Dawid Malan admitted he thought he "may never play another Test again" after the left-hander combined with Joe Root to frustrate Australia in Brisbane.
England were skittled for 147 on the opening day of the Ashes and problems were compounded when Travis Head's 152 guided Australia to 425, the hosts boasting a 278-run first-innings lead.
When Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed were dismissed with just 61 on the board in response, Root's side were teetering once more on day three before the vital partnership between the England captain and Malan.
The pair dug deep to record an unbeaten 159-run partnership, with Malan six behind his skipper, who reached the close of play on 86 not out as England reduced Australia's lead to 58.
Malan, who flourished in Perth during the last Ashes trip before losing his place due to a lack of form, is relishing the somewhat unexpected opportunity of facing Australia once again.
"I thought I'd never play another Test again," he told reporters. "I actually said to Rooty when we were on 40 or 50 and the Barmy Army were singing, 'I've really missed this'."
"I've missed having someone trying to blow my head off all the time, the crowd going and the adrenaline going, playing against the best bowlers going around. Test cricket is the pinnacle.
"To be able to stand out here in an England shirt. I'm so proud to do that. Especially to do it here at The Gabba in front of everyone. It's just really good fun.
"You can do as well as you want in Twenty20 or 50-over cricket, but you're judged a lot by your Test career at the end of it. For us, an Ashes series is the biggest series of our calendar so to come here and get runs against this really good attack is very satisfying."
Root, who has amassed 1,541 runs in a prolific 2021, moved past former England captain Michael Vaughan (1,481 in 2002) for the most runs in a calendar year for his country in Test cricket.
While hailing the work of his skipper – who is closing in on a maiden century in Australia – Malan appreciated England are still in a difficult position.
"The job isn't done yet, just getting an 80 doesn't mean you've made it, it's about scoring the big hundred that will change the game," he added.
"They are so brilliant at closing that door on us. We need one more good 100-run partnership to put a score on the board and then who knows what can happen? To come in after a day and a half of hard fielding and do what we did here was fantastic, but that’s only half the job.
"Joe's record obviously speaks for itself, with what he's done in his career. Batting with him is great because he takes the pressure off you, always looks to score and seems to find a way of putting the pressure back on the bowlers.
"It's a great sign for us as a team that Joe is playing so well and leading from the front."
Beka Mikeltadze scored twice and set up another goal as Newcastle Jets ended a long home winless streak in the A-League with a 4-0 thrashing of Wellington Phoenix.
Newcastle had not won a home league game since beating Melbourne City 1-0 in February, a run of 10 matches.
However, that poor streak was ended in emphatic fashion as they claimed their first win of the 2021-22 season in style.
A wonderfully crafted team move was finished off by Mikeltadze in the 32nd minute, with the forward doubling his tally with another close-range effort following the restart.
Left-back Dylan Murnane drove into Wellington's area to prod home the Jets' third, before Mikeltadze teed up Daniel Penha to round things off.
Penha and Mikeltadze had the visiting defence on the back foot throughout – the former leading the way with five attempts and the latter playing a game-high six key passes.
Newcastle's win takes them onto five points and into fifth, while Wellington sit eighth.
Australia still hold a "great advantage" in the first Ashes Test despite England's batting rearguard on day three at the Gabba, says Travis Head.
Head (152) passed 150 for the second time in his Test career on Friday, as Australia took a lead of 278 runs after scoring 425 from their first innings.
He had a batting strike rate of 102.7 in his innings – the second-best by any player to score 100+ runs in a men's Test innings at the Gabba, after Joe Burns (129 runs, 104.9 SR v New Zealand) in November 2015.
Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc dismissed Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed respectively to leave England on 61-2, but Joe Root and Dawid Malan led the fightback for the tourists.
Root, who has now scored 1,541 runs in 2021 (the most an England captain has managed in a calendar year), reached stumps on 86 not out, while Malan will resume on 80.
While having had joy with the new ball, Australia struggled to unsettle Root and Malan as the day wore on and batting conditions improved.
Head, however, is still confident the game is in Australia's hands, though he emphasised the importance of a strong start on day four, with England trailing by 58 runs.
"Having seen with the new ball, both last night and in our innings, we've seen it challenging the bat," he told BT Sport.
"That's going to be the key tomorrow morning is hopefully getting a wicket in those first 10 overs then we get the new ball again, it's going to be key for us.
