Reuters Sports News Summary

The 36-year-old Flipkens, who is playing in her 50th and final Grand Slam, had a 5-2 lead in the first set and a 4-1 advantage in the second but the 2019 champion rallied on both occasions to complete the victory in straight sets. Tennis-Nadal taking extra care with COVID scare at Wimbledon Rafael Nadal is not taking any chances with COVID-19 and staying indoors when he is not on court, the Spaniard said on Thursday with three big names in the men's singles draw having pulled out of Wimbledon after contracting the virus.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-World number one Swiatek seeking key to unlock grass riddle

World number one Iga Swiatek may be a two-time Grand Slam champion and on a 37-match winning streak but the 21-year-old, who reached the third round at Wimbledon on Thursday, said she was still trying to find her feet on grass. The Pole won the Wimbledon junior title in 2018 and is the clear favourite to add the grasscourt Grand Slam to her two French Open titles this year.

Motor racing-Hamilton can win at Silverstone, says Wolff

Lewis Hamilton has a real chance of winning his home British Grand Prix for a record-extending ninth time on Sunday and standing on top of the Formula One podium for the first time this year, according to Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. The seven-times world champion has gone 10 races in a row without a win, equalling the longest drought of his F1 career.

Tennis-Nakashima continues American march at Wimbledon with Shapovalov upset

Brandon Nakashima extended the American charge at this year's Wimbledon when he ousted last year's semi-finalist Denis Shapovalov with a 6-2 4-6 6-1 7-6(6) victory in the second round on Thursday. Nakashima became the seventh player from the United States to book a spot in the third round of the grasscourt Grand Slam this year with an eighth spot guaranteed as Maxime Cressy and Jack Sock clash in an all-American battle.

Tennis-Gauff unleashes power serve to down second-round foe Buzarnescu

It was an easy day at the office for American teenager Coco Gauff, who unleashed her mighty serve to beat Romanian Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-2 6-3 in the Wimbledon second round on Thursday. The Roland-Garros finalist broke Buzarnescu's serve in the fourth game and launched an 122 mph rocket to win the fifth, only to best that with a 124 mph torpedo in the second set, the fastest serves so far in the women's tournament.

Tennis-Alcaraz and Jabeur look to continue love affair with grass

Before Wimbledon got underway, Carlos Alcaraz complained that the hardest thing about playing on grass was moving on the slippery surface but judging by his first two rounds at Wimbledon, the Spaniard has taken to it like a duck to water. Once tipped as a claycourt specialist, Alcaraz proved his mettle on hardcourts earlier this year when he won the Miami Open but he had no match practice on grass after skipping the Wimbledon tune-up at Queen's Club due to an elbow issue.

Tennis-Nadal grinds past Berankis into Wimbledon third round

Some days at the office are bit of a grind, even if in Rafa Nadal's case his place of work on Thursday was Wimbledon's sunny but chilly Centre Court for a match against Ricardas Berankis. The second seed duly won 6-4 6-4 4-6 6-3 to reach the third round but his 307th Grand Slam match win, putting him one ahead of Martina Navratilova and fourth on the all-time list, will not linger long in his memory.

Soccer-England cruise past Switzerland in final Euros warm-up

Four second-half goals led England to a 4-0 away win over Switzerland on Thursday, in what was Sarina Wiegman side's last test ahead of the Women's European Championship starting next week. England struggled to find the back of the net in the first half against the Swiss who suffered a 7-0 defeat by Germany in their previous match but caught up after the break, supported by quality substitutions.

Tennis-Gauff launches fastest serve - twice - at Wimbledon

American Coco Gauff made jaws drop as she launched a 122 mile per hour (mph) rocket and 124 mph effort across the net in the Wimbledon second round on Thursday, the fastest serves so far in the women's tournament. Facing Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu on Centre Court, the 18-year-old phenom forced her opponent into a forehand error to close the fifth game of the first set with the power serve.

Tennis-Former champion Halep rallies to beat retiring Flipkens

Former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep fought back from deficits in both sets to defeat retiring Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 7-5 6-4 on Thursday and power into the third round at Wimbledon. The 36-year-old Flipkens, who is playing in her 50th and final Grand Slam, had a 5-2 lead in the first set and a 4-1 advantage in the second but the 2019 champion rallied on both occasions to complete the victory in straight sets.

Tennis-Nadal taking extra care with COVID scare at Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal is not taking any chances with COVID-19 and staying indoors when he is not on court, the Spaniard said on Thursday with three big names in the men's singles draw having pulled out of Wimbledon after contracting the virus. Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut joined Croatian Marin Cilic, the former U.S. Open champion and 2017 Wimbledon runner-up, and Italian eighth seed Matteo Berrettini, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2021 final, in withdrawing from the Grand Slam.