Jannik Sinner claimed his maiden grass court title in straight sets as he overcame Hurbert Hurkacz at the Halle Open. 

The world number one was made to work for the win, with both sets going to a tie-break, but the Italian emerged a 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (7-2) victor in Germany. 

Both would settle quickly into the contest, with neither faltering in their serving as they sought to claim an early advantage. 

However, consecutive games for Sinner without a reply from his opponent would be the momentum he needed to win the first set, finally breaking the Pole's resistance. 

Hurkacz would almost suffer an early wobble in the second game as he saved break point in the second game, eventually taking the game to yet another tie-break to try and take the game to a deciding set. 

Sinner, however, had other ideas. The Italian stormed into an early lead, and it proved too big of a mountain to climb for Hurkacz, as Sinner became the eighth player to win his first event after becoming number one. 

Data Debrief: Sinner completes perfect prep for Wimbledon

Sinner would claim his third success over Hurkacz in Germany, making it consecutive wins over the Pole following his triumph in Monte Carlo back in April. 

In another exceptional display by Sinner, he would win 44 of his 47 first serve points, a success rate of 94%. 

 

Endrick is confident he can help Brazil claim a 10th Copa America title as he prepares for his first international tournament with the Selecao Canarinho. 

Brazil kickstart their campaign at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on Monday against Costa Rica. 

Dorival Junior's side will also face Paraguay and Colombia in Group E, hopeful of going one better this time around having lost to Argentina in the 2021 final. 

The 17-year-old, who officially joins Real Madrid next month, has scored three goals in his last four games for Brazil but knows he will have to remain patient for his opportunity at the Copa America. 

"Only God knows [when I will start]," Endrick said. I am very grateful to have Abel [Ferreira] as a coach, he knew when to play me.

"Everything is up to God and Dorival Junior, the professor. He is a spectacular coach. He is doing what is best for the Brazilian team.

"I have always been very precocious in my life and since I became a professional I have played against opponents who have always teased me, insulted me, talked about my family, my girlfriend.

"But I got used to it quickly because I was 16. I'm calm, and I hope I can help. I think it's right, in football you have to destabilise the other player.

"It's been like that since I arrived, so I've adapted, and I'm very confident that I can help the team."

For Costa Rica Gustavo Alfaro, he has experience at the Copa America having guided Ecuador to the quarter-finals of the previous tournament in 2021.

The 61-year-old also took them to the following year's World Cup, where they opened with a 2-0 win against hosts Qatar before drawing 1-1 with the Netherlands, but failed to reach the knockouts after losing 2-1 to Senegal in their final group game.

However, Alfaro faces a different proposition with Los Ticos. Costa Rica have failed to make it beyond the group stages in each of the last two appearances; they last did so in 2004, but their recent form holds reason for optimism. 

Costa Rica have won four of their previous six international fixtures, losing only once over that stretch (3-1 to Argentina). They have also not conceded in any of their last three competitive fixtures, winning 15 of their previous 16 encounters when scoring the opening goal.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brazil - Vinicius Junior 

Vinicius Junior played a starring role in Real Madrid's LaLiga and Champions League successes in 2023-24, and claiming a first international honour with his nation would surely put the 23-year-old in pole position to scoop the Ballon d'Or. 

The Los Blancos star had 35 goal involvements (24 goals and 11 assists) in 39 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish side, his second-best campaign since his move to Madrid in 2021-22 (22 goals and 20 assists). 

 

Costa Rica - Manfred Ugalde

Having failed to score for his new side, Spartak Moscow, after his move from FC Twente in January, Ugalde rediscovered his goal-scoring touch at the opportune moment heading into the tournament. 

The 22-year-old striker grabbed a goal and three assists in Costa Rica's CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers against Grenada and Saint Kitts and Nevis, and will be hoping to continue that form in Inglewood against Brazil. 

MATCH PREDICTION: BRAZIL WIN

Brazil and Costa Rica have faced each other twice in the Copa America, with both victories for the Brazilian team in 1997 (5-0) at the Estadio Ramon Tahuichi Aguilera and in 2004 (4-1) with Adriano scoring a hat-trick for Carlos Alberto Parreira's side. 

