Aryna Sabalenka said she "destroyed" herself and bemoaned her inability to take opportunities after suffering a shock loss to teenage sensation Leylah Fernandez in the semi-finals of the US Open.
Sabalenka – the second seed – was beaten 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-4 to 19-year-old unseeded Canadian Fernandez at Flushing Meadows on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Sabalenka, who has won more matches than any player on the WTA Tour this year, has never reached a major final and her wait continues after also falling in the Wimbledon semis in June.
Sabalenka squandered a set point in the opening set, before losing her final service game to love to bow out on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"This is life. If you're not using your opportunities, someone else will use it," Belarusian star Sabalenka said at her post-match news conference. "This is what happened today.
"This is what we call pressure. I had a lot of opportunities and I didn't use it. I will try to improve it. I will keep working and fighting, and I believe that one day it will come."
Sabalenka had dominated early, leading 3-0 inside 10 minutes as she barely missed a first serve, before Fernandez rallied to claim the first set.
"I wouldn't say that she did something. I would say that I destroy myself," Sabalenka said. "On the key moment, I was up 4-2 serving, and I think I made double-faults. My first-serve percentage wasn't really good."
Sabalenka identified a key lesson for her was not to "over-think" opportunities, while she was positive about her conqueror Fernandez, who she said was playing like a "top-10 player".
"Now there is no pressure on her at all. Crowd are here for her," Sabalenka said.
"But the question is when you will start to understand what's going on and where you are, how good can you deal with all these expectations and all this level, all this pressure.
"She's like a top-10 player. We'll see how good she will be in the future."
Fernandez will play 18-year-old Emma Raducanu in Saturday's final, marking the first time two teenagers have met in a grand slam decider since Martina Hingis and Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows in 1999.
The Toronto Blue Jays continued their red-hot form with an eighth consecutive win after taking down the slumping New York Yankees 6-4 in MLB.
The Blue Jays (77-62) boosted their Wild Card chances with another victory, sweeping American League (AL) East rivals the Yankees (78-62) on Thursday.
Toronto are now within a half-game of the Yankees – who have lost six straight games – for the final AL Wild Card spot.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. landed a solo home run in the ninth inning, bringing up his 100th RBI for the season.
The Blue Jays All-Star finished the four-game series with three homers, marking the eighth time this year he has hit three or more homers in a series. According to Stats Perform, it is the most by any player in a season in AL history and second most in MLB history, behind Giancarlo Stanton (nine times in 2017).
Guerrero Jr.'s run of homers has seen him close within one of two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who tops the list for most home runs this season.
Toronto's Bo Bichette starred with three hits including two RBI, while he homered from the ninth pitch of the game when leading off.
Blue Jays ace Jose Berrios had eight strikeouts, with his game only blemished by Anthony Rizzo's moon shot.
Pederson walks it off for Braves
Joc Pederson's single completed a 7-6 walk-off win for the Atlanta Braves over the Washington Nationals. With bases loaded, Pederson hit a single to left field to get Ozzie Albies home in a game where five homers were scored.
Nicky Lopez starred for the Kansas City Royals as they won 6-0 against the Baltimore Orioles, hitting an early home run and driving in Hunter Dozier in the eighth, going three-for-five.
The St Louis Cardinals made up ground in the Wild Card race with a 2-1 win over World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers, where Tyler O'Neill hit a tie-breaking home run.
Phillies let it slip late
The Philadelphia Phillies led 2-1 heading into the ninth inning but allowed three Colorado Rockies runs to lose 4-3, denting their Wild Card aspirations. With two out, closer Ian Kennedy's breaking ball was clubbed for a two-run homer by Ryan McMahon. Sam Hilliard backed that up with a towering moon shot off Kennedy and the Phillies could not reel that in.
Manaea fans nine for A's
Oakland Athletics left-handed Sean Manaea struck out nine over seven innings of one-run ball as the A's beat the Chicago White Sox 3-1. Manaea may be deputy to Frankie Montas but he looms as a capable co-anchor. The A's are now 76-64 and second in the AL West.
Thursday's results
St Louis Cardinals 2-1 Los Angeles Dodgers
Oakland Athletics 3-1 Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Indians 4-1 Minnesota Twins
Miami Marlins 3-2 New York Mets
Colorado Rockies 4-3 Philadelphia Phillies
Kansas City Royals 6-0 Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 New York Yankees
Atlanta Braves 7-6 Washington Nationals
Yankees at Mets
A crucial Subway Series between the Yankees and New York Mets (70-71) gets underway on Friday. Jordan Montgomery starts for the Yankees, while city rivals the Mets send Tylor Megill to the mound.
Quade Cooper will make a remarkable return for the Wallabies after being named to play for the first time since 2017 when Australia face South Africa on Sunday.
Cooper had been part of Australia's squad for the Bledisloe Cup against New Zealand, but was not used in any of the three Tests which the All Blacks comfortably won.
Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie has rolled the dice for the Rugby Championship showdown against South Africa on the Gold Coast, with 33-year-old Cooper named at fly-half, displacing 21-year-old Noah Lolesio.
