Latest news with #Sydneysider
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Popyrin scares Draper but Aussie Queen's hopes are over
Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 5-4 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218km/h serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33. But Draper clearly feels he's got more under the bonnet. "You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like I broke down quite easy," he mused, doubtless not seeking an advertising contract with the Japanese manufacturers. "Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself." Elsewhere at Queen's, rising Czech star Jakub Mensik crashed out 3-6 6-3 7-5 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage when he smashed his racquet on the ground. As it slipped out of his hands and bounced into a largely empty area of the stands, he could count himself lucky not to get disqualified. With Wimbledon just 12 days away, Popyrin's defeat put the tin hat on a disappointing week of preparation for the Australian contingent on the green stuff. Tristan Schoolkate, the one big success story on the European grass courts so far after his win in the Ilkley Trophy last weekend, got knocked out in his latest Challenger quest at the Nottingham Open, losing to Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2 7-6 (10-8). Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 5-4 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218km/h serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33. But Draper clearly feels he's got more under the bonnet. "You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like I broke down quite easy," he mused, doubtless not seeking an advertising contract with the Japanese manufacturers. "Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself." Elsewhere at Queen's, rising Czech star Jakub Mensik crashed out 3-6 6-3 7-5 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage when he smashed his racquet on the ground. As it slipped out of his hands and bounced into a largely empty area of the stands, he could count himself lucky not to get disqualified. With Wimbledon just 12 days away, Popyrin's defeat put the tin hat on a disappointing week of preparation for the Australian contingent on the green stuff. Tristan Schoolkate, the one big success story on the European grass courts so far after his win in the Ilkley Trophy last weekend, got knocked out in his latest Challenger quest at the Nottingham Open, losing to Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2 7-6 (10-8). Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 5-4 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218km/h serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33. But Draper clearly feels he's got more under the bonnet. "You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like I broke down quite easy," he mused, doubtless not seeking an advertising contract with the Japanese manufacturers. "Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself." Elsewhere at Queen's, rising Czech star Jakub Mensik crashed out 3-6 6-3 7-5 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage when he smashed his racquet on the ground. As it slipped out of his hands and bounced into a largely empty area of the stands, he could count himself lucky not to get disqualified. With Wimbledon just 12 days away, Popyrin's defeat put the tin hat on a disappointing week of preparation for the Australian contingent on the green stuff. Tristan Schoolkate, the one big success story on the European grass courts so far after his win in the Ilkley Trophy last weekend, got knocked out in his latest Challenger quest at the Nottingham Open, losing to Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2 7-6 (10-8). Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 5-4 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218km/h serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33. But Draper clearly feels he's got more under the bonnet. "You know, before I felt like my energy wasn't that strong, and I felt like I looked like a bit of a Ferrari but I was a bit of a Toyota, like I broke down quite easy," he mused, doubtless not seeking an advertising contract with the Japanese manufacturers. "Now I'm starting to feel generally stronger and confident in myself." Elsewhere at Queen's, rising Czech star Jakub Mensik crashed out 3-6 6-3 7-5 to veteran Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, receiving a code violation warning for unsportsmanlike conduct at one stage when he smashed his racquet on the ground. As it slipped out of his hands and bounced into a largely empty area of the stands, he could count himself lucky not to get disqualified. With Wimbledon just 12 days away, Popyrin's defeat put the tin hat on a disappointing week of preparation for the Australian contingent on the green stuff. Tristan Schoolkate, the one big success story on the European grass courts so far after his win in the Ilkley Trophy last weekend, got knocked out in his latest Challenger quest at the Nottingham Open, losing to Chilean Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera 6-2 7-6 (10-8).
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Popyrin scares Draper but Aussie Queen's hopes are over
Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Just listen to that home crowd 🔊🏟️@QueensTennis | #HSBCChampionships | @jackdraper0 — ATP Tour (@atptour) June 18, 2025 Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 4-5 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is very probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218kph serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Popyrin scares Draper but Aussie Queen's hopes are over
Australia's preparations for Wimbledon have taken another dispiriting hit at the Queen's Club Championships as Alexei Popyrin's agonising exit at the hands of home favourite Jack Draper ended their men's challenge at the prestigious London event. With Alex de Minaur surprisingly knocked out and Jordan Thompson an injury casualty, it was all down to Popyrin to save the day and he could at least have been encouraged by the quality and the fight he displayed in his 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5) loss to Britain's great new SW19 hope Draper on Wednesday. But when the match came down to a decisive tiebreak, it was world No.6 Draper who held his nerve best, coming up with the crucial big plays to disarm the Sydneysider and march into the quarter-finals. Popyrin, who had saved two match points at 4-5 down in the final set, recovered to take a 4-2 lead in the breaker, with the best win of his 2025 campaign in his sights. But did he then blink? For a wildly loose forehand gave Draper the vital mini-break to drag himself back into the contest, and at 5-5 he produced an inspirational searing backhand winner to earn a third match point, before sealing his hard-fought victory with a 14th ace. That big-match acumen demonstrated just why Wimbledon is very probably about to get as excited about Draper as it always used to be by Andy Murray, and it felt somehow fitting that the 23-year-old left-hander should be prevailing on the Queen's centre court now named after the great Scot. "It was a tough match. Credit to Alexei, he played some amazing tennis," said Draper, saluting the last Aussie in the singles draw. "It was a bit up and down but you guys helped get me through that," he added, thanking the crowd that included his grandad and other members of his family. Popyrin, who's at a career-high No.21 in the rankings after reaching the fourth round at the French Open, is clearly going to be a threat to the grass-court elite with his 218kph serve on the quickening surfaces amid a bit of a London heatwave. And he shouldn't be discouraged by such a narrow loss, during which he went shot-for-shot with Draper, firing 31 winners to the Englishman's 33.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Hunt continues for mystery $100m Powerball winner