The Selecao Canarinho have won 10 of their 11 meetings against their opponents, with their last defeat coming in the Panamerican Championship in March 1960 (3-0), with Brazil backed to continue their nine-game unbeaten run. 

Costa Rica will look to continue their impressive record against CONMEBOL teams at the Copa America, having lost one of their last four matches against them (W2 D1).

Gustavo Alfaro's side will seek to string together victories for the first time against CONMEBOL opponents in the competition, having defeated Colombia 3-2 in the 2016 edition.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brazil - 71%

Costa Rica - 16.1%

Draw - 12.9%

Andy Murray will miss Wimbledon following surgery on a spinal cyst, the ATP has confirmed.

The two-time champion underwent the operation in a bid to be fit for the grass-court major, which begins on July 1.

Murray was forced to retire just five games into his second-round match against Jordan Thompson at Queen's Club earlier this week, having suffered back pain that eventually spread to his right leg.

The 37-year-old is expected to call time on his glittering career later this year, stating he "would rather finish at Wimbledon or an Olympic Games".

Although, the two-time Olympic gold medallist's spell on the sidelines means his participation at the latter, which begins on July 27, is now in doubt.

"After an operation on a spinal cyst, Andy Murray is sadly out of Wimbledon," the ATP posted on X. "Rest up and recover Andy, we'll miss seeing you there."

In an unforgettable clash on Saturday night, Afghanistan pulled off a spectacular upset over Australia in the Super 8 round of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, despite Australia's captain Pat Cummins taking his second hat-trick of the tournament.

In the encounter at Kingstown in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Afghanistan, propelled by stellar performances from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Gulbadin Naib, defended a modest total to secure a historic 21-run victory. Afghanistan scored 148 for 6, with Gurbaz contributing 60 runs and Ibrahim Zadran 51, while Cummins took 3-28 and Adam Zampa 2-28. Australia, in reply, managed 127 runs, with Glenn Maxwell top-scoring with 59, while Gulbadin Naib took 4-20 and Naveen-ul-Haq 3-20.

With a semi-final spot on the line, Australia faced a formidable challenge from Afghanistan’s seamers, who decimated their top order early in the innings. Australia’s Glenn Maxwell, renowned for his flamboyant stroke play, attempted to reverse Australia's fortunes with a scintillating performance. Maxwell's aggressive approach saw him unleash a series of audacious shots, including a shovelled four off Azmatullah Omarzai that left him beaming. After notching up a rapid 35-ball half-century, Maxwell signalled confidently to the Australian dressing room, appearing poised to lead his team to victory.

However, Gulbadin Naib had other plans. In a crucial moment, Naib, with the assistance of Noor Ahmad, dismissed Maxwell for 59 off 41 balls. Noor Ahmad's spectacular low catch at backward point off Naib’s delivery halted Maxwell’s momentum and left Australia struggling at 106 for 6 in the 15th over, still needing 43 runs off 32 balls. Naib's exceptional spell yielded career-best figures of 4 for 20, including the prized scalps of Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, and Pat Cummins, ensuring Afghanistan's first-ever victory over Australia in any format.

Earlier, Afghanistan’s innings was anchored by a solid opening partnership between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. The pair forged their third century-stand of the tournament, a first in any T20I series, setting the foundation for a competitive total. Their patient approach initially saw them score just 17 runs off the first four overs, but they accelerated effectively, ending the powerplay at 40 for 0. Gurbaz and Ibrahim’s composed innings, punctuated by strategic big hits, frustrated the Australian bowlers. Despite opportunities to break the partnership, Australia’s fielding lapses allowed the Afghan openers to capitalize. Notably, Zampa and Stoinis missed crucial chances to dismiss Ibrahim, who went on to score 51.

Pat Cummins, Australia’s star pacer, showcased his prowess with a hat-trick across the 18th and 20th overs, replicating his feat from the previous match against Bangladesh. Cummins dismissed Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, and Naib in quick succession, injecting hope into the Australian camp. However, despite his efforts, Afghanistan managed to post a defendable total of 148 for 6. Afghanistan's defence began with Naveen-ul-Haq delivering a masterclass in the powerplay. He bowled Travis Head with a stunning delivery that clipped the middle stump and then dismissed Mitchell Marsh with a deceptive slower ball, leaving Australia reeling at 16 for 2 in three overs.

