Boris Becker fears Alexander Zverev's injury problems may impact his fellow German's chances of winning a first grand slam at the upcoming French Open.

Zverev reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, but his chances of winning a maiden grand slam title were ended when an ankle injury forced him to retire from his last-four clash with eventual champion Rafael Nadal.

Zverev subsequently required surgery to repair damaged ligaments before a bone edema suffered in September further delayed his return to the court.

The German finally made his competitive comeback in December but struggled at the Australian Open the following month, crashing out in the second round to unheralded American Michael Mmoh.

With the 26-year-old heading to Roland Garros later this month looking to reach the semi-finals for the third straight year, Becker has serious doubts over his compatriot's chances of claiming victory.

Asked whether he felt Zverev could come out on top, Becker told Stats Perform: "I hope so. I hope so.

"At the moment he is in a bit of a crisis because he had a very severe injury last year in the semi-final against Nadal. 

"He literally broke his ankle. He was out for seven months and just came back this year. So he's still struggling.

"I think for the title, I don't think anybody German [will win] this year. I think it'll be a Spaniard, it'll be a Serbian, it'll be an Italian, somebody like that."

The French Open was the only grand slam singles title that evaded Becker during his hugely successful career, with the tennis great winning three Wimbledon titles, two Australian Open crowns and the 1989 US Open.

The former world number one believes the beauty of tennis lies in individuals coping with pressure, explaining there is no opportunity to exploit the talents of others to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

"Tennis is a very important sport," Becker said. "It's an individual sport. You can actually see it with one player, whether he's winning or losing.

"In a team, sometimes people can hide behind the likes of [Lionel] Messi or [Kylian] Mbappe. You're still a World Cup winner, even though you know it was either Mbappe or Messi, right?

"In tennis, it's not possible. You have to be the better player and that is why tennis is such a powerful sport, because you see who is better with your own eyes."

Chandler Stephenson scored 1:12 into overtime to cap a late rally that gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Jonathan Marchessault’s goal with 2:22 left in the third period forced extra time before Stephenson knocked in a rebound of teammate Shea Theodore’s shot to put the top-seeded Knights two wins away from the Stanley Cup Final.

The Stars had taken a 2-1 lead into the third period on Jason Robertson’s tiebreaking power-play goal midway through the second. Miro Heiskanen scored 2:47 into the game for Dallas before Vegas’ Mark Stone converted on a 5-on-3 power-play chance with just over 10 minutes elapsed in the opening period.

Dallas, which lost 4-3 in overtime in Friday’s Game 1, tied an NHL record with its fourth overtime defeat in a single postseason. The Stars will attempt to regroup when the series moves to Dallas for Tuesday’s Game 3.

The first two games of the Eastern Conference finals between the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes were also decided in overtime, marking the first time in league history each of the opening two games of both conference finals went to OT.

Tennis’ busy European season is in full swing with the French Open looming and grass not far away.

The world’s best players are travelling to Roland Garros ahead of the year’s second grand slam beginning on Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the current tennis picture.

How is 2023 shaping up for British players?

More downs than ups so far. Cameron Norrie had an impressive start to the season, including winning his second biggest title in Rio, but has not been at his best on the European clay so far. Emma Raducanu had some moments of encouragement but is now out long term after three surgeries, while Andy Murray produced heroics at the Australian Open but remains inconsistent and is skipping the French Open. Dan Evans has been up and down but continues to maintain his place in the top 25.

How will the time out affect Raducanu?

It is hard to say but many observers believe it could be beneficial in the long run for the 20-year-old to have time away from the court. It has been a difficult 18 months since Raducanu’s US Open victory, with the spotlight unrelenting and her body uncooperative. Not only will this period give her the opportunity to address the latter, she will also have time for some much needed normality. Raducanu still has time on her side and does not need to rush back. If she is happy and healthy, she is more than good enough to climb the rankings again.

What about Jack Draper?

