Max Scherzer allowed one hit over five scoreless innings in a triumphant return to the mound as the Texas Rangers earned a 4-0 win over the sputtering Kansas City Royals on Sunday to complete a three-game series sweep.
Scherzer retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced in a dominant delayed season debut. The three-time Cy Young Award winner was making his first appearance in a major league game since last year's World Series after recovering from back surgery and a nerve issue in his right arm.
The 39-year-old set down the first 13 Kansas City hitters before surrendering a ground-rule double to MJ Melendez with one out in the fifth inning.
Leody Taveras led Texas offensively by going 2 for 4 and delivering a two-run single as the Rangers scored three times in the fourth inning to break a 0-0 deadlock.
Adolis Garcia led off the inning by drawing a walk against Alec Marsh and Nathaniel Lowe followed with an infield single to put two on for Wyatt Langford, who drilled a double to center to plate Garcia with the game's first run.
Marsh got the next two hitters out but couldn't retire Taveras, who blooped a ball into left field that fell in to extend Texas' lead to 3-0.
The Royals managed just two hits on the day and lost for the 11th time in 14 games. Jose Urena relieved Scherzer and gave up one hit over the final four innings to record his first save of the season and close out the Rangers' fourth straight win.
Josh Smith accounted for Texas' final run with a solo homer in the seventh inning.
Marsh (5-5) worked 5 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on eight hits.
Lopez fans 14 in eight scoreless innings in Twins' win
Pablo Lopez also came through with a masterful pitching performance Sunday, as the Minnesota ace struck out 14 Oakland Athletics hitters over eight shutout innings in the Twins' 3-0 win.
Lopez (7-6) retired the first 17 Oakland hitters before Lawrence Butler broke up the perfect-game bid with a clean single with two out in the sixth inning. The 2023 All-Star yielded just one other hit and a walk while matching a career high for strikeouts.
Byron Buxton supplied the offence for Minnesota, which took two of three games in the series, by going 2 for 3 with a homer and two runs batted in.
Buxton's solo homer off Hogan Harris in the second inning staked the Twins to a 1-0 lead. Harris held Minnesota scoreless over the next four innings, but ran into trouble in the seventh.
Carlos Santana and Willi Castro began the inning with back-to-back singles before Buxton chased Harris with a run-scoring double. Castro then scored the Twins' final run on a fielder's choice off the bat of Kyle Farmer.
Harris (1-1) was charged with all three Minnesota runs while giving up five hits in six-plus innings.
Griffin Jax relieved Lopez to start the ninth and struck out two more A's hitters to wrap up Minnesota's eighth win in 11 games.
Valdez's gem gives Astros sweep of Orioles
Framber Valdez shut down the Baltimore Orioles' potent lineup over seven strong innings to lead the surging Houston Astros to an 8-1 win and a three-game series sweep of one of the American League's top teams.
Valdez (6-5) scattered six hits and struck out seven while permitting one run to help Houston to a fifth consecutive win. The defending AL West champions are now two games under .500 (38-40) for the first time since losing their first two contests of the season.
The Astros also received plenty of offence to become just the second team to sweep a three-game series from Baltimore this season. Yainer Diaz and Jeremy Pena each had three hits and three RBIs, Alex Bregman went 4 for 4 with two runs scored and Jose Altuve homered among his two hits.
Houston wasted no time getting on the board, as Altuve launched Orioles' starter Albert Suarez's first pitch of the game over the left field wall to ignite a four-run opening inning.
Bregman followed with a double and scored on Diaz's one-out single before Pena stroked a run-scoring double to quickly put Houston up 3-0. Mauricio Dubon then plated Pena with a single to cap the big inning.
The Astros tacked on another run off Suarez in the fourth when Cesar Salazar singled, took third on another Bregman double and scored on Diaz's sacrifice fly.
Suarez (3-2) was tagged for five runs and 10 hits in five innings of work.
Jordan Westburg homered off Valdez in the top of the sixth for Baltimore's only run, but the Astros would score twice more in the bottom of the inning to pad the margin.
Bregman and Diaz each reached on singles before Pena drove in both with a double that increased the lead to 7-1.
Altuve singled in the eighth and later scored Houston's final run on Diaz's second sac fly of the game.
Rashida Bignall, a corporate professional in Jamaica and a celebrated Latin dance instructor, is set to make her debut at the Jamaica Bodybuilding and Fitness Association's Novice, Junior, and Elite Championships on June 29 at the Courtleigh Auditorium in Kingston.
