Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka are at the very pinnacle of the women's game, and over the past month, have been battling it out for glory on the clay courts of Madrid and Rome.
The duo have met twice in the finals of the past two WTA 1000 events, with Swiatek coming out on top on both occasions.
Swiatek needed a third-set tie-breaker to win an epic Madrid Open final, though she got the job done in straight sets at the Italian Open, as the Pole made it eight wins to three from her 11 career contests with Sabalenka.
Since 1990, only Steffi Graf and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario have faced each other more often in WTA level clay finals (10 times) than Swiatek and Sabalenka (five), and if the top two seeds get their way at Roland-Garros, they will be vying it out for the 2024 French Open title in two weeks' time.
Sensational Swiatek hunts a treble
Swiatek, who does not turn 23 until Friday, already has three French Open titles under her belt, having won in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
The Pole is aiming to become the third player in the Open Era to win the women's singles title at Roland-Garros for three consecutive years, after Monica Seles (1990-92) and Justine Henin (2005-07).
She is one of six players in the Open Era to have won the title without dropping a set, a feat she managed at the 2020 edition. The other players on that list are: Evonne Goolagong (1971), Billie Jean King (1972), Chris Evert (1974), Steffi Graf (1988), and Henin (2006-07).
Margaret Court holds the best winning percentage in the women's singles at Roland-Garros in the Open Era, at 95.2 per cent. Among active players, with a minimum of 10 matches played, Swiatek (93.3 per cent) holds the highest winning percentage at the event.
Swiatek was 19 when she won her first French Open crown, joining Jelena Ostapenko (2017) as the only teenagers to triumph at Roland-Garros since the turn of the century.
Last year, Swiatek claimed a third women’s singles title at Roland-Garros from five appearances in the main draw at the event. In the Open Era, only Court (three out of four, 75 per cent) holds a better title win rate from main draws entered at the tournament.
Since the WTA-1000 format’s introduction in 2009, Swiatek could become only the second player to claim victory at the Madrid Open, Italian Open and Roland-Garros in a calendar year after Serena Williams (2013).
The world number one will start her campaign against Leolia Jeanjean, and has already scooped four titles this year, taking her overall tally to 21.
The omens are not great for Jeanjean. In the Open Era, the top seed in the women’s singles at Roland-Garros has lost in the opening round only once, with Angelique Kerber falling to Ekaterina Makarova in 2017.
"I feel like I keep having a target on my back, because I'm No. 1," Swiatek said on Friday.
"So, I think actually I'm more proud of what's happening right now, and winning all these titles this year already has shown that we are going on the right path."
Third time lucky for Sabalenka?
In the event that Swiatek and second seed Sabalenka meet in the final, it will be the fifth clay-court meeting between the pair as the WTA’s number one and number two, surpassing Martina Navratilova and Evert for the most meetings on the surface in the past 40 years as the WTA’s top two-ranked players.
Given her recent misfortune against Swiatek, mind, Sabalenka will no doubt be hoping the reigning champion falters this time around, leaving her with a clearer run to glory.
The Belarusian could become the first player to claim the women’s singles titles at the Australian Open and Roland-Garros in a calendar year since Williams in 2015.
Sabalenka, who is the player with the most winners on clay in 2024 (447), has already reached four finals this season, only to come up short in three of them. Erika Andreeva is her first-round opponent.
The other challengers
It is not just Swiatek and Sabalenka that will be gunning for glory in Paris over the next fortnight.
Coco Gauff is looking to become the youngest American woman to win the singles title at the French Open since Evert in 1975, while only Swiatek (36) has won more WTA main draw matches than Elena Rybakina in 2024 (30).
World number three Gauff, who lost to Swiatek in the French Open final two years ago, could become the fourth player since 2000 to make multiple finals at Roland-Garros before turning 21, along with Kim Clijsters, Ana Ivanovic and Swiatek.
Meanwhile, either Rybakina or Marketa Vondrousova could become the fifth player since 2000 to win both Wimbledon and Roland-Garros, along with Ashleigh Barty, Garbine Muguruza, Maria Sharapova and Williams. That's not bad company to be keeping.
Having reached three grand slam finals across 2022 and 2023, Ons Jabeur has endured a frustrating season so far, dropping to world number nine just ahead of 2017 champion Ostapenko, heading into what promises to be an enthralling battle.
