Shakur Stevenson remains unbeaten as a professional boxer, defeating Jeremiah Nakathila by unanimous decision but even the victor was unhappy with the quality of the fight.
Stevenson – the 2016 Olympic silver medallist – improved to 16-0 after the American claimed the WBO interim junior lightweight title in Las Vegas on Saturday.
A former WBO featherweight champion, Stevenson won 120-107 on all three judges' scorecards, though he acknowledged he was far from his best.
"I apologise to all my fans I didn’t feel good tonight but I did what I had to do to win," Stevenson – who scored a knockdown of Nakathila (21-2) in the fourth round – tweeted after the bout.
"Thank you for all da support I promise better for further fights to come."
The crowd in Las Vegas showered the fighters in boos in the 11th round as the 23-year-old Stevenson and his Namibian opponent Nakathila wrapped up an uninspiring affair.
"To be honest, I didn't really like my performance. I felt I could've performed a lot better," Stevenson said. "You had an awkward fighter throwing hard punches, and he knows how to grab and get away. He was a real awkward fighter.
"I tried to get him out of there a little bit, but I started getting hit with some solid shots. I ain't really like it, but next time I'm going to work on moving my head a little bit more and step it up a little more."
Stevenson is now set to face fellow WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel Herring (23-2) later this year.
"If I had the choice, I'd take Oscar Valdez, but if I have to beat up Jamel to get to it, I'll do that, too," Stevenson said. "Jamel can't beat me. He knows what it is."
The Los Angeles Clippers' stars came through on their return home to drive a needed 132-106 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals on Saturday.
Paul George posted 20 points in the first half and finished with 31, while Kawhi Leonard top-scored with 34 of his own as the Clippers led throughout and cut Utah's series lead to 2-1 in the NBA playoffs.
Donovan Mitchell had 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field to lead the top-seeded Jazz, but by the time he found his offensive rhythm the game was largely out of hand in Los Angeles.
Mitchell did not score his first point until almost halfway through the second quarter. The last time he went scoreless in any quarter of a playoff game was April 14, 2019 against the Houston Rockets – a 32-point Utah loss.
Utah kept this one a bit closer, cutting the Clippers' lead to eight points late in the third quarter, but George answered with a three-pointer and the Jazz could not get the margin below 10 from that point on.
Among the key issues for Utah was Bojan Bogdanovic's worst performance in months. The Croatian made just two of 10 shots from the field and had nine points in the game – the first time he has been held to single digits since scoring seven in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 26.
Meanwhile, the Clippers' supporting cast turned in an impressive showing, with Nicolas Batum and Reggie Jackson combining to make nine of their 12 three-point attempts and scoring 17 points each.
Game 4 is scheduled for Monday in Los Angeles.
Nets at Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks can level their Eastern Conference semi-final series with the star-studded Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 on Sunday.
Philadelphia 76ers veteran Danny Green will miss at least the rest of the Eastern Conference semi-final series against the Atlanta Hawks with a calf injury.
An MRI exam confirmed a right calf strain and Green will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the top-seeded 76ers said on Saturday.
Green left the court early in the first quarter of Friday's 127-111 victory over the Hawks, which gave the Sixers a 2-1 lead in the second-round series.
The 33-year-old has started all eight playoff games for Philadelphia and is averaging 7.0 points in 24.9 minutes per game in the postseason.
Green has played for the NBA champions the last two seasons, winning the title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
He spent the first eight seasons of his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs, who he helped take the championship in 2014.
While the timetable announced by the team leaves open a potential return should the Sixers advance, Philadelphia will have to a find a way to do so without one of their leaders in pursuit of a first champion since 1983.
"The next guy has to step up," head coach Doc Rivers said Friday. "Not sure who that is going to be yet."
The 76ers face the Hawks in Atlanta in Game 4 on Monday.
Marin Cilic is relishing the chance to win a 19th career title when he takes on Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sunday's Stuttgart Open final.
The world number 47 was 6-3 1-0 up against Jurij Rodionov in Saturday's semi-final when his opponent retired due to injury.