Britain’s other rising young star has also struggled with ongoing niggles, the latest of which was an abdominal injury that limited him to only one tournament in the last two months. Happily, he is back in time to make his French Open debut – a reminder of how quickly he rose up the ranks last season. There is no doubt about Draper’s potential but his physical frailty is frustrating. Draw and fitness permitting, the powerful 21-year-old could do serious damage at Wimbledon.

And the rest?

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Little to get excited about. There are no British women in the French Open main draw or the top 100 – a damning statistic given the resources available. That could soon change with Jodie Burrage, Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart not too far away but the latter’s fall down the rankings this season has been disappointing. At junior level there are some encouraging signs after a barren spell but strength in depth remains the biggest challenge.

How is Murray looking for Wimbledon?

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His main motivation for missing the French Open again is to give himself the best chance at Wimbledon. Last year Murray’s hips finally felt good only for him to suffer an abdominal injury and miss the Wimbledon build-up. He has played some good tennis this season but, despite winning a first title since 2019, struggled on clay. Murray still believes he can challenge for the trophy at SW19 given his experience on grass, and his chances would be improved if he could sneak into the top 32 and obtain a seeding.

How does the overall tennis picture look?

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The men’s game has a very different look to 12 months ago, when Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were still dominant. Nadal’s announcement that retirement is looming is another reminder that this remarkable era is drawing to a close while Djokovic, although still the man to beat at both the French Open and Wimbledon, has struggled on clay and is battling an elbow issue. Carlos Alcaraz is back at world number one and will be eyeing a second slam title in Paris but there could well be some surprise results. On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek will bid for a third title in Paris but is not as dominant as she was 12 months ago, with Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina the players of the season so far.

Rory McIlroy believes having lower expectations paid dividends as he battled to a top-10 finish in the US PGA Championship.

McIlroy had cut a subdued figure before play got under way at Oak Hill, a legacy of his dispiriting missed cut in the Masters as his latest attempt to complete a career grand slam ended prematurely.

The 34-year-old was also feeling under the weather and struggling with his long game, but followed an opening 71 with three straight 69s to finish two under par, seven shots behind winner Brooks Koepka.

“I’ll look back on this week as proud of how I hung in there and I guess (proud of) my attitude and sticking to it, not having my best stuff,” McIlroy said.

“I guess I just came in here trying to play a golf tournament, honestly not thinking about getting myself in contention. I honestly didn’t feel like I had a chance of winning this week.

“I feel sort of close but also so far away at the same time. It’s hard to explain. I feel like sometimes it was the worst I could have played, but then at the same time it’s like the best I could have done.

“It’s weird. It just doesn’t feel quite where it needs to be and I just need to go back home and work on some stuff. I guess just try to figure it out.”

Asked if having lower expectations had worked in his favour, McIlroy added: “Yeah, 100 per cent.

“I was more accepting of things out there and I think it’s hard. The previous major championship at Augusta, all I think about is winning, winning, winning, to try to win that green jacket.

“I then don’t really think about just playing a tournament and the cadence that goes along with getting into rounds and whatever.

“I go to the second tee on Friday afternoon and I see I’m already 10 back of Brooks or whatever. So then I’m thinking, ‘oh, geez, I have no chance of winning’, and things sort of crumble.

“It’s just like being a bit mentally fragile because you’re so focused on the one thing you’re trying to do when, in essence, you just need to play a golf tournament and see where the chips fall at the end of the week.”

Club professional Michael Block has a sneaking suspicion his life has changed forever thanks to his sensational performance in the US PGA Championship.

Block enjoyed a barely believable week at Oak Hill, making the cut in a major for the first time, playing with Justin Rose in the third round and then firing a hole-in-one on Sunday while playing with four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

The 46-year-old’s display captured the imagination of the spectators and his tie for 15th place secured a place in next year’s US PGA at Valhalla, followed soon after by invites for this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge on the PGA Tour and June’s Canadian Open.

“This week’s been absolutely a dream,” Block said. “I didn’t know it was going to happen, but I knew if I just played my darned game that I could do this.

“I always knew it. I had this intuition that it was going to happen. I always saw myself coming down the stretch with Tiger Woods. I was like, I’m going to do it, even if I’m 45 or whatever it is, I’m going to come down the stretch at an event with Tiger.