Patrick Bailey hit a go-ahead grand slam and third baseman Matt Chapman made a game-saving defensive gem as the San Francisco Giants overcame another big deficit to beat the reeling New York Mets, 8-7 on Friday.
The Giants rallied from a 6-2 hole in the eighth to join the 1932 St. Louis Cardinals as the only teams since 1900 to win three straight road games in which they trailed by at least four runs.
Just two other teams have accomplished the feat at home: the 1999 Florida Marlins and the 1961 Boston Red Sox.
Jorge Soler and Mike Yastrzemski also homered for the Giants, who have won seven of eight to reach .500 for the first time since they were 2-2 on March 31.
Thairo Estrada’s RBI double with two outs in the eighth drew San Francisco within 6-3 and Chapman walked to load the bases before Bailey took Reed Garrett deep for his first career grand slam.
The Mets rallied in the bottom of the ninth trailing 8-6 and got an RBI single from Francisco Lindor before loading the bases with one out. But J.D. Martinez struck out and Chapman fielded Mark Vientos’ grounder barehanded on a do-or-die play and fired off balance to first, where LaMonte Wade Jr. made a difficult pick of an in-between hop for the final out.
The Mets have lost 11 of 14 to drop to 21-29, their worst 50-game start since 2013.
Lugo wins again as Royals stay hot
Seth Lugo became the American League’s first eight-game winner and Bobby Witt Jr. and Michael Massey homered to lead the Kansas City Royals to their seventh straight win, 8-1 over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Lugo limited the Rays to one run on four hits to lower his AL-best ERA from 1.79 to 1.74. Philadelphia’s Ranger Suarez leads the majors with nine victories.
The Royals (33-19) moved a season-best 14 games over .500. They were 15-37 after 52 games last season and didn’t reach 33 wins until Aug. 1.
Tampa Bay has scored 10 runs during a season-high five-game losing streak.
Massey’s three-run shot off Tyler Alexander in the fifth gave Kansas City a 5-1 lead, but he left an inning later with lower back tightness.
Streaking Guardians hit 3 straight home runs
Jose Ramirez went deep twice and started a run of three consecutive homers in the fourth inning as the Cleveland Guardians pushed their winning streak to seven with a 10-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Ramirez belted two-run shots in the third and fourth innings for his 24th multihomer game and first since July 30 against the White Sox. Ramirez’s four RBIs gave him a major league-leading 49.
Josh Naylor and David Fry also went deep in the fourth as the Guardians became the first team this season to go back-to-back-to-back.
Luis Rengifo, Jo Adell and Logan O’Hoppe homered for the Angels, who dropped to 6-17 at home.
Barclay Goodrow scored with 5:59 left in overtime to lift the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Friday night, evening the Eastern Conference final at a game apiece.
Goodrow fired a snap shot from between the circles over Sergei Bobrovsky’s right shoulder for his third goal in the last five games.
Vincent Trocheck scored early in the first period and Igor Shesterkin stopped 26 shots as the Rangers avoided losing both home games and now head to Florida for Game 3 on Sunday afternoon with the series tied.
Trocheck’s goal was his seventh of the playoffs and gave him four goals and nine points in seven games this postseason at Madison Square Garden.
Luka Dončić drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3 seconds remaining and finished with a triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks rallied for a 109-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals on Friday night.
Doncic had 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds for his eighth triple-double in 42 career playoff games for the Mavericks, who erased a 16-point deficit midway through the third quarter.
After winning two on the road, the Mavericks look to take a commanding 3-0 lead as the series shifts to Dallas on Sunday night.
Naz Reid scored 23 points with seven 3-pointers, but his last shot at the buzzer rimmed out as the Timberwolves endured another off night from stars Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns. Edwards had 21 points on 5-of-17 shooting and Towns scored 15 on 4 of 16 from the field.
Jaden McDaniels, who had 20-plus points in each of Minnesota’s last three games, didn’t make a basket until midway through the third. He finished with two points on 1-of-6 shooting.
Kyrie Irving scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, including a 3 from the corner with 65 seconds left that drew Dallas within 108-106.
Minnesota committed two turnovers, the last one by Edwards, who recklessly threw the ball out of bounds off a drive with 13 seconds to go.
