Andy Murray and Dan Evans confirmed for Paris 2024 Olympic doubles | Tennis News

Andy Murray and Dan Evans confirmed for Paris 2024 Olympic doubles | Tennis News


Andy Murray’s place in the men’s doubles event at the Paris Olympics alongside Dan Evans has been confirmed.

The Scot’s singles spot for what is set to be the final tournament of his career was announced a couple of weeks ago, with Murray securing entry as a two-time former gold medallist and three-time grand slam champion.

But he and Evans were left waiting to see whether they would get into the doubles, which represents Murray’s best chance of a medal.

It comes amid the wait to find out whether Murray will play in the men’s singles draw at Wimbledon in what is set to be his final appearance at the tournament, with his involvement in doubt following surgery to remove a spinal cyst. He is, however, expected to compete in the doubles alongside brother Jamie.

Jacquie Beltrao brings the latest update on Murray’s recovery and his efforts toward Wimbledon

It will be a fifth Games for the 37-year-old, who picked up gold medals in singles in 2012 and 2016 as well as a silver medal in mixed doubles with Laura Robson in London.

Men’s doubles is the only event where a medal has so far eluded him, with Murray and Joe Salisbury desperately disappointed with a quarter-final exit in Tokyo three years ago.

Injury doubts surrounded both Murray and Evans when they retired from matches at Queen’s Club but Evans’ knee problem was not as serious as feared while Murray is fighting to be fit for Wimbledon following back surgery.

There will also be a fourth Olympic appearance for Heather Watson in the women’s doubles alongside debutante Katie Boulter, who is Britain’s only representative in the singles.

“I’m so happy,” said Watson. “This will be my fourth Olympic Games. It was a huge goal of mine this last year. It will be very special to share it with Katie, to play doubles with her there. We get along super well.

“I’m really looking forward to playing with her. We played a couple times, once years ago on the grass, then just recently at Roland Garros. She’s a great girl. I love playing doubles with her.

“I love being in the Billie Jean King Cup with her, as well. She’s such a good energy, lovely person to be around and a good friend of mine.

“I’ll just lap it all up, take in the experience. So far nothing has beat London 2012. But yeah, hopefully this is a good one.”

Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie and Evans will also compete in singles, while Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski will have high hopes of a medal in the men’s doubles.

Emma Raducanu relates to Murray’s injury struggles and hopes that he will be fit to play at Wimbledon

Wimbledon planners happy for Murray to take time over singles decision

Wimbledon organisers are happy for Murray to leave it as late as he needs to before deciding whether to play singles one final time.

The 37-year-old is battling to recover from surgery last weekend to remove a spinal cyst that was pressing on nerves and causing a weakness in his right leg.

Murray was planning to give himself until Monday evening, potentially after the order of play is published, to decide if he is able to face Czech Tomas Machac.

Murray got a feeling of what it’s like to chat with himself as he was interviewed by comedian and impressionist Josh Berry

Chief executive Sally Bolton said: “We’ve always got plenty of scheduling challenges to face. As he said himself, Andy has earned the right to make the decision and we will absolutely respect that.

“All of us have therefore got to be agile in the way that we deliver our plans, but we’re really happy to do that. It’s very much for Andy to make this decision and make it at the right time for him.”

It would undoubtedly be a blow to the tournament if Murray is not able to compete, although there appears to be a very good chance that he will be fit enough to team up with his brother Jamie in doubles even if he decides against singles.

“We would love to see him on court,” said Bolton. “Of course, if he isn’t, we’ve got plenty of other tennis going on, but I know the fans will be absolutely desperate to see him play so we wish him well in getting on court.”

Bolton was keeping close to her chest Wimbledon’s plans for honouring Murray whenever his final moment at the All England Club comes.

Image:
Murray is set to feature at Wimbledon for the final time

“We have got a variety of plans sitting waiting to deliver,” she said. “It really is for Andy to make that call and we’ll be ready whenever that happens. There’s been various conversations ongoing for some time now. Andy of course is very focused on his performance, not really on anything else.