Maxwell’s subsequent fireworks brought Australia back into the contest, but once he fell, the task became insurmountable. Afghanistan's bowlers, led by Naib and supported by Naveen and Omarzai, maintained relentless pressure, exploiting the St Vincent pitch's turn and variable bounce. Naib’s composed bowling under pressure, including his strategic use of slower deliveries, stifled the Australian lower order. His dismissal of Cummins with a slower cutter epitomized his tactical acumen, and the Afghan fans erupted in celebration as Naveen and Omarzai cleaned up the tail.

 

 

 

 

Mexico kickstarted their Copa America campaign with a 1-0 victory over Jamaica at the NRG Stadium, but were left sweating on the fitness of captain Edson Alvarez. 

The West Ham midfielder, who made his 80th appearance for his nation in Texas, was forced off after 30 minutes and was seen visibly upset as he left the pitch. 

Alvarez's club team-mate Michail Antonio thought he had scored Jamaica's first-ever Copa America goal five minutes into the second half, only to see his header ruled out by VAR. 

However, Mexico recovered from that earlier scare, forcing a string of saves from Jahmali Waite before Gerardo Arteaga finally broke the deadlock with a fine finish. 

The result moved El Tricolor level on three points with Venezuela, who beat Ecuador 2-1 in the other Group B clash earlier in the day, but attention quickly turned to the fitness of their captain at full-time. 

“We’re going to wait a couple of days to do some testing on him and to know well what he’s got going on,” head coach Jaime Lozano said after the match.

“He’s extremely important. He’s a leader, he understands the game well. He’s important on the pitch and in the locker room as well.

“You listen to him talk, he has a way with words and when he speaks you listen. This was a tough blow for all of us.”

Defender Cesar Montes told reporters: "It was extremely important to start on the right foot, always focussed, together, and (now) the only bad news is that our team-mate suffered an injury that we hope is not serious and can return with us.

"(But) these situations are not simple, the doctor will have to evaluate to see if he can continue with us (for the rest of the tournament). For the group he is the leader, a very important piece and it will be good to know his diagnosis in view of what is coming."

Jamaica play Ecuador in Las Vegas on Wednesday, while Mexico face Venezuela in California next Thursday. 
 

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 28th home run and Marcus Stroman pitched into the seventh inning as the New York Yankees avoided a fourth straight loss with an 8-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.

Marcell Ozuna opened the scoring with a home run off Stroman in the first inning, but Judge answered in the bottom half with a two-run shot - his 10th in the last 19 games.

Judge grounded into a double play in the third to make it 3-1, and he drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth for his MLB-leading 70th RBI.

Stroman limited the Braves to a solo homer before allowing two runs in the seventh. He gave up three runs and three hits in 6 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts to win for the fifth time in six decisions.

Trent Grisham also homered and Juan Soto reached base four times on a single and three walks to help the Yankees avoid their longest losing streak of the season.

New York’s Giancarlo Stanton left due to left hamstring tightness. He doubled in the fourth and winced when he rounded third on Gleyber Torres’ double. Grisham pinch hit for Stanton leading off the sixth and the Yankees said the oft-injured slugger will have imaging Sunday.

Travis d’Arnaud went deep for the Braves, who lost for the second time in nine games.  

 

Ohtani goes deep again in rout

Shohei Ohtani continued his torrid home run pace with a two-run shot and Tyler Glasnow struck out 10 over seven innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels for a split of the Freeway Series.

After Gavin Lux led off the bottom of the third against Zach Plesac with a home run, Cavan Biggio singled before Ohtani launched a 459-foot blast to right to put the Dodgers up 3-0.

Ohtani homered in his third straight game and has six in his last seven games to increase his NL-best total to 23.

Glasnow gave up two runs – one earned – and two hits without a walk in his second straight excellent outing.

The Dodgers have won 11 of the last 12 meetings with the Angels.

 

Kwan continues surge in Guardians’ win

Red-hot Steven Kwan homered and Jose Ramirez and Bo Naylor added two-run shots as the Cleveland Guardians handled the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-3.