Cooper's career has taken several turns since his last cap in 2017 against Italy, frozen out at Brad Thorn's Reds in Super Rugby, before a one-year stint at the Rebels and a move to play in Japan in 2019.
"He's had a really positive impact since joining the group, put pressure on us as selectors and he's excited to get out there and perform on Sunday night," Rennie said.
Angus Bell will earn his first start in the front-row, while Izack Rodda also comes into the starting line-up, with the backline unchanged.
Wallabies hooker Feleti Kaitu'u and back-rower Rob Leota are in line for debuts off the bench.
The match will see Australia captain Michael Hooper equal George Gregan's record for most Tests as Wallabies skipper when he steps out for the 59th time.
Meanwhile, Brodie Retallick has been named as captain for New Zealand after a head knock to Ardie Savea ahead of their Test against Argentina on Sunday.
Hooker Asafo Aumua will make his first Test start for the All Blacks, while prop Joe Moody returns following foot surgery via the bench.
"Brodie is a great leader in this team and we don't take his leadership for granted," said All Blacks coach Ian Foster. "We think this is a great honour for him, and he and his family can be hugely proud.
"He's playing really well and leads from the front. He has come back into the black jersey this year and just picked up where he left off.
"He also has an experienced partner in Beaudy [Barrett] alongside him who is bringing a calmness to the team and a sense of direction and we’re seeing that in the way he plays."
Australia: Tom Banks, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Quade Cooper, Tate McDermott; Angus Bell, Folau Fainga'a, Allan Alaalatoa, Izack Rodda, Matt Philip, Lachlan Swinton, Michael Hooper, Rob Valetini.
Replacements: Feleti Kaitu'u, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Rob Leota, Pete Samu, Nic White, Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia.
New Zealand: Jordie Barrett, Sevu Reece, Anton Lienert-Brown, David Havili, George Bridge, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara; Karl Tu'inukuafe, Asafo Aumua, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papalii, Luke Jacobson.
Replacements: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Joe Moody, Tyrel Lomax, Tupou Vaa'I, Ethan Blackadder, Brad Weber, Damian McKenzie, Rieko Ioane.
Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez shocked US Open second seed Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-4 to reach her first grand slam final on Thursday.
Fernandez continued her giant-slaying run at Flushing Meadows, where the 19-year-old sensation has stunned defending champion Naomi Osaka, 2016 winner Angelique Kerber, fifth seed Elina Svitolina and Sabalenka en route to the decider.
Fellow teenage sensation Emma Raducanu or 17th seed Maria Sakkari await Fernandez in Saturday's final in New York.
The defeat is a bitter blow for Belarusian star Sabalenka, who has never reached a major final, having also lost in the final four at Wimbledon this year.
The semi-final was full of momentum swings, but 52-23 unforced errors and 8-2 double faults ultimately were costly for Sabalenka, who lost the final game on her serve to love to hand Fernandez victory.
Sabalenka had raced to an early 3-0 lead inside 10 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium, dominating with her power, missing only one of her first 13 first serves, before Fernandez settled into the contest.
Trailing 4-2, Fernandez – the youngest woman to beat multiple top-five opponents at the same slam since Serena Williams in 1999 – broke back as Sabalenka's first serve let her down, with the former converting the third of three break points.
Fernandez, who survived a break point to level it up at 4-4, eventually closed out the first set in a tie-break.
Sabalenka made a statement by breaking to love in the opening game of the second set, but Fernandez responded with a break of her own to level it at 2-2.
The second seemed destined for another tie-break, however Sabalenka broke to lead 5-4 and she never looked back as the 23-year-old forced a deciding set.
Fernandez seized control, breaking Sabalenka to move 4-2 ahead, though the latter responded immediately, despite the teenager taking her service game to deuce after trailing 0-40.
However, Fernandez held serve at 5-4 before breaking Sabalenka again to love to claim another memorable victory at the US Open.
Data Slam: Oh, Canada!
Fernandez's victory marks the second time in three years that a Canadian teenager has reached the US Open final, with then-19-year-old Bianca Andreescu beating Serena Williams in 2019. Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime remains alive in the men's semi-finals too.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Fernandez – 26/23
Sabalenka – 45/52
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Fernandez – 6/2
Sabalenka – 10/8
BREAK POINTS WON
Fernandez – 4/7
Sabalenka – 4/11
Novak Djokovic knows he faces a tough challenge in his US Open semi-final with Alexander Zverev after coming from a set down to beat Matteo Berrettini.
The Serbian triumphed 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-3 to thwart Berrettini's revenge mission, having defeated the Italian in this year's Wimbledon final.
The world number one now faces the man who denied him a shot at the Golden Slam, with Zverev dumping Djokovic out of the semi-finals at Tokyo 2020.
And the 20-time grand slam winner was full of praise for his next opponent.
"He's in tremendous form, he's been winning a lot," said Djokovic, who still has the Calendar Grand Slam in his sights. "He has comfortably moved to the semi-finals here.
"I know his game well, we played in Tokyo. He's one of the best players in the world, but the bigger the challenge the more glory in overcoming it."
Reflecting on his victory over Berrettini, Djokovic felt he found his best form after dropping the opening set.
