• World No 1 forced to work hard for 6-4, 7-6 victory

• Siegemund next up after win over Solana Sierra

Tennis players often say it’s hard to play against a friend, the killer instinct never quite as easy to call on as it might be against someone else. Aryna Sabalenka, the world No 1, has rarely had that problem but she was pushed hard by her former doubles partner Elise Mertens before winning through 6-4, 7-6 (4) to reach the quarter-finals.

Mertens had won just two sets in their past nine matches but played as good a match as she has ever done at Wimbledon and still came out on the wrong side. Sabalenka, the top seed, hit 36 winners and made just 18 unforced errors, coming from 3-1 down in the second set to set up a quarter-final against Laura Siegemund of Germany.

Mothers and partners will gain the legal right if they lose a baby before 24 weeks, in Labour workers’ rights reform

Parents in Britain will be granted the right to bereavement leave after suffering a miscarriage as part of Labour’s changes to workers’ rights, it has been confirmed.

In a change to the law made via amendments to the employment rights bill, mothers and their partners will be given the legal right to at least one week’s bereavement leave if they have suffered a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks’ gestation.

With 10 rounds to go, Super League had threatened to become a tad dull at the top – not any more

Every win results in the same amount of points and every round in Super League has the same level of importance attached to it. But as the Leeds Rhinos players punched the air in jubilation at full-time here, you could not escape the fact that this was a statement result on a significant weekend for the whole competition.

With 10 rounds to go, Super League had threatened to become a tad dull at the top. Hull KR and Wigan, considered the best two teams by a distance, were streaking away towards the playoffs with few giving anyone else a chance of beating either in a semi-final to make Old Trafford.

MPs and parents worry shake-up may abolish vital education, health and care plans that SEN children rely on

Downing Street is facing another bruising battle following last week’s humiliating retreat on welfare reforms, as MPs, campaigners and parents voice concern at its overhaul of special needs education for children in England.

A letter to the Guardian, signed by dozens of special needs and disability charities and campaigners – including the broadcaster Chris Packham, actor Sally Phillips and Jane Asher, actor and president of the National Autistic Society – says parents fear the reforms may restrict or abolish the vital education, health and care plans (EHCPs) that more than 600,000 children and young people rely on for individual support.

Reduction from 43 forces to as few as 12 could save money and end ‘postcode lottery’ for crime victims, leaders say

Police chiefs in England and Wales have told ministers that the number of forces should be cut to end “the postcode lottery for victims of crime”, the Guardian has learned.

They believe a reduction from the current 43 forces would save money, cut overheads and boost crime-fighting efforts.

Lisa Nandy’s call for a modern Annan-style review offers a chance to renew the broadcaster for a fragmented digital age

The BBC will soon charge US users for full news access. In Britain, it may seem a distant prospect, but if universality can be dropped abroad, how long before it’s tested at home? With the BBC’s charter due for renewal in 2027, the funding debate is intensifying. What becomes of the licence fee will define the broadcaster’s future.

There is increased scrutiny of Auntie’s independence and impartiality after political pressure was applied through censure, funding freezes and contentious board appointments. What the BBC should look like in a fragmented media landscape is uncertain. A big question is whether the licence fee levied on households should be replaced by subscription, limited advertising or public funding. The last option is surely a non-starter, opening the door to more direct political control. Carrying adverts would force the BBC to compete with other broadcasters for cash, and destabilise existing providers. A subscription-style BBC, even if technical hurdles were overcome, wouldn’t be a national institution. Those most in need of public-service media – navigating disinformation, political alienation or regional marginalisation – would be left out. Once you charge, the question isn’t how to inform, educate and entertain the public; it’s who can afford to be included. Partial subscription might keep some core services – like news – free, while others are paywalled. This would entrench a two-tier public service.

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