The San Francisco 49ers are getting healthy at the right time as they bid to kick-start a second-half surge towards the postseason and get a rare win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

San Francisco had their bye in Week 9, having got to 4-4 in emphatic fashion a week earlier, routing the Los Angeles Rams 31-14 at SoFi Stadium.

They return home to Levi's Stadium to face the Chargers in primetime and, while they have beaten the Rams eight times in a row in the regular season, they have not had such fortune against the other Los Angeles team in the NFL.

Indeed, the Chargers are looking to win their sixth straight game against the 49ers, which would make them the first team to do so since the Seattle Seahawks (who nine games from 2014 to 2018).

However, the two teams have not met since Los Angeles' home win in Week 4 of the 2018 season.

The 49ers, who have once again battled the injury bug in a recurring theme of head coach Kyle Shanahan's tenure, are set to get eight players back from absences.

Versatile star wide receiver Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Jauan Jennings (hamstring), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (finger) and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (calf) are all set to return after missing the win over the Rams.

Running back Elijah Mitchell, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, backup tackle Colton McKivitz and defensive end Jordan Willis will also make their comebacks from injuries that saw them placed on the injured reserve list.

Mitchell has not played since injuring his knee in Week 1, and it is his and Samuel's infusion back into the lineup that will be most intriguing to watch from an offensive standpoint for San Francisco.

Neither Samuel nor Mitchell has had the chance to play with 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, whom San Francisco acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers last month.

In his second game against the Rams, McCaffrey threw for, rushed for and caught a touchdown. He was the first player to do so in the same game since the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson completed the feat in Week 6 of the 2005 season and only the fourth since the 1970 merger.

Adding Samuel, whose ability to excel as a receiver and a running back propelled the Niners to the NFC Championship Game last season, and 2021 leading rusher Mitchell into the mix alongside another dual running and receiving threat in McCaffrey opens an array of options for Shanahan, especially against a Charger run defense allowing the most yards play (5.7) on the ground in the NFL.

In contrast to the 49ers' improving injury report, the Chargers will again be without top wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, while right tackle Trey Pipkins is out with a knee injury. Practice squad lineman Foster Sarell could get the nod in his stead ahead of much-maligned backup Storm Norton.

Despite losing left tackle Rashawn Slater to a torn ACL earlier in the season, the Chargers' offensive line has held up well. Quarterback Justin Herbert was not sacked in the win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9, and the Chargers have allowed the fewest sacks in the league this season (10). They have not given up 10 or fewer sacks through eight games since the 2008 season (also 10).

That could change against a fearsome 49ers defensive front. The Niners are third in the NFL with a sack rate of 8.9 per cent, though they are once again missing their best interior pass rusher, Arik Armstead, with a foot injury.

The lack of receiving weapons and injuries up front would appear to put Herbert and the 5-3 Chargers in a tough spot. However, the 49ers will be wary of Herbert's ability to overcome adversity, as he has continued to thrive even as the Chargers have failed to deliver since he entered the league in 2020.

Through 40 career starts, Herbert has accounted for 90 touchdowns (82 passing, 8 rushing). Only Patrick Mahomes (107), Dan Marino (95) and Kurt Warner (91) accounted for more scores in their first 40 starts.

Jurgen Klopp would welcome the prospect of fresh investment at Liverpool, saying the Reds need to add "proven quality" to their squad.

Earlier this week, The Athletic reported Fenway Sports Group (FSG) were open to selling Liverpool, although the Reds' owners have since clarified they are simply willing to "consider new shareholders".

Klopp reaffirmed his own commitment to the club on Thursday, and has now said new investment would be a positive development if it enables his side to "take risks" in the transfer market.

"In the structure we had, we were obviously able to spend money, but we always had to look and say, 'what did we earn?' That was always the situation, it was clear," Klopp said at a pre-match news conference ahead of Liverpool's meeting with Southampton.

"The two biggest transfers we did in the past, with Ali [Alisson] and Virg [Van Dijk], we all know how it happened. 

