kyrgios: Tsitsipas takes on Kyrgios in Wimbledon blockbuster

Nick Kyrgios has Stefanos Tsitsipas in a blockbuster clash at Wimbledon on Saturday, with the winner likely to be the main obstacle in Rafael Nadal’s way to the final.

Greece’s fourth seed Tsitsipas Nadal is the only other top-10 player left in the draw, while fiery Australian Kyrgios is a match for anyone on his day.

Tsitsipas’ confidence has skyrocketed after winning his first grass-court title in Mallorca last week, but he faces a man he has defeated just once in his four meetings.

Kyrgios, who came out on top last month at the two-player’s Halle, is making waves on and off the court at Wimbledon.

His early victory over Britain’s Paul Jubb was fueled by his admission that he spat in the direction of fans, whom he accused of being abusive, and he also took aim at officials.

The 27-year-old, who was fined $10,000 for Tuesday’s incidents, has been in a testy mood even at the post-match press conference, but has remained fast.

“I feel like I’m comfortable in my own skin,” the 40th-ranked player said after his straight-sets win over Filip Krajinovic.

“Some people just like to tear me apart. That’s not possible anymore.”

Tsitsipas, who reached the fourth round in 2018, said he was “thrilled” to face Kyrgios, who defeated Nadal in the quarterfinals in 2014.

“I have a lot of respect for what he is trying to do on the court,” he said. “Although he’s been a little controversial in the past, I think he’s playing good tennis.”

Kyrgios’ win would give him his 10th win on grass this season.

Second seed Nadal, chasing a calendar Grand Slam, knows he has yet to scale heights at the All England Club after two poor performances so far.

“I haven’t played much on the grass in three years,” the 22-time Grand Slam winner said after his four-set win against Ricardas Berankis.

“It gives me a chance to keep going, so happy for that.

“I need to improve. I have to keep working, be humble, even when things aren’t going well.”

Australian 19th seed Alex de Minaur defeated British wild card Liam Brody 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 and will play Chile’s Christian Garin in the last 16.

Dutch 21st seed Boutique van de Zandschulp saw off a challenge from French legend Richard Gasquet in four sets.

– Tan moves on – In the women’s competition, Harmony Tan, who knocked out Serena Williams in the first round, beat British wild card Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-1 in just 51 minutes to reach the fourth round .

The 24-year-old Frenchman broke the bolter five times in an impressive performance to disappoint the crowd on Court Two.

“I guess I like grass,” said Tan, ranked 115 in the world. “I never play on this court but I like to play with my game with slices and volleys and everything so I am really happy.

“It was really emotional for the first round against Serena and it was just playing match by match and really good tennis today. I don’t know why but it depends on the day.”

Tan will next take on 20th seed Amanda Anisimova, who defeated French Open finalist Coco Gauff 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 6-1 to return to the All-American bout.

In 2019, champion Simona Halep advanced to the last 16 with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Magdalena Frech.

World number one Iga Swiatek is aiming for a 38th straight win against unseeded French legend Alize Cornet.

The Polish top seed was asked if her winning streak has boosted her confidence, she said it didn’t come to her mind when she was playing the match.

“I’m just trying to figure out what to do better and how to come back,” she said. “So it doesn’t really matter to me.”

Fourth-seeded Paula Badosa will take on former two-time champion Petra Kvitova in one of the most exciting rounds of the third round.

Originally published at Pen 18

Big league beckons: Esporting in India fast approaches a turning point

Rishabh Pant: Once in a generation cricketer

Sitting in a restaurant in Manchester, Sourav Ganguly once said, “He will be your biggest match-winner in the next 10 years. Remember me. He has been blessed with the kind of talent I haven’t seen in a long time.” Yes, he needs time but he is a once in a generation player.

Ganguly was talking about Rishabh Pant. It was the evening after India’s defeat in the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand in Manchester. The defeat was yet to come. India had failed to chase down 240 and the dream of winning the trophy was over. The man with the most fire was Pant who threw his wicket away. He was called overrated, overweight, careless and more. His attitude towards batting was criticized.