"This was a great match, with a lot of energy on and off the court," he said.
"Matteo is a terrific player and every time we face each other it's a close battle.
"When I lost the first set, I managed to forget about it and move on. I was locked in at the start of the second and it was the best three sets I've played so far."
The playoff-chasing Toronto Blue Jays recorded their seventh consecutive win after beating American League (AL) East rivals the New York Yankees 6-3.
Toronto – enjoying their best winning streak since 2016 – are the hottest team in MLB with 10 victories in their last 11 games as they try to secure a Wild Card berth.
The streaking Blue Jays are only one and a half games behind the slumping Yankees in the AL Wild Card race after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 41st home run of the season.
Guerrero Jr. is now just three homers shy of Hall of Fame father Vladimir Sr.'s career high set in 2000 for the Montreal Expos.
As for the Yankees, they have lost five straight games and nine of 11 since winning 13 consecutive games.
Win number 90 for San Fran
The San Francisco Giants became the first team to 90 wins this season with a 7-4 triumph over the Colorado Rockies and series sweep. At 90-50, the Giants moved to a season-high 40 games over .500 for the first time since 1993.
The Baltimore Orioles scored nine runs in the eighth inning to trump the Kansas City Royals 9-8. The Orioles became the first team in the modern era to have a reliever earn the win in his MLB debut in back-to-back games after Mike Baumann on Tuesday and Manny Barreda on Wednesday, according to Stats Perform.
The San Diego Padres outlasted the Los Angeles Angels 8-5 after scoring all their runs in the second inning. With Baltimore's result, it is the first time in the modern era that two MLB teams had an eight-plus run inning that accounted for all their runs on the same day, per Stats Perform.
Keuchel struggles… again
The Oakland Athletics got to out-of-form Chicago White Sox ace Dallas Keuchel in their 5-1 win. Keuchel allowed five runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings with three strikeouts and a walk.
Don't run on Renfroe
Hunter Renfroe was the hero in the Boston Red Sox's 2-1 win over the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays. After hitting a two-run homer in the eighth inning, the Red Sox star produced a stunning throw from deep centerfield to thwart Joey Wendle's attempt for a triple for the final out of the ninth.
Wednesday's results
Seattle Mariners 8-5 Houston Astros
San Francisco Giants 7-4 Colorado Rockies
Texas Rangers 8-5 Arizona Diamondbacks
Minnesota Twins 3-0 Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tiger 5-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
Miami Marlins 2-1 New York Mets
Baltimore Orioles 9-8 Kansas City Royals
Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox 2-1 Tampa Bay Rays
Washington Nationals 4-2 Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs 4-1 Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 Philadelphia Phillies
St Louis Cardinals 5-4 Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres 8-5 Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics 5-1 Chicago White Sox
Dodgers at Cardinals
The Dodgers (88-52) will look to bounce back against the Cardinals (70-68) in St Louis on Thursday. Tony Gonsolin starts for the Dodgers as the Cardinals send Jake Woodford to the mound.
Novak Djokovic moved within two wins of an historic calendar Grand Slam at the US Open after completing a merciless comeback against Matteo Berrettini 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-3 en route to the semi-finals.
Berrettini was seeking revenge for his Wimbledon final loss to Djokovic and the Italian sixth seed gave himself a good chance after winning the opening set at Flushing Meadows on Wednesday.
But Berrettini was helplessly outclassed in a devastating display from world number one Djokovic, who is bidding to become just the third man to sweep all four majors in a year and first since 1969.
The 20-time major champion, who can also break the record for most men's slam titles – currently tied with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, will face Alexander Zverev in the New York semis.
For the third consecutive match, Djokovic done it the hard way, rallying after dropping the opening set, just like he did against Jenson Brooksby and Kei Nishikori.
In a brutal display of big hitting, Berrettini had the crowd roaring – firing down seven aces and saving two break points in a marathon first set lasting one hour, 17 minutes.
Berrettini held serve in a physically demanding sixth game after 12 minutes and seven deuces.
Djokovic – not without his chances – did not look like his usual self, spraying a forehand wide as Berrettini seized control following four set points.
Berrettini was looking to claim his first win over Djokovic after three consecutive defeats and earn his first top-10 victory at a grand slam (0-5 heading into the contest), but the Serb star turned the match on its head into the second set.
Djokovic, though, flipped the switch as he broke for the first time to move 3-1 ahead before consolidating for a 4-1 lead, silencing the pro-Berrettini crowd in New York, where the latter was unable to stop the rot.
Berrettini looked deflated and tired in the third set – Djokovic racing out to a commanding 3-0 advantage.
Djokovic missed the chance to move 5-2 ahead but it only delayed the inevitable as he fended off a break point the very next game to eventually earn a two-sets-to-one lead.
And the 34-year-old could not be stopped as he celebrated his 80th US Open match win in emphatic fashion.
Data slam: Can Djokovic be stopped?