"We got some money from Barcelona [for Philippe Coutinho] and spent it wisely, I would say.

"For me, how we did it so far brought us to where we are. But fresh money is no mistake, let me say it like this. Nothing gets cheaper, and not only because of the inflation rate. 

"Sometimes you have to spend. We are really happy to give all our young kids a chance, and I'm so positive about the impact they will have in the future. 

"But around it you have to, from time to time, throw in proven quality. In an ideal world, they are young as well, and not 35! So yes, from time to time, you have to take some risks, and we will see. 

"I have no idea what will happen, but I am positive about it. If in the end it is not positive, then I can start worrying, but I just think everything will be fine."

Jos Buttler and England will not allow noise around the weather to be a distraction ahead of the T20 World Cup final with Pakistan.

Buttler and Alex Hales combined to steer England to a 10-wicket win in their semi-final against India, the two openers' stand of 170 the highest for any wicket in the competition.

That set up an intriguing final with a Pakistan team that beat New Zealand by seven wickets to qualify for the showpiece at the MGC.

But a forecast of inclement weather could significantly dampen the spectacle. Sunday could be washed out and there is rain forecast for Monday's reserve day, meaning the trophy could be shared.

That would be an unsatisfying end for both sides, and Buttler believes his side can draw on the experience of the Super Over win against New Zealand in the 2019 50-over Cricket World Cup final to help them manage a potentially chaotic couple of days.

"I think any experiences that you can draw on now, good or bad, you will have learned from those and reflect on those to be in situations of adversity or a bit of chaos, you know, those are all things that can happen," Buttler said. 

"And then the World Cup final there's a good chance of things like that happening. So the more experience you've got of being able to understand those feelings and how to react to them. I definitely see that as a benefit. 

"I think whether it's that World Cup final or whether it's different finals in franchise cricket or and any of the experiences that we have as a group that we will draw on will be a benefit.

"Certainly, I think, the weather is something we cannot control and whatever does happen, we must be ready to go in whatever sort of sense that is.

"Obviously, we will, fingers crossed, we will just get a normal game of T20 cricket and that won't be affected. So but I don't want us to waste energy today and tomorrow morning thinking about the weather."

Pakistan looked anything but potential finalists after a thrilling opening loss to India was followed by a stunning defeat to Zimbabwe.

But they found form thereafter and will pose significant danger to England as Babar Azam's side look to win this trophy for the first time since prevailing in England in 2009.

"Of course we lost our first two matches, but the way our team has come back the last four matches, they have performed very well," Babar said.

"We are playing good cricket in the last four matches and we will try and continue that momentum in the final."
 

FAMILIAR FOES

Having played a seven-game T20I series before this tournament, England and Pakistan are very familiar with each other.

England edged that series 4-3 and have won six of the last nine meetings in this format. Additionally, England have won both of their previous T20 World Cup matches with Pakistan, though those were back in 2009 and 2010.

"We've played against them a lot recently, but of course, in very different conditions. It's going to be a different game to the series in Pakistan so we know that we're up against an excellent team," said Buttler. 

"We expect a really tough challenge. As I mentioned before, they're a team we've seen lots of in in the recent past and we've had some brilliant matches against them, played in a fantastic spirit and I'm sure tomorrow will be no different."

MELBOURNE MISERY

Neither Pakistan nor England have won a men’s T20I fixture at the MCG. Pakistan have lost their two previous games at the venue while England have lost all four of their completed games at the famous ground.

Rain could mean neither team gets to end that streak, but the victors - whether the trophy is shared or not - will join West Indies as the only teams to have won this tournament twice.

The midpoint of the NFL season is tougher to discern following the move to a 17-game campaign but, with Week 10 off and running, it's fair to say we are into the second half.

It is in these final nine weeks when the games will become increasingly important and the onus will be on the game's best to deliver and make sure their respective teams are in position to reach the postseason.

The performances in this half of the campaign will have a significant influence on the end of year awards and on the identity of players named to the All-Pro team.

But which players are most deserving of the latter honour following the opening half of the season?

