West Indies joined the United States in making a winning start to their home T20 World Cup campaign with a five-wicket victory over Papua New Guinea, though Andre Russell had to get them over the line after a major scare.
The two-time world champions made a terrific start after putting their opponents in to bat in Guyana as Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein accounted for Tony Ura and Lega Siaka within three overs.
However, Sese Bao steadied the ship for Papua New Guinea, smashing 50 runs off 48 deliveries including six fours and one maximum before Alzarri Joseph struck him middle and leg 17 overs in.
Kiplin Doriga was 27 not out as the visitors finished 136-8, and the Windies initially looked to be making smooth progress towards that target as Nicholas Pooran put on a 53-run partnership with Brandon King.
Papua New Guinea skipper Assad Vala then came up with two dismissals as the hosts collapsed from 61-1 to 97-5, nerves being frayed as they required 37 off 19 balls to win.
However, star man Russell (15 off nine) supported Roston Chase (42 not out) as they got over the line with six deliveries to spare, avoiding a shock defeat in their Group C opener.
Data Debrief: Windies stop the rot… just
West Indies entered their home opener looking to improve on miserable performances at the last two T20 World Cups, having lost six of their last eight games at the tournament.
Russell ultimately came up with the goods both with ball (2-19) and bat as they got the job done, but more will be required when they face New Zealand and Afghanistan later in the pool.
Shericka Jackson returned to winning ways at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday, triumphing in the 200m with a season’s best time of 22.69 seconds. This victory marked a significant rebound for the two-time world champion, who had finished fifth in Oslo last Thursday.
Jackson exploded out of the blocks and maintained her lead through the curve, holding off a strong challenge from Sweden’s Julia Henriksson, who set a personal best of 22.89 for second place. Amy Hunt finished third in 22.92.
Several other Caribbean athletes also delivered commendable performances. Rushell Clayton, previously unbeaten in the Diamond League this season, finished second in the women’s 400m hurdles. World champion Femke Bol opened her season with a dominant 53.07 for victory, with Clayton clocking 53.78. Fellow Jamaican Andrennette Knight set a season’s best of 54.62 to secure third place, and Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell was fourth in 54.99, also a season’s best.
In the men’s 400m hurdles, Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands ran a season’s best of 48.05, finishing second to Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, who continued his impressive form with a commanding 47.01 win. Dos Santos, who recently defeated world record holder Karsten Warholm in Oslo, expressed his satisfaction with his performance, saying, “It was a good race - 47.01. I think we are just proving that we are in good shape. I am excited for this result back-to-back and I am also looking forward to coming back to the training right now. I am going back to Florida now, will talk to my coach and will work on what I need to work on.”
McMaster, reflecting on his race, noted his progress despite recent challenges. “I did not feel much during the race and just tried to stay focused and execute. I am catching up. I have been battling some injuries when coming up to the season so I am just trying to execute and stay healthy. I still have got a few more races,” he said. “I have been dropping my times every race so I just need to improve on that.”
In the triple jump, Shanieka Ricketts secured second place with a jump of 14.40m. Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez won with a leap of 14.67m, and Thea LaFond of Dominica took third with 14.26m. Ricketts decided to skip her last three jumps as a precaution, citing the breezy conditions. “It was a little bit breezy out there this afternoon so I decided to forego my second three jumps as I did not want to risk anything,” she explained. “I need to go back to training now and work on a few things from today that did not go quite to plan. I was confident going into today but there were a few technical bits for me to sort out. I felt a bit rusty today but I am sure it will come together in time for Paris.”
Thibaut Courtois will not be receiving a late call-up for Euro 2024, but it is down to the Belgian FA to address any off-field issues with the goalkeeper, technical director Franck Vercauteren has revealed.
The Real Madrid stopper was omitted from the Red Devils' 25-man squad for the forthcoming European Championship, despite returning from an anterior cruciate ligament injury and helping Los Blancos to a 15th Champions League title.
Courtois, who kept a clean sheet as Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at Wembley, became embroiled in a public spat with Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco last June, walking out on the squad when he was not named captain in the wake of Eden Hazard's retirement.
Koen Casteels, Thomas Kaminski and Matz Sels were named as Tedesco's three goalkeepers for the tournament in Germany, where the Red Devils will play in Group E alongside Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia.
