Cyriel Dessers again showed his growing importance to Rangers with the only goal in a narrow 1-0 win over St Mirren.
The 29-year-old striker was not initially a popular figure among the Rangers fans in his early months at Ibrox following his summer move from Cremonese.
However, he has slowly worked his way into the supporters’ good books, especially since the arrival of boss Philippe Clement in October, and he pounced after 14 minutes of the cinch Premiership game in Paisley to score for a third successive match.
The crucial strike took his tally to the season to 12 and keeps the Light Blues in pursuit of league leaders Celtic.
It was a tough afternoon for the Govan side in difficult conditions against a determined Buddies outfit who pushed them all the way.
Following the convincing 3-0 win at Hibernian on Wednesday night, Clement made four changes with defender Connor Goldson back from suspension and Dujon Sterling, Scott Wright and Dessers coming back in while Stephen Robinson returned captain Mark O’Hara and forward Lewis Jamieson.
The swirling wind was a difficult opponent for both sides but the visitors started better without unduly troubling Zach Hemming until Dessers struck.
Midfielder John Lundstram’s perfectly-weighted pass from the middle of the park allowed Dessers to run clear of the Saints defence and round the hesitant Buddies keeper before rolling the ball into the net and taking the acclaim of the travelling fans.
St Mirren were forced out of their shell and the response, led by striker Jonah Ayunga, was impressive.
In the 20th minute midfielder Kwon Hyeok-kyu, on loan from Celtic, blazed the ball over the bar from 12 yards to the groans of the home support.
Moments later, at the other end, Gers skipper James Tavernier clipped the outside of the post with a powerful drive from 20 yards.
However, the Ibrox side were struggling to build on their lead.
Light Blues keeper Jack Butland blocked a Jamieson drive with his foot after the Gers defence was breached again, albeit the offside flag went up.
And in the 37th minute Butland pushed a drive from Kwon round the post but the corner was defended.
St Mirren had edged the first half notwithstanding the goal and the visitors brought on Tom Lawrence and Ross McCausland for Scott Wright and Todd Cantwell at the start of the second half and it re-energised the Govan side.
Sterling headed a Tavernier cross over the bar in the 54th minute before Dessers smacked the base of the post with a left-footed drive.
Robinson needed another avenue towards the leveller.
Ayunga and Jamieson were replaced by Mikael Mandron and debutant James Scott, who signed initially on loan from Exeter in midweek with the deal becoming permanent in the summer.
In the 79th minute there was a VAR check for a possible St Mirren penalty for a handball in the Gers box following a corner but no action was taken.
A terrific block from Ibrox defender John Souttar denied Alex Gogic a strike on goal and, from the resultant corner, James Bolton headed off the post.
Capodanno indicated the strength of Willie Mullins’ hand in the Gold Cup when running out a comfortable winner of the Paddy Power Cotswold Chase at Cheltenham.
No match for stablemate and current Gold Cup holder Galopin Des Champs at Christmas when a distant third, he was taking on most of the best of the British challenge in the Grade Two event, including the smart novice Stay Away Fay.
The Real Whacker, a Festival winner as a novice last season, took the field along to halfway when Ahoy Senor, winner of the race 12 months ago, nudged up his inside and began to put some pressure on.
Stay Away Fay, Royale Pagaille and then Capodanno (7-2) all moved up menacingly at one point or another, with almost all five in a line approaching the second last.
The Real Whacker cracked first and then unfortunately Stephen Mulqueen suffered a tack malfunction on Ahoy Senor.
With Stay Away Fay outpaced, Capodanno and Paul Townend pulled clear and went on to beat a staying-on The Real Whacker by two and three-quarter lengths.
There was a sad postscript to the race as Coral Gold Cup winner Datsalrightgino sustained a fatal injury when falling early on.
Jeriko Du Reponet maintained his unbeaten record in the SBK Supreme Trial Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle at Doncaster, but he was made to pull out all the stops in the process.
Sent off the 4-6 favourite, Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old was expected to book his ticket for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle with the minimum of fuss following two effortless wins at Newbury.
He was in deeper company on this occasion though, with Ben Pauling’s Fiercely Proud and Sam Thomas’ Lump Sum also unbeaten over hurdles and Nicky Richards’ The Kalooki Kid a dual winner too.