Her story is one of transformation, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence across different fields. Her debut at the Jamaica Bodybuilding and Fitness Association's championships is not just about competing but also about inspiring others to step out of their comfort zones and embrace new challenges.
Known for her captivating Salsa performances, Bignall has embraced a new challenge that promises to put on full display her versatility and dedication.
Bignall’s popular Instagram page "Rash Royalty" often features her executing intricate and erotic Salsa moves, but her upcoming participation in the bodybuilding competition marks a significant shift in her focus.
Competing in the Wellness category, Bignall is eager to display the results of her rigorous training.
Reflecting on her initial foray into Salsa dancing, Bignall said, "Many years ago, I saw it on television, didn't even know it existed in Jamaica and I found out it was being held at the Hilton Hotel. My aunt brought me to one class and from that, it was just history. I have always had a love for dancing and I always wanted to be different. Salsa is something different, especially in Jamaica because our core is dancehall and some are going over to Soca so coming into a world where it's different, you can bring that difference to people and educate them about something different is what it was for me."
Similarly, her journey into the world of bodybuilding and fitness began unexpectedly. "My trainer, Rohan Francis, he saw me and he said he wanted me to enter into a competition based on my frame. I told him I am willing to try something new because I have been dancing for so long, I wanted to come out of my comfort zone to try something new so I said yes," Bignall recounted.
Rashida Bignall posing for the audience at the recent launch of the 2024 JABBFA Novice, Junior and Elite Championships at the JOA Headquarters in Kingston.
The transition from dance to bodybuilding required intense training, but Bignall has embraced the process wholeheartedly. "The training has been intense but what I find is that the more intense it gets you get to find out how strong you are, and your mental strength and physical health is all incorporated in this because mentally you get to see how strong you are and physically, you get to see how strong you are, so the challenge is good and I am very excited for the day because I have been working really hard for this and it has been a really good experience."
Her background in dance has provided her with unique advantages, particularly in the posing aspects of bodybuilding competitions. "It helps because they (the judges) want you to be an individual, they want you to come and be yourself so adding a little dancing, for me is then showing that I am not neglecting who I am at my core but I am now incorporating it into something that I am getting to like."
As she prepares for her debut competition, Bignall is focused on the journey rather than the outcome. "The truth is everybody wants to win but with the training that I have been through and what I have accomplished, I feel like a winner already. The title is not it for me, it's just going out and doing my best and showing what I have been working on for the last six months."
Max Verstappen pinpointed a rapid start as the key to his fourth Spanish Grand Prix triumph on Sunday.
The Red Bull driver secured his seventh Formula One victory of the 2024 season in Barcelona, but needed to hold off charges from McLaren's Lando Norris and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen started the race behind pole-sitting Norris but soon fell down to third after George Russell surged to the front into the first corner.
Yet the Dutchman seized control after bursting past Russell a few laps later, referencing his early pursuit as pivotal to his seventh triumph in 10 races this campaign.
"I think what made the race was the beginning, I took the lead [at the start of Lap 3], and that's where I had my buffer then in that first stint where I could eke out that gap a little bit," Verstappen said.
"I think after that, we had to drive quite a defensive race. Lando and McLaren, they were very, very quick today, especially on degradation, it seems always the last few laps of the stint, they were very, very fast.
"But then I think we did everything well, we drove quite, I think, an aggressive strategy, but luckily it paid out until the end – it was quite close until the end but very happy to win here."
Pressed on those opening moments, Verstappen added: "I had to do a bit of rallying on the straight, I had to go onto the grass a bit, which lost me a bit of momentum, so then of course we braked quite late into Turn 1.
"Then, of course, I was quite determined to try and get the lead. Once I was in the lead, I could look after my tyres a bit better, and that definitely made my race today."
This victory extended Verstappen's championship lead to 69 points, with Norris now his nearest challenger and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc dropping back down to third.
Considering this race success, Verstappen lauded his tyre-management ability.
"It's just managing the tyres, they get very hot around here with all the high-speed corners, so you're sliding around actually quite a lot," he added.
"It was just managing the race throughout."
Verstappen will now prepare for the Austrian Grand Prix next Sunday.
Tommy Paul claimed his first title on grass with a straight-sets victory over Lorenzo Musetti at the Queen's Championship on Sunday.
It took the American just 88 minutes to get his 6-1 7-6 (10-8) win after a front-footed, aggressive approach.
Paul cruised through the opening set but looked like he might be forced into a decider after failing to serve out the match at 5-4.
