Iga Swiatek suffered a shock exit at the WTA Finals despite her triumph over Daria Kasatkina in Riyadh on Thursday.
Swiatek swept aside Kasatkina 6-1 6-0, with the Russian a late replacement for Jessica Pegula who withdrew from the tournament due to a knee injury.
The Pole then had to rely on Coco Gauff beating Barbora Krejcikova to reach the final four, but the Wimbledon champion came through in straight sets to send Swiatek home.
Swiatek won 51 of 74 points and broke Kasatkina’s serve five of six times, ending the encounter in 51 minutes, which was her shortest match this year.
"It was a pretty solid game. It was a good performance," said Swiatek. "I was hitting the ball really well and picking the right shorts to play faster.
But it mattered little in the end, with Swiatek revealing she was unaware of the scenario surrounding her progression to the semi-finals.
“Honestly, I don’t think it matters. Like we go out on court to win every match anyway. I was not thinking about that. I did not know that was the case," she added.
“I’m professional enough to always give 100 percent, no matter what the stakes are."
Swiatek, though, became the third player in the 2000's to win 10 or more matches against top-10 opponents for three consecutive seasons, after Serena Williams (2012-2014) and Venus Williams (2000-2002).
But the day belonged to Krejcikova, who topped the Orange Group after extending her unbeaten run to two matches over Gauff.
The Czech emerged a 7-5 6-4 victor in just under two hours, saving 11 of the 12 break points she faced against the American to book her place in the semi-finals.
The world number 13 became the lowest-ranked player to make the semi-finals at the WTA Finals since Sandrine Testud (ranked 14th) in 2001.
"I think the calmness that I have in myself is key. I was ready to enjoy and excited. I had nothing to lose," Krejcikova said.
"I mean obviously it was difficult. I was just more strict with my game and that was the key today.
"It's very tough to say because before the tournament, I was dealing with some issues and didn't know what to expect.
"I tried to stay positive and knew I was going to fight to the end.
"I faced Zheng last year, she is playing great and had a great season and it is going to be really difficult but I have nothing to lose and I am just going to try and play my best tennis."
Krejcikova will now face Zheng Qinwen, who came second in the Purple Group, while Gauff will take on world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the other match.
Paul George was treated to a mixed reaction on his return to Los Angeles, receiving a video tribute before boos from the crowd as the Philadelphia 76ers lost.
The Los Angeles Clippers came out on top in a 110-98 victory on Wednesday to compound the Sixers' tough start to the NBA season.
Despite suffering defeat at the Inuit Dome, George impressed, scoring 18 points, making seven of nine shots, and also got seven rebounds and three steals.
George spent five years with the Clippers before signing for the Sixers as a free agent in the close season, signing a four-year $212million max contract, having previously stated he wanted to stay in LA, who declined the contract he wanted.
However, after he left for Philadelphia, he irked some of the Clippers' fans with comments made on his podcast where he described returning to his hometown of Los Angeles like being on the "B team" because rival Lakers fans suggested he should have signed for them instead.
While he appreciated the video tribute from the Clippers, he admitted to being surprised by the fans' reaction, especially after helping the franchise reach their only Western Conference finals in 2021.
"It is stupid," George said. "I mean, I was a free agent, you know what I mean? It wasn't something that I demanded a trade or went against the team here.
"I was a free agent. The team presented something that was team-friendly, and I did what was best for me in that situation.
"So, there were the cheers. I appreciate them. Those were the ones that I played hard for. The boos I didn't get it. I still don't get it when I go [back] to Indy, but it is what it is. It's sports. I look forward to next year being back here and more boos."
Will Jordan says he is "excited" to see what Damian McKenzie can do when he returns to the starting line-up for New Zealand against Ireland.
He comes in as one of two enforced changes, replacing Beauden Barrett at fly-half, while hooker Asafo Aumua comes in for Codie Taylor, with the duo injured in their dramatic late win over England last weekend.