“Once he decides to retire and we all get the chance to celebrate him I think you’ll really see how much he has meant to not just the tennis-loving public but the sports-loving public in the UK. I think there’ll be tears around the house.”

Murray confirmed last week that he is planning for Wimbledon and the Olympics to be the final events of his career.

Bolton hinted that the 37-year-old will join Fred Perry in having a statue somewhere in the grounds once his playing career is over, but that may not be outside Centre Court.

“You could argue that’s a bit of an obvious location,” she said. “As we reflect on the shape of these grounds and we think about the potential development over the road, we’ve got time to think about where any kind of physical celebration of Andy’s career might be.

“And, in any event, we’d want to work with Andy on that and he understandably is not ready to have those conversations just yet. We will make sure we get this right because this is for all time.”

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  • Hamburg Open (ATP 500) 15-21 July
  • Newport Hall of Fame Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
  • Swiss Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
  • Bastad Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
  • Palermo Ladies Open (WTA 250) 15-21 July
  • Hungarian Grand Prix (WTA 250) 15-21 July
  • Prague Open (WTA 250) 21-26 July

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Dan Ashworth: Manchester United agree deal to hire Newcastle sporting director | Football News

Dan Ashworth: Manchester United agree deal to hire Newcastle sporting director | Football News


Manchester United have reached a deal with Newcastle to hire their sporting director Dan Ashworth.

The 53-year-old will commence his new role at Old Trafford with immediate effect.

Newcastle initially were demanding £20m compensation for the former FA Technical Director, with Man Utd looking to pay a fraction of that, but a compromise has been reached in the last few days.

The deal also helped Newcastle comply with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) this month. Ashworth has been on gardening leave at Newcastle since February.

The hiring of Ashworth is the latest hierarchical hire done by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the new INEOS minority investors since they took over the club.

Image:
Ashworth joins Omar Berrada (right) in Manchester United’s new hierarchical structure

Omar Berrada joined from Manchester City as United’s new chief executive, while Jason Wilcox arrived as new academy director from Southampton.

Why did Man Utd go for Dan Ashworth?

Sky Sports News senior reporter Melissa Reddy:

“It’s unsurprising that Man Utd have chosen him to take over at as sporting director under INEOS who are looking to reshape their football operations at the club.

“Ashworth’s pedigree and esteem are well-known in the game. He is widely regarded as one of the best operators in Europe and actually the best in England given his body of work.

“You stretch back to his time at West Brom. There he delivered two promotions and a top-half Premier League finish. His work was so promising that he got poached by the England FA.

“There for the national team, he introduced an element that is seen as one of the key factors of their continued success, even now, and that’s the England DNA. A defined way of playing across all age groups.

“We saw the impact of that at the 2018 World Cup and after that tournament, Ashworth left the FA and was poached by Brighton, who wanted him to be in charge of remodelling them and securing their status as a Premier League club.

Dan Ashworth has overseen recruitment teams at Brighton and Newcastle

“He did more than that – he helped them become one of the best-run clubs in the world. Their recruitment model is the envy of clubs the world over.

“That attracted the PIF-powered Newcastle. Even though they have spent a lot, they have spent quite smartly under his watch and he has modernised a lot of their operations.”

When does the summer transfer window open and close?

The 2024 summer transfer window in the Premier League and Scottish Premiership is officially open.

The window will close on August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and at 11.30pm in Scotland.

The Premier League and Scottish Premiership brought forward Deadline Day to link up with the other major leagues in Europe. The closing dates were set following discussions with the leagues in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and France.

Reporters Notebook: Sky Sports’ Dan Khan reflects on his weekend at Wimbledon with Andy Murray on his mind | Tennis News

Reporters Notebook: Sky Sports’ Dan Khan reflects on his weekend at Wimbledon with Andy Murray on his mind | Tennis News


It has been on my mind quite a lot, the one name on everyone’s lips over the weekend before Wimbledon: Andy Murray.

How is he? Will he be able to get on court one final time? How can he after having an operation on his spine just a week ago? How much will it mean to him to have one final goodbye at Wimbledon?

In a way it feels typical of Murray, the situation he finds himself in.