The Italian edged them into a tie-break, but Paul rallied from 1-4 down to get his hands on the title.
His 27th tour-level win of the season also ensured he will surpass Taylor Fritz to become the American number one for the first time in his career on Monday.
Data Debrief: Paul hits cruise control
It was a dominant performance from Paul throughout Queen's as he only dropped a single set on his way to capturing his third ATP Tour title.
On Sunday, he made just six unforced errors as he came out on top in his first-ever meeting with Musetti.
Max Verstappen claimed his fourth Spanish Grand Prix triumph in Barcelona as he continues to increase his lead at the summit of the F1 driver's championship.
Having started second on the grid after Lando Norris snatched pole position from his grasp on the last lap of qualifying, the three-time world champion wasted no time in overtaking the McClaren driver.
However, George Russell raced around the outside to take the lead in the race going into the first corner, having started fourth on the grid.
But it would not take long for the Dutchman to reclaim the position he has found himself in for much of the season, performing an exceptional overtake on Russell before remaining in control of the race throughout, despite Norris' late charge.
Lewis Hamilton would come home in third for Mercedes, claiming his first podium of the season, with team-mate Russell eventually finishing fourth, closing the gap to both McClaren and Ferrari in the constructors' championship.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz had yet another disappointing afternoon on the track, while Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez picked up four points, having finished in eighth place, despite starting the race in 11th after being handed a three-place grid penalty from the Canada Grand Prix.
Final standings
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
Jessica Pegula claimed her maiden grass-court title, fighting back from the brink of defeat to see off Anna Kalinskaya in the German Open on Sunday.
In just her second tournament since returning from a rib injury that kept her out of the French Open, Pegula earned her first title of the year with a 6-7 (0-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory.
Kalinskaya rallied after a slow start in the first set from 3-0 down to get to a tie-break in which she scored seven perfect points to take the early lead.
Pegula regained her composure in the second to force a decider, though she was put to the test once more when she found herself 4-1 down.
However, the world number five refused to back down and won the final five points of the match to seal the win after two hours and 38 minutes on the court.
The American had already begun the day by finishing off an efficient performance in her suspended semi-final against Coco Gauff.
She edged past the top seed 7-5 7-6 (7-2) to reach her first-ever grass-court final while earning her first Top 10 win of the year.
Data Debrief: Pegula comes out on top
Pegula saved five championship points on her way to defeating Kalinskaya to earn her fifth career title, and her first since 2023 in Seoul.
It was just Pegula's second meeting with the Russian, and once again, she had to go through three sets to get the better of her, just like at the 2019 Citi Open.
Jannik Sinner claimed his maiden grass court title in straight sets as he overcame Hurbert Hurkacz at the Halle Open.
The world number one was made to work for the win, with both sets going to a tie-break, but the Italian emerged a 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (7-2) victor in Germany.
Both would settle quickly into the contest, with neither faltering in their serving as they sought to claim an early advantage.
However, consecutive games for Sinner without a reply from his opponent would be the momentum he needed to win the first set, finally breaking the Pole's resistance.
Hurkacz would almost suffer an early wobble in the second game as he saved break point in the second game, eventually taking the game to yet another tie-break to try and take the game to a deciding set.
Sinner, however, had other ideas. The Italian stormed into an early lead, and it proved too big of a mountain to climb for Hurkacz, as Sinner became the eighth player to win his first event after becoming number one.
Data Debrief: Sinner completes perfect prep for Wimbledon
Sinner would claim his third success over Hurkacz in Germany, making it consecutive wins over the Pole following his triumph in Monte Carlo back in April.
In another exceptional display by Sinner, he would win 44 of his 47 first serve points, a success rate of 94%.
Andy Murray will miss Wimbledon following surgery on a spinal cyst, the ATP has confirmed.
The two-time champion underwent the operation in a bid to be fit for the grass-court major, which begins on July 1.
Murray was forced to retire just five games into his second-round match against Jordan Thompson at Queen's Club earlier this week, having suffered back pain that eventually spread to his right leg.
The 37-year-old is expected to call time on his glittering career later this year, stating he "would rather finish at Wimbledon or an Olympic Games".
Although, the two-time Olympic gold medallist's spell on the sidelines means his participation at the latter, which begins on July 27, is now in doubt.
"After an operation on a spinal cyst, Andy Murray is sadly out of Wimbledon," the ATP posted on X. "Rest up and recover Andy, we'll miss seeing you there."
Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 28th home run and Marcus Stroman pitched into the seventh inning as the New York Yankees avoided a fourth straight loss with an 8-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.
