Senior rugby league returned after a two-year absence with Rugby League Jamaica staging its annual national trials match between Reds and Blues at the UWI Mona Bowl last Saturday. The national trials played under the Parish of Residence (POR) banner saw both men and women Reds squad marching to victory.
In the women's game, Reds ran out winners 48-28 winners.
Shanique Smith led all scorers with a total of 24 points from four tries and four conversions. Support came from Tarja Richards with four tries and Latoya Sanchez and Dae-Marie Whyte with one each. For the Blues, speedster Naomi Dodd led her team with 18 points from bagging four tries and kicking a conversion while Teresa Smith and Debisha Scarlett had a try each, Teresa Smith added a conversion.
The men’s game was a humdinger that saw multiple lead changes and was only settled with three minutes remaining when flyer Jenson Morris dived in the right corner for his third try of the day and steal it for Reds.
Man of the match Owen Linton and Andrew Simpson were the other try scorers for Reds. For Blues, Adrian Thomas bagged two tries and captain Khamisi McKain and Steve Miller grabbed one each, Miguel Facey completed the scoring with a converted kick.
“It was a great game by both teams, all the players gave their all. I’m happy Reds came out with the win, but we have a lot to improve on for the remaining series,” said Reds coach Donovan Jackson.
Meanwhile, the Director of Rugby Romeo Monteith was elated to see the senior rugby league back.
“It’s fantastic to get the seniors playing again, it’s especially pleasing to see the debut of senior women rugby league and overall, we are pleased with the level of the players after being out for two years. All these players want to represent their country and the intensity of both games was a testament to that,” he said.
The series continues on May 21 and 28 and both games will be at the UWI Mona Bowl.
Andy Murray has withdrawn from the Madrid Open through illness, having been due to play old rival Novak Djokovic on Thursday.
Murray and Djokovic first faced off on the ATP Tour in Madrid 16 years ago and had been set to clash again in the last 16 after the Briton beat Dominic Thiem followed by Denis Shapovalov at the ATP 1000 event, where the world number one eased past Gael Monfils.
However, the Madrid Open confirmed on its Twitter page on Thursday that Murray would be unable to compete "due to illness", meaning Andrey Rublev and Dan Evans are to instead open the day's play on centre court.
The Serbian, who has a 25-11 record against Murray, will now face the winner of Hubert Hurkacz and Dusan Lajovic in the quarter-final after being given a walkover.
After his win against Shapovalov, Murray was excited about the prospect of locking horns with Djokovic again, saying: "In theory I should have no chance in the match. He's obviously number one in the world [and] I'm playing with a metal hip, so I shouldn't have a chance in the match.
"We've had so many great battles over the years in some of the biggest tournaments in the world. We played in the final I think of all four grand slams, we played here in the final, and I haven't had that opportunity to play against him for a long time."
Sadly for Murray, and tennis fans, that wait will have to go on for a bit longer.
Jason Kidd repeated his plea for the rest of his Dallas Mavericks players to do more to help Luka Doncic after they fell 2-0 behind to the Phoenix Suns in the NBA playoffs.
Game 2 of their Western Conference semi-final was taken away from Dallas by the Suns in the second half on Wednesday, with the hosts scoring 71 points after half-time to eventually run out 129-109 victors at Footprint Center.
A sensational performance from Chris Paul was the catalyst for the number one seeds in the West, with 28 points as well as eight assists and six rebounds.
Paul was more than ably assisted by Devin Booker, who helped himself to 30 points on the night, but the game's top scorer Doncic (35) received less support.
The Slovenian added seven assists and five rebounds, with the next highest Dallas scorer, Reggie Bullock, only managing 16, while first-round star Jalen Brunson could only add nine.
Doncic is averaging 33.5 points per game for his playoff career – the most of all time – but coach Kidd accepts he cannot beat a team as good as the Suns on his own.
"He had a great game, but no one else showed," Kidd said. "We've got to get other guys shooting the ball better.
"We can't win with just him out there scoring 30 a night – not at this time of the year. And we're playing the best team in the league, so we've got to get other guys going.
"We need to do a better job of helping him. [The Suns are] bringing him up into everything. We knew that coming into the series. We knew that in the last series. We did a better job of protecting one another, not just Luka. We've got to get back to protecting one another for Game 3 back at home."
Doncic did not absolve himself of blame, though, adding: "I've just got to play better defense. That's it."
