The New York Mets have opted against keeping Luis Rojas as manager for the 2022 MLB season.
Rojas was promoted to the role in January 2020, but has paid the price for two disappointing seasons.
The Mets finished third in the National League East this year with a 77-85 record after they were 26-34 in 2020.
Just under a year after Steve Cohen's takeover of the Mets, Rojas' tenure as manager is over but he has been offered the chance to stay in the organisation in a yet to be determined capacity.
The Mets on Monday revealed that decisions over the futures of remaining coaching staff will be made "over the next several days."
"The entire Mets organisation is grateful for the dedication and devotion that Luis has exhibited over the last two seasons as manager," said president Sandy Alderson.
"He has shown a great commitment to the Mets over many years in multiple capacities. These decisions are never easy, but we feel a change is needed at this time."
Rojas suggested he will not take up the opportunity to remain with the Mets.
"I want to share such heartfelt gratitude to so many in the Mets organisation for not only the last two seasons as manager, but for the last 16 years in a variety of roles," the 40-year-old said.
"In each and every position I held, striving for excellence was our daily mission. I will always hold the relationships and friendships, developed over the years, dear to my heart, and am forever grateful to have been able to wear the Mets uniform for so long.
"We live in a results oriented business, and am deeply disappointed for our staff and fans that we didn't reach our goals this season."
Lewis Hamilton could start the Turkish Grand Prix at the back of the grid on Sunday as Mercedes are considering taking an engine penalty for the Formula One championship leader.
Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton leads Max Verstappen by two points in the battle for the title after winning a dramatic Russian Grand Prix to secure his 100th race victory last month.
Verstappen worked his way through the field from the back to finish second after the Red Bull driver had a new power unit fitted in Sochi
Hamilton may face the same challenge at Istanbul Park as his team mull over whether to fit his car with a fourth engine of the season, which would take him over the permitted allowance.
Asked if the Silver Arrows could take the penalty this weekend, team principal Toto Wolff told Sky Sports News: "It's a possibility."
Although the German added: "When, and how, is not yet decided."
Wolff says it is vital Mercedes avoid putting Hamilton in a position where he is danger of not finishing a race.
"Most important is that you don't DNF because of a reliability issue," said Wolff.
"You can cope with swings, whether you finish second, third, I think that is okay, the championship is going to go long. But if you don't finish...
"So we are looking at the parameters of the engines, making sure we don't suffer from any reliability problems."
Hamilton's team-mate Valtteri Bottas started in 17th in Sochi after taking an engine penalty.
The Baltimore Ravens tied the NFL record for most consecutive 100-yard rushing games after head coach John Harbaugh made a conscious decision to keep a "meaningful" streak alive.
With a 23-7 win over the Denver Broncos already in hand, the Ravens could have taken a knee in the final seconds but, three yards shy of tying the Pittsburgh Steelers' record of 43 successive games with at least 100 rushing yards, Baltimore elected to call a designed run for quarterback Lamar Jackson, who duly picked up five to keep their run intact.
Though moving to 3-1 on the season was of chief importance, Harbaugh felt the achievement of equaling the rushing record had a significance that influenced his decision.
"One hundred per cent my call," Harbaugh said. "That's one of those things that's meaningful.
"It's one of those things that, as a head coach, you've got to be mindful of your team and your players and your coaches and what it means to them.
"It's a very, very tough record to accomplish and it's a long-term record. I'm not going to say it's more important than winning the game, for sure. It's certainly not.
"But as a head coach, I think you do that for your players and you do that for your coaches and that's something they'll have for the rest of their lives."
Jackson, who threw for 316 yards and a touchdown, had a relatively quiet day on the ground, finishing with just 28 yards rushing.
Despite his coach's words, statistics and records clearly mean little to the 2019 MVP.
"I'm happy we got the [win]," Jackson said. "I'm not going to lie. I didn't even care about the record."
The Ravens can break the record next Monday when they host the 1-3 Indianapolis Colts in Week 5.
Domestic abuse allegations made against Alexander Zverev are being investigated by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the governing body has confirmed.