Cilic eliminated top seed Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals and now faces a tough test against world number 21 Auger-Aliassime, who beat Sam Querrey in the other semi.
"I'm feeling really good and very excited to be in the final after a period that I didn't reach a final," said Cilic, who lost to Roger Federer in the second round of the French Open.
"I think this has been a very positive week. I have played good tennis and served really well.
"Considering it is a shorter season, with one week less, for me, it was great to play this week. Losing in Paris to Roger Federer gave me more time to prepare for the grass."
The former Wimbledon runner-up and 2014 US Open champion added: "I haven't enjoyed being at a tournament this much in a long period of time, because it is the first time my son, wife and I are together at one tournament.
"The set-up in Stuttgart is really nice. There is a lot of grass and open space around the hotel for my son to play and it is so much fun having them around."
Auger-Aliassime did not face a single break point and hit seven aces in his 6-4 7-5 victory over Querrey, which lasted an hour and 19 minutes.
The Canadian third seed won 16 of his 18 first-service points in the second set and has yet to drop a set in this week's tournament.
It is the second time Auger-Aliassime has reached the Stuttgart final, having finished runner-up to Matteo Berrettini two years ago.
The 20-year-old has lost all seven of his ATP Tour singles finals to date so is longing to be a champion for the first time, even as he tries to stay cool about the prospect.
"You have to be focused all the time," Auger-Aliassime said. "Things can turn around quickly but I was able to do well today.
"There are no expectations. There will be the final tomorrow and other tournaments are coming up and I will try to keep my level as much as I can."
Johanna Konta has returned to the Nottingham Open final, where she will aim to finally earn a first grass-court WTA Tour title against Zhang Shuai.
Home hopeful Konta has twice previously lost the final of this event, beaten by Donna Vekic in 2017 and Ash Barty in 2018.
But she will hope it is third time lucky after scraping past Nina Stojanovic 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 in the last four.
Konta last played a final in May 2019, losing on clay at the Italian Open. That was a fourth straight final defeat as her three prior titles have all come on hard courts.
"It's a final and it's a privilege to play one," said Konta, who failed to make the most of a match point in the second set.
"But it is just another tennis match and my job is to just go out there and win. I'm just going to enjoy it."
Zhang was slightly more comfortable as she defeated Lauren Davis 6-4 6-3.
Konta has won five of the pair's six previous meetings, including the past four in a row.
A look to the sky, a wide smile, and a kiss. I did it, Jana. We did it.
Barbora Krejcikova is a grand slam singles champion, barely eight months after she first cracked the world's top 100, and the first instinct is to suggest this will be a one-off.
Ladies and gentlemen, a pandemic champion, an asterisk champion.
Jana Novotna, her former coach and mentor, who died in November 2017, won just one singles slam too, but she was a long-time force in the women's game. Indeed, Krejcikova left no doubt about her influence on Saturday's success.
But for those doubting Krejcikova's credentials, a little pause for thought.
Novotna won 14 of her 16 grand slam doubles titles before landing that elusive singles crown in 1998 at Wimbledon, and Krejcikova landed five doubles majors ahead of her own remarkable singles breakthrough.
Martina Navratilova, who handed Krejcikova the trophy, also won doubles titles at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open before she ever landed a singles major.
This is, to some extent, a well-worn path by Czech players. So there is more nuance here. And stuff first instincts. Perhaps, like Novotna and Navratilova before her, this Czech player might he here to stay at the highest level.
The 25-year-old from Brno has joined the ranks of those few champions who have won grand slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles, and she will be up to 15th in the WTA rankings on Monday.
Krejcikova might be back at number one in the doubles rankings too, as she and partner Katerina Siniakova have a Roland Garros final on Sunday against Iga Swiatek – last year's singles champion – and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Win that, and Krejcikova will be on top of the world once more in the discipline where she has honed the tools that brought her glory at Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's expense in what proved a thoroughly absorbing singles final.
The slices, the drop shots, the lobs and the net approaches, and the double-handed backhand that flits between being weapon and weakness: all those shots were honed in doubles, mostly alongside Siniakova.
