#road to wimbledon 2024 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

gonzalo-obes · 4 months ago

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IMAGENES Y DATOS INTERESANTES DEL DIA 9 DE JULIO DE 2024

Día Internacional de la Destrucción de Armas de Fuego, Año Internacional de los Camélidos.

Santa Leyre, Santa Verónica y Santa Everilda.

Tal día como hoy en el año 2011

En una ceremonia celebrada en la nueva capital de Juba, James Wani Igga, presidente del Parlamento lee la declaración de independencia y se iza la bandera de la nueva República de Sudán del Sur, proclamando oficialmente su independencia de Sudán. A continuación, Salva Kiir jura como presidente. Nace así un nuevo país, el número 193 para la ONU. (Hace 13 años)

1962

Estados Unidos hace detonar la bomba atómica Starfish Prime, de 1450 kilotones, en el espacio exterior, a 400 km de altura. (Hace 62 años)

1942

En Ámsterdam (Holanda), Anna Frank y su familia pasan a la clandestinidad al ocultarse en un anexo secreto situado en un viejo edificio en el Prinsengracht, un canal en el lado occidental de Ámsterdam, cuya entrada está disimulada tras un estantería, amarga experiencia que será recogida en su célebre y necesario diario. Allí permanecerán hasta su captura por tropas nazis el 4 de agosto de 1944. Anna, de tan sólo 14 años, morirá de tifus en el campo de concentración de Bergen-Belsen en marzo de 1945. (Hace 82 años)

1877

En Worple Road, cerca de la estación de Wimbledon (Londres, Reino Unido), se comienza a celebrar la primera edición del torneo de tenis de Wimbledon, solo en categoría de individuales masculinos y con un cuadro de 22 jugadores, todos amateurs británicos. En 1884 se sumarán los individuales femeninos y los dobles masculinos. Ya en 1913 lo harán los dobles femeninos y los mixtos. (Hace 147 años)

1821

Las tropas del libertador y general argentino, José de San Martin, entran en Lima, la capital de Perú. Unos días más tarde, el 15, San Martín convocará un cabildo abierto y se firmará el Acta de independencia. El 28, en una ceremonia pública proclamará solemnemente la independencia del Perú. (Hace 203 años)

1816

En la actual Argentina, en el Congreso de Tucumán, Juan Francisco Narciso de Laprida, que preside la sesión, pregunta a los presentes: "¿Queréis que la provincias de la Unión sean una nación libre e independiente de los reyes de España y su metrópoli?", a lo que los diputados contestan afirmativamente. A continuación se elabora el Acta de Emancipación proclamando su independencia de España, que es firmada por los diputados que han ido llegado a caballo, en diligencias o carretas, por caminos en mal estado y durante largos días, y que el pueblo festejará alborozado. Incluso en la noche del día siguiente se realizará un baile de gala para celebrarlo. (Hace 208 años)

1762

En Rusia, Catalina II asume el cargo de emperatriz como sucesora de su marido Pedro III, asesinado en un complot. Catalina intentará una europeización del país, y otorgará a la nobleza un puesto relevante que hasta ese momento no ha tenido. Fracasará en su intento de crear un código con las ideas de Montesquieu, y en 1773 tendrá que hacer frente a una contienda con los campesinos, por la nefasta situación social en que se hallará sumida la población rural. Será considerada una mujer inteligente, culta, sagaz, muy hábil, apasionada y con una vida privada un tanto peculiar. Cultivará una gran amistad y comunicación con los grandes ilustrados franceses como Diderot, Montesquieu o Voltaire. (Hace 262 años)

1540

Enrique VIII, rey de Inglaterra e Irlanda, se divorcia de su cuarta esposa, Ana de Cleves, tras seis meses de matrimonio. Alega falta de atractivo de Ana y escasa educación, por lo que también sostiene que el matrimonio no ha sido nunca consumado. (Hace 484 años)

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verityreadsbooks · 4 months ago

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Mega Sport Weekend

I promise normal service will return soon, but my brain is still recovering from Thursday night, my sleep is out of whack. England needed penalties to get through to the semi finals of EURO 2024 last night and it’s the British Grand Prix just down the road from me today. And that’s not even mentioning the MotoGP, the Tour de France and Wimbledon. Plus the fact that I have to run around the park…

#announcement

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ceritatrending · 4 months ago

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Euro 2024: The Stage of European Football’s Finest

As the summer of 2024 heats up, so does the competition in the UEFA European Championship, commonly known as Euro 2024. Hosted by Germany, this tournament has brought together the continent’s top football nations to battle for the coveted title of European champions.

A Tournament of Surprises Euro 2024 has been a tournament of surprises and thrilling comebacks. The Netherlands, under the guidance of coach Ronald Koeman, staged a stunning comeback to defeat Turkey. This victory was a testament to the team’s resilience and tactical flexibility, showcasing why the Dutch are considered one of the favorites to lift the trophy.

Wimbledon Joins the Celebration The excitement of Euro 2024 has even spilled over into other sporting events. At Wimbledon, the crowd erupted during Novak Djokovic’s match as news of England’s progress in the tournament reached the stands. It’s a rare moment when two of the world’s premiere sporting events collide, creating an unforgettable atmosphere.

Controversy and Diplomacy The tournament has not been without controversy. Turkish supporters made headlines with a controversial hand gesture, leading to a diplomatic row between Turkey and host nation Germany. Such incidents highlight the intense emotions and national pride that come to the fore in international competitions.

The Road to the Final As the tournament progresses, fans eagerly anticipate the semifinals and the ultimate showdown in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on July 14, 20244. With the stakes higher than ever, each match is more than just a game; it’s a chance for players to become national heroes and etch their names in football history.

Conclusion Euro 2024 has lived up to its reputation as a festival of football, offering a blend of passion, skill, and drama. As the tournament moves towards its climax, the world watches with bated breath to see which nation will emerge victorious and claim the title of Europe’s best.

#euro2024

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livinglappurrr · 5 months ago

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25/05/2024 - another productive day as I did lots of tidying and sorting, including updating my car log book. I then got my hair done, which is never a comfortable experience for me as I don’t understand the hairdressing salon dynamics. I paid the hairdresser with the £30 cash as quoted and including a tip this time. I was 2 minutes down the road when I got a call from the hairdresser. My brain started spiralling as I was wondering if I’d underpaid somehow. Turns out I’d just dropped my earrings when I got my money out to pay. I went back to get them and also awkwardly confirmed that I had paid the right amount (which I had). It wasn’t the best haircut but it was still an improvement. I then made my way to Wimbledon to meet the Greenshaws in the Alexandra to enjoy a cold brew in the sunshine. En route, I made a spontaneous purchase of some silver converses, the period of deliberation meant I missed two buses.