“It just happened to be that I was in the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, and I had Rory McIlroy in my group.

“I wasn’t coming down the stretch to win, but at the same time, Sunday at a major with the crowd here at Rochester was unreal.

“My life’s changed, but my life’s only changed for the better. I’ve got my family. I’ve got my friends. I’ve got the people that really love me and care about me here. It’s an epic experience.”

Asked why he had proved so popular at Oak Hill, Block added: “I’m like the new John Daly, but I don’t have a mullet, and I’m not quite as big as him yet.

“I’m just a club professional, right? I work. I have fun. I have a couple boys that I love to play golf with. I have a great wife. I have great friends. I live the normal life.

“I love being at home. I love sitting in my backyard. My best friend in the world is my dog. I can’t wait to see him.

“But, yeah, it’s been a surreal experience and I had this weird kind of sensation that life is going to be not quite the same moving forward, but only in a good way, which is cool.

“I want to get more phone calls. I want to get more exemptions. I want people to start calling me and saying, ‘we want you in our event because it makes it better’. That’s great to me.”

Manchester City secured their third straight Premier League title but Manchester United kept the Women’s Super League title race alive with a 2-1 win against City.

Chantelle Cameron defeated Katie Taylor, La Rochelle earned back-to-back Heineken Champions Cup victories and Brooks Koepka landed his third US PGA Championship.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at some of the best pictures from this weekend’s sporting action.

Brooks Koepka admitted his fifth major title was the “most meaningful” after winning the 105th US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Koepka won his first four majors in the space of eight events from 2017 to 2019, but suffered career-threatening injuries and a loss of form before joining LIV Golf last year.

The former world number one also felt, in his own words, that he had “choked” by failing to convert a four-shot lead after six holes of the third round of the Masters at Augusta National.

There was no repeat of such failings at Oak Hill as Koepka held off the challenge of Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler to claim a third US PGA title and move into the automatic qualifying places for the US Ryder Cup team.

“It feels damned good,” Koepka said. “Yeah, this one is definitely special.

“I think this one is probably the most meaningful of them all with everything that’s gone on, all the crazy stuff over the last few years. But it feels good to be back and to get number five.

“When I look back at where we were two years ago I’m just so happy right now. I’m kind of at a loss for words. This is the coolest thing.

“There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears that have gone into this one. Life has changed a lot for me but this one is super gratifying for me.

“I don’t know how many guys have won five times but to be in with those names is incredible. I’m not sure as a kid I even dreamed about doing it.”

Quote of the day

“There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears that have gone into this one” – Koepka reflects on his fifth major title after overcoming various injuries.

Shot of the day

Club professional Michael Block’s amazing week included making a hole-in-one on the 15th while partnering Rory McIlroy in the final round.

Round of the day

Five players shot 65 in the final round but Koepka’s 67 was compiled amidst the highest pressure and he responded superbly to every setback.

Statistic of the day

Club professional Michael Block made many, many times his usual hourly rate for lessons with his amazing performance at Oak Hill.

Easiest hole

The reachable par-four 14th offered up an essential scoring opportunity, with three eagles and 27 birdies leading to a scoring average of 3.632.

Hardest hole

The par-four seventh played as the toughest hole with runner-up Scottie Scheffler making one of just four birdies on the final day. Winner Brooks Koepka was one of 31 players to make bogey as it played to an average of 4.421.

When is the next major?

The US Open takes place at Los Angeles Country Club from June 15-18.

Brooks Koepka struggled to put into words what it meant to win his third US PGA Championship and fifth major title after an impressive victory at Oak Hill.

Koepka carded a final round of 67 to finish two shots ahead of Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler, whose share of second place was enough to take him back to the top of the world rankings.

Koepka will climb from 44th to 13th in the updated standings and also moves into the automatic qualifying places for the United States Ryder Cup team.

The 33-year-old won his first four majors in the space of eight events, but suffered injuries and a loss of form before joining LIV Golf last year, having previously suggested those switching to the Saudi-funded circuit would be “selling out”.