Zverev's former partner Olga Sharypova alleged in an interview last year that the German physically and emotionally abused her during a tournament in Shanghai in 2019.
World number four Zverev has strenuously denied the allegations.
After commissioning an Independent Safeguarding Report earlier this year, with the aim of ensuring all adults and minors involved in professional tennis are safe and protected from abuse, the ATP is now looking into the claims made by Sharypova.
A statement on Monday read: "The ATP fully condemns any form of violence or abuse and will investigate such allegations related to conduct at an ATP member tournament."
ATP chief executive Massimo Calvelli added: "The allegations raised against Alexander Zverev are serious and we have a responsibility to address them.
"We hope our investigation will allow us to establish the facts and determine appropriate follow-up action.
"We understand Zverev welcomes our investigation and acknowledge that he has denied all allegations.
"We will also be monitoring any further legal developments following the preliminary injunction obtained by Zverev in the German Courts."
Dustin Poirier has agreed to challenge Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title in December.
After lengthy talks, Poirier, who has a 28-6 record, confirmed on Sunday that he will go up against Oliveira, tweeting "Signed, Sealed, Delivered."
ESPN subsequently reported the 32-year-old's representatives had confirmed the bout will take place at UFC 269 on December 11, as Poirier looks to continue an impressive 2021.
He has twice beaten Conor McGregor this year, first in January at UFC 257 and then again at UFC 264 six months later.
Poirier, a former interim champion, previously challenged former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019, though lost via submission.
Oliveira, a year Poirier's junior, will be a similarly stern test. The Brazilian took the title in May after defeating Michael Chandler and is on a nine-fight winning run.
Casper Ruud rolled past Cameron Norrie at the San Diego Open for this fifth ATP Tour title of the season.
Ruud – the second seed – was too strong for Brit Norrie, winning 6-0 6-2 in Sunday's ATP 250 final.
Norway's Ruud earned his first hard-court trophy at the expense of Norrie and Tour-leading fifth title of 2021, ahead of world number one Novak Djokovic, US Open champion Daniil Medvedev and Olympic Games gold medallist Alexander Zverev (all four).
Ruud broke serve five times to boost his chances of qualifying for next month's ATP Finals in Turin.
"Special thanks to Rod, obviously the legend. I think you need to come to all my matches now because I'm playing really good when you come and watch," Ruud said after receiving the trophy from Rod Laver.
"I hope you will come to Indian Wells next week to watch, so let's see [what happens there]!"
Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is "very open" to a new contract with the MLB franchise.
Ohtani will become a free agent after the 2023 season and he sparked question marks over his future, having insisted his top priority is winning following another losing campaign in Los Angeles.
An American League (AL) MVP frontrunner with 46 homers at the plate and a 3.18 ERA on the mound, Ohtani was unable to prevent the Angels from a sixth successive losing season and a seventh consecutive campaign without playoff baseball.
Prior to Sunday's season finale – a 7-3 win over the Seattle Mariners – Ohtani was asked about his future in Los Angeles.
"Of course, I'll be very open to negotiation. The team is supporting me for this whole four years, and I'm really appreciative of that," Ohtani said before hitting another home run.
"Whether or not there's any contract extensions I just want to, like I said earlier, be ready and be ready for next season."
Japanese sensation Ohtani, 27, added: "I was really happy to get through the season without any injuries.
"And honestly, I wish I could have done a season like this a little earlier. This is my fourth year, so I think it took a little too long."
"I think the biggest thing is the guys that we have right now, we need to have an offseason so we can stay healthy the whole next year so we could compete," Ohtani said.
"Any addition during the offseason, I'll be looking forward to seeing all the additions that they're going to make."
The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will meet in the American League (AL) Wild Card showdown after winning late to deny the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.
Four teams were vying for two AL Wild Card berths on a chaotic finale to the MLB's regular season, with the possibility of a four-way tie.
While the Mariners went down to the Los Angeles Angels 7-3, the Blue Jays crushed the lowly Baltimore Orioles 12-4 to give themselves a chance of forcing a Game 163 as they watched the Yankees and Red Sox contests anxiously.