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normally0 · 5 months ago

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Moffat Court, Wimbledon - 1956

Mountford Pigott designed a residential development on the site of a former "Hospital for Infectious Diseases" on Gap Road, Wimbledon, built in 1956. Visiting it today in 2024, I see that almost 70 years have passed. It remains in good condition, though it needs some care—plants growing in gutters leading to a few overflows, but no major wear and tear. The design has a Bauhaus feel, with corner windows and a missing corner window in a grid of fenestration. It reminded me of OM Ungers' Lutzowplatz scheme in Berlin, where stark elevations featured just one corner square window; its antithesis. This architectural austerity is evident in both cases. However, the residents I met at Moffat Court are pleased with the community and housing, raising their daughter in this post-war development brought to life by my grandfather, Richard Mountford Pigott.

#architecture #berlin #area #london #acme #chicago #puzzle #edwin lutyens #oma #massimoscolari

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fan-of-mulligan · 6 months ago

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FOM BLOG: MY UPDATED FOOTBALL STADIUM CHECK LIST - 2023 / 2024

This Stadium List Has Been Updated On 16th May 2023 / At The End Of The 2023 / 2024 Season……

I will start off by naming the grounds I have been too, this could take a while...........

Accrington Stanley - The Crown Ground

AFC Fylde - Mill Farm

AFC Wimbledon - Kingsmeadow And New Plough Lane

AFC Bournemouth - Dean Court

Aldershot Town - The EBB Stadium

Ashford United - The Homelands

Barnet - Underhill and The Hive

Barnsley - Oakwell

Barrow - Holker Street

Bearsted - Honey Lane

Billericay Town - New Lodge

Birmingham City - St Andrews

Blackburn Rovers - Ewood Park

Blackpool - Bloomfield Road

Bolton Wanderers - The Macron Stadium

Brackley Town - St James Park

Bradford City - Valley Parade

Brentford - Griffin Park And The Gtech Community Stadium

Brighton & Hove Albion - The Amex Arena and Withdean Stadium

Bristol City - Ashton Gate

Bristol Rovers - The Memorial Stadium

Bromley - Hayes Lane

Burton Albion - The Pirelli Stadium

Bury - Gigg Lane

Cambridge United - Abbey Stadium

Carlisle United - Brunton Park

Charlton Athletic - The Valley

Chatham Town - The Sports Ground

Cheltenham Town - Whaddon Road

Chester City - The Exacta Stadium

Chesterfield - The Proact Stadium and Saltergate

Colchester United - Weston Homes Community Stadium

Coventry City - Sixfields and The Ricoh Arena

Crawley Town - Broadfield Stadium

Crewe Alexandra - Gresty Road

Crystal Palace - Selhurst Park

Dagenham & Redbridge - Victoria Road

Dartford - Princes Park

Darlington - The Darlo Arena

Doncaster Rovers - Keepmoat Stadium

Dover Athletic - The Crabble

Ebbsfleet United - Stonebridge Road

Exeter City - St James Park

Faversham Town - Salters Lane

Fleetwood Town - Highbury Stadium

Folkestone Invicta - Cheriton Road

Forest Green Rovers - The New Lawn Stadium

Gillingham - Priestfield Stadium (Of Course)

Gillingham Town - Hardings Lane - Only went to view the stadium, not watch a game there

Grimsby Town - Blundell Park

Hartlepool United - Victoria Park

Harrogate Town - Wetherby Road

Hereford United - Edgar Street

Herne Bay - Winch’s Field

Hollands & Blair - Star Meadow Sports Stadium

Huddersfield Town - Galpharm Stadium

Hythe Town - Reachfields Stadium

Ipswich Town - Portman Road

K Sports FC - K Sports Cobdown

Leeds United - Elland Road

Leyton Orient - Brisbane Road

Lincoln City - Sincil Bank

Lordswood - Martyn Grove Stadium

Luton Town - Kenilworth Road

Maidstone United - The Gallagher Stadium

Manchester United - Old Trafford ( But this was only a tour of the stadium, not to watch a game)

Mansfield Town - Field Mill

Macclesfield Town - Moss Rose

Margate - Hartsdown Park

Millwall - The Den

Milton Keynes Dons - stadium mk

Morecambe - The Globe Arena and Christie Park

Newport County - Rodney Parade

Northampton Town - Sixfields

Norwich City - Carrow Road

Nottingham Forest - The City Ground

Notts County - Meadow Lane

Oldham Athletic - Boundary Park

Oxford United - The Kassam Stadium

Peterborough United - London Road

Phoenix Sports - The Mayplace Ground

Plymouth Argyle - Home Park

Port Vale - Vale Park

Portsmouth - Fratton Park

Preston North End - Deepdale

Ramsgate - Southwood Stadium

Reading - Madejski Stadium

Rochdale - Spotland

Rotherham United - The New York Stadium, Don Valley and Millmoor

Salford City - Peninsula Stadium

Scunthorpe United - Glanford Park

Sittingbourne - Bourne Park (For The Concord Rangers V Gillingham Game) And Woodstock Park

Sheffield United - Bramall Lane

Sheffield Wednesday - Hillsborough Stadium

Sheppey United - The Havill Stadium

Shrewsbury Town - Greenhous Meadow

Slough Town - Arbour Park

Southampton - St Mary’s Stadium

Southend United - Roots Hall

Stevenage - Broadhall Way

Stockport County - Edgeley Park

Sunderland - Stadium Of Light

Sutton United - Gander Green Lane

Swansea City - Liberty Stadium

Swindon Town - The County Ground

Tonbridge Angels - Longmead Stadium

Torquay United - Plainmoor

Tottenham - White Heart Lane (The Old Stadium)

Tranmere Rovers - Prenton Park

Walsall - The Bescot Stadium

Watford - Vicarage Road

Welling United - Park View Road

Whitstable Town - The Belmont Ground

Wigan Athletic - DW Stadium

Wolverhampton Wanderers - Molineux

Wrexham - The Racecourse Ground

Wycombe Wanderers - Adams Park

VCD Athletic - The Oakwood

Yeovil Town - Huish Park

York City - Bootham Crescent

Wembley Stadium - for Gillingham’s promotion into League One in 2009 and for Tunbridge Wells defeat in The FA Vase Final in 2013, And I watched Cray Valley at The FA Trophy And FA Vase Finals Day.

So the news stadiums I have been to this season are as follows......

