Jamaica’s Olympic gymnast Danusia Francis has announced her retirement from international competition while expressing gratitude for the love and support she received while representing the country.
Francis, 28, represented Jamaica at the Tokyo Olympics. She was due to compete in the women's individual all-around event but two days prior to the competition, she discovered she had torn her anterior cruciate ligament.
She subsequently withdrew from the balance beam, the vault and the floor exercise but chose to continue to compete in the uneven bars with her knee bandaged, scoring the lowest of any competitor as the judges deducted 6.5 points for various infractions and gave her only a 0.5 difficulty score. However, her 9.033 execution score was the highest for any athlete on uneven bars.
Less than a year later, she decided that it was time to call it a day from the sport she loves.
“I am announcing my official retirement from gymnastics. I am so grateful and thankful for all the opportunities, I’ve had in this sport, to be a Jamaican Olympian is an absolute dream come true. I want to give a massive thank you to Jamaica Gymnastics and the JOA (Jamaica Olympic Association) for believing in me, funding me and for the opportunity to represent on the biggest stage,” she said in a statement Sunday.
“I will treasure the memories forever.”
Notwithstanding her retirement, Francis, who also represented UCLA in NCAA gymnastics, said she plans to remain involved with the sport in her adopted country.
“I would love to always be a part of the sport in Jamaica, help it improve and grow,” she said. “Anytime I am in Jamaica, I am definitely coming to the gym, do some coaching and I will always be on the other side of the phone for advice, for whatever it might be and however I can help.
“So, thanks again to everybody and thanks again to the amazing Jamaican fans. You have supported me and shown me so much love and embraced me and for that, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”
Francis said she plans to continue in the sport as a host and presenter.
President of the JGA Nicole Grant said Francis has done much for Jamaican gymnastics in a very short time.
It is truly an honour to have had Danusia Francis as part of the Jamaica gymnastics team. She has helped to grow the sport in so many ways. Competing for Jamaica at so many important gymnastics meets, putting us out there and showing the world that Jamaica does have the ability to be great in the sport," Grant said.
"Being the first female gymnast to qualify Jamaica for the Olympic test event in 2016 opened doors for us and she played her part in enabling our berth to the 2016 Olympics. She showed so much determination to keep going for Jamaica, especially after her disappointment with not being chosen for the Olympic test event in 2016 and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, her drive demonstrated her full commitment to Jamaica as she had choices. Her love for Jamaica shone brightly and that love was returned 100 times more.
"Her retirement from competitions, for us only means that she will have more time to help develop the sport locally through coaching and consultation. We wish her good luck and God's richest blessings on her future journey."
Rafael Nadal set up the blockbuster quarter-final against Novak Djokovic that the French Open has been waiting for, but he was pushed all the way by Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The 13-time champion emerged as a winner by a 3-6 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 scoreline in four hours and 21 minutes of dramatic duelling on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Those inside the stadium court roared with the fervour of football supporters as Nadal crossed the winning line, a day after watching his beloved Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the Champions League final at the Stade de France.
If defending champion Djokovic watched this, he would have observed chinks in the Nadal armour, but the great Spaniard's commitment to his craft remains resolute. He hates losing, could not abide the thought of tumbling out in the fourth round, and duly pulled out every stop to avoid that happening.
Looking ahead to the tussle with Djokovic, Nadal said afterwards: "I don't know what will happen, but the only thing I can guarantee is I am going to fight until the end."
Nadal dropped serve in the fourth game of the match and again in the sixth to trail 5-1, and he began the recovery from there, snatching a break back.
Although he had been unable to retrieve the opening set, Nadal was suddenly dialled in. At 35, coming up for 36 in the coming week, he is 14 years Auger-Aliassime's senior and has a dodgy foot, but Nadal's movement was somehow still that of a young man.
From 3-3 in the second set, Nadal won six of the next seven games to take command, soon snatching a second break in set three as he accelerated away from a player who until this year had never won a match at Roland Garros.
Making it to the fourth round signifies progress on Auger-Aliassime's part but facing the master of these courts was always a tall order. It was to the ninth seed's enormous credit that he gave the match a fresh twist by breaking twice early in the fourth set and forcing the decider.
