Naomi Osaka was reduced to tears on Monday in her first WTA Tour news conference since snubbing the media at the French Open.
Osaka withdrew from the second grand slam of the year at Roland Garros almost three months ago after declaring she would not fulfil press conference duties during the tournament.
The four-time major champion cited mental health concerns for reaching that decision and skipped Wimbledon before returning to action at the Tokyo Olympics on home soil.
Osaka, who revealed in Paris she had suffered "long bouts of depression" since winning the US Open in 2018, agreed to speak to the press as she prepares return to the WTA Tour at the Western and Southern in Cincinnati this week.
The world number two was emotional after being asked how she benefits from a high-media profile but does not like talking to media.
Osaka answered the question from the journalist, but the video call was paused as she cried before later resuming the press conference.
She said before pausing: "That's interesting: I would say the occasion, when to do the press conferences is what I feel is the most difficult.
"I'm actually very interested in that point of view. For me I feel this is something I can't really speak for everybody, I can only speak for myself.
"But ever since I was younger, I've had a lot of media interest on me, and I think it's because of my background as well as how I play.
"Because in the first place I'm a tennis player, which is why a lot of people are interested in me. So I would say in that regard I'm quite different to a lot of people, and I can't really help that there are some things I tweet or say that create a lot of news articles or things like that.
"But I would also say, I'm not really sure how to balance it too, I'm figuring it out at the same time as you are, I would say."
Osaka then broke down while the next question was being put to her, but was able to continue.
The 23-year-old was given a first-round bye in what will be her first WTA tournament since the French Open.
Sean Morris and Dr Mark Newnham will defend Francis & Steele Perkins Trophy in Florida in October following their comprehensive victory in the Jamaica Golf Association's (JGA) Four-Ball Trials at Caymanas Golf Club on the weekend.
Americas Netball (AN) in its continued drive to educate all its member associations on issues of governance in the sport of netball, launched the second in a series of governance webinars on Saturday, August 14 via a Zoom conference.
Marva Bernard OD, President of Americas Netball and a Director of World Netball and recently appointed Ambassador of Teamwork by World Netball, in delivering her opening comments opined that “A sport organization needs leadership. The dynamic environment in which an organization operates requires sports leaders, and potential leaders to be constantly learning and retooling themselves”.
The webinars are one such tool that Americas Netball utilizes to keep its members abreast of policies, procedures and regulations in the sport of netball. She added that this year AN would partner fully with the University of the West Indies Faculty of Sport to plan the course content.
The next session is set for August 21 with the ensuing sessions to be held two Saturdays each month for the next three months culminating in November, will focus on administrative procedures and guidelines, fulfilling reporting requirements, team and stakeholder management as well as communication planning.
Other topics of focus will be Strategic planning, policy alignment and implementation, operational planning, implementing a business model, revenue generation, organizational restructuring, business plan models, governance during crises, emergency management and business planning.
Fraser McConnell credits teamwork for him being able to finish second overall in the SuperCar category of the RallyX Nordic that concluded in Arvika, Sweden on Sunday.
Cronulla Sharks' Andrew Fifita was placed into a medically induced coma after sustaining a serious throat injury on Sunday, with his brother David thanking the NRL for their support.
Fifita was taken off 39 minutes into Sunday's game against Newcastle Knights in Brisbane and the Sharks later confirmed he suffered a fractured larynx
Approximately 20 minutes after full time, the 32-year-old was brought out of the changing rooms and onto the field, where he was examined by paramedics and transferred to hospital in an ambulance.
A statement from the Sharks read: "In updating the condition of Andrew Fifita, after conferring with specialists today at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, the Sharks can inform that Andrew has suffered a laryngeal fracture and is currently in an induced coma.
"Andrew is in a stable condition, with a surgical correction scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon.
"He is receiving the best possible care and all going well, it is expected he will recover in hospital for an extended period.
On Monday, Andrew's twin brother David – who plays for Super League side Wakefield Trinity – thanked fans for their support and concern but asked for privacy for his family.
"On behalf of the Fifita family, I would like to thank everyone for their support, concern and kind words during this difficult time that we face," he wrote on Twitter.
