Coco Gauff said her China Open triumph over Karolina Muchova came down to being relaxed.

Gauff won 6-1 6-3 in just 76 minutes in Beijing to become the youngest winner of the tournament in 14 years.

The victory marked the 20-year-old's second WTA 1000 title, which makes her the second-youngest player since the format was introduced to win her first two finals.

And Gauff explained she took a more relaxed approach in Sunday's showdown.

"I was just like, 'This match is not going to change my life.' I knew regardless of the result today, I was proud. I was able to overcome and still work on things that I've been practising on, too, and stick to it," she said.

"When you get that far, you're just happy to be in the final. I think it's just being relaxed. My first final, when I was 15, was the worst because you're like, 'I'm never going to get this opportunity again,' which is completely not true.

"The experience of winning in the past, I realise that, yes, winning is great. It feels great right now. But tomorrow I'm going to wake up and it's a different day, 70% of the world doesn't know anything about whether I won or lost, probably even more."

Gauff has now claimed three straight wins over Muchova, who is yet to beat the American.

"I lost to her three times in a row. I'll say very similar losses. It was always the latest rounds of the tournaments when I got many matches under the belt," said Muchova.

"It's very physical with her. I felt like second [best] always in the rallies."

Kai Havertz has pulled out of Germany's squad for their upcoming Nations League matches due to a knee injury.

The Arsenal forward played a full 90 minutes in their comeback win over Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, netting their first goal.

He became the first player to score in seven consecutive home appearances for the Gunners in all competitions since Robin van Persie between December 2011 and March 2012 (also a run of seven).

Havertz has made a stellar start to the campaign, netting six goals in all competitions so far, also getting one assist.

However, he will not be available to face Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Netherlands due to his injury, and it is not yet clear if it will keep him sidelined for Arsenal after the international break.

"Kai Havertz will miss the upcoming international matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands due to knee problems," Germany announced on X.

"National team coach Julian Nagelsmann has nominated Jonathan Burkardt in Havertz's place. Get well soon Kai."

Unai Emery believes Aston Villa "missed some energy" during their goalless draw with Manchester United on Sunday.

The spoils were shared following an underwhelming 90 minutes at Villa Park, where the hosts recorded their second stalemate in as many Premier League games after last weekend's 2-2 draw at Ipswich Town.

Villa were aiming to build on their memorable Champions League victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday but only registered a single shot on target courtesy of Youri Tielemans' second-half attempt.

And Emery believes his side's midweek exploits in Europe took their toll on Sunday.

"It is not the best result, but it's not the worst," the Villa boss said. "I think a draw is fair.

"We played the second half much better than the first and, at the end, we were close to winning the match [when Diogo Dalot blocked Jaden Philogene's stoppage-time shot]. We tried to score, but couldn't. 

"We missed some energy. Maybe it's because we have some players injured, some other players are also still improving."

It was the first 0-0 draw Villa have played out under Emery at Villa Park since he took over in November 2022. Although they could not achieve the three points, they remain fifth in the Premier League table with 14 points after their opening seven games.

After opening their Champions League campaign with successive wins, and a Carabao Cup last-16 clash with Crystal Palace coming up later this month, Emery is pleased with the shape his side are in.

"We are in the process of building a team," he added. "We are managing things better. I am happy. We could be higher in the table, but we are more or less in the top six. I am happy with what we are doing.

"We are happy in the Champions League and happy, of course, in the Carabao Cup. We're going to play seven matches in the next month. We have to stay competitive like we are now and be demanding."

Enzo Maresca insisted Chelsea deserved to win their home clash with Nottingham Forest despite having to come back from behind.

The hosts went 1-0 down on 49 minutes when Chris Wood poked home the opener from a free-kick, but Noni Madueke proved Chelsea's saviour just eight minutes later as he fired in the equaliser.

Forest have now taken points from the two top-four opponents they have faced away from home in the Premier League this season, also getting a historic 1-0 win against league-leaders Liverpool.