The Grade Two was supposed to have been run at Haydock last week, without Jeriko Du Reponet, but as the race was rescheduled, Henderson rerouted his charge and Mark Walsh travelled from Ireland for the ride.
He travelled into the race supremely well, despite a few sketchy leaps, but still looked like winning quite comfortably.
However, Fiercely Proud lived up to his name and battled on gamely and then Lump Sum laid down the final challenge before Jeriko Du Reponet settled matters by a length and a quarter.
The bookmakers were not impressed, though, and Betfair pushed the winner out to 8-1 from 5s for the Supreme.
Walsh felt a slow early pace had gone against his mount and expects Jeriko Du Reponet to improve for the experience.
He said: “We went no gallop early, which didn’t suit, and he didn’t even jump great early considering we were going so slow.
“When we picked up going into the straight, he was electric over the last three (hurdles). Early on he was a bit sloppy, but I think that was because he thought he was just going round for a school.
“The race wasn’t run to suit, we went too slow and it turned into a sprint, that was the reading I got.
“In his other races he was just cantering around, but he really had to fight today and he put his head down when I wanted him.
“He’s a lovely horse, he can only beat what’s in front of him and he showed a good attitude.
“He’s only five and I think he’ll keep improving.”
Aryna Sabalenka’s ruthless defence of her Australian Open title was powered by a sense of fun and new-found inner calm.
The world number two lifted her first grand slam trophy at Melbourne Park 12 months ago and has been untouchable this fortnight.
She did not drop a set in seven matches and defeated first-time grand slam finalist Zheng Qinwen 6-3 6-2 to become the first player since compatriot Victoria Azarenka 11 years ago to claim back-to-back titles.
“I don’t know how to describe my emotions,” said Sabalenka. “But definitely I’m super, super happy and proud of everything I was able to achieve so far. I’m just happy with the level I played today.”
Zheng, who did not face a top-50 player through the first six rounds, had hoped to emulate the watching Li Na and claim the title for China a decade on.
But the 21-year-old, the 12th first-time slam finalist in the women’s game in the last three years, was up against it from the start and Sabalenka wrapped up victory in only 76 minutes despite a brief disruption from pro-Palestine protesters.
Sabalenka has ridden emotional highs and lows throughout her career, overcoming the yips on her serve two years ago and several bruising semi-final losses before she reached her first final 12 months ago.
She showed tremendous consistency at the slams last year, reaching at least the last four in each one, but there were still crushing defeats in big matches, most painfully in the US Open final against Coco Gauff, after which Sabalenka was seen backstage smashing her rackets.
But in Melbourne this year the 25-year-old has been flawless, with her only testing match coming in the semi-finals against Gauff and resulting in a cathartic victory.
“I think it’s all come with experience,” she said. “There is not going to be big wins without really tough losses. Of course I was very down after those matches. I was crying, I was smashing the racket, as we see. I was really crazy.
“But then, after a day or two, we sit down with the team, thinking, ‘OK, what do we have to do to fix it and to make sure this will never happen again’.”
Sabalenka’s ferocity on court is at odds with her fun-loving persona off it, and her team can often be seen joking around behind the scenes, while a tradition this year was for the Belarusian to write her signature on her fitness trainer Jason Stacy’s bald head.
Helping her find an emotional equilibrium during matches has been a lengthy process, with Stacy saying: “That’s been the plan for years. First making her more aware of what’s happening.
“It’s been a big part. She’s just hiding it really well, and it’s not guaranteed it’s going to be that way every week. But that’s what makes her so dangerous and so powerful as well that part of her. It’s beautiful.”
Sabalenka said with a smile: “It’s actually good that I’m two different people on and off the court, because if I would be the same person that I am on the court off the court, I think I wouldn’t have my team around me and I think I would be alone.
“It takes me so much time to become who I am right now on court, to have this control of myself, and to understand myself better.”
Sabalenka seized control of the match from the start, opening up a 3-0 lead before Zheng gained a foothold courtesy of some impressive serving.
Three double faults in one game was a disastrous start to the second set, though, and even four missed match points could not derail Sabalenka.
Zheng, who will break into the top 10 for the first time on Monday, was disappointed with her performance, saying: “To play against her I think it’s so important to hold your own service game. But I couldn’t do that, especially at the beginning.
“I didn’t perform my best. That’s really a pity for me because I really wanted to show better than that.”