Djokovic extended his winning streak at grand slams to 26 matches, while he also remains unbeaten in US Open quarter-finals (12-0). The record-chasing star also owns a 9-0 major record in 2021 after dropping the first set.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 44/28
Berrettini – 42/43
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 12/4
Berrettini – 17/2
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 5/16
Berrettini – 1/5
Alexander Zverev is riding a wave at the US Open after his confidence-boosting win over world number one Novak Djokovic en route to claiming gold at the Olympic Games.
Zverev survived a first-set scare to power past Lloyd Harris 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 6-4 in Wednesday's US Open quarter-final.
The German fourth seed will face either Djokovic, who is bidding to become just the third man to complete a calendar Grand Slam and first since 1969, or Matteo Berrettini for a spot in the men's final at Flushing Meadows.
Zverev – last year's US Open runner-up – said he has been fuelled by his semi-final win over Djokovic at the Tokyo Games.
"It's the biggest tournament in the world, Tokyo. It's the Olympics," Zverev said during his post-match news conference.
"Winning there against the world number one, especially that I was down a set and a break, being kind of out of the match, then coming back, it was different than the other matches. The emotions were different.
"Also securing a medal for Germany was very special to me. This year it seems like nobody can beat him in a big match, nobody can beat him at the grand slams.
"I feel like I was the first player to beat him in a very big match this year. That does give you something. To any person it would give you something.
"As I said before also, I think it was very important for me to back it up in the finals, back it up in Cincinnati. Hopefully I can continue this streak."
Zverev is in the midst of a career-best 16-match winning streak and has clinched 37 of 40 sets on the hard courts after winning Olympic gold and his fifth career ATP Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati.
The 24-year-old is bidding to become the second man in history to win Olympic gold medal and the US Open/US Championships title in the same season, after Andy Murray in 2012.
On preparing against Djokovic, Zverev added: "You have to be perfect, otherwise you will not win.
"Most of the time you can't be perfect. That's why most of the time people lose to him. Against him, you have to win the match yourself. You have to be the one that is dominating the points. You have to do it with very little unforced errors.
"He is the best player in the world. He is very difficult to beat. But he's still also got to win tonight. He's playing Matteo Berrettini who is in very good form, finals of Wimbledon. I think he's looking forward to that match, as well. It's going to be an interesting match to watch those two."
Maria Sakkari reached her second grand slam semi-final of the year after upstaging fourth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4 6-4 at the US Open.
Sakkari made history at this year's French Open, where she became the first Greek woman to reach a grand slam singles semi-final.
The 17th seed continued her impressive 2021 with a straight-sets victory over former world number one and 2016 US Open finalist Pliskova in New York on Wednesday.
After one hour, 21 minutes on court, Sakkari will face high-flying English teenager Emma Raducanu for a spot in the Flushing Meadows decider.
Pliskova entered the quarter-final, having rediscovered her best form after a slow start to the season – the Czech star claimed just 15 wins from her first 12 WTA Tour tournaments before winning 19 matches from five events, reaching two finals, since the start of July.
But Sakkari proved too good on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the 26-year-old utilised her almost flawless serve.
Sakkari lost just two points on serve in the opening set – claiming 92 per cent of her first serves, while hitting 12 winners and clinching the decisive break.
Pliskova owned three top-20 wins this season as she was looking to emulate countrywoman Hana Mandlikova, who won the US Open in 1985.
But the second set followed a similar pattern, Sakkari tallying 10 winners while winning 11 of her 12 first serves, closing out the match at the third time of asking.
Data Slam: Sakkari matches career high
With her dominant win over Pliskova, Sakkari – who did not face a break point – tallied her 31st victory of the year. It equalled her best return from 2019, when she finished with a 31-23 win-loss record.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Pliskova – 14/20
Sakkari – 22/12
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Pliskova – 6/3
Sakkari – 4/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Pliskova – 0/0
Sakkari – 2/5
Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing were in attendance for New York Yankees great Derek Jeter's Hall of Fame induction.
Jeter entered the baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday, alongside MLB trio Larry Walker, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller in front of basketball royalty.
NBA Hall of Famer Jordan – a six-time champion, and Ewing were in Cooperstown, New York to celebrate Jeter's illustrious career.
Jeter won five World Series titles with the Yankees, where the 47-year-old spent his entire career from 1995 to 2014.
HE finished with 3,465 hits, 1,923 runs, 260 homers and 1,311 RBIs, with a .310 average, .377 OBP and .817 OPS in 11,195 at-bats.
The 14-time All-Star also earned World Series MVP honours to go with five Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.
"It's been a hell of a ride," Jeter said midweek.
Over the Yankees' 13-year playoff streak from 1995 to 2007, shortstop Jeter led the team in games (1,835), runs (1,379) and hits (2,356).
The Yankees claimed four World Series during that run before adding a fifth in 2009.
"For so many years, I represented New York and the Yankee organisation in the best light possible," he said. "Now I represent you. Know that I'm here to support you, guide you, protect you.
"Most importantly, I'm here to love you. I want you to find someone that inspires you, and when the time is right, I want you to inspire others."
Oscar De La Hoya has overcome coronavirus after spending three days in hospital, the boxing great has confirmed.
De La Hoya was due to come out of retirement to face former UFC champion Vitor Belfort in Los Angeles on September 11.
