Carlos Alcaraz began his Shanghai Open campaign with a straight-sets win over China's Shang Juncheng, bringing up his 10th straight victory.
Just three days on from his epic victory over Jannik Sinner in the China Open final, Alcaraz recorded a 6-2 6-2 win over Shang inside one hour and 17 minutes.
The four-time grand slam winner wasted no time by breaking in the very first game of the encounter, then repeated the trick six games later to take the opener, avoiding any pressure as he won 82% of his first-serve points.
Alcaraz produced the shot of the match early in the second set, producing a brilliant backhand flick to salvage a point while backtracking from the net.
Back-to-back breaks midway through the second set sealed Alcaraz's 10th straight victory, after which he hailed the performance of his 19-year-old opponent.
"I'm not used to playing against players younger than me," Alcaraz said. "He has been playing good tennis lately, winning his first ATP title [in Chengdu], so I'm pretty sure he's going to climb the rankings.
"At the net he told me that it's a pleasure share the court with you. So these kinds of things that I hear from younger players, it's great."
Data Debrief: Double figures for Alcaraz
Alcaraz's victory was his 10th in succession since he suffered a shock second-round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open in August.
He will face another Chinese player in the next round, taking on world number 560 Wu Yibing.
The Premier League has rejected a request from Manchester City to delay the start to their 2025-26 campaign to allow for more recovery time after the Club World Cup.
As 2022-23 Champions League winners, City are one of two English clubs – alongside Chelsea – to have secured a spot at FIFA's first 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States next year.
The tournament's expanded format has proven extremely controversial, provoking widespread criticism for denying players rest time during the off-season.
Players' union Fifpro has started legal proceedings against FIFA over the scheduling of the tournament, claiming the fixture schedule has become "unworkable".
The Club World Cup is set to run from June 15 to July 13, with players involved unlikely to receive substantial rest time before the domestic season begins in early August.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Fulham, boss Pep Guardiola revealed City had already seen a request to delay their opening game knocked back.
"The Premier League has not allowed us to postpone the first two games for our recovery," Guardiola said. "Thank you so much.
"I think the club asked the league to postpone one or two or three weeks so we can have a holiday after the [Club] World Cup but it is absolutely not allowed.
"Would the Premier League say yes to us? No. Absolutely not. They won't postpone these games so there will be a moment of, 'what do we do?
"I don't have an answer right now but we are going to take a decision with common sense."
Luis Suarez feels Marcelo Bielsa's coaching style has "divided" Uruguay's national team, as he revealed the negative atmosphere within the camp during the Copa America.
Suarez retired from international duty last month as Uruguay's leading scorer with 69 goals, while his tally of 143 caps is only bettered by Diego Godin (161).
The veteran forward was part of the side that finished third at the Copa America in July; La Celeste's best performance at the tournament since lifting the trophy in 2011.
However, he revealed it was not a happy camp in the United States, where Bielsa's tactics and approach caused friction among the players.
Suarez said some were contemplating their international futures, while he was critical of the treatment of midfielder Agustin Canobbio, who was used as a "sparring partner".
"I will ask the fans not to take it out on the players when things go wrong," the Inter Miami forward told DSports. "Bielsa has divided the whole group because of the way he trains.
"The players will reach a limit, they'll explode. There were even team-mates who said to me they were only playing in the Copa America and nothing else.
"We all know that he doesn't like to deal with leaders or players with experience. I had to keep quiet out of respect for the national team and for the sake of coexistence. I didn't want to be part of the problem.
"A player who is one of the 26 selected for the Copa America can't be made to participate as if he were a 'sparring' partner. It's annoying. I understand Agustin. I'll support him, he's been holding back a lot.
"The staff are not allowed to come in and greet us or eat with us. Many of the players held a meeting to ask the coach to at least say: 'good morning'. He didn't even say hello. It hurts me to see what the national team is going through."
Real Madrid's Antonio Rudiger has lauded Barcelona's Lamine Yamal as 'ridiculous' following the teenager's rapid rise to stardom for their fierce LaLiga rivals.
Yamal broke into Barca's first-team last term, making 50 appearances in all competitions before announcing himself on the international stage for Spain at Euro 2024.
He became the first Spanish player to register four assists in a single European Championship tournament.
It was also the joint most that any player has ever assisted at a single edition of the tournament that Opta has on record (1980 onwards).
Yamal also broke Pele's record from the 1958 World Cup final for Brazil against Sweden by becoming the youngest player to feature in a major international tournament final at the age of 17 years and 249 days in Spain's 2-1 win over England.