Mavs coach Kidd was also full of praise for Paul and Booker, acknowledging the Suns' gameplan worked to perfection.
"When you look at CP and Book, they took turns," Kidd said. "One took the third quarter, the next one took the fourth quarter, and we had no answers.
"They got the shots that they wanted. CP got to his spots and he made layups and made jump shots. Book made threes. They're really good. They understand the situation. They've seen it all. We've just got to be better."
The Philadelphia 76ers still do not know if Joel Embiid will be able to return in Game 3 against the Miami Heat, as he still has "so many steps to go through".
Embiid has not played so far in the second-round series, in which the 76ers now trail 2-0 after another defeat on Wednesday.
Although Tyrese Maxey went off for 34 points, Heat center Bam Adebayo (23 points and nine rebounds) enjoyed another big night in Embiid's absence to inspire a 119-103 win.
The 76ers will hope to get on the board as they head home to Philadelphia, but they may again be without their MVP candidate, who suffered a facial fracture and concussion against the Toronto Raptors in round one.
Coach Doc Rivers could offer no assurances ahead of Game 3, as he told reporters: "I really don't know [if Embiid can play].
"We talked [on Tuesday], and we talked [on Wednesday]. He looked good, as far as talking.
"But he's got so many steps to go through, and I don't think he's cleared any of them right now. So, we just have to wait and see."
Despite the Heat's dominant start, coach Erik Spoelstra remains wary of the series-altering impact of a potential Embiid return.
"It changes dramatically," Spoelstra said. "You're talking about MVP talent, you know? So, we'll just have to see.
"We knew that this series was going to shift, and it was going to change pretty dramatically [if Embiid returns].
"It's better for it to change dramatically when we're able to get a couple wins, but yeah, he changes the equation quite a bit."
Madison Bumgarner was ejected in bizarre circumstances as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Miami Marlins 8-7 on Wednesday.
Giving up a lead-off home run to Jon Berti in the first inning, Bumgarner retired the next three batters before he was called for a foreign substance check by first-base umpire Dan Bellino.
The notoriously fiery Bumgarner responded angrily to a prolonged check, with Bellino staring at him, and was consequently ejected for swearing at the umpire.
Daulton Varsho homered for the D-Backs, who claimed a three-game series sweep against the Marlins with the win.
After a sluggish start to the season, Arizona have claimed seven wins in their past nine games – including victories over the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals – to get back to .500.
Dodgers dominate in NL West battle
The Dodgers claimed their second win of a two-game home series against the San Francisco Giants, earning a comfortable 9-1 victory.
Mookie Betts and Max Muncy homered and Freddie Freeman hit a two-run triple as the Dodgers broke the game open late, scoring six runs in their final two at-bats.
With the Giants dropping these two games, they now sit two and a half games behind the Dodgers, who top the NL West.
Blue Jays break Yankees streak
In another big division matchup on Wednesday, the Toronto Blue Jays ended the New York Yankees' 11-game win streak with a 2-1 victory.
Matt Chapman homered in the second inning for Toronto against their AL East rivals, before Vladimir Guerrero scored the winning RBI single in the third.
Blue Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi pitched solidly, striking out seven and giving up only three hits over 78 pitches in a season-high six innings.
Tony DeAngelo saved special praise for rookie goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov after the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Boston Bruins 5-2 on Wednesday.
Kochetkov was thrust into the spotlight for his playoff debut as the Hurricanes took a 2-0 lead in what is becoming a fiery series.
With Frederik Andersen already down, tempers boiled over as the Canes had to turn to Kochetkov after Antti Raanta was struck in the head by David Pastrnak's glove as he skated past.
The two teams traded words and big hits throughout, and defenseman DeAngelo made it clear where the Hurricanes stand with the Bruins in this series.
"We're not going to get pushed around, I guarantee you that," he said.
DeAngelo was glowing of Kochetkov's demeanour after the first-period change and his ability to keep it simple in a heated environment, making 30 saves.
"I think he's real calm," his team-mate said. "You don't see any jitters, at least in my eyes. I don't know what he's feeling inside. I'm sure he's a little nervous. Anybody would be, right?
"But I thought he was real calm in the net. He made a lot of saves, wasn't trying to do too much. He was calm. Coming into goal in the first period in a playoff game as a rookie after coming here a few weeks ago, he was really good."