Stats Perform dug deep into its advanced metrics to help fill out its All-Pro team at the midway point of the year.

Quarterback: Patrick Mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs

Mahomes is second in the NFL in Efficiency Versus Expected in expected passing situations among quarterbacks. He trails Josh Allen, however, having produced 36 completions of at least 20 yards compared to 30 for Allen. He has also been the more accurate quarterback, posting a well-thrown percentage of 82.7 compared to 82.2 for Allen.

Running Back: Tony Pollard - Dallas Cowboys

Among running backs with at least 50 designed runs, Pollard leads the NFL in yards per carry (6.25), is second in yards after contact per attempt (2.94) and first in yards per carry when there is a disruption by a defender (5.27). Pollard is also sixth in yards before contact per rush (3.46).

Wide Receiver: Tyreek Hill - Miami Dolphins

Hill is third in big-play rate among wide receivers with at least 50 targets. His rate of 39.5 per cent trails only Amari Cooper (40.4) and team-mate Jaylen Waddle (39.7). In terms of registering a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup on a play where he is targeted, he leads all qualifying wideouts with 5.0 burn yards per route and is on pace to finish with over 2,000 receiving yards.

Wide Receiver: Stefon Diggs - Buffalo Bills

Diggs leads the NFL in open percentage against man coverage, winning 74.42 per cent of his matchups and reaffirming his status as one of the NFL's elite route-runners.

Slot Receiver: Justin Jefferson - Minnesota Vikings

No receiver with at least 25 targets from the slot is averaging more burn yards per route (5.0) or burn yards per target (16.32) than Jefferson.

Tight End: Mark Andrews - Baltimore Ravens

When he has been healthy, no tight end has done a better job of creating separation than Andrews, who leads all players at his position (min. 25 targets) in burn rate (78.1 per cent), big play rate (39 per cent) and burn yards per route (3.7).

Left Tackle: Laremy Tunsil - Houston Texans

The Texans' struggles are nothing to do with Tunsil, who leads all linemen with a pass block win rate of 94.64 per cent and all left tackles with a pressure rate allowed of 1.5 per cent.

Left Guard: Landon Dickerson - Philadelphia Eagles

With the Eagles' Jason Kelce succession plan in place at center, Dickerson can focus on playing guard, which he is doing outstandingly. He leads all left guards with a pressure rate of 3.3 per cent and his stunt-adjusted pass block win rate of 88.69 per cent is second among all guards.

Center: Creed Humphrey - Kansas City Chiefs

Humphrey's pass-block win rate of 87.96 per cent is second to Rodney Hudson of the Arizona Cardinals (90). However, Humphrey has played 253 pass block snaps compared to Hudson's 107. Humphrey has a double-team adjusted run-block win rate of 76.36 per cent, Hudson's is just 53.33.

Right Guard: Wyatt Teller - Cleveland Browns

An outstanding run-blocking guard with a win rate of 80 per cent in that area of the game, Teller's pass-block win rate of 90.74 per cent trails just Tunsil among all offensive linemen.

Right Tackle: Tristan Wirfs - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The problems on the Bucs' offensive line are on the interior, not at tackle, where Wirfs has been exemplary. Wirfs has allowed three pressures in 277 pass-blocking snaps and is third in adjusted win rate (90.56 per cent) among linemen behind Tunsil and Teller.

Edge Rusher: Myles Garrett - Cleveland Browns

Garrett's pressure rate of 29.7 per cent is tied for the best among all edge rushers, while his pass-rush win rate is a phenomenal 68.3 per cent. Winning 48 of his 70 rushes, no edge defender can match him for disruption this season.

Interior Defensive Line: Aaron Donald - Los Angeles Rams

The Rams' hopes of retaining the Lombardi Trophy look to be hanging by a thread, but Donald is still Donald and once again playing at a ridiculously high level. Only two players (Derrick Brown and D.J Jones) have a higher run disruption rate among defensive tackles than Donald (40.5 per cent) while Quinnen Williams is the sole interior defensive lineman with a better pressure rate than his 24.2 per cent. No defender, however, can match Donald's remarkable pass-rush win rate of 73.66 per cent.

