Britain’s Samantha Murray, who won silver at the 2012 London Olympics, has retired from modern pentathlon at the age of 29.

Murray, who finished eighth at the 2016 Rio Olympics, also claimed gold at the World Championships in 2014.

She won bronze at June’s British Championships, a month before finishing 35th at the European Championships.

“It’s been really hard and taken me over a year to make my mind up,” Murray told BBC Sport.

“I’ve been involved in London 2012 as well as Rio 2016, and I don’t feel the same connection approaching a third Olympics.

“But also I feel I’ve done as much as I can do as a modern pentathlete and am proud of what I’ve achieved.”

Olympian, student, cocktail waitress

Before the London Olympics, Murray not only balanced her French and politics studies with her training, but also worked at a nightclub.

“I was on the cloakroom and was also a cocktail waitress,” she said. “Looking back, I don’t know how I did it. I must have had a lot more energy then.”

Claiming Team GB’s final medal of the London Olympics helped transform her life overnight.

“I was 22 and very young, but I loved every moment,” she said. “As soon as that medal was put around my neck I kissed it because it felt like a child to me. It was amazing.

“The response from home in Lancashire and the opportunities I had to tell my story with schoolchildren was something I really enjoyed but I also felt pride doing because to some I was a role model.”

Pointless, Bargain Hunt and a real responsibility

Despite the success, Murray says her life after London 2012 was also “challenging” and led to her developing something of an “identity issue”.

“One day I’d be in lecture theatre and then in the afternoon I’d be in the training centre where it’s serious and focused,” she said.

“At the same time I’d have opportunities to go on Pointless or Bargain Hunt, and then you’re a normal person catching up with friends. You have all of these faces and it can take over your life.”

Claiming her first individual world title two years after a maiden Olympic medal only increased the pressure and expectation she was already experiencing.

“I wasn’t just hungry, I was desperate to achieve and I was the worst for putting expectation on myself,” said Murray.

“I used to think that if I didn’t win or place on the podium then I couldn’t imagine life next week – I felt responsible for my sport and took that so seriously.”

‘Maybe I should have retired after Rio’

Four years on from London 2012, Murray was aiming to add Olympic gold to her collection, but she endured a disappointing fencing round in Rio and was drafted a “terrible” horse for the show-jumping stage.

Her ninth-place finish was subsequently upgraded to eighth following the disqualification of China’s Chen Qian for a doping offence.

“Rio was really difficult,” said Murray, who used a psychologist to alleviate the anxiety which repeatedly struck while shooting in the laser-run phase at major events.

“I felt so much responsibility to win a medal and help the sport secure money for the next Olympic cycle.

“Our coach had to take time out before the Games as well and it felt like everything I could control went wrong, so I wasn’t as prepared as in London.”

Murray says she was “crushed” and “heartbroken” by the result and considered walking away from the sport, but returned and won the British title in 2017.

“I’m glad I tried, but I know I just didn’t feel that same total commitment I used to,” she said. “Maybe I should have retired after Rio, but I felt like I had unfinished business.”

The future – marriage and mentoring?

Murray says it will “take some time” to find her “next passion” after retirement, but she already has some ideas and a big date to focus on for 2019.

“I’m getting married in July and I’m really happy to look forward to,” she says.

“In terms of what I’m going to be next though, I enjoy public speaking, going into schools and speaking to other athletes, so maybe some mentoring, but I love talking about sport and may look at doing a journalism course.

“I’ve loved being a modern pentathlete, but a I’m ready to attack something else.”

I could be anywhere in the world, but the moment I hear a song from Neko Case’s “Fox Confessor Brings The Flood,” I’m transported back to my friend’s single bed in northern France. The year is 2009, my Erasmus year, and I’m a teaching assistant in a suburban secondary school.

There, I would spend my evenings drinking €3 red wine and listening to the iTunes library of a new American friend (and now, best friend) named Shannon who also happened to be teaching English in the same sleepy French town. It was there, during this year of instructing teenagers how to conjugate, that I realised how intensely personal our relationship with music can be. That’s why, nine years on, I decided I would go to see Neko Case on my own during her European tour. 