Elsewhere on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Minnesota Wild tied up their respective series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the St. Louis Blues with wins.
The Edmonton Oilers also tied up their series, smashing the Los Angeles Kings in a 6-0 shutout.
The Miami Heat took a commanding 2-0 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers, comfortably winning 119-103 at home on Wednesday.
The Eastern Conference's first seed were faced with little resistance against a Sixers side without Joel Embiid protecting the paint, shooting 51.3 per cent from the floor and 48.3 per cent from beyond the arc.
Jimmy Butler was transformative on the offensive end for the Heat, finishing with 22 points on eight-of-15 shooting and 12 assists.
Four Heat players - Bam Adebayo, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus and Tyler Herro - had three assists, while Herro and Victor Oladipo combined for 37 points off the bench on 12-of-21 shooting.
The Sixers kept turnovers relatively low with eight but did not generate great shots either, coming up with 17 assists for the night and connecting on a poor 26.7 per cent of three-point attempts.
Suns secure 2-0 lead over Mavs
The Phoenix Suns assuredly defended home court in their series with the Dallas Mavericks, securing a 129-109 victory.
A dominant second half saw the Suns through in Game 2, scoring 71 points on 29-of-41 shooting against the Mavs' 49 points on 14-of-39 from the floor.
Devin Booker and Chris Paul took over, combining for 41 points on 16-of-21 shooting after the main change. The change in game complexion was all the more distinct with Dallas taking 16 free-throw attempts in comparison to Phoenix's five.
Booker and Paul scored 30 and 28 points respectively for the night, with the latter chipping in eight assists and six rebounds.
Luka Doncic put up 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting along with seven assists, but crucially committed as many turnovers for the Mavs.
Ben Simmons will have surgery to help treat the pain caused by a herniated disc, with the Brooklyn Nets expecting his recovery to take at least three months.
Simmons, the 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, did not play a game in the 2021-22 season, encountering more back pain as he tried to ramp up to a return in the playoffs.
A statement released by the Nets highlighted that the surgery he will receive is called a microdiscectomy.
It was a disappointing season for the Nets, who began the year as the favourites to win the Eastern Conference, but struggled throughout as Kyrie Irving was absent for the first portion of the season, and James Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package around Simmons.
In the playoffs, the Nets were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics, who are now the Eastern Conference favourites.
While Kyrie Irving highlighted in his last post-game press conference of the playoffs that there will be plenty of roster turnover as he and Kevin Durant "co-manage" the offseason along with the front office, he indicated Simmons was seen as a core building block.
David Goffin was impressive in his 6-4 6-2 win against Botic van de Zandschulp – earning a third round fixture against Rafael Nadal on the clay courts of the Madrid Open.
The Belgian was stronger both on serve and in the return game, winning 66 per cent of his service points compared to Van de Zandschulp's 53 per cent, and 47 per cent of his return points to the Dutchman's 34 per cent.
Goffin will face Nadal next for a place in the quarter-finals as the Spaniard searches for his first Madrid crown since 2017.
In a clash between two of the world's top-25 players, Italy's Jannik Sinner came out on top 6-4 6-1 against Australia's Alex de Minaur.
After a tight first set, which featured four consecutive breaks of serve, Sinner found another gear in the second.
He improved his service points from 53 per cent up to 80 per cent, allowing no break point opportunities for the Aussie and converting the two break points he created for himself.
Fourth seed Stefano Tsitsipas was rock-solid against France's Lucas Pouille, taking it 6-3 6-4.
The Greek won 94 per cent of his successful first serves and allowed just one break point – instantly breaking back to-love the following game.
Ons Jabeur produced a fine display as she made light work for Simona Halep to secure her place in the Madrid Open semi-finals.
Former world number one Halep was the only player to have won the competition to have reached the last eight, but she was no match for the Tunisian, who won 6-3 6-2 in just over an hour.
After a difficult start to the year, Jabeur has hit her stride in recent times and will be contesting a second semi-final in three tournaments.
While Jabeur caught the eye, particularly with her penchant for a dropshot, Halep proved to be her own worst enemy, recording 12 more unforced errors (20) than winners (eight).
Up next for Jabeur is qualifier Ekaterina Alexandrova, who beat 2019 French Open semi-finalist Amanda Anisimova 6-4 6-3 to reach her first WTA 1000 last-four clash.