“This is incredible, this is wild,” Koepka said. “When I look back at where we were two years ago I’m just so happy right now. I’m kind of at a loss for words. This is the coolest thing.

“This one is definitely a lot sweeter. There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears that have gone into this one. Life has changed a lot for me but this one is super gratifying for me.

“I don’t know how many guys have won five times but to be in with those names is incredible. I’m not sure as I kid I even dreamed about doing it.

“I’m not trying to prove to anyone else that I can still play. I can still do it and I like the way things are starting to come together. I think when I’m healthy I think I’m back to where I was during that good stretch.”

Hovland has finished fourth, seventh and second in the last three majors and his closing 68 was a considerable improvement on final rounds of 74 in both last year’s Open Championship and this year’s Masters.

“It sucks right now, but it is really cool to see that things are going in the right direction,” Hovland said.

“If I just keep taking care of my business and just keep working on what I’ve been doing, I think we’re going to get one of these soon.

“Brooks is a great player and now he has five majors. I mean, that’s a hell of a record right there. It’s not easy going toe to toe with a guy like that.

“So I feel like I belong out here, I just have got to get a little bit better and hopefully it goes my way the next time.”

Scheffler was left to rue birdie putts which lipped out on the first and ninth as he was unable to put any early pressure on Koepka.

“I had two of the worst lip-outs that I have ever seen today,” he said. “The balls were trickling and I thought I was ready to take a step like they were going in.

“One horseshoed at trickle pace, and the other one lipped out and stayed about an inch from the edge. In order to win these tournaments the putts have to fall in. They didn’t fall, but I put up a good fight.

“I gave the guys on top of the leaderboard something to think about and I kind of made a little bit much a move, but Brooks just played some fantastic golf this week. He played too good this weekend for me to catch up to him.”

Six weeks after feeling he “choked” in the final round of the Masters, Brooks Koepka held his nerve to overcome a spirited challenge from Viktor Hovland to win the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Koepka carded a closing 67 to finish nine under par and claim his third US PGA title, his fifth major overall and the first for a player on the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League.

Hovland traded blows with Koepka until a costly double bogey on the 16th, but a birdie on the 18th deservedly gave the Norwegian a share of second place with Scottie Scheffler on seven under.

Koepka took a one-shot lead over Hovland and Corey Conners into the final round, having enjoyed double that advantage following 54 holes of the Masters in April.

The 33-year-old carded a closing 75 at Augusta National to finish second to Jon Rahm and felt he had choked under pressure, but exorcised those demons at the first opportunity.

The former world number one made a flying start with a hat-trick of birdies from the second and was momentarily four shots clear before Hovland matched his birdie on the fourth.

Hovland also birdied the fifth to close the gap and was within a single stroke when Koepka pushed his drive on the sixth into Allen’s Creek and was unable to save par.

Koepka doubled his lead with a birdie on the 10th, only to then see his approach to the next plug in a greenside bunker.

After blasting out to 12 feet, Koepka saw his par attempt lip out and although he bounced back immediately to birdie the 12th, he could not shake off a resolute Hovland.

The 25-year-old, who was in contention for the third consecutive major, took advantage of the par-five 13th to keep the pressure firmly on and both men birdied the short 14th to effectively turn it into a two-horse race.

However, in a carbon copy of what happened to Conners in round three, Hovland drilled his second shot into the face of a fairway bunker on the 16th to run up a double bogey.

Koepka’s birdie gave him a four-shot lead and he could afford to bogey the 17th and par the last to complete an impressive victory.

Scheffler had got within two of the lead thanks to birdies on the 10th, 13th and 14th, but had to wait until the 18th to pick up another shot and complete a superb 65.

World number one Rahm, commentating for CBS following a closing 71 which left him seven over par, had been full of praise for Koepka after his blistering start.

“He is a player that, when he gets in contention, is like a shark in the water,” Rahm said.

“He smells blood, especially on these types of courses. It suits his mentality of being even keel, plodding along and taking opportunities when they come.

