Sports News Roundup: Tennis-Alcaraz passes test at Wimbledon, Rybakina on fire; Soccer-Pochettino to help Chelsea trio with personalised method after last season's struggles and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Tennis-Alcaraz passes test at Wimbledon, Rybakina on fire

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz survived his first big test at this year's Wimbledon on Saturday and women's champion Elena Rybakina doused British hopes as the big names moved through the gears into the second week. Despite more rain on day six, the slow-burner tournament began to heat up with women's second seed Aryna Sabalenka, two-time champion Petra Kvitova and last year's runner-up Ons Jabeur all reaching the last 16.

Soccer-Pochettino to help Chelsea trio with personalised method after last season's struggles

New Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino underlined the challenges that engulfed Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Raheem Sterling in the last season but said he will help the trio reach their full potential with the help of a customised training regime. Chelsea hired the 51-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris St Germain boss in May after finishing 12th in the Premier League following a tumultuous campaign, which saw Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard take charge at Stamford Bridge.

Mixed Martial Arts-Volkanovski KOs Rodriguez to retain UFC featherweight crown

Australia's Alexander Volkanovski refused to let a considerable size difference put him off as he pulled off a brilliant knockout win over Yair Rodriguez to retain his featherweight title at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday. The 34-year-old Volkanovski stunned his Mexican opponent with a stunning right hand and followed it up with devastating ground strikes to end the fight with 41 seconds left in round three, before saying he planned to step up a division and claim a new crown.

MLB roundup: Tigers toss combined no-hitter vs. Blue Jays

Matt Manning, Jason Foley and Alex Lange threw a combined no-hitter as the Detroit Tigers blanked the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Saturday afternoon. It was the 20th combined no-hitter in major league history, counting the postseason, and the first no-hitter at Detroit's Comerica Park since Justin Verlander threw a complete-game no-hitter on June 12, 2007. It was also the ninth no-hitter in Tigers franchise history.

Tennis-High stakes for Ukraine's Svitolina in battle against Belarusian Azarenka

Elina Svitolina's clash against Belarusian Victoria Azarenka at Wimbledon is more than just a match between two mothers on the Tour after the Ukrainian drew battle lines ahead of Sunday's fourth round meeting on Court One. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation", used Belarus as a staging ground and players from both countries -- playing as neutrals at Wimbledon -- have been given the cold shoulder at tournaments.

Soccer-U.S. forward Rapinoe to retire after current season

United States forward Megan Rapinoe will retire after this season, the 38-year-old said on Saturday, days before she leaves for the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The charismatic veteran will compete in her fourth World Cup when the tournament kicks off on July 20, and said she will hang up her cleats after completing her National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season.

Cycling-Cavendish's Tour record hopes brought to an end as Briton crashes out

Mark Cavendish's hopes of breaking the record for stage wins at the Tour de France ended in cruel fashion on Saturday when the Briton crashed out of this year's race, which he has long said will be his last, and broke his collarbone. The 38-year-old, who will retire at the end of the year, fell off his bike with 64km left in the eighth stage won by Dane Mads Pedersen, and was taken into an ambulance for checks before his withdrawal was made official by race organisers.

Athletics-McLaughlin credits 'championship coach' Kersee in 400m triumph

The queen of the hurdles, Sydney McLaughlin, has staked her claim in the 400 metres flat, picking up the U.S. title in her new event on Saturday as she follows a path set by top coach Bobby Kersee to perfection. She collected gold in Tokyo two years ago and sent the crowd in Eugene, Oregon, to their feet in 2022 when she took a chunk out of her own world record to win the 400m hurdles World Championship.

Motor racing-Verstappen takes fifth pole in a row as Norris stuns

Red Bull's Formula One leader Max Verstappen saw off a stunning late challenge from McLaren's home hero Lando Norris to seize his fifth pole position in a row at the British Grand Prix on Saturday. McLaren's Australian rookie Oscar Piastri was third fastest in a further boost for the former champions, coming back with a bang and an upgraded car after a tough start to the season. Charles Leclerc completed the second row for Ferrari.

Asian Games-OCA paves way for Russian, Belarusian athletes to compete at Asian Games

Athletes from Russia and Belarus will be permitted to compete at the Hangzhou Asian Games to help them earn points to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) voted on Saturday that as many as 500 athletes from the two countries could compete under a neutral flag, but will not be permitted to win medals at the Sept. 28-Oct. 8 Games.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)