Forest Green Rovers - The New Lawn Stadium

Lordswood - Martyn Grove Stadium

Sittingbourne - Woodstock Park

Wrexham - The Racecourse Ground

#football #stadiums #awaydays

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thegospelhighways2020 · 7 months ago

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Time now for we still have joy with #racheljoyscott we're praying for her Y'all Good Morning this morning we're going to use for an subject about Death of A Child first let us go into prayer right now Dear Heavenly father As we approach your throne in the most humbled way we know how to pray we come to you lord to give us Our sins the healing and heal and lift each and every single child that is dying up and let them be an angel in Jesus name we pray amen Death of A Child A 3 Year Old #california Toddler Tried to Escape and said ' I Love you ' to her Mother While being Suffocated in A 2021 Exorcism That Killed the Child, Prosecutors Say, Arely Naomi Proctor Was Smothered And Choked ForMore than 12 hours by Relatives who believed they were Expelling an 'Evil Demon', Authorities said. O.J. Simpson Died From Cancer April 10th 2024 At The Age 76 Years Old 7-year-old child dies after being hit by car Wimbledon school crash RECAP: Family's tribute to 'shining star' girl, 8, 'loved by all' Emotional tributes have been pouring in for eight-year-old Selena Lau, who was tragically killed when a Land Rover crashed into a girls’ prep school in Wimbledon The flu has claimed the life of a Pike Road Elementary School student, according to Superintendent Charles Ledbetter. Zainab Momin, a third-grader, died Tuesday night. Jenna Mosier lived in Mooreland, a small town outside New Castle in rural Henry County. According to Henry County Coroner Stephen Hacker, the girl was brought by her family to Henry County Hospital and died Tuesday. Principal Ryan Kendall says the 8-year-old had a personality that drew people to her. A 6-year-old Henry County girl died from flu complications this week.Emma Brinkerhoff, 5, died after she was reportedly found unresponsive in a bathtub.reports that a 5-year-old girl was found unresponsive while taking a bath in Washington County on Dec. 11. We wanna thank you for tuning in this morning and may God continue to bless you

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warninggraphiccontent · 3 years ago

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16 July 2021

Food for thought

At last week's Data Bites, I noted how 'Wales' is a standard unit of area. This week, along comes a map which shows that all the built-up land in the UK is equivalent to one Wales:

The map is from the National Food Strategy, published yesterday (and the man has a point).

It has divided opinion, judging by the responses to this tweet. I understand where the sceptics are coming from - at first glance, it may be confusing, given Wales isn't actually entirely built up, Cornwall made of peat, or Shetland that close to the mainland (or home to all the UK's golf courses). And I'm often critical of people using maps just because the data is geographical in some way, when a different, non-map visualisation would be better.

But I actually think this one works. Using a familiar geography to represent areas given over to particular land use might help us grasp it more readily (urban areas = size of Wales, beef and lamb pastures = more of the country than anything else). It's also clear that a huge amount of overseas land is needed to feed the UK, too.

The map has grabbed people's attention and got them talking, which is no bad thing. And it tells the main stories I suspect its creators wanted to. In other words, it's made those messages... land.

Trash talk

Happy Take Out The Trash Day!

Yesterday saw A LOT of things published by Cabinet Office - data on special advisers, correspondence with parliamentarians, public bodies and major projects to name but a few, and the small matter of the new plans outlining departmental priorities and how their performance will be measured.

It's great that government is publishing this stuff. It's less great that too much of it still involves data being published in PDFs not spreadsheets. And it's even less great that the ignoble tradition of Take Out The Trash Day continues, for all the reasons here (written yesterday) and here (written in 2017).

I know this isn't (necessarily) deliberate, and it's a lot of good people working very hard to get things finished before the summer (as my 2017 piece acknowledges). And it's good to see government being transparent.

But it's 2021, for crying out loud. The data collection should be easier. The use of this data in government should be more widespread to begin with.

We should expect better.

In other news:

I was really pleased to have helped the excellent team at Transparency International UK (by way of some comments on a draft) with their new report exploring access and influence in UK housing policy, House of Cards. Read it here.

One of our recent Data Bites speakers, Doug Gurr, is apparently in the running to run the NHS. More here.

Any excuse to plug my Audrey Tang interview.

The good folk at ODI Leeds/The Data City/the ODI have picked up and run with my (and others') attempt to map the UK government data ecosystem. Do help them out.

Five years ago this week...

Regarding last week's headline of Three Lines on a Chart: obviously I was going to.

Have a great weekend

Gavin

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Today's links:

Graphic content

Vax populi

Why vaccine-shy French are suddenly rushing to get jabbed* (The Economist)

Morning update on Macron demolishing French anti-vax feeling (or at least vax-hesitant) (Sophie Pedder via Nicolas Berrod)

How Emmanuel Macron’s “health passes” have led to a surge in vaccine bookings in France* (New Statesman)

How effective are coronavirus vaccines against the Delta variant?* (FT)

England faces the sternest test of its vaccination strategy* (The Economist)

Where Are The Newest COVID Hot Spots? Mostly Places With Low Vaccination Rates (NPR)

There's A Stark Red-Blue Divide When It Comes To States' Vaccination Rates (NPR)

All talk, no jabs: the reality of global vaccine diplomacy* (Telegraph)

Vaccination burnout? (Reuters)

Viral content

COVID-19: Will the data allow the government to lift restrictions on 19 July? (Sky News)

UK Covid-19 rates are the highest of any European country after Cyprus* (New Statesman)

COVID-19: Cautionary tale from the Netherlands' coronavirus unlocking - what lessons can the UK learn? (Sky News)

‘Inadequate’: Covid breaches on the rise in Australia’s hotel quarantine (The Guardian)

Side effects

COVID-19: Why is there a surge in winter viruses at the moment? (Sky News)

London Beats New York Back to Office, by a Latte* (Bloomberg)

Outdoor dining reopened restaurants for all — but added to barriers for disabled* (Washington Post)

NYC Needs the Commuting Crowds That Have Yet to Fully Return* (Bloomberg)

Politics and government

Who will succeed Angela Merkel?* (The Economist)

Special advisers in government (Tim for IfG)

How stingy are the UK’s benefits? (Jamie Thunder)

A decade of change for children's services funding (Pro Bono Economics)

National Food Strategy (independent review for UK Government)

National Food Strategy: Tax sugar and salt and prescribe veg, report says (BBC News)

Air, space

Can Wizz challenge Ryanair as king of Europe’s skies?* (FT)

Air passengers have become much more confrontational during the pandemic* (The Economist)

Branson and Bezos in space: how their rocket ships compare* (FT)

Sport

Euro 2020: England expects — the long road back to a Wembley final* (FT)

Most football fans – and most voters – support the England team taking the knee* (New Statesman)

Domestic violence surges after a football match ends* (The Economist)

The Most Valuable Soccer Player In America Is A Goalkeeper (FiveThirtyEight)