"If we can hopefully get one or two [wickets] in those 10 overs, hold onto those runs, each one's going to be gold. If we can have five or six wickets at evens we're right in it and still driving that game.
"I think we created opportunities throughout the day. No surprise in the way [Root and Malan] came back out and applied themselves, two quality batsman that have put themselves in a position of fighting back.
"We still hold a great advantage, 60 runs with the new ball round the corner. Still positive and it's going to be a positive morning."
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been on the floor of the NBA for what feels like forever.
It has been 17 seasons since the Wolves last won a playoff series, tied with the Charlotte Hornets/Bobcats and Sacramento Kings for the longest active streaks in the league.
Since the 2005-06 season, Minnesota have had just one winning season, tied with the Kings for the fewest in the NBA over that span. All of this losing comes despite having talented players and valuable assets on the roster over the past 15 seasons, chiefly Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Al Jefferson.
Time and again, Minnesota have underperformed their talent and remained irrelevant, even by small-market standards.
Yet this season has provided a glimmer of hope for the future – and perhaps the present – if the Timberwolves' front office can choose the correct path.
Minnesota turned the calendar from November to December with an 11-10 record after last year's team needed 45 games to get their 11th win of the season.
This month, however, the Wolves have lost four straight, and other than an 8-3 stretch from November 12 to November 30, the team are just 3-11, leaving many to question whether Minnesota are genuinely improved or simply had a nice three-week stretch.
The performance on the defensive end of the floor has much better than last season's by almost any measure. Opponents are scoring an average of 8.9 points per game fewer against the Wolves this season compared to last season's Western Conference-worst mark of 117.7.
Even adjusting for pace, the numbers seem to show improvement defensively. Minnesota are allowing 105.6 points per 100 possessions, far better than last season's mark of 112.1.
The Timberwolves' improvements in opponents' shooting have been nearly as pronounced, allowing 44.5 per cent conversion from the floor and 33.3 per cent from three-point range, both representing the largest improvements in the West.
Additionally, Minnesota are forcing a league-leading 17.3 turnovers per game, although that aggression has led to a league-high 22.7 personal fouls per game and NBA-most 24.3 opponents' free throw attempts per game.
The T-Wolves have converted defense into offense, boasting a top-10 transition offense and playing at the third-fastest pace in the NBA, getting up an average of 92.4 shot attempts per game. The halfcourt efficiency, however, has been middling at best.
Despite improved numbers from Towns and second-year sensation Anthony Edwards, Minnesota have seen their shooting drop both overall and from three-point range.
Launching 42.3 three-point attempts per game – second only to the Utah Jazz (42.7) in the league this season – the Wolves rank just 23rd in three-point percentage at 33.6, making them extremely volatile on offense.
The saving grace on offense has been offensive rebounding, with the T-Wolves grabbing a league-leading 13.4 offensive boards per game and converting those into 16.8 second-chance points per game, trailing only the Memphis Grizzlies' 16.9.
Ultimately, the limiting factor to Minnesota's playoff hopes may be a lack of depth in offensive talent. Towns, Edwards and point guard D'Angelo Russell are the highest-scoring trio in the West at 65.0 points per game, but the team as a whole have the 24th-most efficient offense in the league, scoring 104.2 points per 100 possessions.
These polarising results leave the Timberwolves' front office in a bind as it prepares for the future and as the league's trade deadline comes into view.
The team are currently on pace to qualify for the West's play-in tournament while Towns is still just 26 and Edwards is a green 20 years old. It would be perfectly reasonable to play this season out, acquire more young talent in the draft and build towards the future.
But disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons has been linked to Minnesota in trade talks by a variety of media outlets, indicating that the Wolves' front office could have designs on evading the play-in tournament entirely and making a run at a top-six seed.
The Sixers have remained adamant that they will accept nothing less than a king's ransom for the 25-year-old point guard, but analysts have drawn up plenty of potential three- and four-team deals that would land Simmons in Minneapolis as a bet on top-flight prospect talent.
Many teams would avoid such a risk, especially after Simmons' turbulent offseason and oft-criticised postseason performances, but Minnesota – with their small market and cold climate – have a famously difficult time improving their roster through free agency. Towns, Anthony and Simmons were each the top overall draft pick in their respective classes and uniting them would be an aggressive bet on talent and potential.