But the Yankees and Red Sox produced two clutch hits to secure their spot in the play-offs.
Aaron Judge drove home the winning run in the ninth inning of the Yankees' 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, while the Red Sox overturned a 5-1 deficit to trump the Washington Nationals 7-5 behind Rafael Devers' two-run homer in the ninth.
Giants win NL West on final day
The San Francisco Giants clinched the National League (NL) West title for the first time since 2012 with a 11-4 rout of the San Diego Padres. San Francisco denied World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers thanks to their franchise-record 107th victory of the season, eclipsing the 1904 New York team. The Dodgers topped the Milwaukee Brewers 10-3 to settle for an NL Wild Card meeting with the St Louis Cardinals.
Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (48) – alongside Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals – and Padres sensation Fernando Tatis Jr. (42) ended the regular season as the home run leaders in their respective leagues. It is the first time in AL-NL history both leagues were led by players aged 22 or younger thanks to Guerrero and Tatis.
Dodgers star Trea Turner became the first NL player to lead the league in hits in back-to-back seasons since Terry Pendleton in 1991 and 1992. On the back of his second grand slam in 48 hours, Turner finished with 195 hits. He also won the NL batting title (.328), ahead of Washington's Juan Soto. Yuli Gurriel (.319) of the Houston Astros claimed the AL title.
Corbin Burnes became the first Brewers pitcher to earn an ERA title, having topped the NL at 2.43, beating Dodgers starters Max Scherzer (2.46) and Walker Buehler (2.47) to the honour. Toronto's Robbie Ray (2.84) led the AL's ERA standings.
Injury worries
The Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers all have injury concerns heading into the Wild Card round. Yankees star DJ LeMahieu landed on the injured list due to a hip/groin problem ahead of Sunday's game. Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez exited in the sixth inning with a sprained left ankle. Meanwhile, Dodgers slugger Max Muncy is "very unlikely" to feature in the NL Wild Card Game because of a left elbow injury sustained in the third inning.
Guerrero breaks record
Having earned a share of the AL home run title, Guerrero made history. His 48 homers are the most in a season by a player aged 22 or younger, eclipsing Eddie Matthews (47 in 1953).
Sunday's results
Los Angeles Angels 7-3 Seattle Mariners
Boston Red Sox 7-5 Washington Nationals
Cincinnati Reds 6-3 Pittsburgh Pirates
Cleveland Indians 6-0 Texas Rangers
San Francisco Giants 11-4 San Diego Padres
New York Yankees 1-0 Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays 12-4 Baltimore Orioles
Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 Colorado Rockies
Detroit Tigers 5-2 Chicago White Sox
Los Angeles Dodgers 10-3 Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins 7-3 Kansas City Royals
Houston Astros 7-6 Oakland Athletics
Miami Marlins 5-4 Philadelphia Phillies
Chicago Cubs 3-2 St Louis Cardinals
Atlanta Braves 5-0 New York Mets
Yankees at Red Sox
The famous Yankees and Red Sox rivalry will take centre stage for Tuesday's AL Wild Card blockbuster in Boston. Gerrit Cole will face Nathan Eovaldi in a mouth-watering pitching matchup. The winner will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series (ALDS), starting Wednesday.
Garbine Muguruza stormed back from a set and a break down to beat Ons Jabeur and claim the Chicago Fall Tennis Classic title on Sunday.
Muguruza drew on all of her fighting spirit to claim a second title of the season and take her tally of tournament triumphs to nine, winning 3-6 6-3 6-0.
In a showdown between two players chasing a WTA Finals spot, the second seed from Spain was twice a break down in the second set after losing the first but battled back to force a deciding set and then inflicted a bagel on sixth seed Jabeur.
Victory for the second seed moved her up to sixth in the battle to play in the season-ending tournament in Guadalajara, while Jabeur is still in the mix in ninth - with the top eight qualifying.
Jabeur won the only break of the opening set with a backhand winner to move into a 3-1 lead and broke again in the opening game of the second.