Sport is still rife with doping* (The Economist)

Wimbledon wild card success does not disguise financial challenge* (FT)

Can The U.S. Women’s Swim Team Make A Gold Medal Sweep? (FiveThirtyEight)

Everything else

Smoking: How large of a global problem is it? And how can we make progress against it? (Our World in Data)

Record June heat in North America and Europe linked to climate change* (FT)

Here’s a list of open, non-code tools that I use for #dataviz, #dataforgood, charity data, maps, infographics... (Lisa Hornung)

Meta data

Identity crisis

A single sign-on and digital identity solution for government (GDS)

UK government set to unveil next steps in digital identity market plan (Computer Weekly)

BCS calls for social media platforms to verify users to curb abuse (IT Pro)

ID verification for social media as a solution to online abuse is a terrible idea (diginomica)

Who is behind the online abuse of black England players and how can we stop it?* (New Statesman)

Euro 2020: Why abuse remains rife on social media (BBC News)

UK government

Online Media Literacy Strategy (DCMS)

Privacy enhancing technologies: Adoption guide (CDEI)

The Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset is now available in the ONS Secure Research Service (ADR UK)

Our Home Office 2024 DDaT Strategy is published (Home Office)

The UK’s Digital Regulation Plan makes few concrete commitments (Tech Monitor)

OSR statement on data transparency and the role of Heads of Profession for Statistics (Office for Statistics Regulation)

Good data from any source can help us report on the global goals to the UN (ONS)

The state of the UK’s statistical system 2020/21 (Office for Statistics Regulation)

Far from average: How COVID-19 has impacted the Average Weekly Earnings data (ONS)

Health

Shock treatment: can the pandemic turn the NHS digital? (E&T)

Can Vaccine Passports Actually Work? (Slate)

UK supercomputer Cambridge-1 to hunt for medical breakthroughs (The Guardian)

AI got 'rithm

An Applied Research Agenda for Data Governance for AI (GPAI)

Taoiseach and Minister Troy launch Government Roadmap for AI in Ireland (Irish Government)

Tech

“I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Go Back”: Return-to-Office Agita Is Sweeping Silicon Valley (Vanity Fair)

Google boss Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom (BBC News)

The class of 2021: Welcome to POLITICO’s annual ranking of the 28 power players behind Europe’s tech revolution (Politico)

Inside Facebook’s Data Wars* (New York Times)

Concern trolls and power grabs: Inside Big Tech’s angry, geeky, often petty war for your privacy (Protocol)

Exclusive extract: how Facebook's engineers spied on women* (Telegraph)

Face off

Can facial analysis technology create a child-safe internet? (The Observer)

#Identity, #OnlineSafety & #AgeVerification – notes on “Can facial analysis technology create a child-safe internet?” (Alec Muffett)

Europe makes the case to ban biometric surveillance* (Wired)

Open government

From open data to joined-up government: driving efficiency with BA Obras (Open Contracting Partnership)

AVAILABLE NOW! DEMOCRACY IN A PANDEMIC: PARTICIPATION IN RESPONSE TO CRISIS (Involve)

Designing digital services for equitable access (Brookings)

Data

Trusting the Data: How do we reach a public settlement on the future of tech? (Demos)

"Why do we use R rather than Excel?" (Terence Eden)

Everything else

The world’s biggest ransomware gang just disappeared from the internet (MIT Technology Review)

Our Statistical Excellence Awards Ceremony has just kicked off! (Royal Statistical Society)

Pin resets wipe all data from over 100 Treasury mobile phones (The Guardian)

Data officers raid two properties over Matt Hancock CCTV footage leak (The Guardian)

How did my phone number end up for sale on a US database? (BBC News)

Gendered disinformation: 6 reasons why liberal democracies need to respond to this threat (Demos, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung)

Opportunities

EVENT: Justice data in the digital age: Balancing risks and opportunities (The LEF)

JOBS: Senior Data Strategy - Data Innovation & Business Analysis Hub (MoJ)

JOB: Director of Evidence and Analytics (Natural England)

JOB: Policy and Research Associate (Open Ownership)

JOB: Research Officer in Data Science (LSE Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science)

JOB: Chief operating officer (Democracy Club, via Jukesie)

And finally...

me: can’t believe we didn’t date sooner... (@MNateShyamalan)

Are you closer to Georgia, or to Georgia? (@incunabula)

A masterpiece in FOIA (Chris Cook)

How K-Pop conquered the universe* (Washington Post)

Does everything really cost more? Find out with our inflation quiz.* (Washington Post)

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classyfoxdestiny · 3 years ago

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World won’t be vaccinated against Covid until 2024, says UK government

Britain’s announcement that it is sending 9 million surplus doses of coronavirus vaccine to developing countries has been denounced as “shamefully inadequate”, on a day when the UK again blocked moves to enable poorer nations to start producing their own supplies.

The People’s Vaccine Alliance said the consignment amounted to little more than 1 per cent of the amounts needed to meet the African Union target of protecting 60 per cent of the continent’s people, describing the gift as “a bit like sending a block of cheese to a food crisis”.

And campaigners noted that it came on the day that the World Trade Organisation’s general council deferred a decision on waiving intellectual property rights to Covid-19 vaccines until October, following continued opposition from rich-world countries led by Germany and the UK.

More than 3 million people have died with coronavirus worldwide since India and South Africa proposed the waiver last October, and campaigners warn that three months’ delay could cost another million lives. Just 0.3 per cent of the estimated 4bn vaccines administered globally have been injected in the 29 lowest-income countries, home to 9 per cent of the world’s population.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said he hoped the UK’s donation would help speed up a vaccination drive which at current trends will not see the world protected until the end of 2024.

But the UK government was accused of failing to put pressure on big pharmaceutical companies to share the technology and know-how needed to end a situation described by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa as “vaccine apartheid”.

Meanwhile, Oxford University’s regius professor of medicine Sir John Bell warned that leaving the poor world unvaccinated will create a petri dish for the emergence of new variants which could bypass existing vaccines.

While the UK’s decision to send the first batch of doses abroad was welcome and “long overdue”, there was “more heavy lifting to do” in helping poorer nations put distribution systems in place, said Sir John.

“If you want variants, you’ve got the perfect storm for that, and it is not in Watford – it is in Zimbabwe and Rwanda and South Africa,” he warned.

UK news in pictures

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1/50UK news in pictures

UK news in pictures

27 July 2021

A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants.