And Jordan is looking forward to seeing him back in the number 10 jersey when they walk out in Dublin.
"It's exciting. Damian is someone who loves to play the game with an attacking mindset and flair," said Jordan.
"I've had a couple of games with him at ten and me out the back, and I've enjoyed the combination we've had.
"I know he'll be excited to take this opportunity. He's had some great moments for us in the black jersey this year, and I'm sure he'll go out and nail it on Friday."
It is the first meeting between the two sides since the All Blacks clinched a 28-24 victory over Ireland in the 2023 World Cup quarter-finals, ending the latter's hopes of winning a second consecutive tournament.
They will be without the tighthead prop due to a hamstring injury on Friday, but Ronan Kelleher has won his fitness race to deputise for the injured Dan Sheehan.
Ireland are targeting a 20th straight win at the Aviva Stadium, but head coach Andy Farrell is expecting a tight affair.
"Irish rugby is in a good place and I think everyone knows New Zealand are always the team to beat," he said.
"I expect it to be as good as ever, if not better."
Despite improving to a 7-1 record by beating the Boston Celtics, Steph Curry insists the Golden State Warriors "haven't done anything yet".
Curry impressed in the Warriors' 118-112 victory over the reigning NBA champions, as he finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and four steals.
He played 34 minutes after missing a week with a sprained ankle, and moved to 30th on the NBA's all-time scoring list, passing Charles Barkley when he scored the 23,747th point of his career in the third quarter.
The win moved the Warriors joint-top of the Western Conference, but despite what looks to be a statement win, Curry was not getting ahead of himself.
"We haven't done anything yet," Curry said.
"A good team, or a relevant team, wins the games they are supposed to win, you steal a couple on the road against good teams, you protect your home court. We've done those things so far, but we got two more games on this road trip, two tough tests.
"So, I like where we're at, obviously. But [there's a] long way to go.
"Until proven otherwise, that's how we have to play [splitting up the contributors]. And we've talked about it.
"Coach has talked about it until he's blue in the face already. Every practice, every film session, every pregame, it's the same message. So, it is who we are right now. It's who we have to be."
The Celtics had taken the lead in the first quarter after a strong start, but they struggled to cope as the Warriors' constant rotation among defenders wreaked havoc on the hosts' offense.
Boston committed 12 turnovers as they failed to find their rhythm for most of the game, though coach Joe Mazzulla was fairly pleased with how his team adapted.
"They're physical, so they force you to fight for your space," Mazzulla said. "They have active hands, so I think in the first half, they got a ton of deflections.
"They were able to get some stuff there, but I thought we did a better job of handling the physicality in the second half and just have to put - again, we talk physicality, it's just as much about defense as offense.
"So, it took us a little while to get adjusted to that. Once we did, we executed really well. And then it just came down to a couple possessions at the end."
The Celtics sit second in the Eastern Conference behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hold a perfect record so far.
Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said "you have to" enjoy the moment after they continued their perfect start to the NBA season.
The Cavs won 131-122 against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, opening their season 9-0 for the first time in the franchise's 55-year history.
Cleveland had previously recorded an 8-0 start in 1976-77, but they have surpassed that, with Atkinson becoming the first NBA coach to win his first nine games with a new team.
Cleveland got 50 points from reserves, led by Caris LeVert (16 points) and Ty Jerome (11).
"You have to [enjoy it]," said Atkinson. "This season's so long. It's so hard to win in this league. So, when you do have moments like this, you have to celebrate a little.
"Everyone contributes. It's what good teams do. We're in a good place physically. We're in a good place mentally.
"When you win nine in a row, it's not one or two guys; it's the whole roster."
The Cavs were led by Donovan Mitchell, who scored 29 points, while Jarrett Allen added 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to add to their winning record.
They had to rally back from an early 12-point deficit though, and did so in part by shooting 54.2% overall, including 48.6% from 3-point range.