At 4-3 in the fifth, on serve, Nadal had a break-point opportunity and his tiring legs carried him to stunning heights when he moved Auger-Aliassime into trouble at the net with a delicious, dipping backhand, and then dashed towards the net to dink a winner out of his opponent's reach.
This time Auger-Aliassime did not come back. On match point in the next game, Nadal sent a forehand into an open court after manoeuvring Auger-Aliassime out of position once more, and it brought the house down. He now has 109 wins from 112 singles matches at this tournament.
Data slam: Nadal goes the distance, finds a way
Only three times has Nadal played a fifth set at the French Open, and he has won them all, defeating John Isner in the 2011 first round and Djokovic in the 2013 semi-finals, and now Auger-Aliassime.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Nadal – 47/41
Auger-Aliassime – 50/54
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Nadal – 3/4
Auger-Aliassime – 7/4
BREAK POINTS WON
Nadal – 6/22
Auger-Aliassime – 4/9
French Open quarter-finalist Coco Gauff feels as though she is improving with every match played as she eyes a shot at grand slam glory.
World number 23 Gauff burst onto the scene in 2019 with a run to the Wimbledon round of 16, but it took until last year's French Open for the teenage sensation to make her first grand slam quarter-final.
Gauff lost to eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova on that occasion, but she has repeated the feat this time, reaching the last eight after defeating Elise Mertens 6-4 6-0 on Sunday.
That makes the 18-year-old the seventh American female to reach two or more quarter-finals at Roland Garros before turning 19 in the Open Era, after Martina Navratilova, Andrea Jaeger, Kathy Horvath, Mary Joe Fernandez, Monica Seles, and Jennifer Capriati.
A last-eight tie with compatriot Sloane Stephens awaits for Gauff, whose sole title in 2021 came in Parma on clay.
Gauff feels she is getting better match by match, telling a news conference: "I really enjoy clay and the crowd. I feel like every match I'm getting better.
"I think today even though I had some tough moments I was able to tough it out. I really do feel like I'm progressing with each match.
"I definitely feel confident on the court. I feel like [clay] really suits my game. The previous tournaments this clay season, I had some good wins but it wasn't really any outstanding results.
"I feel like it gave me a lot to learn from, and I think I'm taking those tough matches that I lost this season and really learning from them and I guess showing that I'm doing better."
Gauff was then asked to grade herself and how she thinks she can get to "the top of the class".
She explained: "You're never going to play your best tennis in a slam every moment of the match, but I think I'm getting better and better, and I think mentally I can't ask for much more from myself in each match.
"I mean today in the first set I had a lot of points that I probably should have closed out and made some errors on balls that I probably shouldn't have. I just stayed in it.
"I didn't not trust myself because I started to make those shots in the second set.
"To make it to the top of the class, I think just keep doing what I'm doing and not freaking out in those moments. I didn't freak out when a couple of those important points didn't go my way."
Gujarat Titans rounded off a glorious first Indian Premier League season by beating the Rajasthan Royals in Sunday's final to crown themselves champions.
The Royals had been hoping to enjoy a first IPL final success since 2008 but once again came unstuck against Gujarat, who produced a professional display in front of a home crowd in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat beat the Royals by 37 runs in April and by seven wickets just last week, with the latter result repeated on Sunday.
There was a sense the Royals were waiting for the in-form Jos Buttler to provide inspiration, but shortly after seeing Devdutt Padikkal (two) slice to Mohammed Shami at short third man, the England international came up short on a delivery from the excellent Hardik Pandya (3-17), going for 39.
The Royals looked in trouble at 79-4 in the 13th over and their position did not get much stronger.
With Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (2-20) also impressing with the ball, no one else managed more than 15 runs after Buttler's dismissal, with their score of 130-9 the second-lowest first innings total ever in an IPL final.
The Titans were fortunate in the first over of their chase as Yuzvendra Chahal inexplicably dropped Shubman Gill, who went on to make the Royals pay.
While the wickets of Prasidh Krishna (five) and Matthew Wade (eight) tumbled, Gill proved to be the backbone of the Titans' tilt with an unbeaten 45, aided by Hardik (34) for a while.