Marcell Ozuna opened the scoring with a home run off Stroman in the first inning, but Judge answered in the bottom half with a two-run shot - his 10th in the last 19 games.
Judge grounded into a double play in the third to make it 3-1, and he drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth for his MLB-leading 70th RBI.
Stroman limited the Braves to a solo homer before allowing two runs in the seventh. He gave up three runs and three hits in 6 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts to win for the fifth time in six decisions.
Trent Grisham also homered and Juan Soto reached base four times on a single and three walks to help the Yankees avoid their longest losing streak of the season.
New York’s Giancarlo Stanton left due to left hamstring tightness. He doubled in the fourth and winced when he rounded third on Gleyber Torres’ double. Grisham pinch hit for Stanton leading off the sixth and the Yankees said the oft-injured slugger will have imaging Sunday.
Travis d’Arnaud went deep for the Braves, who lost for the second time in nine games.
Ohtani goes deep again in rout
Shohei Ohtani continued his torrid home run pace with a two-run shot and Tyler Glasnow struck out 10 over seven innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels for a split of the Freeway Series.
After Gavin Lux led off the bottom of the third against Zach Plesac with a home run, Cavan Biggio singled before Ohtani launched a 459-foot blast to right to put the Dodgers up 3-0.
Ohtani homered in his third straight game and has six in his last seven games to increase his NL-best total to 23.
Glasnow gave up two runs – one earned – and two hits without a walk in his second straight excellent outing.
The Dodgers have won 11 of the last 12 meetings with the Angels.
Kwan continues surge in Guardians’ win
Red-hot Steven Kwan homered and Jose Ramirez and Bo Naylor added two-run shots as the Cleveland Guardians handled the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-3.
Kwan went 2 for 4 with a double to raise his average to .390 but he doesn’t have enough at-bats to qualify as the major league batting leader after he missed several weeks with a hamstring injury.
Since returning to the lineup on May 31, Kwan is batting .468 (29 for 62) with three home runs, 11 RBIs and 17 runs in 16 games. He had a 14-game hitting streak snapped Friday.
Cleveland (48-26) hit all three homers off Jose Berrios to win its fourth straight and move a season-best 22 games over .500.
Toronto has dropped five in a row, matching its longest skid of the season.
The Jamaica Table Tennis Association is kickstarting their effort to resurrect the sport in the country from the ground up with the hosting a one-day rally for Preparatory and Primary Schools on Monday, June 24 at the Excelsior High School.
The rally, put on with support from the Sports Development Foundation and Optical Solutions International Limited, will include a total of 27 teams from 18 schools, an increase from last year’s 13 schools.
“This year I am overjoyed. We have never had such a vast turnout,” said Jamaica Table Tennis Association President, Ingrid Graham.
“We have over 150 young Table Tennis players who will be participating. It is way more than I expected. The children and coaches are overjoyed. This is something that has been in the making for a long time and it is showing you the positive way forward that Table Tennis is back, we’re alive and we’re here to stay,” she added.
Prior to last year’s staging, the tournament wasn’t held since 2019.
Graham told Sportsmax.tv on Saturday about the importance of having this tournament to foster the development of the country’s young players.
“Last year we decided that we have to get it going again because all of our juniors, they have moved up to senior level and some maybe stopped playing,” she said.
“We had to do that in order to encourage the sport in the schools and the development of Table Tennis moving forward,” she added.
Graham says this commitment to youth development goes beyond the sport of Table Tennis.
“It is very important to give these young people a chance in life whether it’s in sports or academics or whatever area they choose. Sometimes they are going through some phases in their lives and they are not able to speak to their parents or guardian in the way that they would speak to us. So, reaching out to these youngsters, we are trying to say that there are so many things you can do. We are trying to steer them away from the path of going negative and towards something positive,” she said.
“We are trying to create avenues that will provide for our youngsters. We have quite a number of kids involved in Table Tennis now who are from the inner city. They don’t have it like that so it’s hard on us as an Association to help them in the capacity that we would like to help them but we are trying to do our best in that aspect and to guide them in the right path of development,” she added.
Other sponsors for Monday’s event include Supersonic Table Tennis Club, Kingston & St. Andrew Table Tennis Association, Western Sports, Skills Unlimited Table Tennis Academy, American Jewellery, GraceKennedy, Graham International and GEWO Jamaica.
Jessica Pegula's all-American Berlin Open semi-final clash with Coco Gauff has been suspended overnight, as the duo vie for a spot in the final against Anna Kalinskaya.