Sabalenka used her acceptance speech to thank her family, and a second slam title fulfilled the dream she shared with her late father Sergey, who died in 2019.
“It was really important,” she said. “Of course he’s my biggest motivation. He’s been everything for me.
“But right now I have my mom, my sister, who is here with me, and I feel like I have to think about them. But I just feel that he’s always with me. I’m very thankful for everything he did for me, and I think if not him I wouldn’t be here.
“Now, having two grand slam titles, it definitely gives me more confidence and belief in myself. I just have this, knowing that all my life it wasn’t a waste of time and I was doing the right thing. I’m where I’m meant to be.”
After threatening to post an even bigger total at various points of their second innings, West Indies folded for 193 after tea, setting Australia a target of 216. But it was by no means a foregone conclusion, as the regional side's bowlers hit back late on day three, leaving their host at 60-2 heading into day four of the second Test at the Gabba.
Still, with opener Steven Smith off to a positive start at 33 not out, with Cameron Green also there on nine, Australia remain in the driver's seat to secure a further 156 runs and claim a sweep of the home Test, though this unpredictable encounter may have more twists and turns with heavy showers forecast for days four and five due to the after-effects of Cyclone Kirrily.
Scores: Australia 289-9 dec and 60-2 (Smith 33*, Green 9*, Joseph 1-19) trail West Indies 311 and 193 (McKenzie 41, Athanaze 35, Greaves 33, Hazlewood 3-23, Lyon 3-42) by 155 runs
New-ball bowlers Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph started sluggishly and failed to make the most of favourable conditions under lights. Australia rattled off 24 runs before opener Usman Khawaja tickled Alzarri Joseph down the leg side.
West Indies' hopes of ending a two-decade Test drought against Australia were further raised when Justin Greaves squared up Marnus Labuschagne, whose edge was brilliantly snaffled by Kevin Sinclair in the slips. From there, Smith and Green survived a probing examination before stumps.
Green was all at sea and struck on the pads by Greaves, but West Indies were unsuccessful in their review. He then edged the next delivery in front of second slip. In contrast, Smith looked technically sound and hit the ball crisply to finish unbeaten on 33 from 56 balls.
But the surface did not offer as much zip as it did late on day two when Australia had declared 22 runs behind and Josh Hazlewood had sent back Tagenarine Chanderpaul. McKenzie motored along to thwart Australia's pace attack. In contrast, skipper Kraigg Brathwaite was anchored to the crease and scored just six runs off his first 33 balls before whacking Starc uppishly through the covers for his first boundary of the innings.
The batters defied probing hard-length bowling from Pat Cummins and notched a half-century stand before Brathwaite chipped Green to cover. McKenzie slowed down and on his 50th delivery, he missed an attempted sweep to be trapped lbw on Lyon's second delivery.
Athanaze, who has had limited impact in the series, showed glimpses of why he is highly rated with several attractive strokes, as he combined well with Hodge after dinner to rattle Australia. But Lyon's later brightened their mood when he dismissed Athanaze on 35 after tossing up a delivery that was edged to slip, where Smith took a sharp catch.
It was a relief for Smith, who had earlier in the innings dropped Athanaze and Brathwaite, as West Indies fell away before their late fightback left the match delicately poised.
Ollie Pope had his England team-mates in awe with a remarkable century in the first Test against India, leaving Joe Root scrambling for superlatives.
Root finally settled on “absolute masterclass” as he tried to sum up Pope’s unbeaten 148 on day three in Hyderabad, fine words from a man with more than 11,000 Test runs and 30 centuries under his belt.
England were 190 runs behind when they started their second innings, but Pope defied the perilous match situation, an unpredictable pitch and a world-class bowling attack to produce a career-best knock.
He overcame all three as he hit 17 fours over 208 deliveries and he carried the tourists to 316 for six – a handy lead of 126, in circumstances that could easily have produced an innings defeat.
That it all came in his first match back after six months sidelined by shoulder surgery, on a surface where the next best score from either team stands at 87, was even more impressive.
Should England somehow find a route to an unlikely victory over the next two days, it will surely go down as an all-time classic.
“I’m speechless really…it’s one of the best knocks I’ve ever seen,” said Root.