Chahal made amends to a degree with a classic leg spinner's dismissal of Hardik in the 14th over, giving the Royals a glimmer of hope.
But David Miller's emphatic unbeaten 32 off just 19 balls sealed the Titans' success with 11 balls to spare.
Buttler or bust
Buttler's angry reaction to being dismissed said it all. After a brilliant season in which he plundered four centuries, it ultimately felt like his campaign ended with a bit of a whimper.
While his 39 was only bettered by Gill, the scalp of Buttler was clearly decisive given the lack of runs elsewhere for the Royals.
Catches win matches
It is impossible to say how things would have turned out if Chahal had held on to that catch on the fourth ball of the Titans' chase, but considering it let Gill – the top scorer in the match – off the hook, it is difficult to look at that moment as anything other than key.
You could have sympathy with Chahal had it been a tricky one, but it looked routine and he simply appeared to misjudge the flight, almost jumping over it.
Leylah Fernandez is thriving again thanks to her "underdog" spirit as last year's US Open runner-up mounts a Roland Garros challenge.
The Canadian produced an against-the-odds run in New York, before losing out to fellow shock finalist Emma Raducanu, and it might just be happening again at the French Open for the 19-year-old.
A fluent French speaker, she has the home crowd behind her and was a popular 6-3 4-6 6-3 winner against American Amanda Anisimova on Sunday, reaching the quarter-finals in Paris for the first time.
Fernandez has an Ecuadorian-born father, Jorge, who serves as her coach, and the teenager said she hoped a little "Latino fire" could propel her deeper into the tournament.
"Every time I step out on the court I still have something to prove," said Fernandez. "I still have that mindset I'm the underdog.
"I'm still young, I still have a lot to show to the people, to the public so that they can just enjoy the tennis match. That's ultimately my goal, and that's why I want to do well in matches."
Fernandez, a big football fan, was delighted to show Thierry Henry exactly what she can do as the former Arsenal, Barcelona and France striker watched on from the stands.
"To see him do a standing ovation for our match is just an incredible feeling and hopefully I can reproduce that level again," Fernandez said.
"I just love that players are bringing their own personality and their own culture on court."
Referring to her next opponent, Martina Trevisan, Fernandez said: "She's Italian, so they are very passionate about their sports.
"I think it just brings another good entertainment for the fans. That's what I try to do sometimes too, to bring my dad's Latino culture on court too, bring that fire."
Trevisan, who toppled Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the fourth round, has become just the third Italian women to reach two or more singles quarter-finals at Roland Garros in the Open Era, after Sara Errani (four) and 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone (three).
World number 18 Fernandez is the highest-ranked player remaining in the bottom half of the draw, but she is cautious about acknowledging the opportunity opening up for her.
"Honestly, there is no opening," she said. "All the players that are still present at this stage of the tournament are excellent players.
"They work very hard. They have this winning mentality. So there is absolutely no opening. It will be a difficult match. Each match will be difficult."
Novak Djokovic says previous failures at the French Open add "more significance" to his quest for Roland Garros glory.
Djokovic has not dropped a set in each of his last nine matches, dating back to his Internazionali d'Italia win, after cruising to a 6-1 6-3 6-3 victory over Diego Schwartzman on Sunday.
The world number one has reached a record 16 quarter-finals at the Paris major, while only Roger Federer (58) has reached the last eight at grand slams more times than Djokovic (51).
But Djokovic has not always enjoyed success in the French capital, losing three finals against Rafael Nadal (twice in 2012 and 2014) and Stan Wawrinka in 2015 before defeating Andy Murray the next year.
The Serbian added a second French Open crown to his trophy haul in 2021 by edging out Stefanos Tsitsipas.
As Djokovic looks to defend his title, the 35-year-old explained he has an added incentive given his previous struggles in the tournament.
"It took me years and years to win the title here," he told reporters. "Of course I had some big heartbreaks on the court here, many finals lost and semi-finals, thrilling marathon matches, mostly against Rafa prior to 2016.
"It was very special, very emotional to clinch that title in 2016. It was a huge relief more than anything.
"So in the years to come, I was still continuing to play consistently well here then luckily got another title last year, somehow winning a title here is always probably the hardest of any slam for me.
