Murray leaves Wimbledon with a question: ‘Is it worth it?’
WIMBLEDON, England — Andy Murray was pleased to be back playing singles at Wimbledon after a four-year absence, pleased to make it through three matches this week without any
new injuries and pleased to be playing in front of raucous crowds.
And still, after a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 loss at Centre Court to No. 10 seed Denis Shapovalov on Friday night, Murray was left asking himself a rather glum question.
“There is a part of me that feels a bit like I have put in so much work the last three months and, ultimately, didn’t play how I would want and expect. And it’s like: Is it worth it?” Murray said. “Is all of that training and everything that you’re doing in the gym — unless you’re able to, like, practice and improve your game and get matches and continue (to) get a run of tournaments — is it worth all of the work that you’re doing?”
And then he offered an answer. Sort of.
“There is part of me that feels like, yes, it is, because I had great memories and stuff from this event and (played) in some brilliant atmosphere,” Murray said. “But then, also, I finished the match tonight and I’m saying to my team ... ‘I’m just not happy with how I played.’”
The 34-year-old Murray recently returned to the tour after a three-month absence because of a groin problem, just the latest in a series of injuries.
Most serious was the bad hip that wound up requiring two operations. That is why he hadn’t played singles at the All England Club since 2017, a year after he won his second title at the grass-court Grand Slam tournament.
The first, famously, came in 2013, making him Britain’s first male champion there in 77 years.
Murray opened this trip to Wimbledon with a four-set victory over 24th-seeded Nikoloz Basilashvili, then needed five sets to edge Oscar Otte.
Pérez joins Ohtani, Mancini, Alonso, Story in Home Run Derby
Kansas City catcher Salvador Pérez will join Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, Trey Mancini of the Baltimore Orioles, Pete Alonso of the New York Mets and Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies in the AllStar Home Run Derby at Denver’s Coors Field on July 12.
Pérez will become the fourth Kansas City player in the derby after Bo Jackson (1989), Danny Tartabull (1991) and Mike Moustakas (2017).
Perez, a seven-time All-Star, entered Friday ninth in the AL with 19 home runs.
Alonso won the most recent derby in 2019.
Baz, Kazmir, Starling join Frazier for US Olympic baseball
NEW YORK — Joe Ryan, one of two Tampa Bay young arms picked for the U.S. Olympic rotation, recognizes how baseball players are unlike most other athletes going to the Tokyo Games.
“When we get on the plane, I think I’ll get pretty excited,” he said after the roster was announced Friday, “but even then, I’ve got a season to go. I’ve still got other things going on here.”
“So we’re kind of talking about how it’s different than other Olympic sports, that other people are going in, they’ve been working four years for this. And we’re like, all right, when we’re done, I’ve got to start five days later or whatever it is,” he said.
Ryan, 25-year-old Triple-A right-hander, was a holdover from qualifying and 22-year-old Double-A righty Shane Baz was added to the 24-man roster by manager Mike Scioscia. They’ll be joined in the rotation by Toronto right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson and former Texas right-hander Nick Martinez, now with Fukuoka in Japan.
“You look at Tampa’s future and you look at these two guys if they develop to their potential on the mound, that team’s going to be good for a while,” Scioscia said.
Baz also is going to the AllStar Futures Game on July 11 at Denver’s Coors Field.
“Obviously you want to play in the big leagues, but winning a gold medal for your country that’s pretty tough to beat,” Baz said.
Scioscia also included 37-year-old left-hander Scott Kazmir, who could be his fifth starter, and outfielder Bubba Starling among 10 additions.
They joined a group from qualifying led by third baseman Todd Frazier, relievers Edwin Jackson and David Robertson, and Miami infielder Eddy Alvarez, a 2014 silver medalist in short-track speedskating.
Major League Baseball does not allow players on 40-man rosters to participate in the Olympics and many teams discourage top eligible prospects from playing.
Spain wins on penalties, Italy also advances at Euro 2020
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Mikel Oyarzabal converted the decisive spot kick Friday to give Spain a place in the European Championship semifinals following a 3-1 penalty shootout victory over Switzerland.
The match had ended in a 1-1 draw through extra time.
Oyarzabal scored past goalkeeper Yann Sommer, whose penalty save on France striker Kylian Mbappe’s shot in a shootout in the round of 16 had put Switzerland into the quarterfinals at the tournament for the first time.
Spain’s players and coaching staff poured onto the field at Saint Petersburg Stadium to celebrate with Oyarzabal as many from the Switzerland team fell to their knees inside the center circle.