Unheralded guys like rookie Ato Ular have been doing the heavy lifting for Blackwater. —PBA IMAGES

Blackwater is not even halfway through its PBA Philippine Cup campaign, and coach Ariel Vanguardia knows that the real test is just about to begin.

“We cannot surprise anyone anymore. We know that any team will prepare for us now,” he told the Inquirer. “I think we just caught some teams off guard.”

The Bossing have won three of four games this season, lending credence to pretournament declarations that it would use the Philippine Cup to give its image a facelift by shedding its whipping boy tag—Blackwater is coming off a season where it set the record for consecutive losses at 29.

But up next for the team is Meralco on Thursday at the Big Dome, in a battle with a massive discrepancy in experience.

Blackwater has yet to make the playoffs since the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup. Meralco, meanwhile, is emerging as a solid all-Filipino force.

“The whole week, we’ve been talking about leveling up a notch,” said Vanguardia. “We got to level up. We haven’t achieved anything yet.”

“We have to be extraordinary if we hope to even make the playoffs,” he added. “I don’t think we’re extraordinary. I really think there’s much more we can offer.”

Blackwater has been successful with retouching its image even with projected franchise savior and overall pick Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser still in sick bay.

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“Hopefully Brandon can join us soon. If we can still survive without him, then good. But I really think we are capable of so much more,” he said.

Vanguardia added that the versatile forward remains day-to-day, so the clash with the Bolts set at 5:15 p.m. will be anchored on underappreciated standouts JVee Casio, Yousef Taha and rookie Ato Ular.

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Serbia’s Novak Djokovic returns the ball to Australia’s Thanasi Kokkinakis during their men’s singles tennis match on the third day of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 29, 2022. (SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP)

LONDON – Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the Wimbledon third round for the 16th time on Wednesday as career-long rival Andy Murray suffered his earliest-ever exit from the All England Club.

Top seed Djokovic brushed aside 79th-ranked Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 and will face Serbian compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic for a last-16 place.

“I’m very happy with my performance. I started very well, solid from the back of the court,” said Djokovic, who is looking to join Pete Sampras as a seven-time Wimbledon champion.

“I made him work for every point and worked him around the court,” added the 20-time major winner.

Kokkinakis had likened Djokovic to a “brick wall” before the match.

“It was one-way traffic. I got chopped today,” said the 26-year-old Australian after his Centre Court torment.

Former world number one Murray, the 2013 and 2016 champion, went down 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 to big-serving John Isner in his second-round clash.

Murray, now 52 in the rankings, failed to break serve once against 2018 semi-finalist Isner, who unleashed 36 aces and 82 winners in total.

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“He didn’t give me lots of chances,” said Murray, whose previous earliest exits came in the third round in 2005 and 2021.

“My game was in a good place. I felt good on the court, just couldn’t get the win.”

Isner, 37, was gracious in the aftermath of his first win in nine meetings against the Briton.

“I am most definitely not a better tennis player than Andy Murray. I might have been a little bit better than him today,” said the American.

Isner also took his career aces total to 13,724 to sit just four behind the record held by Ivo Karlovic.

Third seed and French Open runner-up Casper Ruud, who was scheduled to face Djokovic in the semi-finals, was knocked out by 112th-ranked Ugo Humbert, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4.

‘Crazy’ end

But Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz stayed on course to meet the six-time champion in the last eight by reaching the third round for the first time.

Alcaraz, just 19, triumphed over Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, 6-4, 7-6 (7/0), 6-3.

The flamboyant Spanish shot-maker goes on to face Germany’s Oscar Otte for a place in the last 16.

Otte needed just 15 minutes to reach the third round when American opponent Christian Harrison retired injured at 3-1 down in their second-round tie.

Alcaraz’s compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina suffered a controversial exit at the hands of Jiri Vesely.

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At match point down in the final set tie-break, Davidovich Fokina hit a ball out of the court, was penalised a point and lost the tie.

“I don’t agree with it. That’s crazy… what a lousy way to end it,” US tennis great John McEnroe told ESPN.

In the women’s tournament, second seed Anett Kontaveit, ninth seed and former champion Garbine Muguruza as well as 10th-seeded US Open winner Emma Raducanu all exited.