"Last year the second week that I had here was just probably the toughest four matches, toughest seven days I had to win any slam in my career. So it gives it a little bit more of a significance, so to say."
Djokovic also suggested he is having to make adjustments based on the scheduling times, with top seeds either playing in the early afternoon or in the evening session, which can go later into the night.
"As top players, we do have requests, but those requests are not always accepted," he added. "The tournament director, along with TV, broadcasters, I think at the end of the day that's who decides.
"TV, whether they want your match, day or night, you just have to adjust to that. Obviously, depending on who you play, sometimes it's favourable to play night, sometimes day.
"There is no standard or no formula that works always. Even though I historically played very well and won a lot of matches under the lights on different slams, particularly in Australia."
Victor Perez secured his second DP World Tour title and first since 2019 after defeating Ryan Fox in a dramatic play-off at the Dutch Open.
Perez and Matt Wallace, searching for a first tour-level victory since 2018, sat one shot clear of a four-man chasing pack heading into the final day at Bernardus Golf.
Wallace subsequently fell away from the lead as he carded a level-par 72 to finish on 10-under, as Fox and Perez jostled for top spot.
Australian Fox, who started the day one off the lead, birdied four holes and eagled the par-five 12th but recorded a double-bogey on the 18th hole, opening the door for Perez to send the competition to a play-off.
Perez duly obliged by producing a wonderful long-range putt to birdie the par-three 17th, but was only able to par the final hole to conclude on 13-under, leaving a one-hole shoot-out to decide the winner.
The pair could not be separated on their first three returns to the 18th tee, the designated play-off hole, both producing birdies either side of a par before being sent to the 17th to settle the tie.
Perez then delivered another magnificent birdie putt and Fox could only make a three, leaving the Frenchman ecstatic after finally claiming victory.
"There was a fair amount of fortune, I've got to be honest with myself, holing out those long putts in the play-off," said Perez, who moved to 24th in the DP World Tour Rankings with the win.
"I just tried to focus on me all day, that's all I can do, is try to keep a champion mindset and hit good shot after good shot.
"The chips were going to fall where they were going to fall, it's almost impossible to predict what is going to happen in golf: guys come out of nowhere and win tournaments and guys take huge leads.
"You just have to focus on you and not look at the board and I was just fortunate to fall on the right side today."
Meanwhile, Poland's Adrian Meronk ended in third after managing 68 in the fourth round to finish 12-under, with Germany's Marchel Schneider one shot behind in fourth.
Sebastian Soderberg was part of the initial chasing pack but, on a low-scoring day, his one-under 71 only proved enough to share fifth place with Wallace.
Levi Colwill's own goal was the difference as Nottingham Forest secured promotion to the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the Championship play-off final.
Steve Cooper's side were in the ascendancy in the first half and their reward at Wembley Stadium arrived when Colwill turned into his own net after 43 minutes.
Huddersfield were left aggrieved in the second half after referee Jonathan Moss did not award Harry Toffolo a penalty for a challenge by Jack Colback, and Lewis O'Brien had a strong case for a spot-kick too.
But Forest held firm to secure their return to the Premier League for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Forest made a promising start as Ryan Yates flicked a header narrowly wide from a James Garner free-kick.
Yates skewed another presentable chance over but the pressure from Cooper's side seemed to have subsided until just before the interval, when Colwill inadvertently diverted into his own goal following Garner's teasing cross.
Yates tamely fired into the hands of Huddersfield's Lee Nicholls after the break, while an unmarked Jonathan Hogg wastefully headed over from Sorba Thomas' corner at the other end.
Huddersfield grew into the game past the hour mark and Toffolo thought he had won a penalty but was instead booked for diving after going down under the challenge of Colback.
O'Brien had what looked to be a similarly strong appeal turned down following clumsy play from Max Lowe, leaving Huddersfield furious in defeat as Forest – who had to take off goalkeeper Brice Samba due to injury – gained promotion.
What does it mean? Cooper ends play-off hoodoo
Forest, playing in their first English Football League play-off final, were the dominant force for large parts against Carlos Corberan's side and earned a deserved victory.