“I’ve seen a lot of cricket, I’ve played and batted out there in the middle with a lot of brilliant players and to witness that was was really special. There’s a lot of people in our dressing room that have seen and played a lot of cricket that are of the same mind as I am.
“The way that Popey played today, honestly, it’s an absolute masterclass in how to bat in these conditions as an overseas player. We all know he’s got an array of shots and can score all round the wicket, but to have the self-belief and desire to put a score together for the team and get us to where we are now was outstanding.
“The maturity he showed, the smarts, the way he manoeuvred the field…it was unbelievable. You sit here very emotional being part of it, but I’m sure I’ll sit back and still be impressed and wowed by the way he’s played.”
Root has long been England’s standard-bearer in Asia, where he has scored five centuries, including doubles in Galle and Chennai, but suggested he would happily pass the torch to Pope.
“I’m not any more, I think that’s the benchmark,” he said.
“I might have scored a few runs in the sub-continent but not on a surface like that, against an attack like that.
“I didn’t even mind when he ‘big dogged’ me and said, ‘Can you do the press tonight?’ He spoke this morning in front of the group and and he’s grasped the moment, taken responsibility and backed it up in his actions. That’s what you want from leaders within the dressing room.
“As an old-timer in this team, it’s great to see these young lads coming in, really putting their stamp on things and leading from the front.”
England will want to add plenty more runs on day four to flip the pressure back on their opponents and will be hampered in the fourth innings by an injury to lead spinner Jack Leach.
It is understood he is suffering from pain and swelling, but Root is full of positivity about the way his side have taken the fight to hosts who have lost just three times in their last 46 games at home.
“Regardless of what happens for the rest of the game, I think we’ve laid down some good markers and shown that we have got the tools and skills to really compete in these conditions,” he said.
“Dream the dream. We’ll go to bed and think of what could be tomorrow, then throw everything at the day.”
Sir Gino produced a startling display to burst the Burdett Road bubble in the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham.
Nicky Henderson’s imposing youngster had impressed many on his hurdling debut at Kempton but he faced a different calibre of opponent this time in Royal Ascot winner Burdett Road.
James Owen’s charge had shown a liking for hurdles in two previous wins over obstacles and Harry Cobden was eager to anchor him at the back of the pack as his mount was keen on his first run since November.
The big two closed in on long-time leader Milan Tino turning into the straight and while Burdett Road was still travelling strongly, when James Bowen asked Sir Gino to quicken he took two lengths out of his main rival.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the race, however, was after the last when the 5-4 chance sprinted 10 lengths clear of the 6-5 favourite.
Sir Gino is now Betfair’s 6-4 favourite for the Triumph Hurdle from 9-2.
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are not in a position to underestimate any opponent as his stumbling side look to keep their hopes of silverware alive in Sunday’s FA Cup clash at Newport.
This has been a challenging second season in the hotseat for the Dutchman, whose side languish eighth in the Premier League and were eliminated from European competition before Christmas.
United’s Carabao Cup defence is also long since over, meaning the FA Cup takes on extra significance as their only potential route to a trophy in a disappointing campaign.
“It is the truth,” Ten Hag said. “But it is true that the league, of course, (offers) qualification for the Champions League.
“But the FA Cup probably is, it’s fact, the last opportunity for a trophy, so we would go for it.”
FA Cup glory would be a welcome shot in the arm for a club that is preparing to go through a big transition under Ineos, who are set to take control of football operations next month.
Incoming minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has a bloody-minded focus on improvements across the board and this competition could provide the platform for under-scrutiny Ten Hag to impress.
United have a kind-looking fourth-round assignment at Newport, but there is no chance of complacency seeping in against the mid-table League Two outfit.
“Also in the Netherlands we have a cup and also we also play against lower-class teams,” Ten Hag said of Sunday’s trip to South Wales.
“I know always when you go as a big club to a lower class team, how it will be and how you have to approach that.
“Definitely us, we are definitely not in a position to underestimate any opponent, so we will not do.”
By “lower class” Ten Hag seems to mean lower league, with Newport the lowest ranked side he has faced in any competition since taking charge at Old Trafford.
It is also a rare away day after the third-round trip to League One outfit Wigan earlier this month ended a run of home draws in domestic cups that stretched throughout his entire reign.
Rodney Parade is much different to the DW Stadium, a former Premier League ground, but Ten Hag is confident his players will cope.