Alexandrova has won six of her previous seven meetings with Jabeur.
Meanwhile, Anhelina Kalinina saw her impressive run ended by Jil Teichmann. The Ukrainian had seen off three major winners on the bounce in Sloane Stephens, Garbine Muguruza and Emma Raducanu, but she was beaten in straight sets this time.
Teichmann – who won 6-3 6-4 – will face Jessica Pegula for a place in the final, with the American eliminating Spain's final hope of a home winner in Sara Sorribes Tormo, 6-4 6-2.
Lee Westwood confirmed he has requested to be released by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour in order to play in the inaugural event of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational series.
Speculation around a breakaway association in golf started gathering a head of steam in 2019 but did not attain mainstream attention until last year, with former world number one Greg Norman appointed the CEO of LIV Golf in October.
LIV Golf is financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and owns the Super Golf League (SGL) trademark.
While the idea of the SGL was referred to as "dead in the water" by Rory McIlroy in February after he, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and several other high-profile players committed themselves to the PGA Tour, preparations for LIV Golf's series continued to press ahead.
No longer considered a "league", the series will consist of seven regular-season events and then a season-ending championship. A maximum of 48 players will make up 12 teams of four, with drafts set to determine the make-up of those groupings.
Regular events will play without a cut and a $20million (£16m) purse, plus an additional $5m (£4m) split between the best three teams, while the finale tournament is set to have €30m (£24m) up for grabs, plus $50m (£40m) in team prizes.
Westwood revealed in February he signed a non-disclosure agreement regarding the competition and on Wednesday confirmed he has asked the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to allow him to compete – starting with next month's inaugural event at Centurion Club in London – despite previous threats to blacklist so-called rebels.
"I've asked for a release from the PGA Tour and European Tour for the Centurion like many others have," Westwood told reporters at The Belfry ahead of the British Masters.
"I've asked for releases for tournaments for as long as I've been on tour. It's not the first release I've asked for. I've asked for many. Not heard anything back yet. Ball is in the European Tour's court and the PGA Tour's court for that matter."
Quizzed on the controversy around the event, Westwood continued: "This is my job. I do this for money. It's not the only reason, but if anybody comes along and gives any of us a chance at a pay rise, then you have to seriously consider it.
"It's being portrayed as an 'us and them', whereas the people from LIV Golf, all the reports I've seen, have said that they want to stand side-by-side.
"They are not going up against any of the really massive tournaments. They want everybody to be able to play, have options. They are not forcing anybody's hand, so I believe."
One of the main criticisms of the LIV Golf series relates to its financial backing by the PIF of Saudi Arabia, a country routinely decried for its poor human rights record.
Saudi Arabia's increasing investment in major sporting events is, according to Amnesty International, an example of "sportswashing" – using sport to improve a tarnished reputation.
While other sports have also received significant flak for Saudi involvement, Westwood thinks golf is being unfairly targeted.
He told Sky Sports: "We've played European Tour in Saudi Arabia and I've had releases from the PGA Tour to say I can play in Saudi Arabia, so it has been no problem to them in previous years.
"Formula One raced there. Newcastle United are owned partly by people from Saudi Arabia. There has been boxing there and I think there has been snooker and darts there as well.
"Golf's not the first sport to have links with Saudi Arabia, but it seems to be coming under more scrutiny than anyone else. Whether you think that's right or not is the individual's opinion.
"I think Saudi Arabia obviously know they've got issues. I think lots of countries around the world have got issues and I think they're trying to improve. They're trying to do it through sport, which a lot of places, a lot of countries do.
"I think they're doing it a lot quicker than some countries have tried to do it and that maybe worries or scares people. People don't like change do they, they like continuity and things to stay the same."
The WBC is to contact Tyson Fury's camp to determine whether the heavyweight champion is serious about his claims he is retiring.
Fury recently reaffirmed his intentions to step away from boxing after successfully defending his WBC heavyweight belt against Dillian Whyte.
The undefeated 33-year-old delivered a brutal sixth-round knockout of Whyte at Wembley Stadium last month, and either side of the fight suggested he will call time on his career.
Fury recently said on Piers Morgan's show 'Uncensored' on Talk TV that he was "done", despite speculation surrounding potential clashes with Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk.
"This is the truth, the gospel truth, nothing but the truth – I'm done," Fury said.