Krejcikova spoke at the trophy presentation of her giddy amazement that Justine Henin, the four-time French Open winner, knew who she was when they bumped into each other behind the scenes in Paris.
Navratilova chipped in.
"In 2014, when you found out Jana moved back to Brno, you had the courage to go knock on her door and ask her for help. What gave you that courage?" asked the player who won 59 majors, including 18 singles slams.
Krejcikova's reply? "My mum."
Bravo Mrs Krejcikova.
Krejcikova has spoken often about Novotna but here she opened up to explain how she had spent so much time with the great champion before her death.
Novotna had kept news of her cancer out of the public consciousness, but Krejcikova not only knew, she felt she owed her driving force to stay by her side throughout the illness.
"I was going through a really hard time when Jana was passing away," Krejcikova told the crowd.
"I was most of the time with her and I really wanted to experience this, because I thought this was going to make me really strong.
"And pretty much her last words were just, 'Enjoy and just try to win a grand slam'.
"I know that from somewhere she's looking after me and all of this, this two weeks, is pretty much because she's looking after me from up there.
"I just want to thank her. It was amazing I had a chance to meet her and she was such an inspiration to me. I just really miss her. I hope she's happy right now. I'm extremely happy."
Three mixed doubles titles – one with Nikola Mektic and two with Rajeev Ram – plus two women's doubles with Siniakova, and now a singles triumph.
Except we know Krejcikova does not feel alone on the court. She senses Novotna's guiding hand. This is a doubles partnership dressed up as a singles player.
Novotna, weeks after winning Wimbledon, her destiny ever since she wept on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after losing to Steffi Graf in the 1993 final, shed some light on what it meant for her.
"I felt enormous relief and I felt that now it seems like this would be a new beginning for me," Novotna said.
This is a new beginning for Krejcikova too. Never a factor in singles previously, she has properly arrived now. Like you always had to with Novotna, watch out for her at Wimbledon.
Jacob deGrom starred again but exited the game early injured as the New York Mets edged the San Diego Padres 3-2 in the MLB on Friday.
DeGrom entered the game having not allowed more than one earned run in any of his previous nine starts this season, holding the best ERA in MLB at 0.62. The marked the lowest run since ERA became official more than 100 years ago.
The Mets pitcher maintained that form too, striking out Padres home-run machine Fernando Tatis Jr with the 95 mph slider in the first inning.
DeGrom struck out Tatis again in the fourth inning with a slider, while he also pinch hitted with the bat, driving in two runs in the fifth inning.
But the right-hander left the game early after six innings with tightness in his left elbow, after 10 strikeouts, although he was hopeful post-game that it was only minor.
DeGrom's ERA drops to 0.56 which is the lowest ever in MLB history across the first 10 starts of a season, pipping Juan Marichal's 1966 mark of 0.59, with records dating back to 1913. He also has more RBI (five) than earned runs allowed (four) this season.
Rizzo's memorable moment, Ohtani shakes off injury
With Wrigley Field back at full capacity on a sunny afternoon, Anthony Rizzo had a moment to cherish with a home run in the Chicago Cubs' 8-5 win over the St Louis Cardinals.
Rizzo homered in the sixth inning after 14 pitches, ushering in wild celebrations, to square the game at 5-5.
"It was one of my most memorable bats," Rizzo said. "It was a really good moment."
Joc Pederson almost homered in the seventh, but his outfield hit brought in two runs for the Cubs.
Shohei Ohtani had an injury scare, painfully fouling into his right knee, as the Los Angeles Angels won 6-5 over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ohtani played on after the early concern, tossing down eight strikeouts across five innings, and bringing in one after lacing a hit out to center field.
With Arizona down 5-4 at the bottom of the ninth inning, Eduardo Escobar homered for the 15th time this season to send the game to extras, but the Angels got up.
After denying Albert Pujols last week, Mike Tauchman plucked another catch on the wall to deny Juan Soto a home run in the San Francisco Giants' 1-0 win over the Washington Nationals.