That includes summer signing Altay Bayindir, who he confirmed will finally make his United debut between the sticks at Newport.
“You have been in Fenerbahce?” Ten Hag said when asked if he has any thoughts about picking the 25-year-old Turkey international given the specific challenges of such a tie.
“The pressure is also in Turkey, that is big pressure always, also for the national team, so he knows how to deal with that.”
Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro are in contention for Sunday’s game, but Marcus Rashford and Jonny Evans are doubts having reported ill on Friday.
Andre Onana and Sofyan Amrabat remain at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Mason Mount, Anthony Martial, Tyrell Malacia and Victor Lindelof are sidelined.
Barcelona have been dealt a double injury blow with the Catalans revealing that Alejandro Balde will undergo hamstring surgery in Finland.
Fellow defender Sergio Roberto is also set for a spell on the sidelines with an Achilles problem.
“Tests show that first-team player Alejandro Balde has an injury to the tendon in his right hamstring,” Barcelona said on X, formerly Twitter.
“In the coming days he will undergo a surgical procedure at the hands of Dr Lasse Lempainen, under the supervision of the club’s medical staff, in Turku, Finland.
“Once the procedure has been carried out a new statement will be released.”
On their club captain, who has had an injury-hit season, Barcelona said: “First-team player Sergi Roberto has a problem in his left Achilles tendon.
“The player is unavailable for selection and his recovery will dictate his return.”
Barcelona return to LaLiga action against Villarreal on Saturday seeking to bounce back from their midweek Copa del Rey defeat at Athletic Bilbao.
They have won their last three league games and beat Villarreal 4-3 away in August.
Newport striker Will Evans has gone from milking cows on the family farm to scoring FA Cup goals – and now has boyhood heroes Manchester United in his sights.
United fan Evans meets the Red Devils on Sunday as Newport – 74 places below their visitors in the football pyramid and financial worlds apart – seek to produce one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s 152-year history.
It will cap an extraordinary journey that has taken Evans from the Powys family farm, rejection at Shrewsbury, and European football at two Welsh Premiership clubs before he finally landed his EFL break at Newport.
“Most kids come home from school and play football in the garden,” Evans said of his formative years at the Llangedwyn farm on the English-Welsh border near Oswestry.
“I’d come home and get the cows ready to be milked. There’s a lot of them too as dad’s got about 1,100 milking cows.
“Mucking out was punishment if I was misbehaving or in my parents’ bad books. It wasn’t something I ever wanted to do, I always wanted to study or go out and play football.”
While brothers James and Josh would end up joining the family business, Evans started out on a football path that saw him spend six years at Shrewsbury’s youth system between the ages of nine and 15.
Evans was eventually released by Shrewsbury and went to Cardiff Metropolitan University, studying a degree in sports coaching and playing in the Europa League.
He spent five years in Cardiff before the Covid pandemic struck in 2020 and returned to life on the farm, joining nearby Bala when football restarted and again playing in Europe.
Two goals in a 4-0 victory for Wales C against England eventually launched his career.
“The dream died after leaving Shrewsbury, it was basically a reset,” said Evans, now 26.
“But going to Uni allowed me to fall in love with football again. I did well in Cardiff and at Bala, but after that Wales C game my phone was constantly ringing.
“I had calls from agents all over Europe – I don’t how people got my number – but then James Rowberry, the Newport manager, rang me and said ‘Are you free to come down tomorrow?’
“He said he thought I could fit into their system and it’s been an amazing 18 months.”
Evans was signed as a central striker but often deployed as a wing-back during his first season at Newport.
Since reverting to his customary forward role has scored 18 goals this term, including one in the third-round replay win at Eastleigh that secured County’s £400,000 pay day against United.
Current Exiles boss Graham Coughlan has insisted Evans’ form merits a call up to Rob Page’s Wales squad.
“I would have bitten your hand off to be in this position 18 months ago,” Evans said.
“I’m a massive United fan and used to go there a lot when I was a kid.
“I’ve got some really fond memories of going to Old Trafford and I’m a good friend of Eric Ramsay (United assistant manager).
“I can’t put into words what it will be like walking out to play against them.
“I’m just enjoying my football right now and don’t know what will happen in the future. But I’m not going back to the farm. It’s not happening.”
