Alexander Zverev secured his place in the French Open semi-finals for a fourth straight year after overcoming Alex de Minaur on Wednesday.
The world number four will meet Casper Ruud, who progressed with a bye after Novak Djokovic's injury withdrawal, in the last four after a battling 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 triumph on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
De Minaur overcame Daniil Medvedev in the previous round to earn his first Roland-Garros quarter-final appearance, though it was one to forget as his serving – and Zverev's grit – proved the 11th seed's undoing.
Both players traded a break apiece during an entertaining opening in the French capital, only for De Minaur's double fault to hand Zverev the 4-3 advantage to hold his serve and take the first set.
The Australian snatched a crucial break midway through the second set, yet Zverev – who was warned with a time violation by the umpire for taking too long over his serve – saved a set point to keep his hopes alive.
That was a sign of things to come, too, as Zverev once again fought from 4-0 and 5-1 down in the tie-breaker, somehow clinching a 2-0 lead in the match from a seeming point of no return.
Having failed to level in that cruel tie-break defeat, De Minaur managed to break Zverev late in the third set but the former responded immediately to secure a hard-fought win in just under three hours.
Data Debrief: Zverev continues on song
Zverev extended to 11 straight wins after this victory, with that run including his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome two weeks prior to the start of this major.
The German is just the 11th man of the Open Era to reach four consecutive semi-finals at the French Open, where a rested Ruud awaits next.
De Minaur, meanwhile, misses out on the chance to become the first Australian man since Pat Rafter in 1997 to make the last four on Parisian clay.
Mikel Oyarzabal staked his claim for a place in Spain's final Euro 2024 squad after his hat-trick in Wednesday's 5-0 friendly victory over Andorra.
Real Betis forward Ayose Perez marked his international debut with a 24th-minute opener in Badajoz, capitalising on Pau Cubarsi's headed assist to edge the hosts ahead.
Perez added further credit to his European Championship hopes with a smart assist after the break, teeing up a tap-in for Oyarzabal, who then added his second of the game after 66 minutes.
Oyarzabal completed his treble just seven minutes later before Ferran Torres netted a fifth as Spain, who face Northern Ireland in their final warm-up on Saturday, eased to victory just 10 days before their Euros opener against Croatia.
Data Debrief: Treble heroics from Oyarzabal
Oyarzabal is the second player to score a hat-trick for Spain under Luis de la Fuente, after Alvaro Morata against Georgia in September 2023.
The Real Sociedad man accounted for 2.61 of La Roja's 3.89 expected goals (xG), while Andorra mustered just 0.08 xG in response as David Raya went largely untested.
For Pepetho Barrett, a devoted Real Madrid fan, attending the UEFA Champions League final between Dortmund and Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium was a dream come true. Barrett, who won an all-expenses-paid trip courtesy of JustBet and SportsMax, described the event as “an experience of a lifetime.”
Departing from Norman Manley Airport last Wednesday, Barrett was filled with excitement and anticipation. “This is such a dream come true for me. I am still pinching myself and don’t think I am over the shock. I am so thankful to JustBet and the team,” Barrett exclaimed before his departure.
JustBet ensured Barrett had a packed itinerary, which included a tour of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and sightseeing around London before the grand final. Barrett was accompanied by his father, Pepetho Barrett Sr., and fellow winner from Guyana, Keith Dowridge.
Reflecting on the match, Barrett shared his thoughts: “Just as I predicted it would. I am not disappointed, good experience. Evenly contested game. Dortmund dominated the first half but did not translate that into goals. The second half saw Real Madrid taking center stage and actually scoring goals. Hala Madrid!”
The match held special significance for Barrett, as it marked the final game for Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos. “This match was very special for me because I am a long-time Real Madrid fan, and this is the last match for Toni Kroos. He is a Madrid legend, and to retire with a win is so exceptional. I look forward to watching him in the Euro,” Barrett added.
The highly anticipated UEFA Champions League final took place on Saturday, June 1, at the iconic Wembley Stadium.