Muguruza broke straight back, though, and Jabeur again failed to consolidate a break after going 3-2 up.
Two-time grand slam champion Muguruza turned the tide in spectacular fashion, winning the second set before her momentum was briefly halted by a rain delay.
Muguruza picked up where she left off in the final set, stretching her run of consecutive games won to 10 as she got her hands on another trophy.
Andrew Wiggins will be available for all Golden State Warriors games this season having been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Wiggins' vaccination status had been a subject of much controversy in recent days, the former first overall pick facing the prospect of being unable to play in home games for Golden State.
San Francisco is among the major cities that have laws restricting unvaccinated persons from entering sports arenas, restaurants and other public spaces.
That would have meant Wiggins being prevented from featuring in games at the Warriors' Chase Center and forfeiting salary as a result.
The NBA confirmed on Wednesday that players would not be paid should they miss games for a failure to comply with local vaccine mandates.
Wiggins, therefore, risked missing out on a substantial portion of a salary worth over $30million for the 2021-22 season.
But head coach Steve Kerr confirmed on Sunday that Wiggins had elected to get the vaccine.
Wiggins had previously applied for an exemption on religious grounds but saw that request rejected by the NBA.
More Sports On Board for the Cali Junior Pan-American Games
The list of sports in which Jamaica will be represented at the first-ever Junior Pan-American Games in Cali, Colombia, continues to grow with the latest additions being Skateboarding, Squash and Archery.
President of the Jamaica Olympic Association, Christopher Samuda, describes the strong showing as "proof positive that the JOA's policy of equal opportunity, parity in investment and empowering the next-generation is encouraging and having results."
Representation now stands at a historic 12 sports, by far the largest number of sports that the local Olympic movement has ever had at a multi-sport regional or international games.
This fact has prompted President Samuda to say: "For us, at the JOA, strength lies in numbers, strength lies in a wealth of talent and strength lies in the conviction that today's real-time investment is tomorrow's history-making dividends."
Preparation for Cali is on in earnest and, for the Samuda-led administration, management of games generally has become a "business of sport" undertaking.
Commenting on the new approach, JOA Secretary-General and CEO, Ryan Foster, said: "Investing in and banking on the inflow of talent, increasing the numbers on the books, creating opportunities for exponential growth and having a professional management team to manage flow and outflow of games is our business at the JOA."
The positive response of the juniors augurs well for the future of the Olympic movement which is founded on the fundamental principles of inclusion and allowing each athlete the opportunity to transition to the international stage where, Secretary-General Foster stated, "history awaits those who had the discipline to train and the present will to succeed."
The Cali games will be held between November 25 and December 5 and "it will provide Jamaica's juniors and those of the America's opportunities to test their credentials for the 2023 Pan-American Games with the hope of graduating to the finale in 2024 in Paris" President Samuda stated.
Jannik Sinner eased to another Sofia Open title with a 6-3 6-4 final win over Gael Monfils in a battle of the top two seeds.
Sinner's first ATP Tour final had come at this event in 2020, where he opened his account by beating Vasek Pospisil in three sets – a sterner test than he was given by Monfils.
The Italian had since tasted victory twice more, while Monfils' previous final had been in February 2020, although his success this week extended a run of seasons with final appearances to 17 in a row.
The most recent three of the Frenchman's prior 31 had ended in glory, but he was no match for defending champion Sinner.
The 20-year-old had already passed up a break point before consecutive superb forehand winners brought the breakthrough, the second clipping the net on its way through.
A marathon rally saved the second of two break points Sinner faced in the seventh game, yet that was as close as he came to being stopped.
After Sinner served out the opener, Monfils paid the price for losing his focus at the start of the second, adamant he had landed the first point of the set inside the line as a narrow call went against him.
Monfils' wild backhand then went long to give Sinner the lead in the second, one he never relinquished as he coasted through to serve out the match to love.
"I'm happy to be one more time the winner here in Sofia," Sinner said. "I think it's a very, very nice tournament.
"For sure it was the best match [he played in the tournament], because I had to. It's never easy to play against him. We've had very tough matches, I think everyone knows that.