And technical director Vercauteren confirmed there would be no U-turn on Courtois' omission, but admitted he may still have a future with the national team.
"Unfortunately, we’ll play the European Championship without him," he said. "So, now we no longer have to focus on that. It is the job of the federation to smooth out the wrinkles. That is absolutely a must.
"We never doubted his qualities or that he would not be fit. So, we must stop the matter now. Signals have been given that we must respect.
"At some point, you have to invest to solve it. That is certainly the intention. It's partly my job to make that happen. We know what we have to do."
Courtois' father Thierry, who was at Wembley to watch his son claim a second Champions League winner's medal, added: "Hopefully, the problem can be sorted out."
Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 21st home run to continue a superb stretch and Giancarlo Stanton added a two-run shot as the New York Yankees won their fourth straight game, 7-3 over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.
Judge capped a stellar May with two home runs in Friday’s win and was back at it on the first day of June with a two-run, 464-foot shot in the first inning.
Since the start of May, Judge is batting .370 with 15 home runs, 29 RBIs and 30 runs in 29 games. He has reached base safely in 28 straight games.
Cody Poteet allowed three runs – two earned – and three hits over five innings in his first start since April 13. He took the rotation spot of Clarke Schmidt, who is out indefinitely with a right lat strain.
Four relievers kept the Giants scoreless the rest of the way as New York won for the 15th time in 19 games.
The Giants pulled to within 4-3 with a run in the fifth, but the Yankees scored three times in the eighth after reliever Ryan Walker opened the inning with strikeouts of Anthony Volpe and Juan Soto.
Judge hit an infield single and scored on Alex Verdugo’s triple before Stanton connected for his 14th homer of the season.
Guardians extend home streak
Rookie Kyle Manzardo delivered a bloop two-run single in the first inning and the Cleveland Guardians won their ninth straight home game, 3-2 over the Washington Nationals.
Ben Lively limited the Nationals to two runs and five hits over 5 2/3 innings to win his career-best fourth consecutive start. He is 3-0 with a 1.90 ERA in four home starts this season.
Cleveland’s bullpen allowed one hit over 3 1/3 scoreless innings with Emmanuel Clase pitching the ninth for his AL-best 18th save.
The AL Central-leading Guardians are an MLB-best 20-6 at home and their nine-game run at Progressive Field is their longest since 2017. It was also their 12th win in 15 games overall.
Cleveland’s David Fry extended his on-base streak to 19 straight games with a double, walk and hit by pitch.
Mountcastle’s homers power Orioles
Ryan Mountcastle homered twice, and Anthony Santander and Jordan Westburg also went deep to lift the surging Baltimore Orioles to a 9-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Mountcastle hit a two-run shot in the first inning and Santander made it back-to-back shots to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead. Mountcastle delivered another two-run blast in the fourth to make it 9-5.
He is 17 for 37 (.459) with seven extra-base hits in his last 10 games.
After Kyle Bradish lasted just 2 2/3 innings, Baltimore’s bullpen pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings to seal the Orioles’ 19th consecutive series without a loss against AL East opponents.
Baltimore (37-18) have won three straight and eight of nine to move a season-best 18 games over .500.
Sergei Bobrovsky had a shutout until the final minutes and the Florida Panthers held on for a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers to reserve a spot in the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season on Saturday.
Sam Bennett scored in the first period and Vladimir Tarasenko tallied in the third for the Panthers, who will face either Edmonton or Dallas for the Cup, with that series set to start on June 8.
Bobrovsky finished with 23 saves and turned away 69 of 74 shots over the final three games – all wins for Florida.
Florida will play for the Cup for the third time after it was swept by Colorado in 1996 and lost 4-1 to Vegas last season.
If Edmonton advances, Game 1 of the title round will be on Florida’s ice. If Dallas wins the West, the Stars will have home-ice advantage for the series.
The Rangers were held scoreless until Artemi Panarin scored with 1:40 remaining but were unable to find the equalizer.
New York had a 2-1 lead in the series before losing three straight games, meaning for the 11th consecutive year the team that finished with the NHL’s best regular season record won’t go on to win the Stanley Cup.
Champions League football is a simple game. Twenty-two men run around a field for 90 minutes, and in the end, Real Madrid always win.
