LONDON (AP) — Donna Vekic had thought a few occasions about quitting tennis, like when she struggled to get again to her finest after knee surgical procedure in 2021.

Now she’s completely happy she caught with it.

The 28-year-old Croatian reached her first Grand Slam semifinal in her forty third look at a serious event by beating qualifier Lulu Solar 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

“These couple of years have been very powerful. I didn’t assume I used to be ever going to come back again to the extent that I even had final 12 months,” she stated. “So this now, reaching my finest end result ever at a Slam, I’m actually happy with myself, of the work that I’ve performed, of the work that my group has performed. I am very grateful to them for believing in me once I did not.”

She’s going to face French Open runner-up Jasmine Paolini for a spot within the remaining. Paolini, the No. 7 seed, beat No. 19 Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-1 to develop into the primary Italian girl to achieve the semifinals on the All England Membership.

“If you happen to had informed me earlier than Roland Garros that I might get to the ultimate there and the Wimbledon semifinals,” Paolini stated with a hearty snicker, “I might have stated you have been loopy.”

Till final week, Paolini was 0-3 for her profession on the All England Membership. And till Tuesday, Paolini was 0-3 towards Navarro — who dismissed Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka earlier within the event.

“She was a very completely different participant in the present day than once I performed her prior to now. I felt like in our earlier conferences I used to be the aggressor, I used to be the one controlling factors, getting forward at first of factors, then controlling the rallies, too,” Navarro stated. “I felt simply the other of that in the present day. I felt like she was simply on prime of me from the very first level. Struggled to push again towards that.”

Earlier than the French Open this 12 months, Vekic stated, she needed to surrender. She lacked power and did not even need to follow.

“Now I’m within the semifinals. I believe not simply in tennis, in life issues can flip fairly quick,” she stated.

It is solely the second time a lady representing Croatia has reached the Wimbledon semifinals, after Mirjana Lucic in 1999.

The 23-year-old Solar, who performed faculty tennis on the College of Texas, was making her debut on the grass-court event and is the primary participant from New Zealand to achieve the Wimbledon quarterfinals within the Open period.

“I’ve had actually nice matches right here at Wimbledon,” stated Solar, who beat 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu on Centre Courtroom within the fourth spherical. “I believe simply power from New Zealand followers and different followers, as effectively, is such a surreal second for me that I positively received’t neglect.”

Solar stated she struggled bodily with cramping towards the top of the second set and within the third.

Serving for the second set at 5-3, Vekic dedicated 5 double-faults to assist Solar break, however Vekic broke proper again to power a deciding set, which the veteran participant dominated.

“I used to be so indignant at myself as a result of even to get damaged within the first set at 5-all, then lastly managed to interrupt her within the second set, then get damaged. I don’t know the place these double-faults got here from,” Vekic stated. “I wasn’t significantly nervous. I used to be stunned that I used to be simply hitting double-faults.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic obtained a free move into the Wimbledon semifinals on Wednesday when his quarterfinal opponent, Alex de Minaur, withdrew with a hip damage.

De Minaur, an Australian who was seeded ninth on the All England Membership, introduced he was pulling out of the event hours earlier than he and Djokovic have been scheduled to play one another at Centre Courtroom.

“Clearly not an announcement I wished to make, by any means,” de Minaur stated at a information convention. “I’m devastated.”

He defined that he heard a crack towards the tip of his 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 fourth-round victory over Arthur Fils on Monday. De Minaur walked gingerly to the online when that match ended, however he downplayed the severity of issues when he spoke to the media afterward.

The walkover locations Djokovic within the Wimbledon semifinals for the thirteenth time, equaling Roger Federer for essentially the most by a person in event historical past.

The second-seeded Djokovic has received seven of his males’s-record 24 Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon.

Djokovic will face Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti on Friday for a berth within the ultimate.

The extent of the damage was clear from medical exams on Tuesday, de Minaur stated, however he wished to at the least give it a shot and attempt to play, if in any respect doable. Nevertheless it was clear throughout a apply session on Wednesday morning there was no approach he might compete.

He stated he barely might stroll earlier than a match that may have been de Minaur’s first quarterfinal look at Wimbledon. He made it that far on the French Open final month, too.

“It’s no secret that, at this stage of my profession, this was the most important match of my profession. So wished to do something I might to play,” de Minaur stated. “I knew what the outcomes have been yesterday, however I nonetheless wished to get up right now and really feel some type of miracle and never really feel it whereas I’m strolling.”