He had an operation on his spine just over a week ago and now, as he has in previous years with the various challenges posed in front of him, he has one more to overcome.

Jacquie Beltrao brings the latest update on Andy Murray’s recovery and his efforts towards playing at Wimbledon

To do this, once again, Murray will be testing his physical and mental limits to do everything he can to get on court for that moment… that special moment where he can take in the applause of the crowds who have supported him in the lowest as well as highest moments of his career – which have largely taken place at Wimbledon.

I spoke to Sky Sports Tennis analyst Laura Robson and we both ended up just full of admiration of Murray’s competitiveness and how the fact he is even in contention to be on court 10 days after he had surgery is a testament to the player.

I watched him practice on Saturday afternoon – our real first glimpse of how he was faring, and he seemed a frustrated figure. It was clearly a session to test out how his body would react to a few rallies, a few sprints and I left that session thinking it seems unlikely he will be able to play competitive tennis against Tomas Machac in his first round match on Tuesday.

This all made much more sense when we spoke to Murray on Sunday, as he explained how although he is feeling fine with his back, it is actually the impact the operation has had on his legs which has limited him.

He is yet to regain full feeling in his legs since the operation, although it has improved every day. Murray questioned himself whether it will improve enough for him to compete against Machac.

Image:
Andy and Jamie Murray could play doubles together at Wimbledon

The good news is that Murray will have until Thursday to decide whether he can play men’s doubles with his brother Jamie, which would be a special occasion for him and their family – but would that be enough or the right way for Murray to bow out of Wimbledon forever?

I think the question remains in my mind because I spoke to many players over the weekend about Murray and his potential final goodbye at Wimbledon. It really is eye-opening to see them all, not just pay tribute to him, but also the hope they all have that Murray has the moment he deserves to say goodbye.

I asked seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic about his good friend Murray, who he told me was a ‘legend of the game’ but he also explained just how much it would mean for him to make it on court.

Djokovic said: “He definitely deserves a great farewell from his favourite tournament, the tournament he won twice, the place he won the Olympic games – he should finish on his own terms, we all hope he will be physically fit enough to finish on his own terms and wish him all the best.”

Caroline Wozniacki had a similar tribute for Murray, describing how few players in the history of tennis have accomplished what he has with the hope he can finish on his own accord.

Gael Monfils told me ‘he’s the man, he’s Sir Andy Murray!’ and that all the players will be supporting Murray here at Wimbledon to say goodbye.

It may be easy for many of the players to talk nicely about their fellow player but for me, it is the smiles and warmth with which they talk about Murray. I asked many of the players about their own form, Wimbledon, etc – but often their longest answers were in tribute to Murray.

Emma Raducanu relates to Murray’s injury struggles and hopes that he will be fit to play at Wimbledon

So what is the perfect goodbye?

I was initially wondering – does it need to be in front of a full Centre Court? Does it need to be in a singles tie or will the doubles with his brother be enough?

I left Wimbledon on Sunday evening feeling, well – maybe it does not matter after all.

The legacy you leave upon the thousands upon thousands of fans Murray has entertained and brought along his career at Wimbledon as well as the admiration from his peers… perhaps that is enough for someone that has cemented himself as a tennis legend.

Whether Murray is able to get on court in the singles, doubles or not at all – it feels, as I mentioned before, typical Andy Murray that he’ll be fighting every day, minute and second to see if he will be able to do so.

What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?

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In the run-up to the final Grand Slam of 2024 – the US Open – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the hard-court season.

  • Hamburg Open (ATP 500) 15-21 July
  • Newport Hall of Fame Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
  • Swiss Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
  • Bastad Open (ATP 250) 15-21 July
  • Palermo Ladies Open (WTA 250) 15-21 July
  • Hungarian Grand Prix (WTA 250) 15-21 July
  • Prague Open (WTA 250) 21-26 July

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County Championship: Shoaib Bashir over goes for 38 runs as Dan Lawrence smashes five sixes for Surrey | Cricket News

County Championship: Shoaib Bashir over goes for 38 runs as Dan Lawrence smashes five sixes for Surrey | Cricket News


England spinner Shoaib Bashir had a spell to forget when he conceded a joint-record 38 runs in an over in a County Championship match between Surrey and Worcestershire on Monday in which Dan Lawrence smashed five consecutive sixes.