Kwan went 2 for 4 with a double to raise his average to .390 but he doesn’t have enough at-bats to qualify as the major league batting leader after he missed several weeks with a hamstring injury.

Since returning to the lineup on May 31, Kwan is batting .468 (29 for 62) with three home runs, 11 RBIs and 17 runs in 16 games. He had a 14-game hitting streak snapped Friday.

Cleveland (48-26) hit all three homers off Jose Berrios to win its fourth straight and move a season-best 22 games over .500.

Toronto has dropped five in a row, matching its longest skid of the season.

Saturday's Euro 2024 action was headlined by some of the game's biggest stars, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Kevin De Bruyne grabbing the attention.

Ronaldo recorded his record-breaking seventh Euros assist – and was inundated with requests for photos from pitch invaders – as Portugal clinched top spot in Group F with a 3-0 win over Turkiye.

De Bruyne then joined Youri Tielemans on the scoresheet as Belgium beat Romania 2-0, teeing up a tense finale in Group E.

Georgia and Czechia, meanwhile, played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in Hamburg, leaving both teams needing a victory on the final matchday to have any chance of advancing.

But what else was going on around Euro 2024? Here, we run through the best social media posts of the day.

Eze and Konsa pool together

England's social media accounts have been a trove of entertaining content throughout this tournament, and on Saturday's edition of their Lions' Den livestream, Eberechi Eze and Ezri Konsa took centre-stage.

Eze and Konsa took on the 'what a clearance' challenge, looking to clear a pool table as quickly as possible as a pairing.

A respectable score put them third on the leaderboard, but they were unable to match the top two pairings – Declan Rice and Ivan Toney, and Jarrod Bowen and Marc Guehi.

Kante shows off

France's goalless draw with the Netherlands on Friday may not have been a game for the neutrals, but we were at least treated to another tireless display from N'Golo Kane.

Even at the age of 33 and after a season in the Saudi Pro League, Kante remains one of the game's top box-to-box midfielders, covering every blade of grass against the Oranje.

On Saturday, France's official X account proved once and for all that a year out of the European game has not affected Kante's physique… 

It's fair to say he remains in tip-top condition.

Cologne turns yellow for Romania

A sizeable contingent of Romanian fans made their opening game at Euro 2024 a real spectacle, forming a wall of yellow in Munich as they crushed Ukraine 3-0.

On Saturday, they headed to Cologne for their second match against Belgium, which ended in defeat despite a spirited performance.

The highlight of the day for many supporters will surely have been the pre-match scenes, as they turned the historic city centre yellow.

Ronaldo's pride as Portugal progress

Portugal's game against Turkiye was interrupted on several occasions as pitch invaders attempted to grab a photograph with one of the world's most famous players.

Ronaldo had already made his mark on the pitch with an assist for former Manchester United team-mate Bruno Fernandes, as the Selecao demonstrated their credentials with a 3-0 victory.

After the game, he took to social media to share a few snaps of his own, as well as some words of congratulations for his Portugal team-mates.

Scotland savour the view

Scotland's Euro 2024 adventure could come to an end on Sunday, with Steve Clarke's men requiring a victory over Hungary to have a chance of reaching the last 16.

If they are sent packing after this weekend, they will definitely miss the scenic views at their Garmisch-Partenkirchen base camp.

They will be hoping Saturday's training session was not their last set to this jaw-dropping mountain vista. 

Like a fine wine

Portugal's victory over Turkiye featured another composed performance from 41-year-old centre-back Pepe.

The former Real Madrid man displayed his excellent reading of the game to cut out one menacing counterattack from Turkiye with the score at 1-0 and was generally excellent throughout.

Pepe may be no slouch, but we're pretty sure UEFA have done him a favour with this picture… 

The Jamaica Table Tennis Association is kickstarting their effort to resurrect the sport in the country from the ground up with the hosting a one-day rally for Preparatory and Primary Schools on Monday, June 24 at the Excelsior High School.

The rally, put on with support from the Sports Development Foundation and Optical Solutions International Limited, will include a total of 27 teams from 18 schools, an increase from last year’s 13 schools.

