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Roger Federer strengthened his claim to greatness on Sunday, winning his third consecutive Wimbledon title by beating Andy Roddick 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4. With an impeccable performance, even by his high standards, the top-ranked Federer became the third man since 1936 to win three straight Wimbledon crowns, joining seven-time champion Pete Sampras and five-time winner Bjorn Borg.
Australian outside centre Stirling Mortlock is in considerable doubt for Saturday’s Test match against South Africa in Sydney because of a hamstring injury. Australian coach Eddie Jones said on Sunday that Mortlock has less than a 50% chance of playing in the Mandela Cup match after straining his hamstring in Australia’s 37-31 win on Saturday over France in Brisbane.
The African National Congress’ national general council meeting ended in Pretoria on Sunday with the party reaffirming its support for axed deputy president Jacob Zuma. ANC secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe told journalists the party was working on the principle of innocent until proven guilty.
A man died while being taken to hospital following a hijacking in Greenside on Saturday night, Johannesburg police said on Sunday. One attacker involved in the hijacking died in an accident in the victim’s vehicle. The second attacker was injured in the crash, said Superintendent Chris Wilken.
Public servants should be open and honest and not engage in corruption and ”wheeler-dealing”, Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane said on Sunday. ”Tangible hope comes when elected representatives — at national, provincial and local level — and the officials who support them, are there as public servants, not to play with power and pursue self-enrichment,” he said.
Venus Williams leaned against the wall behind the baseline for several seconds, gasping for air. At the other end of the court, Lindsay Davenport doubled over, using her racket like a cane to rest a bothersome back. Williams had just hit a forehand to win a 25-shot exchange in the third set and neither she nor Davenport looked particularly eager to resume play.
Wallabies coach Eddie Jones is pleased to have matched attacking skills with a lively France but rates next opponents South Africa as having the most confrontational forward pack in world rugby. The Australians sparkled in a six tries-to-four crowd-pleasing win over France here on Saturday, but Jones said the Springboks were different to any other Test-playing nation.
Andy Roddick is 1-8 against Roger Federer and has lost their last four meetings, including last year’s Wimbledon final. So does Roddick have something new in mind for Sunday’s rematch at the All England Club? ”I might try to push him into a wall or something before we go out on court,” Roddick said with a laugh.
Suicide bombers struck in Baghdad and a Shi’ite city south of the capital in attacks that killed 26 people and injured nearly 50, Iraqi officials said. One of the attackers targeted bystanders and police who had rushed to the scene of an earlier blast.