a little bit of fitness. I think it’s a little bit of match play. I think it’s a little bit of confidence.”

Healthy legs are key to any player’s game, but perhaps even more vital for someone like Williams who relies heavily on her physicality and court coverage to set up big shots.

Williams has been unable to deliver her trademark big serves on a consistent basis of late but will likely take comfort in the friendly confines of the All England Club given she is most effective on grass.

But unlike in her prime, Williams’ rivals know she is not the same player she once was and do not walk onto the court nearly as intimated as they once were when facing one of the game’s all-time greats.

“There are so many things that may be going against Serena, and she thrives on that, and she loves that, and that’s when she comes through,” said Evert.

“I would have said in January, if there was any Grand Slam she was going to win, it would probably be Wimbledon … and if her serve is on, she’s going to be tough to beat.”

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CAF Crowns Ademola Lookman As African Footballer of the Year

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Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, has been named the CAF Footballer of the Year for the past year.

Lookman was announced as the winner at an elaborate event in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday night.

The Atalanta star won the prize ahead of Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.

It has been an incredible year for Lookman, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in the Europa League/UEFA Cup final since 1975, netting the three goals within 26 minutes against Bayer Leverkusen.

Lookman was included in the Team of the Year for the Europa League, and ended the season having had a direct hand in 18 top flight goals for La Dea.

The 27-year-old was ranked the 14th best player during the Ballon d’Or gala on October 28.

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Panel Clears Mbappe of Rape Allegation

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The Swedish Prosecution Authority announced today that the inquiry into rape allegations against French footballer Kylian Mbappé has been closed due to a lack of sufficient evidence to proceed.

This is according to multiple reports on Thursday morning.

The allegations had drawn international attention, casting a shadow over the football star’s career.

Mbappé, who had consistently denied the allegations, has yet to make an official statement regarding the decision

His legal team had previously emphasised his commitment to due process.

Mbappe was “linked to rape investigation in Sweden” and that he intended to reserve any explanations for the Swedish justice system “if necessary,” according to his lawyer, Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard.

“He prioritises providing his explanations, if required, to the Swedish judiciary,” Canu-Bernard told AFP, while strongly condemning “media allegations suggesting that Kylian Mbappé had commented on the events of his trip to Stockholm.”

The case, which began earlier this year, involved accusations stemming from an alleged incident in Stockholm. The prosecutor’s decision not to press charges marks the end of months of scrutiny and speculation.

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Man United Engage van Nistelrooy on Interim Basis As Ten Hag Gets the Boot

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Manchester United have announced the termination of Erik ten Hag’s contract after two-and-a-half years in charge at Old Trafford, with Ruud van Nistelrooy set to take interim charge.
The Dutchman was dismissed following a 2-1 defeat to West Ham, which left United sitting 14th in the Premier League table.
A club statement said: “Erik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men’s first-team manager.
“Erik was appointed in April 2022 and led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
“We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.
“Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”
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