"As a family we ask everyone to please respect our privacy and allow Andrew and the family space to heal and recover.
"In saying this I would like to thank Cronulla Sharks and the NRL for helping support our family in Queensland through this time."
Toutai Kefu is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after the Tonga coach and former Australia player was wounded during a burglary at his home.
Kefu and three members of his household were taken to hospital following an incident in the Coorparoo area of Brisbane that was reported to police at around 03:00 local time on Monday.
A man in his forties was confirmed to have suffered "serious injuries" after a violent altercation.
Two 15-year-old males have been arrested in relation to the incident, with Queensland Police confirming Kefu's wife, son and daughter were also receiving treatment for knife wounds at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital. A third alleged suspect is said to be unaccounted for.
"His initial condition was described as critical, but expected to survive," detective superintendent Tony Fleming told reporters on Monday.
"Mr Kefu is out of surgery and is stable now.
"His son is still receiving treatment as I understand and there's more treatment for Mrs Kefu and their daughter that will continue tomorrow.
"The mother has suffered very, very serious lacerations to her arm and I'm told her wounds are very significant."
Support for Kefu, who played 60 Tests for Australia, and his family poured in from across the world of rugby.
Superintendent Fleming stated that the family was awoken by noises in the house, with Kefu going to investigate.
"That person was accosted by at least one of the offenders in the premises and threatened to be stabbed if they didn’t hand over vehicle keys," Fleming said.
"Other members of the family came to that person's aid and during this time very significant injuries occurred to the family."
Kefu is Australia's most capped number eight of all time and helped the Wallabies win the 1999 World Cup. He coached Tonga at the 2019 tournament in Japan and was reappointed to the role earlier in 2021.
"Thoughts and prayers are with my Tongan brother Toutai Kefu and his family," former cross-code New Zealand star Sonny Bill Williams wrote on Twitter, while the Wallabies tweeted: "You got this great man!! All our love and thoughts to you and the entire Kefu family!"
Fernando Tatis Jr. continued where he left off before injury as the returning San Diego Padres star hit a pair of home runs in Sunday's 8-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Tatis had been on the injured list since July 31 due to a partially dislocated left shoulder, however, the MLB All-Star made his comeback against the Diamondbacks.
The 22-year-old – playing in right field for the first time in his professional career – slugged his 32nd and 33rd homers of the season to help the Padres avoid a four-game sweep.
Tatis finished four-for-five with four RBIs and three runs scored as the Padres maintained their lead in the race for the second National League (NL) Wild Card spot, two and a half games clear of the Cincinnati Reds.
"Just make them remember why they miss you," said Tatis, who homered in the third and fifth innings. "I feel like that's what it is. The hunger of being outside and not doing anything for my team for so long, I really felt bad. So, coming back, you bring your 100 per cent, take a chill and do what you know what to do."
McKenzie flirts with perfect game
Cleveland Indians pitcher Triston McKenzie stared at history in the team's 11-0 shutout of the Detroit Tigers. McKenzie was four outs away from perfection, retiring the first 23 Detroit batters in order. He lost the perfect game in the eighth inning. Not since 1981 have the Indians recorded a no-hit performance from one of their pitchers.
Texas Rangers rookie DJ Peters hit a pair of two-run homers in a 7-4 win at home to the Oakland Athletics.
The New York Yankees topped the Chicago White Sox 5-3 behind two-run homers via Rougned Odor and Luke Voit.
Slumping Cubs reeling
The Chicago Cubs suffered their 11th consecutive defeat following a 4-1 loss to the Miami Marlins. There have now been eight different losing streaks of 11-plus games this season according to Stats Perform – Cubs (twice), Baltimore Orioles (twice), Diamondbacks (twice), Rangers and Kansas City Royals. It is the most such losing streaks in a season since 1899. It is also the first time three different teams had multiple losing streaks of 11-plus games in a season.
Muncy crushes Mets
Max Muncy showed no mercy in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 14-4 victory against the New York Mets. He hit two homers, including this two-run dinger in the sixth inning.