Interior Defensive Line: Quinnen Williams - New York Jets

The two players closest to Donald's level both reside in New York. Dexter Lawrence of the Giants has a better pass-rush win rate (72.8 per cent) than Williams (70.5 per cent) but Williams has been the slightly superior all-round defender, winning his run defense matchup 62.5 per cent of the time, adjusted for double-teams, compared to 54.67 per cent for Lawrence.

Edge Rusher: Von Miller - Buffalo Bills

Miller has been worth the extremely lofty price of admission for the Bills so far this season, posting a pass-block win rate of 57.33 and winning 62.96 per cent of his run defense matchups.

You may be screaming 'where is Micah Parsons?!' about the absence of the man seen as the Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner. Parsons is fourth in pressure rate among edge rushers (28.3 per cent), but 16 of his pressures have been unblocked, illustrating a role in the Dallas defense in which he often takes advantage of stunts as the looper. 

Athleticism and quickness creates a tougher situation for the linemen who are being gamed, but it also relies on the penetrator half of the stunt to pick two defenders. In other words, he's creating pressure because a different lineman is blowing a hole through the protection, giving Parsons a free rush on the QB.

In terms of traditional pass rushing, Parsons' impact has not quite been significant enough to make the cut.

Linebacker: Fred Warner - San Francisco 49ers

Warner remains the gold standard for coverage linebackers, allowing a combined open percentage across man and zone of just 15.49 that is second only to Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (13.95 per cent). Warner has also displayed improvement as a blitzer in 2022, his pressure rate of 43.8 per cent second among inside linebackers with at least 20 pass rushes.

Linebacker: Demario Davis - New Orleans Saints

At 33, Davis continues to demonstrate impressive longevity. His combined open percentage allowed of 17.64 trails only Warner among linebackers with at least 100 total plays, while he has also won 23.21 per cent of his run defense opportunities, well above the average of 17.72 for the position.

Nickel Cornerback: Bryce Callahan - Los Angeles Chargers

While the Chargers' run defense has continually struggled, their play in the defensive backfield has been impressive, with Callahan a clear standout. He has lost just six of his 74 coverage matchups across man and zone for a combined open percentage of 17.57 that is the best among corners with at least 50 matchups.

Cornerback: Patrick Surtain II - Denver Broncos

In his second year in the NFL, Surtain already has an extremely strong claim for being considered the best corner in the league. He is third in combined open percentage (21) and his burn rate of 28.9 per cent is first among corners with at least 25 targets.

Cornerback: Darius Slay - Philadelphia Eagles

Second behind Callahan for open percentage (20.21), Slay is once again thriving as part of an Eagles defense that is continually taking the ball away. He has eight pass breakups and three interceptions this season to go along with his superb coverage numbers.

Safety: Derwin James - Los Angeles Chargers

The flexibility of James has been critical to the aforementioned success in the secondary for the Chargers. His burn rate allowed of 35.7 per cent is the third-best for his position while James has also proven an asset rushing the passer, registering three sacks.

Safety: Talanoa Hufanga - San Francisco 49ers

You can't watch a 49ers game without Hufanga being compared to Troy Polamalu. He has unquestionably earned such plaudits, though, giving up the second-fewest burn yards per target (5.68) among safeties and recording the best big-play rate (8.0 per cent). With three interceptions, six pass breakups, five tackles for loss, four stuffs and a sack, he is setting the standard for splash plays at safety.

Steph Curry has "never been better" as he pulls the Golden State Warriors out of a "rut", head coach Steve Kerr said.

Having earlier this week dropped 47 points to help the Warriors defeat the Sacramento Kings and end a five-match losing streak, Curry was influential as Golden State rallied to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-101 on Friday.

Curry finished with 40 points, making 18 in the final quarter and going 15-of-23 shooting including 6-of-11 from three-point range.

With 1:18 left on the clock, Curry drained a three to tie the game then - having hit the go-ahead lay-up - landed another from downtown to get the Warriors over the line.