Alone is how I go to gigs these days. I wouldn’t have it any other way, to be frank. This going-aloneness is not for want of anyone to go with, but instead because I actually want to be alone to fully enjoy the experience. It took me until my late twenties to discover the wonders of going to concerts alone. The first time was an accident. I’d booked two tickets to see Fleet Foxes at Brixton O2 Academy in the hope I’d be able to entice a friend to accompany me. But, my friends weren’t as enamoured with the dulcet tone of Robin Pecknold’s voice, so that ticket went unused. I ventured down to the gig on my own.

Image: Alberto Pezzali/NurPhoto via Getty Images

I felt nervous and self-conscious when I first arrived. I wondered if people would see me standing friendless in the crowd and think I was some kind of outlier — a thought that I now freely admit was completely preposterous. I shrugged that self-consciousness off when I got inside the venue, had a beer, and told myself to get the hell over it, Rachel, you’re a fully grown woman. In the stalls, I metamorphosed from awkward billy-no-mates to a person reliving past moments that were inextricably tethered to this music. When “The Shrine / An Argument” played, I was reminded of the summer after graduating when I played “Helplessness Blues” on repeat, at full volume. 

That night, during my first solo gig, I realised I have a unique bond with these songs, that I needed to be alone with them. Songs mean different things to different people. But, I now know that my experience of seeing an artist whose music has had an impact on my life is something I need to do alone. Just like visiting an old friend with whom you have a close personal bond, trying to bring a third person into the relationship would dilute the experience, divert my attention to other things.

It is, of course, fun to bring a friend along to a gig. Especially if said friend is as big a fan as you are. My cousin Ellen and I have been to see Beyoncé together twice because we are both diehard superfans and I need someone to scream with. But other times, I’ve taken friends along with me and have caught myself worrying about whether they’re having a good time, worrying if they’re bored, worrying if maybe I shouldn’t have invited them in the first place.  

One year on, with several solo gigs now under my belt, I went to see Neko Case unaccompanied. As she sang “Hold On, Hold On” my eyes welled up with tears as my mind travelled back in time to that year in France. It was a moving, lovely night. 

Image: Robin Little/Redferns

I am not alone in my aloneness, of course. A lot of other people are in possession of the knowledge that going solo to a gig is a wonderful thing. 

“Whenever I go to a show it is because the music is very personal and meaningful to me.”

Freelance filmmaker Jeremiah Warren says he often goes by himself because he’s attending a show “for the music not for human interaction. “

“Whenever I go to a show it is because the music is very personal and meaningful to me,” says Warren, who loves people and socialising, but also enjoys spending time alone and being able to experience something all by himself. “I heard Sigur Rós during their 2016 tour and it was one of the most emotional and spiritual experiences I’d had in a long time. I think it would have been a distraction if a friend had been there.”

The one exception, he says, is “going with a significant other” which he feels is distinctly different to bringing a friend along for company. 

Just like Warren, many solo-show-goers say it’s not really a conscious choice to go it alone. Joe Garbow, who works in communications, started going to gigs alone when he was a teenager. He says it’s not necessarily a conscious decision to not invite others who might be interested, but instead a case of “if I decide I want to go, I’m going.”

“Going alone you are fully immersed in the performance, free to get crushed on the front row, and lost in the sway of the crowd.”

He went to see The Streets on his own after a friend dropped out at the last minute. “Going alone you are fully immersed in the performance, free to get crushed on the front row, and lost in the sway of the crowd or stand at the side with some personal space,” Garbow tells me. “Bringing a friend, even if they are fellow fans, you somehow feel responsible for the quality of the show. If it doesn’t meet expectations, your musical prowess takes a knock,” he adds. 

I can totally relate to this feeling. I’ve found myself constantly turning my head to check on a friend’s enjoyment of the gig, and interjecting with comments like “oh, this is my favourite song” in a bid to make them see the significance of a moment. 

James Olliver, who works in PR, flew solo when he went to see Jake Bugg play when he was visiting Berlin and had “an amazing experience.” “None of the others I was travelling with fancied it so I decided to head over by myself,” says Olliver. “Barring getting slightly lost on the Berlin metro, it was great and I found myself chatting with more people than I would normally during a gig. Would definitely recommend it!”