Sunday's results
Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 Pittsburgh Pirates
Atlanta Braves 6-5 Washington Nationals
Cincinnati Reds 7-4 Philadelphia Phillies
Boston Red Sox 6-2 Baltimore Orioles
Miami Marlins 4-1 Chicago Cubs
Cleveland Indians 11-0 Detroit Tigers
New York Yankees 5-3 Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins 5-4 Tampa Bay Rays
Texas Rangers 7-4 Oakland Athletics
St Louis Cardinals 7-2 Kansas City Royals
San Francisco Giants 5-2 Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Angels 3-1 Houston Astros
San Diego Padres 8-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Toronto Blue Jays 8-3 Seattle Mariners
Los Angeles Dodgers 14-4 New York Mets
Angels at Yankees
Gerrit Cole will make his return to the mound following a stint on the COVID-19 injured list when the Yankees (65-52) host the Angels (59-60) on Monday. Jose Suarez starts for the Angels in the make-up game from July 1.
New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will start Monday's MLB clash against the Los Angeles Angels after recovering from coronavirus.
Cole landed on the COVID-19 injured list following a positive test on August 3, having not pitched since the Yankees' showdown with the Tampa Bay Rays on July 29.
But the four-time All-Star will take to the mound against the Angels.
"I'm feeling good, ready to go," Cole said on Sunday. "I'm very much looking forward to it.
"I don't think we'll push the limits by any means because the recovery will be important, but I'm ready to pitch."
In 2021, Cole has a 3.11 ERA through 21 games, with 176 strikeouts and a 10-6 win-loss record.
Cole is tied for fourth this season in shutouts, only behind Anthony DeSclafani of the San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics star Sean Manaea and Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler.
Only Wheeler (187) has managed more strikeouts than Cole this season.
The Yankees (65-52) are third in the American League (AL) East, behind the high-flying Rays (71-47) and Boston Red Sox (69-51), while they are two and a half games adrift in the Wild Card race.
"I think we've done a really great job," Cole said. "We're playing good baseball, but we still feel like we can play just a little bit better.
"Now we're just looking for the final piece to push it over the edge and really get white-hot here."
Daniil Medvedev lived up to his top-seed billing by overcoming Reilly Opelka in straight sets in the National Bank Open final.
World number two Medvedev prevailed 6-4 6-3 in Toronto on Sunday as he became the first Russian to win the ATP tournament since Marat Safin in 2000.
Medvedev now holds four of the nine ATP Masters 1000 titles, having also previously come out on top in Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris.
He saved all four break points faced against unseeded Opelka, who stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals, and needed just 85 minutes to complete the job.
Reflecting on his latest tour triumph, Medvedev said: "I could not have dreamt of this at one point.
"With Novak [Djokovic] and Rafael [Nadal] playing, it seemed like an untouchable achievement. Now I have four wins in five finals, which is a good score. I am just happy.
"Playing Canada and Cincinnati, the goal is to win as many matches as possible. I was able to do it two years ago and I will try and do it again."
Opelka was competing in his maiden final at this level and started strongly, racing 40-0 ahead in the fourth game with some powerful hitting.
However, the 23-year-old – the first American to reach the final since Mardy Fish in 2011 – could not break his opponent as Medvedev recovered with some impressive serving to take the game.
Medvedev earned the first break in the following game and comfortably held to take the first set.
The Russian forced Opelka into errors in the second set and reeled off nine points in a row en route to breaking his opponent in the third game.
It was plain sailing from that point on as two-time beaten grand slam finalist Medvedev eased over the line to add another trophy to his collection.
Unseeded Camila Giorgi again surprised Karolina Pliskova as she earned a straight-sets win in Sunday's National Bank Open final to claim the third singles title of her career.
The world number 71 defeated Pliskova at the Viking International and the Tokyo Olympics in the past three months and prevailed 6-3 7-5 in their latest meeting in Montreal.
Giorgi, who had never previously won a trophy above 250 level or on outdoor hard courts, has now triumphed in 16 of her last 20 matches in an impressive 2021 campaign.
She lost just one set all week and will move back into the world's top 35 for the first time since May 2019 with this first tournament victory since the Linz Open in October 2018.