"You run out of adjectives to describe Steph's play," Kerr said of his star man.

"He's just amazing night after night. Given the circumstances with our team kind of in a rut, trying to dig our way out of a hole, he's just been spectacular. He's never been better, I can say that.

"He's in such great shape. If there's one area that he's dramatically better now than when I first got here eight years ago it's just his strength and conditioning.

"He's much bigger and stronger, much more capable of defending at a really high level and sustaining two-way basketball for an entire game and just knocking down shots from all over and finishing at the rim. He's unbelievable."

Curry has now scored at least 10 points in the final quarter on six occasions this season for a Warriors team who are 5-7 as they aim to defend their NBA Championship this season.

Asked if he can explain his strong finishes, Curry said: "I classify it as being aggressive.

"Obviously shots have to fall but it's about having aggressive attacks off of pick-and-roll, getting other guys involved, getting to the paint and finishing, coming out shooting. 

"A lot of confidence carried over from our playoff run last year. It's understanding the balance of playmaking and scoring."

Lionel Messi sees similarities between this Argentina side and the one that agonisingly missed out on World Cup glory in 2014.

Argentina will head to Qatar this month looking to lift the trophy for the first time since 1986.

Former Barcelona star Messi, who now plays for Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain, has said it is likely to be his final World Cup.

He has yet to win the biggest prize in international football, though he helped La Albiceleste to the Copa America title in 2021, finishing as joint-top scorer with four goals.

Messi won the Golden Ball in 2014 after inspiring Argentina to the final, only to be left watching Germany celebrate following Mario Gotze's extra-time winner.

But, speaking ahead of the 2022 competition, Messi appeared to suggest this Argentina squad has the unity to go as far as the 2014 team.

He told Ole: "At the 2014 World Cup, we performed very well. It was an unforgettable experience.

"I enjoyed it a lot and where it became clear to me more than ever that the main and most important thing is to be a strong and united group.

"That ultimately leads you to the important goal. Today I feel a lot of similarities between this group and the one from 2014."

Argentina are second favourites behind rivals Brazil to win the 2022 World Cup.

Lionel Scaloni's men have not lost since their 2-0 Copa America defeat to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America final, a run of 35 games unbeaten.

They begin their World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia on November 22, before facing Mexico and Poland in their other Group C matches.

Rafael Nadal does not need extra motivation to win the ATP Finals for the first time in his legendary career, while Novak Djokovic is looking for a "perfect ending" to 2022 in Turin.

Spanish great Nadal has won 22 singles grand slam titles, a record in the men's game, but has surprisingly never been crowned champion at the season-ending event.

Nadal made a personal-best start to 2022, winning 20 straight matches and lifting the Australian Open title.

However, he has only played once since the US Open due to becoming a father for the first time and recuperating from injuries.

Still, at the age of 36, Nadal is grateful to still be getting a crack at finally ticking off the ATP Finals on his impressive list of accomplishments.

"I try my best in every single event. That's true. Doesn't matter if I won it [in the past] or not," Nadal, a two-time runner-up, said at an ATP media day prior to the tournament in Turin.

"When I enter a tennis tournament, I want to win and I'm going to try my best to achieve that goal. Here I was not able to make it, I was not good enough to make it in the past.

"So I just accept that and I'm happy to give myself another chance at the age of 36 — something, for me, that was difficult to imagine years ago.

"Of course it's going to be a challenge, but I hope I will be ready to give myself a chance. That's what I am looking for, just practising as good as possible with the right attitude and just trying to be ready for the action that's going to start on Sunday."

Djokovic's season has been a complicated one. Absent from the Australian and US Opens due to not being vaccinated against COVID-19, the Serbian great did triumph at Wimbledon, but there were no ranking points on offer at SW19.

He has slipped to eighth in the rankings as a result but does have four titles to his name in 2022 and Djokovic is eyeing a record-equalling sixth ATP Finals title and first since 2015.

"It would be a perfect ending," Djokovic said." The cherry on the cake, for sure, but it's a long way. It's a long week.