“He came out aggressive and I don’t think people realise how dangerous some of these hole locations are. To be that precise (on the second) to give yourself three feet straight up the hill is incredible.”

Open champion Cameron Smith recorded the joint lowest round of the week to date with a closing 65 and insisted no one should be surprised that he and fellow LIV players like Koepka were able to compete at the highest level.

“I gave up on that narrative about six months ago,” Smith said with a smile. “I think there’s been a few guys that have been trying to kick it along a little bit.

“We’re still out there. We haven’t forgot how to play golf. We’re all great golfers out there, and we know what we can do, and I think that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Rory McIlroy began the day five shots behind Koepka and made the ideal start with a birdie from tap-in distance on the first, but bogeyed two of the next three holes and eventually signed for a third straight 69.

McIlroy at least had the best seat in the house for an extraordinary performance from playing partner Michael Block, the 46-year-old club professional making a hole-in-one on the 15th in a closing 71 that secured a place in the field at Valhalla next year.

Justin Rose was within three of the lead when he birdied the first and chipped in to save par on the second, but had to settle for a closing 71 to finish one under.

Compatriot Tyrrell Hatton was left to rue a nightmare opening round of 77 after subsequent scores of 68, 69 and 67 proved what was possible and left him in a tie for 15th.

Borussia Dortmund are one win away from clinching the Bundesliga title after a 3-0 victory at Augsburg.

Bayern Munich’s loss to Leipzig on Saturday opened the door for Dortmund and they seized their opportunity, moving within three points of ending the Bavarian club’s 10-year reign as German champions.

Sebastian Haller – who missed the first half of the season as he battled cancer – scored twice and Julian Brandt once after Felix Uduokhai had been sent off for Augsburg.

Victory over Mainz on the final day of the campaign next Saturday would see Dortmund clinch their first Bundesliga crown for 11 years, but anything less would open the door for Bayern to win an 11th straight title.

Mainz suffered a 4-1 home defeat to struggling Stuttgart on Saturday despite taking the lead, while Lars Stindl scored a 90th-minute equaliser to earn Borussia Monchengladbach a 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

In Spain, Real Madrid’s miserable week was compounded by a 1-0 defeat to lowly Valencia.

Four days after their humbling by Manchester City in the Champions League, Real went down to Diego Lopez’s 33rd-minute goal.

The match was soured by more complaints of racist abuse directed at Vinicius Junior, with the game briefly halted after the Brazilian appeared to point out offenders in the crowd.

He was then shown a straight red card for lashing out at Hugo Duro in stoppage time.

The result eased Valencia’s LaLiga relegation fears while Real dropped to third place in the table behind city rivals Atletico Madrid, who defeated Osasuna 3-0 with goals from Yannick Carrasco, Saul Niguez and Angel Correa.

Espanyol gave themselves a lifeline in the battle at the bottom with a 2-1 victory at Rayo Vallecano while the Seville derby ended in a goalless draw between Sevilla and Real Betis, who had Juan Miranda sent off late on.

In Serie A, Inter Milan were brought back down to earth after reaching the Champions League final, falling to a 3-1 defeat against champions Napoli.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Roberto Gagliardini was sent off before half-time and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa put Napoli ahead midway through the second half.

Romelu Lukaku drew the 10 men level with eight minutes to go but Napoli responded emphatically with goals from Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Gianluca Gaetano.

Inter dropped to fourth in the table behind Lazio, who beat Udinese 1-0 thanks to Ciro Immobile’s penalty.

Torino and Fiorentina drew 1-1 while strugglers Lecce and Spezia had to settle for a point each in a 0-0 draw.

Paris St Germain all but wrapped up another Ligue 1 title thanks to an early double from Kylian Mbappe in a 2-1 victory over Auxerre.

The France star scored in the sixth and eighth minutes, with Lassine Sinayoko replying for Auxerre in the second half, to move PSG six points clear of Lens with only two games left and with a far superior goal difference.

Lens ensured it is not yet mathematically over with a 3-1 victory at Lorient. Romain Faivre put the hosts ahead early on but goals from Florian Sotoca and Adrian Thomasson turned the match around before half-time and Seko Fofana made sure of the points late on.