"I'm quitting while I'm ahead, I'm undefeated and only the second man in history to retire as undefeated heavyweight champion.
"I'm very, very happy, very content in my heart with what I've done and what I've achieved."
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has said they will be asking Fury and his team to confirm whether he is certain about retirement.
"The WBC will be communicating with Tyson Fury and his promoters about his future plans in the coming week," Sulaiman told Sky Sports.
"We are ready to support him on whatever he decides. If he decides to retire, the WBC will fully support him."
Should Fury stay true to his word, he will join American great Rocky Marciano as one of only two heavyweight champions to retire with an unbeaten record.
"It is our dream to see fighters retire with such greatness. Undefeated champion, financially protected with a loving family and a great future outside the ring," Sulaiman added.
"I am very happy and satisfied if this is his final decision and will fully support him and will be close to him for the rest of his life."
Rumours continue to suggest that Fury has his eye on opportunities outside professional boxing in the near future, with a potential boxing-mixed martial arts exhibition event with UFC star Francis Ngannou, and a recent suggestion from Fury that he could again turn his hand to professional wrestling after his appearances for WWE in 2019.
The Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers will contest the NFL's first game in Mexico City since 2019.
Estadio Azteca hosted a game every year from 2016 to 2019, save for the 2018 season when the Rams' clash with the Kansas City Chiefs was moved back to Los Angeles because of poor field conditions.
But the coronavirus pandemic meant there were no International Series games in 2020, with Mexico City left off the schedule for 2021.
It was confirmed in February that the Cardinals would host a game in Mexico City and it was announced on Wednesday that they will face their NFC West rivals on November 21.
Both the Cardinals and the Niners made the playoffs in 2021, Arizona losing in the Wild Card round to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Rams and San Francisco beaten by the same opposition in the NFC Championship Game.
The Cardinals and the Niners met in the first NFL game to be played in Mexico back in 2005, with Arizona claiming a 31-14 victory.
The Green Bay Packers' first regular-season game outside of the United States will see them face the New York Giants.
It was confirmed in February that reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers and Co. would play in London for the first time.
That game will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 9, with the Packers taking on a historic NFC foe in Week 5.
The Giants won the inaugural London game at Wembley in 2007, defeating the Miami Dolphins, and beat the Los Angeles Rams at Twickenham in 2016.
Tottenham will also play host to a clash between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints on October 2.
Both the Vikings and Saints have played and won twice in London, New Orleans shutting out the Miami Dolphins on their last appearance in 2017.
The sole Wembley game will see new Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson face Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars at England's national stadium on October 30.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks will contest the NFL's first regular-season game to be held in Germany.
Munich's Allianz Arena was already known as the venue for the historic fixture, with Germany joining the United Kingdom and Mexico in hosting NFL regular-season games.
Now the matchup is set, with Tom Brady and the Bucs taking the role of home team against one of their NFC rivals.
The Bucs and Seahawks will face off on November 13, when Tampa Bay will likely be heavy favourites following Seattle's 2021 struggles and their subsequent trade of star quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason.
Tampa Bay suffered defeat in each of their three visits to London, though all of those games took place before they acquired Brady in 2020.
The Seahawks beat the then-Oakland Raiders 27-3 in their sole game at Wembley in 2018.
Jaylen Brown said he and his Boston Celtics team-mates wanted to play "like our season was on the line" after a 109-86 win in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semi-final against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Brown only shot four-of-13 for 12 points in the Celtics' Game 1 defeat, but followed up by scoring 30 points, with six assists and five rebounds as Boston levelled the series at 1-1 at TD Garden.
The 25-year-old also sank a playoff career-high six shots from beyond the arc and stated after the victory just how much the Celtics had wanted to square things up.
"We knew we had to come out and play like our season was on the line and we did that," Brown said.
"It's the playoffs. Survival of the fittest. Every game counts."
As well as Brown's performance, Jayson Tatum also stepped it up as he shot 29 points, with eight assists and three rebounds.
Boston coach Ime Udoka pointed to what his team had learned in their Game 1 defeat, namely not to get "outmuscled", and just as they were dominated for large periods on Sunday, they followed up with a physical performance of their own on Tuesday.
"We adjusted well," Udoka said. "We learned some things from Game 1 and felt like we knew we didn't react accordingly to the way that we're playing.