“I am ready again. Let’s do this trip again. I think I will continue to bet and bet,” Barrett said jokingly, indicating his excitement for future opportunities.
Kamal Powell, Head of Marketing at Supreme Ventures Limited, expressed his delight in making such dreams a reality for fans. “We are elated to make this dream a reality for two of the many football fans out there. Sports betting is our fastest growing segment at Supreme Ventures, and so it made sense for us to enhance our customers' betting experience by partnering with SportsMax to offer a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the UCL Finals.”
For Barrett, the trip was not just about the game, but about experiencing football at its highest level and creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Kylian Mbappe assisted two goals and scored the other as France eased to a 3-0 victory over Luxembourg in Wednesday's international friendly at Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz.
In a game in which Olivier Giroud came on to become Les Blues' oldest-ever player aged 37 years and 249 days, new Real Madrid superstar Mbappe stole the show as France kicked off their preparations for Euro 2024 in a serene manner.
The former Paris Saint-Germain forward crossed for Randal Kolo Muani to head home the opener two minutes before half-time after a jinking run down the left, before fizzing in a delivery for Jonathan Clauss to settle himself and flash home a second in the 70th minute.
Mbappe was not finished there as he was teed up by former club-mate Bradley Barcola to slide in the third of the game for France, who did have one moment of concern as Dayot Upamecano departed with a knock.
Data Debrief: Mbappe overtakes two fellow greats
Mbappe has now assisted 28 goals for France, which is two more than Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry. Indeed, over the past 50 years, only Antoine Griezmann (30) has provided more.
While the victory was straightforward enough for Didier Deschamps' men, who face Canada in their final pre-Euro 2024 friendly, their expected goals return (xG) of 1.46 - compared to 0.13 for Luxembourg - was lower than many would have anticipated.
In a last-minute change, the Reggae Boyz's crucial World Cup qualifier against the Dominican Republic on Thursday, June 6, will now kick off at 3:30 PM instead of the previously scheduled 6:30 PM. This adjustment comes amid ongoing efforts to upgrade the lighting at Jamaica's National Stadium to meet international standards.
Sports Minister Olivia Grange recently highlighted the installation of new LED lights on Tower Four and additional lamps on the stadium canopy. These enhancements aimed to significantly improve the lighting quality, surpassing the minimum requirement of 1,000 lumens for international matches.
"The National Stadium lights over time have been less than optimal," Minister Grange stated last week. "Independence Park Limited has installed LED lights on Tower Four and some additional lamps on the canopy, pending further upgrades. This latest shipment of equipment, once installed, will improve the lighting substantially."
Despite these efforts, Major Desmon Brown, General Manager of Independence Park Limited (IPL), explained the decision to reschedule the match time in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon.
"Despite efforts by Independence Park Limited (IPL) to bring the lighting levels at the National Stadium up to the standards required by CONCACAF, the World Cup qualifying football match slated for Thursday, June 6, 2024, will kickoff at 3:30 p.m.," Brown stated.
The decision was influenced by broadcast requirements and was finalized on May 31. IPL had initially been notified by CONCACAF via a letter dated May 9, stating that the lighting levels during the last CONCACAF match on February 22 were below the required 1,000 lumens.
Consequently, no international night matches would be sanctioned at the National Stadium until the lighting was improved.
To address this, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport authorized IPL to purchase light fixtures to meet the required standards pending a larger reconstruction project for the National Stadium.
IPL made swift arrangements, securing and installing lighting locally while awaiting fixtures from China, aiming for an inspection date of June 4. However, despite these proactive steps, the early kick-off time was necessitated to accommodate broadcast needs and ensure compliance with international standards.
The National Stadium, through a 'grandfather clause', has been allowed to host regional or international events sanctioned by FIFA or World Athletics, despite not meeting the latest standards. This clause allows the stadium to continue operations that were approved before the implementation of new regulations.
Fans are encouraged to adjust their schedules accordingly to support the Reggae Boyz in this pivotal match, now set for a 3:30 PM start.