Los Blancos claimed their record-extending 15th European crown at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, with late goals from Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior enough to see off a spirited Borussia Dortmund side.
The last six of those triumphs have come within the space of 11 years, following an agonising 12-year wait for La Decima, won in Carlo Ancelotti's first stint in charge in 2014.
Few clubs have enjoyed sustained success in Europe's elite club competition. Fewer still have built the kind of dynasty established by Madrid in recent years.
But how does their recent success compare to those of yesteryear, and how do their players and effortlessly cool Italian coach stack up against those who dominated Europe in the past?
Here, we take a deep dive into the Opta data to find out.
Europe's second-greatest side?
Given the depth of talent found across Europe in modern times, the lure of the Premier League and the financial power of state-owned clubs such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, modern-day Madrid can arguably lay claim to the most impressive run of success in European history.
To triumph in the world's most difficult knockout competition more often than not over the course of 11 years, while replacing stalwarts like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and Iker Casillas, shows an incredible capacity for reinvention.
However, it might be incorrect to suggest Los Blancos' current crop are the most dominant team in European history. That honour goes to… well, Madrid.
Under the tutelage of Jose Villalonga, Luis Carniglia and Miguel Munoz, Madrid won the first five editions of the European Cup from 1955-56 to 1959-60.
That glorious era was capped by a 7-3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1960 final at Hampden Park, a game that has almost taken on mystical status, with Alfredo Di Stefano scoring a hat-trick and Ferenc Puskas upstaging him with four goals.
While Puskas was only around for the last two of those five victories – also featuring in Madrid's sixth triumph in 1965-66 – Di Stefano was inspirational throughout the first five editions of the European Cup, his total of 36 goals coming in just 35 games and more than doubling that of his closest competitor (Crvena Zvezda great Bora Kostic, with 15).
Left winger Paco Gento was the only player to match Di Stefano's 35 European Cup outings during that time, and his longevity allowed him to play on until 1966 and become the first player to win six European crowns. Only on Saturday was that feat matched, with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Carvajal and Nacho following in his footsteps.
Madrid went 32 years without lifting the European Cup after 1966, before the Galacticos delivered three titles in five years between 1998 and 2002, Zinedine Zidane's volley against Bayer Leverkusen being the defining moment of the club's second golden era.
Other sides can lay claim to a period of dominance in the European Cup, with Benfica (1960-61, 1961-62), Inter (1963-64, 1964-65), Liverpool (1976-77, 1977-78), Nottingham Forest (1978-79, 1979-80) and Milan (1988-89, 1989-90) all winning back-to-back titles.
Ajax (1970-71, 1971-72 and 1972-73) and Bayern Munich (1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76), meanwhile, both managed three-peats.
Madrid's recent run of success may have been broken either side of their own three-peat from 2015-16 to 2017-18, but only the great Blancos side of the 1950s and 1960s have previously won as many as six titles in an 11-year spell.
If the likely arrival of Kylian Mbappe propels them to number 16 next year, modern-day Madrid will have a real claim to have upstaged their forerunners.
Don Carlo: The undisputed GOAT
When it comes to the men in the dugout, there is simply no debate. UEFA's flagship competition belongs to Ancelotti.
Saturday's win was Ancelotti's seventh European crown overall, with two coming as a functional midfielder in Arrigo Sacchi's great Milan side and five arriving as a coach.
That is as many titles as any other club has won, with Milan being crowned kings of Europe on seven occasions (four times with Ancelotti involved as a player or manager).
No other manager has won more than three European Cup/Champions League titles, with Bob Paisley, Zidane and Pep Guardiola joint-second in the charts.
Ancelotti's three triumphs with Los Blancos, meanwhile, are the joint-most by any coach with a single club, alongside Paisley with Liverpool and Zidane with Madrid.
The Italian has won 71.4 per cent of his Champions League games in charge of Madrid across two spells (45/63), while he has the most victories of any Blancos boss since the competition's 1992 rebrand.
As a player and a manager, Ancelotti has experienced eight European Cup/Champions League finals and only failed to lift the trophy on one occasion. It took perhaps the most memorable comeback of all time to deny him, as Liverpool fought back from 3-0 down to beat Milan on penalties in 2005.