"You've got to play the best players in the world. You have to play more or less everyone in this tournament at least once, so I look forward to it.

"I've had experience in this tournament, in this format, many times and hopefully that can serve me in a good way."

Son Heung-min has been included in South Korea's 26-man squad for the World Cup despite the Tottenham forward's injury.

The 30-year-old sustained a fractured eye socket playing against Marseille in a Champions League fixture earlier this month, putting his participation in serious doubt.

However, Son assured South Korea fans earlier this week that he would be on the plane to Qatar.

"I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you all for the messages of support I have received over the last week," the forward wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.

"I have read so many of them and truly, truly appreciate you all.

"In a tough time I received a lot of strength from you. Playing for your country at the World Cup is the dream of so many children growing up, just as it was one of mine too.

"I won’t miss this for the world. I can’t wait to represent our beautiful country. See you soon."

Son has now officially been included in South Korea's travelling part for the tournament that starts on November 20, with their first Group H assignment taking place four days later against Uruguay. 

Head coach Paulo Bento was not able to offer clarity on when Son could start training prior to that game.

In quotes reported by BBC Sport, Bento said: "We don't have that information yet.

"We are in contact with him, with the Tottenham medical department. We need to wait, we need to analyse day by day his situation.

"We have time to decide and the most important is he recovers as well as possible, he feels comfortable and then we will take the final decision."

Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 18 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter of his team's 106-101 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

After scoring a season-high 47 points on 17-of-24 shooting (70.8 per cent) in Monday's home win against the Sacramento Kings, Curry electrified the Chase Center crowd once more for consecutive 40-plus point performances.

Despite his final figures against the Cavaliers, the visitors actually led 72-62 with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Warriors closed the game on a 46-29 run.

The Warriors trailed 98-95 with 90 seconds remaining, before Curry proceeded to hit two three-pointers, a two-pointer and two free throws to ice the game.

He finished a terrific 15-of-23 (65.2 per cent) from the field, hitting six-of-11 threes while adding five assists and two turnovers.

Andrew Wiggins chipped in 20 points (eight-of-13 shooting), Draymond Green had season-highs in assists (13) and rebounds (9), and Jordan Poole rediscovered some form with 18 points (six-of-13) off the bench.

Donovan Mitchell continued his strong start in a Cavaliers uniform as he put up 29 points (10-of-20), 10 rebounds and nine assists, posting a plus/minus of plus seven in his 37 minutes. 

Morant outduels Edwards in Grizzlies win

Ja Morant and Anthony Edwards faced off in one of the NBA's most entertaining matchups, but it was Morant's Memphis Grizzlies coming out on top against the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 114-103 home win.

Both young stars finished with 28 points, with Edwards shooting a superior 10-of-16 compared to Morant's 11-of-25, but Morant added 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals, while Edwards had six rebounds and six assists.

Timberwolves' franchise-player Karl-Anthony Towns struggled with foul trouble all game, fouling out with 13 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes.

Barrett, Brunson put on a show at Madison Square Garden

The New York Knicks' backcourt was everything their fans have been hoping for in a 121-112 home win against the Detroit Pistons.

Former third-overall draft pick R.J. Barrett scored a season-high 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting (three-of-eight from deep), with five rebounds and five assists, while his running-mate and recent trade acquisition Jalen Brunson was just as good.

Brunson scored 26 points on eight-of-16 shooting, adding a team-high seven assists and a game-high four steals.

The win boosts the Knicks' home record to 4-2, and pulls them to 6-6 overall. 

In recent years, the notable absentee at the ATP Finals has been Roger Federer, with his last appearance in the tournament coming in 2019.

The lack of Federer at the showpiece event will be felt even more apparent this year after the Swiss maestro retired from tennis in September, though it is the absence of a player at the other end of his career that is more relevant in Turin.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz had to withdraw from the tournament after suffering an abdominal tear, which means his status at the top of the men's game is in jeopardy.

Rafael Nadal has spoken well of his 19-year-old compatriot in the past, but is not ready to pass the torch just yet, and could even topple Alcaraz from his number one spot.