Pegula led Gauff 7-5 6-6 (3-1) when rain in the German capital halted play on Saturday, with a later announcement confirming the match will not resume until Sunday.
Both players had already taken to the court once on Saturday, as Gauff's last-eight opponent Ons Jabeur retired due to illness after losing a 68-minute opening set 7-6 (11-9).
Pegula, meanwhile, wrapped up a two-day quarter-final victory over Katerina Siniakova by a 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-3 scoreline.
The winner of the pair's match will also have to play twice on Sunday, with Kalinskaya lying in wait in the final after she beat former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 6-1.
Data Debrief: Kalinskaya primed for an upset?
Whoever emerges victorious on Sunday morning, Kalinskaya will face a top-five player, with Gauff currently second in the world rankings and Pegula fifth.
Kalinskaya has already recorded three top-five victories this year. She lost her only previous meeting with Pegula in Washington D.C. in 2019 but won her first clash with Gauff in Dubai earlier this year.
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are confident they can claim victory from the clutches of Lando Norris ahead of Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.
The pair, who have won the previous eight Spanish Grands Prix between them (three for Verstappen and five for Hamilton), start second and third on the grid in Barcelona.
The seven-time world champion out-qualified team-mate George Russell for only the second time this season as the Mercedes drivers took third and fourth, underlining their re-emergence as contenders close to the front after a series of car developments.
“I’m really happy, thank you everyone I’m super happy to be here in the top three," Hamilton said. "It’s been a difficult year and a huge amount of work from everyone back at the factory, and finally we are starting to see those incremental steps moving closer to the guys ahead.
“I didn’t expect us to be fighting for pole necessarily, but there were bits there where I thought maybe we will be close and so to be there I’m just grateful.”
On the team making steps forward, he added: “We’ve made huge steps forward and it’s really just down to every single individual back at the factory who is pushing and designing and making the new parts that we get to bring as early as possible to these races.
"Slowly the car is crafting into a racing machine that we can hopefully fight the guys at the front.
“George did a great job today so hopefully tomorrow we can apply pressure to the two cars ahead.”
Red Bull's Verstappen will start on the front row, but in second place after being pipped by Norris to claim his second career pole.
The Dutchman appeared out of reach when he improved his own time, which was already fastest, by more than 0.2 seconds on his final run, only for Norris to cross the line moments later to beat Verstappen by 0.02 seconds.
However, Verstappen is confident of claiming a seventh victory of the season to grow his lead over Leclerc at the top of the driver's championship.
"I think in qualifying it was all coming together a bit nicer," Verstappen said. "We have been trying to find the balance because the practice sessions have been difficult.
"So I was quite happy in qualifying - I even got a nice little tow from Checo to Turn One to really extract everything we could. But unfortunately, it was just not enough. That is how it goes sometimes and overall we can still be very happy with this performance in qualifying and definitely all to play for tomorrow.
"Even throughout qualifying, the wind started to pick up a little bit, maybe that made it a bit more difficult for us. Overall, a good performance again in qualifying.
"They are never easy qualis because you're always in a battle with yourself. of course now, there's more teams. And when it's that close for pole position, it's always great."
Lorenzo Musetti will play Tommy Paul in the final of the Queen's Championship following an exceptional day of action in West Kensington.
In the first game of the afternoon, Italian Musetti edged a three-set encounter 3-6, 6-3, 3-6 against Jordan Thompson to be the first to book his place in Sunday's final.
Having won the opening set, Thompson fought back to take the game to a decider. Despite saving five break points in the eighth game, the Australian was eventually beaten as Musetti booked his place in his first grass final.
Later that afternoon, Paul came through an all-American contest in straight sets, emerging a 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) victor over Sebastian Korda to set up a maiden encounter with the Italian.
27-year-old Paul quickly found a break in the second game against his opponent and despite Korda replying with a break of his own in the seventh game, was unable to recover from his slow start.
The second set flowed with both players trading break points, but an error-strewn display from Korda allowed Paul to see out the contest with relative ease to become the first American finalist at Queen's since 2010
Data Debrief: Musetti faces
Musetti maintained his unbeaten record against his Australian opponent, having won their previous encounter in straight sets in Adelaide back in January. The Italian also won 45 of his 62 first-serve points, a success rate of 73%.
After three consecutive defeats against Korda, Paul has now won two of his last three meetings with his compatriot. However, his opponent bettered him on first-serve points, winning 74% compared to Paul's 62%.