He stated he was instructed that he might make his hip worse if he performed one other match.

“The issue with me going out and taking part in is that one stretch, one slide, one something, could make this damage (restoration) go from three to 6 weeks to 4 months,” de Minaur stated. “It’s an excessive amount of to threat.”

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Initially appeared on E! On-line

Begin peeling that onion, as a result of we’re getting one other layer of everybody’s favourite ogre.

“Shrek 5” is formally within the works, in keeping with a July 9 press launch from Dreamworks Animation and Common Photos, and is about to hit theaters on July 1, 2026, simply in time for the twenty fifth anniversary of the primary Shrek movie.

Whereas plot particulars are nonetheless underneath wraps, the unique trio will return, with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz reprising their roles as Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona, respectively.

The unique 2001 movie adopted Shrek as he set out on a quest together with his noble steed — Donkey — to rescue Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a dragon. However the fairytale took a flip, when it was revealed that Fiona herself become an ogre after darkish, an look she stored after she and Shrek fell in love.

Over time, the story was expanded in followup movies: 2004’s “Shrek 2,” 2007’s “Shrek the Third” and the final entry within the franchise, 2010’s “Shrek Eternally After.”

And whereas followers are little doubt enthusiastic about revisiting Far, Far Away as soon as once more after 13 years, Myers himself has talked about how a lot making the movies was an unbelievable a part of his life — particularly when it got here to the distinctive storyline.

“I like the thought of taking a fairytale and turning it on its head,” he advised GQ in 2022, “and having it’s that each one the normal unhealthy guys are good guys, and all the normal good guys are unhealthy guys.”

He continued, “And I noticed it is a dramatic position. I imply midway by I went, ‘There’s an emotional middle right here.'”

However greater than something, Shrek’s theme of acceptance is one thing he discovered he might relate to.

“You already know the previous joke, ‘I would not need to be a member of a membership that might have me as a member.’ I’ve all the time felt that method,” he mentioned. “The idea of going from a self-loathing ogre to a self-accepting ogre was significant to me.”

“I cherished enjoying Shrek,” he added. “If I needed to do one Shrek a yr I might be thrilled.”

So, whereas we await “Shrek 5,” seize some waffles and maintain studying for all of the behind-the-scenes secrets and techniques in regards to the first film.

(E! and Common Photos are each a part of the NBCUniversal household.)

Violet Affleck is voicing her opposition to the masks bans not too long ago floated by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.

The 18-year-old daughter of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner spoke throughout the public remark portion of Tuesday’s Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors assembly, which had nothing mask-related on the agenda. Introducing herself as a “Los Angeles resident” and “first-time voter,” and carrying a masks herself, she warned in regards to the risks that banning masks would pose to “weak members of our group” — and revealed she was as soon as amongst them.

“I contracted a post-viral situation in 2019,” Violet Affleck stated. “I’m OK now, however I noticed firsthand that drugs doesn’t all the time have solutions to the results of even minor viruses. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown that into sharper aid.”

The latest highschool graduate didn’t specify the sickness she suffered from however continued to debate the debilitating nature of lengthy COVID.

“One in 10 [COVID-19] infections results in lengthy COVID, which is a devastating neurological and cardiovascular sickness that may take away individuals’s capacity to work, see, transfer and even suppose,” Affleck stated, talking shortly to suit her presentation into the one minute allowed.

Lengthy COVID can persist for weeks, months and even years after COVID-19 sickness, in keeping with the Facilities for Illness Control and Prevention. Essentially the most generally reported signs are fatigue, mind fog and post-exertional malaise.

“To confront the lengthy COVID disaster,” she petitioned the supervisors to pursue masks availability, air filtration and sterilizing far-UVC lights in authorities services, together with jails and detention facilities. She additionally advocated for the return of masks mandates in county medical services.

“We should develop the provision of free checks and therapy and, most significantly, the county should oppose masks bans for any motive,” she continued. “They don’t hold us safer, they make weak members of our group much less protected and make everybody much less in a position to take part in Los Angeles collectively.”

Following a June 23 pro-Palestinian protest outdoors of the Adas Torah synagogue within the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles, Bass recommended she was contemplating proscribing the usage of masks at protests. However at a information convention later that week, she cooled on the matter, saying, “At this level, we don’t suppose that this can stand up to judicial scrutiny.”