The 22-time grand slam champion has finished as year-end number one five times previously, most recently in 2019. Should he accomplish the feat again this year it would put him in joint-second for most year-end finishes at the top of the ATP Rankings (since 1973) along with Pete Sampras (six).

In order to do so, Nadal will need to win the tournament, something he has never done before.

However, he comes into his 11th appearance in good form, and has won 32 per cent of his return games in 2022, the highest percentage by any player this year, and has converted 43.8 per cent of his break points in 2022, the third best amongst all players.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, meanwhile, is the other competitor who can knock Alcaraz off top spot, though his task to do so is a little more complicated as he needs to win every match on the way to the title in Turin. 

No player has played more matches in 2022 than Tsitsipas (80), 21 on clay, 11 on grass and 48 on hard courts; he has won 59 of them and lost 21.

Should neither man win at the Pala Alpitour, Alcaraz will breathe a sigh of relief and earn his first year-end number one finish, having taken his place after winning the US Open in September.

Nadal has been drawn into the Green Group with Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Taylor Fritz, while Tsitsipas will be in the Red Group alongside Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic can equal Federer record

One man surprisingly unable to end the year as number one is Djokovic, despite having done so on more occasions than anyone else in history (seven).

However, the 21-time grand slam champion can still make his mark in Italy.

Djokovic has had an up-and-down year, only playing in two of the four grand slams due to his vaccination status, though he was able to win Wimbledon for the seventh time, beating Nick Kyrgios in the final.

Should the Serbian go all the way and lift what would be his sixth ATP Finals title, he will go level with Federer for most victories since the tournament began in 1970.

Among the eight participating players in this year's tournament, Djokovic has won 87 per cent of his service games in 2022, the best percentage among these players and the sixth overall.

It would be quite the ending to the year for Djokovic, who finds himself in the unusual position of sitting eighth in the world rankings, and at the age of 35, who knows how many more appearances he will make at the event?

Strong field promises fireworks

As is the intent of the format, the ATP Finals should be a tightly-contested few days as the best men's players in the world come together.

Ruud will be looking to add to an already impressive season, having reached two grand slam finals and winning three tour-level titles, while Fritz is aiming to carry on the fine lineage of American players to have won the tournament.

Players from the United States have won the ATP finals 16 times, with Sampras and Ivan Lendl winning five of them each. It is the most by any country and 10 more than next best Switzerland (six, all Federer) and Germany (also six, three wins for Boris Becker, one for Michael Stich and two for last year's champion, Alexander Zverev).

Auger-Aliassime has had a strong end to the year, beating Djokovic at the Laver Cup before winning three titles in as many weeks in Florence, Antwerp and Basel.

Only John Isner (895) has recorded more aces in 2022 than Auger-Aliassime, who has registered 852 in total, averaging 10.9 per match.

"All the players who participate [at the ATP Finals], I have already faced them, I have beaten them," the Canadian recently said. "So for me, there's no reason why I can't show up to this tournament with the aim of winning it."

Medvedev was world number one as recently as September but enters this tournament in fifth, though he did win the Vienna ATP 500 event last month, while his first opponent in Turin, Rublev, enters with a 2022 record of 49-18, looking for his second straight 50-win season.

Whoever comes out on top at this year's ATP Finals, the race for supremacy in 2023 promises to be as delightfully chaotic.

Jayson Tatum was one of six Boston Celtics to reach double-figures in a dominant 131-112 home win against the Denver Nuggets, further boosting their league-best offense.

The Celtics boast an offensive rating of 119.4, meaning they average 119.4 points per 100 possessions. It is a stat detailing offensive efficiency, as it provides a more accurate representation than just raw points per game since teams play at different paces.

In second-place is the Utah Jazz at 116.0, but the gap of 3.4 from first-to-second is greater than the gap between the Jazz and the 11th-ranked Dallas Mavericks (113.1).

It illustrates just how impressive the Celtics have been on that side of the ball this season, after leading the league in defensive rating last campaign by a wide margin.