Whether you want to chat to fellow gig-goers, or just be alone with the music, going to a gig alone is something everyone should do at least once in their lifetime. If you have a personal connection to a particular song or musician, give yourself the gift of flying solo. You won’t regret it. 

When you’re hailing a ride, you probably flip between the Uber and Lyft apps to see which one will give you the best deal. But what if one of them offered you rewards in exchange for your loyalty?

Lyft is banking on that idea with its forthcoming rewards program. 

The company will soon let users earn points for all the money they spend in the app on Lyft rides. Once a user has earned enough points, they can redeem them for Lyft Rewards, such as a ride in a more luxurious car or discounts on future rides. Points will be tracked in the app as part of a user’s profile.

The Lyft loyalty program will launch next month to select riders in certain cities before rolling out to more people early next year. If you’re one of the lucky few chosen customers, you’ll receive an email or in-app notification to sign up. It will work in a similar fashion to the company’s business rewards program for business trips. 

Lyft and its chief rival Uber have been increasingly competing for each other’s customer base. Both companies recently launched subscription plans: Lyft has its All-Access Pass, while Uber late last month started Ride Pass, a discounted ride program for a set monthly amount. It is unclear whether either has been a major success.

Lyft’s new reward program comes shortly after Uber offered a rewards program for drivers. This seems to be one of the rare instances where each company is honing in on different sides of the ride-hailing business.

Uber has high turnover and split loyalties from drivers, so a way to encourage drivers to stick to its app makes sense. A Stanford University gender pay gap study from earlier this year found that 68 percent of Uber drivers stop driving within six months. A Rideshare Guy blogger said he will consider switching to Uber instead of Lyft because of the new reward system. He wrote, “If you are like me, a Lyft driver, then this new offering provides an opportunity to reevaluate my driving options and make an educated decision.”

Lyft is hoping passengers will reevaluate their riding options with its new incentives program — and pick Lyft over Uber. It’s hard to resist a good deal. And Lyft knows that.

Sure, reflecting on what you’re grateful for on Thanksgiving is fun and all, but the holiday can also be immensely stressful. 

There’s so much that can go wrong during America’s gluttonous celebration — preparing a massive meal for multiple people is pretty much just asking for disaster. 

From dog poop mishaps to deeply offensive family members, here are seven of the worst Thanksgiving horror stories, either shared with us or found around the internet. 

1. The time the family dog ruined dinner

Redditor u/baserith’s grandmother made the mistake of treating the family dog to a piece of turkey, and was later subjected to absolute horror.

2. The turkey explosion 

One Redditor’s brand new car was destroyed, thanks to a holiday mishap. Raw turkey juice and short stops don’t quite go along. 

3. An unfortunate clean up 

An artist’s friendsgiving went awry when their dog experienced some stomach troubles. At least their turkey was safe!

“Opened up the fridge to take the turkey out to only be greeted with a horrible rancid smell. After panicking that we bought a rotten turkey and would have to buy a new one on Thanksgiving Day, we turned around to see that my friend’s dog had taken a massive dump on the living room carpet a few feet away and this was the source of the smell. We had fed him some canned pumpkin with breakfast earlier without realizing this would be a surefire way to induce doggy diarrhea :/”

– Tristan Silver

4. The bubbly disaster

Thanksgiving can be wild, but this Redditor’s story takes it to a whole new level. In this case, almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong. 

5. The godmother’s drunk faux pas

For producer Kate Bell, her first Thanksgiving after her parents split took a turn for the worse when her godmother made a snide comment about her mother. Yikes.

“I was 13 and it was right after my parents had divorced – Thanksgiving at my dad and my new stepmom’s. They invited my drunk godmother who said to my face, ‘Thank god for you Georgia, that other woman was horrible.” Georgia is my stepmom. I ran out while they were eating [and] I spent the rest of that Thanksgiving crying in the bathroom.”

– Kate Bell 

6. The time someone forgot about a rotting turkey

Redditor u/safeburrito had an awful Thanksgiving when they forgot about a frozen turkey gone rancid. Read this until the end — it’s truly a tragedy.