Twice European Cup winners in the days of Brian Clough, Forest will feel they have rightfully returned to the English top flight, while Cooper has finally won promotion through the Championship play-offs at the third time of asking.
Cooper's incredible turnaround
Cooper inherited a Forest side that were languishing in the relegation zone in the early stages of the season after Chris Hughton's dismissal in mid-September.
He has transformed Forest's fortunes, triumphing in 27 of his 45 games in charge at a win percentage of 60 – the highest of any Forest manager to take charge of at least 15 games since the club joined the Football League in 1892-93.
Colwill struggles
Chelsea loanee Colwill was unfortunate as he poked past his own goalkeeper Lee Nicholls in the first half.
That made Colwill the first player to score an own goal in a Championship play-off final since Joe Allen in 2011, and Huddersfield could not recover from then on.
What's next?
Forest can prepare for life in the big time, with the Premier League fixtures confirmed next month and the new season starting in early August. Huddersfield will go again in the Championship next term.
Jai Hindley celebrated his maiden Grand Tour triumph as he put heartbreak from 2020 behind him to win the Giro d'Italia.
Hindley went into Sunday's time trial with a one-minute, 25-second lead over Richard Carapaz, having overtaken the Ecuadorian in the Dolomites on Saturday.
The Australian was wearing the maglia rosa at the start of the final stage two years ago but finished second behind Tao Geoghegan Hart.
On that occasion, Hindley did not have a time advantage to play with however, and he did not let his lead slip in Verona.
"It's a beautiful feeling, I had a lot of emotions out there today," BORA-Hansgrohe rider Hindley said.
"I had in the back of my mind what happened in 2020, and I wasn't going to let that happen again. To take the win, it's incredible.
"I was getting updates and I felt pretty good on the bike. I wasn't really fighting it, so I knew I was on a decent ride.
"In the end, I took the descent pretty cautiously and then gave it everything to the line. It's an incredible feeling."
Hindley recorded a time of 23:55 across the 17.4km route, just over a minute-and-a-half slower than stage winner Matteo Sobrero (22:24), Italy's national time trial champion.
Carapaz, on his 29th birthday, was seven seconds faster than Hindley, but could not make a big enough dent as his place in second was confirmed, although he did extend his advantage on Mikel Landa.
Arnaud Demare's success in stages five, six and 13 meant he had already done enough to claim the maglia ciclamino, with Koen Bouwman confirmed as king of the mountains.
Australia's day
Hindley's victory makes him the first Australian to win the Giro d'Italia and came 20 years to the day since Cadel Evans became Australia's first wearer of the maglia rosa.
"The pink jersey, it’s the most beautiful jersey in cycling," Hindley said. "It's a privilege and an honour to wear this again. It was a bumpy road to get back here and I didn't know if I was going to get a chance to wear this again."
STAGE RESULT
1. Matteo Sobrero (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) 22:24
2. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) +0:23
3. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) +0:40
4. Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) +1:08
5. Ben Tulett (INEOS Grenadiers) +1:12
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Jai Hindley (BORA-Hansgrohe) 86:31:14
2. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) +1:18
3. Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) +3:24
Points Classification
1. Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ) 254
2. Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates) 136
3. Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 132
King of the Mountains
1. Koen Bouwman (Jumbo-Visma) 294
2. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) 163
3. Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates) 102
Liverpool have reiterated their demand for an independent investigation into the unsavoury scenes that marred their Champions League final loss to Real Madrid, while UK culture secretary Nadine Dorries urged UEFA to probe the "concerning" events.
Liverpool called for an investigation after reports of supporters being targeted by heavy-handed policing ahead of the contest at the Stade de France on Saturday, with the showpiece event delayed over half an hour as Reds fans struggled to enter the stadium.
UEFA initially blamed the disruption on fans using counterfeit tickets, with the French interior minister supporting such claims, but widespread reports of police using tear gas and pepper spray on orderly supporters have led to calls for an investigation.
Merseyside Police praised the "exemplary" behaviour of most Liverpool fans in a statement released on Sunday, while Reds supporters group Spirit of Shankly hit out at the "incompetence" of the final's organisers.
The Premier League club have now repeated their demands for a "transparent" probe into the scenes, with CEO Billy Hogan telling the club's media channels it is "unacceptable" that fan safety was put at risk.