Bashir, who only joined Worcestershire on loan from Somerset earlier this month, had toiled away through 37 overs for two for 137 before he attempted to wrap up Surrey’s innings midway through the afternoon session.

With Surrey on 437 for nine, Lawrence had other ideas and launched two sumptuous maximums down the ground before a third was carried over the boundary rope, which left Bashir hunched over in disbelief.

Worst was to follow for the rookie off-spinner, who impressed during England’s 4-1 series defeat in India, when a pair of floated up deliveries were also swatted away by Lawrence.

The Surrey batter was denied a place in the history books when the sixth ball of Bashir’s over was sent down for five wides.

Bashir, in only his 12th first-class match, overstepped with his next delivery, while Lawrence took only a single before the carnage ended when Dan Worrell nobly blocked out the last ball of a 38-run over.

Image:
Shoaib Bashir conceded the joint-most runs in a County Championship over, along with the 38 Andrew Flintoff took from Alex Tudor in 1998

It made it the joint-most expensive over in County Championship history along with the 38 conceded by Alex Tudor for Surrey against Lancashire in 1998, where Andrew Flintoff hit 34.

Bashir was subsequently replaced and finished with 2-162 off 38 overs before Lawrence was out for 175 when Ben Allison had him caught by Jake Libby to dismiss Surrey for 490.

England’s Test summer begins with three-match series vs West Indies at Lord’s (July 10-14), Trent Bridge (July 18-22), Edgbaston (July 26-30); three more Tests vs Sri Lanka in August/September; watch England throughout summer live on Sky

Catch every match from the T20 World Cup, including the final in Barbados on Saturday June 29, live on Sky Sports.

Dan McKellar leaves role as Leicester Tigers head coach after one season at Premiership club | Rugby Union News

Dan McKellar leaves role as Leicester Tigers head coach after one season at Premiership club | Rugby Union News


Dan McKellar has left is role as head coach of the Leicester Tigers after just one season with the Gallagher Premiership club.

McKellar was assistant head coach for the Australian national side before joining Tigers in July 2023 on a “long-term deal”, only for Leicester to finish eighth in a disappointing Premiership campaign.

Leicester claimed nine wins and nine losses during the league season, only finishing ahead of Gloucester and Newcastle Falcons and 11 points adrift of a play-off spot.

The Welford Road-based club were also eliminated in the last-16 of the Champions Cup by Leinster and lost to Gloucester in the Premiership Rugby Cup final, with Leicester now releasing McKellar by “mutual consent”.

In a statement, the club said: “Leicester Tigers can confirm the departure of Dan McKellar from his role as head coach with immediate effect. The decision has been mutually agreed following extensive discussions regarding the club’s future direction.

“The club has commenced the process for finding a new head coach to lead the men’s programme into the 24/25 season. Pre-season training for the men’s players not on international duty commences on July 1 at Oval Park.

Image:
Michael Cheika is understood to be among the shortlist to replace McKellar

“We thank Dan for his contribution to Leicester Tigers and wish him, Carla, Amelie and Maya well for the future.”

Former Australia and Argentina head coach Michael Cheika is among the names already being linked with the job, having been without a job since leaving the Pumas after their fourth-place finish at last year’s Rugby World Cup.

The fixtures for the 2024/25 Gallagher Premiership season are scheduled to be released on Tuesday July 23, with the new campaign beginning on the weekend of September 20-22.

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Cinch Championships: Andy Murray and Carlos Alcaraz make winning starts as Dan Evans forced to retire | Tennis News

Cinch Championships: Andy Murray and Carlos Alcaraz make winning starts as Dan Evans forced to retire | Tennis News



Andy Murray secured a 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory over Alexei Popyrin at the cinch Championships at The Queen’s Club, moving him through to the last 16.

It was a passionate and hard-fought victory for Murray in what was his 1,000th professional tennis match, ramping up the home crowd in front of whom he has won the tournament on five occasions.