7. The cats got to it first

Redditor u/moneydearest went to a Thanksgiving dinner where someone actually served pumpkin pies with cat footprints. Would you have eaten it?

So if you’re stressed this Thanksgiving, at least you can be thankful that you’re not dealing with any of these disasters!

French President Emmanuel Macron and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, have been at odds on many issues.

This week, that divide stretched further when Macron appeared to call for the creation of a European army in an interview on French radio, saying that the continent could no longer rely on the support of the United States in defence matters.

In the same interview, Macron also spoke about cybersecurity threats and France having “to protect [itself] with respect to China, Russia and even the United States” – comments that were apparently taken out of context by many, including Trump, amid suggestions in media reports that the French president had named the three countries as military threats.

But the two leaders differ on much more than just defence.

Trump has pulled out of a number of global treaties, from the Paris climate agreement to the Iran nuclear deal and recently announced plans to withdraw from a decades-old nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia.

Meanwhile, Macron has repeatedly emphasised the need for a global order and the rejection of nationalism. 

He did so again during Sunday’s remembrance ceremony in Paris to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.

But can Europe do without the US in matters of defence?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests: 

Renaud Girard – chief foreign correspondent at Le Figaro newspaper

David DesRoches – associate professor at the National Defense University and former Pentagon official

Glenn Diesen – professor of international relations at Higher School of Economics in Moscow

Source: Al Jazeera News

While the Race to Dubai is not the most perfect league table, it reliably identifies the European Tour’s finest performer and the coveted Harry Vardon Trophy invariably ends in the correct hands.

Few would contest the merits of the most recent winners – Tommy Fleetwood last year, Rory McIlroy three times in the last six campaigns and Henrik Stenson twice in the last five.

These were the men who won most Tour money in those years and set themselves apart with the quality of their golf. This year appears no exception as we head into the final week of competition.

And it could be a box office finale, indeed a blockbuster made in ‘Moliwood’. The $1.25 million bonus for topping the standings rests between the bromance brothers of Europe’s Ryder Cup victory, Francesco Molinari and Fleetwood.

Of course, it would be more fitting if Justin Rose, in third place, was competing this week and therein lies the fundamental weakness of the Race to Dubai. It does not always grab the full attention of leading stars with other scheduling priorities.

But Rose is nearly 1.3 million points behind Molinari, who has been the stand-out European performer this year.

Fleetwood can still retain his Race to Dubai crown but has to overhaul a 1,025,166-point deficit so the Italian is in a commanding position. And so he should be after winning the Open in July to add to his superb BMW PGA Championship win at Wentworth in May.

The Italian was also second at his home open, won on the PGA Tour in Potomac and was runner-up at the John Deere Classic the week prior to Carnoustie.

It has been the season of the London-based 36-year-old’s life, with much of his success fashioned under the tutelage of swing coach Denis Pugh, putting guru Phil Kenyon and performance specialist Dave Alred.

The diligently-targeted hard work not only yielded three titles but a record five points out of five at Le Golf National, four of them fittingly garnered in partnership with Ryder Cup rookie Fleetwood.

“Wherever we are today, we can get better tomorrow and that’s our mantra,” Alred told BBC Sport. “We create an environment where winning is the result of doing what we do.”

This has involved performance drills on the range and short game areas where Molinari has been challenged to go to what Alred calls “the ugly zone”. Everything he does is charted and monitored and improvements are therefore quantifiable.

On course success is a mere bi-product, the key is a continued path of improvement. Further fruits are likely to be gathered at this week’s DP World Tour Championship.

For Molinari to be denied the Race to Dubai bounty, Fleetwood must win the season finale and the Claret Jug holder would have to finish worse than a share of fifth place with one other player.

It is not an impossible scenario but the odds firmly suggest another fitting honour heading in the direction of the popular Italian.

There has been much to celebrate in this European Tour season and not just the continent’s resounding Ryder Cup victory. It is a Tour that has yielded a string of compelling storylines throughout 2018.

