Vinicius Junior has come on leaps and bounds and is proving himself as one of the best players in the world, according to Real Madrid team-mate Dani Carvajal.

The pair are gearing up for Madrid's mouth-watering Champions League semi-final second leg against fellow European heavyweights Bayern Munich, with the tie finely poised at 2-2.

Vinicius scored both goals for Carlo Ancelotti's side in last week's first leg, taking him to 31 goal involvements (16 goals, 15 assists) in the Champions League since the start of the 2021-22 season, more than any other player during that time.

And Carvajal says the strides made by the 23-year-old are evident.

"He's improved in every aspect - his finishing, physically, his maturity when playing, knowing when it's right to attack the space or to ask for the ball to be played to his feet," the full-back told reporters during the pre-match press conference.

"He's one of the best players in the world, and he's proving that. We know that he puts in a lot of work away from [the training ground], having his training sessions, physio and coaching.

"All of this is helping him to be one of the best in the world. Hopefully, he can help us on the pitch [in the second leg] and see us through."

The most successful side in the competition's history, Madrid are aiming to remain on course for a 15th European crown, while Ancelotti targets a record-extending sixth appearance in the final as a manager.

"There's not much more to say when the time comes to play the second leg of a semi-final in your home stadium," Carvajal added. "The motivation of the match itself ensures that your attention level is at its highest.

"We know that we're up against a side with a history in this competition [six titles], so we have to attempt to beat them and reach the final."

Coco Gauff believes winning a medal at the forthcoming Paris Olympics would be "equal" to winning a Grand Slam.

The world number three was forced to miss the Games in Tokyo three years ago after testing positive for COVID-19, and is eager to sample the "once-in-a-lifetime experience".

The tennis events will be played on the clay of Roland Garros, where Gauff will be bidding for a second major title at the French Open later this month.

And the reigning US Open champion is looking forward to competing, though she admits her preparations will be unprecedented.

"For me, the Olympics is a top priority. I'd say equal to the Grand Slams," Gauff told reporters at the Italian Open, where she will face Magdalena Frech in the last 64.

"I wouldn't put it above or below just because I've never played before. This is my first time. Obviously, I always want to do well, try to get a medal. But the preparation is going to be interesting, because I've never done the grass to clay transition before.

"I'm not putting too much pressure on it because I really want to fully indulge in the experience. Hopefully, I can have it many times in my lifetime. I'll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Before that, Gauff is focused on getting ready for the French Open, where she was runner-up to world number one Iga Swiatek two years ago.

The 20-year-old will step up her preparation at the Italian Open this week, aiming to build on her run to the round of 16 at the Madrid Open last time out, where her run was ended by compatriot Madison Keys.

"For me, it's just about serving better than I did last week," she added. "I feel the other parts of my game are improving. If I can work that through, I think it'll set me up for a very good Roland Garros."

Luka Doncic acknowledged "I've got to be better" after the Dallas Mavericks were beaten by Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their Western Conference semi-final series.

The Thunder, who swept the New Orleans Pelicans aside in their first-round series, built on that momentum with a 117-95 victory at Paycom Center.

Although, it was a day to forget for Doncic, who registered just 19 points on six-of-19 shooting as he ended a streak of 24 successive playoff games with at least 20 points, while he also had five turnovers.

Struggling with a knee injury and tightly marked by Oklahoma's Lu Dort, the five-time NBA All-Star was also just one-for-eight from three-point range, making it five-of-35 over the past four games.

That is the worst percentage (14.3 per cent) for any player with at least 30 attempts over a four-game streak during the postseason.

"[We've] just got to move onto the next one," Doncic said. "I've got to be better, we've got to be better. We've got to focus. They're a great team, a great defensive team, so it's not going to be easy at all."

"We have to put a complete game together against this young OKC team because they have an endless amount of energy," added Kyle Irving, who finished with 20 points. "They're never going to stop attacking."

The youngest team in NBA history to win a playoff series following their triumph over the Pelicans, Oklahoma made it five straight wins in the postseason with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 29 points along the way.

The Thunder have only conceded 90.6 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team across five games in the postseason since the San Antonio Spurs in 2016.

"[The defence is] where we hang our hat every night," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Especially this late in the season, we know that if we want to win basketball games, that it's going to start on that end.

"Obviously, we have some really talented players at that end of the floor, but we also like to do it together and not just rely on those guys."

Luka Doncic acknowledged "I've got to be better" after the Dallas Mavericks were beaten by Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their Western Conference semi-final series.

The Thunder, who swept the New Orleans Pelicans aside in their first-round series, built on that momentum with a 117-95 victory at Paycom Center.

