Roger Federer Keeps Rolling; A Death on the Horse Track

AP
Dashiell Bennett 394 Views Jul 6, 2012

Today in Sports: Roger goes for history, Dickey's knuckleball is too hot to handle, and as many strikeouts as you can handle.

  • Roger Federer easily dispatched Novak Djokovic to advance to his eighth career Wimbledon final. Fans were hoping for a epic showdown between the six-time champ and the No. 1 player in the world, but a flustered Djokovic was no match for Federer on this day, going down in four sets. Federer will face either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Andy Murray, who is trying to become the first British man to play in a Wimbledon final in more than 70 years. A win by Federer on Sunday would tie him with Pete Sampras for the most Wimbledon singles titles in the modern era. [USA Today]
  • International soccer transfers (and the exorbitant fees that teams pay to acquire new players) have plummeted this year, suggesting that the global recession is limiting the ability of teams to throw around big money to players. European teams have also been subjected to new rules that prevent them from borrowing huge sums of money for player salaries, as way to make leagues more competitive. The current "transfer window" just opened and lasts until the end of August, so things could still change, but many of the top teams seem to be less interested in emptying their pocketbooks for top stars this offseason. [BBC]
  • Despite a monumental start to his season, New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey may not get to start the MLB All-Star Game because starting catcher Buster Posey (of the San Francisco Giants) can't catch his wicked knuckleball. Mets backup catcher Josh Thole is Dickey's designated catcher during the regular season, but NL manager Tony LaRussa says he might save Dickey for a later inning when a more experienced catcher can replace Posey and handle the unpredictable pitches. [Newsday]
  • A jockey was killed during a horse race at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in California on Thursday. Jorge Herrera fell when the horse he was riding clipped heels with another horse throwing him off. He was then hit by either his own horse or another horse, suffering major head injuries and dying later at a hospital. Herrera was 33 years old and had 55 career wins as a jockey. [Fox Sports]
  • For all you .GIF and umpiring fans out there: Deadspin has compiled this handy collection of the signature third-strike call for every umpire in Major League Baseball. [Deadspin]

  • Pittsburgh has offered a scholarship to a high school kicker with a last name that will hopefully never be used against him by his own fans: Chris Blewitt. [Yahoo]

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at dbennett at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.

Related Articles   More by Dashiell Bennett

Bet Placed On Federer Nine Years Ago Nets Charity £100,000

Longest Grand Slam Final in Pro-Tennis History Won by Novak Djokovic

Triple Crown Favorite I'll Have Another Withdraws from Belmont Stakes

 
A woman walks on a street, as the headquarters (L) of the Federal Security Service is seen in the background, in central Moscow, May 14, 2013.

Russian Security Service Says It Foiled a Terrorist Attack in Moscow

Poor People Are Now More Likely to Live in Suburbs Than Cities

Elsewhere on the Web

User Comments

Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register

  • The Atlantic Wire on Twitter
  • The Atlantic Wire RSS Feed
  • The Atlantic Wire iPhone App