The 37-year-old continued his preparation for Wimbledon with only his second victory at The Queen’s Club since he last won the tournament in 2016.

Murray took the first set 6-3 but Popyrin fought back in the second to win 6-3 and take the match to a decider.

However, the two-time Wimbledon champion stood resolute, taking the deciding set to 4-1, Popyrin fighting back to bring it to 4-2, before Murray ground it out to 6-3 and secured a crucial win.

Murray, who is reportedly set to retire either after Wimbledon or the Olympics this summer, said: “I’ve not got too many wins this year, it’s been a difficult season, and I did well to come through in the end.

“Any win you can get is important, that’s why we play. With Wimbledon a few weeks away I want to get some matches in my legs and some confidence. It’s great to get another win here.”

Murray has struggled with an ankle injury and a back issue this year to add to fact that he is still competing at the top level with a metal hip.

He added: “I’ve felt better! But it was enough today.

“My mum told me it was my 1,000th match and that’s a lot of matches, a lot of wear and tear on the body and it’s not easy, but I managed to push through it.”

Carlos Alcaraz began the defence of his cinch Championship crown with a straight-sets win over Francisco Cerundolo.

The reigning king of Queen’s, and Wimbledon champion, stretched his winning streak on grass to 13 matches with a 6-1 7-5 victory.

World No 26 Cerundolo was last seen pushing Novak Djokovic to five sets, and subsequently into a hospital bed, at the French Open.

The Argentinian proved a minor irritant to Alcaraz, too, by breaking the world No 2 early in the second set.

Alcaraz had to fend off three set points at 4-5 before the Spanish superstar wrapped up victory in an hour and 22 minutes.

Jannik Sinner survived a first-set scare on his World No. 1 debut against Tallon Griekspoor at the Halle Open

Meanwhile, Italy’s Jannik Sinner made it five wins out of five against Tallon Griekspoor on Tuesday – and in the process booked his place in the last 16 at the Halle Open.

Sinner pulls off a superb dive to break serve against Griekspoor

The top seed and Roland Garros semi-finalist, Sinner was making his season debut on grass – by no means his favourite surface.

Dutchman Griekspoor edged the opener before falling away 6-7 6-3 6-2.

Sinner’s venomous serve breaks the net against Griekspoor

Brit watch: Evans retires as Draper victorious at Queen’s

Britain’s Dan Evans had to retire from his first-round match at the cinch Championships through injury.

The 34-year-old had shared the opening two sets with America’s Brandon Nakashima when he slipped and fell at the back of the court.

After a medical time-out and lengthy treatment to his right leg, Evans was forced to withdraw, a worrying sight with Wimbledon less than two weeks away.

He was the second player to retire after slipping on the grass at Queen’s Club this week, with Frances Tiafoe injuring his hip on Monday.

Dan Evans’ frustrations with umpire Mohamed Lahyanat during his match at the Rome Masters against Fabio Fognini mirrors a very similar experience for Andy Murray almost one year ago

“I’m worried, no doubt,” Evans said. “I mean, a good thing, I thought it was my groin. That settled down pretty much straight away.

“But I think it’s MCL, sort of a bit inside of the knee. There is an issue there, that’s for sure after the testing so far with the physios.

“So I’ve got to wait 48 hours, let it settle, and then get a scan. I’m worried. That’s the bottom line, of course. I’m in limbo a bit.

“It’s frustrating. If I miss the Olympics or Wimbledon it would be a tough one to swallow, no doubt.

“I don’t know. I’m just heartbroken at the minute to be honest. It’s tough.”

On the back of his Boss Open victory, Jack Draper continued on his winning streak with a 6-3 6-2 win over Mariano Navone.

A look back at the story of Jack Draper’s sensational victory at the Stuttgart Open.

Draper clinched the win in rapid time, just a few days after his first ATP Tour title.

There was also good news for British wildcard Billy Harris.

The 29-year-old from Nottingham picked up the biggest win of his career by beating world No 32 Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4 3-6 6-3.

What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?

Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA tours

In the run-up to the third Grand Slam of 2024 – Wimbledon – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the grass-court season.