“This year I am overjoyed. We have never had such a vast turnout,” said Jamaica Table Tennis Association President, Ingrid Graham.

“We have over 150 young Table Tennis players who will be participating. It is way more than I expected. The children and coaches are overjoyed. This is something that has been in the making for a long time and it is showing you the positive way forward that Table Tennis is back, we’re alive and we’re here to stay,” she added.

Prior to last year’s staging, the tournament wasn’t held since 2019.

Graham told Sportsmax.tv on Saturday about the importance of having this tournament to foster the development of the country’s young players.

“Last year we decided that we have to get it going again because all of our juniors, they have moved up to senior level and some maybe stopped playing,” she said.

“We had to do that in order to encourage the sport in the schools and the development of Table Tennis moving forward,” she added.

Graham says this commitment to youth development goes beyond the sport of Table Tennis.

“It is very important to give these young people a chance in life whether it’s in sports or academics or whatever area they choose. Sometimes they are going through some phases in their lives and they are not able to speak to their parents or guardian in the way that they would speak to us. So, reaching out to these youngsters, we are trying to say that there are so many things you can do. We are trying to steer them away from the path of going negative and towards something positive,” she said.

“We are trying to create avenues that will provide for our youngsters. We have quite a number of kids involved in Table Tennis now who are from the inner city. They don’t have it like that so it’s hard on us as an Association to help them in the capacity that we would like to help them but we are trying to do our best in that aspect and to guide them in the right path of development,” she added.

Other sponsors for Monday’s event include Supersonic Table Tennis Club, Kingston & St. Andrew Table Tennis Association, Western Sports, Skills Unlimited Table Tennis Academy, American Jewellery, GraceKennedy, Graham International and GEWO Jamaica.

 

 

The action continued at Euro 2024 on Saturday, with Portugal becoming the second side to clinch their place as group winners, after Spain.

It was a memorable day for Cristiano Ronaldo, and not only because a total of six pitch invaders attempted to get a picture with the legendary forward.

He laid on a record-breaking seventh goal at the European Championships as the Selecao crushed Turkiye 3-0, while there was nothing to separate Georgia and Czechia in a 1-1 draw elsewhere in Group F.

In Group E, meanwhile, it's all to play for with all four teams on three points after two games, following Belgium's 2-0 victory over Romania.

Here, we run through all the best Opta stats to emerge from the day's matches.

Georgia 1-1 Czechia: Mikautadze replicates Shevchenko feat

The first game of the day served up yet another entertaining encounter as Georgia claimed their first point at a major tournament against Czechia in Hamburg. 

Georges Mikautadze gave Georgia the lead after Robin Hranac was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area, scoring from the penalty spot to become the sixth player to net both of his nation's first two goals at the European Championships, and the first since Andriy Shevchenko in 2012 for Ukraine.

Giorgi Mamardashvili made eight saves in the first half, equalling the most of any goalkeeper in an entire game at Euro 2024, as Georgia held their advantage until the break.

Despite his heroics, Georgia's lead was gone 14 minutes into the second half as Patrik Schick moved ahead of Milan Baros as Czechia's top scorer at the Euros, putting the ball in off his chest from close range for his sixth goal at the competition (five in 2020).

Czechia continued to dominate proceedings, but their lack of clinical edge in front of goal proved costly. They recorded 12 shots on target against Georgia; the most by a team who failed to win a match at the European Championships on record (since 1980). 

But a lot of that was down to the inspired performance of Mamardashvili. The Georgia goalkeeper made three saves in the second half, taking his tally to 11 for the match, with only Latvia's Alexanders Kolinko (12) making more in a game at the Euros on record (since 1980), against the Netherlands in 2004. 

However, Georgia had a golden opportunity to earn their maiden win at a major tournament when they found themselves three-on-one with the clock ticking down, but Saba Lobjanidze could only fire the ball over the bar. 

Georgia now know they must beat Portugal in their final group game in Gelsenkirchen next Wednesday, but they can take confidence from their recent form. 

Since losing three in a row between June and September 2023, Georgia have only lost two of their last nine games in all competitions (four wins, three draws).