UK news in pictures

26 July 2021

A woman is helped by Border Force officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel, following a small boat incident in the Channel

UK news in pictures

25 July 2021

Vehicles drive through deep water on a flooded road in Nine Elms, London

AFP/Getty

UK news in pictures

24 July 2021

Utilities workers inspect a 15x20ft sinkhole on Green Lane, Liverpool, which is suspected to have been caused by ruptured water main

UK news in pictures

23 July 2021

Children interact with Mega Please Draw Freely by artist Ei Arakawa inside the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London, part of UNIQLO Tate Play the gallery’s new free programme of art-inspired activities for families

UK news in pictures

22 July 2021

Festivalgoers in the campsite at the Latitude festival in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk

UK news in pictures

21 July 2021

A man walks past an artwork by Will Blood on the end of a property in Bedminster, Bristol, as the 75 murals project reaches the halfway point and various graffiti pieces are sprayed onto walls and buildings across the city over the Summer

UK news in pictures

20 July 2021

People during morning prayer during Eid ul-Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice, in Southall Park, Uxbridge, London

UK news in pictures

19 July 2021

Commuters, some not wearing facemasks, at Westminster Underground station, at 08:38 in London after the final legal Coronavirus restrictions were lifted in England

UK news in pictures

18 July 2021

A view of spectators by the 2nd green during day four of The Open at The Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent

UK news in pictures

17 July 2021

Cyclists ride over the Hammersmith Bridge in London. The bridge was closed last year after cracks in it worsened during a heatwave

Getty

UK news in pictures

16 July 2021

The sun rises behind the Sefton Park Palm House, in Sefton Park, Liverpool

UK news in pictures

15 July 2021

Sir Nicholas Serota watches a short film about sea monsters as he opens a £7.6 million, 360 immersive dome at Devonport’s Market Hall in Plymouth, which is the first of its type to be built in Europe

UK news in pictures

14 July 2021

Heidi Street, playing a gothic character, looks at a brain suspended in glass at the world’s first attraction dedicated to the author of Frankenstein inside the ‘Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein’ experience, located in a Georgian terraced house in Bath, as it prepares to open to the public on 19 July

UK news in pictures

13 July 2021

Rehearsals are held in a car park in Glasgow for a parade scene ahead of filming for what is thought to be the new Indiana Jones 5 movie starring Harrison Ford

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12 July 2021

A local resident puts love hearts and slogans on the plastic that covers offensive graffiti on the vandalised mural of Manchester United striker and England player Marcus Rashford on the wall of a cafe on Copson Street, Withington in Manchester

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11 July 2021

England’s Bukayo Saka with manager Gareth Southgate after the match

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10 July 2021

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty holds the trophy after winning her final Wimbledon match against Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova

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9 July 2021

England 1966 World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst stands on top of a pod on the lastminute.com London Eye wearing a replica 1966 World Cup final kit and looking out towards Wembley Stadium in the north of the capital, where the England football team will play Italy in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday

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8 July 2021

Karolina Pliskova celebrates after defeating Aryna Sabalenka during the women’s singles semifinals match on day ten of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London

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7 July 2021

The residents of Towfield Court in Feltham have transformed their estate with England flags for the Euro 2020 tournament

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6 July 2021

A couple are hit by a wave as they walk along the promenade in Dover, Kent, during strong winds

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5 July 2021

Alexander Zverev playing against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round of the Gentlemen’s Singles on Court 1 on day seven of Wimbledon at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

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4 July 2021

Aaron Carty and the Beyoncé Experience perform on stage during UK Black Pride at The Roundhouse in London

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3 July 2021

England’s Jordan Henderson celebrates after scoring his first international goal, his side’s fourth against Ukraine during the Euro 2020 quarter final match at the Olympic stadium in Rome

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2 July 2021

Dan Evans serves against Sebastian Korda during their men’s singles third round match at Wimbledon

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1 July 2021

Prince William, left and Prince Harry unveil a statue they commissioned of their mother Princess Diana, on what would have been her 60th birthday, in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, London

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30 June 2021

Dancers from the Billingham Festival and Balbir Singh Dance Company, during a preview for the The Two Fridas, UK Summer tour, presented by Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance in collaboration with Balbir Singh Dance Company, inspired by the life and times of female artists Frida Kahlo and Amrita Sher-Gil , which opens on July 10 at Ushaw Historic House, Chapel and Gardens in Durham

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29 June 2021

A boy kicks a soccer ball in front of the balconies and landings adorned with predominantly England flags at the Kirby housing estate in London

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28 June 2021

Emergency services attend a fire nearby the Elephant & Castle Rail Station in London

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27 June 2021

People walk along Regent Street in central London during a #FreedomToDance march organised by Save Our Scene, in protest against the government’s perceived disregard for the live music industry throughout the coronavirus pandemic

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26 June 2021

A pair of marchers in a Trans Pride rally share a smile in Soho

Angela Christofilou/The Independent

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25 June 2021

Tim Duckworth during the Long Jump in the decathlon during day one of the Muller British Athletics Championships at Manchester Regional Arena

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24 June 2021

A member of staff poses with the work ‘The Death of Cash’ by XCopy at the ‘CryptOGs: The Pioneers of NFT Art’ auction at Bonhams auction house in London

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23 June 2021

Bank of England Chief Cashier Sarah John displays the new 50-pound banknote at Daunt Books in London

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22 June 2021

Actor Isaac Hampstead Wright sits on the newly unveiled Game of Throne’s “Iron Throne” statue, in Leicester Square, in London, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. The statue is the tenth to join the trail and commemorates 10 years since the TV show first aired, as well as in anticipation for HBO’s release of House of the Dragon set to be released in 2022

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21 June 2021

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon receives her second dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

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20 June 2021

Joyce Paton, from Peterhead, on one of the remaining snow patches on Meall a’Bhuiridh in Glencoe during the Midsummer Ski. The event, organised by the Glencoe Mountain Resort, is held every year on the weekend closest to the Summer Solstice

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19 June 2021

England appeal LBW during day four of their Women’s International Test match against India at the Bristol County Ground

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18 June 2021

Scotland fans let off flares in Leicester Square after Scotland’s Euro 2020 match against England ended in a 0-0 draw

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17 June 2021

Members of the Tootsie Rollers jazz band pose on the third day of the Royal Ascot horse racing meet

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16 June 2021

A woman and child examine life-size sculptures of a herd of Asian elephants set up by the Elephant Family and The Real Elephant Collective to help educate the public on the elephants and the ways in which humans can better protect the planets biodiversity, in Green Park, central London

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UK news in pictures

15 June 2021

Hydrotherapists with Dixie, a seven-year-old Dachshund who is being treated for back problems common with the breed, in the hydrotherapy pool during a facility at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home’s in Battersea, London, to view their new hydrotherapy centre

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14 June 2021

Scotland’s David Marshall in the net after Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick scored their second goal at Hampden Park