"What happened outside the stadium completely overshadowed [the match]," he said. "The stadium entry and the breakdown in security was absolutely unacceptable, and frankly, the treatment of our fans as well.
"As we discussed last night with UEFA, we are asking for a full and transparent investigation, an independent investigation that can help to establish the facts.
"It's absolutely imperative that we understand what happened and how we got into that situation, where people's safety was put at risk. It's important that we understand what happened last night, but it's also important that we take whatever the lessons are and ensure it never happens again.
"As an example, the Merseyside Police was on the ground in an advisory capacity, and as you may have seen they put a statement out earlier today [Sunday], where they talked about the behaviour of the fans being exemplary, doing what they were asked to do and being orderly, and [discussing] the fact fans were there very early at the stadium as well.
"We're intent on ensuring there's an independent investigation, and obviously we as a club will absolutely be a part of that and will be cooperative, and we look forward to making sure that happens and it happens well."
Hogan also revealed the club will be setting up a means by which Liverpool fans can pass their experiences onto the club, adding: "The most important thing is that people are safe, it was an incredibly difficult night for a lot of people, and we understand there were a lot of different experiences.
"It's imperative that we hear from supporters, that we get the facts, and we want to be able to provide those facts to the relevant authorities."
Meanwhile, the UK government, via culture secretary Dorries, has also demanded UEFA investigate the scenes after Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne said fans had been treated like "animals".
"The footage and accounts from Liverpool fans and the media on their entry to the Stade de France last night are deeply concerning," a widely reported statement from Dorries said.
"Thousands of ticket holders travelled to Paris in good time to support their team in the biggest match of their season.
"I urge UEFA to launch a formal investigation into what went wrong and why, in coordination with stadium staff, the French Police, French Football Federation, Merseyside Police and Liverpool Football Club.
"It is in the interests of everyone involved to understand what happened and to learn lessons from these events."
Sergio Perez won an extraordinary Monaco Grand Prix as Charles Leclerc endured more misery in his home race on Sunday.
Perez claimed his first victory on the streets of Monte Carlo ahead of Carlos Sainz after a late start due to heavy rain and the loss of further time following a big crash for Mick Schumacher, who was fortunate to walk away unharmed.
Leclerc had started on pole but could only finish fourth after paying the price for poor Ferrari pit-stop strategies and so Max Verstappen extended his lead over the Monegasque to nine points in the battle for the title after taking third.
Verstappen’s Red Bull-mate Perez took the chequered flag in the sun on lap 64, as there was not enough time to complete the full 77 in the Principality as a result of the poor weather earlier in the day.
There was eventually a rolling start behind the safety car an hour and 10 minutes after the race was due to begin, with the red flag having earlier been waved during a deluge.
Leclerc maintained his lead ahead of team-mate Sainz on a drying track ahead of a Red Bull duo of Perez and Verstappen.
Perez pitted from fourth place for a set of intermediate tyres before both Leclerc and Verstappen came in for intermediates.
Leclerc was not happy when he was called in again at the same time as Sainz for hard tyres only three laps later, with Red Bull also opting for a double stack soon after and it was Perez who was leading after a string of pit stops.
The second-placed Sainz produced a great save to avoid crashing into the barriers on a wet part of the track, but the virtual safety car was deployed and subsequently another red flag following a big smash for Schumacher on lap 26.
Leclerc found himself in fourth behind Verstappen following some puzzling decision-making from the Scuderia and there were only 40 minutes of racing to go when the race restarted again on a significantly drier track.
Mexican Perez fended off Sainz to celebrate his first victory of the season. George Russell was fifth, with his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton only eighth behind Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso.
Rafael Nadal lost a first set at Roland Garros for the first time since 2018 as he went behind to Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime took the opening set of the pair's fourth-round match at the French Open 6-3.
It put Nadal, a 13-time champion at Roland Garros, on the back foot as he hunted a win that will tee up a quarter-final tie against Novak Djokovic, who defeated Diego Schwartzman earlier on Sunday.
And, according to ATP Media, it was the first time Nadal has lost an opening set at the French Open in four years, when he went behind to Schwartzman in the quarter-finals.
