Author: The Guardian

A leftwing alliance was on track to become the biggest force in the French parliament on Sunday after tactical voting held back the far right, but the shape of the future government remained uncertain after no group looked set for an absolute majority.The surprise result for the left – which was projected to win up to 192 seats, followed by president Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance and the far right in third – showed the strength of tactical voting against Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN). The far right and its allies had forged a commanding lead in the first…

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Italy’s Jasmine Paolini continued her remarkable run to reach the quarter-finals for the first time on Sunday when Madison Keys withdrew with injury in the third set. The match was played on Court 1, with Case leading 5-2 in the third set. 6), 5-5 ended, unable to move, tears streaming down my face.”I feel very sorry for her now, to end the match like this, it’s terrible,” said Paolini, who will face second-seeded Coco Gauff or another American, Emma Navarro. “I thought we played a very, very good game, and it was really tough, with a lot of ups and…

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Lewis Hamilton won the British Grand Prix with a mighty and historic drive in immensely tricky wet and dry conditions at Silverstone to end finally his two-and-a-half-year win drought. The Mercedes driver beat the Red Bull of Max Verstappen into second and the McLaren of Lando Norris into third in a gripping and thrilling encounter. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was fourth and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in fifth.In a remarkable race, Hamilton delivered a superb performance as he and Mercedes gave a masterclass of driving and tactics. What it meant to the 39-year-old was clear as he was reduced to tears in…

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It hasn’t been long since Jack Draper showed his fellow southpaws that the way to beat Carlos Alcaraz on grass is to trust your natural lefty advantage and “play fearlessly.” Three weeks. Once he got over his doubts and got his shot flowing, the British No. 1 left-hander joined 32 other seven left-handers trying to beat the Spaniard on the original playing surface.Is Queen’s University’s share price drop on June 20 an anomaly? That’s what Ugo Humbert might have thought in the early exchanges of the tournament’s fourth round and the more heated environment on Center Court as his best…

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Common’s amazing motorThe elegant driveway planted in the streets around the All England Club is an annual attraction, and the cars in the driveway aren’t bad either – the front of Maryate Road is packed with Porsches, Bentleys, Mercedes and more. A Sunday morning walk up the hill brings a special treat for fans – a classic car race at Wimbledon Park. By 9am the tattered heathland was filled with a fantastic range of cars, from a Lotus Elan to a DAF 600, from a brand new Morgan to a 50-year-old Stingray. The hustle and bustle on the south side…

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Judy Murray said she was being sarcastic when she suggested that Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from the mixed doubles with Andy Murray was “astonishing”, saying their late scheduling would have played a part.Raducanu announced her withdrawal on Saturday, saying she had felt some soreness in her right wrist. Having had surgery on both wrists last year – and with her fourth-round singles match on Sunday to prepare for – she decided it was safer to pull out.Judy Murray had responded to a post from broadcaster Marcus Buckland, saying: “Yes, astonishing.” Her post caused a furore on social media, with some saying…

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Novak Djokovic has warned that club tennis is “in danger” as alternative sports such as cricket and pickleball grow in popularity.The seven-time Wimbledon champion said “we are still doing a very bad job” at keeping tennis at a “basic level” and its future was under threat.“Tennis is a very global sport, played by millions of kids who pick up a racket and want to play, but we’re not making it accessible. We’re not going to make it so affordable, “The world number two said after defeating Australia’s Alexei Popyrin on Center Court on Saturday.Djokovic called for a foundation to be…

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This spring, I ran 13 miles wearing a free T-shirt from a cement supplier, a pair of leggings I got from Oxfam, a £4 sports bra from Walthamstow market and a pair of £15 trainers off Vinted. I ran it, I am sure, at exactly the same speed and with the same level of comfort as I would have in a pair of £150 designer running tights and an £86 running shirt designed by Paul McCartney’s daughter. Which is to say that I hoofed along, sweating and sniffing and occasionally stopping to wee in a bush.Fifteen years after taking up…

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Ivan Toni says he will continue to take “no-look” penalties at the Euros after scoring against Switzerland. The Brentford striker is one of five England players to score in a penalty shootout, but is the only one to score without looking at the ball while playing.”I never watch the football,” said the Brentford striker. “Considering it’s my day job, I just think that’s what I do, but some people might think it’s crazy. But it’s just my routine and I’m going to stick to it. It’s been working and it works Be effective when needed.Skip past newsletter promotionsRegister to football…

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