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13 June 2021

Raheem Sterling celebrates with Harry Kane after scoring England’s first goal of the Euro 2021 tournament in a match against Croatia at Wembley

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12 June 2021

Oxfam campaigners wearing costumes depicting G7 leaders pose for photographers on Swanpool Beach near Falmouth, Cornwall

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11 June 2021

Members of the Vaxinol team, who are commercial, industrial and residential cleaners specialising in disinfection and decontamination, use electrostatic spray systems to deep clean the Only Fools Bar in Liverpool

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10 June 2021

A woman walks her dogs as the incoming tide begins to wash away the heads of G7 leaders drawn in the sand by activists on the beach at Newquay, Cornwall

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9 June 2021

Adam Chamberlain, 45, general manager of Big Tree pub in Sheffield, has put up over 500 flags, taking 36 hours, in preparation for Euro 2020, which kicks off this weekend

Tom Maddick / SWNS

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8 June 2021

REUTERS

Leaders of the major industrialised nations at the G7 summit chaired by Boris Johnson in Cornwall pledged more than 1bn doses of Covid-19 vaccine – 870m shared directly and the rest through funding to the UN-led Covax initiative.

But aid groups said the pledges failed to meet the scale of the challenge, which requires at least 11 billion jabs to protect the world. Former prime minister Gordon Brown called it an “unforgivable moral failure”.

In response to today’s UK announcement, People’s Vaccine Alliance senior health policy advisor Dr Mohga Kamal-Yanni said: “The 9 million doses the UK is sending are around 1 per cent of the doses currently needed for Africa, so it’s a bit like sending a block of cheese to a food crisis.

“All countries are struggling with new waves of the virus. While the UK and other rich countries are protected by vaccines, developing countries are not. Millions of doses are needed right now and we need to see a proper redistribution of doses going to people at risk in all countries, rather than small acts of charity.

“To vaccinate the world, all qualified manufacturers in the global South need to be enabled to produce Covid-19 vaccines, by sharing the technology and knowledge which is being kept under pharma monopoly.”

Aid campaign Global Justice Now condemned Mr Raab’s statement that some 20 per cent of the donated jabs would be distributed on a a “strategic basis”, arguing that it should not be up to the foreign secretary to decide the distribution of vaccines according to the UK’s national interests.

The group’s director Nick Dearden said: “Britain’s donations today are shamefully inadequate. And the government wants to use this as a form of diplomacy, offering many doses on the basis of their strategic interests. This is a global health crisis, not an opportunity for vain self-promotion.

“Worse still, this shoddy piece of PR went out on the very day the UK is blocking real solutions at the WTO that would allow many of these countries to produce their own vaccines in far greater quantities than donations will ever achieve.”

The WTO’s 164 member states take all decisions by consensus, so a minority of nations have been able to block the waiver despite support from the US and China.

Speaking at the two-day general council meeting in Geneva, WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said there was agreement on the need to ramp up production quickly, but disagreement on how to do it. While surplus production capacity exists in countries like Senegal, Bangladesh, India, South Africa, Thailand, Morocco and Egypt, local manufacturers need access to technology and know-how from the industrialised world for local production of vaccines to be possible.

“Getting production in developing countries to a higher level so that more shots can go into more arms in Africa, Latin America and Asia, is of critical importance to everyone here,” Rockwell said.

Mr Raab said that the first batch of excess UK vaccines will be start being shipped to vulnerable nations and Commonwealth allies this week, with Indonesia receiving 600,000 doses and Jamaica 300,000. Some 817,000 are to be transported to Kenya, whose president Uhuru Kenyatta was meeting Mr Johnson at his Chequers country retreat.

“I think what it shows, as well as the domestic rollout and the importance of coming out of the lockdowns in the UK, is that global Britain is also a lifesaving force for good in the world,” said the foreign secretary.

Speaking during a visit to the Oxford Biomedica factory, which produces the AstraZeneca vaccine, Mr Raab said: “We know on the current trajectory the world will only be adequately vaccinated at 2024, at the end.

“We want to get that date back to the middle of next year, and that will make a massive difference to those countries affected.”

Romilly Greenhill, UK director of the One Campaign, said the delivery of the doses was “encouraging”.

But she added: “Sadly, we are still only scratching at the surface of this crisis, leaving millions of people dangerously exposed to a pandemic that is very far from over.”

Responding to protests over Britain blocking of the so-called TRIPs waiver, a government spokesperson said: “The UK is proud to be playing a leading role in the global effort to create and distribute Covid-19 vaccines. The government supported the development of the Oxford AstraZeneca, which is being made available at cost worldwide.

“We are engaging constructively with the US and other WTO members on the waiver issue and will carefully review any proposal submitted to the TRIPs Council, but we need to act now to expand vaccine production and distribution worldwide.

“The UK wants to push ahead with pragmatic action, including voluntary licensing and technology transfer agreements for vaccines, support for COVAX, and solutions for production bottlenecks and supply chain issues.”

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rickhorrow · 5 years ago

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10 TO WATCH : MAYOR’S EDITION 71519

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 15 : MAYOR’S EDITION

with Jacob Aere

Last week, a ticker-tape parade through Manhattan. Now, it's back to work. In the wake of the USWNT’s fourth World Cup title, boosting interest in the nine-team National Women's Soccer League, where all 23 members of the USWNT compete, is now top priority. As JohnWallStreet notes, capitalizing on the World Cup frenzy is easier said than done, especially when attendance is already a struggle. Portland averages 18,000 fans and Utah averages 11,000, but the other seven franchises average fewer than 5,000. While the NWSL still boasts the majority of the world's top players (including reigning world player of the year Marta), Europe is closing the gap. Wealthy clubs like Olympique Lyon and Barcelona have upped their investments in women's soccer, leading to a record seven European countries reaching this year's World Cup quarterfinals. If the NWSL can't keep up, the balance of power in the sport could ultimately shift — both at the club level (Americans could be lured overseas by bigger paychecks) and internationally (continued investment could threaten the USWNT's dominance). With the future of U.S. women's soccer at stake, the NWSL must seize the moment like never before.

87% of the top 30 advertisers that ran spots during the Women’s World Cup also did so during the Men’s World Cup last year, according to a MediaRadar study. “Looking at how top industries spent TV ad dollars on each tournament, we notice several similarities, but also some differences,” said Todd Krizelman, CEO and Co-Founder of MediaRadar. “Industries such as Retail and Media and Entertainment accounted for a similar share of the ad dollars in both tournaments, but then there were industries where the share of spend was noticeably different.” Industries that accounted for a larger share of spend during the men's tournament included Technology, Non-Alcoholic Beverages, and Beer, Wine and Spirits, while Finance & Real Estate, Apparel, Home Furnishings, and Toiletries and Cosmetics accounted for a larger share of spend during the women’s events. This is yet another sign that consumers, and their brands, view the women’s national team to be every bit as economically viable as the men’s.

