US tennis star Ben Shelton suffers shock first-round Wimbledon upset
Fourth seed Ben Shelton has suffered a shock first-round exit at Wimbledon, losing to a qualifier.
World No 140 Otto Virtanen pulled off the upset of the tournament so far and later claimed his heart ‘bounced out of my body’ given the nerves and exhilaration of the affair.
It was a huge surprise for Shelton, who led 8-5 in a fifth-set tie-break at the end of a marathon clash lasting four hours and 24 minutes.
Shelton is the biggest seed to fall so far after the 11th and 12th men were knocked out on Monday, in Casper Ruud and Andrey Rublev. Virtanen ultimately won 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(8), 6-2, 7-6(9).
Finnish player Virtanen was a crowd favourite on Court No 2 but might go from hero to zero on Thursday as he will now play British hopeful Arthur Fery, who came through 3-1 against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur earlier on Tuesday.
Virtanen said on court: ‘I don’t know if I have a heart anymore. It probably bounced out of my body, but I’m here. I played til the last moment because of you all.
Fourth seed Ben Shelton has suffered a shock first-round exit at Wimbledon
World No 140 Otto Virtanen pulled off the upset of the tournament so far against the American
The 23-year-old big-server, who stands at 6ft 4in, was a significant hope for the United States
‘I had a great month before this one. I played a lot of grass matches. Always enjoyed playing here. Last year I unfortunately missed it due to injury. But two years ago I had a great time here. You know, it feels sooo good to be back here.’
It continues a worrying year for Shelton who lost in the second round at Roland Garros last month and has struggled in other Slams and Masters 1000s events.
The 23-year-old big-server, who stands at 6ft 4in, was a significant hope for the United States as they look for a first Wimbledon men’s champion since Pete Sampras in 2000.
Countryman Taylor Fritz started his campaign in style, though, beating lucky loser Dusan Lajovic in straight sets on Court No 1 as he looks to better his semi-final finish of last year.
The sixth seed, who had been due to face Briton Jack Draper before he pulled out injured, said: ‘It's almost like I know there is no doubt when I step on the court that I'm going to play to a certain level, I'm going to play well.
‘I just bring a bit more confidence. I like to play. A bit more nervy, kind of more similar to what it feels like when I play the US Open, play Australia. I took the week off before I played those ones as well but was able to play good tennis.’
Bugatti Just Unveiled a One-of-a-Kind Mistral Hypercar
By Viju MathewViju Mathew
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Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.
Today’s digital techniques and yesterday’s traditional methods rarely find common ground in creative expression, yet when they do, the result can be remarkable. Enter the new W16 Mistral “Blanc Éternel” hypercar: The 1,578 hp roadster is the latest one-off calling card from the French marque’s Sur Mesure division, which specializes in customization. In this case, it also shows off Bugatti’s encore collaboration with Königliche Porzellan-Manufaktur Berlin (KPM), an atelier that has produced porcelain masterworks since 1763.
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Mesmerizing to look at, this singular Mistral stands out in a line already limited to only 99 examples and claimed to be the finale of street-legal models powered by the W16 mill. To that end, the “Blanc Éternel” carries the same power-train configuration as the others—Bugatti’s 8.0-liter, quad-turbo 16-cylinder heart paired with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox. And the performance specs still equate to a zero-to-62 mph time of 2.4 seconds and a top speed of 273 mph.
Those standout stats now compete with an added aesthetic that further amplifies the Mistral’s already striking design. It’s an approach first explored by Bugatti and KPM in what was dubbed the “L’Or Blanc”—a one-of-one Veyron Grand Sport unveiled exactly 15 years ago to the day. That initial partnership between the two legacy manufacturers was, in itself, innovative.
WATCH“At first, it seems to be an unusual idea to use porcelain in a car, especially in the world’s fastest convertible,” Stefan Brungs, Bugatti’s director of sales and marketing said at the time, per the 2011 press release concerning the “L’Or Blanc” Veyron. “But this is what Bugatti stands for: the realization of exceptional ideas whilst striving for the utmost in quality and aesthetics. This allows us to continue Ettore Bugatti’s heritage, who himself loved to experiment with new materials.”
While the “L’Or Blanc” Veyron owed its appearance to the decorative cues found on a KPM vase envisioned by designer Enzo Mari, translated as streaks of blue mixing with a white backdrop, the “Blanc Éternel” Mistral takes a more black-and-white approach, literally, and presents greater linearity. It also illuminates the digital design of the Mistral.
Bugatti’s design director Frank Heyl and his team eschewed the use of clay models when it came to conceiving the Mistral’s styling, opting instead for a digital solution that, according to the press release, relies on manipulating “a network of precisely controlled surfaces” to bring together what is a “normally invisible patch layout.” The idea for the exterior dressing of this specific car was to bring the intersection of those surfaces to the fore with the juxtaposition of black lines—first taped off by hand—to provide the abstract zebra-like pattern. The motif continues in the cockpit, where taping and painting of the leather upholstery was also required.