Fourth seed Pliskova eliminated favourite Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals but could not replicate that performance as she fell at the final hurdle in a tournament for the third time this year.
Giorgi broke the former world number one for the first time in a lengthy fifth game and took the first set when Pliskova double faulted and sent a forehand wide in the final game.
Pliskova double faulted six times across the match, which lasted one hour and 40 minutes, including in the fourth game of the second set to put her opponent in complete control.
The Czech was given hope when earning her first break of serve in the following game, but she was let down by some forehand errors in the 12th game and Giorgi took her second championship point to seal an emotional win.
Roger Federer will not take part in the upcoming US Open after the 20-time grand slam winner announced he is to undergo knee surgery that will rule him out for "many months".
The 40-year-old has not been in action since losing to Hubert Hurkacz in a Wimbledon quarter-final in July and has completed only five events this year.
Federer underwent two operations on his right knee in 2020 and requires another procedure that the legendary Swiss hopes will give him a chance to return to the court.
"I just wanted to give you a bit of an update on what's been going on since Wimbledon," Federer, who won the most recent of his five titles at Flushing Meadows in 2008, posted in a video message on his Instagram page on Sunday.
"As you can imagine, it's not been simple. I've been doing a lot of checks with the doctors as well on my knee, getting all the information as I hurt myself further during the grass-court season and Wimbledon.
"That's just not the way to go forward, so unfortunately they told me for the medium to long term to feel better, I will need surgery. I decided to do it.
"I'll be on crutches for many weeks and also out of the game for many months, so it's going to be difficult of course in some ways.
"But at the same time I know it's the right thing to do because I want to be healthy, I want to be running around later as well again and I want to give myself a glimmer of hope to return to the tour in some shape or form."
Federer, now ranked number nine in the world, missed more than a year of action after first having his knee operated on shortly after the 2020 Australian Open.
"I am realistic, don't get me wrong," he said. "I know how difficult it is at this age right now to do another surgery and try it.
"But I want to be healthy, I will go through the rehab process I think also with a goal while I'm still active, which I think is going to help me during this long period of time."
Federer added: "Also a big thank you already now for all of your messages that are going to be coming in because you guys are always incredible.
"You always think of me. Some of you suffer with me. I'll update you as I move along with my rehab. I wish you all the best and I'll check in with you soon."
The US Open in New York begins on August 30, with Dominic Thiem looking to retain his title.
Fabio Jakobsen timed his sprint finish to perfection to win stage two of the Vuelta a Espana.
Alpecin-Fenix rider Jakobsen edged out Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-Quick Step) in Burgos on Sunday at the end of a 166.7-kilometre flat stage that started in Caleruega.
Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) took third place as 23-year-old Belgian Jakobsen claimed his second Vuelta stage win after being led out brilliantly by his team-mates.
Primoz Roglic retained the red jersey with a lead of four seconds over Alex Aranburu following the defending champion's time-trial triumph on the opening stage.
Sprinter Jordi Meeus was among the Bora-Hansgrohe riders who were involved in a crash four kilometres from the end of the second day.
Diego Rubio (Burgos-BH), Sergio Martin (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Xabier Mikel Azparren (Euskaltel-Euskadi) made an early break on a hot, draining day for the riders.
Rubio looked the strongest of that breakaway trio and he tried to go solo, but was caught with a little over 20 kilometres to go to set up the sprint finish that was anticipated.
Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) hit the front with 200 metres remaining, with Matthews on his wheel, but it was Jakobsen who nipped in front to take the victory.
He said: "It's incredible. Yesterday someone put it in our team group chat [that they could win the first sprint of all three Grand Tours] and for sure it was a dream but I didn't want to think about it because the chance is always less high than it would be true.
"It just shows how everyone from team is really motivated. It was a team effort and we can be really proud. It was amazing to see all my team-mates there and everyone on the front line. I had a lot of support and this is how we can win sprints.
"Each of us can be very happy tonight and we start this Grand Tour in a good way."