Doncic took the inbounds pass and dribbled to set up a screen for Dereck Lively II that triggered a switch by the Wolves. Rudy Gobert covered Doncic, but the Mavs superstar sank the 3 and then flexed his arms and yelled at the stunned crowd as his teammates mobbed him.
The Wolves pushed their lead to 68-52 on Mike Conley’s free throw with 9:07 left in the third quarter, but Dallas scored eight straight points and was within 79-77 on Irving’s basket with 1:22 to play in the quarter.
The ICC T20 World Cup has led to significant scheduling conflicts, causing disruptions for the Regional UWI Volleyball Games 2024, an intercampus and club volleyball competition set to begin today, Friday, May 24, 2024, at the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad.
The St Augustine campus gymnasium, designated as an official training venue for the T20 World Cup, became unavailable for the final day of the volleyball tournament due to strict security protocols. This unexpected change, combined with the last-minute unavailability of the UWI Cave Hill male team, forced the organizers to condense the competition from three days to two.
"The venue is an official training location for the ICC World Cup, and the security protocols have strict proximity rules," explained Cheryl Daley, Competitions Coordinator. "That means the gymnasium is no longer available on Sunday as was previously the case. We were able to adjust without too much upheaval since the Barbados male team dropped out, which reduced the number of games to be played overall."
This tournament marks the first inter-campus regional volleyball competition since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring club and university teams from Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados. The new schedule compresses the games into two intense days of play, a change welcomed by Mona Head Coach Dr. Ricardo Chong.
"It just makes it all the more exciting," Dr. Chong said. "Now we have two intense days of play which will really put our teams to the test. Both the UWI intercollegiate and club teams are top teams in Jamaica, and now we will see how we match up against other islands."
Prominent Trinidad & Tobago volleyball clubs Glamorgan, Big SEPOS, and West Side Stars are confirmed for the two-day competition, which will be held at UWI’s Sports and Physical Education Centre gymnasium in St Augustine. The games will run from Friday, May 24 to Saturday, May 25, 2024, kicking off at 1 PM Jamaica time.
Despite the scheduling challenges, the condensed tournament promises to deliver thrilling volleyball action, showcasing the resilience and competitive spirit of the participating teams.
Tomas Machac upset Novak Djokovic as he captured the biggest win of his career to deny the Serbian a place in the Geneva Open final.
Machac reached his first ATP Tour final with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-1 victory on Friday following a hard-fought contest.
Djokovic had control of the first set, storming into a 4-1 lead, but Machac rallied to take the opening set.
After receiving a medical time-out before the second set, Djokovic superbly won the second set without dropping a single game but faded in the decider.
Djokovic won the opener in the third, but Machac came from behind to seal the win in two hours and seven minutes. He will face Casper Ruud or Flavio Cobolli in the final on Sunday.
Data Debrief: Final still out of Djokovic's reach
Despite making a strong start to the Geneva Open, fitness problems seem to have caught up with Djokovic ahead of the French Open later this month.
He lost his second career match despite having won a set with a 6-0 scoreline (after Sam Querrey in the Paris Masters in 2012), and has failed to make a final in 2024.
Max Verstappen believes it will be a far from "very easy weekend" at the Monaco Grand Prix, as he looks to extend his lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship.
The three-time world champion has a 48-point advantage at the summit after winning five of the opening seven races this season.
Verstappen could make history by surpassing Ayrton Senna with an eighth successive pole in Qualifying, and maintaining his perfect record at the start of the campaign.
Although, the narrow track layout and high kerbs may present a problem to Red Bull, who struggled with the latter at last year's Singapore Grand Prix, where they failed to finish on the podium for the only time in 2023.
Ferrari's strength in slow-speed corners could also prove crucial, while Lando Norris' challenge appears to be gathering momentum after the McLaren driver finished less than a second behind him in Imola last weekend.
"In Monaco, you might have some surprises," Verstappen said. "It's one of the more difficult tracks for us.
"In the last few years, Ferrari have always been very, very strong here. Plus, McLaren lately - the last two races - really ramped up in performance. They are, for sure, ones to watch as well.
"I don't think this is going to be a very easy weekend. Our car normally struggles a bit over bumps and kerbs. Monaco is never very straightforward, even when you have the best car. Monaco is a very tricky track to get everything to work.