Turkiye 0-3 Portugal: Ronaldo breaks all-time assist record

259 miles west of Dortmund, Portugal became the latest team to confirm their place in the last 16 of Euro 2024 with a comfortable triumph over Turkiye, recording their joint-biggest victory in a match at the Euros in the process. 

Roberto Martinez's side were aided by a defensive disasterclass from their opponents, having taken the lead through Bernardo Silva's first international goal at a major tournament.

Samet Akaydin's calamitous own goal doubled their advantage, the defender's misplaced back pass rolling in for only the second own goal from outside the box in European Championship history, after Pedri achieved the unwanted feat for Spain against Croatia at Euro 2020. 

Portugal will, however, be without Rafael Leao for their final group game against Georgia, having picked up his second yellow card of Euro 2024, both for diving, becoming the only player on record (since 1980) to have multiple cards for simulation at the tournament.

Bruno Fernandes made sure of the victory 10 minutes into the second half, with more defensive blunders allowing Ronaldo to lay the ball on a plate to secure his seventh assist at the European Championships – the most on record (since 1968) of any player in the competition’s history.

Manchester United midfielder Fernandes continued his stellar spell for his national side, and he has now been involved in 28 goals in his last 23 appearances for Portugal in all competitions, scoring 15 and assisting 13.

Martinez's side have now won both of their group-stage games so far in Euro 2024, more than they did in the 2016 and 2020 editions combined (one win, four draws, one defeat). It’s the third time they’ve won their opening two games at a single edition of the competition, after Euro 2000 and Euro 2008.

After an impressive opening display against Georgia, Turkiye suffered their 11th defeat in the group stages of the Euros, with only Denmark (13) having more such defeats in the history of the competition.

Belgium 2-0 Romania: De Bruyne the star as Red Devils bounce back

Following their surprise 1-0 defeat to Slovakia on matchday one, Belgium bounced back with a 2-0 victory over Romania in Cologne, ensuring they continued their run of winning at least one game on all seven of their appearances at the European Championships.

They wasted little time in getting their noses in front, with Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans lashing home from the edge of the box after just 73 seconds.

That was Belgium's fastest ever goal at a major tournament (World Cup/Euros) and the third-fastest strike in Euros history, after Russia's Dmitry Kirichenko (76 seconds) against Greece in 2004 and Albania's Nedim Bajrami (23 seconds) versus Italy this year.

It was Tielemans' first goal at a major international tournament on his 13th such appearance, with five of his eight strikes for his country coming from outside the area. 

Domenico Tedesco's team continued to dominate as they sought a two-goal cushion, with Romelu Lukaku penalised for offside in the second half following a VAR review, having a third goal chalked off at this tournament – more than any player has scored thus far.

Fortunately for Belgium, Kevin De Bruyne stepped up to make the points safe 11 minutes from time, prodding past Florin Nita when one-on-one. 

Since the start of the 2014 World Cup (his first major tournament), no Belgian has been involved in more Euro or World Cup goals than the Manchester City star, whose 13 goal contributions (four goals, nine assists) put him level with Lukaku and Eden Hazard.

De Bruyne's five shots against Romania were his most in a Euros match since 2016 (seven versus Hungary). No player on the pitch had more shots, shots on target (three), made more tackles (four) or won more fouls (four) than the Belgium skipper.

The result means all four teams in Group E have three points with one game remaining, setting up a tense finale for next Wednesday.

This is the first time that a European Championship group has featured four teams level on points ahead of the final set of fixtures.

Belgium bounced back from their opening defeat at Euro 2024 with a much-needed 2-0 win over Romania, Youri Tielemans and Kevin De Bruyne scoring as they got off the mark in Group E.

Following their surprise 1-0 defeat to Slovakia on matchday one, Domenico Tedesco's men knew another defeat would leave them unable to secure a top-two finish.

They came flying out of the traps and needed just 73 seconds to open the scoring, Tielemans firing home from the edge of the area following good hold-up play from Romelu Lukaku to score the Red Devils' fastest ever goal at a major tournament.

They continued to press throughout the first half but were unable to find a second goal, Lukaku going close when he saw his shot on the turn blocked by Nicusor Bancu.

