Two eye Auckland event

Ugo Humbert plans to defend his ASB Classic title while John Isner wants to bring his family with him to New Zealand next year.

After the tournament was cancelled in 2021 and 2022, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Classic is back in January, taking place over the two weeks before the Australian Open.

New tournament director Nicolas Lamperin is at Wimbledon to talk to players and agents about coming back to Auckland after the tournament after the two-year

who reached the Wimbledon final last year, was eliminated on Centre Court. The Czech player lost to British wildcard entry Katie Boulter 3-6 7-6 (4) 6-4.

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek also advanced – and won her 37th straight match. Swiatek beat Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove 6-4 4-6 6-3 to improve her winning streak, the longest since Martina Hingis also won 37 matches in a row in 1997. She will next face Alize Cornet, who beat American Claire Liu 6-3 6-3.

In the men’s draw, Nick Kyrgios hiatus, but Isner and Humbert have vowed they’ll be there in early 2023.

Humbert, from France, won a thrilling ASB Classic final in 2020, defeating compatriot Benoit Paire 7-6 3-6 7-6. He will be the defending champion of the men’s Classic for three years without playing a point, but says he wants to defend his title in January.

Isner says he’s looking to come to Auckland with his wife, Madison, and their three children next year.

‘‘I love Auckland. One of my first-ever ATP titles was there and I would love to go back,’’ Isner said.

advanced to the third round for the sixth time in eight Wimbledon appearances. The unseeded Australian, who reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club in his debut in 2014, beat 26th-seeded Filip Krajinovic 6-2 6-3 6-1.

Kyrgios will next face Stefanos Tsitsipas. The fourth-seeded Greek beat Jordan Thompson 6-2 6-3 7-5.

Rafael Nadal also advanced, along with No 11 Taylor Fitz of the United States. Nadal, a two-time Wimbledon champion seeded second this year, beat Ricardas Berankis 6-4 6-4 4-6 6-3.