North Carolina lawmakers in June adopted a masks ban for protests, with a well being exception, introduced forth partially as a response to campus protests on the conflict in Gaza, the Related Press reported.

Shrek 5 is formally a go, with Common and DreamWorks Animation asserting that the storied franchise will return on July 1, 2026. Stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz will return 25 years after the unique Shrek hit theaters.

The characteristic has lengthy been in improvement and can arrive 16 years after earlier entry, Shrek Ceaselessly After, which bowed in 2010 and earned $752.6 million globally.

Walt Dohrn will direct after working as a author on the second and third movies, and as head of story on the fourth movie. Minions: The Rise of Gru co-director Brad Ableson will co-direct, with Shrek Ceaselessly After producer Gina Shay and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri producing.

The Shrek movie franchise started life underneath Jeffrey Katzenberg’s tutelage with the 2001 movie that was praised for its animation model and for taking part in with fairy-tale tropes. It centered on an ogre named Shrek (Myers), who falls for Fiona (Diaz), the princess of Far Far Away who has been cursed, trapped within the physique of an ogre. Donkey (Murphy) supplied comedian aid, pathos and friendship to Shrek. The movie earned an enormous $492.2 million globally, not adjusted for inflation, and gained the Oscar for greatest animated characteristic (and helped immortalize the band Smash Mouth for a technology of viewers).

The sequence, based mostly on William Steig’s e book, was vastly profitable for DreamWorks, which was then led by Katzenberg. The Shrek empire, together with a pair of feline-focused Puss in Boots spinoffs, is the second-biggest animated franchise of all time on the field workplace, grossing $2.9 billion globally. It has additionally spawned a touring present and a Broadway musical.

In 2022, sequel Puss in Boots: The Final Want earned a better-than-expected $481.5 million on the worldwide field workplace in a win for DreamWorks Animation within the post-Katzenberg period (he offered his firm to NBCUniversal for a hefty $3.8 billion in 2016).

Information of Shrek 5 comes because the household field workplace make a long-awaited rebound following the pandemic. Common and Illumination’s Despicable Me 4 is off to a formidable begin on the summer time field workplace, whereas Disney and Pixar’s summer time tentpole Inside Out 2 is already among the many top-grossing animated movies of all time.

Violet Affleck is elevating consciousness a couple of subject that’s near her coronary heart.

The daughter of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck appeared at a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Assembly on July 9 and urged native officers to oppose masks bans and guarantee availability of masks for weak teams.

In a clip from the assembly, the 18-year-old addressed the board of supervisors and launched herself as a “Los Angeles resident” and “first-time voter.” She went on to share some background on why she’s so keen about defending others from harmful viruses.

“I contracted a post-viral situation in 2019. I’m OK now, however I noticed firsthand that drugs doesn’t all the time have solutions to the results of even minor viruses. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown that into sharper aid,” she mentioned.

Affleck went on to elucidate the risks related to lengthy COVID.

“One in 10 infections results in lengthy COVID, which is a devastating neurological (and) cardiovascular sickness that may take away individuals’s capability to work, transfer, see and even suppose,” she mentioned.

The precise quantity of people that have lengthy COVID — outlined as any COVID-19-related signs that persist for over three months — is unclear. However a 2022 research from the U.S. Facilities of Illness Management and Prevention discovered that about 7% of individuals reported having it sooner or later. Specialists have estimated lengthy COVID impacts between 5-20% of sufferers, TODAY.com beforehand reported.

Lengthy COVID signs vary from neurological, like mind fog, to cardiovascular, like blood clots, to extreme fatigue and power ache.

A couple of years into the pandemic, many individuals stopped carrying masks in public. Nevertheless, Affleck urged county officers to make sure that those that need or want additional safety in opposition to viruses have entry to masks and different preventative strategies.

“To confront the lengthy COVID disaster, I demand masks availability, air filtration and far-UVC gentle in authorities amenities, together with jails and detention facilities, and masks mandates in county medical amenities,” she mentioned.

Affleck additionally known as for “(increasing) the provision of high-quality free exams and remedy” and opposing masks bans “for any purpose.”

“(Masks bans) don’t maintain us safer. They make weak members of our neighborhood much less protected and make everybody much less in a position to take part in Los Angeles collectively,” she mentioned on the finish of her remark.