Madrid's European aura
For all Madrid's success in the last decade or so, few would argue they have been the continent's most consistent or aesthetically pleasing side throughout that span.
Sometimes, the weight of that iconic white shirt alone seems to be enough to drag Madrid through knockout ties, with almost 70 years of history causing Los Blancos' opponents to wilt at the crucial moment.
Most would hold Manchester City up as the absolute pinnacle of footballing excellence in the modern age, yet in the 2021-22 semi-finals, two Rodrygo goals within the space of 90 seconds were enough to undo 180 minutes of excellent work from Guardiola's team.
In 2023-24, City fired 33 shots at Andriy Lunin's goal over the course of 120 minutes at the Etihad Stadium, the most in any Champions League knockout game since Liverpool attempted 34 against Atletico Madrid in March 2020. But it was all in vain as Madrid clung on before triumphing on penalties.
It is difficult, impossible even, to explain Madrid's logic-defying European results with facts and figures.
Saturday's final saw Dortmund produce 2.08 expected goals (xG) to Madrid's 1.13. BVB's first-half total of 1.68 xG was the largest on record in a Champions League final (since 2013-14) while Los Blancos did not record a shot on target before the break.
Across their last six Champions League knockout games of 2023-24, Madrid lost the xG battle on four occasions, only creating a greater quality of chances than their opponents in both legs of their semi-final triumph over Bayern.
It was a similar story in 2021-22, when Los Blancos lost the xG battle in four of their seven knockout games including the final, when Thibaut Courtois' heroics kept Liverpool at bay.
Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Madrid have 'lost' 26 Champions League knockout games on xG, but boast a record of 11 wins, six draws and nine losses in those contests.
If you fail to put them away, they simply will punish you. Why? A plethora of big-game players certainly helps…
The men for the big moments
Having players well-versed in coming up with clutch moments has helped turn Madrid into a winning machine, almost making their performance levels irrelevant.
It all starts between the sticks. In Madrid's last two Champions League finals, Courtois has faced 12 shots on target but saved all of them, keeping two clean sheets. According to Opta's expected goals on target (xGoT) model, the Belgian prevented 3.4 goals in those matches.
At the other end, Madrid have put their trust in lethal finishers.
In this season's Champions League, Vinicius (six goals from 4.49 xG), Jude Bellingham (four, 3.02 xG) and Brahim Diaz (two, 1.53 xG) all outperformed their underlying numbers, while Rodrygo (five, 5.71 xG) and Joselu (five, 5.44 xG) were not far away.
In 2021-22, their charge was spearheaded by Benzema, who scored an incredible 15 goals from chances totalling just 8.35 xG. With five goals from 2.39 xG, Rodrygo was another notable overperformer.
And of course, Ronaldo was at the forefront of their previous four triumphs. Between the start of 2013-14 and the end of 2017-18, he plundered 53 goals from just 42.9 xG in 50 Champions League matches. The fact he turned those chances into 51.4 expected goals on target (xGoT) only further demonstrates the supreme quality of his finishing.
It hasn't all been about the strikers, though. Who could forget the contributions of Ramos, whose last-gasp header saved Madrid from defeat in the 2014 final against Atletico?
Modric and Kroos, meanwhile, have dictated midfield battles at the highest level well into their thirties.
Kroos produced another metronomic performance in the final game of his club career on Saturday, leading all 22 starters for touches (108), passes attempted (94) and passes completed (91). Only Julian Brandt matched his four chances created, one of which was the corner-kick assist for Carvajal's opener.
With Ancelotti – and Zidane previously – allowing some of the game's greatest improvisers to do their thing, sometimes the data goes out of the window.
Gareth Southgate was delighted to see Jude Bellingham crown a "phenomenal year" by helping Real Madrid to Champions League glory at Wembley.
Los Blancos completed the double with a 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the final, having also regained their LaLiga crown after finishing 10 points clear of rivals Barcelona in second place.
It capped a memorable maiden season at Santiago Bernabeu for Bellingham, who was named LaLiga's Player of the Year after scoring 19 goals in the Spanish top flight - a tally only bettered by Girona's Artem Dovbyk (24) and Alexander Sorloth of Villarreal (23).
The midfielder also netted four times in the Champions League, while providing the assist for Vinicius Junior to score the decisive second goal against Dortmund on Saturday.