And the teenager has picked up where he left off in Germany, already notching 10 goal involvements (five goals and five assists) in 10 appearances in all competitions this season.
The 17-year-old has also completed the joint-most dribbles alongside Sevilla's Chidera Ejuke (23) in LaLiga this season, while only Raphinha (26) has created more chances for Barcelona in the league this season than Yamal (17).
"You have to give credit where credit is due," Rudiger told The Inside Scoop podcast when asked about Yamal.
"He is 17, it's ridiculous. The player he is already for them [Barca] at 17, it's quite scary. What he did in the Euros, you have to give kudos to him. He has a great future ahead.
"I think they [Barca] have a player who has a [big] career and hopefully, he will stay healthy."
Antonio Conte is embracing Napoli's recent run of form after they extended their lead at the Serie A summit to four points ahead of the international break.
Scott McTominay's early opener was cancelled out by Gabriel Strefezza, only for star man Romelu Lukaku and substitute David Neres to seal the win after the break.
Conte is now the sixth manager to have won each of his first four home games as Napoli head coach in Serie A, after Paolo Iodice, Luis Vinicio, Alberto Bigon, Carlo Ancelotti and Luciano Spalletti.
The Italian, however, started his Napoli reign with a shock 3-0 defeat to Hellas Verona on the opening day, but his team have since gone seven games unbeaten, scoring 19 goals during that run.
Conte acknowledged that his side may not deserve to be at the top of the table, but felt quietly optimistic about his players' progression during the early stages of his tenure.
"I don't know if this is currently a Napoli that deserves to be in first place in the standings, but we are first and that is a fact," Conte said to DAZN.
"If someone had told me this three months ago, it would have been difficult to believe.
"We're growing in terms of temperament, and in our ability to adapt—playing good football, but also willing to get our hands dirty when we need to.
"That's a great sign, and we have to embrace it fully."
But the encounter against Como was far from comfortable for Conte's side, with the visitors registering 11 shots compared to Napoli's nine, while Cesc Fabregas' men also ended the contest with 59.3% possession.
Napoli, though, created the better chances, ending the encounter with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.02 from their six efforts on target, with Lukaku continuing to flourish under Conte's stewardship.
McTominay's opening goal after 26 seconds was the third-quickest for Napoli in the three-points-per-game era, while the former Manchester United midfielder also became the first Scottish player to score for Gli Azzurri in Serie A.
"We started well in the first half, scoring a great goal, the result of our hard work," Conte said.
"Then we changed things tactically in the second half, and they were no longer in the game.
"We lost too many duels, but that's part of the process of rebuilding confidence and self-esteem."
Conte also showered praise on the home supporters inside the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
"Playing in Naples, at the Maradona, with a full stadium means that the players can really feel the crowd's emotions," he said.
If you make mistakes, you can feel the disappointment, and that can chip away at your confidence.
"Napoli has a deep passion for football. We try to feed that passion by giving our all, like we did today. In the second half, we improved from every point of view."
Illan Meslier's last-gasp error saw Sunderland snatch a point against Leeds at the Stadium of Light on Friday.
The home supporters were sent into raptures by one of their own in the ninth minute when Chris Rigg opened the scoring, tucking home from close range after Meslier had produced a miraculous save to deny Dennis Cirkin's previous effort.
But Sunderland's joy was short-lived when Joel Piroe headed Wilfried Gnonto's inviting delivery beyond Anthony Patterson, though replays showed he may have wandered into an offside position.
Both sides continued to push for a half-time lead, with Brenden Aaronson seeing his shot cleared off the line and Patrick Roberts seeing his effort saved to end a pulsating half of action.
The hosts emerged from the tunnel in the ascendency but were met with a sucker punch in the 56th minute when Junior Firpo's driving run from deep ended with the left-back sweeping the ball into the far corner.
But with the clock ticking into the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time, there was to be one final twist when Alan Browne's flicked pass into the box somehow evaded the grasp of Meslier to preserve Sunderland's unbeaten home record this season.
Data Debrief: Meslier blunder overshadows Leeds display
Leeds were moments away from going level on points with Sunderland at the summit of the Championship, before a moment of madness sealed a gut-wrenching end to an enthralling encounter in the North East.
The visitors ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.16 from their 15 shots compared to Sunderland's 1.77, with Piroe contributing 0.72 xG to Leeds' tally.
But their display was overshadowed by Meslier's blunder, with the Frenchman enjoying a strong performance up until that point, making three saves against the Black Cats.