Although, it was a day to forget for Doncic, who registered just 19 points on six-of-19 shooting as he ended a streak of 24 successive playoff games with at least 20 points, while he also had five turnovers.

Struggling with a knee injury and tightly marked by Oklahoma's Lu Dort, the five-time NBA All-Star was also just one-for-eight from three-point range, making it five-of-35 over the past four games.

That is the worst percentage (14.3 per cent) for any player with at least 30 attempts over a four-game streak during the postseason.

"[We've] just got to move onto the next one," Doncic said. "I've got to be better, we've got to be better. We've got to focus. They're a great team, a great defensive team, so it's not going to be easy at all."

"We have to put a complete game together against this young OKC team because they have an endless amount of energy," added Kyle Irving, who finished with 20 points. "They're never going to stop attacking."

The youngest team in NBA history to win a playoff series following their triumph over the Pelicans, Oklahoma made it five straight wins in the postseason with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 29 points along the way.

The Thunder have only conceded 90.6 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team across five games in the postseason since the San Antonio Spurs in 2016.

"[The defence is] where we hang our hat every night," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Especially this late in the season, we know that if we want to win basketball games, that it's going to start on that end.

"Obviously, we have some really talented players at that end of the floor, but we also like to do it together and not just rely on those guys."

Luka Doncic acknowledged "I've got to be better" after the Dallas Mavericks were beaten by Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their Western Conference semi-final series.

The Thunder, who swept the New Orleans Pelicans aside in their first-round series, built on that momentum with a 117-95 victory at Paycom Center.

Although, it was a day to forget for Doncic, who registered just 19 points on six-of-19 shooting as he ended a streak of 24 successive playoff games with at least 20 points, while he also had five turnovers.

Struggling with a knee injury and tightly marked by Oklahoma's Lu Dort, the five-time NBA All-Star was also just one-for-eight from three-point range, making it five-of-35 over the past four games.

That is the worst percentage (14.3 per cent) for any player with at least 30 attempts over a four-game streak during the postseason.

"[We've] just got to move onto the next one," Doncic said. "I've got to be better, we've got to be better. We've got to focus. They're a great team, a great defensive team, so it's not going to be easy at all."

"We have to put a complete game together against this young OKC team because they have an endless amount of energy," added Kyle Irving, who finished with 20 points. "They're never going to stop attacking."

The youngest team in NBA history to win a playoff series following their triumph over the Pelicans, Oklahoma made it five straight wins in the postseason with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 29 points along the way.

The Thunder have only conceded 90.6 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team across five games in the postseason since the San Antonio Spurs in 2016.

"[The defence is] where we hang our hat every night," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Especially this late in the season, we know that if we want to win basketball games, that it's going to start on that end.

"Obviously, we have some really talented players at that end of the floor, but we also like to do it together and not just rely on those guys."

Borussia Dortmund have benefited from going under the radar during their "unbelievable road" to the Champions League final, according to head coach Edin Terzic.

The Black and Yellow will play either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the showpiece on June 1, following a hard-earned 2-0 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain in the last four.

Dortmund came into this season on the back of a bitter Bundesliga title loss on the final matchday of the previous campaign, with a 2-2 draw against Mainz handing the title to Bayern on goal difference.

While Terzic's side have been unable to launch a genuine challenge on the domestic front this term - currently occupying fifth place and 24 points adrift of newly crowned champions Bayer Leverkusen - it has been a different story in Europe.

"There is always a team that no one has on their radar that reaches the quarter-finals or the semi-finals," he said. "We wanted to be the team that were not necessarily on anyone's radar. That road has been unbelievable."

Indeed, it has. Dortmund began their campaign with a 2-0 defeat at PSG and goalless draw at home to Milan, but recovered to top Group F before seeing off PSV and Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 and quarter-finals respectively.

The 1997 Champions League winners then produced a defensive masterclass across both legs of their semi-final with PSG, to reach their first final since 2013.

"After the second matchday, almost no one believed in us any more," said captain Emre Can, who made his 50th Champions League appearance during the second leg at Parc des Princes.

"We only had one point after two matches, but we kept believing and that was the most important thing. Keeping two clean sheets in two matches against PSG is no mean feat."

Kylian Mbappe shouldered the blame for Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, which saw them exit the Champions League semi-finals 2-0 on aggregate.

Mbappe, who is set to leave PSG at the end of the season, was unable to inspire the Ligue 1 champions as they fell short in their latest quest to land the European crown.

The France captain registered a game-high three shots on target and 12 touches in the opposition box during the second leg at Parc des Princes, but his tally of just 51 touches overall was the second-lowest recorded by any PSG player.

And the 25-year-old admitted he should have made a more significant contribution towards his team's cause.