Almost a week after the Powerball numbers were drawn, there is still no sign of Sydney's mystery $100 million winner. The life-changing ticket was the only division one winner in last Thursday's Powerball draw and was purchased at Bondi Junction Newsagency & Internet Café. With only six Australians ever taking home a Powerball prize of $100 million or more, one Sydneysider is unknowingly one of Australia's biggest lottery winners ever. Officials from the Lott confirmed they are still yet to hear from the newly minted multi-millionaire and have no way to contact them directly. The Lott spokesperson Anna Hobdell said the mystery player has six years to claim their winnings, but most division one winners typically make contact within a week or two. 'Someone out there is walking around with a ticket worth $100 million, and they might not even know it,' she said. Only six other Australians know what it feels like to win a $100m prize. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia 'Thankfully most winners come forward within a week or two, and we hope this is the case for this division one winner.' This isn't the first time a major prize has been left unclaimed. In 2018, the winner of a $55 million Powerball prize remained a mystery for 175 days, until a Melbourne player came forward to claim it. The ticket was purchased at Scole Lotto & News, Shop 6, 90-106 Sydney Road, Brunswick. Officials are using this case as a timely reminder for players to register all tickets so they can be contacted if they are a winner. 'This is also an important reminder for players to always register their lottery tickets to a player card or online account with The Lott Members Club, so if they are to score a major prize, we can reach out to them with the life-changing news,' Ms Hobdell said. Bondi Junction Newsagency & Internet Café owner Manish said they hoped the whopping prize transforms the winners life 'in a positive way'. 'This is by far the biggest winning entry we've ever sold,' he said. 'I'm hoping it's one of our regular customers, but you never know it could be a tourist too. We're located right next to the closest station to Bondi Beach, so you never know.' The $100m Powerball is the third-largest jackpot offered by any Australian lottery game. NewsWire / Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia Officials are urging Sydneysiders to check their tickets and contact The Lott if they believe they've won the $100 million Powerball jackpot. 'There are 100 million reasons why Sydney's eastern suburbs players should check their tickets today,' The Lott spokesperson Eliza Wregg said. 'With a winning entry tucked away in their car, wallet, or stuck on their fridge door, one New South Wales player is walking around completely oblivious to the fact their life has forever changed.' The winning numbers in Powerball draw 1517 on Thursday 12 June 2025 were 28, 10, 3, 16, 31, 14 and 21. The all-important Powerball number was 6.
Perth Now
3 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Update in $100m Powerball mystery
Almost a week after the Powerball numbers were drawn, there is still no sign of Sydney's mystery $100 million winner. The life-changing ticket was the only division one winner in last Thursday's Powerball draw and was purchased at Bondi Junction Newsagency & Internet Café. With only six Australians ever taking home a Powerball prize of $100 million or more, one Sydneysider is unknowingly one of Australia's biggest lottery winners ever. Officials from the Lott confirmed they are still yet to hear from the newly minted multi-millionaire and have no way to contact them directly. Only six other Australians know what it feels like to win a $100m prize. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia The Lott spokesperson Anna Hobdell said the mystery player has six years to claim their winnings, but most division one winners typically make contact within a week or two. 'Someone out there is walking around with a ticket worth $100 million, and they might not even know it,' she said. 'Thankfully most winners come forward within a week or two, and we hope this is the case for this division one winner.' This isn't the first time a major prize has been left unclaimed. In 2018, the winner of a $55 million Powerball prize remained a mystery for 175 days, until a Melbourne player came forward to claim it. The ticket was purchased at Scole Lotto & News, Shop 6, 90-106 Sydney Road, Brunswick. Officials are using this case as a timely reminder for players to register all tickets so they can be contacted if they are a winner. 'This is also an important reminder for players to always register their lottery tickets to a player card or online account with The Lott Members Club, so if they are to score a major prize, we can reach out to them with the life-changing news,' Ms Hobdell said. Bondi Junction Newsagency & Internet Café owner Manish said they hoped the whopping prize transforms the winners life 'in a positive way'. 'This is by far the biggest winning entry we've ever sold,' he said. 'I'm hoping it's one of our regular customers, but you never know it could be a tourist too. We're located right next to the closest station to Bondi Beach, so you never know.' The $100m Powerball is the third-largest jackpot offered by any Australian lottery game. NewsWire / Jeremy Piper Credit: News Corp Australia Officials are urging Sydneysiders to check their tickets and contact The Lott if they believe they've won the $100 million Powerball jackpot. 'There are 100 million reasons why Sydney's eastern suburbs players should check their tickets today,' The Lott spokesperson Eliza Wregg said. 'With a winning entry tucked away in their car, wallet, or stuck on their fridge door, one New South Wales player is walking around completely oblivious to the fact their life has forever changed.' The winning numbers in Powerball draw 1517 on Thursday 12 June 2025 were 28, 10, 3, 16, 31, 14 and 21. The all-important Powerball number was 6.
