The first F.A. Cup final to be held behind closed doors was ultimately a game which deserved to be enjoyed by thousands inside the ground just as it was by millions at home. 

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side were triumphant as they came from behind against Frank Lampard’s Chelsea to seal a memorable victory and a record-extending 14th F.A. Cup win in the club’s glorious history in the competition. 

Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea 

The Gunners may eventually have got their hands on the trophy, but they took the scenic route to their destination. The game kicked off with Chelsea on the front foot and The Blues wasted no time in taking the lead. A neat move with quick interplay saw attacking midfielder Christian Pulisic evade the Arsenal defence and slot home within six minutes in his own personal bid to become only the second-ever American to lift the trophy after Manchester United’s Tim Howard. 

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Australian bad boy of tennis, Nick Kyrgios, has something of a reputation for inflammatory comments. In recent weeks, however, Kyrgios has emerged as the truth-teller of the global pandemic when it comes to acting responsibly in and around the game of tennis. 

Now, in a revealing social media video entitled ‘Dear Tennis’, in an apparent nod to Kyrgios’ hero, the basketball player Kobe Bryant, the Australian has derailed why he won’t be playing in the forthcoming U.S. Open, as well as ailing a few side-swipes at players whose behaviour he condemns. 

Kyrgios declares in the video that he won’t be travelling to America, stating that he has decided to “remember what’s important, which is health and safety as a community”. He goes on to say that while “We can rebuild our sport and the economy, we can never recover lives lost.” 

While it’s hardly a shock that Kyrgios has withdrawn from the U.S. Open, especially given his compatriot Ashleigh Barty did likewise just a few days ago, the timing of this video message is pretty clearly intended for maximum effect. Kyrgios is clearly frustrated with many aspects of the sport in which he has a prodigious talent. Many have questioned his Grand Slam record in the past and the questions about his ability to truly compete at the top level for a whole fortnight remain, but Kyrgios is showing integrity and reason behind his outbursts in recent days. 

Macau casino gaming revenue nearly doubled in July from June’s record low but still came in nearly 95% below the same month last year.

Figures released by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Policy Bureau (DICJ) show the special administrative region of China’s casinos generated gaming revenue of MOP1.34b (US$168.4m) in July, down 94.5% from July 2019’s total, marking the 10th straight month of year-on-year declines. For the year-to-date, revenue is down nearly 80% to MOP35b.

However, the figure was nearly twice June’s record low sum of MOP716m, reflecting the modest bump in tourist traffic since China’s Guangdong province eased its COVID-19 restrictions that required individuals returning to the mainland to self-isolate for 14 days.

This week, a Macau representative in Guangdong told local media that Beijing authorities had signalled that the rest of China’s provinces would follow Guangdong’s lead by resuming the issuing of non-tourism travel permits starting August 12. Macau authorities subsequently said they have yet to receive confirmation of this report.