"For sure, things have closed up [the challenge from Norris], which makes it very important to try to be at our very best. I know that is not always a very realistic possibility, but you always try to get to a certain point and maybe the last few races we haven't been operating at that."
Connor McDavid scored 32 seconds into double overtime and the Edmonton Oilers topped the Dallas Stars 3-2 in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night.
Evan Bouchard centered a pass into the low slot from the right boards and McDavid deflected it past Jake Oettinger for his third goal of the playoffs.
Game 2 is Saturday night in Dallas.
The Stars went scoreless on three power plays in regulation and failed to capitalize on four minutes with the man advantage after a high-stick penalty against McDavid early in the first overtime.
Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman scored in the second period to stake the Oilers to a 2-0 lead before Tyler Seguin drew the Stars within one les than two minutes later.
Edmonton held the slim lead until Seguin scored again with 3:23 left in regulation.
McDavid nearly won it with about 5:20 left in the first overtime, but his shot was blocked by Oettinger and defenseman Chris Tanev both putting their sticks down to keep the puck out of the net.
Dallas got 35 saves from Oettinger but lost it seventh straight playoff series opener.
Joe Mazzulla warned the Boston Celtics that the confidence garnered from taking a 2-0 series lead against the Indiana Pacers is not enough to secure progress.
The Celtics won 126-110 on Thursday to move two games ahead in their Eastern Conference finals series against the Pacers.
Indiana were also dealt a blow when star player Tyrese Haliburton suffered a hamstring injury, which the Pacers will wait agonisingly on.
Yet with the Pacers having overturned a deficit to overcome the New York Knicks in the last round, Celtics coach Mazzulla knows the job is nowhere near done.
"The only thing we should be thinking about is, they were down 2-0 a series Tago and brought it to Game 7," Mazzulla said.
"They do a great job protecting their home court. They're undefeated at home. It's going to take a lot more than confidence to get the job done.
"We have to focus on the details and the execution and the mindset, the things that go into playing against a team like this at home.
"I know they're going to respond so it's up to us to do the same."
Jaylen Brown starred again for the Celtics, finishing with 40 points on the day he missed out on an All-NBA selection.
"We're two games from the Finals," he said when asked about that snub. "So, honestly, I don't have the time to give a f***."
Indiana, meanwhile, face the prospect of having to fight back against the NBA's best team without their key player.
"He does so many things for our team," T.J McConnell said of Haliburton.
"I think everyone has to move the ball more, get in the paint more. The ball movement has to be at another level. He gets 10 assists in his sleep, so it's hard for another person on our team to replicate that. It's a group effort when he goes down."
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle added: "We'll know more [on Friday] and then probably more Saturday."
J.B. Bickerstaff has been dismissed by the Cleveland Cavaliers after four years in charge of the Eastern Conference side.
Bickerstaff guided the Cavs to the playoffs in successive seasons, including their first Eastern Conference semifinals appearance since 2018 this term. There, they were beaten by the top seeds in the Boston Celtics.
The 45-year-old posted a regular season record of 170-159, with the youthful Cleveland winning at least 44 times in each of their last three campaigns.
Koby Altman, the Cavaliers' President of Basketball Operations, paid tribute to the outgoing coach as he revealed the franchise were seeking a change in direction.
"J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human being," Altman said.
"Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership.
"The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships. We owe a ton of gratitude for everything J.B. has contributed to the Cavaliers and his engagement in the Cleveland community."
Jaylen Brown scored 10 of his career playoff high 40 points during a first-half surge and the Boston Celtics pulled away for a 126-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night.
After his 3-pointer with 5.7 seconds left in regulation forced overtime in Game 1, Brown helped Boston turn a five-point deficit in the first quarter into a 15-point second-quarter lead.
The Celtics led 42-27 after that 20-0 run and never relinquished the lead.
Indiana missed nine straight shots and committed four turnovers during the drought that lasted more than six minutes. Brown had 10 points during the run and had 24 by halftime.
Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each scored 23 points and Jrue Holiday had 15 with 10 assists for the top-seeded Celtics, who lost Game 2 in both of their previous series this postseason.
The series shifts to Indiana for Game 3 on Saturday night.
Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton had 10 points and eight assists before leaving in the third quarter with a sore left leg.
Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 28 points and Andrew Nembhard added 16.