"What I think about is this team and the camaraderie they have, and the chemistry we have going and how connected they are," Atkinson added.
"I've been fortunate to land with a really good group, a group that's been really successful in the past, and I'm happy for them -- and I think they're happy for me in the locker room.
"There's a bond between the head coach and a team. You've got to celebrate those moments, and it's pretty cool."
Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 131-122 on Wednesday night to open 9-0 for the first time in their 55-year NBA history.
Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen each added 16 points, and Allen grabbed 14 rebounds as the Cavaliers surpassed an 8-0 start by the 1976-77 squad that finished 43-39 under coach Bill Fitch.
Zion Williamson returned from a two-game absence and had 29 points for the Pelicans. He temporarily took himself out after playing 10 minutes but returned to start the second half and scored 23 after halftime.
Jose Alvarado hit all seven 3-pointers he took and finished with 27 points for New Orleans. Brandon Ingram added 20 points for the Pelicans, who have lost three straight and six of seven.
Cleveland had no trouble rallying back from an early 12-point deficit on the road and did so in part by shooting 54.2% overall, including 48.6% from 3-point range.
After Alvarado's back-to-back 3s made it 112-106, Mitchell responded with a hesitation move in the lane and a floater to make it 114-106 and stem the Pelicans' momentum with 5:20 left.
Cleveland got 50 points from reserves, led by LeVert and Ty Jerome (11 points).
Rookie Risacher has best game to lift Hawks
No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher scored 33 points and had seven rebounds and the Atlanta Hawks rallied late to beat the New York Knicks 121-116.
Risacher's 33 points were the most by a rookie this season. He shot 11 for 18 overall, including 6 for 10 from 3-point range, and also had three assists, three steals and two blocked shots.
The Hawks trailed 110-105 with 2:57 to play but went on a 13-1 run to put the game away.
Jalen Johnson had 23 points and 15 rebounds. Trae Young had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds one game after scoring just two points on 1-for-10 shooting against Boston.
Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks with 34 points and 16 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson scored 21 points.
Clint Capela capped a 9-1 run with a fast break dunk with 46.9 seconds remaining to give the Hawks a 114-111 lead. Young started a fast-break off a 3-point miss from Towns and dished it to a sprinting Capela for the dunk.
Surging Suns rally past Heat
Kevin Durant scored 32 points, Jusuf Nurkic had 20 and 18 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 15-point deficit for a 115-112 victory over the Miami Heat to extend their winning streak to six games.
The Suns trailed 79-64 in the third quarter but finished the period on a 15-3 run to cut the Heat’s lead to three.
Neither team could take control in the fourth, but Durant’s jumper from the free-throw line with 16 seconds to play gave Phoenix a four-point lead.
Devin Booker had 22 points and nine assists for Phoenix (7-1), which has won its last five games by six points or fewer. Booker made one of two free throws with 4.8 seconds to go, giving the Heat a chance, but Miami failed to get a shot off before time expired.
Grayson Allen scored 12 points and Tyus Jones matched Booker with nine assists for the Suns.
Tyler Herro led the Heat with 28 points. Reserve forward Haywood Highsmith scored 19 and Jimmy Butler added 15. Bam Adebayo had 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Bradley Beal’s 3-pointer put the Suns ahead to stay at 106-103 with 3:52 remaining. Beal didn’t score in the first half and was in foul trouble. He finished with seven points.
The Suns’ 7-1 start matches the best in franchise history, equalling three previous seasons (1980-81, 2000-01, 2009-10).
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry has refused to confirm whether Deshaun Watson will remain the franchise's starting quarterback when he returns from his Achilles injury.
Watson endured a dismal start to the 2024 season as the Browns went 1-5 before he suffered the season-ending injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7.
They failed to score 20 points in any of their seven games with Watson starting but did so at the first time of asking without him, beating the Baltimore Ravens 29-24 with Jameis Winston standing in at quarterback two weeks ago.
