Naomi Osaka is seen during the first set of her match against Karolina Muchova in the Wimbledon quarterfinals on July 7, 2026, in London. (©KYODO)
In the Wimbledon women's singles quarterfinals, Czech tennis player Karolina Muchova prevailed 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 over Naomi Osaka on Tuesday, July 7.
Heading into this match, Muchova and Osaka had met six times on the WTA Tour, with both winning three times.
Muchova, the No 10 seed, sealed the quarterfinal victory with consecutive aces on the No 1 court.
In their previous showdown, Muchova defeated Osaka 6-1, 1-0 on June 27 in the Bad Homburg Open, a match in which Osaka retired in the second set due to right foot pain.
It was No 14 seed Osaka's first-ever appearance in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
In a back-and-forth, well-played match, Muchova outdueled Osaka in several key moments.
On Sunday, she booked a spot in the third-to-last round of the grass-court tournament by ousting top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) in the round of 16.
"She overpowered me," Sabalenka was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "I felt like it was an incredible level from her."
What was Osaka's impression of the match?
"It's been a long time since I had so much fun on the court," Osaka said, according to BBC Sport. "To do it here means a lot."
Did You Know?
Naomi Osaka is still vying for her first Grand Slam title since she won the Australian Open for the second time in February 2021.
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Baseball
Murakami to Start Triple-A Rehab Assignment
Chicago White Sox rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami, who has missed more than a month of the 2026 MLB season with a right hamstring injury, is scheduled to begin a Triple-A rehabilitation assignment on Tuesday, July 7.
Murakami is expected to be in the lineup for the Charlotte Knights (Chicago's Triple-A affiliate) against the Nashville Sounds on Tuesday.
He sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain while running to first base on May 29 against the visiting Detroit Tigers.
"I'm just really happy I'm able to get back to playing baseball," Murakami said on Sunday through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. "I've had great preparation along the way in ramping up, so I feel good.
"I think I'm at 99%. The last road is to play in the minors and then get ready for being back on the field."
While playing for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2022, Murakami won the Central League Triple Crown (.318, 56 home runs, 134 RBIs).
In 2026, he's hitting .240 with 20 homers and 41 RBIs in 57 games for the White Sox.
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NPB All-Star Starters Announced
As chosen by baseball fans, the starting lineups and a pair of relief pitchers for both squads for the July 28 and 29 NPB All-Star Games at Tokyo Dome and Toyama's Alpen Stadium were released on Tuesday, July 7.
For the Central League, the fans selected the following: starting pitcher Taichi Yamano (Tokyo Yakult Swallows), relief pitcher Taisei Ota (Yomiuri Giants), closer Jose Quijada (Swallows), catcher Yudai Koga (Swallows), first base Yusuke Ohyama (Hanshin Tigers), second base Takumu Nakano (Tigers), third base Teruaki Sato (Tigers), shortstop Kaito Muramatsu (Chunichi Dragons) and outfielders Shota Morishita (Tigers), Seiya Hosokawa (Dragons) and Shu Masuda (Swallows).
Fans chose the following for the Pacific League: starting pitcher Hiromi Itoh (Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters), reliever Shota Suzuki (Chiba Lotte Marines), closer Andres Machado (Orix Buffaloes), catcher Yua Tamiya (Fighters), first base Kotaro Kiyomiya (Fighters), second base Ryusei Ogawa (Marines), third base Ryoya Kurihara (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks), shortstop Tatsuki Mizuno (Fighters), outfielders Misho Nishikawa (Marines), Ukyo Shuto (Hawks) and Chusei Mannami (Fighters) and designated hitter Franmil Reyes (Fighters).
Basketball
South Korea Edges Japan in FIBA World Cup Qualifier
In Goyang, South Korea, Woosuk Lee scored 19 points and Junyong Choi had 16 to lead South Korea past Japan, 81-79, in the teams' final Group B match in the first round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers on Monday, July 6.
With the win, 56th-ranked South Korea (3-3) clinched a spot in the second round of qualifiers, which gets underway in late August.
World No 22 Japan (4-2) had already qualified for the second round by earning a 92-73 road win over China on July 3 in Shenyang.
On Monday, Josh Hawkinson paced Japan with 30 points on 11-for-16 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds. Yuta Watanabe had a double-double (18 points and 11 boards along with two blocks) before fouling out late in the game. Yudai Nishida and Yudai Baba added 13 and eight points, respectively.