Jamaica’s Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Latanya Wilson and Romelda Aiken-George continued winning ways with Adelaide Thunderbirds, as they produced a blistering second half display to secure a 67-41 win over Melbourne Mavericks at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, on Saturday.
The 26-goal victory –Thunderbirds’ widest margin so far this season –propelled them into second position on 32 points, same as West Coast Fever, but with a better goal difference of 93 goals greater than their conceded total. Melbourne Vixens (36 points) remain in pole position.
Aiken-George again led Thunderbirds from the front with 39 goals from 43 attempts, supported by Lauren Frew, who scored 13 goals from 15 attempts. Lucy Austin had nine goals from 11 attempts, and Georgie Horjus ended with six from six.
Another Jamaican Shimona Jok led Mavericks’ efforts with 25 goals from 28 attempts, as Eleanor Cardwell (10 goals from 13 attempts) and Gabrielle Sinclair (four goals from seven attempts) offered support.
Horjus was on top of her game across all four quarters, finishing with 116 Nissan Net Points, while Sterling-Humphrey (106 NNP), who was briefly sidelined after taking a knock to the face, and Wilson (77.5 NNP) delivered standout individual performances.
Adelaide Thunderbirds celebrate their win.
The Mavericks were more spirited at the start, as Jok scored three unanswered goals, before Sterling-Humphrey raked in two gains, two intercepts and a deflection in the first term alone, to bring Thunderbirds back into the contest. Aiken-George was prolific on the scoreboard for the Thunderbirds in a tightly contested and physical quarter, which they won 15-14.
The Thunderbirds maintained the momentum in the second quarter, courtesy of brisk goals from Frew and Aiken-George inside the opening minutes.
An aerial duel between Jok and Sterling-Humphrey, forced to the latter to the bench with a suspected concussion from a hit behind the ball. She was replaced by Wilson, who also made her presence felt, as Mavericks’ penalties and turnovers proved their undoing in the quarter that ended 18-11 in favour of Thunderbirds, with the score at 33-25 at half-time.
Like the first two quarters, the Mavericks struggled to make the most of their possession in the attacking third, and that allowed Thunderbirds to maintain a stranglehold on the contest, which seemed headed for blowout. Despite a strong performance from Jok and a Super Shot from Sinclair, it wasn’t enough to claw back the Thunderbirds’ 15-goal advantage heading into the final break at 49-34.
Still, the Mavericks fought on with four quick goals in the opening three minutes, before a deflection from Sterling-Humphrey and a couple of impressive long-range goals from Horjus widened Thunderbirds’ gap to 17 points.
And even switching Jok to goalkeeper to match Aiken-George's height, proved futile for the Mavericks, who were blew away 18-7 in the final quarter.
Sterling-Humphrey maintained her stellar performance and ended with a rebound, six intercepts, and five deflections, while Wilson was also on song with an impressive seven deflections and an intercept, as both thwarted the opponent’s attack.
Jamaica's Shanice Beckford of West Coast Fever is a picture of focus.
Meanwhile, Queensland Firebirds produced a massive upset, as they bettered West Coast Fever 78-70 in an evenly contested fixture at Nissan Arena.
Donnell Wallam piloted the Firebirds with 66 goals from 67 attempts, with Tippah Dwan getting the other 12 goals from 17 attempts.
At the other end, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard scored 65 goals from 67 attempts for West Coast Fever, while Shanice Beckford had four goals from eight attempts, and Olivia Wilkinson, one goal from three attempts.
In a fiercely contested start, both teams showed early intensity, exchanging goals before the Fever gained an early edge, spurred on by robust defensive efforts from Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Sunday Aryang.
Fever seamlessly moved the ball to the circle edge before delivering it straight to Fowler-Nembhard under the post, as they surged into an eight-goal lead at one point. However, Wallam orchestrated a stunning comeback, sinking four two-point Super Shots during the Power Five period to level the scores at 20-20 at the first break.
It was more end-to-end action at the top of the second quarter, before Wallam, who was a powerhouse in the circle, fired on all cylinders to give her team control.
Despite the pressure, the Fever maintained their composure and executed their game plan with clinical precision, and at that point, it became evident that it would be a showdown of the shooters, as Wallam and Fowler-Nembhard took centre stage.
Jamaica's Kadie-Ann Dehaney (right) of West Coast Fever challenges for possession.
Fowler-Nembhard was outstanding for the Fever, racking up an impressive 45 Nissan Net Points for the quarter, just edging out Wallam who scored 43 in the second quarter. In fact, it took a thrilling buzzer-beating Super Shot from Wallam to put Firebirds ahead 41-39 at halftime.