  • Berlin Open (WTA 500) – June 17-23
  • Halle (ATP 500) – June 17-23
  • Mallorca Championships (ATP 250) – June 23-29
  • Bad Homburg (WTA 500) – June 23-29

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Jack Massey edges out Isaac Chamberlain as Dan Azeez is held to draw by Hrvoje Sep | Boxing News

Jack Massey edges out Isaac Chamberlain as Dan Azeez is held to draw by Hrvoje Sep | Boxing News


Jack Massey ousted Isaac Chamberlain via unanimous decision to clinch the European and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles in an all-British showdown at Selhurst Park. 

Chamberlain had been scheduled to face Michal Cieslak for the European title before injury forced the Pole to withdraw, with Massey coming in as his replacement.

The back-up fight had the makings to be even more enthralling than that of the originally-planned bout, as much becoming evident early on in what became an exhaustive back-and-forth clash.

Massey would serve as a constant nuisance as he withstood any prospect of fatigue to deny Chamberlain, taking it 115-113, 115-113, 116-112 on the cards.

The win lifts Massey to 22-2 on the back of his first-round knockout win over Steve Eloundou Ntere and strong performance in defeat to Joseph Parker, while Chamberlain drops to 16-3.

Massey was the primary aggressor in the early rounds and let his intentions be known as he landed a huge right hand to the cheek of Chamberlain, who absorbed the impact impressively.

Back came Chamberlain with a sharp flurry of his own at the ropes in the third, before drawing on his skills to unleash three snapping straight jabs early in the fourth.

The Londoner looked to build with a thumping right hand to the head of Massey, who found himself penned in at the corner momentarily before coming inches away from landing a vicious straight left as the pair parted.

Massey then breached the guard of Chamberlain with a beautifully-timed jab in the fifth, and looked to capitalise with a neat four-punch combination followed by crushing back-to-back hooks to knock his man left-to-right.

He began to find more joy in round seven with a plunging right hook to the body and a left jab to the head, Chamberlain this time responding with a powerful left hand to back-track his opponent into retreat.

There came signs of Chamberlain taking control when he connected with an emphatic left hook to the face of Massey, coupled with a three-punch combination amid a blistering melee in the final seconds of the round that almost saw him land a devastating overhand right at the bell.

Massey would find a second wind, almost rocking Chamberlain with a right hand in the 10th, before eating a left hook that had pushed him up against the ropes.

A relentless, gritty fight continued into the final rounds, Massey responding to his corner’s instructions to maintain the intensity as he continued to march Chamberlain down, denying his skilled counterpart any clear openings as he sought to salvage the final exchanges.

Azeez settles for draw

Dan Azeez was dealt a setback on his return to action as he was held to a draw against Hrvoje Sep.

The Londoner was back in the ring for the first time since losing to Joshua Buatsi earlier in the year, having deemed Sep a step back towards the leading light-heavyweights.

What had been billed as a testing outing proved as much in the early rounds as Sep adopted a front-foot approach as a more than willing trader of hands.

Image:
Dan Azeez and Hrvoje Sep lock horns

It had looked a useful experience for Azeez in his effort to rebuild momentum against a worthy opponent, but the dangers of a shorter eight-round contest soon told as he found himself level midway through.

By round four Azeez had begun to establish the jab better while gaining more control over the distance of the fight, but again Sep showed an impressive work-rate to match his counterpart’s output.

Azeez looked the more accomplished fighter on the inside and found joy with a flurry of uppercuts during the later rounds, Sep though continuing to threaten with a left hook despite tiring.

BEN SHALOM BOXXER GAME ON FIGHT WEEK.SELHURST PARK, CRYSTAL PALACE 15/06/2024.CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH v RICHARD RIAKPORHE.PIC LAWRENCE LUSTIG/BOXXER.(PICS FREE FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY).LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CONTEST.DAN AZEEZ V HRVOJE SEP

A fitter Azeez began to become the more notable hunter as round seven arrived, but was seemingly encouraged by his corner not to go searching for the finish against an opponent who had eaten much of what had been thrown in his direction.

In the end a draw would feel a fair outcome, Sep offering a good account of his toughness and stamina and Azeez no doubt eager for his next outing.