Simmons, an infamously non-willing shooter from anywhere outside the paint, would likely represent a double-down approach on the Wolves' unconventional style of play, banking on more defense, turnovers and offensive rebounds while ignoring the need for an elite shot-creator.
The current core of the Timberwolves, however, has provided some reason for optimism, and the opportunity for a rare playoff run may be too much to resist for Minnesota's front office, long deprived of postseason revenue.
The Wolves' schedule is brutal over the next 12 games – seven of which are on the road against West opponents – and their performance over that stretch could determine the path of the team going forward.
Perhaps leaders in Minneapolis will see an 8-3 run in November as a promising blip on the radar for a rebuilding squad, but a win-starved franchise in a small market could be compelled to invest heavily in the present, banking on three number one picks.
Rafael Nadal is set to start his 2022 season at the Melbourne ATP 250 ahead of the Australian Open.
Nadal this week appeared on the entry list for the first grand slam of the year, which begins on January 17.
The Spaniard has not featured on the ATP Tour since August, when he lost against Lloyd Harris at the Citi Open in Washington D.C.
But Nadal is going to be back into the swing of things in the next month. The Melbourne 250 starts on January 4 and will serve as a warm-up for the Australian Open.
Gael Monfils is headlining the ATP 250 event in Adelaide during the same week, while Novak Djokovic – whose participation at the Australian Open is as of yet unclear, although he is also listed for entry – is set to lead Serbia at the ATP Cup in Sydney.
Djokovic has not yet revealed his COVID-19 vaccination status. If he is not fully vaccinated, the 34-year-old may not be able to compete in Melbourne, barring a medical exemption.
Nadal has dropped down to world number six after another injury-hit season, in which he won two titles, triumphing in Barcelona and Rome.
He has only won the Australian Open once, in 2009, but has since been beaten four times in the final, in 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2019.
Since the start of the 2020 season, Nadal has played in four finals, winning them all, including last year's delayed French Open.
England captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan mounted a fine rearguard to help England get back into the first Ashes Test against Australia with an unbroken 159-run third-wicket partnership.
The tourists reached 220-2 at stumps on day three at the Gabba, trailing by only 58 runs, with Root 86 not out and Malan 80 no.
Australia had added 82 to their overnight score – led by Travis Head, who passed 150 for the second time in his Test career – before being bowled out for 425, with a 278-run lead.
England appeared well behind in the game at 61-2 when Mitchell Starc had Haseeb Hameed (27) caught behind by Alex Carey.
But Root and Malan combined for an excellent partnership, as batting conditions improved on a bright day in Brisbane where only five wickets fell.
Australia had resumed on 343-7, with Head and Starc continuing their 85-run eighth-wicket stand well into the first session before the latter fell for 35. Mark Wood then claimed the final two wickets – including Head with a yorker for 152 – to finish with 85-3.
In response, England opener Burns, who was clean bowled with the first ball of the series, almost fell for a pair when umpire Paul Reiffel gave him out lbw from Starc.
Burns successfully had the decision overturned, with the early bounce taking it over, but did not capitalise on the reprieve for long, caught behind by Carey as Australia skipper Pat Cummins deceived him for 13.
Hameed had played well before he tickled a Starc delivery down leg through to Carey to fall for 27.
However, Root and Malan responded with a gritty stand. The England skipper was clinical off his pads, hitting 10 boundaries, while Malan was excellent square of the wicket, also finding the rope on 10 occasions.
Record for Root
Root's attempt to play at the final ball of the day from Cameron Green almost undid his hard work, but the England captain remains well poised for a 24th Test century and fourth Ashes hundred after being dismissed for a duck in the first innings.
Six of Root's tons have come in 2021 alone, and this knock has now taken him clear of Michael Vaughan (1,481 in 2002) with the most England Test runs in a calendar year (1,541).
Aussie bowling concerns
The first session on day four will be critical for both sides, with only 10 overs left until Australia take the new ball, desperate to get more wickets before England take the lead.
Josh Hazlewood did not bowl in the final session on day three, only getting through eight overs in the second innings in a slight concern for the hosts, while spinner Nathan Lyon has struggled, failing to take a wicket so far in the match.
When Steven Gerrard was appointed Aston Villa boss at the start of November, there was one fixture fans, pundits and, possibly even Gerrard himself, will have immediately looked for.