Watson's relationship with the Browns' fanbase had already become strained after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour in massage sessions.
He served an 11-game suspension to start the 2022 season – his first campaign with the team after being handed a five-year, $230million contract following his trade from the Houston Texans.
"Really our focus with Deshaun, I would say for any player with a season-ending injury and a major injury, is first and foremost and to make sure that he gets healthy," Berry said on Wednesday.
"Everything else, we'll deal with at a later moment."
Berry added, however, that the team's issues were not all of Watson's making.
"We haven't played well as a team and we haven't played well as a unit on offense," Berry said.
"I think oftentimes when you don't play well on offense, obviously your starting quarterback and your play caller will get the most criticism.
"But the reality of it is, offenses, it comes down to organization and synchronization. There's a lot of shared ownership across the different groups in terms of why we didn't perform."
Qinwen Zheng booked her place in the last four of the WTA Finals with a dominant 6-1 6-1 victory over Jasmine Paolini.
The Olympic gold medallist hit 12 aces as she powered past this season's French Open and Wimbledon finalist in just over an hour in Riyadh.
This was the winner-takes-all clash in Purple Group, with both players aiming to join world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals.
The form player since Wimbledon with 29 wins from 34 matches - also including titles in Palermo and Tokyo, plus a run to the final in Wuhan - Zheng quickly asserted her authority on proceedings.
The 22-year-old scored five breaks of serve on the way to becoming the youngest semi-finalist on her WTA Finals debut since Petra Kvitova in 2011.
"Finally, I showed off some tennis I really want to play," she said. "Of course, when you enter the match, you are nervous, but at the same time, you feel confidence because you know your level. And I know how capable I am.
"I remember in 2022, my serve was quite strong. I don't know why but, suddenly in 2023, my serve started to drop. In this tournament and the rest of this half-year, it is the first time I've felt like the serve is starting to come back."
Beating two top-10 players in the same tournament for the first time, Zheng is the first Chinese player to achieve the feat since Li Na (four) at this event 11 years ago.
The seventh seed also follows in the footsteps of Na and Kimiko Date in 1994 as one of three players representing an Asian country to reach the last four at the WTA Finals.
Sabalenka's place in the semi-finals was already secured, rendering her 6-4 3-6 6-1 defeat by Elena Rybakina academic, though ending a seven-match winning streak.
Having shared the two meetings this season in Brisbane and Madrid, the players took a close set each here, but it was one-way traffic in the decider.
In the final match of her first tournament since withdrawing from the US Open with a back injury, Rybakina did not face a single break point in the final set, while winning all 12 points on her first serve, to bow out with victory.
Though academic, it was an historic victory for the Kazahstani, who became the first player representing an Asian country to defeat the world number one at the WTA Finals.
Rybakina is also the fourth player to achieve six or more wins over the WTA's number one across a two-season span, after Tracy Austin (1979-80), Venus Williams (1999-00) and Lindsay Davenport (2000-01).
George Furbank thinks England are "starting to create a DNA" as they prepare to face Australia on Saturday.
Steve Borthwick's side are gearing up for their second match of this year's Autumn Nations Series, which began with a narrow 24-22 defeat against New Zealand last weekend.
Borthwick has named an unchanged starting XV to face the All Blacks, with Furbank set to earn his 12th cap.
The Northampton Saints full-back believes that consistency is key for England, who are targeting an 11th win from 12 meetings with the Wallabies.
"We wanted to win all four of these autumn games," Furbank told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We put ourselves in a great position to win the first one, but didn't, so now the focus is on the next one.
"It is now about creating a new energy and a new drive against fresh opposition. Australia play differently to New Zealand, so it will be a different challenge.
"I don't think we are going to change our gameplan too much. We are starting to create a DNA in the way we want to play in attack and defence.