Chelsea's manager, however, feels his side deserved more from the game, which saw a spate of chances in the 13 minutes of stoppage time after James Ward-Prowse had been sent off for Forest.

"I think we deserved to win," he told BBC MOTD2. "They are a very good team, and we knew they would defend well.

"It was a tough and tricky game, very different to Brighton. We were patient on the ball and created chances.

"Their keeper was the best of the game. We created chances and arrived at goal in the way we want to."

The hosts recorded an expected goals (xG) total of 2.27 compared to their opposition’s 0.85. They also dominated possession, boasting a 66.5% share of the ball.

Despite winning all their away matches in the Premier League this season, Chelsea have won just once at home, also recording two draws and one defeat.

Maresca, however, brushed that off when asked if he had concerns.

"I don't think so. If you analyse the games, I think Crystal Palace was like today - we created and deserved to win. I don't think there is any reason," he responded.

The game proved a thrilling encounter in the final stages. Robert Sanchez denied both Neco Williams and Jota Silva with fingertip saves, while Matz Sels pulled off good saves to keep out Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku at the other end.

It left Nuno Espirito Santo pleased with his side's embattled display as they ended up playing 25 minutes with 10 men after Ward-Prowse was awarded a second yellow.

"The full game was a very good game with both teams trying. We played and created," he said.

"The second half was very good for the spectators. We controlled the game well. There is no other way to play against big teams. If you don't unite, then it's difficult.

"We blocked the middle of the park and dealt well with one-v-ones out wide. The game was stretched, we had a good chance and then Chelsea had a good chance. The goalkeepers were great at both ends."

The visitors face a similar predicament to their hosts, with their away form proving better as they remain unbeaten on their travels.

In fact, only Frank Clark (59) has picked up more away points as manager of Nottingham Forest in the Premier League than Nuno (19).

"We don't make any difference in performance at home and away," asserted the Forest boss.

"We need to assess why we aren't getting results at the City Ground. Away, we are doing really well, but at home, we aren't. The issue is to resolve what is happening at the City Ground."

Robert Lewandowski's first-half hat-trick got Barcelona back to winning ways in LaLiga with a 3-0 victory away at Deportivo Alaves on Sunday.

Barcelona started brightly but were denied a fifth-minute lead as Raphinha's dinked finish over Antonio Sivera was ruled out for offside.

However, just two minutes later, Lewandowski headed home from a Raphinha free-kick, and the pair linked up again in the 22nd minute, with the forward finishing off a lightning-quick counter-attack by the Brazilian. 

Lewandowski completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute, netting his 10th league goal of the campaign, doing well to guide it into the net as he took a tumble.

Toni Martinez had a first-half goal disallowed by VAR for the hosts, and also struck the post just after the break before Joan Jordan's late header was chalked off following a review.

Barcelona, who move three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga, could have had more, but Alaves were indebted to Sivera, who stood strong, making six saves to keep the scoreline down.

Data Debrief: Lewandowski's flying start continues

Lewandowski has settled back into life under Hansi Flick since the German's move to Barcelona, and his numbers do all the talking.

He sits top of the LaLiga goalscoring charts already, and he scored the fourth-earliest hat-trick by a Barca player in LaLiga, netting his three goals within 32 minutes.

It is the sixth time that Barcelona have collected 24+ points from their opening nine games of the campaign, and they secured the title at the end of three of the previous five.

Erik ten Hag insisted he and Manchester United's hierarchy are "all on board together" following the Red Devils' goalless draw with Aston Villa.

United played out their fourth stalemate in five games across all competitions - losing the other against Tottenham last weekend - as the spoils were shared at Villa Park.

The Red Devils' tally of eight points, which keeps them 14th in the table, is their lowest after the first seven matches of a Premier League season, with their struggles increasing the pressure on Ten Hag.

However, as speculation surrounding his future continues to grow, the Dutchman remains calm on the matter, as he focused on the positive aspects of his side's performance.