As for the integration of porcelain, KPM has bestowed it upon its own logo, the EB logo, the gas and oil caps, and accents on the engine cover. The material also embellishes the interior, where the center armrest, speaker covers, window buttons, and gear shift are among the areas of application. The press release notes that what makes porcelain difficult to use is the fact that its size reduces by 17 percent after its time in the furnace and curing. That variance needs to be accounted for, which, it seems, KPM has been doing to since Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, founded the operation in the 18th century. Obviously, the legacy has since grown from royal tableware to hypercar accoutrements.
“Refining such a sensitive material for use in a vehicle of this performance class represents a remarkable achievement in craftsmanship,” stated Thomas Wenzel, creative director at KPM, in the aforementioned release. Less remarkable but still highlighting porcelain’s functionality is the 1,000-piece line of cups commemorating KPM’s latest creative ride with Bugatti.
As for the automaker’s lineage, it began with founder Ettore Bugatti’s penchant for advancing both form and function, a seemingly familial trait shared by his father, a furniture maker, his brother Rembrandt, an accomplished sculptor, and his son Jean, an acclaimed automotive designer. With that pedigree behind its name, the Bugatti Mistral “Blanc Éternel” could exist nowhere else but the crossroads of both boundary breaking engineering and artisanship.
Click here for more photos of the Bugatti Mistral “Blanc Éternel” hypercar.
Authors
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Viju Mathew
Shifting gears from his degree in physical geography, Viju Mathew has spent the last decade covering most categories of the luxury market prior to becoming Robb Report's automotive editor. Along with…
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Taylor Parker Insists She’s a ‘Good Person’ in Interrogation Video After Murder and Fetal Abduction
Taylor Parker insisted she’s “a good person” when she was interrogated for killing pregnant friend Reagan Simmons-Hancock and stealing her unborn daughter.
In interrogation footage obtained by TMZ on Monday, June 29, Parker, 33, cried and told police officers that she will “never understand” what happened.
Parker – who falsely claimed she was pregnant at the time of the killing – walked investigators through the night of Simmons-Hancock’s murder and claimed her friend knew she wasn’t actually pregnant. Parker then claimed that Simmons-Hancock, 21, told her she needed to get out of the lie and even tried to come up with ways to make sure her boyfriend, Wade Griffin, didn’t catch her in the lie.
She went on to claim that they were brainstorming at the victim’s home when Simmons-Hancock allegedly offered to fake a call to tell Parker she’d had a miscarriage.
Related: When Is ‘Maternal Instinct’ Subject Taylor Parker Going to Be Executed?
Netflix’s June 2026 documentary Maternal Instinct has reignited public interest in one of the most disturbing crimes in recent Texas history: the 2020 killing of pregnant 21-year-old Reagan Simmons-Hancock by her friend Taylor Parker, who cut the victim’s unborn baby from her womb and tried to pass the child off as her own. Now, viewers […]Parker appeared emotional throughout the video and cried while sharing her version of events.
The interrogation took place on the same day of Simmons-Hancock’s murder on October 9, 2020, which was weeks after Parker’s alleged due date.
Investigators learned that Parker fatally stabbed Simmons-Hancock and performed a C-section on the victim before she fled the scene with her baby, Braxlynn Sage Hancock. Parker then called 911 to claim that she had given birth to the child on the side of the road.
During the 911 call, Parker frantically claimed she was in labor and said that a trooper had pulled her over after she was driving erratically.
She was then taken to the hospital, where doctors quickly determined that she had not given birth. She was then linked to Simmons-Hancock’s murder and immediately started being questioned by officers.
The case went to trial in 2022 and Parker was ultimately found guilty of capital murder and kidnapping. She was sentenced to death and is currently the youngest woman in Texas on death row as she awaits her execution.
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Related: Where Is Wade Griffin Now? Inside 'Maternal Instinct' Subject's Life Today
Wade Griffin’s love story took a terrifying turn when his new girlfriend, Taylor Parker, revealed she was pregnant after just a few months of dating. Their whirlwind romance initially seemed picture-perfect, but questions began to swirl as more time passed. It turned out that Griffin’s loved ones had a right to worry, as she was […]While Parker was convicted nearly four years ago, her crimes recently made headlines after the case was featured in Netflix’s June documentary Maternal Instinct.
While several people involved in the case appeared in the documentary, Parker was intentionally not included to share her side of the story.
“We decided not to interview Taylor,” filmmaker Jessica Dimmock told Oxygen in a June 18 interview. “Obviously, Reagan and her family are the most severe and the biggest victims in this, but [there are] other people that she deceived, other people that she hurt along the way, coworkers, former friends.”
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