Luciano Spalletti has handed four players their senior call-up to the Italy national team ahead of their Nations League fixtures next week.
Italy take on Belgium and Israel in the next round of games, hoping to build on their impressive start in Group A2 after winning their opening two games which included a 3-1 win over France.
Milan defender Matteo Gabbia has been included after an impressive run of performances at centre-back under new head coach Paulo Fonseca.
Gabbia is also the first player from the Rossoneri to be named in the Italy squad in almost 600 days, with Sandro Tonali, who joined Newcastle in 2023, the last Milan representative to feature for the Azzurri.
There was also a place in the squad for Monza's Daniel Maldini, who could follow in the footsteps of his father Paolo, and grandfather Cesare, both former Italy captains.
Maldini has one goal and one assist in seven appearances in all competitions this season, and comes in for Lazio's Matteo Zaccagni.
Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio has also been given a first call-up to the senior side, replacing the injured Alex Meret of Napoli.
Roma's Niccolo Pisilli was also named in the squad, replacing Atlanta's Marco Brescianini, who has also suffered a recent injury set-back.
There were five Premier League representatives named in Spalletti's 23-man squad on Friday, with Guglielmo Vicario, Riccardo Calafiori, Caleb Okoli, Destiny Udogie and Tonali also included.
However, there was no space for Liverpool's Federico Chiesa, who did not feature in the Reds' Champions League win over Bologna in midweek.
Italy squad: Michele Di Gregorio (Juventus), Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG), Guglielmo Vicario (Spurs), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Matteo Gabbia (Milan), Caleb Okoli (Leicester), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham Hotspur), Nicolo Fagioli (Juventus), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Niccolo Pisilli (Roma), Samuele Ricci (Torino), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle United), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Daniel Maldini (Monza), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Atalanta).
Pep Guardiola believes the best way to defend Manchester City amid their current hearing is by winning games.
An independent hearing into City's 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules began last month.
The alleged breaches relate to a period between 2009 and 2018, and City were charged and referred to an independent commission in February 2023 after a four-year investigation.
City strongly denies the charges.
If found guilty, the club could face huge fines, points deductions and possibly even relegation from the top-flight.
Despite the severity of the potential punishment, Guardiola insists his trust in the club remains unbroken.
"I'm part of this club, deep inside of my bones and the best way to defend the club is winning games and doing my job as best as possible," Guardiola said on Friday.
"We cannot misunderstand why I am here, I am the manager, the person at the club who talks more through all the media, to send messages to fans.
"And, of course, I am going to defend my club. I trust [them], since the owner, since the chairman for the relation, the CEO, and all the people working here for many many years.
"I know them quite well, much more than any of you. The best way to defend is by doing our job the best, everyone working here have their own responsibility.
"The rest, of course, there are situations in the eight or nine years, it always is there. Some of them expected, some of them more tough to deal with, but it is what it is.
"No complaints and you do what you have to do. I'm part of this club, not just the manager. I love this club, and it will always be that way."
Guardiola has been at City for nine years, winning six Premier League titles, including the last four in a row, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups, the Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
He is currently in the last year of his contract and has hinted in recent months that his time at City may soon come to an end.
The fans are set to unveil a banner saying "We want you to stay" during their game against Fulham at the Etihad on Saturday, and the head coach was touched by the gesture.
"They have to bring me the bill. I have to pay for the banner. I don't want to spend money for that reason," he added.
"What can I say? Thank you so much, I fell in love since the first day I arrived here, let's see.
"When it's going to happen, it's going to happen."
Romelu Lukaku continued his fine start to life at Napoli as the Belgian notched a goal and two assists in his side's 3-1 win over Como on Friday.
The hosts found themselves ahead with just 26 seconds on the clock when Scott McTominay was picked out by Lukaku, with the Scotland international firing home his first goal for Gli Azzurri off the post.
But Como would draw themselves level two minutes before the break when Gabriel Strefezza's strike from distance rifled into the bottom corner.
However, Antonio Conte's side needed just eight minutes after the interval to restore their advantage when Sergi Roberto brought down Mathias Olivera, with Lukaku stepping up to net his fourth Serie A goal of the season.
Napoli continued to push for a third goal to secure the victory, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia going closest but saw his effort saved by Emil Audero.
But the points were sealed in the 86th minute when Lukaku turned provider once again, holding off his marker before slipping through substitute David Neres who slotted home with a fine finish to extend Napoli's lead at the top of the standings to four points.