Villa visit Liverpool on Saturday, as Gerrard makes his first managerial return to the club where he became a legend.
Gerrard won the Champions League, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups, the UEFA Cup and a European Super Cup across his Liverpool career. The Premier League title, of course, evaded him. His tally of 710 games in all competitions is the third-most in the club's history.
A first league title of his career did arrive last season, as manager of Rangers, who ended Celtic's quest for a 10th successive Scottish Premiership title.
Now, Gerrard heads back to his former stomping ground on the back of an impressive start with Villa. He has won three of his four matches in charge, losing only to Liverpool's title rivals Manchester City.
But history is not on Gerrard's side when it comes to former Liverpool greats going up against their former side at Anfield.
Ex-players managing against the Reds at Anfield in the Premier League have lost 14 of their last 16 visits (W1 D1), with the last win coming in 2003. Will Gerrard be able to buck that trend?
Return of the king(s)
Stats Perform has dived into Opta's archival data to assess how three great Liverpool players coped in their respective returns to Anfield as managers of opposition teams – Graeme Souness, Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish.
Those three club legends visited Anfield on 18 occasions in the Premier League, across a span of 16 years from 1992 to 2008. Between them, the trio managed just three wins.
Souness did not claim any victories from six trips back, across spells with Southampton, Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers. Indeed, five defeats and one draw (one point from a possible 18) makes his record the poorest of the three. His worst result was a 4-0 defeat with Blackburn in 2004.
Keegan also lost on five occasions at Anfield in the Premier League, but did claim two wins as well, guiding Newcastle to a 2-0 success in 1993-94 and earning a 2-1 triumph with Manchester City in May 2003.
However, Keegan's most memorable return to his former club was a defeat. In April 1996, with Newcastle fighting Alex Ferguson's Manchester United for the title, they went down 4-3 in a Premier League classic.
Stan Collymore scored a famous stoppage-time winner to deal an ultimately fatal blow to Newcastle's title challenge – the Magpies having squandered the 10-point lead they held at Christmas.
Just under a year before, in May 1995, 'King' Kenny Dalglish took his Blackburn side to Anfield needing a win to guarantee the Premier League crown. They were also going up against United in the title tussle.
Liverpool had little to play for. They were already sure of a European place and a victory would mean United could win the title by beating West Ham.
"The only thing in our minds that afternoon, though, was winning the game," ex-Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp told the Reds' website. "We're professionals and we want to win every game we play."
Liverpool did indeed inflict a 2-1 defeat on their former player-manager, who won three First Division titles in his first spell at the club, with Redknapp scoring a stunning winner.
"It was one of the strangest moments of my life on a football field," Redknapp said. Fortunately for Dalglish, Blackburn and Liverpool's fans, the Reds' win did not hand United the title, with Ferguson's team only able to draw with the Hammers.
That loss was one of four Dalglish suffered at Anfield as an opposition manager. He claimed one win, in 1993.
Remarkably, Dalglish took Newcastle to Anfield in the 1996-97 season and, just under a year on from Keegan's famous defeat on Merseyside, the Magpies again lost 4-3. Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler and Patrik Berger got the goals for Liverpool.
The new kid on the block
Gerrard will have to ignore the history books heading into this one, but he should not head to Anfield with in fear.
Villa have made an impressive start under their new manager. Across their four league games under Gerrard, they have scored 7 goals, with only four teams (Liverpool, Manchester City, Watford and Chelsea) netting more in that time.
They may have only created 34 chances, ranking them 12th in the league, but their nine opportunities crafted from set-pieces during Gerrard's first few weeks puts them second in the competition behind Watford (12).
That average of 2.25 chances from set-pieces per game under Gerrard is an improvement on the 1.6 each match across Dean Smith's his 10 Premier League games in charge this term, while the new-look Villa have also managed seven shots from set-piece situations already, the joint-most in the league.
Villa's defending has also improved. Whereas the Villans' defence was the third-poorest in the competition throughout the opening 10 top-flight matches (19 conceded), Gerrard's side have only let in four goals.
While Liverpool are in excellent form – even if they did only snatch a 1-0 win in the dying embers against Wolves – Gerrard can return with confidence.
And given he is often cited as a Liverpool manager in the making, this could be the first of several auditions for the Anfield hot seat.
