QPlay: France Enter Euro Final; Mirza and Hingis Lose in Quarters

All the latest sports news in The Quint’s morning wrap.

The France players celebrate after Antoine Griezmann scored the first goal for his team. (Photo: AP)

1. France Beat Germany 2-0

Antoine Griezmann scored twice as France beat world champion Germany 2-0 on Thursday to line up a European Championship final against Portugal.

Griezmann put France in front from the penalty spot in stoppage time at the end of the first half and then took full advantage of a German defensive blunder to score his second with a calm finish in the 72nd minute.

France reached its first final in a decade and is chasing its first major trophy since Euro 2000, while Germany missed its chance to add the European title to the World Cup it won in 2014.

Read the entire report here.

Sania Mirza (L) and Martina Hingis (R). (Photo: Reuters)

2. Serena Reaches Her 9th Wimbledon Final; Venus, Hingis, Paes and Mirza Bow Out

The defending champions and top seeded pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis crashed out in the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles draw at the Wimbledon on Thursday. The fifth seeded pair of Timea Babos of Hungary and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan beat the Indo-Swiss pair 6-2 6-4 in 68 minutes, according to The Quint.

Hingis’ Wimbledon campaign came to an end after the Swiss and her partner Leander Paes lost 3-6 6-3 6-2 to Henri Kontinen and Heather Watson in the third round of the mixed doubles draw.

Germany’s Angelique Kerber gatecrashed the Williams sisters’ Wimbledon party when she overpowered Venus 6-4 6-4 in the semi-finals on Thursday, setting up a mouth-watering final showdown with Serena. Read all about it here.

Serena, meanwhile, breezed to her ninth Wimbledon final with a 6-2 6-0 victory over Elena Vesnina.

Read more here.

Denesh Ramdin. (Photo: Reuters)

3. Denesh Ramdin Lashes Out at Chairman of Selectors, Courtney Browne

West Indies wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin has lashed out at the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for apparently leaving him out of the squad for the upcoming Test series against India, according to The Quint.

The WICB hasn’t publicly announced the squad that will be playing the four-Test series but Ramdin took to Twitter to let his fans know that he had been dumped from the squad and blamed new chairman of selectors Courtney Browne for the decision.

Rahul Dravid. (Photo: Reuters)

4. Team Has More Knowledge of T20 Format, Not Outsiders: Dravid

It is often compared to fast food and criticised for being a shallow format but former Indian captain Rahul Dravid feels Twenty20 cricket has its own set of complexities and intricacies that a common fan cannot fathom, according to PTI.

Some of the conversations that happen around IPL teams, these conversations are not happening outside. I wouldn’t say there is no knowledge outside but there is not as much knowledge, I feel, and there are people who’ll make comments like, ‘Why is he doing this? Why is he doing that?’ without actually understanding the dynamics of why it happens, what happens inside.

Rahul Dravid

Dravid, the current coach of IPL team Delhi Daredevils and India A side feels that a lot of research is being done on creating a perfect balance for a T20 side.

James Anderson. (Photo: AP)

5. England’s Anderson Out of First Test vs Pakistan

England’s all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson was ruled out of a 12-man squad announced on Thursday for next week’s first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s, according to PTI.

Anderson has not recovered from a right shoulder injury sustained in the third Test against Sri Lanka last month – a three-match series England won 2-0.

Jimmy has been touch and go for a while, he is making really good progress but it is the selectors’ view that he just won’t be quite ready for that first Test, hopefully for the second.

Alastair Cook, Captain, England