The Pacers got as close as 68-66 on Siakam’s 3 with 7:55 left in the third quarter, but Derrick White and Tatum dunked and White made a 3 a minute later to give the Celtics a 75-68 advantage.
Brown’s 3 with 4:32 to go in the third extended the lead to 80-71 and Indiana would get no closer.
The Philadelphia Phillies matched the best 35-game span in franchise history with a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday behind seven strong innings from Zach Wheeler.
The major league-leading Phillies have won seven straight and are 29-6 over their past 35 games, a stretch the franchise hadn’t accomplished since 1892.
Philadelphia completed its seventh series sweep of the season and improved to 17-3 in May. The Phillies either split or won each of their last 15 series, the longest span since a 19-series stretch in 1984.
Wheeler allowed two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts to win his sixth consecutive decision.
Phillies starters have gone at least seven innings in 18 starts this year, the most in baseball.
J.T. Realmuto homered for the second straight day and Nick Castellanos also went deep as the Phillies moved to 15-3 since they lost two-time All-Star shortstop Trea Turner to a left hamstring injury.
Defending World Series champion Texas has lost four straight and 10 of 12 to drop a season-high three games under .500.
Athletics stun Rockies with five-run 11th
Tyler Soderstrom walked with the bases loaded to cap a five-run 11th inning and the Oakland Athletics rallied for a stunning 10-9 win over the Colorado Rockies.
After the Rockies scored four in the top of the 11th, Oakland opened the bottom half with a double, single and two-run homer by JJ Bleday to tie it at 9. Colorado loaded the bases on an intentional walk to Kyle McCann before Peter Lambert walked Soderstrom to force in the winning run.
J.D. Davis and Daz Cameron homered for the A’s, who trailed 4-0 heading to the bottom of the seventh.
Oakland won its fourth game when trailing after eight innings, tied with Miami for most in the majors.
Giants rally past Pirates again
Matt Chapman hit a three-run homer during an eighth-inning rally and the San Francisco Giants spoiled a solid start by rookie Paul Skenes in a 7-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Giants overcame a five-run deficit in Wednesday’s extra-inning win and trailed 6-2 after seven innings in this one before getting going against Pittsburgh’s struggling bullpen.
Chapman homered for the third straight game after LaMonte Wade Jr. and Thairo Estrada opened the eighth with singles. After Jorge Soler doubled and scored on pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores’ single, Brett Wisely delivered a go-ahead hit off Aroldis Chapman later in the inning to put the Giants on top 7-6.
San Francisco won consecutive games in which it trailed by at least four runs for the first time since 1998.
Joey Bart staked Pittsburgh to a 5-1 lead with his fourth career grand slam in the fourth. He also doubled before being ejected by first base umpire Alex Tossi after grounding out to end the eighth.
Skenes was excellent for the second straight start, allowing one run and six hits in six innings.
Both members of Jamaica’s female gymnastics team of Isabelle David and Alana Walker have advanced to the final round of the women’s all-around category at the Pan American Championships being held in Santa Maria, Colombia.
David’s score in the qualification round for all-around was 47.967 which placed her 12th while Walker’s score of 47.067 placed her 16th among the 24 finalists. David was also named as a reserve for the final rounds of both the beam and floor exercise categories.
Her scores in the beam and floor were 12.267 and 12.200, respectively.
"I am so excited to have made it to all-around finals and be a reserve for two events," David told Sportsmax.tv.
"It is such a great accomplishment and I'm proud of myself for being able to achieve it. I'm so honoured that I was able to represent Jamaica to the best of my abilities during the qualifying competition. I am so excited to have another opportunity during the all-around final competition. I hope to show off all of the skills that i have worked so hard to get," she added.
Walker reacted to competing for Jamaica on the international stage once again.
“It felt really good out to get back out there on the international competition floor after a long three years off,” she said.
“Although it wasn’t my best, I’m very proud of how I performed yesterday. It was fun to be out there with Izzy and the coaching staff and very exciting to find out I made all-around finals. I’m very thankful to team Jamaica for their continued support and belief in me. I’m ready to get back out there, do my best and represent Jamaica with Izzy tomorrow,” she added.
Novak Djokovic beat Tallon Griekspoor in straight sets in the Geneva Open quarter-finals on Thursday, teeing up a last-four meeting with Tomas Machac.