Carrying a face masks can decrease the danger of transmission of respiratory viruses, in accordance with the CDC.

When Affleck just lately graduated highschool, her proud mom shared a photograph of herself wanting emotional on the ceremony.

“Inform me you could have a graduate with out telling me you could have a graduate. 🎓 (bless our hearts 🥺♥️🤣),” she captioned the put up.

Affleck and her two siblings have largely stayed out of the highlight through the years, however she appeared along with her mom at a White Home state dinner in 2022.

Barron Trump made his first look at one in every of his father’s marketing campaign rallies in Florida final night time, the place his father confirmed that faculty was his subsequent step.

“He is now going to school, received into each faculty he needed to,” Trump stated through the rally. “He made his selection and he’s an excellent man.”

However Trump did not disclose the place Barron would attend faculty within the fall.

The 18-year previous Barron Trump is the youngest son of former President and the 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and spouse Melania Trump. He not too long ago graduated from Oxbridge Academy on Might 17, 2024 in West Palm Seashore.

A lot hypothesis has been drawn about the place Barron will attend faculty as his father has alluded to his personal alma-matter, College of Pennsylvania. Though there are ties to Georgetown College in Washington, D.C and curiosity round New York College. This is what we all know.

Will Barron Trump attend UPenn or Georgetown?

Donald Trump himself studied and graduated at UPenn’s Wharton College of Finance and Commerce, graduating in Might 1968 with a bachelor’s diploma in economics.

Donald Trump Jr., the oldest of Trump’s kids, adopted in his father’s footsteps and likewise graduated UPenn’s Wharton College of Finance and Commerce in 2000 with a bachelor’s diploma in economics.

Ivanka Trump, Trump’s oldest daughter additionally graduated from UPenn’s Wharton College of Enterprise at UPenn in 2004 with a bachelor’s diploma in economics, though she spent her first two years of faculty at McDonough College of Enterprise at Georgetown College in Washington, D.C.

Tiffany Trump, Trump’s daughter additionally attended and graduated from UPenn in 2016 with a bachelor’s diploma in sociology. In 2020 she graduated from Georgetown Legislation College.

Eric Trump, Trump’s son, graduated from the McDonough College of Enterprise at Georgetown College in 2006, with a bachelor’s diploma in finance and administration.

College of Pennsylvania’s freshman move-in dates for fall of 2024 are between Aug. 19 via Aug. 25 with first day of courses falling on Tuesday Aug. 27.

Georgetown College’s transfer in date for first yr college students is between Aug. 22 via Aug. 23.

Will Barron Trump attend NYU?

Hypothesis has surrounded New York College, Manhattan Campus, given it’s not removed from the place Barron Trump lived and grew up throughout his childhood. He and his mom, Melania Trump moved to the White Home shortly after his father gained the election of 2016.

NYU’s freshman move-in interval is between Aug. 24 via Aug. 31, with courses starting on Sept. 3.

“ Fly Me to the Moon ” is healthier than it appears to be like.

This isn’t a slam towards the advertising and marketing marketing campaign for the house race rom-com a few straight-laced NASA man and the Madison Avenue advertising and marketing savant introduced in to promote the mission to the moon. It’s extra concerning the state of theatrical moviegoing.

A movie like this, with official film stars in Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, a slick, shiny look, an unique idea, and a glowing title, isn’t a generally occurring phenomenon on the native cineplex. We’ve been conditioned to see one thing like this and assume one among two issues: It’s the product of a high-spending streamer, or it’s faux, like a type of movies-within-a-movie that’s principally there for laughs but in addition at the very least considerably believable.

Each assumptions are on level, however the former is actually true: That is an Apple manufacturing that like “Napoleon” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” goes to theaters first, on Friday, by a standard studio (Sony’s Columbia Footage). It isn’t only a gesture to theaters both — it is streaming date has but to even be introduced.

The director is tv veteran Greg Berlanti, whose movies embody “Love, Simon” and “Life as We Know It.” Right here he appears to have taken a stylistic and tonal web page from Peyton Reed’s “Down with Love,” that Sixties through 2003 Rock Hudson/Doris Day pastiche starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. The script, by Rose Gilroy and story, by Invoice Kirstein and Keenan Flynn, is lighthearted and breezy with a lovely screwball vitality, giving Johansson the chance to make use of the total wattage of her film star energy because the shrewd, self-made Kelly Jones. She’s a form of feminine Don Draper minus the melancholy and dalliances, however with some secret baggage and the flexibility to appeal and persuade nearly anybody.