And Southgate has been thrilled by the 20-year-old's exploits this term.
"It's an incredible year for him," Southgate told reporters ahead of England's Euro 2024 warm-up match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday.
"To cap that season with winning the Champions League, it's a phenomenal year, and I'm delighted for him.
"His family have to take credit for that. The way he is authentic in interviews, that's how he is. The way he reacts with staff and players, he has the humility and understanding.
"He had to earn the respect of people like [Luka] Modric and [Toni] Kroos, he went on to attack that challenge."
England team-mate Kieran Trippier concurred: "He doesn't seem like a 20-year-old. He's so mature for his age. He's taken it in his stride and all the boys are absolutely delighted for him - not just [for winning] the Champions League, but the season he has had."
Bellingham will miss the Three Lions' penultimate match before the European Championship as he enjoys a much-needed rest, but will link up with the squad before they travel to Germany.
England, who will play Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia in Group C, are among the favourites to go all the way at the tournament, and Southgate knows this is an important period of recuperation for his star midfielder.
"The most important thing is rest, recovery at this moment, for Jude and for the team," he added. "Have time with his family, clear his head.
"He's played right to the end [of the season]. He's super professional, so he's going to physically tick over, but we need to see him before next Saturday."
Carlos Alcaraz insisted believing in himself is more important than match sharpness, after booking his place in the French Open quarter-finals.
The 21-year-old is through to the last eight at Roland-Garros for the third year running - the youngest player to achieve the feat since Novak Djokovic (2006 to 2008) - after a dominant 6-3 6-3 6-1 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Although one of the favourites to go all the way in Paris, Alcaraz's preparations for the clay-court major were hampered by an injury to his right forearm.
The Spaniard was forced to withdraw from the Barcelona Open and Italian Open, while his fitness struggles were evident when Andrey Rublev beat him in the Madrid Open quarter-finals.
But Alcaraz, who continues to wear a supportive grip on his right arm, has not appeared too affected so far this fortnight, and seems to be going from strength to strength.
"The most important thing is to believe in myself," he said after beating Auger-Aliassime. "It doesn't matter that I don't have too many matches on my back and that I didn't come with a lot of rhythm.
"After every practice and every match, I was getting better and better and that was easy for me. On Phillipe Chatrier, it is easy for me to play.
"I had to put as much effort in as I could. I felt strong in the rallies, and I was going to have my chances to break his serve and the good intensity in the match helped a lot. If I made him feel in trouble on his serve, I knew I was going to have a lot of chances.
"I'm really happy with my performance today. I played a really high level of tennis. I know that Felix [Auger-Aliassime] is a great player. We were both playing great tennis today, but really happy to get that win in the end."
Next up is a mouth-watering quarter-final showdown with 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas for a second straight year at Roland-Garros, with Alcaraz eyeing his sixth victory from six meetings between the players.
"I love this challenge and these kinds of matches," he added. "I have seen a lot Stefanos' matches lately. He has a lot of confidence right now and is playing great tennis.
"I think I have the key against him, so I will try to make him in trouble. I will try to show my best and, hopefully, the crowd will enjoy as much as me."
England will be without Bukayo Saka, John Stones and Harry Maguire for Monday's friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina, manager Gareth Southgate confirmed on Sunday.
Saka will be rested after missing Arsenal's last Premier League game of the season, while Stones is still finding fitness after his club campaign with title-winning Manchester City.
In more concerning news for the Three Lions, Manchester United pair Maguire and Luke Shaw are potential longer-term absentees ahead of Euro 2024, which starts on June 14 in Germany.
"All are progressing well," Southgate said at his pre-match press conference. "We are pleased with the progress they've made, none of them will be involved tomorrow.
"Same tomorrow for Bukayo Saka and for John Stones. Everybody else will be involved.
"John has reported a bit later so hasn't worked with us, he will follow an individual programme. Bukayo is fine, he will be rested tomorrow and should be available by Friday."
Anthony Gordon is another doubt after posting for England duty following an impressive season with Newcastle United.
"Gordon has a chance to be available for Friday," Southgate added. "The other two [Maguire and Shaw] are more unlikely, let's see how far they can go."
Though there are injury concerns, Southgate will likely head to the upcoming European Championship with a similar defence as to what helped England to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018.