De Bruyne flashed a curling effort narrowly wide of the far corner shortly after the break, then it appeared he had assisted Belgium's second when he released Lukaku to finish into the bottom-left corner, only for the striker to be ruled offside following a VAR check.

Koen Casteels made a crucial stop from Dennis Man to keep Belgium's lead intact, and they made that reprieve count with 11 minutes to play, De Bruyne latching onto Lukaku's flick-on before prodding his finish past Florin Nita when one-on-one.

Belgium failed to add a third despite chances for Lukaku and Leandro Trossard late on, but their win tees up an intriguing finale in Group E with all four teams on three points ahead of Wednesday's final set of games.

Data Debrief: Lukaku's rotten luck continues

Belgium may have gotten over the line on Saturday, but Lukaku continued to endure some rotten luck up top, his disallowed goal in the second half being the third strike he has seen chalked off at Euro 2024. That is more goals than any player has scored. 

Not including those strikes, he has now failed to score from eight shots worth a total of 1.27 expected goals (xG) at this tournament.

He will be desperately hoping it is a different story in next Wednesday's decider against Ukraine.

Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking seventh assist at the European Championships should be shown to all young players across the world, says Portugal boss Roberto Martinez.

Portugal sealed their place in the last 16 of Euro 2024 as Group F winners with a game to spare on Saturday, thrashing Turkiye 3-0 in Dortmund.

Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes scored either side of a comical own goal from Samet Akaydin, as the Selecao produced a far more complete performance than they managed in their last-gasp 2-1 win over Czechia on matchday one.

Fernandes' clinching goal came when Ronaldo sprang the Turkiye offside trap before unselfishly squaring for his former Manchester United team-mate when they were two-on-one versus goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

Ronaldo's assist was his seventh at the European Championships overall, the most on record (since 1968) of any player in the competition's history.

Martinez believes that incident proved Ronaldo will always put the team first and should serve as inspiration for young players everywhere.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Martinez said: "We saw something extraordinary, in front of the goalkeeper, he gave it to Bruno Fernandes.

"He is an example that should be shown in every academy in Portugal and throughout the world of football, he showed the team is the most important thing."

Ronaldo also holds the all-time goalscoring record at the tournament, with 14, while Saturday's victory was his 23rd at major international tournaments (World Cup/Euros).

Only Bastian Schweinsteiger and Miroslav Klose (25 each for Germany) have recorded more such wins among European players.

Portugal's victory was overshadowed, however, by a total of six pitch invaders making it onto the playing surface, seemingly emboldened by Ronaldo posing for a photograph with the first to reach the pitch – a young boy.

Asked about those incidents, Martinez said: "It's a concern because today we were lucky that the intentions of the fans were good.

"I think we all love a fan that recognises the big stars and the big icons, but you can understand it would be a very, very difficult moment if those intentions are wrong."

Jessica Pegula's all-American Berlin Open semi-final clash with Coco Gauff has been suspended overnight, as the duo vie for a spot in the final against Anna Kalinskaya.

Pegula led Gauff 7-5 6-6 (3-1) when rain in the German capital halted play on Saturday, with a later announcement confirming the match will not resume until Sunday.

Both players had already taken to the court once on Saturday, as Gauff's last-eight opponent Ons Jabeur retired due to illness after losing a 68-minute opening set 7-6 (11-9). 

Pegula, meanwhile, wrapped up a two-day quarter-final victory over Katerina Siniakova by a 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-3 scoreline.

The winner of the pair's match will also have to play twice on Sunday, with Kalinskaya lying in wait in the final after she beat former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 6-1.

Data Debrief: Kalinskaya primed for an upset?

Whoever emerges victorious on Sunday morning, Kalinskaya will face a top-five player, with Gauff currently second in the world rankings and Pegula fifth.

Kalinskaya has already recorded three top-five victories this year. She lost her only previous meeting with Pegula in Washington D.C. in 2019 but won her first clash with Gauff in Dubai earlier this year.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are confident they can claim victory from the clutches of Lando Norris ahead of Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix. 

The pair, who have won the previous eight Spanish Grands Prix between them (three for Verstappen and five for Hamilton), start second and third on the grid in Barcelona. 