South Korea led 73-64 with under 4 minutes remaining, and Japan's comeback effort fell short.
Defense Lifts South Korea
Coach Dai Oketani's squad finished with 17 turnovers in the loss. South Korea outscored Japan 22-6 in points off turnovers.
Daniel Edi had five steals and Lee chipped in with three to spark the hosts' pressure defense.
Japan's starters scored all but four of the team's points.
"At the end of the day," Oketani said, "South Korea came with a lot of sense of urgency. They put a lot of ball pressure, put a lot of physicality [on us], and we weren't able to handle that."
It was Choi's first appearance for the South Korea national team since the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.
For Japan, Window 4 of Asian qualifiers starts on August 27 with a road game against Saudi Arabia, followed by a home match versus Qatar on August 31.
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Hachimura Signs 2-Year Deal with Clippers
Free agent forward Rui Hachimura has signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, the NBA Western Conference team announced on Monday, July 6.
The 28-year-old forward's contract will pay him $28 million USD (¥4.5 billion JPY), ESPN reported.
Hachimura played for the crosstown rival Los Angeles Lakers for the past 3½ seasons.
"Rui is an elite 3-point shooter and an efficient mid-range scorer who uses his size to exploit mismatches," Clippers basketball operations president Lawrence Frank said on Monday. "He will strengthen our frontcourt with his one-on-one defense and ability to space the floor. Rui is also a well-liked and respected teammate who continues to grow his game. We're excited to add him."
Hachimura averaged 17.5 points and canned 56.9% of his 3-point shots in 10 playoff games in 2026.
Samuraiz Hand Coaching Reins to Ex-Kawasaki Boss Kita
Takuya Kita, who served as the Kawasaka Brave Thunders general manager from 2019-26, is the new head coach of the B.League second-division club Kanazawa Samuraiz.
An announcement was made on Tuesday, July 7.
The Samuraiz, who are coming off a 26-26 season in B3, are moving up to the second division after seven straight seasons in the pro basketball league's third division.
Kita has spent his entire basketball career with the Brave Thunders ― including as a player (1995-2008), assistant coach (2008-11) and head coach (2011-19).
An Ishikawa Prefecture native, the 54-year-old said he's looking forward to giving back to his hometown commmunity.
"While it goes without saying that a sports team must pursue results, it is even more essential that we grow into a team that the people of Ishikawa Prefecture can wholeheartedly support," Kita said in a statement. "I believe that what matters most is not just the results, but the 'process' leading up to them — energizing the fans who come to the arena and showcasing passionate, heart-pounding play that stirs their emotions."
He continued: "I will do my utmost to contribute to the team's development, regional revitalization through basketball, and the creation of an environment where the children who will shape the future can hold onto their dreams."
As the B.League prepares for its 11th season in 2026-27, it has rebranded, naming the first division B.Premier, the second division B.One and the third division B.Next.
Sumo
Injured Wakatakakage to Miss Nagoya Basho
Sekiwake Wakatakakage, coming off surgery for compartment syndrome on July 1, will miss the upcoming Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
Wakatakakage was hoping to vie for his second consecutive Emperor's Cup at the Nagoya Basho (July 12-26), but the need for emergency surgery will keep the sumo wrestler sidelined.
According to the Cleveland Clinic website, compartment syndrome is "a painful buildup of pressure around your muscles. Acute compartment syndrome is a medical emergency that happens after severe injuries or as a surgery complication. Chronic compartment syndrome happens over time when you exercise too hard or too often."
Compartment syndrome can lead to paralysis if it goes untreated.
Wakatakakage injured his left leg last week during a training session and visited a hospital to seek treatment "after the pain intensified," Kyodo News reported.
Golf
Hisatsune Ties for 9th in John Deere Classic
PGA Tour golfer Ryo Hisatsune shot a 16-under 268 and finished in a three-way tie for ninth at the John Deere Classic on Sunday, July 5 in Silvis, Illinois.
Hisatsune shot 4-under 67s in the first and fourth rounds. He had a 65 in the second round and a 69 in the third.
It was Hisatsune's fifth top-10 finish in 2026. The 23-year-old had his best result this season at the Farmers Insurance Open, tying for second on February 1.
Chris Gotterup won the John Deere Classic with a 20-under 264, including a 9-under 62 on the final day.
Author: Ed Odeven
Follow Ed's [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and he can be found on X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