DC-based educational technology leader EVERFI has partnerships with the NFL and United Way, as well as MLB, the NHL, and NBA. But it’s a recent alignment with the EPL that is taking up much of co-founder Jon Chapman's time these days. Chapman, who serves as EVERFI's head of global partnerships, last Friday spoke with SportsBusiness Daily about working with some of the premier leagues in sports, his favorite places to travel, and his family's most recent trip across the pond. "I recently got back from London after meeting with the EPL, and they’ve got a really innovative program called Primary Stars, which focuses on elementary age students. We are helping them bring that program to the U.S.,” Chapman said. “It’s a lot of fun working with this variety of leagues, and the way it came about is really just that the sports world is a small one. If you do well by one of the leagues, there’s a really strong network effect.” And as mental health issues and suicide rates climb across the U.S., EVERFI last week launched important new courses to help colleges and universities support students during transitional periods – a critical need as students return to campuses across the nation next month.

Minor League Baseball has announced its list of Top 25 teams in licensed merchandise sales for 2018, with the combined totals of all 160 teams setting a MiLB record with more than $73.8 million in retail sales. The $73.8 million total marks a 4.2% increase over 2017’s record total. The Top 25 list includes: Albuquerque Isotopes, Charleston RiverDogs, Charlotte Knights, Columbia Fireflies, Columbus Clippers, Corpus Christi Hooks, Durham Bulls, El Paso Chihuahuas, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Gwinnett Stripers, Hartford Yard Goats, Indianapolis Indians, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Nashville Sounds, Pawtucket Red Sox, Portland Sea Dogs, Richmond Flying Squirrels, Rochester Red Wings, Sacramento River Cats, Salt Lake Bees, San Antonio Missions, Tacoma Rainiers, Toledo Mud Hens, and Trenton Thunder. Rick recently spoke with Octagon Executive Vice President Woody Thompson, who leads that agency’s baseball practice. Here’s what Thompson shared: “Baseball has done a really great job. From a municipal standpoint, their engagement with these cities has been fantastic and the cities have really gotten behind it…Baseball has a place in this country in the hearts and minds of everybody. Whether you’re a kid or you’re an adult, baseball is there for you.”

After a Wimbledon for the ages, World Team Tennis, U.S. hardcourts return. Armed with new CEO Carlos Silva, two new franchises, a new TV partner, and a new streaming partner, World Team Tennis returns for its 44th season this month, with the eight-team league, which now includes the Vegas Rollers and Orlando Storm, and features 16 matches on CBS Sports channels July 14-August 3, including the league’s debut on broadcast TV July 21. While we won’t see Wimbledon champs Simona Halep and Novak Djokovic competing, this year’s WTT athletes include returning players Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Bob and Mike Bryan, Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka, Monica Puig, Eugenie Bouchard, and John Isner. Elsewhere, the 2019 Citi Open in Washington, DC will see fans offered a new fan experience showcasing D.C.’s “most innovative” culinary fare. Levy will be the exclusive food and beverage partner for the long-running tennis tournament. In a delicious new twist, Levy will rebrand concessions and VIP hospitality fare throughout the tournament grounds with customized menus from Chef Jose Andres and favored local D.C. eateries.

As David Beckham took in Wimbledon action on Centre Court, his MLS Inter Miami franchise secured permission from city commissioners to build a soccer-specific stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The motion was approved for the City of Fort Lauderdale to enter into a comprehensive agreement with Beckham’s MLS project to develop the Lockhart Stadium site. Inter Miami, which will join MLS in 2020, plans to invest up to $60 million to construct a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat stadium at the site of the now demolished Lockhart Stadium. The venue will temporarily house the MLS franchise for two seasons while the club looks to construct a permanent stadium in Miami on a 73-acre site near Melreese golf course. Lockhart site construction will begin once the FAA approves the process due to the site’s proximity to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. Meanwhile, Beckham is working with his new Studio 99 content house and LeBron James’ Uninterrupted to co-produce a documentary series charting the launch of Inter Miami. Studio 99 already has a slate of projects in development with a broad focus beyond sports.

The New York Islanders have revealed plans for a new train station as part of their $1.26 billion redevelopment project at Belmont Park. The total train station cost, which will be part of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) line, is expected to be $105 million. $97 million of that figure will be funded by redevelopment group New York Arena Partners, with the state providing the remaining $8 million. According to Newsday, the train station will be partially open by 2021, when the Islanders hope to open their new arena, and fully operational by 2023. The service is expected to alleviate concerns over a lack of public transport to the Belmont Park site, which as well as a 19,000-seat arena and entertainment complex is to feature a 250-room hotel and 435,000 square feet of retail space. The announcement of Long Island’s first new LIRR station in nearly 50 years coincided with the release of new analysis of the project’s economic impact. The study claims that the new arena, hotel, and retail village will generate nearly $50 million in new public revenue per year and produce $725 million in annual economic output.

Ever since Steve Ballmer bought the team, the Los Angeles Clippers have done their best to make an impression in a market long dominated by the Lakers. While the Lakers cratered last season, the Clippers created a blue-collar identity en route to a playoff appearance. With a net worth of $42 billion, Ballmer is the wealthiest owner in North American sports, and he's utilized that wealth to bulk up the Clippers' front office and medical staff — two areas of increasing importance in an era of load management. Off the court, the Clippers have carved out their own space in Los Angeles in hopes of attracting new fans and being viewed as much more than a little brother. Ballmer has donated more than $10 million to build 350 Clippers-branded public basketball courts throughout the city — a philanthropic effort that doubles as a way to win the hearts and minds of young L.A. residents. There are also plans for the team to move into a new, privately-financed arena in Inglewood by 2024. The L.A. basketball landscape dramatically changed last week — and if Ballmer has his way, that change could be permanent.

Captain Morgan is toasting Major League Soccer, courtesy of a new agreement to become the league’s official spiced rum and exclusive spirits partner through 2022. The new deal names Captain Morgan as an official sponsor of MLS All-Star – taking place in a few weeks in Orlando – the Campeones Cup (August 14), and MLS Cup (November 10). Fans will soon be able to purchase custom-labeled bottles of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum featuring official team colors and crests. “From New York to Seattle to Los Angeles, everything about Major League Soccer, its intensely passionate fan base, the atmosphere at each match, and the exciting growth of the sport in the U.S. mirrors the energy that Captain Morgan stands for,” said Christina Choi, DIAGEO Senior Vice President, Rum, Gin, and Tequila. “Our goal is to reward that dedicated fan base, and the crews that get together to support their clubs each and every week, with the fun only Captain can bring.” The rum brand also becomes an official sponsor of Chicago Fire Soccer Club, D.C. United, New York City FC, Philadelphia Union, and Seattle Sounders FC.