STAGE RESULT
1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) 03:58:57
2. Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep)
3. Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange)
4. Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates)
5. Alex Aranburu (Astana-Premier Tech)
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 0:08:32
2. Alex Aranburu (Astana-Premier Tech) +0:04
3. Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) +0:10
Points Classification
1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) 50
2. Fabio Jakobsen (Deceuninck-QuickStep) 50
3. Alex Aranburu (Astana-Premier Tech 50
King of the Mountains
1. Sepp Cuss (Jumbo-Visma) 3
2. Sep Vanmarcke (Israel Start-Up Nation) 2
3. Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates) 1
What's next?
A first high-altitude finale in Picon Blanco awaits the riders, who will start a demanding 202.8km third stage in Santo Domingo de Silos.
Jodi Munn-Barrow on Thursday was elected the first-ever female president of the 96-year-old Jamaica Golf Association and promised to expand the reach of the sport. Munn-Barrow replaces Peter Chin, who did not seek re-election after serving as president for the last decade.
Her executive includes Vice President Dr. Mark Newnham, Honorary Secretary Fred Sutherland, Assistant Secretary Bruce Lopez and Treasurer William Brown. Alison Reid is the junior golf chairperson while Dave Lyn, Michael Bradford, William Knibbs, Rowena Coe and Vikram Dhiman are committee members.
Munn-Barrow said she never dreamed of becoming president of the JGA which was formed in 1925.
"When I started my golfing career some 30-odd years ago, I never envisioned that I would ever take over the helm of this august body,” she said.
“I remember all of those who have done this before me and I have always looked up to them throughout my career. I hope that I can make them proud as well as the members of the association and I look forward to working with all of the members in ensuring that the game of golf grows and continues to be very successful."
She said she wants to raise the profile of the sport so as to be able to attract international partnerships.
"I will endeavour to increase the optics of golf in Jamaica. Some of the areas I would like to focus on include marketing Jamaica as a golfing destination through dialogue with the ministries of Sports and Tourism, reaching out again and having dialogue with the member clubs, trying to bring an AJGA (America Junior Golf Association) event to Jamaica thus lifting the image of our junior golf programme and also increasing the membership of the association by speaking with the presidents of other sporting bodies to try to get their members interested in golf as a second sport," she said.
Last year, Tyler Gilbert was working as an electrician with his father. On Saturday, he lit up Chase Field with a historic no-hitter for the Arizona Diamondbacks in their win over the San Diego Padres.
Gilbert became only the fourth pitcher in MLB history to throw a no-hitter in his first major league start, inspiring the lowly Diamondbacks to a 7-0 victory.
He gave up only three walks and delivered five strikeouts across 102 pitches as he followed in the footsteps of Ted Breitenstein (1891), Bumpus Jones (1892) and Bobo Holloman (1953).
It was a far cry from days spent working with his dad in Northern California, with Gilbert forced to find another job to make ends meet after the 2020 minor league season was cancelled.
He should be employed in MLB for some time after etching his name into the history books with a calm that belied the magnitude of the moment.
"It was just one of those days," Gilbert said. "I know balls were getting hit around, but they were getting hit to guys.
"And then I was making good pitches. It was just kind of a rush the whole time, to be honest.
"It was weird. I wasn't nervous at all, and I felt like I should have been. I don't know why, but I kept just going out there and doing my thing.
"I was really nervous before the game leading up to the game, but after the three-pitch eighth inning, I was like, 'Okay, this is going to happen.' But, no, I just kind of stayed level-headed and then kept making pitches."
"I did think it was going to go down [for a hit], but it kind of carried a little bit," Gilbert added of the final out, Tommy Pham's cut fastball to Ketel Marte.
"I saw it hanging in the air, and I'm like, 'Okay, this is it.' That's happening. So that's cool.
"It's crazy. I'm happy to be here. I'd rather be doing this than pulling wires. No offence, Dad."
The Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets went to extras for the second straight game with Cody Bellinger coming up with the crucial RBI in a 2-1 win for the world champions on Saturday.
The Dodgers had won 6-5 on Friday against the Mets and backed that up in another tight contest, with Bellinger's line hit allowing Corey Seager to score easily in the 10th inning.