However, the 48-year-old had to withdraw from the fight after falling ill with COVID-19.
Former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, 58, has been named as a replacement for De La Hoya, though that decision has been met with scrutiny.
Indeed, the event has now had to be moved to Florida due to licensing issues.
Holyfield has not fought in over a decade.
Three days ahead of the bout that was supposed to make his return, De La Hoya offered an update of his recovery on his official Twitter account.
"Hey guys, I am out of the hospital. I was in there for three days," De La Hoya tweeted.
"COVID hit me really hard. I was in the best shape of my life and I really can't wait to get back in the ring.
"Thank you very much for all your well wishes and all your support. I appreciate it."
David Haye is ending his retirement to fight Joe Fournier in the headline bout.
Alexander Zverev won his 16th match in a row with a straight-sets victory over Lloyd Harris on Wednesday to reach the US Open semi-finals.
The fourth seed saved a set point from Harris in a tense opener and built on that to earn a 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 6-4 triumph in a little over two hours.
Zverev has dropped just one set across his five matches at Flushing Meadows this year and will face either Novak Djokovic or Matteo Berrettini as he seeks a place in back-to-back finals.
"I just hope their match goes on for eight hours and 30 minutes," Zverev joked when asked who he would prefer to face in the semi-finals.
"I didn't have a lot of chances on Harris' serve today and somehow managed to win that first set, which loosened me up a little bit and I started playing a lot better.
"In the third set, he started swinging. He started playing incredible tennis. So yeah, I'm happy to be through in three."
Harris beat three top-30 seeds to make it to this stage and more than held his own in the opening set against Zverev, who lost to Dominic Thiem in last year's final.
After sharing a break of serve apiece, Harris led 6-5 in the tie-break but lost the next three points to offer his opponent a platform to build from.
Despite struggling with a minor back problem, Zverev took advantage of his unseeded opponent's five unforced errors by holding throughout the second set.
The four-time grand slam semi-finalist raced into a 4-0 lead in the third set, but Harris slowly regained his composure and claimed the next three games.
Zverev's monster serve came to his rescue, however, as he took the eighth game and eased over the line in style with his 21st ace of the contest.
DATA SLAM
Zverev did not have things all his own way as he struggled in the opening set and was sloppy when leading 4-1 in the final set, but he ultimately proved too strong for an opponent ranked 46th in the world.
Last year's beaten finalist Zverev has served 83 aces and just 15 double faults across his first five matches and won 82 per cent of his first-serve points against Harris. Whether it is Djokovic or Berrettini, a tougher test awaits in the semi-finals.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Zverev – 43/26
Harris – 34/26
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Zverev – 21/5
Harris – 13/1
BREAK POINTS WON
Zverev – 4/9
Harris – 2/3
A frantic spell has followed Formula One's mid-season break, with a number of noteworthy moves this week squeezed in ahead of the third leg of a triple-header.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull have two wins from two since the campaign resumed, but Mercedes have responded by firming up their 2022 plans.
George Russell is in, with Valtteri Bottas out, replacing Kimi Raikkonen at Alfa Romeo. Raikkonen's final F1 season has been slowed by a positive coronavirus that continues to keep him out.
Alex Albon will get another chance in Russell's place at Williams, meanwhile.
But all thoughts of next year must now be put on the backburner as the series heads to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix.
Verstappen leads the way again, three points clear, but second-placed Lewis Hamilton has fond memories of this event, with seven pole positions, seven fastest laps and five wins – all records, the latter shared with Michael Schumacher.
A sixth victory is badly needed, preventing Verstappen from building up a head of steam again.
The Dutchman is looking for his eighth triumph of the year, a tally that only Hamilton himself in 2016 (10 wins) has reached without ending the year as world champion.
LAST TIME OUT
It was routine for Verstappen at Zandvoort as he became the first home winner of the returning Dutch GP.
The Red Bull superstar took pole comfortably and capitalised on a track that makes overtaking extremely difficult.
With Mercedes also running a slower car, Hamilton's only hope was a strategic triumph.
But Verstappen followed his rival in the first two times he pitted, wiping out any advantage, and the Briton ultimately settled for pitting a third time to pursue the fastest lap.
Ahead of his big move, it was a weekend to forget for Russell, who crashed in Q2 and then endured difficulties on race day, also speeding in the pit lane to end any chance of a points finish.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN ITALY
Sprint qualifying returns after a mixed reception at Silverstone, where Hamilton took pole for the shorter race but was beaten by Verstappen in the Saturday dash.
In a championship as tight as this, the extra points on offer could prove crucial.
The race will be of primary concern, though, and Mercedes need a result at a circuit Hamilton enjoys. The defending champion last week acknowledged Red Bull had pulled clear again in the second half of the season.
But the Austrian outfit will also want a better display from Sergio Perez, their second man.
His underwhelming performance in the Netherlands left Verstappen all alone against Hamilton and Bottas, who will want to bow out with a fifth constructors' title.
TOP FIVE OPTA FACTS
Fixture on the calendar – This will be the 70th grand prix at Monza, a record that explains why so many F1 benchmarks have been set in Italy. Schumacher's 247.6 km/h in 2003 stands as the fastest average speed from a race winner, while an unsurpassed eight different drivers led the 1971 edition.