Nats pitcher Max Scherzer left the game early after feeling discomfort in his groin, while Buster Posey scored the game's only run, a fourth-inning home run.
With the game on the line, Tauchman made his crucial intervention to deny Soto and the Nats.
Rough Rangers
The Texas Rangers are having a tough time lately and they conceded six runs in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers, eventually losing 12-1. Max Munsy and Gavin Lux both homered early, with pitcher Mike Foltynewicz unable to come up with any answers. The Rangers rotated five pitchers on the hill.
Red-hot Reds
The Cincinnati Reds made franchise history by hitting home runs in the first, second, third, fourth and fifth inning for the first time. The Reds cruised to an 11-5 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Friday's results
Chicago Cubs 8-5 St Louis Cardinals
San Francisco Giants 1-0 Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox 6-5 Toronto Blue Jays
Cincinnati Reds 11-5 Colorado Rockies
Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 Baltimore Orioles
Miami Marlins 4-3 Atlanta Braves
Chicago White Sox 5-4 Detroit Tigers
New York Mets 3-2 San Diego Padres
Cleveland Indians 7-0 Seattle Mariners
Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 Pittsburgh Pirates
Houston Astros 6-4 Minnesota Twins
Los Angeles Angels 6-5 Arizona Diamondbacks
Oakland Athletics 4-3 Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Dodgers 12-1 Texas Rangers
Cardinals at Cubs
The Chicago Cubs have won three in a row and are currently 36-27, having won the first game of their series against the 32-31 St Louis Cardinals who need a victory after winning one of their past eight. They resume their National League Central series on Saturday.
MVP Nikola Jokic became the third player in playoffs history with a 30-20-10 performance but says he was not even at the top of his game as the Denver Nuggets lost 116-102 to the Phoenix Suns.
Jokic joined elite company with his performance in the defeat, scoring 32 points, with 20 rebounds and 10 assists.
Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970 for the Milwaukee Bucks and Wilt Chamberlain in 1967 for the Philadelphia 76ers had achieved the feat before in a playoffs game.
Jokic, who received his MVP award pre-game, was downbeat about the result which leaves the Nuggets trailing 3-0 in the series but also his own display, paying credit to Deandre Ayton's defense.
"I'm frustrated with myself because I missed shots and I think I didn’t play on top of my game, especially shooting wise," Jokic said at his post-game video conference.
"I think it'll be much easier for us if I start making shots. Of course, they're making it tough to make those shots."
The Nuggets need to create history to reach the Western Conference final, with no team in NBA history having overcome a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs. Denver hosts Game 4 on Sunday.
"We need try to leave everything out there," he said. "The fourth game if we lose we're out, we go home. We need to go there and fight. That's the mindset."
Jokic added: "Just focus on Sunday. We need to do a much better job, shooting 50 per cent [from the field] and 40 from three.
"Getting to the free-throw line, they're making theirs. We're not getting there enough and we're not even making those."
The Nuggets shot at 41.1 per cent from the field and 34.1 per cent from three-point range in Friday's defeat.
Jokic also said accepting his MVP award pre-game was special moment but paid tribute to others.
"It was a special moment," he said. "This is my trophy but it's because of all of them. I have to thank them. My family, coaches, players, medical staff and the front office."
The Phoenix Suns moved 3-0 up in their Conference semi-final series with a 116-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets despite MVP Nikola Jokic's triple-double on Friday.
Veteran Suns guard Chris Paul was exceptional with 27 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals to spark Monty Williams' side.
Young shooting guard Devin Booker scored a team-high 28 points, while center Deandre Ayton had 15 rebounds along with his 10 points.
Jae Crowder shot four-from-six beyond the arc, adding 14 points for the Suns, who opened up a 10-point lead at quarter-time and were never headed.
Denver center Jokic finished with 32 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, while Monte Morris came off the bench to add 21 points. But they lacked support with Jamal Murray out with long-term injury.
Michael Porter Jr was below his best with 15 points for the game, shooting at 38.3 per cent from the field.