Data Debrief: Lukaku continues Conte love story
Lukaku has been a player reborn under Conte's stewardship. The Belgian is the player who has been involved in the most goals in his first five appearances for Napoli in Serie A since the Italian top-flight returned to 20 teams (since 2004/05) - three goals and four assists.
He has also managed to better his assist tally for the whole of last season, managing just three in 32 appearances for Roma last term.
McTominay's goal after 26 seconds is the third-fastest scored by Napoli since the start of a Serie A match in the three points for a win era, after Hirving Lozano's goal against Hellas Verona in 2021 (nine seconds) and Ezequiel Lavezzi's goal against Genoa in 2008 (25 seconds).
South Africa claimed an emphatic 174-run victory to seal an ODI series triumph over Ireland ahead of the final game on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.
Having cruised to a 139-run victory in the opening encounter, the Proteas continued to avenge their shock T20I defeat against the same opponents last week with another commanding display.
South Africa made a strong start with the bat before Ryan Rickelton (40) fell in the 13th over, with Temba Bavuma (35) retiring hurt from the contest soon after.
Rassie van der Dussen (35) and Kyle Verreynne (67) also performed well, only for Tristan Stubbs to steal the show with 112 runs from 81 deliveries, handing the Proteas a strong grip on the encounter, with South Africa ending 343-4 from their 50 overs.
Ireland then made a dismal start to their run chase, losing five wickets in the opening 10 overs as Lizaad Williams and Lungi Ngidi ripped through their opening attack and had Ireland 50-5 early on.
Mark Adair (21) and Andy McBrine (10) momentarily halted the onslaught, but were soon sent on their way, with Gavin Hoey hitting 23 runs before he was bowled and caught by Ngidi (2-38).
Graham Hume and Craig Young's 52-run stand frustrated South Africa, only for the former to be bowled out by Bjorn Fortuin (2-36) with just under 20 overs remaining as Ireland ended all out for 169.
Data Debrief: Proteas on song
It was yet another strong display by South Africa, cruising to a comfortable victory in Abu Dhabi, with Stubbs and Williams starring with the bat and ball.
Stubbs' knock of 112 saw him record a maiden century in international cricket, ending with an impressive strike rate of 138.27.
Williams, meanwhile, continued where he left off from the first match, and now has seven wickets during the series so far.
Bayern Munich have confirmed that midfielder Jamal Musiala will be out "for the time being" after picking up a hip injury in their Champions League defeat to Aston Villa.
Musiala, who played in the second half of the 1-0 loss at Villa Park, has been ruled out for Bayern's upcoming Bundesliga fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
He will also miss Germany's Nations League fixtures against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands, with Julian Nagelsmann replacing the 21-year-old in his squad with Stuttgart's Jamie Leweling.
Musiala has been in fine form for Vincent Kompany's side, scoring three goals and laying on three assists in eight appearances in all competitions.
The midfielder also has the joint-most completed dribbles in the Bundesliga this season (seven), while only Michael Olise (14), Joshua Kimmich (13) and Harry Kane (10) have created more chances for Bayern than Musiala (seven).
He has also impressed for Germany on the international stage, scoring six times in 36 games for his country, playing a starring role in their Nations League opener against Hungary last month, scoring once and providing three assists in the 5-0 victory.
"Following an examination by the club's medical staff, Jamal Musiala will be sidelined for the time being with a hip problem," Bayern said on their social media accounts.
Ben Stokes is a doubt for England's three-match series in Pakistan, with Zak Crawley admitting they do not know if he will be fit to feature.
Stokes tore his hamstring playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred competition, forcing him to miss the side's last three matches against Sri Lanka, with England winning the series 2-1.
At the end of September, the captain underwent a planned scan which showed he was “on track” to feature in the series, although he was not expected to bowl at the start.
Stokes had been hoping to make his return in the series opener on Monday, but looked uncomfortable in England's first training session, and is yet to be given the green light.
"I think he's got to do a few more tests, but he's been doing some running and stuff," Crawley said.
"He seems to be going well, recovering well from his injury, [but] we don't know just yet. We feel ready, whatever team comes out, it will be a nice balance either way.
"We've got a really deep squad with plenty of options with the ball and with the bat as well."
If Stokes is available to play, they could have some selection headaches, as they would be forced to drop one of the top six batters with his inclusion to make way for an extra bowler.
If they do not drop a batter, they could rely on Joe Root, who could also make history as he has 12,402 runs for England in men's tests and is just 71 away from surpassing Alastair Cook (12,472) as the all-time leading run-scorer.