Against the Nuggets, Tatum top-scored with 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting to raise his season average to a career-high 31.2 points per game, while co-star Jaylen Brown chipped in a hyper-efficient 25 points (11-of-15 shooting) to keep up his career-high average of 25.4.

Speaking to the media after the win, Tatum said the key to their success has been following the principles laid out by new head coach Joe Mazzulla and remaining unselfish.

"I think it's just the way we're playing on offense," he said. "Continuous movement, we trust in each other, we move the ball. You pass it, you trust you're going to get it back.

"The only thing you can do wrong is stay still, so we just continue to keep moving, find the open man and make the right play."

Coach Mazzulla is also enjoying the show, saying he believes his side's team-first mindset is driving their play.

"The cool thing about offense, and basketball in general, is you have to be able to make each other better," he said. "Whether you have the ball or not. 

"Our guys have bought into making each other better, whether they have the ball or not. It's cool to watch.

"It starts with decision-making. When you have great spacing, and you make the right play, and you read the coverage the right way, the passing is a little easier, so we stay out of those disadvantage situations that kind of force turnovers."

Veteran big-man Al Horford added: "Guys are really conscious of understanding what coach wants from us, what he expects. 

"He wants good spacing and we’re doing a good job of getting to those positions, and it’s fun to see when it comes together like that."

The Celtics are now 9-3, and have won five in a row. They will try to keep their hot streak alive when they travel to take on the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.

George Russell is in a good spot going into Saturday's sprint race at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, but his session ended poorly as he spun out violently.

Ultimately, the time he set previously ended up being good enough to take third, with his incident chewing up valuable track time as the rain arrived.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Russell said it was a rough session physically, detailing the damage inside the car.

"I have broken the headrest because my head was banging so much," he said. "It was a pretty unpleasant experience.

"I wanted to do a 360, but then did the rears in the gravel, so probably not the wisest choice I have ever made.

"As it turned out, we knew that the first lap was it all."

He added that he believes there should be no ill-effects for his car the rest of the weekend stemming from the crash.

"There was no damage, but you are always tentative as it is lifted onto the tow truck," he said. 

"There is a lot of gravel, so the guys are going to have to take the car to pieces tonight to make sure we have got all of the gravel out, but it should be ok."

Teammate Lewis Hamilton made his way back out onto the track following the incident, but he said the track was in no condition to put up a strong time.

"I went out there to see what the conditions were like, but obviously it was properly wet," he said.

"It was just difficult to see the conditions, difficult to see the rain drops because it was so dark and I was the last car out, so I think I got the earliest part of the rain and probably lost too much in the tyres in the pitlane.

"Just a bit unfortunate, but George did a great job, and congratulations to Kevin [Magnussen]."

Haas' Magnussen will start the sprint race from pole, with Max Verstappen in second.

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley tried to explain to reporters on Friday why he decided to release former first-round draft pick Jerry Tillery just weeks after rejecting trade offers for him.

Tillery, 26, was taken with the 28th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, tallying 97 tackles, 9.5 sacks and two forced fumbles across his first three seasons.

However, his fifth-year option was declined by the franchise, and he has failed to start a game this campaign.

According to ESPN, the Chargers received "multiple" offers for Tillery leading up to the November 1 trade deadline, but chose to decline in the hope that he could provide depth down the home stretch.

That decision ended up backfiring, as a breakdown in the relationship between player and team led to the Chargers releasing Tillery on Thursday for no compensation.

Speaking to the media on Friday to explain the decision, Staley implied Tillery was not going to accept the limited role the team was asking him to remain in.

"[We had] competing visions for the role moving forward, and it just became clear that it wasn't going to be a fit anymore," he said.

"Where we're headed as a team wasn't going to be compatible with Jerry and where he's trying to go.

"We felt we were going to give [Breiden Fehoko] and [Joe Gaziano] a chance to compete and where we're at, trying to do with our team, our defensive line, our defense, our whole team, trying to create competition and have guys earn their roles.

"That's what we want to be here, that's what we want to do. When those things didn't line up, we had to make a change."