The Suns are one win away from securing their spot in the Western Conference finals where they will face either the Utah Jazz or the Los Angeles Clippers.
Joel Embiid starred as the Philadelphia 76ers claimed a 2-1 lead in their Conference semi-final series with a road win over the Atlanta Hawks 127-111.
Embiid finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, helping the Sixers run away with the game in the third quarter when they outscored the Hawks by 15.
Atlanta's Trae Young scored 28 points and had eight assists but was quelled by the Philadelphia defence led by Ben Simmons, with the Hawks guard shooting at 52.9 per cent from the field.
Simmons scored 18 points, with four rebounds, one steal and seven assists - including a spectacular lobbed pass for an Embiid dunk - while Tobias Harris added 22 points shooting at 62.5 per cent from the field, with eight rebounds and five assists.
The 76ers led by five points at half-time but blew away the Hawks with a 34-19 third quarter and controlled the better part of the second half.
Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers admitted Joel Embiid is playing through pain after leading his side to a 127-111 Game 3 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in their Conference semi-final series.
Embiid scored 27 points, with nine rebounds and eight assists for the 76ers who claimed a 2-1 lead in the series with a crucial road win.
The 2021 NBA MVP runner-up has been battling knee soreness for the latter part of the season and suffered a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee in Game 4 of the series against the Washington Wizards, missing Game 5.
"He's playing hard. He's giving us everything," Rivers said during his post-game video conference.
"What he's doing is incredible. He is going through a lot, I'll tell you that. It's been great to watch."
Rivers added praise for the 27-year-old Cameroonian, who defensively also had three blocks and a steal, to go with his 27 points in Game 3 against Hawks center Clint Capela.
"He was great. He was patient," Rivers said. "They were going to send two-three guys on him all night.
"I thought overall he kept his patience. We've got to do a little better job on our spacing so he can see guys better but overall I thought our movement, 10 turnovers for the game, told the story."
The Sixers lost starting forward Danny Green after only four minutes to injury and Rivers said the outlook was not positive for the 33-year-old who won NBA titles in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors and 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I have no idea [of the extent]. It's a calf injury," Rivers said. "My doctors will tell you calf injuries aren't great."
Rivers also offered praise to Australian guard Ben Simmons for his role in nullifying Hawks guard Trae Young who scored 28 points, shooting at 52.9 per cent from the field.
"It's been big. It's exhausting when you think about what we're asking Ben to do, follow Trae around and push the ball up the floor with pace," Rivers said.
"It's tough, he's young, he has endurance, he's been good for us."
Novak Djokovic described the thrilling four-set win over Rafael Nadal that took him through to the French Open final as "the best match I was ever part of in Roland Garros".
A magnificent contest between two of the all-time greats saw 13-time French Open winner and reigning champion Nadal beaten 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The match, which ran to four hours and 11 minutes, was of such a level that tournament organisers sought and were awarded special dispensation to bypass the curfew which had been due to take effect at 23:00 local time.
It appeared, at the end of the third set, that spectators were about to be asked to leave the grounds, and the beginning of an announcement was booed as fans feared the worst.
But the message turned out to be as uplifting as the tennis, which was remarkable, Djokovic avenging his straight-sets loss in last year's title match.
"It was definitely the best match that I was ever part of in Roland Garros for me, and top three matches that I ever played in my entire career," Djokovic said.
"Considering the quality of tennis, playing my biggest rival on the court where he has had so much success and has been the dominant force in the last 15-plus years, and the atmosphere which was completely electric. For both players there was a lot of support. Just amazing.
"I was very happy that there was no curfew. I heard there was a special waiver, so they allowed the crowd to stay. Just one of these nights and matches that you will remember forever.
"It's hard to find words bigger than all the superlatives you can think of for Rafa's achievements in Roland Garros. He has been the most dominant player of Roland Garros history.
"He lost two, now three times, in his entire career. He's been playing here almost 20 years. That achievement speaks for itself."