LeBron James cut a frustrated figure after the Los Angeles Lakers went down 108-95 to the Memphis Grizzlies stating that he "hates losing".
James became only the fifth player in NBA history to reach 100 career triple-doubles with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists against the Grizzlies.
However, the four-time MVP was more preoccupied with his side's issues as they gave up 22 turnovers as they slipped to a 13-13 record.
"I hate losing," James said at the post-game news conference. "Frustrated from the loss and how we played at times throughout the game.
"We had an opportunity beat a good team who's been playing extremely well and we didn’t do that."
James particularly was disappointed with the turnovers, giving up five himself, while Russell Westbrook was guilty of six.
"Tonight turnovers killed us," James said. "We were doing a hell of a job over the last seven games averaging only 12.5 turnovers.
"Tonight we had 22 for 27 points. That's been our Achilles heel before the last seven games and tonight it bit us in the butt."
Team-mate Anthony Davis, who top scored for the Lakers with 22 points along with eight rebounds, hinted that the Lakers, who were billed at title contenders in pre-season, needed to re-align.
"We've got to play like we’re the underdogs, which at this point of the season, the way we’re playing, a lot of games, we probably are," Davis told reporters.
"We've got to be able to have that mindset and we got to come in and be scrappy and be the more physical team and play like we’re the underdogs."
The Los Angeles Lakers have been beaten again going down 108-95 to the impressive Memphis Grizzlies despite LeBron James' 100th career triple-double.
James finished with 20 points along with 10 rebounds and 11 assists, bringing up his 100th career triple-double, but the Lakers could not stop the Grizzlies, still missing the injured Ja Morant, from scoring offensively.
Jaren Jackson Jr had 25 points for Memphis, while guard Desmond Bane finished with 23 points including five three-pointers.
Anthony Davis top scored with 22 points for the Lakers, who led at quarter-time, but Russell Westbrook struggled for impact, finishing with nine points, six rebounds and seven assists.
The result leaves the Lakers with a 13-13 record while the Grizzlies are 15-11.
Vinicius Junior insisted he wants to stay with Real Madrid when asked to put a price tag on his potential worth amid an excellent run of form.
The Brazil international is into his fourth season with LaLiga's leaders and has formed a fruitful partnership with Karim Benzema this campaign to put Madrid eight points clear after 16 games.
The pair rank as the joint-best attacking duo across Europe's top five leagues this term with 22 goals between them, the same amount as Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry combined.
Indeed, Vinicius has netted 10 times in 16 top-flight appearances so far, becoming the first player born in 2000 or later to reach double figures for goals in a single LaLiga season.
The former Flamengo attacker was asked to value himself ahead of the derby clash with city rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday, but refused to do so as he reiterated his happiness to stay with Carlo Ancelotti's team.
"It's better not to put any [price tag on me]," Vinicius told Vamos. "It's better to stay here in Madrid.
"I always listen to the people that I have by my side, at home and at the club, not the outsiders. Of course, the outsiders speak, but I don't care, I listen to the people who love me and who are with me from the beginning."
Given Vinicius' recent form, the winger was asked about his aspirations to win the Ballon d'Or, but he passed credit onto Benzema, who ranks third for goal involvements among players from Europe's top five leagues (all competitions) this season (25) – behind only Lewandowski (30) and Mohamed Salah (29).
Nevertheless, Vinicius does believe he possesses the talent to win the prize one day.
"I have to work hard for that, I have to keep playing here, keep doing things well and always be the best version of myself," he continued.
"If I keep playing like that, of course I can win it, but the main thing for me is the team and to win many titles with Real Madrid.
"[Benzema] is a great player, everything he does seems very easy. He always helps the team and I am closer to him – whenever I can, I help him. I must continue like this, improving to help Karim win the Ballon d'Or and continue being our top scorer."
Since his debut in September 2018, only four players – Benzema (159), Casemiro (148), Thibaut Courtois (147) and Luka Modric (143) – have appeared more for Madrid across all competitions than Vinicius (140).
In fact, this season the 21-year-old has played 22 times for Los Blancos, the joint-most among at the club alongside goalkeeper Courtois, but Vinicius is not worried about burning out with a heavy workload.
"Sometimes of course I feel tired from playing so much, but I always want to play, to be on the field to help the team," he added.