"Two big teams but we haven't been outmuscled like that all year. I think our guys took pride in that, took that to heart and we knew we would come out with the right effort tonight."
His opposite number, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, acknowledged the game-plan from the Celtics had worked, particularly on star player Giannis Antetokounmpo, who still finished with 28 points, with nine rebounds and seven assists.
"The guys on him, they're solid, good, good defenders and then quite a bit of help," Budenholzer said. "That's where he's just got to see and feel it. Do we kick it and get more threes? Or he's got to finish against one-on-one defense. So, I think it's a little bit of both.
"But Giannis, he always figures things out."
A seething Steve Kerr accused Dillon Brooks of "breaking the code" after an incident that left Gary Payton II with a broken left elbow.
Kerr's Golden State Warriors went down 106-101 to the Memphis Grizzlies, leaving their Western Conference semi-finals series locked at 1-1, in a heated match full of flashpoints.
The Grizzlies' task was made all the more difficult when Brooks was ejected in the first quarter for a nasty-looking strike across the head of Payton II in mid-air.
An X-ray later showed the extent of the damage caused and Payton II is set to undergo an MRI scan on Wednesday.
Kerr acknowledged the physicality of playoff basketball but was fuming with Brooks' play.
"I don't know if it was intentional but it was dirty," Kerr told reporters after the game.
"Playoff basketball is supposed to be physical. Everyone will compete, fight for everything. But there's a code in this league, a code players follow, where you never put a guy's season or career in jeopardy by taking someone out in mid-air and clubbing them across the head and ultimately fracturing Gary's elbow.
"This is a guy who's been toiling the last six years trying to make it in this league, finally found a home, playing his butt off this year – in the playoffs it should be the time of his life and a guy comes in and whacks him across the head in mid-air.
"He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code that's how I see it."
Another heated incident saw Draymond Green raise his middle finger towards the Grizzlies fanbase, who jeered the Warriors star after an elbow to the face left him with a cut to his right eye that had nearly swollen shut by half-time.
Green was unrepentant after the game, saying: "[If] you gonna boo somebody who got elbowed in the eye, face running with blood you should get flipped off.
"So, I'll take the fine, I'll do an appearance and make up the money. But it felt really good to flip 'em off, if you gonna boo someone who got elbowed in the face with blood running down their face, I could have had a concussion or anything.
"If they gonna be that nasty, I can be nasty too. I'm assuming the cheers are because they know I'll get fined. Great, I make $25million a year I should be just fine."
Ja Morant was the hero for the Grizzlies, scoring 47 points – matching his postseason high – despite himself struggling to see out of his left eye having been hit going for a rebound in the third quarter.
The All-Star guard atoned for missing a layup in Game 1 that would have won the Grizzlies the game, a defeat he conceded was at the forefront of his thinking during Tuesday's contest.
"That loss was on my mind a lot, obviously missing that layup late," Morant said.
"But coming into today, I told myself we needed a win, and we were going to get a win. I just took it upon myself to go out there and do that for us."
Formula One's ever-expanding presence in the United States will come to the fore as it returns to Florida for the first time in over 60 years with the Miami Grand Prix this weekend.
Bruce McLaren claimed the first of four Grand Prix wins at Sebring in 1959, before the United States GP moved to Riverside for 1960 and then Watkins Glen until 1980.
Last time out at Imola, Ferrari suffered their first bad weekend of the season, with Red Bull's one-two compounding Carlos Sainz crashing out on the opening lap and Charles Leclerc spinning after going over a sausage kerb, before finishing in sixth.
With DNFs in Imola and Melbourne, Sainz had not retired in his previous 24 races and will be looking to recover at a track that could suit this year's Ferrari package.
Even after Imola though, Ferrari still lead in both the driver's and constructor's championships, with respective 27 and 11-point leads.
Following his wins in Bahrain and Australia, Charles Leclerc could equal Ferrari's win tally in the previous seasons combined, with all three coming in 2019.
Though the Monegasque driver converted his pole position into a win at Albert Park, only four of his 11 career wins have come from pole position.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen has been much more clinical in that regard, converting his 14 pole positions into 10 race victories.
Verstappen was the last winner in the United States, taking the top step at COTA last year in Austin.
Mercedes bring upgrades
Although George Russell sits fourth in the driver's championship, Ferrari and Red Bull have had the two best packages on the grid so far this season.