The seven-time world champion out-qualified team-mate George Russell for only the second time this season as the Mercedes drivers took third and fourth, underlining their re-emergence as contenders close to the front after a series of car developments. 

“I’m really happy, thank you everyone I’m super happy to be here in the top three," Hamilton said. "It’s been a difficult year and a huge amount of work from everyone back at the factory, and finally we are starting to see those incremental steps moving closer to the guys ahead.

“I didn’t expect us to be fighting for pole necessarily, but there were bits there where I thought maybe we will be close and so to be there I’m just grateful.”

On the team making steps forward, he added: “We’ve made huge steps forward and it’s really just down to every single individual back at the factory who is pushing and designing and making the new parts that we get to bring as early as possible to these races.

"Slowly the car is crafting into a racing machine that we can hopefully fight the guys at the front.

“George did a great job today so hopefully tomorrow we can apply pressure to the two cars ahead.” 

Red Bull's Verstappen will start on the front row, but in second place after being pipped by Norris to claim his second career pole. 

The Dutchman appeared out of reach when he improved his own time, which was already fastest, by more than 0.2 seconds on his final run, only for Norris to cross the line moments later to beat Verstappen by 0.02 seconds. 

However, Verstappen is confident of claiming a seventh victory of the season to grow his lead over Leclerc at the top of the driver's championship. 

"I think in qualifying it was all coming together a bit nicer," Verstappen said. "We have been trying to find the balance because the practice sessions have been difficult.

"So I was quite happy in qualifying - I even got a nice little tow from Checo to Turn One to really extract everything we could. But unfortunately, it was just not enough. That is how it goes sometimes and overall we can still be very happy with this performance in qualifying and definitely all to play for tomorrow.

"Even throughout qualifying, the wind started to pick up a little bit, maybe that made it a bit more difficult for us. Overall, a good performance again in qualifying.

"They are never easy qualis because you're always in a battle with yourself. of course now, there's more teams. And when it's that close for pole position, it's always great."

West Indian superstars Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Nicholas Pooran are among some of the top players retained by their respective franchises for the 2025 edition of International League T20 in the UAE.

The list also includes David Warner, Wanindu Hasaranga and Sikandar Raza among others.

A total of 69 players have been retained across the six teams, including two UAE players in each franchise.

Other West Indian players among the retentions include Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Fletcher, Johnson Charles, Rovman Powell, Akeal Hosein, Dwayne Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Kieron Pollard.

With the player retention window closed, franchises now have the option of signing new players under the player acquisition window that will be open until September 15.

Each franchise will need to rope in a minimum of two more UAE players to their respective rosters to complete the minimum quota of four local players that needs to be filled.

The third season of ILT20 will be held from January 11 to February 9 next year.

Here is the full list of retained players for each franchise:

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Aditya Shetty, Ali Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Andries Ghous, Charith Asalanka, David Willey, Joe Clarke, Laurie Evans, Micheal Pepper and Sunil Narine.

Desert Vipers: Adam Hose, Alex Hales, Ali Naseer, Azam Khan, Bas de Leede, Luke Wood, Micheal Jones, Muhammad Amir, Nathan Sowter, Sherfane Rutherford, Tanish Suri and Wanindu Hasaranga.

Dubai Capitals: Dasun Shanaka, David Warner, Dushmantha Chameera, Haider Ali, Raja Akif, Rovman Powell, Sam Billings, Sikandar Raza, Zahir Khan, Jake Fraser McGurk and Oliver Stone.

Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Chris Jordan, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gerhard Erasmus, Jamie Overton, James Vince, Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox, Mohammad Zohaib Zubair, Rehan Ahmed, Richard Gleeson and Shimron Hetmyer.

MI Emirates: Akeal Hosein, Andre Fletcher, Daniel Mousley, Dwayne Bravo, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Jordan Thompson, Kieron Pollard, Kusal Perera, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Nicholas Pooran, Nosthush Kenjige, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth and Waqar Salamkheil.

Sharjah Warriors: Dilshan Madushanka, Johnson Charles, Junaid Siddique, Muhamad Jawadullah, Kusal Mendis, Luke Wells, Peter Hatzoglou and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

 

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