Hennessy continues rise

Francesca Hennessy continued her rise to stardom with a comprehensive points victory over a tough Dorata Norek to improve her record to 4-0 as a professional.

The 19-year-old displayed her slick skills once again to control the contest after eight rounds of valuable experience against an opponent who put her concentration to the test.

Hennessy asserted her control early on as she came out working behind a feint to set up her jab, before a clean left hook rocked Norek off balance momentarily.

Francesca Hennessy was joined on her ring walk by a dancing security guard!

She soon found joy behind a familiar two-shot left-hand flurry, following up a hook with a crisp jab to the face of Norek as she began to establish her range in round three.

Norek, if a little unorthodox, tested Hennessy at times with sporadic bursts as the pair moved the fight on the inside, Hennessy, though, showing her talents with mature retreats after connecting with her left hooks.

Hennessy remained the aggressor for much of the remaining rounds, nullifying Norek amid her efforts to reduce the gap in the closing stages.

Dan Azeez: ‘Remember Ben Whittaker wanting to box me in five fights. What’s he on now?’ | Boxing News

Dan Azeez: ‘Remember Ben Whittaker wanting to box me in five fights. What’s he on now?’ | Boxing News



Dan Azeez has not forgotten Ben Whittaker turning professional in a blaze of publicity and claiming he’d beat the then-British champion in under five fights.

Azeez lost his title to Joshua Buatsi in February but would still urge Whittaker to take the fight with him.

Whittaker, an Olympic silver medallist in 2021 now 7-0 as a professional, is rising through the pro ranks and fights Ezra Arenyeka on Saturday at Selhurst Park, live on Sky Sports.

South London’s Azeez is on the same card, boxing Hrvoje Sep, a Croatian who was a stellar amateur in his day and a two-time European medallist.

Azeez understands comparisons can be drawn between their respective opponents on the big bill.

“I don’t know, I’ll let the real boxing fans decide who’s a real fighter and a proper fighter and who’s not. I just do what I’ve got to do, fight who I’ve got to fight and he’s fighting who he’s got to fight,” he told Sky Sports. “But credit to both of them, two undefeated guys.

“[Arenyeka] is unknown, potentially a soft touch but he might not be a soft touch so we don’t know. So you’ve got to give Ben the credit for going into the unknown.

“They’re both characters so I’m sure it’ll be a good fight, good build-up.”

Ben Whittaker showed off some dance moves ahead of sending a message to Ezra Arenyeka

Whittaker has caused a stir in professional boxing with his extravagant showboating, knockout wins and unalloyed confidence.

It has caught the public’s attention, and certainly Azeez’s who’s been one of the fighters Whittaker called out directly.

“Do you know what’s so funny, remember [him wanting to fight] me under five fights,” Azeez said. “He just didn’t.

“What fight is he on now?”

But the Londoner added: “They’re moving him along the way they’re moving him along. If we meet we meet. For now I’ve just got to think about Sep.”

Azeez can’t dwell too much on future options in the exciting light-heavyweight division. He fully expects Sep to be a real challenge over eight rounds on Saturday.

From dancing and posturing to ring gymnastics, take a look at the best of Whittaker’s showboating

“Due to the respect I have for Sep, the history he has and the pedigree he comes with I can only focus on Sep at the moment. If it doesn’t go right on Saturday for me, that’s all out of the question. So it’s Sep that I’m focusing on,” Azeez said.

“He doesn’t know what a step back is so it’s going to be interesting,” he continued. “If I want to prove that I’m one of the best in the country let alone the world I have to be fighting this kind of opposition and getting the job done.

“I’m at that level now, there’s no messing around. If I can’t do it now I’m never going to be able to do it.

“He gave it to Bolotniks and Bolotniks is a good fighter,” Azeez warned. “Sep took him to the wire in his fight so I can only expect fireworks come June 15.”

Final remaining tickets for Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe available via Boxxer.com.

Watch Chris Billam-Smith defend his WBO cruiserweight world title against Richard Riakporhe at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park, live on Sky Sports on Saturday June 15; or Stream with NOW