"I am at my best technically and physically and mentally as well. I want to continue playing and rest at Christmas."
Luis Suarez could still feature for Atletico Madrid in Sunday's crunch derby with Real Madrid after injury fears were eased on Thursday.
The experienced Uruguayan striker hobbled off injured after 13 minutes of the Champions League win over Porto, and he appeared to be in tears at one point on the bench.
Antoine Griezmann, Angel Correa and Rodrigo de Paul scored to earn Atletico a 3-1 victory that carried them through to the last-16 stage.
Since Tuesday's game, it has been unclear just how serious Suarez's problem might be, but Atletico have now issued an update that points to positive news.
In a statement released by the club, it was revealed that Suarez underwent tests at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra, and these showed there was no muscle tear.
"The tests have ruled out that the Rojiblanco attacker suffers any tear, so the evolution of his symptoms will determine his availability for the derby on Sunday," Atletico said.
"Luis Suarez will continue to carry out individualised rehabilitation training and daily physical therapy sessions."
Atletico won LaLiga last season but their hopes of a successful title defence could be all but over if they lose at the Santiago Bernabeu this weekend.
They head into the game sitting 10 points behind Madrid, albeit with a game in hand, having played 15 matches so far.
Suarez was acquired from Barcelona in September 2020 and proved a decisive signing when his goals helped power Atletico to last season's title, scoring 21 goals in 32 LaLiga games for Diego Simeone's side at a rate of one every 119.95 minutes.
He remains a key figure when fit, although the arrival of Antoine Griezmann, also from Barcelona, means Atletico have more firepower in their ranks now.
This term, the 34-year-old has managed seven goals in 15 league games, including 10 starts, with those strikes coming at one every 129.29 minutes.
His shot conversion rate has climbed from 20.19 per cent in 2020-21 to 29.17 per cent this term, a further reason why Atletico would want to have Suarez as an option for the trip to their capital city rivals.
Lewis Hamilton is not concerned about colliding with Max Verstappen in the decisive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as he prepares to go "full steam ahead" in his quest to make history.
Hamilton and Verstappen will start the last race of the Formula One season at the Yas Marina Circuit on Sunday level on points in a captivating battle for the title.
Tensions between the defending champion and Red Bull's Verstappen heightened further in a chaotic Saudi Arabia Grand Prix last weekend, which Hamilton won to set up a thrilling finale.
Verstappen was penalised five seconds for leaving the track to gain an advantage and another 10 for causing a collision with Hamilton.
Hamilton accused the Dutchman of going "over the limit" after their latest clashes in Jeddah, while Verstappen said when they faced the media on Thursday that the Mercedes man had gone down in his estimations this season.
Verstappen will be crowned champion for the first time if Hamilton fails to pick up as many points as him due to winning more races this season and the 24-year-old said he will do "whatever is necessary" to win the title.
But Briton Hamilton is not giving any thought to the prospect of missing out on a record eighth title due to another collision.
Asked about the possibility of that happening, Hamilton said: "No, I honestly don't give it any energy.
"I'm here to do the best job I can with this incredible team and going back again, we never thought we'd be neck and neck going into the last race; we've had an amazing recovery collectively as a team and we've been in a great position these last few races.
"So, we go full steam ahead with that focus, and we don't waste energy on things that are out of our control.
"I think at the end of the day, I do believe that everyone here racing comes to win, I would like to believe everyone wants to do it the right way. So, I don't even let that creep into my mind."
Hamilton is sticking with the mindset that he is "the hunter" rather than a history-chasing defending champion.
"At the moment it just feels like another championship to me, I don't look at it as another multiple," he said. "I just look at it every season and every year from ground zero, you're the hunter and you're fighting from the moment you start training.
"The moment you get into the new year you're focused on training and winning. I don't turn up with ‘Number One’ on my car, I turn up with Number 44, I don't consider myself the one that's fighting for a championship."
Verstappen topped the podium in Abu Dhabi last year to halt Mercedes' run of six consecutive victories at this race, but Hamilton is hopeful the Silver Arrows can maintain the standards that have seen him win three races in a row to reel Verstappen in.
He said: "They won here last year. So without doubt they're going to be strong this weekend. But we've chased and caught up a lot and I think we can come here and be strong this weekend."