Nadal came back to win that match 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 en route to clinching his 11th Roland Garros success, and the second of four on the bounce.
Like in 2018, Nadal hit back to win the second set 6-3 against Auger-Aliassime, hauling himself level after a disappointing start.
Liverpool great Kenny Dalglish believes media reporting of crowd problems at the delayed Champions League final has "totally exonerated" Reds fans.
The showpiece match, which Real Madrid won 1-0 at the Stade de France on Saturday, had its start twice as UEFA pushed back the kick-off time.
European football's governing body initially moved the start back by 15 minutes after citing "security reasons" for the hold-up.
The two teams returned for a second warm-up at 21:05 local time before the match finally started at 21:36 – 36 minutes later than planned – after a second delay.
Liverpool fans complained of heavy-handed policing outside the stadium, suggesting tear gas or pepper spray had been used on supporters. A number of British-based journalists reported first-hand accounts of witnessing poor organisation and inappropriate behaviour outside the stadium by French authorities.
The Premier League club subsequently requested a formal investigation, while UEFA blamed the delays on fans trying to use "fake tickets" to gain entry.
French interior minister Gerald Darmanin also claimed "thousands" of Reds fans had tried to use counterfeit tickets or attempted to force entry to the stadium.
Liverpool fan group Spirit of Shankly accused UEFA of "shambolic mismanagement", and Dalglish followed suit by defending the Reds supporters.
"I think the fans are totally exonerated if you read all the press reports, and I think the French authorities should be a bit embarrassed with the way they behaved," Dalglish told Sky Sports.
"If it's normal, then fine, but our fans never behaved anything other than supportive of the football club."
Some supporters suggested the problems in the French capital were reminiscent of Hillsborough, scene of the tragedy when 97 people died after a crush developed in the Leppings Lane end at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.
Dalglish refused to compare the events in France to the disaster at the match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday's home stadium, but he condemned the problems in Paris.
"If that's how bad it was, that tells you how sad it must be, but I think it's wrong to compare Hillsborough with anything else," he added.
Francesco Bagnaia said winning the Italian Grand Prix was a dream come true as the Ducati star roared to Mugello glory.
The 25-year-old from Turin held off a challenge from Fabio Quartararo to earn a second win in the last three races and climb to fourth place in the MotoGP riders' standings.
This race has been won by an Italian rider in three of the last five editions now, with Bagnaia joining Andrea Dovizioso in 2017 and Danilo Petrucci in 2019 in that group.
Although Ducati star Bagnaia considers Misano his 'home' circuit, he savoured the moment of crossing the line first in front of Italian supporters.
"It's something I have always dreamed of, because winning in Mugello is incredible," he told a news conference.
"Misano is my home grand prix, but this one is the Italian Grand Prix. It's one of the toughest tracks ever, so it's great."
He was greeted by thousands of fans when he climbed off his bike and made his way towards a trackside enclosure.
"I was thinking to throw my helmet, but I knew we would have a penalty if I ride without my helmet, so it was not possible to do it," Bagnaia said.
Bagnaia crashed out when contesting the lead last time out at the French Grand Prix, having won the previous race in Spain.
This was the ideal way to overcome the Le Mans setback, and Bagnaia said: "For sure, for the championship it was important to take points in this race, but I have to say I was not feeling more pressure.
"We're doing a job where you have to live with pressure. Mistakes can happen, but the good thing is to restart and don't think about your problems, just think about things you enjoy, and I really enjoyed this weekend a lot."
Bagnaia got ahead of early pace-setter Marco Bezzecchi with 15 laps remaining and clung on under pressure from championship leader Quartararo.
Quartararo started sixth on the grid, one place behind Bagnaia, and the Monster Energy Yamaha rider was delighted with that effort.
Last season's champion Quartararo said: "It was basically my best race of my career. I was feeling bad all the weekend and I made an amazing start, the best one, and then I was overtaking, and losing the front, losing the rear. Ducati was overtaking on the straight, and I was overtaking back.
"I think it was the best race. Before the race I was OK, I had nothing to lose because I knew my pace was not so good.
"To be honest, I was running at my best today and I feel so happy."
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