馃嚦馃嚘NamibiaSouthern Africa
Swiatek eliminated from Wimbledon by Eala, Serena Williams withdraws from doubles
via The Namibian5 min read
Iga Swiatek, the defending Wimbledon champion, was defeated in the third round by the Philippines' Alexandra Eala in a significant upset. Eala, the 29th seed, reached the last 16 of a Grand Slam for the first time, winning 7-6 11/9, 6-2. This marks Swiatek's earliest exit from a major tournament since 2024. Eala expressed her emotion, highlighting the significance of this achievement for a player from the Philippines. Meanwhile, Serena Williams withdrew from the doubles tournament due to a knee injury sustained during her first-round singles match. Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina also exited the tournament, losing to Elise Mertens 7-6 7/4, 6-1, which also ended her hopes of becoming world number one. In the men's draw, French Open champion Alexander Zverev advanced to the fourth round, defeating Marcos Giron 6-2, 7-6 7/4, 6-4. Grigor Dimitrov and Arthur Fery also progressed, setting up a unique last-16 match between two wildcards.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
France secured a 1-0 victory over Paraguay in a World Cup last-16 match, with Kylian Mbappe converting a penalty in the 70th minute after Desire Doue was fouled. The win sets up a quarter-final clash against Morocco. The game, played in Philadelphia under hot conditions, saw Paraguay employ a stubborn defense, limiting France's attacking opportunities for much of the match. Despite France dominating possession, Paraguay did not register a shot on target until the 90th minute. Mbappe's goal marked his seventh of the tournament, making him the joint-top scorer alongside Lionel Messi, and brought his total World Cup goals to 19. France will now prepare for their next match in Foxborough. The game also coincided with the 250th anniversary of US independence, featuring pre-match celebrations including a concert and a US Air Force flyover.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden secured a victory in the women's 100m at the Eugene Diamond League athletics meeting, finishing in 10.78 seconds, just ahead of Sha'Carri Richardson's 10.79 seconds. Jefferson-Wooden has remained unbeaten in the 100m since 2024. The event also featured several upsets, including US 18-year-old Tate Taylor's win over Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo in the men's 200m with a personal best of 19.75 seconds. Nigerian Kayinsola Ajayi, 21, set a national record of 9.84 seconds in his Diamond League debut, defeating world champion Oblique Seville in the men's 100m. Additionally, American Nikki Hiltz caused an upset by winning the women's mile, marking Kenyan Faith Kipyegon's first Diamond League defeat in four years. Jamal Britt also lowered his personal best to win the 110m hurdles, becoming the fifth-fastest performer all-time and spoiling Ja'Kobe Tharp's professional debut. In other results, Kenyan world champion Lilian Odira won the women's 800m, and Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall secured victory in the women's long jump. Olympic champion Masai Russell won the women's 100m hurdles with a time of 12.24 seconds, beating world record-holder Tobi Amusan.
Scotland, led by captain Sione Tuipulotu, achieved a record 47-38 victory over Argentina in the Nations Championship in Cordoba. Tuipulotu scored one try and assisted another during a dominant first half. This win marks Scotland's best-ever result in Argentina, surpassing their 2018 performance. Despite a late try from Lucio Cinti, Argentina secured a bonus point. Scotland's head coach Gregor Townsend started Tom Jordan at fly-half due to Finn Russell's injury. Argentina's head coach Felipe Contepomi celebrated Matias Alemanno's 100th cap. Scotland established an early lead, with tries from Tuipulotu and Pierre Schoeman, and maintained control throughout the match. Rory Hutchinson, Fraser Brown, Scott Cummings, Gregor Hiddleston, and Kyle Rowe also contributed tries for Scotland. Argentina's efforts to close the gap included a try from Tomas Rapetti and a penalty from Tomas Albornoz, but Scotland ultimately secured the win.