The Boston Celtics will get starting centre Kristaps Porzingis back in the lineup on Thursday when they host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
It was reported Tuesday that he would return, and when asked by reporters on Wednesday, he said he would be back.
"I'll play tomorrow," he said.
The Celtics later submitted their official injury report and he was not included.
Porzingis sustained a right calf strain in Game 4 of the opening round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat on April 29 after averaging 14 points and 5.7 rebounds in the first three meetings.
Al Horford moved into the starting lineup after Porzingis went down and averaged 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds in 10 games as Boston went 9-1 to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons.
The Celtics acquired Porzingis from the Washington Wizards last June, and the fourth overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds in 57 games for Boston this season.
Porzingis spent part of three seasons with Dallas before being traded to Washington in February 2022.
Kevin De Bruyne marked his 100th appearance for Belgium with a goal in Wednesday's 2-0 friendly victory over Montenegro at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
The Manchester City midfielder was handed a start in the hosts' penultimate warm-up game ahead of Euro 2024 and found the net from distance just before half-time.
Matija Sarkic's weak backpass landed at the feet of De Bruyne and he made no mistake guiding it into the empty net from more than 30 yards out.
Milos Brnovic's second yellow card late on dented Montenegro's hopes of snatching a draw, before Leandro Trossard sealed the victory for Belgium from the penalty spot in added time after fellow substitute Jeremy Doku was felled in the box.
Data Debrief: Profligate Belgium extend unbeaten streak
Belgium were expected to ease to victory, even without record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku included in their squad, but it did not quite turn out that way.
Domenico Tedesco's men registered an expected goals (xG) return of 2.81, compared to 0.62 for their opponents, although their dominance did not truly show in the scoreline.
The Red Devils will know they will need to be more ruthless come their Euro 2024 opener against Slovakia in 12 days' time, yet ultimately they are now unbeaten in 14 matches.
Erling Haaland netted the 22nd hat-trick of his career for club and country as Norway eased to a 3-0 win over Kosovo in Wednesday's international friendly at Ullevaal Stadion.
The Manchester City striker, who was crowned the Premier League's top scorer in 2023-24 for the second season running, took just 15 minutes to get off the mark in Oslo.
Haaland headed home David Moller Wolfe's cross inside the six-yard box, before doubling his tally in the 70th minute with a clipped finish after being played through on goal.
The third and final goal arrived three minutes later as the prolific striker exchanged passes with Aron Donnum and fired home after Kosovo made a mess of cutting out the danger.
Haaland now has 30 goals in just 32 appearances for Norway, who face Denmark in their next friendly on Saturday.
Euro 2024-bound Denmark were themselves in friendly action on Wednesday as they earned a late 2-1 win over Sweden thanks to a late Christian Eriksen strike.
Eriksen netted via a dripping shot in the 86th minute at Parken Stadium after Alexander Isak had earlier cancelled out Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's opener.
Rohit Sharma was left a "little sore" after retiring hurt in India's convincing T20 World Cup triumph over Ireland, though found comfort in his side's disciplined performance.
India captain Rohit retired hurt after making 52 in the second innings in New York as Rahul Dravid's side chased a 97-run target with more than seven overs to spare.
The opening batter was struck on the upper arm by a vicious Josh Little delivery in the ninth over, subsequently leaving the field before Rishabh Pant's 36 not out eased India over the line.
Rohit conceded the pain remained in his post-match interview before focusing on the positives of his team's bowling showing, with Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh all impressing.
He said: "Just a little sore. New ground, new venue, wanted to see what it's like to play on; I don't think the pitch settled down, there was enough there for the bowlers.
"Stick to your basics, think about Test match bowling. Arshdeep can swing the ball into the right-handers and that set the tone.
"If the conditions are there for the seamers, we wanted them in the squad. The spinners will play their part later in the tournament. We are open to making changes to the team's needs."
Bumrah produced a blistering spell, taking two wickets for just six runs from his three overs as Ireland limped to 96 all out in New York.
"When you come here and the ball is seaming around with some bounce and pace, I would never complain," Bumrah added. "You have to be proactive, you can't preempt things.