Ferrari frustration – Although Ferrari have recorded 19 wins and 21 pole positions at Monza, neither Scuderia driver finished their previous home race. Not 1970 to 1972 have Ferrari had both men fail to finish consecutive Italian GPs.
Another Lewis landmark – On 3,999.5 points, Hamilton will aim to become the first F1 driver to reach 4,000. He is almost 1,000 clear of his nearest rival Sebastian Vettel, who has 3,053.
Latest Honda hero – Verstappen's next victory will be his 13th with a Honda engine, matching Nigel Mansell's tally. The pair trail only Ayrton Senna (32) in that regard.
A day to remember – Verstappen and Hamilton will be hoping to add this to the list of famous September 12 races: Fernando Alonso's only Monza win with Ferrari in 2010, Niki Lauda's 1976 return after his Nurburgring crash and Jackie Stewart's breakthrough 1965 triumph.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 224.5
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 221.5
3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) – 123
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 114
5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 108
Constructors
1. Mercedes – 344.5
2. Red Bull – 332.5
3. Ferrari – 181.5
4. McLaren – 170
5. Alpine – 90
Emma Raducanu says she is on her "own journey" after sensationally reaching the semi-finals of the US Open.
Raducanu's 6-3 6-4 win over Belinda Bencic – her first career top-40 opponent – saw her become the first qualifier in the Open Era to advance to the last four at Flushing Meadows, the 18-year-old doing so without dropping a set.
She also became the lowest-ranked player in history (150) to make this stage of the tournament, with Kim Clijsters in 2009 and Billie Jean King in 1979 achieving the same feat having been unranked.
Raducanu, who will face either Karolina Pliskova or Maria Sakkari for a place in the final, said: "I have an absolutely amazing team. I have a team back home who could not be here. I am sure they are watching, I hope!
"Thank you so much everyone. I wish you could be here with me but everything we have been working for has shown here.
"To have so many young players here doing so well shows how strong the next generation is. Everyone is on their trajectory, so I am just here doing what I can control, and it is my own journey."
Raducanu grew into the contest after being immediately broken to love and trailing 2-0, proving particularly robust on her opponent's serve.
Bencic landed 61 per cent of her first serves yet managed only a single ace. The Olympic champion was made to work for the 23 points she won on her first serve and then took just nine of a potential 21 on her second.
Raducanu, who managed six aces of her own, added: "Of course, playing Belinda, she is such a great opponent and is in great form, she hits the ball so hard, I had to adjust and adapt and it was a really tough match.
"I am so happy to come through and thank you so much for all your support today.
"It was 0-30 in my last couple of service games so to hold was pretty big, it was one point at a time and trying to focus on what I can control.
"Belinda was going to fight to the end but I am really pleased to come through that."
Emma Raducanu's stunning run at the US Open went on as she claimed the biggest scalp of her career against Belinda Bencic to reach the semi-finals, making history in the process.
Raducanu is the first qualifier in the Open Era to advance to the last four at Flushing Meadows and is sensationally still yet to drop a set, this time overcoming the Olympic champion – her first career top-40 opponent – 6-3 6-4.
Now, in this US Open packed full of surprises, the 18-year-old will certainly fancy her chances against either Karolina Pliskova or Maria Sakkari.
Raducanu had lost the opening two games against Shelby Rogers in the previous round but then won 12 of the remaining 13. She would have been prepared then for another tough start, immediately broken to love and again trailing 2-0.
The teenager soon grew into the contest and had Bencic on the back foot, able to squander an opportunity in the sixth game with a rash, rushed effort at the end of a rally but still break when her opponent double-faulted and then found the net.
Raducanu battled back from 0-30 down to hold and went after the Bencic serve again. Her ability to consistently return unsettled the more experienced player, who survived a scare after another double fault yet was beaten at the net when the next break point arrived, teed up by a staggering rally and forehand winner.
The opener was swiftly settled before Bencic gained a measure of control in the second only to be disrupted by the same issues again. A sublime Raducanu return gave her another opportunity, taken courtesy of the latest double fault.
Three-time major champion Andy Murray had told Amazon Prime that Raducanu would find it "difficult" to enjoy this match, but she cracked a smile having passed up a further opening and a wide grin then greeted the momentous clinching point.
Data Slam: Bencic beaten by Raducanu returns
This match was decided on Bencic's serve, as she became increasingly frustrated by her inability to break down Raducanu's return game. The 11th seed landed 61 per cent of her first serves yet fired in only a single ace. Bencic was made to work for the 23 points she won on her first serve and then took just nine of a potential 21 on her second.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Raducanu – 23/12
Bencic – 19/21
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Raducanu – 6/2
Bencic – 1/5
BREAK POINTS WON
Raducanu – 3/6
Bencic – 1/5
United States captain Steve Stricker has selected Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele among his wildcard picks for the Ryder Cup, but there is no place for Patrick Reed on the 12-player roster.