After a couple wayward balls to start the third, the Firebirds had all the answers as the Fever struggled to keep pace. But the Dan Ryan-coached Fever was not to be outdone and battled bravely to ensure the contest remained close with just six goals between them at 57-51 heading into the final quarter.
The Fever fought back valiantly, as they intensified their defensive efforts and eventually found success on the scoreboard to move within two of the Firebirds score, but let the momentum slip close to the end.
Lando Norris celebrated "pretty much the perfect lap" after he claimed pole position for the Spanish Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen.
McLaren's Norris set the best time of 1:11.383 in Barcelona on Saturday, which had started dismally for the team when their hospitality facilities had to be evacuated due to a fire.
Norris, who was 0.2 seconds quicker than Verstappen, showed no sign of distraction though, and with all staff having been safely ushered from any danger, it was a day to celebrate for the team, whose second driver Oscar Piastri rounded out the top 10 despite failing to set a time in Q3.
"It was pretty much a perfect lap, when you are on a good lap and getting excited but the whole thing went perfectly in the end," he said.
"It was close but super happy, it was my best pole position, I've not had many. We've been close all weekend but really this was about a perfect lap and that is what I did today.
"It's not just this weekend, we've been quick the last two months, and since Miami we've been very strong.
"We probably missed out on pole by not doing a perfect lap but today was the perfect lap."
It was also a good day for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, who qualified in third, one place ahead of team-mate George Russell.
Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz placed fifth and sixth respectively.
Top 10
1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
4. George Russell (Mercedes)
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
10. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Jannik Sinner will face Hubert Hurkacz in his first ATP Tour-level grass final after overcoming Zhang Zhizhen 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in the last four at the Halle Open.
The world number one entered Saturday's clash with Zhang, ranked 42nd in the world, on a 35-match winning streak against players outside the ATP's top 20.
There was to be no upset in North Rhine-Westphalia, though Zhang pushed him close in a match that featured just one break – Sinner doing the honours in the ninth game of the opening set.
Zhang failed to convert the lone break point generated in the second set as both players served confidently, the Chinese number one winning 79% of first-serve points to Sinner's 75%.
However, the Italian's quality shone through in the tie-break, the Australian Open champion converting his third match point to advance.
Hurkacz will be his final opponent after he pulled off an upset of Zverev earlier on Saturday, the fifth-seeded Pole producing a big-serving display in a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 win.
Sinner and Hurkacz played doubles together earlier this week, saving two match points in a thrilling win over Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow before going out to French duo Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul the following day.
Data Debrief: Sinner matches Federer and Medvedev
Sinner will have a chance to capture his first title on grass on Sunday, which would represent the best possible preparation for a tilt at Wimbledon.
He is just the third player to reach the Halle Open final while top of the world rankings, after Roger Federer (in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2018) and Daniil Medvedev (2022).
Jamaica Cycling Federation (JCF) has distanced itself from the actions of coach Arlington Reid and cyclist Xazivor Anthony Gayle, who it says breached protocols and attended the PanAm Junior Track Championships without proper authorisation.
The Dr. Wayne Palmer-led JCF in clearing the air, revealed that they were notified by the PanAm Championship organisers on Thursday, that Gayle and Reid arrived in Lima, Peru to participate in the event, but were not accredited.
Despite receiving a request from Reid, the JCF explained that it did not authorise the accreditation of a Jamaican delegation to participate, as Gayle did not meet the qualification standard.
“On June 7, 2024, Mr. Reid made a request via email to the Board for Gayle to be considered for selection to participate in the championships based on his recent performance at the DPS event in Trinidad, despite not meeting the qualifying time standards," the JCF clarified in a release.
“In response to this request, Mr. Reid was advised by email on June 9, 2024, that Gayle was not selected. On the same day, an email appealing the non-selection was sent to the board by Mr. Reid,” it added.
The JCF pointed out that protocol of the sport’s world governing body, UCI, dictates that the national federation is the only authorising body that can accredit an individual, team, coach, or other support staff to a championship.
As such, it said Reid’s action is a clear disregard for rules, which has now brought the local governing body into disrepute, as the PanAm organisers did not take the turn of events kindly, and have since escalated the matter to UCI.
“The Jamaica Cycling Federation is disappointed in the actions and judgement of Mr. Reid, who went ahead and registered an athlete to participate in an event without proper authorization. His actions have caused embarrassment to the federation and have placed the federation in disrepute,” the statement noted.