This came after the Dodgers had been held hit-less across six innings by the Mets, with LA also having an 1-12 record in extras coming into the series.
Mets pitcher Taijuan Walker had eight strikeouts but Will Smith hit a game-tying solo home run in the seventh inning for the Dodgers.
Bellinger has had an underwhelming season but came up with the crucial hit in the 10th inning before Corey Knebel locked down the save.
Walker Buehler had an exceptional performance for the Dodgers, keeping the game tight with 10 strikeouts across seven innings. That marks the sixth time Buehler has gone at least seven innings and allowed one earned run or fewer.
The win improves the Dodgers record to 71-46, while the Mets are 59-57.
Moore silences the boos, Gilbert no-hitter
Making his 10th start of the season, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Matt Moore allowed no hits, tossing down eight strikeouts in their 6-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Moore's no-hit start was across six innings and comes after copping boos for his relief display against the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week. "A day like today, coming off the field, it’s something you wish you could put in a bottle and open up someday or relive it," Moore said.
In his first big league start, Tyler Gilbert completed a no-hitter for the Arizona Diamondbacks, with five strikeouts across nine innings in their 7-0 triumph over the San Diego Padres.
Chris Sale fired in his return to the mound after two years, tossing down eight strikeouts in the Boston Red Sox' 16-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles, while Rafael Devers had two hits and four RBI.
Matt Chapman had a game to remember after bashing two home runs and taking an unbelievable catch running backwards in the Oakland Athletics' 8-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.
Shohei Ohtani drilled a lead-off home run, taking his season tally to 39 homers, as the Los Angeles Angels lost 8-2 to the Houston Astros.
Joey Gallo crushed a two-run home run in the 10th inning to cap the New York Yankees' 7-5 win over the Chicago White Sox.
Rays dismantled by Twins
The Tampa Bay Rays may be leading the American League East with a 71-46 record but they were dismantled by the resurgent Minnesota Twins 12-0. The Rays trailed 7-0 after three innings and only managed three hits for the game.
Swanson makes Braves history
The Atlanta Braves hit four home runs in their 12-2 win over the Washington Nationals, including Dansby Swanson who made franchise history, with no Braves short-stop hitting more homers than him.
Saturday's results
Pittsburgh Pirates 14-4 Milwaukee Brewers
Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 Cincinnati Reds
Boston Red Sox 16-2 Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves 12-2 Washington Nationals
Miami Marlins 5-4 Chicago Cubs
Detroit Tigers 6-4 Cleveland Indians
Milwaukee Brewers 6-0 Pittsburgh Pirates
Oakland Athletics 8-3 Texas Rangers
New York Yankees 7-5 Chicago White Sox
St Louis Cardinals 9-4 Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 New York Mets
Minnesota Twins 12-0 Tampa Bay Rays
Arizona Diamondbacks 7-0 San Diego Padres
Colorado Rockies 4-1 San Francisco Giants
Houston Astros 8-2 Los Angeles Angels
Seattle Mariners 9-3 Toronto Blue Jays
Padres at Diamondbacks
Fernando Tatis Jr could return for the first time this month following a shoulder injury when the Padres complete their four-game series against the Diamondbacks who are chasing a sweep.
Top seed Daniil Medvedev will face Reilly Opelka in the National Bank Open final after the American stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas in a three-set classic in Saturday's semi-finals.
World number 32 Opelka fought back from a set down in Toronto to knock out favoured third seed Tsitsipas in two hours and 32 minutes.
The 23-year-old American triumphed 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-4, booking a spot in his first ATP Masters 1000 final.
Opelka sent down 17 aces but also hit 27 groundstroke winners in the shock victory over 2021 Australian Open semi-finalist Tsitsipas who had beaten in-form Casper Ruud in the quarters.
"I played great," Opelka said in his on-court interview. “These courts suit my game, it is no coincidence that John Isner is in the other semi-final.
"Stefanos has definitely improved his returning. Come 5-5 in the first set, a lot of balls started to come back. He is a thinker and has a high tennis IQ, so it was expected, but that is what separates him from the rest of the pack."
Opelka was aided by an excellent first serve percentage of 72 per cent, winning 62 of 81 points when he made his first serve.