Lee Westwood’s emotional triumph in South Africa last week was the latest instalment, a win that showed the 45-year-old that he can still mix it at the top of the game. There were many, including the player himself, who wondered whether he still possessed the mentality to win again.

Remarkably, Westwood who was a Ryder Cup vice-captain in France, comes into he final week of the season lying a highly-creditable 16th in the Race to Dubai.

But perhaps the most extraordinary name to make it into the elite top 60 for the season finale is Tom Lewis. Now 27, the Welwyn Garden City golfer, who led the 2011 Open as an amateur, has rocketed up the standings in recent weeks.

In September he was still playing on the Challenge Tour before winning the Bridgestone Challenge at Luton Hoo. Then came his second Portugal Masters victory, at which time he was 163rd in the Race to Dubai.

Lewis is now 49th on the money list and firmly ensconced in the world’s top 100 having been ranked 436 only last June. His playing privileges secure, this maybe the start of the Englishman truly fulfilling his vast potential.

Certainly, making it to the final event of the year from such an unpromising position less than two months ago offers plenty of inspiration for many of his contemporaries, including those currently slogging away at Tour Q School.

Things can alter rapidly, but most positive changes are the product of long-term endeavour and in that regard there is no better example than Molinari, the man most likely to end this week as the European Tour’s number one player.

If it comes to pass, no one could argue with such an outcome.

Are you the type of person who just wants to rip the cover off your dear, sweet 2001 Xbox and see how it all ticks? Ever wanted to smash open a Game Boy? Lift the lid on an Atari 2600?

Shot by photographer and lifelong gamer Evan Amos, The Game Console: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox does exactly that, as a visual history of video game hardware released by San Francisco-based publishing company No Starch Press. 

Photographed in intense, loving detail, the book quite literally unpacks 86 consoles and examines their innards, from the Magnavox Odyssey to the Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Commodore 64, all the way to the Game Boy, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U.

Image: evan amos/no starch press

Amos didn’t initially set out to make a book peeking inside video game consoles. In fact, he first started out valiantly documenting video game hardware for Wikipedia, because if you’ve ever tried to look for high-quality, public domain images of consoles on there, it ain’t pretty.

After updating as many Wikipedia photos as he could with his Nikon D7000 and a D7100 DSLR and a homemade studio table, Amos shifted focus in 2014 to his own ambitious project: a high-resolution photo archive of video game consoles for the public domain called the Vanamo Online Game Museum.

Funding the project on Kickstarter with a cool $17,000, Amos started acquiring quite the large collection of consoles, through his own money and that supplied by crowdfunding.

“When I first started the project of documenting video game hardware for Wikipedia, I only had a few systems myself, and turned to collectors for help with the rest,” he told Mashable. “After a while I raised money through Kickstarter to buy my own systems, so I could create more in-depth galleries for different consoles that included breakdowns and motherboard shots.”

Image: evan Amos/no starch press

After successfully funding his Kickstarter project, Amos was approached by San Francisco publisher No Starch Press to create a book based on his photos. According to Amos, “it didn’t take me long to accept the offer.”

What took much longer was deciding on exactly what book to create. “My first idea for the book was dense and encyclopedia-ish, but after a while it was apparent that it was simply too much work for one person to create, and so the book was rebooted into its current form, which is picture-heavy with minimal write-ups,” said Amos.

“I’m pretty happy with the final product, and I like to imagine the book as if you were walking into a museum, and you’d be seeing all of these systems in displays with the short write-up talking about their history.”

“I like to imagine the book as if you were walking into a museum.”

Amos spent a significant amount of time and money tracking down rare, older consoles, like the Commodore CDTV launched in 1991, and Tandy’s Memorex Video Information System launched in 1992.

“Most of what you see in the book is what I actually have in my apartment, except for the case of super rare consoles or prototypes. Stuff that’s missing from the book, like the Apple II and ZX Spectrum, are example of things that I don’t have, so I wasn’t able to include them. 

“It can be very difficult for me to get older consoles, because I’m looking for something that’s both in really good physical condition and a price I can pay, so sometimes I wait literal years to pick them up. A couple of systems were very late additions to the book, such as the Memorex VIS and Commodore CDTV, because I only acquired right before the book’s deadline.”