It was hard to believe Ganguly’s words but he always loved Pant and in the circumstances it seemed like a huge overstatement.

After exactly three years, Ganguly’s point of view will have to be obeyed. Hundreds of the two series-defining innings in Australia, South Africa (1), England (2) and Australia (1) and the pace at which he bats, Pant is rapidly elevating himself to the status of a modern great.

With Pant, it is all or nothing. With that attitude, there is no doubt that he will fail in a few days. But the day he succeeds – his success rate in Test cricket exceeds his failures – he takes the game away from the opposition. Scoring five run-a-overs against English attackers like James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Matthew Potts at Edgbaston was astonishing, to say the least. That innings changed the match and ensured that India’s hopes in the World Test Championship (WTC) were alive.

Pant, as many believe, is a thinking cricketer. He’s not all slam bang. There is always a way to his madness. For example, after his Gabba exploits, he explained how he knew Nathan Lyon would try to take a rough turn on middle and off-stump and this prompted him to dance to the track and pick up Lyon . Pant was playing Lyon inside and outside the pitch. He was winning the mind game and helping India win the match. It was the same against Jack Leach at Edgbaston. It was no rocket science that Pant would attack Leach. But the way he did it defined the first afternoon of the decider. He defeated Leach in his mind and managed to take the game away from England.

Pant has fixed the match for India with the help of 146 in his counter attack. He bats at a pace that gives his bowlers plenty of time to work hard against the opposition. Also, when we celebrate Pant, it would be unfair not to mention Jadeja. Perhaps the best Test batsman in the last few years, Jadeja looked disheartened even when India were five for 98 and then when Pant got out.

India head coach Rahul Dravid is not the most expressive man, but Pant’s 100-run celebration was a testament to the importance of the innings. Pant was under pressure not to score consistently and his place in the white-ball set-up was being questioned. Dravid has defended him time and again and it was important for Pant to justify the support. That’s what he did at Edgbaston and did it in style. It will go down as one of the most impressive Day 1 innings ever played by an Indian on England soil and could go on to lead India to a historic away series win. That’s what Pant is all about, a real match winner and a rare talent.

Originally published at Pen 18

Ariana DeBose Talks Overturning Roe V. Wade on ‘The Tonight Show’ – WWD – Pen 18

Ariana DeBos appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Thursday night to promote the fourth season of HBO’s “Westworld.” But his comment on the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade stood out to the audience.

The Oscar-winning actress expressed her dismay in the Supreme Court during her segment on the late-night show to overturn a nearly 50-year-old ruling that overturned the constitutional right to abortion. He talked about ways to take action against the ruling and the impact of the ruling on the LGBTQ community.

“We can talk a lot about how the Supreme Court has waged a war on women’s reproductive rights, but the reality is [Supreme Court Justice] Clarence Thomas was very clear what his plan was,” she said. “He’s not just coming for women. They’ve already come for voting rights, they’re going to continue, but they’re coming for marriage equality. And frankly, they’re probably same-sex.” So it’s time to join the fight and it starts at the local level, so find ways to get involved.”

Debos talked about ways to support his local community in taking action against the Supreme Court’s decision.

The ‘West Side Story’ actress also opened up about her recent Oscar win, reflecting on the history-making moment. Debos is the first Afro-Latina and LGBTQ actress to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

“It was really surreal,” she was sad. “I really just wanted to cry, but this isn’t the moment you cry. You wake up, you have to walk and you have something to say. And I remember thinking, ‘Oh, it’s time to say what you Want to say, ‘And that’s what I wanted to say – that there’s room for us. And it’s a great pleasure for me right now because we have to hold on to our joy, people. I was just so grateful. I didn’t expect that.’ I’ll be standing where Julia Roberts stood, you know what I mean? Denzel Washington stood there. It was something that was really cool.”

Ariana Debos wears Boss and host Jimmy Fallon as seen during the “Singing Whisper Challenge” Thursday.
Todd Oyoung / NBC

For an appearance on the show, DeBose wore an oversize black Boss blazer jacket with silver Jimmy Choo heels. DeBose also wore Boss when she hosted the 2022 Tony Awards last month. The actress walked the red carpet wearing a custom black sequin dress from the designer brand.