Mercedes have struggled to match them for pace and performance as they come to terms with the car's particularly aggressive porpoising coming into braking zones.
They are hoping upgrades could revive Lewis Hamilton's season and the USA has traditionally been a happy hunting ground, with six of his 18 wins in North America coming there.
Can Red Bull consolidate?
Defending champion Max Verstappen won at Imola in what was an assured drive, reminding the paddock that Red Bull are capable of coming up with a strong package this season.
Sergio Perez has also been in solid form to open the season, securing back-to-back second-place finishes for the first time in his career in Melbourne and Imola.
Anything less than another strong performance will undo the progress they made, however.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 86
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 59
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) 54
4. George Russell (Mercedes) 49
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 38
Constructors
1. Ferrari 124
2. Red Bull 113
3. Mercedes 77
4. McLaren 46
5. Alfa Romeo 25
The first Grand Tour of 2022 starts on Friday, with the Giro d'Italia getting underway in Hungary.
Any chances of Egan Bernal being in line to defend his title were dashed in January, when the Colombian suffered serious injuries in a training ride in his homeland.
Fortunately, Bernal has recovered and is training again in Europe with his INEOS Grenadiers team-mates, but he will not be vying for a second successive maglia rosa.
Likewise, Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar is skipping the Giro to focus his efforts on a third straight yellow jersey. His fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic, too, will not be present for the 3,445.6km race that begins in Budapest and takes in a trip around Sicily before snaking its way around the Italian mainland, finishing with a time trial in Verona.
But the lack of standout favourites could well result in a more open race. Though not a general classification contender, Mark Cavendish is making his long-awaited Giro return, while Vincenzo Nibali will visit his hometown on what seems set to be his final appearance at this particular Grand Tour.
Stats Perform looks at the key storylines heading into the Giro d'Italia.
Picks of the bunch
This year's route features only 26.3km of time trialling – the lowest amount in a Giro since 1963, when there were no time trials. Instead, there is close to 51km of climbing, with much of that reserved for the gruelling final stages.
It is no surprise, then, that reigning world time trial champion Filippo Ganna, who has won six stages across the last two Giro and claimed gold in the team pursuit for Italy at the Tokyo Olympics, is not involved for INEOS this time around.
Leading the Grenadiers will be Richard Carapraz, the 2019 victor who will have support from Pavel Sivakov, a particularly strong climber.
For Alpecin-Felix, Mathieu van der Poel will hope to build on his impressive GT debut from last year's Tour de France and collect some points in the early stages, while Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange) will want another shot at Giro glory.
Yates had top drop out in 2020 after testing positive for coronavirus but won two stages to finish third in 2021. Indeed, that makes him the best performer from last year's GC to feature this time around, with Damiano Caruso, who took second, also sitting out.
Tom Dumoulin won in 2017 and is back after a hiatus, while 42-year-old Movistar rider Alejandro Valverde is set for his final Giro appearance, with the Spaniard set to retire at the end of the season.
Mikel Landa took the maglia azzurra in 2017 and he leads a Bahrain-Victorious team that includes Wout Poels, who held the king of the mountains jersey for four stages of Le Tour last year.
Cav is back
After his sensational efforts in last year's Tour de France, when he matched Eddy Merckx's record of 34 stage wins, Cavendish will return to the Giro after a nine-year absence after he was confirmed to be heading up the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team.
Cavendish last featured in the race in 2013, topping the points classification after winning five stages.
His participation here does cast doubt over whether he will compete in Le Tour and get the chance to set the stage-win record in that race, especially as he turns 37 later this month (he'll celebrate his birthday with a 153km mountain stage from Santena to Torino on May 21).
However, regardless of whether he gets another shot at Tour de France history in July, Cavendish will be out to add to his 15 Giro stage wins.
Nibali's long goodbye
The Giro passes through Messina on May 11, marking a return to his hometown for Nibali, the two-time champion who looks set to be making his final appearance in the race.
Nibali has won four Grand Tours and while the 37-year-old is unlikely to make any GC inroads (his last success was in 2016), it will be a glorious opportunity for him to bid farewell.
He was in tears after winning last year's Giro di Sicilia – how fitting would it be if he were to win an eighth Giro stage of his career back in the town where he grew up.
Nibali was the last Italian rider to win the Giro, and Italy's hopes rest on Trek-Segafredo's Giulio Ciccone, who crashed out in 2021.
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