"You realise how the wicket is and then go back to what works for you. Once the seam goes down the pitch does settle down.
"You have to be prepared to bowl in all conditions, so very happy today."
India meet fierce rivals Pakistan on Sunday after their opening World Cup victory, and Rohit expects his team to be flexible once again dependent on conditions.
"I don't know what to expect from the pitch but we will prepare as if conditions are going to be like that," Rohit continued.
"That will be a game where all 11 of us need to come together and contribute.
"It was scratchy but good to spend time in the middle, hopefully we can do the same [against Pakistan]."
India captain Rohit Sharma showed his class with a fine half-century to help his side successfully chase down a manageable target of 97, as they downed Ireland by eight wickets in their Group A contest at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, in New York, on Wednesday.
Sharma, who slammed a 37-ball 52, including four fours and three sixes, was unable to carry his bat through the innings as he retired hurt after being hit on the upper arm from a climbing Josh Little delivery. Prior to that, Sharma raised career milestones of 4000 T20I and 1000 T20 World Cup runs, but it wasn't without some fortune, as he was initially put down twice after edging Mark Adair and Josh Little in consecutive overs.
India lost Virat Kohli (one) early in their chase, but Rishabh Pant, promoted to number three, did well enough on a challenging batting track. Pant, who ended unbeaten on 36 off 26 balls, enjoyed a strong 54-run second wicket partnership with Sharma, which was the foundation for India to wrap up the win with 7.4 overs to spare.
Suryakumar Yadav (two) was the other Indian wicket to fall.
Earlier, India’s bowlers produced a sizzling display on a helpful surface to rip through Ireland, bowling them out for just 96.
Hardik Pandya took 3-27, with Jasprit Bumrah taking 2-6 from three overs, while Ashdeep Singh was also impactful with the new ball, but expensive late on as he finished with 2-35 from four overs.
Only four Ireland batters reached double figures, with Gareth Delany’s late cameo of 26 from 14 balls helping his side up to a total that at least gave the bowlers something to work with.
Lorcan Tucker (10), Curtis Campher (12), and Joshua Little (14) were the other batsmen to offer minimal resistance.
Having won the inaugural ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007, India have been in unsuccessful in the following seven events, reaching the final just once more, a decade ago. However, they are currently the top-ranked team in the format and they will be hoping to carry that form through to break a 17-year title drought at the showpiece being hosted in the Caribbean and United States.
Data Debrief: Sharma makes history
India captain Sharma became the only player to participate in all nine editions of the World Cup after featuring here, though Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan will match that feat when he faces Sri Lanka on Saturday.
Sharma has scored 1,015 runs in the tournament, the second most of any active player – behind Virat Kohli, whose one against Ireland moved him to 1,142.
Mirra Andreeva upset ailing world number two Aryna Sabalenka in three sets on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals of the French Open.
Sabalenka was bidding to reach the final four of a grand slam for a ninth time, but instead Andreeva recovered from behind 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 to reach her maiden major semi.
The 17-year-old Russian will now face Jasmine Paolini, who stunned Elena Rybakina 6-2 4-6 6-4 earlier in the day in Paris to also reach her first grand slam semi-final.
After a tense and tight opening set in which the serve was lost in four of the first five games, Sabalenka ultimately stood firm to prevail in the tie-break.
The second set followed a similar pattern as Andreeva and then Sabalenka lost serve in the opening two games, but it was the teenager who this time managed to find her footing.
Sabalenka, who was struggling with an injury throughout, did herself manage to instantly hit back after losing serve in the sixth game, only for Andreeva to break in the 10th.
That ensured the match went the distance, much to the delight of the crowd, and it was the underdog who showed nerves of steel to eliminate the much-fancied Sabalenka.
A deep backhand return from Sabalenka brought up three break points, which the Belarusian took at the first attempt to make it 3-2, but that proved a false dawn.
Andreeva broke back in the sixth, roaring with delight in doing so, and held until the 10th game when sending a backhand winner down the line for match point.