Spieth will appear at the biennial competition for a fourth time in a row, while Schauffele is set to make his debut against Europe in next month's tournament at Whistling Straits after recently winning Olympic gold.
Schauffele was one of three rookies chosen by Stricker on Wednesday along with Daniel Berger, Harris English and Scottie Scheffler, with Tony Finau – part of the USA side that lost in Paris three years ago – completing the captain's picks.
Speaking at a news conference to announce his final selection, Stricker said: "All six of these guys have been playing some really good golf for a long period of time.
"It's more about a body of work. They have all played great throughout this year and very well deserving of these picks."
The top-six qualifiers – Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay – had already locked in spots for the USA, who are seeking to regain the trophy after that 17.5-10.5 loss in 2018.
Reed is the most notable name overlooked by Stricker, the 31-year-old having featured in every American team since 2014.
He made his return from a month-long absence at last week's Tour Championship after being hospitalised with pneumonia in both lungs.
Asked to explain his decision to overlook Reed, who top-scored for USA in their 2016 victory at Hazeltine, Stricker said: "That was a very, very difficult call. I lost sleep over that one.
"He's a tremendous competitor, he brings a lot of match play golf and his record at the Ryder Cup is pretty darn good.
"I think it was the uncertainty of his health and the lack of play that led to our decision down the stretch."
Team Europe captain Padraig Harrington will announce his final three picks on Sunday.
The same two teams have not faced each other in consecutive Super Bowls since 1994, when the Dallas Cowboys ended the 1993 season by repeating as champions with a second straight rout of the Buffalo Bills, for whom the loss marked their fourth consecutive defeat on the grandest stage.
But the stars may be aligning for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs to end that wait and face off again in Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles in February.
Tampa Bay crushed Kansas City in Super Bowl LV, becoming the first team to win the Lombardi Trophy at their home stadium with a 31-9 triumph.
And it is tough to look at the respective rosters following strong offseasons from both without feeling they should each be in position to renew acquaintances at SoFi Stadium.
The Buccaneers did an excellent job of keeping their title-winning core together, while the Chiefs attacked the glaring weakness that saw their hopes of defending the championship last season go up in flames.
Using its advanced data, Stats Perform analyses why these two powerhouses appear poised to emulate the feat of the Cowboys and Bills.
Bucs keep the band together
Faced with the complex challenge of retaining a host of free agents who made significant contributions to their Super Bowl triumph while dealing with a salary cap shrinking due to the impact of the pandemic and a season played largely without fans, the Buccaneers made good on head coach Bruce Arians' post-championship pledge to keep the heart of the roster intact.
There were, of course, some departures, but the pivotal cogs that helped propel the Bucs to a second title in franchise history were all tied down for 2021 and, in most cases, beyond.
Perhaps the most important move the Bucs made was to re-sign edge rusher Shaquil Barrett, who had 13 of Tampa Bay's 31 pressures of Patrick Mahomes in February to a four-year, $72million contract that is the joint-11th most expensive edge rusher contract in the league by average annual salary.
The fact Barrett agreed to take a discount to stay with Tampa is reflective of the excellent situation the Bucs are in, and several of his team-mates were similarly eager to re-sign with a team superbly positioned to contend for more titles.
Veteran linebacker Lavonte David received long-overdue recognition in 2020 after years of stellar play and also received a two-year, $25m deal from the Bucs to keep him next to Devin White in the middle of the defense.
David allowed a burn, which is when a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted regardless of whether the ball is catchable, on 36.8 per cent of his targets. His 6.42 burn yards per target conceded was fourth best among all linebackers while White's pressure rate of 37.3 was the best for linebackers with at least 50 pass rush attempts.
They have a claim for being the top linebacking duo in football when it comes to affecting the pass game and the Bucs' front seven looks to have all the ingredients to give quarterbacks nightmares in 2021. Tampa retained the services of defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh and added a first-round pass rusher in Joe Tryon, who recorded a 19.6% pressure rate off the edge in his last season for Washington in 2019, with 30 of his 35 total pressures seeing him beat a pass protector.
However, the Chiefs have made a series of impressive moves with the aim of ensuring Tampa Bay cannot disrupt their aerial attack to the same extent should they meet again.
Protecting Patrick
The defining image of Kansas City's 31-9 loss in Super Bowl LV was that of Mahomes running for his life in the face of near relentless pressure from Tampa Bay.
Mahomes was playing behind an offensive line decimated by injuries. Right tackle Mike Remmers was forced to play at left tackle and guard Andrew Wylie had to take his place across the formation.
Kansas City's offense was unable to function at anything close to peak performance as a result, and the Chiefs' offseason appeared designed entirely to prevent such a scenario coming to pass again.
Joe Thuney was signed as a free agent to lock down the left guard position having served as one of most dependable players in football during his career with the New England Patriots. Thuney's pressure rate (4%) in 2020 was fifth among all guards and he will have Orlando Brown Jr. on his outside shoulder after the Chiefs traded their 2021 first-rounder among multiple picks to acquire him from the Baltimore Ravens to be their new left tackle.
Brown, who is switching from right to left tackle and gave up a pressure rate of 9% in 2020, may have some work to do as a pass blocker but Kansas City should expect him to help their run game. Only David Bakhtiari (3%) allowed run disruptions at a lower rate than Brown (3.6%) last year.