Djokovic was pushed all the way in an intriguing opener, Griekspoor generating three set points only to fail to convert any of them.
The world number one immediately punished Griekspoor's wastefulness by breaking at the end of a back-and-forth service game, then proceeded to serve the first set out in comfort.
Griekspoor would not get a second chance to make a contest of it as Djokovic took full advantage of an early break in the second set, serving at 81 per cent and winning 92 per cent of points behind his first serve from there as he cruised to a 7-5 6-1 win.
Data Debrief: Age just a number for Djokovic
Having turned 37 on Wednesday, Djokovic is the oldest semi-finalist in Geneva Open history.
Now 14-5 for the year, he is the strong favourite to claim his first title of 2024. Flavio Cobolli will face Sebastian Baez or Casper Ruud in the other semi-final.
The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first play-off series in six years earlier this month.
That wasn't enough, however, for J.B. Bickerstaff to keep his job as the team's coach.
The Cavaliers decided to dismiss Bickerstaff from his position on Thursday, according to a statement made by the team.
Since taking over for John Beilein in 2020, Bickerstaff went 170-159 in five seasons with Cleveland and led the franchise to the play-offs each of the last two years.
In 2023-24, Bickerstaff helped direct Cleveland to a 48-34 record and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference play-offs.
The Cavs then beat the Orlando Magic in the first round for the franchise's first play-off series win since the team lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Finals. It also marked Cleveland's first trip to the conference semi-finals without LeBron James on the roster since 1992-93.
The Cavs' season ended in the conference semis, where they lost to the NBA-best Boston Celtics in five games.
Bickerstaff's team, however, was significantly undermanned with five-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell missing the final two games against the Celtics with a left calf strain and fellow All-Star Jarrett Allen missing the last eight play-off games due to a right rib contusion.
"J.B. is a well-respected NBA coach and an incredible human-being," Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a statement. "Over the past four years, he helped establish a culture that progressively drove players to become the best versions of themselves. Decisions like these are never easy, particularly when you look back at where this franchise rebuild started under his leadership. The NBA is a unique business that sometimes requires aggressive risk-taking to move a franchise forward and ultimately compete for championships. We owe a ton of gratitude for everything J.B. has contributed to the Cavaliers and his engagement in the Cleveland community. We wish J.B., his wife Nikki and their three children the best in their future endeavours."
The University of the West Indies (UWI) Sports & Physical Education Centre (SPEC) at the St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad is poised for an exhilarating weekend of volleyball. From Friday, May 24, to Sunday, May 26, 2024, the UWI Intercampus Volleyball Tournament will bring together some of the best clubs in the region, including Glamorgan, Big SEPOS, and West Side Stars.
The tournament kicks off on Friday with games starting at 12:00 noon, while matches on Saturday and Sunday will commence at 9:00 am. The event promises to showcase high-calibre volleyball, reflecting the skill of the participating teams.
The UWI Mona Club/Intercollegiate male and female teams, hailing from Jamaica, will depart from Norman Manley International Airport on Thursday, May 23, at 2:55 pm on Caribbean Airlines.
The UWI Mona volleyball team has a storied history of success. Over the years, both the male and female teams have dominated intercollegiate competitions, national club championships, and international club championships. With an impressive tally of over 100 championships, they are the most successful team at the Mona campus and the leading volleyball team in Jamaica.
This success is not just in numbers but also in influence. The team has been a critical source of national players for both indoor and outdoor volleyball. Their involvement in diverse leagues and tournaments, along with the variety of nationalities represented, offers players significant exposure and opportunities, attracting many prospective students from across the Caribbean region.
The resilience of the UWI Mona volleyball team has been particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many other clubs ceased activities, the Mona team continued to engage its members through ongoing training programs and off-court activities, adhering to health protocols. This proactive approach led to their selection to spearhead a pilot program for the return of the sport, demonstrating their leadership and dedication.
Currently, the UWI Mona Volleyball program boasts 70 active students and 30 alumni. Their commitment to the sport and each other highlights the strong community and support system within the team. This spirit of unity and perseverance will be on full display at the upcoming tournament.
Rafael Nadal will begin his French Open campaign against fourth seed Alexander Zverev, as the 14-time champion approaches what will likely be his final tournament at Roland-Garros.