MLS-Liga MX Leagues Cup confirms domestic rights deals for new North American soccer tournament. According to SportsPro, ESPN and Univision have secured U.S. rights to the inaugural Leagues Cup, the new continental club soccer competition featuring eight teams from MLS and Liga MX, North America’s two powerhouse leagues. ESPN will host U.S. English-language coverage across both its linear and over-the-top channels throughout the seven-match tournament, which kicks off July 23. ESPN+ will stream three quarter-final matches including Chicago Fire v Cruz Azul on the opening day, as well as Houston Dynamo v Club America, and Real Salt Lake v Tigres UANL on July 24. This is a bold move to further the passion for soccer in North America; a move that will prove fruitful in the long run for MLS, which sees some of the youngest average fan ages when compared to other major North American sports leagues.

#10 #10towatch

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reneeacaseyfl · 5 years ago

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An Epic Wimbledon Final Gives Way to Plans for a Grand Future

WIMBLEDON, England — On Sunday evening, the Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic stood on Centre Court after beating Roger Federer and made it clear that his long-term plan was to keep improving and adding to his legacy.

On Monday afternoon, Richard Lewis, the tournament’s chief executive, stood in front of an aerial photograph and made it clear that Wimbledon had a similar long-term plan of its own.

The All England Club, which owns and operates tennis’s oldest Grand Slam tournament, continues to expand. The most visible addition this year was the retractable roof on No. 1 Court, giving Wimbledon a weatherproof complement to Centre Court, which was equipped with a roof in 2009.

But those projects have been tiny in scale compared with what is coming next as Wimbledon prepares to expand to the other side of Church Road.

In December, the club completed an early buyout of the lease of the Wimbledon Park Golf Club, which will nearly triple the All England Club’s footprint to about 120 acres from 42.

“It’s just so much opportunity and wonderful to be able to talk about, ‘Will we have too much space?’” Lewis said.

The club will take possession of the majority of the new land in December 2021, and the rest most likely in 2022 or 2023.

Detailed plans are still being formulated, options still being debated. Will they dig tunnels under Church Road to bring the two sections of Wimbledon together? Will the road be closed during the tournament?

But what is clear is that a large number of grass courts will be constructed on the new site, allowing the club to stage the qualifying tournament at Wimbledon instead of at its current site about four miles away in Roehampton.

That could happen in time for the 2024 tournament.

Djokovic will be 37 then, the same age Federer was on Sunday when he pushed Djokovic to the brink of defeat, only to fail to convert two match points in the fifth set.

Djokovic, showing his now-hallmark grit, went on to win the longest Wimbledon men’s singles final in history, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3).

The fifth-set tiebreaker at 12-all — new to Wimbledon this year — was instituted to prevent ultramarathon matches that can wreak havoc on the schedule and on players’ ability to recover. Lewis said that, when Wimbledon opted last fall to introduce the final-set tiebreaker, there was a serious debate about whether the finals should be exceptions. But the tournament leadership chose to maintain consistency across all matches.

Lewis also said he was happy Wimbledon had decided not to take the conventional path and go to a final-set tiebreaker at 6-6.

“I must admit I was standing there at 6-all by the side of the court, and I thought there’s loads left in this match, and I’m really glad we’re not doing it now,” Lewis said. “I think 12-all takes time to get used to, but I felt the standard of tennis was unbelievably good, and one of the factors was I think Roger and Novak didn’t have to worry about pacing themselves. They knew there was a finish line.”

It is remarkable that Djokovic could fight off an inspired Federer over 4 hours 57 minutes, and also that Federer remains so inspired at this late stage of his career.

“I hope I give some other people a chance to believe at 37 it’s not over yet,” Federer said during the awards ceremony.

Djokovic was watching quietly from the other side of Centre Court, the champion’s trophy in his grasp, as Federer answered questions from the BBC’s Sue Barker. When it was Djokovic’s turn, he sent a clear message.

“Roger said he hopes that he gives some other people a chance to believe they can do it at 37,” Djokovic said. “I’m one of them.”

It would be quite a golden-era twist if Federer’s enduring ability to challenge for major trophies is what provides Djokovic with the belief that he can eventually break Federer’s records of 20 Grand Slam singles titles and 310 total weeks at No. 1.

But that scenario looks ever more likely with Djokovic re-establishing himself as the sport’s best big-match player after the two-year slump between winning his first French Open title in 2016 and his Wimbledon victory in 2018.

For now, he has 16 major singles titles and has spent 260 weeks in the top spot. He will remain No. 1 heading into the United States Open, the next Grand Slam tournament, which begins in late August.

“I’m not really looking at age as a restriction of any kind, for me at least,” said Djokovic, the reigning U.S. Open champion. “It depends not only on myself. It depends on circumstances in life. I’m not just a tennis player. I’m a father and a husband. You have to balance things out. Obviously you need to have the right circumstances, the right support, for things to play out in the right way.”

Support remains an issue for Djokovic, who has had to play in front of vocally pro-Federer crowds at what would normally be neutral Grand Slam venues. But Djokovic shrugged off the partisan fervor and beat Federer in the 2015 U.S. Open final and in the 2014, 2015 and 2019 Wimbledon finals.

Djokovic has been the villain at Wimbledon before. Andy Murray dispatched him with surprising ease in straight sets in the 2013 final to become the first British man in 77 years to win the singles title.

You might think British tennis fans would feel some gratitude to Djokovic. Apparently not much. Federer’s beautiful game, genial personality and sentimental status as the game’s grand old man mean that Djokovic is, for now, only No. 1 on the scoreboard at showplaces like Centre Court.

“I don’t have any obligation to play,” Djokovic said of tennis. “I play it because I really love it, and I have support of the closest people in my life. As long as that’s so, hopefully in five years time I can be hearing the same chants.”

By then, much will have changed. Federer will surely have ended his career and finally be free to ski with his children in Switzerland instead of watching from the side of the slopes to avoid injury.

By then, the new and much-expanded Wimbledon should be in place. And the expensive new roof on No. 1 Court will surely have proved much more useful than it did in 2019, when it was closed only occasionally for fading light, and never for rain during a tournament of clear and delightful weather.

“I will take a fortnight where we have no rain any year,” Lewis said with a chuckle. “But I have no illusions. The roof will come in very handy.”

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velmaemyers88 · 5 years ago