"Today, in the [key] moments, I was a little bit luckier than him, so that helped a lot."
Torquator Tasso pulled off one of the greatest horse racing shocks by winning the 100th edition of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday.
The German underdog stormed up the outside for a stunning victory in Europe's richest race at odds of 80-1.
Torquator Tasso handled the heavy ground brilliantly under Rene Piechulek, giving trainer Marcel Weiss a sensational success with his first Arc runner to land prize money of €2.9million (£2.5m).
Tarnawa was second ahead of 3-1 favourite Hurricane Lane, with Adayar finishing fourth.
The four-year-old Torquator Tasso became the third German winner of one of the most prestigious races in the world after Star Appeal (1975) and Danedream (2011).
"That was beautiful. He's a very nice horse, he's all heart," said an elated Weiss.
Weiss added: "He's a very strong horse and Rene is a very cool jockey."
Torquator Tasso was bought for only €24,000 in what must go down as one of the most shrewd racing investments in history.
Aryna Sabalenka will not play at Indian Wells after announcing she has tested positive for coronavirus.
In an Instagram Story post, the world number two revealed she feels "okay" while isolating after her COVID-19 result, though is "really sad" not to be playing in the tournament this year.
Sabalenka had been due to return to action for the first time since losing at the semi-final stage of the US Open last month.
"Unfortunately, I've tested positive at Indian Wells and won’t be able to compete," the Belarusian posted on Sunday.
"I've started my isolation and I’ll be staying here until I’m cleared by the doctors and health officials. So far I'm feeling okay but really sad to not be able to play this year."
The absence of Sabalenka is a further blow for the event, considering world number one Ash Barty had already pulled out.
Naomi Osaka is another big-name absentee, along with Serena Williams, while the men's edition is minus Novak Djokovic after the five-time champion opted to withdraw.
Emma Raducanu will be involved, however, after the US Open champion accepted a wild card, while Kim Clijsters has done the same as she prepares to continue her comeback with a first appearance at Indian Wells in a decade.
Andy Murray is a wild-card entrant for the men's tournament, with the main draw beginning on Wednesday.
The American League (AL) Wild Card race is set for a chaotic conclusion after the New York Yankees failed to clinch as the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners all won in MLB action on Saturday.
In New York, the Yankees were prevented from securing their Wild Card berth following a 12-2 rout at the hands of AL East champions the Tampa Bay Rays.
Brandon Lowe hit three home runs to thwart the Yankees, who are now level with the Boston Red Sox atop the AL Wild Card standings heading into Sunday's regular-season finale.
The Red Sox topped the Washington Nationals 5-3, while the Blue Jays and Mariners – who have celebrated 90-plus wins for the first time since 2003 – are a game adrift following respective wins over the Baltimore Orioles (10-1) and Los Angeles Angels (6-4).
There is a chance for a four-way tie if the Yankees (91-70) and Red Sox (91-70) both lose and the Blue Jays (90-71) and Mariners (90-71) win, which would leave the quartet with 91 victories apiece.
The 2021 AL East is the second division ever with four 90-plus win teams (the Rays, Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays) and first time since the split to three divisions per league.
Urias keeps Dodgers alive in NL West battle
Julio Urias became the first pitcher in his age-24 season or younger to win 20-plus games in a campaign since future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw in 2011 after leading World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 8-3 success against the Milwaukee Brewers. Urias pitched one-run ball into the seventh inning to help the Dodgers (105-56) remain in the hunt for a ninth successive National League (NL) West title after leaders the San Francisco Giants (106-55) lost 3-2 to the San Diego Padres. The 2021 NL West is the first ever division to have two teams with 105 or more wins in a season.
Lucas Giolito and Dylan Cease became the second set of Chicago White Sox team-mates to each record 200-plus strikeouts in a season, joining Tom Bradley (206) and Wilbur Wood (210) in 1971. The White Sox edged the Detroit Tigers 5-4.