Rennes boosted their European hopes by thumping relegated Ajaccio 5-0. Amine Gouiri scored a hat-trick while Mickael Alphonse was sent off for the Corsican side.

Brest defeated Clermont 2-1 while there were draws between Nice and Toulouse, Reims and Angers and Troyes and Strasbourg.

Boss Dean Smith admits Leicester are ‘in the last chance saloon’ in their bid to ensure Premier League survival.

The Foxes go to Newcastle on Monday three points from safety with two games left.

Everton’s 1-1 draw at Wolves on Saturday means the fight for survival will go to the final day, regardless of the result at St James’ Park.

Victory will take the Foxes out of the drop zone and above the Toffees on goal difference and Smith is aware of the magnitude of the game.

“We are pretty much in the last chance saloon with a game against Newcastle,” he said, with the Foxes hosting West Ham on the last day on Sunday.

“Disappointment and frustration are the two words I’d say I’ve seen. But we are running out of games to put that right and the players know that.

“When I came in here for the last eight games, if someone had said to me ‘If you win at home the last game of the season (to survive), would you take it?’ I probably would have.

“Hopefully we can get there but we have to get a performance and a result against Newcastle.

“There are things we’ve looked at, things we’ve done. When there is no pressure on the ball, you don’t push up like we did for the first goal against Liverpool.

“There’s an awful lot we’ve done in the classroom in terms of video analysis and we’ve done some stuff on the pitch as well.

“I’ve always said to the players that mistakes are going to happen, from both teams. People are going to make mistakes and you need a helping hand from your team-mate once you make that mistake.

“We probably haven’t been in the positions to help each other out as much as we would like.”

The Magpies need a point to wrap up Champions League qualification while Leicester know two wins from their final two games will seal survival, barring a huge goal difference swing in Everton’s favour.

Smith added: “It’s just a big game. We know what’s at the end of it. I don’t think there’s anyone here who’s not aware of that so our focus is to go there and put in as good a performance as we can.”

Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn admits having the chance to qualify for Europe for the first time in more than a decade is something which they did not think was possible six months ago.

Manager Unai Emery took over from Steven Gerrard in late October with the club 15th in the Premier League but after a 1-1 draw at Anfield their destiny remains in their own hands in terms of securing a spot in the Europa Conference League.

McGinn, who said “every day is a school day” under the Spaniard, accepts that possibility seemed remote at the start of winter.

“It’s been the aim since day one. The owners have had a remit to get us back playing European football,” he said.

“If you’d said to us back in November ‘you’d be three points away’ then you’d have laughed. We have got three points to get to get us back.

“This club deserves to be in the top 10, we’ve managed to secure that for the first time in a long, long while.

“Now it’s about building, getting into Europe hopefully and build from there.”

McGinn said the transformation under Emery, who has won 14 and lost just six of his 24 matches in charge, had been remarkable.

And he believed their performance and experience at Anfield against a team desperately trying to attain Champions League qualification would stand them in good stead if they do indeed qualify for Europe.

“It was a test for us, it was a challenge. If we want to play in Europe, we need to come to places like this and get results,” he added.

“We’ve given ourselves a huge opportunity next week (at home to Brighton) and hopefully we take it.

“It’s in our hands now and we know three points will get us European football.

“The manager has touched on it, he has a lot of experience of European football, I’m sure everyone involved in the club will be so focused this week to make sure that’s a reality.

“He will have an obsession this week on how to beat Brighton. I think if you ask any player who has worked with him this year he has been an absolute pleasure.

“He’s made myself better, he’s made other players better. Every day is a school day, I keep saying it.

“I’m not used to his style of football, the Spanish way. I’ve always had British ex-pros who were all brilliant for me, brilliant for my career but he’s certainly showing me a different side of football and one I’m certainly enjoying.

“I feel as if I’ve got so much left to learn but, even at 28, there’s so much more learning to do. Hopefully the progress can continue and myself and others can continue to improve.”