"Australia are definitely building as a side, like we are, and I have never played Australia before, so I'm quite excited about that."
The only tweaks from last weekend come in the centre partnership with Henry Slade and Ollie Lawrence swapping places, while Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ollie Sleightholme replace Theo Dan and Ben Curry on the bench.
"Ollie [Lawrence] and Sladey have been interchangeable in the way they play from an attack and defence point of view," Borthwick explained.
"The number of Test matches they have played together in a row as a centre partnership is also very high in terms of frequency.
"They have a good understanding of how we wish to play, so I'm looking forward to seeing them go in their slightly tweaked roles this weekend."
Joel Embiid's shove of a member of the media will cost the Philadelphia 76ers centre three games.
The NBA announced the three-game suspension on Tuesday for Embiid's confrontation with a newspaper columnist.
The ban will begin in the next game he is physically able to play. The 2022-23 league MVP has yet to play this season due to what the team is calling left knee management.
The altercation that led to the suspension occurred Saturday night in the locker room of Philadelphia's home arena after the 76ers' 124-107 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Embiid was angry with a piece written by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes in which he questioned Embiid's professionalism and mentioned the seven-time All-Star's late brother and son.
Embiid shoved Hayes and threatened him while spewing profanity.
"Mutual respect is paramount to the relationship between players and media in the NBA," NBA executive Joe Dumars said in a statement announcing the suspension. "While we understand Joel was offended by the personal nature of the original version of the reporter’s column, interactions must remain professional on both sides and can never turn physical."
Without Embiid, the 76ers have started just 1-5.
There was some hope that Embiid would be able to make his debut Wednesday against the Clippers, but now the earliest he would be eligible to play would be next Tuesday against the New York Knicks.
A handful of teams made moves ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline in an attempt to bolster their play-offs hopes.
Three first-place teams - the Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers - all swung deals, and we'll find out in just over three months if any of these trades help those franchises capture a Super Bowl championship.
The Commanders acquired perhaps the biggest name on the trade market, picking up cornerback Marshon Lattimore from the scuffling New Orleans Saints.
The Commanders shipped a third-, fourth- and sixth-round pick to the Saints for the four-time Pro Bowler, as well as a fifth-round draft pick.
The 28-year-old Lattimore was named 2017 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, and though he has been slowed by injuries to his hamstring and abdomen the past few seasons, he is still considered one of the best shutdown defensive backs in the league, having not allowed a touchdown to be scored on him in coverage since 2021.
He has 15 interceptions in his eight pro seasons, but doesn't have one in seven games this year.
Lattimore goes from a New Orleans team that is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak and had just fired coach Dennis Allen on Monday to a Washington team that is 7-2 and is surprisingly atop the NFC East.
Lions add pass rusher Smith in trade with Browns
The Lions opened the final day of trading by acquiring pass rusher Za'Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round pick and a sixth-rounder in 2026. The Lions are also receiving a seventh-round pick in 2026 from the Browns.
Detroit (7-1) had been looking to upgrade its pass rush after star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson fractured his left tibia and fibula back in Week 6, and Smith should help in that department.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection, the 32-year-old Smith has five sacks this year and 65 sacks in 132 games over 10 pro seasons.
The Lions are in first place in the NFC North with a 7-1 record, but have struggled to generate pressure without Hutchinson, recording just five sacks in the three games without him after registering 15 in its first five games.
Jets send wide receiver Williams to Steelers
The New York Jets found a suitor for Mike Williams, shipping the wide receiver to the Steelers for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft.
Williams, a two-time 1,000-yard receiver, was in his first season with the Jets (3-6) after spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers.
He was never able to build any chemistry with Aaron Rodgers, however, and the 40-year-old quarterback called out Williams for running the wrong route on a play that Rodgers threw an interception late in a 23-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.
At that point, it was clear New York was going to try to find a trade partner for the embattled wide out, especially after the Jets acquired Rodgers' old friend Davante Adams in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) last month.