Nicky Henderson’s Marie’s Rock is given another chance to advertise her staying talents in the rearranged SBK Warfield Mares’ Hurdle at Doncaster on Sunday.
The extended three-mile contest was originally scheduled for Ascot last Saturday before the cold snap forced a switch to Town Moor and Marie’s Rock’s owners, Middleham Park Racing, are thrilled their star mare gets the opportunity to run in a Grade Two event worth over £25,000 to the winner.
Her previous forays up to a staying trip have ended in defeat, but Middleham Park’s Tom Palin believes she has shown enough promise at the distance to be a major player in a race that also features Dan Skelton’s West Balboa, who was sent off favourite for the Grade One Long Walk Hurdle last month.
He said: “We’re very grateful for the fact that this race is going ahead. It looks a good opportunity for us to go back up to three miles.
“I do concede three miles is probably not her optimum and most effective trip – her championship trip. But that’s not to say she is ineffective over three miles and her ratings for her previous tries suggest she is capable of putting in a performance in the mid-to-high 140s, which in theory should see her competitive in this race.
“I don’t think she doesn’t stay it, she showed at Aintree she can get the trip. Is she a Grade One Stayers’ Hurdle contender over three miles? No. And that is why we are targeting the Mares’ Hurdle again at Cheltenham and is the only Festival entry she has got.
“However, I do think she is worth another crack at three miles in this Grade and amongst this company.”
The Cheltenham Festival winner was last seen chasing home Bob Olinger when defending her Relkeel Hurdle crown at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day, with connections content with the nine-year-old’s display against an on-song rival.
“I think we were as good as a Marie’s Rock aged nine could be last time against a resurgent Bob Olinger,” continued Palin.
“I wouldn’t have changed anything, almost nothing at all, about our Relkeel run – I think we did as well as we could and I would be supporting Bob Olinger wherever he runs next, that was a ridiculous performance from him.
“I thought we ran a really respectable race there and a repeat of that Relkeel performance should be enough to see her competitive here and to finish in the first five in a Mares’ Hurdle.
“You have to give West Balboa plenty of respect, she was backed into favouritism in the Long Walk. But we were backed into favouritism at Newbury, so it will be an interesting battle between them. We’re going to Doncaster full of hope we have found the right race for her and if everything goes to plan she should be competitive.”
Marie’s Rock is joined by a pair of Seven Barrows stablemates in Theatre Glory and Tweed Skirt, while Jamie Snowden’s Cheltenham Festival winner You Wear It Well tries three miles for the first time having finished well held in third in the Fighting Fifth last month.
Fergal O’Brien’s Dysart Enos will continue inching her way towards the Cheltenham Festival in the opening Download The At The Races App Novices’ Hurdle.
Amongst the favourites for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Prestbury Park in March, the six-year-old has done nothing but impress when maintaining her unbeaten record over hurdles this season.
She has now been found a fantastic opening to bank some more experience ahead of National Hunt’s showpiece meeting in just over six weeks’ time.
O’Brien said: “Neil (Jukes, race planner) can take all the credit for plotting this one and hopefully it’s a good opportunity for her to go and run without many penalties and she can turn up there and run her race and then look forward to the next one.
“I’ve been very happy with her since her last run, but more importantly Tom Broughton who rides her all the time says she is ready to go, so we will head to Doncaster on Sunday.
“I’ll probably be watching it from behind my fingers or behind a sofa somewhere and there won’t be a lot of pleasure in watching it, but we just need to get on and run her and I’m never afraid to get beat.
“You never know what is going to turn up on the day and we’ve just got to go and take our chance and hopefully do what we need to do.”
Aryna Sabalenka defeated Zheng Qinwen to make it back-to-back titles at the Australian Open.
The second seed did not drop a set all fortnight, beating first-time major finalist Zheng 6-3 6-2 to become the first woman since fellow Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in 2013 to successfully defend the trophy.
Britain’s Alfie Hewett was unable to match Sabalenka, losing 6-2 6-4 to Tokito Oda in the men’s wheelchair final.
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The tournament will crown a first time Australian Open champion in the men’s singles on Sunday night.
After stunning Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, 22-year-old fourth seed Jannik Sinner goes into his first grand slam decider as the favourite.
There he will take on third seed Daniil Medvedev, who has survived three five-set matches and will hope to make it third time lucky having finished as runner-up in 2021 and 2022.