Both first two sets went to tiebreaks, with Tsitsipas failing to generate a break point until the third set. Opelka made the first break of the match in the seventh game of the third set and held serve twice after to seal victory.
World number two Medvedev cruised into the decider with a commanding win over John Isner in less than an hour.
Medvedev, who was runner-up in Toronto in 2019, won 6-2 6-2 over the big-serving American, with the match totaling 54 minutes.
Isner could only manage four trademark aces for the match, while the Russian had 11 and broke the American four times from seven opportunities.
Karolina Pliskova will face unseeded Italian Camila Giorgi in the National Bank Open final after beating top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the last four.
An intriguing semi-final pitted two of the favourites against one another in Montreal and it was Pliskova, the fourth seed, who came out on top 6-3 6-4.
The Wimbledon finalist broke early in the first and then clinched the set on Sabalenka's serve, too, although she was made to work a little harder in the second.
Pliskova fell behind in the seventh game, but she responded by winning three straight games to wrap up victory.
"It's an amazing feeling to be in another final this year," Pliskova said.
"I think I was super solid today. I just did everything what I was supposed to do to win this match, played smart.
"My serve was pretty good, I have to say."
Indeed, the Czech landed 71 per cent of her first serves in – with 10 aces to two double faults – helping her to win 69 per cent of her service points.
World number 71 Giorgi progressed to the decider with a three-set win over Jessica Pegula in two hours and 11 minutes.
The 6-3 3-6 6-1 win means the Italian qualified for her first career WTA 1000 final.
Giorgi had toppled seventh seed Petra Kvitova, ninth seed Elise Mertens and 15th seed Cori Gauff on her route to the decider.
Primoz Roglic started the defence of his Vuelta a Espana title in style as he took the lead after a short time trial on stage one.
Fresh from claiming Slovenia's first Olympic gold medal in any cycling discipline, Roglic – who has triumphed at the Vuelta in the previous two years – was the last man out in Burgos.
The 31-year-old Jumbo-Visma rider set a blistering pace around the 7.1kilometre route, which he completed in just eight minutes and 32 seconds – six seconds clear of nearest challenger Alex Aranburu (Astana-PremierTech).
Aranburu had held top spot for much of the stage, but has to settle for second heading into stage two. Jan Tratnik, of Bahrain-Victorious, rounds out the top three, trailing Roglic by eight seconds.
Roglic was forced to abandon the Tour de France after a brutal first week but headed to Spain on a high following his success in Japan, and is aiming to become the first rider to win the Vuelta three times in a row since Roberto Heras in 2005. He is also bidding to draw level with Tony Rominger and Alberto Contador on three triumphs should he keep hold of the red jersey.
"It's a beautiful start, I'm enjoying it, and we hopefully can enjoy it as a team in the upcoming days," said Roglic.
Giro d'Italia champion Egan Bernal skipped the Tour and is considered Roglic's prime challenger, but the Colombian suffered on Saturday and lost 27 seconds to his rival.
Tom Piddock, who won a mountain biking gold for Great Britain in Tokyo, made his grand tour debut for INEOS Grenadiers, clocking in 36 seconds slower than Roglic.
"That was horrible. I've basically had three weeks of holidays," said Piddock.
STAGE RESULT
1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 0:08:32
2. Alex Aranburu Deba (Astana-Premier Tech) +0:06
3. Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious) +0:08
4. Tom Scully (EF Education-Nippo) +0:10
5. Josef Cerny (Deceuninck-QuickStep) +0:10
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 0:08:32
2. Alex Aranburu Deba (Astana-Premier Tech) +0:06
3. Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious) +0:08
Points Classification
1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 20
2. Alex Aranburu Deba (Astana-Premier Tech) 17
3. Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious) 15
King of the Mountains
1. Sepp Cuss (Jumbo-Visma) 3
2. Sep Vanmarcke (Israel Start-Up Nation) 2
3. Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates) 1
What's next?
The Vuelta rolls from Caleruega to Burgos, a 166.7km flat route with a sprint finish, giving the sprinters an early opportunity to shine.
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