Williams, who has 321 career receptions for 4,972 yards and 31 touchdowns, now joins a Steelers team that has won three straight games and is atop the AFC North with a 6-2 record.
Pittsburgh also acquired veteran pass rusher Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers for a seventh-round draft pick.
Rams trade cornerback White to Ravens
The Los Angeles Rams dealt cornerback TreDavious White to the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round draft pick and a seventh-rounder the following year.
The Rams (4-4) had given White permission to seek a trade in late October, and has been inactive in their last four games.
The disgruntled cornerback was in his first season in Los Angeles after spending his first seven seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
The 29-year-old is a two-time Pro Bowl selection, but has been limited to 14 games in the last three seasons due to various injuries.
He should still be able to help a Baltimore defense that is last in the NFL against the pass, allowing an average of 280.9 passing yards per game.
In moves on a smaller scale, the Cowboys (3-5) acquired wide receiver Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers (2-7), and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) picked up Khalil Herbert from the Chicago Bears (4-4) for depth at running back.
One player who didn't change teams and was rumoured to be on the move was the Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby.
The Seattle Seahawks (4-5) also decided to keep wide receiver DK Metcalf , while the Panthers are sticking with No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Indianapolis Colts (4-5) are keeping quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Highly decorated Barbadian surfer Chelsea Tuach added more silverware to her collection as she produced an impressive performance to secure second position at the inaugural 2024 La Marginal Surfing Pro World Surf League (WSL) 3000 Series in Puerto Rico on Sunday.
Tuach, who locked horns with Costa Rica’s Leilani McGonagle in the final round of comptition, recovered from a slow start to get the better of her opponent in the opening exchanges.
After trading the lead on a number of occasions, Tuach maintained a slight edge over McGonagle, with a score of 5.67, heading into the back half of the final.
However, another massive exchange unfolded in the closing five minutes, as McGonagle unleashed her forehand attack to overtake the lead from Tuach with a heat-best score of 7.83.
Tuach found an opportunity and tried her best to rally, but fell just shy of topping the podium with a total score of 11.04. McGonagle won with a total of 12.76.
It was Tuach’s third podium finish in the 3000 Series in the Caribbean, having won the Martinique Surf Pro in 2019 and the Barbados Surf Pro in 2022. Her second-place finish propelled her up to eighth place on the North American Qualifying Series ranking.
Tuach, who comes from a surfing family and started surfing at age 8, is one of Barbados' Sports Tourism Ambassadors.
Sunshine Girls captain Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard says vibes are good in the camp ahead of the team’s crucial four-match Test series against the England Roses this month.
The Girls will first take on the Roses in two games at the AO Arena in Manchester on November 16 and 17 before hosting them at the National Indoor Sports Centre on November 25 and 26.
“The vibe that’s coming from the camp is good,” the five-time Suncorp Super Netball Player of the Year told Sportsmax.tv at a recent training session.
“Everyone is eager and ready to go out there. There are some things that we are learning because some of us are definitely new to the team but I reckon that the vibe has been good and everyone, as I said, is eager and want to go up against England because they’ve been looking good,” she added.
A veteran of over 100 caps for the Sunshine Girls since her debut in 2010, Fowler-Nembhard is no stranger to the magnitude of the rivalry between the Sunshine Girls and the Roses.
In fact, the 35-year-old, when asked about a standout memory facing them, didn’t have just one, instead referencing every time the Sunshine Girls beat them, especially in England.
When asked why she believes the encounters between the two teams are always so competitive, Fowler-Nembhard kept it simple.
“I reckon the reason why it’s always a close game and close series is because there are such amazing players on both sides,” she said.
“We always want to come out on top of each other so it’s going to always be close and we always look forward to playing them,” she added.
The Sunshine Girls will be looking to bounce back from a 1-2 loss to the Roses last January in England and if they are to do that, there is no doubt that their superstar captain would have a massive part to play.