Kontaveit lost 6-4, 6-0 to Germany’s Julie Niemeier as the Estonian endured another Grand Slam to forget.

Kontaveit has made the quarter-finals of a major just once in 29 attempts.

Muguruza, the 2017 champion, lost her delayed first-round clash 6-4, 6-0 to Belgium’s Greet Minnen.

Raducanu, bidding to become Britain’s first female champion at the All England Club in 45 years, was beaten 6-3, 6-3 by France’s 55th-ranked Caroline Garcia.

“I really enjoyed playing on Centre Court, it was my first time and very special,” said Garcia, who fired 25 winners past the British teenager.

There were no such dramas for third seed Ons Jabeur or fifth-seeded Maria Sakkari, who went through to the last 32 in straight sets.

‘Amazing support’

Lesia Tsurenko came out on top in three sets over Ukrainian compatriot Anhelina Kalinina to make the third round for the second time.

Tsurenko, ranked at 101, proudly wore a ribbon in the colours of Ukraine on her shirt.

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“It was a big court. Two Ukrainian players but a lot of people were watching us. We felt amazing support,” said Tsurenko after her 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win.

“Today on the way from hotel to the club, we got a driver,” she added. “She has taken two people from Ukraine into her house.

“I think it’s amazing when people help Ukrainians so much.”

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Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has sprung a big surprise for the first Test against England, naming journeyman lock Cadeyrn Neville to start in his Test debut.

At 33 years and 235 days, Neville will become the third oldest Wallabies debutant since World War II when he takes the field in Perth on Saturday.

The Brumbies giant, who stands 2.02m and weighs 120kg, has been picked in Test training squads since 2012 without being able to crack the match-day squad until now.

Watch every match of the July Test series on the home of rugby, Stan Sport. Kicks off on July 2 with Wallabies vs England live in 4K plus All Blacks vs Ireland, Springboks vs Wales and much more. All streaming ad free, live and on demand only on Stan Sport

Neville rowed for Australia at the Youth Olympics and only took up rugby after leaving school in 2009.

He played his Super Rugby for the Rebels and Reds before joining the Brumbies and has also had stints in Japan.

Most observers expected Rennie to opt for Darcy Swain and Matt Philip as his starting second row pairing but now a battle-scarred veteran gets the opportunity of a lifetime.

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“It’s hard to sum up all the ways it would be special to me,” Neville said of a possible Test debut after being named in the squad to play in England.

“I’ve had a taste of it in various forms over the years but it’s good to just go through the season and be named in that squad and just come in sort of the orthodox way.

“I’d definitely relish it, I’m keeping focused on the work that I still need to do to get there. I’m keen to rip in.”

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Neville is not the most glamorous player going around but his big frame and experience will certainly come in handy in the tight exchanges.

Wallabies forwards coach Dan McKellar highlighted Neville’s qualities after he re-signed with the Brumbies and Rugby Australia earlier this year.

“He’s had some bad luck with injuries at times but when fit, he’s been one of our best since 2020 and with his experience, he’s invaluable to our locks who are still honing their craft,” McKellar said.

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“Cadeyrn’s contribution around the environment, in team meetings and just his professionalism is something people don’t see and has a tremendous impact on the group.”

The Wallabies will name their full team at 1.15pm AEST on Thursday.

Star prop Taniela Tupou is not expected to be included as he continues his recovery from a serious calf injury.

Brumbies prop Allan Alaalatoa is a reliable presence at tighthead but McKellar admitted Tupou’s explosive abilities would be missed against a rugged England pack.

“It’s a big part of their DNA, isn’t it, the set piece and that physicality and brutality and it’s something we’re trying to bring to this group of forwards here,” McKellar said.

“They’ll be strong at set piece – Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Jamie George – they’re world class. It’s an enormous challenge for us.”

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The no nonsense coach also reiterated his ambitions for a developing pack that is hoping to peak at next year’s Rugby World Cup in France.

“We’re trying to develop a mindset here of having the best maul in the world,” McKellar said.

“That takes time, there’s five groups of players that come from different franchises and they all do it differently, so the buy in and thirst for it has been obvious from my end.”

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