When asked if he has spoken to United's board, he told Sky Sports: "We always speak, every week we speak. We are all on board together, on one page, we know what we are working through. It's a long-term process.

"I think it's the fourth clean sheet this season. You saw we had a very good organisation and togetherness. There was good character and good spirit as a team; determined, resilient.

"We almost didn't concede a chance. At the end, they had a big chance [Diogo Dalot blocking Jaden Philogene's stoppage-time attempt], but I think it was almost the only chance.

"We have come through two very tough away games. This is a team, we showed the belief and faith we have."

However, only 19th-place Southampton (four) have scored fewer goals than United (five) so far, while only in 1972-73 (four) have they ever netted fewer in their first seven matches of a top-flight campaign.

Ten Hag acknowledged his players must show a greater cutting edge in attack.

"We have created loads of chances in our seven games, but we have to step up," he added. 

"We know, at this moment, we have a lack of goals. In that perspective, it's not a good start. That's an area we have to improve."

Meanwhile, Jonny Evans said he and his team-mates have been affected by the speculation surrounding Ten Hag, but praised the spirit demonstrated by the team.

"It does affect the players. It's on our minds, too," the defender told BBC Match of the Day.

"I think the more experience I've got in my career, I've made sure I do everything to be ready and give everything I can to the team.

"That was the important thing, to show the spirit in the team. Everyone competed as much as they could. That's a pleasing thing to see."

Aston Villa and Manchester United shared the spoils in an underwhelming 0-0 draw at Villa Park.

With both sides having been in European action in midweek, albeit to varying degrees of success, there was a lethargic feel to Sunday's clash.

Both sides went close early in the second half. Emiliano Martinez tipped over Marcus Rashford's fierce drive, while Youri Tieleman's long-range strike was pushed away by Andre Onana. 

Bruno Fernandes almost broke the deadlock in the 68th minute – the United skipper rattling the crossbar with a 25-yard free-kick.

Diogo Dalot made a vital intervention to block Jaden Philogene's stoppage-time effort, as neither team were able to find the breakthrough.

Unai Emery's side sit fifth on 14 points, while United are 14th on eight points, which is their lowest ever tally after seven matches of a Premier League campaign.

Data Debrief: Unwanted history for United

After their latest stalemate, United are now without a win in five matches across all competitions (drawn four), as the wait for a victory continues for the under-pressure Erik ten Hag.

As well as being their worst start to a Premier League season, eight points is their lowest tally at this stage of a league campaign since 1989-90 (seven) under Alex Ferguson, who watched on from the stands.

On a brighter note, they were able to hold out for a third successive away clean sheet in the Premier League for the first time since March 2021.

As for Villa, they extend their unbeaten streak to eight matches, but have now won just one of their last 26 top-flight matches against United on home soil.

Noni Madueke’s equaliser earned Chelsea a point as they came from behind in a 1-1 draw with 10-man Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge.

Despite a late push by the dominant hosts, Forest held firm to continue their fine start in the Premier League against another top-four opponent.

After a tepid first half, Chris Wood put the visitors ahead in the 49th minute after directing Nikola Milenkovic's header across goal into the bottom corner.

That lead did not last long as Madueke fired Chelsea level just eight minutes later after cutting in from the right of the box.

James Ward-Prowse received his marching orders for a second yellow card on 78 minutes, though neither side could find a winner in the fiery encounter despite a spate of late chances.

Chelsea, on 14 points, hold onto fourth place going into the international break, while Forest sit four points below them in ninth.

Data Debrief: Forest flying on their travels

Only Frank Clark (59) has picked up more away points as manager of Nottingham Forest in the Premier League than Nuno Espírito Santo. Forest’s draw today takes Nuno’s away points total with Forest to 19, one more than Brian Clough managed in the competition for the club.

Of Wood’s last 14 goals for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, 10 have been scored away from home (71.4%). This comes after all of his first five goals for the club in the competition were scored at home.

Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred expressed her deep pride and gratitude on Instagram after being named a Tourism Ambassador for her home country of St. Lucia. Alfred, who made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning gold in the 100m with a lifetime best of 10.72 seconds and silver in the 200m, said the new title has a special significance for her.

From September 24 to October 2, St. Lucia celebrated Alfred's remarkable achievements at the Games. The 23-year-old sprinter’s performances have earned her a place in the hearts of her fellow countrymen, and her contributions were recognized with several significant honours. Among the rewards, Alfred was presented with EC$1 million from the government of St. Lucia, EC$75,000 from the St. Lucia Olympic Committee, and a 10,000 square foot plot of land. In addition, a monument will be erected in her honour, and the Millennium Highway will be renamed the Julien Alfred Highway.

However, despite these accolades, Alfred revealed that being named Tourism Ambassador holds particular meaning for her. "September 26th was truly a special day for me," she shared on Instagram. "I’ve always taken much pride in representing my country both on or off the track, but being officially announced as a Tourism Ambassador and being the Tourism Gimie Awardee for 2024 brings me an unwavering amount of joy."

Alfred went on to express her gratitude to the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority for the opportunity, acknowledging the significance of this moment in her journey. "A huge thank you to the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority for allowing this young girl from Ciceron, with a dream, to receive such prestigious titles."

Her love for her island was evident in her closing remarks. "No matter where I may roam, I will forever LOVE my island home and represent as a proud Saint Lucian," she wrote.

Alfred's achievements on the track have undoubtedly made her a global icon, but her new role as Tourism Ambassador gives her a unique platform to continue representing St. Lucia with pride and passion, both on and off the track.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thiago Motta was left frustrated with Juventus' inability to make their dominance count after Razvan Marin's late equaliser snatched a 1-1 draw for Serie A strugglers Cagliari.

Dusan Vlahovic's early penalty gave Juve the lead but Marin's 88th-minute spot-kick cost the hosts two important points that would have moved them to within one of leaders Napoli.

Marin's late salvaging act was the first goal Juventus have conceded this season in the league, though their inability to build on the early strike was what head coach Motta bemoaned after Sunday's draw.

"Already in the first half, after the goal, we were content to control the game. It's no good," Motta told DAZN.

"We have to keep attacking. In the second half, we created chances but we didn't exploit them. There was always the feeling that Cagliari could come back into the game.

"In Serie A, all games are complicated, regardless of who we face and whether we play at home or away. Today we left room for Cagliari to get back into the game."

Vlahovic may have converted the penalty but was also guilty of missing an excellent chance to extend Juve's lead when he fired wide on the rebound from close range.

Motta's side accumulated a tally of 2.57 expected goals (xG) overall, compared to Cagliari's 1.12, suggesting three points should have ended in the hands of the profligate Juve.

The Italian head coach refused to point the finger at Vlahovic, though insisted improvements are needed.

"You can't say anything, it's a match situation. It happens and will happen," Motta said. "But there are other things that we can certainly do better in order to compete, to be able to continue to grow."

Francisco Conceicao made his first start of the season against Cagliari, but the Portugal winger was sent off late in the game when he received a second booking for simulation in the penalty area.

"I haven't seen the images, if it's simulation, it's the correct decision. It's something we've been talking about for a long time, simulations are not good for the game," Motta added in his press conference.

"I trust the referee, but now a precedent opens up and it must always be like this. It must always be done, not every now and then."

Cristhian Stuani scored a 99th-minute penalty to snatch a 2-1 victory for Girona against Athletic Bilbao after Paulo Gazzaniga had saved multiple spot-kicks at the other end.

Alex Berenguer won the first penalty in the 26th minute after being fouled by Arnau Martinez, but the goalkeeper denied him when he stepped up.

Athletic were punished shortly after as Yaser Asprilla sent a dangerous left-footed cross past Alex Padilla into the bottom-left corner.