The Three Lions boss says that proves the quality of his defence, which boasts the likes of Maguire, Stones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
"It's testimony to their consistency," he continued. "They've all been playing at top clubs throughout that time. They have delivered in the biggest matches under intense pressure.
"There is a bond in that group from experiencing the big nights together. Coming through those challenges, we have some good young defenders coming through now.
"What they are brilliant at is making the players feel welcome. They have allowed to settle in as any of those players could be in the team over the next five or six weeks."
Trippier is expected to captain the side in the absence of Harry Kane, who is not likely to start but should be fit from the bench after his back injury sustained when playing for Bayern Munich.
"It's going to be very special," the Newcastle defender said of captaining his country. "I have to thank Gareth for giving me that trust.
"But if I have the armband or not, or if I play or not, I will always be there for the team. To lead the lads out will be special. My son will be mascot as well."
Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his third successive French Open quarter-final, after a commanding straight-sets victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The Spaniard, who has dropped just a single set across his four matches so far, wrapped up a dominant 6-3 6-3 6-1 success in two hours and 20 minutes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Auger-Aliassime, appearing in round four for the second time in three years at Roland-Garros, was affected by a groin issue during the second set, but the 21st seed was no match for an inspired Alcaraz.
After the pair exchanged breaks early in the opening set, the third seed broke in game eight on the way to drawing first blood.
Alcaraz then stole the advantage in the second set when he broke to 15 in game five, and followed suit in the ninth to double his lead.
The reigning Wimbledon champion was going from strength to strength, and raced into a 4-0 lead in set three, before wrapping up another dominant win that sets up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with 2021 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Data Debrief: Three in a row for Carlitos
Aged 21 years and 28 days old, Alcaraz is the youngest player to reach the French Open quarter-finals in three consecutive years since Novak Djokovic (2006 to 2008).
The Spaniard has now won each of the last 36 matches he has played at grand slams against players ranked outside the ATP's top 20.
Coco Gauff warned tennis must do more to protect player welfare after Novak Djokovic's remarkable late finish at the French Open on Saturday.
Djokovic edged a five-set thriller with Lorenzo Musetti, battling into the early hours of Sunday in Paris at Roland-Garros.
The third-round marathon finished at 3:08 a.m. local time in the French capital, shattering the tournament's previous latest finish of 1:25 a.m.
After overcoming Elisabetta Cocciaretto to reach the quarter-finals, Gauff lamented the late start times and the problems it could cause for both men and women's players.
"I feel like a lot of times people think you're done, but really at 3 a.m. [you're] probably not going to bed until 5 a.m. at the earliest, maybe 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.," said 2023 US Open women's champion Gauff.
"I definitely think it's not healthy.
"For the health and safety of the players, it would be in the sport's best interest to try to avoid those matches finishing or starting after a certain time."
The ATP and WTA tours brought a new ruling in January that matches cannot start after 11 pm local time.
That legislation does not apply to the four majors, though, and hits harder for the men playing best-of-five encounters.
World number one Iga Swiatek, who overcame Anastasi Potapova on Sunday, echoed Gauff's sentiment.
"It's not easy to play and it's not like we're going to fall asleep one hour after the match," said Swiatek.
"[Change] is not up to us. We need to accept anything that is going to come to us."
Stefanos Tsitsipas set up a French Open quarter-final clash with Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, recovering to beat Matteo Arnaldi in four sets after losing the opening set.
Tsitsipas – a beaten finalist at Roland Garros in 2021 – looked to be in a hole when Arnaldi took the opener within a comfortable 36 minutes, the Italian then racing into a 5-3 second-set lead.
However, the ninth seed saved three set points before flipping the momentum of the match with a crucial break, eventually closing out a 74-minute set in a tie-break.
The Greek produced a composed performance from there as he powered to a 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-2 victory, with Arnaldi's intensity dropping after he had dictated proceedings with some pinpoint groundstrokes early in the encounter.
Tsitsipas could now reach the French Open semi-finals for just the third time, though he will face a daunting task on Tuesday against Alcaraz, after the Wimbledon champion breezed past Felix Auger Aliassime in straight sets.
Data Debrief: Best clay season yet for Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas entered the French Open in good form, having claimed the Monte-Carlo Masters title before falling just short in the final at Barcelona.