Nadal has repeatedly said he plans to call time on his glittering career at the end of 2024, having struggled with hip and abdominal injuries in recent years.
His 14 titles in the French capital are four more than any other man has won at a specific major, with Novak Djokovic triumphing 10 times at the Australian Open.
The Spaniard, who has missed the last four majors, arrived at Roland-Garros on Monday and faces a tough opening assignment.
He will face world number four Zverev – who won the Italian Open last week – for a place in the second round, where David Goffin or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard awaits.
Nadal faced Zverev en route to his last grand slam triumph at the 2022 French Open, the German being forced to retire due to an ankle injury over three hours into a gruelling semi-final matchup.
Novak Djokovic starts his title defence against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, as he looks to fend off competition from Jannik Sinner for top spot in the ATP Rankings.
Australian Open winner Sinner will face Christopher Eubanks first up, while third seed Carlos Alcaraz begins against a qualifier.
Like Nadal, Andy Murray is likely featuring at the French Open for the final time, and he has been drawn to face 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka in a huge first-round encounter.
In the women's draw, Iga Swiatek starts her bid for a third straight French Open crown against either a qualifier or a lucky loser, with Naomi Osaka a potential second-round opponent if the former world number one can overcome Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti.
Coco Gauff is on the same side of the draw as Swiatek, while second seed Arnya Sabalenka begins against Erika Andreeva in the other half, with Elena Rybakina her forecasted semi-final opponent.
Chris Finch lamented the Minnesota Timberwolves’ lack of composure in their Western Conference finals Game 1 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Timberwolves lost 108-105 on the road on Wednesday, failing to hold onto their lead in the final four minutes.
Minnesota sank just 11 of 18 from the free-throw line and committed five turnovers in the final frame, allowing Dallas to complete a late turnaround.
Asked what the biggest problem was for his side in a tight contest, Finch said: "No composure.
"We haven't really closed quarters very well, closed halves very well over the last handful of games.
"It cost us a game in the Denver series. It certainly had an impact on this game tonight, too. We've got to be better in clutch moments."
Mike Conley echoed his coach’s thoughts and believes the Timberwolves can use this as a learning curve.
"I think we haven't been tested like this where we've had to trade basket to basket, late-game free throw situations or fouling situations, stuff that we have to be better at," Conley said.
"But we'll learn from it. I think each game we've learned a lot about ourselves, a lot we can get better at. Obviously, it's going to be a long series, regardless of what happened tonight."
Meanwhile, Luka Doncic starred for Dallas once again, scoring 15 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter to help them over the line to a Game 1 victory.
The Slovenian admits that the Mavericks wanted to make a statement by winning at home.
"We had to work really hard to get this one," said Doncic.
"I think we're known for losing game ones, so we were trying to make a point. But it's only one and we have three more [wins] to go."
Lando Norris believes McLaren can open up the F1 title fight when they head to Monaco for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old finished in the top two of the previous three grand prix, claiming his maiden victory in Miami.
He threatened to finish ahead of Max Verstappen for a second time at Imola last Sunday with a late charge, but finished within one second of the Red Bull driver.
Looking back at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Norris said while he is sure he could have done things differently, he sticks by his choices.
"I did everything I believed was right at the time," Norris told Sky Sports.
"When it's so close you always think 'What really could I have done that little bit differently,' but you always could have done something a little bit better or a little bit differently. I'm sure Max could have reviewed things and said the same thing.
"But nice to know it wasn't an easy one for him. It's about time someone put him under pressure, and he felt a bit of nerves again because I'm sure he hasn't felt it for a while.
"I don't want to be overconfident - that's never been me - but we want to come into races now and be confident in racing against the Red Bull, racing against Ferrari because we are in the mix with them."
Before the race at Imola, Norris said he believed McLaren were not quite ready to challenge Red Bull for the title this year.
The Briton currently sits fourth in the standings, 60 points behind Verstappen, but he now thinks they can count themselves in the running this year.
"We're a third of the way through so we have a very long way to go, so I think many, many things can happen," he added.
"But also, Monaco is a place where anything can happen. So, I would never say 'no' anymore.
"I've got fed up of myself kind of underestimating what we can achieve as a team. So, we're going to come in, we're positive, we've had a very good run of results - second, first, second - and there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to continue that here in Monaco.
"It's not known to be our best track but, at the same time, anything can happen."
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