Data Debrief: Age just a number for amazing Andreeva
Andreeva, aged 17 years and 37 days, is the youngest women's singles grand slam semi-finalist since Martina Hingis in 1997 at the US Open, and the youngest at the French Open since Hingis the same year.
The Russian is also the youngest to defeat a top-two opponent in a women's singles grand slam since Jelena Dokic against Hingis at Wimbledon in 1999, and the youngest in this tournament since Monica Seles against Steffi Graf in 1990.
The 2025 men's Africa Cup of Nations could be put back six months after a "scheduling nightmare", CAF general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba has confirmed.
The tournament, which was won by the Ivory Coast last February, was initially scheduled to take place in Morocco in June 2025.
However, this will clash with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, held in the United States between June 15 and July 13, with four African teams invited to participate.
"For the men, we need to make sure that the dates that we'll be choosing will be in the interests of the players,” Mosengo-Omba told BBC Sport Africa.
"For this, we need to balance different aspects and also discuss with our partners and then we complete [the dates]. Scheduling is a nightmare for everybody.”
"We can play after the Club World Cup, but is this good for the interests of the players who have played all the season, and then they travel to America [and then] to immediately come to play Afcon?"
The CAF general secretary also said there would soon be an update on when the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations would take place, with the forthcoming Olympic Games providing another potential clash.
"We are supposed to play this year, but we have teams engaged in the Olympics, so we have to find another date," he added.
"We are talking with UEFA, because most of the players are playing in Europe, the European Club Association, and also with FIFA in order to find [a] suitable date."
Ronald Koeman confirmed Bart Verbruggen will be the Netherlands' first-choice goalkeeper at Euro 2024.
There had been question marks over who would keep goal for the Oranje during the forthcoming European Championship, with Verbruggen facing competition from Mark Flekken and Justin Bijlow.
But the Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper, who made 27 appearances across all competitions during his debut season with the Seagulls, has been given the nod for the Netherlands' tournament opener against Poland on June 16.
The Dutch, who will also play France and Austria in Group D, continue their preparations with a friendly against Canada on Thursday, before playing Iceland in their final warm-up match four days later.
"It had been clear to me for several weeks that Bart would become the first-choice goalkeeper," Koeman told reporters ahead of the match against the Canucks. "Mark Flekken did well in March [the last international window], but the choice was clear to me."
Verbruggen, who won the first of his five caps to date against France last October, admitted he could not contain his excitement when told the good news.
"I didn't do a little dance, but I did have a grin from ear to ear," he said. "I don’t feel any pressure, but maybe it will come later because I have never been to a major tournament. But I feel I have the confidence of my team-mates."
Elena Rybakina suffered a stunning quarter-final exit from the French Open on Wednesday, an error-strewn performance being punished by Italy's Jasmine Paolini.
World number four Rybakina had been tipped to challenge Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka for the Roland Garros crown, but she only had herself to blame as her opponent reached her first career grand slam semi-final with a 6-2 4-6 6-4 victory.
The Kazakhstani did not look right from the get-go, committing a huge 16 unforced errors to Paolini's one in the opening set, during which the Italian only lost one point on her own serve.
It was more of the same at the start of the second set as a double fault allowed Paolini to clinch an early break with a ferocious cross-court backhand.
Rybakina did steady the ship by breaking straight back, and she seemed to be in the ascendency when she kicked on to take the second set with two further breaks.
However, errors crept back into her game in a decider that began with four straight breaks of serve. Paolini grew in confidence again, breaking again then getting through a nervy final service game, a long forehand from Rybakina on match point summing up her performance.
Data Debrief: Late bloomer Paolini savours greatest win
Paolini's victory made her just the fifth player this century to make her first grand slam quarter-final at Roland Garros while aged 28 or older, after Elena Likhovtseva (2005), Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (2021) and fellow Italians Francesca Schiavone (2010) and Martina Trevisan (2022).
She will face either Mirra Andreeva or Sabalenka in the last four. With Jannik Sinner also flying the flag, this year's French Open will be the first in the Open Era to feature Italian semi-finalists in both the men's and women's draws.
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