Crawley, meanwhile, has been cleared to feature after recovering from a broken finger that kept him out against Sri Lanka.
"I feel brand new. I'm looking forward to getting out there," Crawley added.
"I couldn't pick up a bat for five weeks. I've certainly missed it, so I can't wait to get out there again with the boys.
"It was a nasty break at the time, but I've recovered well, and I don't feel it at all while I'm batting.
"I won't go at slip, just from advice from the doctor, but I feel like I could. I'm trying to rest it, but I did a few catches, and it feels fine. I'm just trying to follow the professional advice."
As the excitement for the upcoming Mouttet Mile Invitational continues to build, another international contender joins the fray. Guyanese-based Olympic Kremlin is confirmed to participate in the Caribbean's richest horse race at Caymanas Park on December 7.
Olympic Kremlin, a seven-year-old chestnut horse, boasts an impressive pedigree and racing record. Bred in Brazil, he is sired by Japanese stallion Agnes Gold out of Sweet Lemonade by Lemon Drop Kid. The horse's career highlights include five victories in Brazil, earning close to US$90,000, and two wins from two starts in Guyana, including the prestigious Guyana Cup (August 22) and the President's Cup over a mile (September 22).
While in Jamaica, Olympic Kremlin will be trained by Alford Brown, who expressed confidence about his prospects.
"His preparation will be done throughout the entire month of November heading into the race. He has an outstanding chance, and I expect big things from him," Brown said.
Olympic Kremlin is set to arrive in Jamaica at the end of October, following a journey that will take him from Guyana to Miami before reaching the island. This move allows for a full month of local preparation before the big race.
Christopher Wills, VP Operations at Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), operators of Caymanas Park, welcomed the news.
"We're excited to have Olympic Kremlin joining the Mouttet Mile field. His participation further solidifies the race's status as a truly international event. The inclusion of such high-calibre horses from around the Caribbean and beyond is exactly what we envisioned when creating this prestigious race. We look forward to hosting Olympic Kremlin and his connections, and we're excited to see how he performs against our top local talent," he said.
Earlier this year, six prominent overseas-based horses—Sheer Delight, Pack Plays, Barnaby, Legacy Isle, Commandant, and Real Macho—expressed an interest in participating in Caymanas Park’s marquee race day.
The Mouttet Mile Invitational is a Grade One event for three-year-olds and upward going over a mile (1,600m) and in successive years has set the record for the largest purse in the English-speaking Caribbean. The 2024 purse is set at a historic US$250,000.
Last year’s Mouttet Mile was won by Rough Entry, an overseas entrant ridden by Canadian jockey Julien Leparoux. The addition of Olympic Kremlin to the Mouttet Mile field underscores the event's growing international appeal and Caymanas Park’s status as a premier racing destination in the Caribbean.
Enzo Maresca says that Chelsea "are not ready" to compete for major trophies against Manchester City and Arsenal this season.
The Blues have made a strong start to life under Maresca, losing just two of their 10 matches so far.
They are currently on a five-match winning run in all competitions, most recently seeing off Gent 4-2 in their Conference League opener on Thursday.
So far, Chelsea have scored 27 goals under the Italian, with 15 of those coming in the league, outperforming their 12.2 expected goals (xG), and only failed to score in their opening Premier League match against City.
However, Maresca has insisted people should not get carried away by Chelsea's recent form, playing down their chances of lifting any silverware this campaign.
"I really don't think we can compete with City or Arsenal," Maresca said.
"I really don't think that, because we are not ready. The reason is that City has worked with the same manager for nine years and Arsenal for five years. If you want to compete for big things, you need that time.
"After Arsenal beat PSG [in the Champions League] they asked Luis Enrique, and he said the same thing, that Arsenal have had the same manager for five years and [PSG] only a year and a half.
"Imagine us, only three months… so it's a huge difference. So, I am really convinced we cannot compete with those clubs."
Before Maresca's appointment, Mauricio Pochettino only spent a season at Stamford Bridge, while Graham Potter before him was only in the position for just under seven months.
After another busy transfer window for Chelsea saw them bring in 13 players, Maresca has urged for patience as they continue to find their footing in the early stages of his tenure.
"The target is to improve and slowly, slowly to get closer to those clubs but at the moment we are not ready for that," he added.
“There is no timeframe because you can continue to improve and add solutions to things always.”
Chelsea face Nottingham Forest at home on Sunday in their final match before the international break.
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