Iga Swiatek's hopes of finishing as the year-end world number one were dashed after she fell to defeat against Coco Gauff at the WTA Finals on Tuesday.
Gauff earned her first triumph over Swiatek since the 2023 Cincinnati Open, emerging a 6-3 6-4 victor to reach the final four of the competition in Riyadh.
It means Aryna Sabalenka is now guaranteed to top the WTA rankings at the end of a calendar year for the first time in her career.
World number three Gauff finished the encounter with 10 winners to 33 unforced errors, 11 of which were double faults. Swiatek outpaced Gauff with 15 winners, but struck 47 unforced errors.
At the age of 20 years and 237 days old, Gauff is the youngest American to reach back-to-back semi-finals at the WTA Finals since Tracy Austin (1979 and 1980).
She is also the first player under the age of 21 to win both her first two round-robin matches at the year-end competition since Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova in 2007.
"It feels great and despite our head-to-head I was still confident and I knew if I could find my game, I knew I had the chance to close out the match," Gauff told Sky Sports Tennis.
"I was just trying to be resilient and play it deep. The conditions are tough and the altitude is tough.
"I was trying not to give her too many unforced errors. It's just a game of cat and mouse in these conditions."
In Tuesday's other match, Barbora Krejcikova ended Jessica Pegula's hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the tournament with a straight-sets triumph.
The Wimbledon champion needed just 69 minutes to secure a 6-3 6-3 victory, serving 11 aces throughout the contest compared to Pegula's one.
World number 13 Krejcikova became the lowest-ranked player to win a match at the WTA Finals since Magdalena Maleeva (ranked 17th) defeated Daniela Hantuchova in 2002.
The Czech will also have confidence of claiming the crown in Riyadh having won her previous events in Tallinn, Ostrava, Dubai and Wimbledon when beating an opponent in the WTA's top 10.
"I was fighting for every ball and I felt that I really have to play my best tennis," said Krejcikova, who picked up just her 20th match win of the season.
"I was trying to be really solid and trying to put as many balls to the other side as I could.
"I’m definitely proud. I had some very high parts of the season, especially winning Wimbledon. That’s something indescribable.
"And being here in the Finals is a huge privilege. It’s nice to get the win and still be part of the event."
Jamaica has named a 19-woman squad for the upcoming America’s Women’s World Series Qualifiers set for November 6-9 in Jacksonville.
The Women Reggae Warriors, currently ranked 22nd in the world, will take on the USA in the semi-finals on November 6 at the University of North Florida before the winner takes on world number seven Canada in the final on November 9.
Brazil were originally supposed to be a part of the tournament but withdrew in June due to funding and logistical issues.
The winner of the final will advance to the 2025 World Series for a chance to advance to the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Women Reggae Warriors squad: Alicia Richards, Aniya Smith, Chevelle Clarke, Darcey Price, Debisha Scarlett, Dejonaye Cole, Elyse Royal, Gianna Noble-Cunningham, Kamoya Forrest, Kaya-Jo Laing, Mackayla McCalla, Makeda Lewis, Moesha Bogle, Shanice Stewart, Shanique Smith, Sherine Johnson, Shoya Gordon, Tarja Richards, Veronica Blair.
Steve Borthwick has named an unchanged starting team for England's match against Australia on Saturday with two changes on the bench.
England enter their second November Test looking to bounce back from their narrow 24-22 defeat to New Zealand last weekend.
Borthwick, however has elected to name the same group that started against the All Blacks, though Henry Slade will shift to inside centre, while Ollie Lawrence moves to outside centre.
Marcus Smith retains his place at fly-half while Jamie George continues to lead the side at hooker, but there is no place for Theo Dan or Ben Curry.
The pair are replaced by Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ollie Sleightholme as England move from a six-two split between forwards and backs to a five-three combination.