With another staging of the Sandals Golf and Jerk Festival now done and dusted, Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation and Jonathan Newnham are content to bask in the success of their hard work, having once again set the bar high.
The event, hosted at the Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton, not only combined the love of golf with Jamaica’s renowned culinary tradition, but also reinforced the power of sports and culture to bring people together for a common cause, as it also raised funds for the St Ann's hospital urology department, as well as Sandals Foundation’s Care for Kids programme.
Cavani James, 12, and his teammate Tajay Lobban, 21, were crowned overall champions of the golf tournament, which was split into three sections to add value for the over 80 participants that journeyed from near and far to contribute to the event’s success.
Elon Parkinson, Digicel’s Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs, and Karen Zacca, Operations Director at the Sandals Foundation, share a photo opportunity with (from left) Jerome Thomas, Cavani James and Tyree Smith.
For Clarke, the event was another testament of the foundation’s years of hard work and dedication to education, healthcare, and community development.
“We haven’t calculated all that came in as yet, but I think that we did great. This is the fourth year that we've been doing this tournament, all with a focus on how we're doing capacity building for hospitals in this region,” Clarke said.
“So last year, we focused on Port Maria hospital and their security system, and a year before that, it was the St Ann's Bay physio department, this year, the urology department. So we've really been able to do a lot, and I am very proud of the team and all the golfers that came out. We are very grateful to them all for the support,” she added.
Kendra Miller, a HEART/NSTA Trust Hospitality student participating in the Jerk competition.
Beyond golf, the Care for Kids programme, which engages kids between the ages of seven and 18 years old, through weekly mentorship training programme, also imparts life skills that Clarke says prepares them to navigate whatever challenges lay ahead.
For the Jerk competition, members from Sandals Dunn’s River Resort, Sandals Royal Plantation, Beaches Ocho Rios Resort and the Country Club match skills with unique chicken, shrimp and fish recipes. In an effort to continue its youth engagement commitment, all jerk teams also comprised students of the St Ann’s Chapter of the HEART/ NSTA Trust’s hospitality school.
“I think it was a fantastic success. Another big aspect of it is the jerk competition. So this year, for the jerk competition, we had the chefs out on the course, so golfers could sample jerk when they were out there. We had some HEART/ NSTA students join them for the competition, so they were mentored from the day before with all the preparations and then during the day of the event,” Clarke shared.
One of the many participants prepares to tee off.
“They all really had a fantastic time. So for us, it's always about how we work with our young people, whether they're playing golf or whether they want to learn about the hospitality industry, and how we're working to build our healthcare, and making our communities stronger. So I think, overall, it was a resounding success,” she noted.
Newnham, director of operations at the golf club, also stressed that the festival is more than just golf, as he too pointed to the lasting positive impact it has on local communities.
“It was just a very first class event and the feedback from the golfers was fantastic. It was fitting that our overall champion was actually a team of Cavani James, who won our junior qualifier a month and a half ago, and Tajay Lobban, a former, a former member of our junior golf programme. So that is very rewarding for us as a programme to showcase the talents that we nurtured,” Newnham reasoned.
“It's a testament to the work that not only we do, but also as a Jamaican golf and junior community as a whole. So very proud that all the hard work that went into it was well awarded and it was essentially a celebration of sport and all it does for us and the surrounding communities, as the proceeds are for a cause,” he ended.
Andy Murray will undergo back surgery in an attempt to be fit for what will be his final appearance at Wimbledon, which begins in nine days.
The two-time competition winner was forced to retire from his second-round match at the Queen's Championships against Jordan Thompson after just five games.
It was later revealed by the 37-year-old that he had been suffering with back pain which eventually spread to his right leg, forcing him to withdraw from the competition.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist is set to call time on his illustrious career later this year, with Wimbledon and the Paris games described as a fitting end to his 20-year spell on the court by Murray.
But the former world number one faces a race against time to fit for Wimbledon, which starts on July 1, where he is also set to feature in the men's doubles with his older brother, Jamie.
“He saw a specialist yesterday evening and he’s basically trying to decide what his next move is," his brother told BBC Two on Friday.
"I don’t think it’s right for me to go into that personally, that’s up to him, but I think he has got a few decisions to make.
"It’s obviously incredibly disappointing for him that this was potentially going to be his last Queen’s, last Wimbledon and Olympics, and there’s a potential that that might not be able to happen.
"I think he’s got to make a few decisions, and see where he goes from there.”
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