Ollie Pope led the resistance with a brilliant, battling century as England fought hard to keep the first Test against India alive in Hyderabad.
Faced with the unenviable task of overturning a 190-run first-innings deficit, the vice-captain dug deep to make an unbeaten 148 as his side found their way to 316 for six at stumps on day three.
While the tourists still have plenty of work ahead of them to turn the pressure fully back on India, they showed admirable steel to build a lead of 126 with four wickets still in hand.
Pope’s fifth Test hundred was the mainstay, marking a welcome return after six months out following surgery on a dislocated shoulder.
The Surrey batter had not played since the second Ashes Test last summer and, without any warm-up games to find his feet, looked short of rhythm when he was dismissed for just one on the first day.
He started sketchily again, aiming an errant reverse sweep at his second ball as he searched for scoring shots, but grew in stature as he put together an innings of real substance.
Having bounded along to his half-century in just 54 deliveries, he took 100 more to reach three figures.
The longer Pope took, the more controlled he appeared, and this was a knock that reinvigorated a contest that seemed destined to slip away from England in a hurry.
The scoreboard looked ominous when skipper Ben Stokes fell at 163 for five, India still 27 ahead, but Pope and Ben Foakes, with 34, gritted their teeth in a partnership worth 112.
India began the day on 421 for seven and were mopped up efficiently for the addition of just 15 runs.
Joe Root, continuing his unexpected emergence as his side’s most threatening bowler, snapped up two in two balls, Ravindra Jadeja lbw for 87 and Jasprit Bumrah for a golden duck. Rehan Ahmed provided the finishing touch when he zipped one low through Axar Patel.
If India losing three wickets without a run caused jitters in the away dressing room they were not evident in a dashing opening stand of 45 between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett.
Crawley reverse swept with authority and lifted Patel down the ground for six, but was gone for 31 before the end of the 10th over, nicking Ravichandran Ashwin to slip.
Pope’s presence was not immediately reassuring, hitting fresh air almost immediately as he attempted to get off the mark with a reverse sweep of his own, but Duckett’s arsenal of sweeps proved a reliable source of runs.
England took lunch at 89 for one and were up to 113 when a masterful spell of reverse swing from Bumrah cut their fightback down.
He should have had Duckett lbw but saw his appeal wrongly shrugged away by the on-field umpire and his captain.
Undeterred he came again, shaping the ball through the air, through the gap that Duckett’s lavish drive left and sent his off stump flying for 47.
Root followed after just six balls, trapped in front by another that tailed in and thudded his front pad. On a pitch that had rendered the pace bowlers an afterthought for so long, it was an exceptional intervention from Bumrah.
It was credit to Pope that he not only survived it but also kept his score moving, picking off boundaries and topping them up with hard running between the wickets.
He needed a partner to help but lost Jonny Bairstow for 10, offering no shot to Jadeja’s arm ball, and then saw Ashwin snake one past Stokes’ outside edge and into the top of off.
England were still 18 behind at the start of the evening session but Pope and Foakes knuckled down to turn that into a workable lead.
Foakes watched the ball on to his bat and took minimal risks, while Pope showed real poise as he built his score with a new sense of calm.
By now the reverse sweep that had left him looking vulnerable earlier was coming out of the middle of the bat and providing a vital supply of boundaries.
He gradually became more inventive as he sought gaps in the field, leaving India scratching their heads as they tried to pin him down.
He scrambled three off Jadeja to reach a hard-won hundred, his first in the second innings and third overseas, and marked it in under-stated fashion.
Foakes’ stay was ended by a grubber from Patel, who blotted his copy book by dropping Pope on 110.
That allowed Pope to walk off unbeaten at the close with Ahmed at his side, dreaming of further heroics on day four.
South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus is recovering in hospital after undergoing a medical procedure for chemical burns.
The 51-year-old, who led the Springboks to World Cup glory in 2019 as head coach, sustained the injury in a “freak accident using a powerful detergent product”.
Erasmus is expected to be able to return to work fully “within weeks”.
A statement from South Africa Rugby said: “Rassie Erasmus, SA Rugby’s director of rugby, is recovering in hospital following a medical procedure for chemical burns sustained in a freak accident using a powerful detergent product.
“He is otherwise in good health and expects to return to full-time working within weeks.”
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