This is now his joint-best start to a clay-court season, having won 17 of his first 20 matches on the surface in 2024, a feat he has only previously achieved in 2021 and 2022. Only in 2021 (23) has he won more matches on clay in a single season overall.
Two-time T20 World Cup winner Andre Russell delivered a stirring speech to his teammates on Saturday, just hours before their World Cup opener against Papua New Guinea in Guyana this Sunday morning. The 36-year-old all-rounder, fresh off his 2024 IPL title win with the Kolkata Knight Riders, shared his excitement and motivation with the squad, hoping to ignite a fire that would carry them through the tournament.
Russell’s words came after a significant moment in the team’s preparations: he was presented with his official playing kit by team captain Rovman Powell, who wished him the best of fortune during the competition. This gesture highlighted the respect and camaraderie within the team, setting the stage for Russell’s heartfelt address.
“I am super-excited to be a part of another World Cup and it’s my first time playing at home in a World Cup event, so I think it’s going to be big for all of us,” Russell began, his enthusiasm palpable. “It would mean so much to the Caribbean people and so much to us moving forward in our careers to win a home World Cup.”
Emphasizing the importance of the event, Russell continued, “It’s bigger than how we look at it but just leave everything out there. We know the conditions better than everyone else; that’s a big plus for us. I’m excited to be here and with this, we can show the world cricket is what we live for here in the Caribbean. And for all of us coming together, with so many playing first-class cricket here in the Caribbean, and we are the best 15, let’s not take that for granted.”
Russell’s message was one of unity and seizing the moment. “Let’s rock together and achieve something great,” he urged. “We have everything in this room, support staff, everything. Everyone is backing us. Let’s make it count.”
With such inspirational words from one of the team’s most experienced and successful players, the squad is undoubtedly motivated to make their mark in the tournament. As they face Papua New Guinea this morning, the Caribbean side will be looking to start their campaign with a strong performance, driven by the passion and determination that Russell embodies.
The stage is set, the players are ready, and the hopes of a region rest on their shoulders. With Russell’s rallying cry echoing in their ears, the team steps onto the field, ready to make history.
Match time for the West Indies/PNG match is 10:30 am Eastern Caribbean time/9:30 am in Jamaica.
Marco Reus waved farewell to Borussia Dortmund after Champions League agony on Saturday, with former team-mate Roman Burki expecting the Germany veteran to join him in MLS.
Burki ended a seven-year stay with Dortmund in 2022, switching the Bundesliga for MLS football as the goalkeeper joined the newly created St. Louis City.
The St. Louis goalkeeper faced Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba in Sunday's 3-3 draw with Inter Miami, and hinted that the league could soon welcome another European star.
"I talked to Marco Reus ahead of the Champions League game, I texted, we didn't talk about the move then because he was obviously focused on the game, but Major League Soccer has a very good chance of seeing him next year or the summer," Burki told ESPN.
"I can't tell which team, I am still trying [to convince him] but at some point it's up to [sporting director] Lutz [Pfannenstiel] and [club owner] Carolyn [Kindle] to make a move."
Reus leaves Dortmund after 12 years with the German side, signing off with a heartbreaking 2-0 defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.
Previous reports have suggested Reus could make the switch to the United States, opening up the potential for a reunion with Burki.
St. Louis head coach Bradley Carnell would love to bring the pair back together, though warned that the move is not guaranteed.
"Every time there is a transfer window opening, whether it's our club or not, everyone gets names thrown out at them. We've had plenty of names, whether it's to join now or in six months," Carnell told ESPN.
"We go through our lists, and we see if it makes sense or not. When we are in the position that we are in, sure maybe something comes around.
"The Marco Reus rumours are flattering, it would be something interesting for the league and our team. It's one of Roman's best friends, it would be a nice fairytale story.
"But sometimes reality is far from that. We're working ways and figuring things out, but right now there's nothing to be said about the Marco Reus rumour. But the window opens up pretty soon."
St. Louis owner Kindle echoed Carnell's sentiment, adding: "It's absolutely amazing [being linked to Reus.] In full disclosure, it's difficult to separate fact from fiction.
"Sometimes I call and ask about the rumours, but I thought it would take us three to five years to get to this point of being linked to these figures and we're on year two and these rumours are amazing."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