Blackburn battered
Paul Blackburn was put to the sword as the Houston Astros secured home-field advantage in the AL Division Series (ALDS) with a 10-4 win at home to the Oakland Athletics. A's pitcher Blackburn was tagged for a season-high six runs on seven hits in just two innings.
Blue Jays set franchise record
With their 258th home run, the Blue Jays set a new single-season franchise record for homers in the win over the lowly Orioles. Danny Jansen's bomb in the bottom of the fifth inning broke the team's record. Blue Jays star and MVP candidate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also equalled the record for most home runs in a season by a player aged 22 or younger, joining Eddie Matthews (1953), with his 47th homer. Seven Blue Jays players have 20-plus home runs this season, tying a team record.
Saturday's results
Tampa Bay Rays 12-2 New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays 10-1 Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox 5-3 Washington Nationals
San Diego Padres 3-2 San Francisco Giants
Miami Marlins 3-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6 Cincinnati Reds
Texas Rangers 7-2 Cleveland Indians
Chicago White Sox 5-4 Detroit Tigers
Minnesota Twins 4-0 Kansas City Royals
Houston Astros 10-4 Oakland Athletics
Chicago Cubs 6-5 St Louis Cardinals
Atlanta Braves 6-5 New York Mets
Arizona Diamondbacks 11-2 Colorado Rockies
Seattle Mariners 6-4 Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Dodgers 8-3 Milwaukee Brewers
NL West title in balance
The NL West champion will be crowned on Sunday as the Dodgers host the Brewers on the final day of the regular season, while the Giants entertain the Padres. The Dodgers must win and hope the Giants lose to tie for the title and force a deciding Game 163 in San Francisco on Monday.
Cameron Norrie and Casper Ruud will meet in the San Diego Open final after top seed Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov were beaten.
There was an upset at the ATP 250 tournament, where Russian star Rublev fell to Norrie 3-6 6-3 6-4 in San Diego on Saturday.
Norrie clinched his third career top-10 win as the Brit looks to secure his second ATP Tour-level title on Sunday.
"It's nice to get some revenge. He beat me easily last time, so it's good to see I've improved a little bit," said Norrie, who lost to Rublev in St Petersburg last year.
Standing in Norrie's way is second seed Ruud, who saw off former world number three Dimitrov 6-4 4-6 6-4.
Norway's Ruud – ranked 10th in the world – has the chance to win his fifth title of the season, the most of any player on the ATP circuit.
Norrie holds a 41-19 win-loss record in 2021 and the 26-year-old added ahead of Sunday's decider: "I'm just trying to enjoy today and then I'll try to rest up and get ready for [the final].
"I've been watching both of them this week and they've been playing some of their top level. I'm looking forward to that one tomorrow."
The Los Angeles Dodgers doubt Clayton Kershaw will pitch for the World Series champions in the MLB playoffs after the ace landed on the 10-day injured list.
Kershaw is back on the IL just days before the Dodgers begin their quest for back-to-back championships due to left forearm discomfort, the franchise announced on Saturday.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner had returned from a left forearm injury, which sidelined him for 57 games, however the star pitcher exited Friday's clash with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Kershaw – an eight-time All-Star and National League (NL) MVP who is in the final season of his three-year, $93million contract – lasted just 1.2 innings, giving up three runs with one strikeout against the Brewers.
As the Dodgers prepare for the offseason, manager Dave Roberts was asked if the 33-year-old future Hall of Famer will pitch again this year and he told reporters: "I don't think so.
"I think right now where we're at, we're going to proceed with that mindset. I'm certainly saddened, hoping we never had to get to this point.
"You know, you want to be certainly very thoughtful and sensitive to Clayton, but in the same breath, still kind of making sure we stay focused on moving forward. That's kind of where we're all at."
In 2021, Kershaw's ERA stands at 3.55 – his highest number since his rookie year (4.26) with the Dodgers in 2008.
Kershaw – a World Series champion – boasts a 10-8 record this season with 144 strikeouts in 121.2 innings pitched.
"My future's gonna take care of itself," Kershaw said after leaving Friday's contest. "I'm not really worried about that right now. I really wanted to be a part of the moment right now, and I wanted to be with this group going through October.