Image: evan amos/no starch press

So, having sifted through the last few decades of console history, what’s been the most significant change in design, in Amos’ experience?

“When you look through the book, it’s a lot easier to see the various phases that consoles have gone through over the decades,” he said. “The second-gen systems such as the Atari 2600 and Intellivision have lots of fake woodgrain and take some inspiration from home stereo equipment. 

“Later Japanese consoles emphasize ‘fun’ designs, then make their way to ‘cool’ designs, and now everything is mostly minimalist black boxes.”

With so many different (and many legendary) consoles featured in the book, it’s hard for Amos to pick a favorite — but he gave it a try.

“As far as my current favorite, I really love the Xbox One X right now since it’s such a powerhouse, but in terms of a legacy system, I would say the Super Nintendo,” he said. “I was ten when it came out and I got really into games such as Earthbound, Soul Blazer, Final Fantasy VI, and Chrono Trigger growing up. So many games from that system are ones that I still try to revisit every few years, or keep their soundtracks on my phone.”

The Game Console: A Photographic History from Atari to Xbox is out now via No Starch Press.

A member of a Saudi assassination squad phoned a superior shortly after Jamal Khashoggi was murdered and told him “tell your boss” their mission had been accomplished, The New York Times reported.

Citing three people familiar with a recording of Khashoggi’s killing collected by Turkish intelligence, the newspaper said while he was not mentioned by name, US officials believe “your boss” was a reference to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

US intelligence officials view the recording as some of the strongest evidence yet linking bin Salman to the murder, it said.

Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, one of 15 Saudis sent to Istanbul to target Khashoggi, made the phone call and spoke in Arabic, sources told the Times. Mutreb is a security officer who frequently travels with the crown prince.

Turkish intelligence officers told US officials they believe the call was made to one of bin Salman’s close aides.

“The deed was done,” Mutreb told the aide, though the paper noted exact translations into English may differ.

‘Pretty incriminating’

Turkish officials have said the audio recording does not conclusively implicate bin Salman, but analysts say it’s an important clue.

“A phone call like that is about as close to a smoking gun as you are going to get,” Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer now at the Brookings Institution, was quoted as saying. “It is pretty incriminating evidence.”

Saudi officials denied the crown prince “had any knowledge whatsoever” of Khashoggi’s killing.

Referring to Mutreb’s instructions to “tell your boss”, a Saudi statement said Turkey “allowed our intelligence services to hear recordings, and at no moment was there any reference to the mentioned phrase in the such recordings”, the Times’ reported.

Khashoggi – a Saudi writer, US resident and Washington Post columnist – entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 to obtain documentation certifying he divorced his ex-wife so he could remarry. He never came out. 

The whereabouts of Khashoggi’s body are still unknown.

After weeks of repeated denials that it had anything to do with his disappearance, the kingdom eventually acknowledged the murder was premeditated. 

World number one Novak Djokovic underlined why he is favourite to win the ATP Finals with a commanding win over John Isner in their group opener.

The Serb, 31, was in devastating form as he easily dealt with the big serves of American Isner in a 6-4 6-3 victory.

World number 10 Isner, making his debut at the season-ending tournament, was broken in the fifth game of the first set and seventh of the second.

Djokovic then sealed the win on Isner’s serve with a crosscourt backhand.

Earlier in the day, Alexander Zverev beat Marin Cilic in straight sets in the other match in the Gustavo Kuerten group.

From favourite, to hot favourite

With world number three Roger Federer having slumped to a surprise defeat by Kei Nishikori in his opening group match on Sunday, the path for Djokovic to a sixth title at the tournament seems ever clearer.

He was already helped by the withdrawal through injury of world numbers two and four Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro and after this performance he is an even hotter favourite.

An encounter between the leading server on the Tour in Isner and the best returner was an intriguing prospect, but it was soon clear who would have the upper hand.

Isner is a player synonymous with tie-breaks – so impenetrable is his serve – but Djokovic already had him under pressure in the opening game with a break point.

Although he netted his shot to squander the chance, and then missed another in the third, he made no mistake in the fifth game when he broke with a beautiful baseline return from yet another thundering first serve from the American.

