The Edinburgh Reporter’s Weekly Sports Roundup

This week we congratulate Andy Murray for his fantastic straight sets win over world number one Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon. The 26 year old Scot is the first British player to win the title since Fred Perry in 1936. Elsewhere Hibs and Hearts prepare for the new season and the Edinburgh Monarchs take a lead into the second leg of the League Cup semi-final against Ipswich, with Craig Cook setting two track records. We also send our best wishes to rising basketball star  Lee Reilly (Edinburgh Kings) who has signed for Bundesliga team Gotha Rockets.

Tennis

Many congratulations to Andy Murray who became the first Briton in 77 years to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon, with a straight-sets victory over the world number one Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 on Centre Court in a battle lasting three hours and 10 minutes.

After winning match point, Murray emulated Pat Cash by climbing into the visitor’s enclosure to hug his friends and family, before returning to court to receive the famous trophy.

Afterwards an emotional Murray told the Wimbledon crowd: “That was one of the toughest moments, today was unbelievably tough match. I don’t know how I came through the final three points, I’m so glad to do it.

“I have played Novak many times and when everyone finishes playing, he will go down as one of the fighters. He did the same today and that is what made it tough. I understand how much everyone wanted to see British winner at Wimbledon and I hope everyone enjoyed it.

“My team have stuck by me through some tough moments. This one is for Ivan (Lendl, his coach) as well; I know he did everything to try to win this one when he was playing. He’s fantastic, he’s been patient and I thank him.”

Opponent Djokovic was gracious in defeat saying: “Congratulations to Andy you absolutely deserved it, you played incredibly. I know what it means to you guys in the whole country so well done. It is a great achievement. I gave it my all and it was an honour to be in this match, in this final.”

Murray’s maternal grandfather Roy Erskine was a youth team player with Hibs just after the war.

Football

All bids to buy Hearts have to be submitted by Friday, and fans’ group the Foundation of Hearts have announced that they are in a funding available to submit a bid without going into partnership with another group.

The administrators BDO revealed that they have turned down bids for two first-team players following the response by fans to buy an additional 3,000 season tickets.

Meanwhile, the club have announced that Danny Wilson will be the captain and former assistant manager Billy Brown will work unpaid alongside Gary Locke.

On the playing front, Hearts will play Dinamo Bucharest on Tuesday night at Leigh Sports Village, a £50million sports, retail and housing development in Greater Manchester, with a 7.30pm kick-off. The club have also arranged a friendly with Queen of the South on Saturday, July 20.

Gary Locke’s pre-season plans have been dealt a blow after Celta Vigo, Hearts’ first opponents in the Ballymena tournament, pulled out of the four-team tournament in Belfast. Crusaders, the host club, are trying to find a replacement club.

A young Hearts side beat Selkirk 6-2 at Yarrow Park in the Borders, with the goals coming from Jordan McGhee, Robbie Buchanan (2), Gary Oliver (2) and Sam Nicholson. Around 400 fans made the trip south.

Work to reinstate the War Memorial to its location at Haymarket junction will begin today. The city’s Transport Convener, Councillor Lesley Hinds, and the Managing Director of Hearts, David Southern, placed a time capsule in the base of the memorial in commemoration of the club’s footballers who lost their lives in World War One last week.

The iconic memorial was placed in to storage in 2009 for safe-keeping as tram construction works will be carefully rebuilt over the next six weeks.

Hibs started their pre-season fixtures with a 1-1 draw against Dumbarton before heading to the sunshine for a training camp. On Wednesday they beat a Gibraltar XI thanks to goals from new signing Fraser Mullen, Danny Handling and Ross Caldwell.

In Saturday night, they lost 2-1 to an experienced Nottingham Forest side who are strongly tipped for promotion to the Premiership this year.

Forest took the lead through a Dexter Blackstock penalty in the first half, before new signing Owain Tudur-Jones equalised midway through the second period. Forest immediately regained their lead with a goal from Ishmael Miller.