"That was my only focus this year. Once I got hurt, it was just to come back and make it up for this month. That's the hard part right now is knowing it's gonna be a challenge to even contribute at all this next month.
"But as far as anything else goes — I haven't wrapped my head around it, and I don't plan to any time soon. I'm just excited to watch these guys next month."
Reigning champion Jannik Sinner is through to the Sofia Open final following a straight-sets victory over Filip Krajinovic on Saturday.
The top seed is targeting his third ATP title of the season, having already triumphed in Melbourne and Washington.
And the Italian is yet to drop a set in the Bulgarian capital as he boosted his bid to reach next month’s ATP Finals with a 6-3 7-5 success.
Breaks were exchanged in the opening set before Sinner edged his nose in front, while he recovered from 5-2 down in the second by reeling off five successive games to prevail.
"It was a very tough match against [Krajinovic]," Sinner said. "We practise at times together, so we know each other's games a little.
"There was a chance to go to a tie-break, which I luckily avoided. I am happy to be in the final here again."
His opponent in the final will be second seed Gael Monfils, who also advanced in straight sets after defeating Marcos Giron 7-5 6-0.
Though 4-2 down in the opening set, the world number 20 won 11 of the next 12 games against the American, who was appearing in his first tour-level semi-final having defeated Alex de Minaur along the way.
The Frenchman's progression means he has now reached at least one ATP final in each of the last 17 years; a tally only eclipsed by Rafael Nadal (18).
"I am very happy as I was very solid - it was a very physical match with lots of long rallies," said Monfils, who also reached the semi-finals in Metz last week.
"I felt in his rhythm he was crushing the ball, so I wanted to change the speed a little and come to the net a little and step in. I think that was key for me."
South Africa's Elton Jantjies nailed a last-gasp penalty in a thrilling 31-29 win over New Zealand to deny the All Blacks a Grand Slam at the Rugby Championship.
Jordie Barrett, whose late kick secured the title in a 19-17 victory over the Springboks last week, looked to have sealed a sixth win from six for New Zealand in similar fashion on the Gold Coast on Saturday.
That was until Jantjies struck with the final action of an enthralling contest to end a 10-match winning streak for Ian Foster's men.
Lukhanyo Am's terrific behind-the-back pass led to Damian de Allende's opening try before an exchange of penalties kept South Africa five points ahead.
New Zealand levelled when Sevu Reece just made the corner after a fine Beauden Barrett kick, and despite another Handre Pollard penalty, the All Blacks were soon in command.
A fast, flowing move ended with Ardie Savea going over under the posts and Brad Weber added another try two minutes later following a lineout steal.
Then, momentum shifted. Pollard made no mistake with two more penalties to close the gap to three points, and the Boks were ahead 53 minutes in when Makazole Mapimpi crossed in the corner after the ball was worked from the opposite flank.
Replacement Jantjies stretched the lead further with another penalty, only after play was brought back following an advantage when Faf de Klerk fumbled at the breakdown barely a metre from the try line.
Jordie Barrett reduced the arrears as tensions began to build, although the Hurricanes back kept his cool to kick his side into the lead with five minutes left after South Africa were penalised for holding on.
A gripping finale saw Jantjies sink a brilliant drop goal a minute later only for Jordie Barrett to send another late kick sailing through the posts in what looked like a repeat from a week ago.
But South Africa came again, a lineout inside the New Zealand 22 leading to a penalty right in front of the posts, from which Jantjies made no mistake.
Boks rewarded for perseverance
At risk of a fourth consecutive Test defeat for the first time since 2016, the world champions were rewarded for a bold but clean display in which they refused to allow New Zealand to sustain first-half momentum.
This was only the second time the All Blacks have lost a Test match in Australia against anyone other than the Wallabies and showed the Springboks' performance in that narrow previous defeat was no flash in the pan.
All Blacks off the boil
This was something of an off-day for New Zealand after an exemplary championship, as they yielded both possession and territory surprisingly easily.
Giving up eight turnovers and losing six rucks overall did not help their cause in a game of fine margins.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