Djokovic’s own serving was impeccable, winning six of his service games to love, to give Isner no chance of a breakthrough.

He sealed his first break in the second set when Isner netted a forehand in the seventh game and then set up three match points on Isner’s next service game – eventually wrapping up victory on the third one with a fantastic backhand crosscourt winner after one hour 13 minutes.

“I had three breaks of serve of John which is sometimes ‘mission impossible’ but I managed to be at right place at the right time,” said Djokovic.

“I held serve well, I backed it up from the baseline, I played very solid and didn’t give him many opportunities.”

How Djokovic out-served a server

Isner, who at 33 is the oldest debutant at the season-ending finals since Andres Gimeno in 1972, had qualified for the tournament as a result of Nadal and Del Potro’s withdrawals.

He has enjoyed his most successful year – reaching his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon, winning his first Masters 1000 title at Miami and finishing the season ranked inside the world’s top 10 for the first time.

And he was not overawed by his first appearance on this stage – still managing to deliver 13 aces and serves of more than 140mph, including some second serves reaching more than 125mph.

But the most telling number was the 66% of first-serve points won by a player whose average for the season is a huge 81%.

That is testament to the returning of Djokovic, who kept reading the serves and getting his racquet to whatever was thrown at him time and again.

And the Serb’s own percentage of first-serve points won was 86%, which is more the kind of figure Isner is used to posting.

Analysis

GB Davis Cup captain Leon Smith on 5 live sports extra

Novak Djokovic is as good as ever. It is a privilege to watch that.

What he is doing against one of the best servers in the world, to neutralise him and turn defence into attack, dominating back of the court, it is phenomenal.

He is in a good place, physically and mentally, his timing of the ball is fantastic and he’s oozing confidence.

Image: PETER DASILVA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

After transforming the once tranquil town of Paradise, California into charred automobiles and tales of horror, the Camp Fire takes its infamous spot as the deadliest wildfire in California history. 

At a multi-agency press conference Monday night, the Butte Country Sheriff’s Office announced that 42 have been confirmed dead. This grim statistic surpasses the 29 Los Angelenos killed by the Griffith Park Fire in 1933. While it’s unclear just how many individuals are still missing, officials said they’ve located 231 previously missing persons, who are now safe, and have received 1514 requests to check on or locate people. But, that large number may include multiple requests for the same person.

After sparking on November 8, the newly-born blaze raced with rapid, potentially unprecedented speed toward the forested community of 26,000. In just 24 hours, the Camp Fire burned 70,000 acres of exceptionally dried-out vegetation. 

“That blows your mind,” Brenda Belongie, lead meteorologist of the U.S. Forest Service’s Predictive Services in Northern California, said on Friday.

The wildfire isn’t just the deadliest blaze in California history. It’s also the most destructive. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, reports that 6,453 single residences have been destroyed, while 260 commercial structures went down in flames. 

This toppled the previous record for destructiveness, set just last year by the Tubbs Fire, which also took 22 lives. 

Now, seven of the top 10 most destructive wildfires in state history have occurred since the year 2000, and nine of the top 10 largest in recorded state history have occurred over the same period. 

The reality that the Golden State’s fires are burning more land, destroying more homes, and inevitably killing Californians is consistent with a region that’s growing hotter, and dryer. 

Larger wildfires — though also strongly influenced by weather and human manipulation of the land — are a well-understood consequence of climate change. 

This is particularly the case in California, which has experienced larger, more destructive wildfires in the last two decades as the region becomes both hotter and drier. In particular, conditions over large swaths of the state, notably forested Northern California, are seeing seasonal records or near-records for dryness.   

Now enter the Camp Fire. 

Like many climate change implications, scientists aren’t arguing that climate change itself causes wildfires, hurricanes, or drought. These events happen regardless. 

But climate change often makes these events more extreme. 

And in the case of the Camp Fire, the inferno capitalized upon land that wasn’t just dried out and whipped over the forest by seasonal winds: California has had little-to-no rain this autumn, and experienced record heat this summer. 

The land is tinder, waiting to burn.