Read more here:

PHOTOS: See Ariana DeBos’ Style Through the Years

A Closer Look at Ariana DeBos’s Standout Tony Awards Look

Zadrian Smith Reflects on Ariana DeBos’s Landmark Oscar Win and Valentino Pantsuit

Zadrian Smith and Sarah Edmiston Talk Ariana DeBos’ ‘Classic Americana’ Style

Originally published at Pen 18

Nicole Miller Resort 2023 – WWD – Pen 18

“We tried something different this season,” said Nicole Miller at the start of her resort collection appointment. In lieu of a seasonal narrative, the designer took his enduring efforts a big step forward (he’s been very anti-plastic over the years).

In addition to the two silk prints (which make up three pieces within the line), the entire collection was crafted from sourced deadstock and former Nicole Miller fabrication. Throughout the resort, the designer embraced a strategic DIY sensibility while melding into her signature tough-girl DNA.

sight: camo crazy.

Quote of note: “My idea was to make an entire collection out of existing things. The whole collection is from vintage stuff—I even found ties from our catalog. There are military jackets, beaded swatches, and deadstock fabrics, too.

Main pieces: patchwork multicamouflage dresses and corset tops (which looked great with distressed leather pants); Repurpose military jacket with ornate collar; deadstock suede (or leather) patchwork jackets, dresses and skirts; midi dress made entirely of vintage ties; collage shirting; A sheer, camo embroidered gown.

Takeaway: Miller’s deliberate approach to reimagining fabrication worked well in his signature “big-” Allen. The designer also noted that exclusive pieces within the collection will be made-to-order and offered as limited editions.

Originally published at Pen 18

Ciara Dons Orange Cutout Dress With Russell Wilson at Serpentine Party – WWD – Pen 18

Ciara stuns Alessandro Vigilante for the Serpentine Gallery Summer Party.

The musician wore a form-fitting, long-sleeved orange Alessandro Vigilante dress, teamed with white Tom Ford heels, to a party in London on Thursday with husband Russell Wilson. Wilson went with a brown casual suit jacket and trousers with white sneakers.

Ciara at the Serpentine Gallery Summer Party.
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Other attendees at the annual summer party included Iris Law and Tallulah Riley.

The Serpentine Summer Party is held at the Serpentine Art Gallery in Kensington Gardens, where guests can view a range of art installations.

Ciara and Wilson regularly have standout style moments together, like when the couple attended the Vanity Fair Oscars in March when Ciara wore a burgundy-hued cutout di Petsa dress while Wilson teamed with matching trousers. Was wearing a black suit jacket.

Russell Wilson and Ciara at the Serpentine Summer Party.
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Read more here:

Ciara and Russell Wilson at the home of LR&C’s first store

EXCLUSIVE: Ciara unveils first women’s line for fashion company The House of LR&C, created with husband Russell Wilson

Addison Rae, Demi Moore, Ciara and more stars attend Elle’s Women in Hollywood event

Originally published at Pen 18

Alexander McQueen Spring 2023 Is for the Likes of Timothée Chalamet – WWD – Pen 18

Sarah Burton looked to the skies and constellations, choosing phrases such as “science and structure” and “supernature, universe and night” to describe her latest men’s outing.

It may sound woo-woo, but Burton certainly delivered a heavenly lineup. With less strict tailoring than the previous collection, there was a sense of serenity in these pieces.

Suits were soft and romantic, with silver sequins and crystal astral embroidery shooting behind lapels, or long black coats. Other jackets came with leather harnesses studded with chunky crystals.

Some of the sparkly embroideries resembled starbursts or even military medals, while the jackets were wrapped gently around the body, with one lapel “hidden” inside the other.

Burton offsets all the blacks and sparkles with soft pinks and blues, and gentle brush stroke patterns on trenches and suits. Even sneakers were submerged in pastel, powdery shades.

These were the clothes of young Hollywood, and shining stars like Timothée Chalamet.

Originally published at Pen 18