Amelie Mauresmo has become the first woman to be appointed tournament director at the French Open, promising to show "fierce ambition" in the role.
Former Wimbledon and Australian Open champion Mauresmo succeeds fellow former tour professional Guy Forget in the top job at Roland Garros.
Mauresmo enjoyed 39 weeks at number one in the world at the height of her career but struggled to stamp a mark at her home grand slam. She captured the junior title in 1996 but appearances in the 2003 and 2004 quarter-finals were her best performances as a professional.
The 42-year-old aspires to make a greater impact on the Paris tournament during her time in charge, having been appointed to serve until 2024.
She steps into the role after spending several years working successfully as a coach, having helped players including Marion Bartoli, Andy Murray and Lucas Pouille. She and Pouille parted company in October of last year.
Mauresmo said she was "very proud" and explained: "This tournament created a vocation within me. I started dreaming about tennis thanks to Roland Garros! At age four, I sat in front of the television and decided I wanted to become a tennis player, thanks to 'Roland'.
"I stayed here in the National Training Centre when I was younger, I played in the grounds. It was my playground! This site is still very dear to me, even though the stadium has changed a lot. I qualified at age 15, I won the junior tournament.
"My career here featured many ups and downs, in part due to all those emotions I experienced when I was younger. And, after my career, I saw a different side to the event. I have coached various players, been a television pundit, a spectator and a television viewer, too. I don't know if anyone has seen the tournament from more angles than I have.
"This gives me a certain responsibility and a fierce ambition to push Roland Garros even further. The event is already fantastic, extraordinary. We are going to try and make it even better!"
Mauresmo, who retired from playing in 2009, has also served as France's Fed Cup captain.
Tennis great Billie Jean King sent a message of congratulations, and French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu welcomed the appointment.
Maracineanu said: "I salute the arrival of Amelie Mauresmo at the head of the most beautiful tennis tournament in the world. As well as being an exceptional athlete and an engaging women, she represents the necessity of tolerance and modernity. Bravo."
Fernando Alonso claims Max Verstappen has been the standout driver in Formula One this season, declaring the Red Bull star to be "one step ahead" as a winner-takes-all battle with Lewis Hamilton looms.
Two-time former drivers' championship winner Alonso claims Verstappen "deserves it" ahead of this weekend's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; but, like everyone, he is waiting keenly to see what unfolds.
The experienced Spaniard, currently with middle-of-the-pack Alpine, is too wily to predict anything at this stage, as Verstappen and Hamilton head into the final race of the season locked together on 369.5 points.
It is a scriptwriter's dream as the season comes to a close, but if Alonso looks back across the year, his hunch is that Verstappen has been the outstanding driver.
Looking ahead to Sunday's showdown, Alonso offered his expert view, saying: "It will depend on the package a little bit; Mercedes lately have been more performing, and they've won a couple of races now, but Max is driving – in my opinion – one step ahead of all of us.
"We saw the [qualifying] lap in Jeddah, until he touched the wall at the last corner, that lap was coming from Max, not the Red Bull.
"In a way, that's my opinion: Mercedes deserve the constructors' championship because the car is superior and Max, maybe overall in the year, was driving one step ahead of everyone."
It will come down to nerve and driving excellence on Sunday, plus whatever the teams can do to help the championship-chasing pair.
Alpine star Alonso is a former team-mate of Hamilton, dating back to 2007 in their time together at McLaren. That was Hamilton's first year in a Formula One seat, and in the final race of the season both the McLarens and Ferrari star Kimi Raikkonen were in the title frame.
Hamilton led the championship going into that race in Brazil but could only finish seventh, while Alonso took third and Raikkonen won the race. It meant Raikkonen carried off the title, with Hamilton and Alonso just one point behind the Finn.
The battle between Hamilton and his Mercedes team and Verstappen with Red Bull has become increasingly tense as the season has edged towards this remarkable finale.
Hamilton is chasing a record-breaking eighth title, which would take him above Michael Schumacher, while the 24-year-old Verstappen has yet to be crowned champion.
"It's not that I support Max. It's that he deserves it in my opinion," Alonso said, quoted on formula1.com.
"Everyone has a different opinion, but he is driving that Red Bull to another level. I think it is very interesting to watch from the outside, that’s good.
"What is happening at the front, as a motorsport fan you are following and you are aware of the stress... and it’s nice to watch from the outside."
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