The week in sports: from China's new Yao Ming to Rooney's Everton return

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‍‍Tennis: ‘Big Four’ through to second week at Wimbledon

Serbia's Novak Djokovic serves against Latvia's Ernests Gulbis at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships in southwest London, on July 8, 2017. /VCG Photo

One week down, one more to go. Murray, Nadal, Djokovic, Federer: all the top seeds have made it past the third round at Wimbledon into the men's quarter-finals, which kick off on Monday after a one-day play break. Andy Murray is looking to defend his title but Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic – who between the two of them already have 10 Wimbledon trophies – are on form after powering through their opening rounds. It’s been 15 years since someone outside the ‘Big Four’ has been crowned champion at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Tennis: Women’s Wimbledon wide open

Garbine Muguruza during a day six match at Wimbledon on July 8, 2017 in London, England. /VCG Photo

On the ladies’ side, the race for the Wimbledon title is wide open, with only one former winner – five-time champion Venus Williams – still in the running. Briton Johanna Konta has home advantage, Jelena Ostapenko is fresh from her French Open win, and players like world number one Angelique Kerber, Garbine Muguruza, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Victoria Azarenka – back on tour after having a baby – are looking to finally add a Wimbledon trophy to their other Grand Slam wins.

Snooker: China A beat England for World Cup win

Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo pose with their trophies after winning the 2017 Snooker World Cup final on July 9, 2017 in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, China . /VCG Photo

China A came from behind on Sunday to win a third straight Snooker World Cup, defeating England 4-3. Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo went down 1-3 before rallying against England’s Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins and eventually taking the win on home ground in Wuxi, in east China’s Jiangsu province. This was a second World Cup trophy for Ding and Liang after 2011. In 2015, the China B team comprised of Yan Bingtao and Zhou Yuelong claimed victory.

Basketball: China’s Zhou Qi joins Rockets in NBA

Zhou Qi #9 of the Houston Rockets during the 2017 Summer League at the Cox Pavilion on July 8, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. /VCG Photo

Chinese basketball player Zhou Qi is headed stateside to join the NBA after signing with the Houston Rockets, the team announced on Thursday. Zhou, 21, follows in the footsteps of basketball star Yao Ming who joined the Rockets in 2002. "We feel Zhou Qi has the potential to become the best Chinese player since Yao Ming," Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey said after the announcement. Zhou led the Xinjiang Flying Tigers to the Chinese Basketball Association title last season, and was also part of the Chinese national team at the Rio Olympics.

Football: Rooney back to Everton

Wayne Rooney celebrates during the UEFA Europa League Final match between Ajax and Manchester United on May 24, 2017 in Stockholm, Sweden. /VCG Photo

Wayne Rooney is going back to his roots: the England captain is set to rejoin his boyhood club after 13 years with Manchester United, during which he won five English Premier League titles, the Champions’ League and Europa League, it was announced on Sunday. The 31-year-old striker now says winning a trophy with Everton would be “the pinnacle.”

F1: Mercedes' Bottas dominates at Spielberg

Valterri Bottas of Mercedes during qualifying for the Formula One Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on July 8, 2017 in Spielberg, Austria. /VCG Photo

Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas dominated the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday to grab his second win this season after starting from pole. The Finn managed to hold off Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, who finished second, while Red Bull had a good day on their home track with Australian Daniel Ricciardo making it onto the last step of the podium. F1 champ Lewis Hamilton had to settle for fourth place after starting with a grid penalty. This puts Vettel 20 points ahead of Hamilton in the drivers’ championship with 171 points, as the F1 circuit heads to Silverstone.

Cycling: Colombia’s Uran wins TdF stage

Arrival of Stage 9 of the Tour de France 2017 with Warren Barguil, Rigoberto Uran, Christopher Froome in the yellow leader jersey. /VCG Photo

Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran won a dramatic ninth stage of the Tour de France on Sunday, just outdoing France’s Warren Barguil in a photo finish sprint as top yellow jersey contenders crashed out of the race. Three-time Tour winner Chris Froome of Britain retained the yellow jersey but top racers Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas had to bow out with serious injuries after crashing on the challenging 181.5km stage from Nantua to Chambery. Theirs weren’t the only accidents on what was widely seen as the toughest stage of the Tour. Monday is a day of rest for the racers before the next stretch from Perigueux to Bergerac in southwest France.