The players return home this week and will play Raith Rovers at Starks Park on Friday night.

The club will find out their opponents in qualifying round two of the Europa League on Thursday after Malmo play Drogheda United. The first leg, which was played in Dublin at the home of Shamrock Rovers ended on a goalless draw.

The Under 20s beat Lowland League side Vale of Leithen 2-0 at the Hibs Training Ground at East Mains, thanks to goals from Jay Doyle and 16 year old debutant Cody Mulhall.

Speedway

The Scotwaste Monarchs will take a six-point advantage from the first leg of the League Cup semi-final against Ipswich at Armadale, ahead of the second leg on 25th July.

The Witches took 7 heat wins before Ben Barker suffered injury in heat 13 and The Monarchs were able to take a 5-1 in the rerun and a 4-2 in the last race, with Morten Risager winning heat 14.

Craig Cook broke the track record in heat 10, the new time being 53.5.

On Sunday the Monarchs won their fifth successive away match in all competitions when they beat Glasgow Tigers 48-42. Craig Cook knocked an amazing full second off the Glasgow track record in heat 5, the new time being 57.0

The Premier League Four Team Tournament Finals take place at the East of England Showground a week on Sunday and the Scotwaste Monarchs have announced their riding order for the event.

The Scotwaste Monarchs race in the second semi-final in Group B up against Somerset, Leicester and Newcastle. The rules of the competition require us to include our top four averaged riders in the team and then we can select a reserve from the remaining riders.

Our team will line up Derek Sneddon, Theo Pijper, Claus Vissing and Craig Cook with Jozsef Tabaka at reserve.

Hockey

Scotland Women’s hockey team lost two and drew one against Ireland in a three match series in Newtownabbey.

On Tuesday Ireland took an early lead when Alex Speers finished off Nicci Daly’s cutback from the goal-line then doubled their advantage when Speers finished from close range in the 25th minute.

The Scots pulled a goal back at 2-1 eight minutes from half-time when Holly Cram’s shot took a deflection off an Irish stick to land in the back of the net.

Ireland added a third in the 49th minute when Nikki Evans’ effort was blocked by Amy Gibson only for Chloe Watkins to finish before Megan Frazer’s effort was deflected into the net by Duke to secure the win.

On Thursday, after a goalless first half, Ireland opened the scoring through Anna O’Flanaghan in the 64th minute then Megan Frazer slapped a shot low into the Scottish goal a minute later to seal the victory and the series.

On Friday, Ireland struck first when a penalty corner set-play was deflected home by Nikki Symmons, but the Scots hit back shortly afterwards after Nikki Lloyd was on hand to level the scores at 1-1 with a scorching effort past Emma Gray.

Scotland now look forward to two matches against Belgium at the end of July ahead of the EuroHockey Nations Championship on 17-25 August.

Photograph by John Preece. Scotland v Ireland at Peffermill.

www.photoboxgallery.com/jlp-photography

Basketball

Lee Reilly (Edinburgh Kings) will play professionally in the Bundesliga for Gotha Rockets, as from this autumn

The 21-year-old point guard has been a key figure in the recent Scottish League and Cup successes of Edinburgh Kings and, has represented Scotland at all levels, senior and junior as well as the GB under-20 team. The Edinburgh Reporter sends our best wishes to Lee for this fantastic achievement.

Golf

In the build-up to Muirfield staging the world’s oldest major for a 16th time in a fortnight, the R&A is hosting “The Open in the Square” in St Andrew Square from Thursday to Saturday. Members of the public will be able to receive some tips from PGA professionals, play some of the great Open courses on EA Sports games consoles and to get their picture taken with the famous Claret Jug.  And if you want to lay a wager or two  on the outcome of the actual Open you can try FREEbets.org.uk.

The event will also feature a golf simulator, a large screen showing some of the great moments from The Open and artificial practice putting greens.