Hooker Cowan-Dickie will make his first England appearance since November 2022 if he is introduced off the bench.
“Facing Australia is always a massive challenge, and we’ll work diligently this week to ensure we’re physically and tactically prepared to take on the Wallabies,” said Borthwick.
“The passion and energy from the crowd at Allianz Stadium last weekend was absolutely brilliant, from the opening whistle to the final moments, and we can't wait to be back at home this Saturday."
England squad in full:
George Furbank, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Tommy Freeman, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer; Ellis Genge, Jamie George (captain), Will Stuart, Maro Itoje, George Martin, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry, Ben Earl.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Fin Baxter, Dan Cole, Nick Isiekwe, Alex Dombrandt, Harry Randall, George Ford, Ollie Sleightholme
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones implied that quarterback Dak Prescott will likely be placed on injured reserve, meaning he would miss a minimum of four games.
The Cowboys announced Monday that Prescott would be side-lined with an injured hamstring, but a decision on if he would go on IR had not yet been made.
Speaking on his weekly radio appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Tuesday, Jones indicated the injury was worse than initially feared.
"It's likely we'll IR him," Jones said. "We'll see how his rehab goes."
Prescott, who signed a record-breaking, $240million contract hours before this season's opener, suffered the injury late in the third quarter of Sunday's 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
He was replaced by Cooper Rush, and the seven-year backup will get the start this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Rush completed 13-of-25 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons, but couldn't rally Dallas all the way back.
The Cowboys ended up losing their third straight game to drop to 3-5, which matches the total number of losses the team had each of the last three seasons.
They now sit in third place in the NFC East, 3 1/2 games behind the division-leading Washington Commanders.
Rush has found some success as a fill-in starter for the Cowboys, though, the 30-year-old hasn't been forced into the starting role since 2022.
In six career starts for Dallas, he's gone 5-1 with 1,281 passing yards with seven touchdowns, four interceptions and an 83.6 rating.
Patrick Mahomes assured the ankle injury he sustained during the Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is “not too bad” despite hailing the incident as “scary”.
The quarterback led the Chiefs to their 14th straight win with 34 of his 44 passes completed for 291 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Bucs took them to overtime but the AFC West leaders prevailed to remain unbeaten following a 30-24 victory on Monday.
Mahomes had hobbled off with assistance at one point during the game, leading to concern ahead of the Chiefs' next game against the Denver Broncos, but he has provided some reassurance.
"[The injury was] definitely scary. I think it hurt more just because it's the same ankle I rolled last week, so it scared me a little bit,” he said.
“But once I took my breath and calmed down a little bit, it ended up being not too bad. We were able to go in there at the reset and go back on the football team."
It means it is likely Mahomes will return next week despite the reoccurrence of the injury on the same ankle, with head coach Andy Reid marvelling at the 29-year-old's resilience.
"I wasn't sure exactly where he was going to be with it. He might have the loosest ankles in America. It's ridiculous how he can come back from those things,” he said.
The victory also marked DeAndre Hopkins’ first home game as a Chief, as he finished with eight catches for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
"[Hopkins] is so good at winning one-on-one, so to be able to have him down in the red zone, third-down situations - he does a good job of filling out and finding those windows. You give him a chance down the field and he makes a play,” Mahomes said.
Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the ATP Finals, which start in Turin later this week.
Djokovic pulled out of the Paris Masters last month, and the world number five will now not feature in the season-ending tournament.
The 37-year-old, who lost to Jannik Sinner in the Shanghai Masters in his last competitive appearance, is sat on 99 ATP Tour-level titles, and his wait for a 100th victory will now roll into 2025.
Djokovic confirmed on Tuesday that he would not be participating in the ATP Finals.
"I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won't be playing next week," Djokovic said on social media.
"Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!"
Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz have all qualified for the tournament.
Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud and Alex de Minaur are the three players contesting for the remaining two spots.
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