"I tried to help my team as best as I could, but I didn't do enough," he said. "I'm the guy who should score goals and be decisive. When things are good, I take all the limelight and when they are not, you have to take the shadow.

"That's not a problem. The first one who should have scored tonight was me. That's life, and we have to move on - me and the team."

PSG enjoyed the lion's share of possession (69.5 per cent) during the second leg and registered four times as many shots as their opponents did (30 to seven), hitting the woodwork four times.

"In decisive Champions League matches, when you're not effective in both boxes, it's difficult to get through to the next round," Mbappe added. "Even more so when we're talking about a final.

"We're certainly disappointed, but it's not all doom and gloom. We need to build on that and keep working, because I'm sure we'll get there."

Luis Enrique expressed his pride at the efforts of his Paris Saint-Germain side, despite their Champions League exit at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.

The Ligue 1 champions were knocked out in the semi-finals on Tuesday after a 2-0 aggregate loss to the Bundesliga giants, having hit the woodwork six times over the two legs - making it a record tally of 14 for the campaign - and managed 31 attempts at Parc des Princes.

PSG missed a golden opportunity to reach their second Champions League final, but it is not all doom and gloom after a season of transition with a new coach.

The Ligue 1 title is already in the bag with three matches remaining, and they have a Coupe de France final showdown with Lyon to come later this month.

"We were not inferior over the two legs, but football rewards those who score - not those who hit the woodwork," Luis Enrique said.

"My goal was to be fighting for all the titles. Tonight I'm proud of my team, of all the players."

PSG have now lost all six legs of their three two-legged Champions League semi-finals, after double defeats against Milan in 1995 and Manchester City in 2021.

The year they reached the final, in 2020, they beat RB Leipzig in a one-off semi-final after COVID-19 disrupted the season, before losing out in the final to Bayern Munich.

This season started with a new coach in Luis Enrique and without Lionel Messi and Neymar, as club president Nasser al-Khelaifi put an emphasis on building a team over individual talents.

While not always brilliant, PSG have looked like an organised outfit and the coach said he was already working on building a team without Kylian Mbappe, who is widely expected to leave at the end of the campaign.

"The players and coach gave their all," Al-Khelaifi said. "Congratulations to Dortmund, we deserved better. It's a tough game. I'm proud of my team, the youngest in Europe.

"We've reached the semi-finals three times in five years. That's not our objective; it's still the final. That's soccer; you have to accept it and sometimes it's not fair. We'll accept it."

Bryce Harper belted a grand slam and Cristopher Sanchez pitched seven strong innings as the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies extended their winning streak to seven games with a 10-1 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Kody Clemens homered, tripled and tied a career high with four RBIs as the Phillies won their 11th in a row at home and 18th in 21 games overall.

Philadelphia leads the majors with 26 victories and has had more wins through 37 games just twice before, in 1976 and 1993, when it started 27-10 in both seasons.

Sanchez limited the Blue Jays to one run on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Jose Berrios entered play leading the majors with a 1.44 ERA but was tagged for eight runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. He gave up more runs against the Phillies than the seven runs in seven starts over 43 2/3 innings before this game.

Harper chased Berrios with a drive to right with two outs in the fourth to put the Phillies ahead 8-0.

Harper is 6 for 11 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his last three games.

Yamamoto, Muncy keep Dodgers surging

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a season-high eight innings and was backed by Max Muncy’s first-inning grand slam as the Los Angeles Dodgers won their sixth in a row, 8-2 over the Miami Marlins.

Yamamoto allowed two runs and five hits without a walk and struck out five to win his third straight start.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered on Yamamoto’s first pitch of the game, but the Dodgers answered with four runs in the bottom half against Edward Cabrera, who walked two and hit Freddie Freeman before Muncy went deep for the ninth time this season.

Gavin Lux hit a two-run homer to cap a four-run third for Los Angeles, which has won 13 of 15 and outscored opponents 42-11 during the six-game run.

Rangers score 10 in 2nd in win over Athletics

Marcus Semien had two hits and three RBIs during a 10-run second inning and the Texas Rangers rolled to a 15-8 rout of the Oakland Athletics.

Semien finished with four hits and five RBIs, Jonah Heim went 4 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs and Leody Taveras had three hits, two RBIs and three runs as the Rangers won their fourth straight.

Texas sent 16 batters to the plate in the second in its biggest inning since May 13, 2015, when it scored 10 in the third against the Yankees.

Ross Stripling allowed a career-high 11 runs – five earned – and 10 hits in 1 2/3 innings.

Kyle McCann and Seth Brown homered for Oakland, which lost its third in a row after six consecutive wins.