Sports News Roundup: Tennis-World number one Swiatek seeking key to unlock grass riddle; Motor racing-Hamilton can win at Silverstone, says Wolff and more

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.

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 favorite 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-time world champion has gone 10 races in a row without a win, equalling the longest drought of his F1 career.

Tennis-Boulter records 'special' win at late grandmother's favorite tournament

British wildcard Katie Boulter said her shock second-round win over last year's runner-up Karolina Pliskova at Wimbledon on Thursday meant more to her as it came at her late grandmother's favorite tournament. Boulter ranked 118th in the world, eliminated the Czech sixth seed 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4 and said in her on-court interview that her grandmother had passed away earlier this week, dedicating the victory to her.

Tennis-Alcaraz and Jabeur look to continue their 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 hard courts 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.

Golf-LIV players ask DP World Tour to rescind sanctions - Telegraph

Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter are among 16 LIV Golf players who have written to the DP World Tour asking it to rescind its fines and allow them to compete in next week's Scottish Open, the Telegraph reported. The Britons were among the European tour's members who were banned from three upcoming DP World Tour events and fined 100,000 pounds ($121,230.00) each after playing in the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf's opening event in London.

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.

Russia to open trial against U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner

U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner goes on trial in Russia on Friday on drug charges that could see her face up to 10 years in prison, in a case caught up in the fraught relations between Moscow and Washington. Griner, a star in the U.S.-based Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on Feb. 17, just days before Russia invaded Ukraine, unleashing a broader confrontation with the West.

Knicks reportedly net Jalen Brunson with $104M deal

The Knicks lured free agent Jalen Brunson to New York without the fourth-year point guard giving the Dallas Mavericks the chance to retain him. Brunson agreed to a four-year, $104 million contract with the Knicks.

(With inputs from agencies.)