Should you make it previous the opening montage, a cringey historical past lesson that has all of the depth and nuance of a half-page, single-space elementary college report on the house race, you’re in for a principally nice, if meandering, trip compliments of Johansson, who produced, Tatum and a gifted roster of supporting actors (Woody Harrelson, Ray Romano, Jim Rash). Tatum may be somewhat miscast because the NASA launch director (and Korean Struggle vet) Cole Davis. Although he is an effective match for Johansson and the bevy of knit sweaters he sports activities all through, his portrayal makes Cole too immediately likeable for there to be any form of dramatic stakes or stress. Whether or not this was a miscalculation on the script stage, the route or the casting is difficult to say. However there isn’t any will-they-won’t-they, solely when-will-they, which isn’t compelling storytelling when your runtime stretches over two hours.

This can be a film that’s in no rush to get anyplace quick. Actually, the primary promoting level of the trailer, that Kelly has been employed to stage a faux moon touchdown in case something goes incorrect with Apollo 11, isn’t even launched till deep into the movie. It’s not the purpose of the story in any respect, simply a facet of it, which is somewhat disorienting throughout a first-time viewing. Rash, as a diva director-for-hire for this top-secret movie challenge, makes these scenes very humorous (though the recurring Kubrick jokes fall flat). Most makes an attempt to reference the period past the good costuming and manufacturing design are additionally fairly superficial – it’s a form of rose-colored-glasses model of the late Sixties wherein racism and homophobia are virtually nonexistent. Misogyny and former President Richard Nixon are punchlines and tolerable nuisances.

One other blunder was spending an excessive amount of time with the Apollo 11 astronauts, right down to the compulsory launch – a sequence that we’ve seen so many instances and a lot extra successfully that there’s little to be gained in clumsily shoehorning it in this sort of movie. It’s simply an costly distraction, greedy at grandeur that it didn’t actually need.

“Fly Me to the Moon” is finest when it’s not taking itself too significantly. And essentially the most worthwhile idea it bought is the concept of Johansson and Tatum (which, by the way in which, is a superb reminder to rewatch “Hail, Caesar!”) as a contemporary Day and Hudson. They’ve the appeal. They simply want materials that does it justice.

“Fly Me to the Moon,” an Apple Authentic Movies/Columbia Footage launch in theaters Friday, is rated PG-13 for “some sturdy language, smoking.” Working time: 132 minutes. Two and a half stars out of 4.

Lindsey Bahr, The Related Press

Bronny James did slightly little bit of all the things in his second summer season league sport, however it become one other loss for the Los Angeles Lakers kids.

The son of LeBron James posted three factors on 1-of-3 capturing plus 5 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, two steals and two turnovers in 29 minutes of an 80-76 loss to the Miami Warmth. The larger efficiency got here from the Lakers’ first-round choose, Dalton Knecht, who had 20 factors on 7-of-18 capturing and 9 rebounds.

The sport noticed the Lakers blow an eight-point lead with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. Keshad Johnson and Alondes Williams led the best way for the Warmth with 21 factors, 9 rebounds and three assists every.

Like with practically each summer season league efficiency, there have been some good moments and a few unhealthy moments for the youthful James. His influence was clearest on protection, which was thought of to be the extra superior a part of his sport getting into the 2024 NBA Draft.

Nevertheless, social media additionally seized on no matter lowlight they may discover, unfair or not.

The efficiency was much like James’ summer season league debut, wherein he posted 4 factors in 21 minutes of a loss. He missed the Lakers’ second sport with knee swelling.

In fact, James’ precise on-court efficiency is nearly inappropriate. The Lakers definitely would not complain if he reached his affordable potential as a facilitating level guard who is usually a downside (for the opposite workforce) on protection, however there was a motive he solely labored out for the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns, simply as there was a motive why the workforce gave him a four-year, assured contract after choosing him fifty fifth total.

When James takes the courtroom together with his father, they are going to turn into the primary father-son combo to play collectively in NBA historical past, one more show of LeBron’s uncommon longevity. You do not want a lot preparation in summer season league for that, although it’s going to finally be on Bronny to point out he can stick within the league if his father’s affect wanes.