In addition to fortifying the left side, the Chiefs ensured they will have depth across the line. They used one of their two second-round picks on Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey, whose pressure rate (1.6%) was joint-third best among Power 5 centers with a minimum of 50 pass protection snaps. He is set to start ahead of versatile free agent addition Austin Blythe and another rookie, sixth-round pick Trey Smith, is in line to get the starting right guard job ahead of Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
Duvernay-Tardif, who opted out of the 2020 season to aid the fight against coronavirus in his native Canada, should prove an extremely valuable reserve having been credited with allowing just two adjusted sacks on 354 pass protection snaps in 2019.
The big question mark is at right tackle, where Lucas Niang seems primed to start. He did not play in his rookie year after opting out and is, therefore, likely to be the player opposing pass rushes target. The Chiefs will hope he can reprise his form of his senior year at TCU, when he was not credited with an adjusted sack allowed on 123 pass protection snaps.
Kansas City defeated the Buccaneers in Week 12 of the 2020 season with the 27-24 score flattering Tampa Bay. Conventional wisdom says that with better protection, Mahomes and the Chiefs' explosive offense would have the advantage. But, after an offseason in which the Bucs solidified the strength of their team and Chiefs attacked a deficiency, is that actually the case?
Who has the edge?
There is statistical evidence to backup the argument that, if the Chiefs have genuinely fixed their pass protection, then they deserve to be Super Bowl favourites.
When he is not overwhelmed by pressure, Mahomes can be an extremely dangerous quarterback to blitz due to his ability to improvise and turn seemingly negative plays into explosive ones.
From a clean pocket, he can be little short of a nightmare to defend. In the Chiefs' title-winning 2019 season, when he was not pressured Mahomes delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball 84 per cent of the time, the fifth-best rate in the NFL. His pickable pass percentage of 1.81 was third.
Those numbers dipped in 2020, but his 81.6% well-thrown was still above average and his 2.39% pickable pass rate was 12th. With his 2019 following a stunning 2018 in which he was named league MVP, the likelihood is that last season was the anomaly.
Even if Mahomes does return to the remarkably high standards of his first two years as a starter, there's plenty to suggest the Chiefs still might not be able to outgun a Buccaneers offense that coalesced at the perfect time in the previous campaign.
In the final four games following the regular-season loss to the Chiefs and their bye, the Bucs ran the table going 4-0 and led the league with 357.3 net passing yards per game. Brady threw 14 touchdowns and just one interception.
That tailed off to 256 net yards per game, third among teams to play multiple playoff games, in the postseason as the standard of opposition improved, but the reality is his decision to leave New England for Tampa Bay rejuvenated Brady as a downfield passer.
Only Deshaun Watson (69) and Mahomes (67) had more completions of 20 yards or more than the 63 produced by Brady, who ranked fourth in air yards per attempt (9.50) among quarterbacks with at least 100 passes but was able to protect the ball while going deep more often, his pickable pass percentage of 2.20 second behind Alex Smith.
He will again have the benefit of arguably the deepest wide receiver corps in the NFL in his 22nd season. The Bucs franchise tagged Chris Godwin to keep him around while also re-signing Antonio Brown, and Brady will surely be confident of furthering his rapport with the former, who registered a burn on 72.6 per cent of targets last year, tied-seventh among receivers with at least 50 targets.
With Brady seemingly gaining new life midway through his fifth decade and turning the Tampa offense into a juggernaut late last season and Mahomes set to enjoy what should be a much higher standard of protection, the stage is set for a potential shootout should these teams book a rematch in five months' time.
The Chiefs have almost always been able to rely on outscoring their opponents. Yet, in a possible aerial duel with Brady and the Bucs, it is their defense, which ranked 18th with 6.42 yards per pass play allowed last season, that looks the most vulnerable.
Williams Racing has confirmed that Alex Albon will join the team for the 2022 Formula One World Championship.
Currently a test and reserve driver with Red Bull, Albon returns to the grid having previously occupied a race seat for Christian Horner's team between 2019 and 2020, claiming podium finishes in Tuscany and Bahrain.
The 25-year-old will link up with Nicholas Latifi, who remains on the team for a fourth consecutive season.
Albon is relishing returning to the grid, but has his immediate sights set on a strong finish to 2021 with Red Bull.
"I am really excited and looking forward to returning to a Formula One race seat in 2022," he said.
"When you take a year out of F1, it's never certain you will make a return so I'm extremely thankful to Red Bull and Williams for believing in me and helping me on my journey back to the grid.
"It's also been great to see all the progress Williams have been making as a team this year and I look forward to helping them continue that journey in 2022.
"My focus now returns to my test and reserve driver role at Red Bull and helping the team fight for this year's World Championship."
Widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in motorsport, Albon enjoyed an impressive junior career that included multiple race wins in the GP3 Series and the FIA Formula Two Championship.
Albon replaces George Russell, whose move to Mercedes was finally announced on Tuesday after Valtteri Bottas' switch to Alfa Romeo went through.
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