Oihan Sancet scored the equaliser just two minutes later, but the visitors' poor luck from 12 yards continued after the break.

Inaki Williams' effort was also stopped but had to be retaken as Gazzaniga's feet were off the line. However, the goalkeeper kept his nerve, as he denied Ander Herrera, who stepped up to take the second attempt.

Deep in stoppage time, Aitor Paredes brought down Ladislav Krejci in the box and received two bookings in less than a minute, one for the foul and the second for dissent.

Stuani duly converted the resulting spot-kick to seal all three points for Girona and end a four-match winless run in LaLiga. 

Data Debrief: Athletic pay the penalty for spot-kick woe

Athletic will be scratching their heads as to how they came away from this game with nothing, given the attacking threat they showed throughout.

They accumulated 2.59 expected goals (xG) from their 13 shots, albeit those two spot-kicks played a huge part in that total, but come away with an unwanted record as they missed two penalties in a single LaLiga game for the first time this century.

That was largely down to Gazzaniga's heroics, though, as he showed his prowess with three saves, even if one of those will not officially count. 

Stuani proved the hero in the end though, scoring his sixth goal against Athletic in LaLiga to get Michel's side up and running again before the international break.

Dani Carvajal has signed a contract extension with Real Madrid until June 2026.

The full-back could miss the rest of the 2024-25 season after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury in Saturday's 2-0 win over Villarreal.

Carvajal's contract was due to expire at the end of the campaign, but Madrid responded almost immediately by extending his stay with the club for at least a further year.

The 32-year-old, who has been with Los Blancos since the age of 10, has won six Champions League titles and four LaLiga crowns during his time at Santiago Bernabeu, while amassing 427 appearances.

Carlos Alcaraz held his nerve against a spirited Wu Yibing to progress to the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters.

Having already beaten another of the home favourites, Shang Juncheng, in his opener, the Spaniard had to dig deep but prevailed 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 in one hour and 41 minutes on Sunday.

There was nothing to split the two in the opening set, though Wu caused some real problems with his power, and successfully defended two break points in the ninth game.

The tie-break was also tight, but Alcaraz found his edge at the right time, winning the last three points.

Buoyed by the home crowd, Wu started the second set strongly too, but Alcaraz absorbed the pressure well and got the only break of the match in a three-game winning run.

With his winning streak extended, Alcaraz will now face either Gael Monfils or Ugo Humbert in the next round.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz marches on

Alcaraz has put his shock US Open exit firmly behind him, with this his 11th win on the bounce since then. 

He coped well with the early pressure Wu threw at him, and put in another solid performance, hitting 11 aces and winning 71% of his points at the net (5/7).

Nicolas Kuhn's late winner helped Celtic maintain their perfect start to the Scottish Premiership season with a narrow 2-1 victory over Ross County.

Brendan Rodgers' side, who lost 7-1 to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in midweek, struck twice in the final quarter of an hour at the Global Energy Stadium, where Ronan Hale's first-half penalty had given the hosts the lead.

Hale drilled home from 12 yards at the second attempt after his initial spot-kick was denied by Kasper Schmeichel, who was penalised for creeping off his line.

It was the first league goal Celtic had conceded this season, but the Hoops turned things around late on.

They equalised in the 76th minute when Callum McGregor's goalbound strike was turned in from close range by Alistair Johnston.

The full-back then turned provider two minutes from normal time as he found Kuhn, who stepped inside before slotting past Ross Laidlaw via a slight deflection.

Data Debrief: Celtc the late show experts

The Hoops have now scored five goals in the last 15 minutes of their seven matches this season, more than any other side in the Scottish Premiership.

But, once again, the hosts were left to wonder what might have been.

Indeed, they have now lost seven points from winning positions this term, the most of any side.

Meanwhile, they were beaten in the league after scoring the opening goal for the first time in 23 games, stretching back to their defeat by St. Johnstone in December 2022. 

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