Nadal raced into a 5-0 lead, but momentum was turning Djokovic's way by the time the Spaniard crept over the finish line in that opening set.
Djokovic becomes the first player to beat Nadal twice at Roland Garros, having done so previously in the 2015 quarter-finals, and the first man to defeat him in a semi-final at the clay-court grand slam. He now leads their all-courts career head-to-head by 30 wins to 28.
"Each time you step on the court with him, you know that you have to kind of climb Mount Everest to win against this guy here," Djokovic, the 2016 champion, said. "I had won only once in I think our eight matches that we ever played in Chatrier here in Roland Garros.
"I tried to take some positives and some cues from that match in 2015 that I won against him to implement tonight, which worked out very nicely. But it's just one of these matches that I really will remember for a very long time, not just because I won the match but because of the atmosphere and just the occasion was very special."
Nadal saw his hopes of a record 21st grand slam title this weekend slip away. That would have taken him past Roger Federer and into the outright all-time lead, but should Djokovic now carry off the trophy by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas, that will put the world number one on 19 slams, ahead of a Wimbledon championship for which he will start as many people's clear favourite.
The Big Three could all be on 20 slams in a matter of weeks.
Assessing a rare loss at his favourite tournament, Nadal said: "That's sport, you know. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I tried to give my best. Probably it was not my best day out there. Even if I fought and put in a lot of effort, the position on the shots haven't been that effective.
"Against a player like him that takes the ball early, you are not able to take him out of his positions, then it is very difficult, no?"
Nadal served eight double faults and perhaps the key error was a straightforward volley that he sent long in the tie-break, but the 35-year-old put in a typically warrior-like performance.
"These kind of mistakes can happen. But if you want to win, you can't make these mistakes," Nadal said. "So that's it. Well done for him. It has been a good fight out there. I tried my best, and today was not my day."
Novak Djokovic became the first player to beat Rafael Nadal twice at the French Open as he slowly picked apart the 13-time champion in a semi-final for the ages.
The world number one won 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in four hours and 11 minutes, setting up a shot at Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's final.
Djokovic got the better of Nadal in the quarter-finals in 2015, winning that one in straight sets, but this was an epic.
It even saw tournament organisers seek and receive permission to delay the event's curfew to allow spectators inside Court Philippe Chatrier to see it through to the end.
Nadal burst into a 5-0 lead in the opening set, evoking memories of his bagel that began last October's straight-sets dismantling of Serbian Djokovic in the final.
This match would not follow a similar plotline, however, and when Djokovic broke Nadal's serve on the way to getting back to 5-3, it was game on again.
Six set points came and went for Nadal, but the seventh went the Spaniard's way when Djokovic netted. It was already enthralling but there was better to come.
Djokovic sped 2-0 ahead in the second set but Nadal snatched back the break immediately and to love, sealing the game with a whipped forehand down the line.
This was a battle and Nadal was wobbling, especially when Djokovic had 0-40 against the Spaniard's serve in game six. Nadal saved two but not the third as Djokovic went 4-2 ahead. The rallies were glorious, the tension hard to bear, yet this was just the second set.
Djokovic's level dipped in the ninth game and Nadal had two break-back points but could take neither. When Djokovic survived that test, he had both a set and the momentum in his favour.
The greatest clay-court player in history was the first man to crack in the third set, Nadal broken despite saving two break points. Amid astonishing scenes of sporting theatre, Djokovic then saved two break points himself, windmilling his arms as the crowd – Nadal's crowd – chanted "Novak, Novak".
But Nadal kept coming, earning another break point, and this one he converted with a forehand down the line. They traded breaks again, Djokovic first and then, just when he was looking floored, a revived Nadal. One set all, five games all, three hours in. Nadal had a set point at 6-5 but an audacious drop shot rescued Djokovic.
Nerve failed Nadal with a volley at 4-3 in the tie-break, putting a relatively easy putaway over the baseline, and that proved costly, Djokovic seeing it out with an ace followed by a perfectly placed shot into his lunging opponent's forehand corner.
It seemed the contest was destined to finish in front of empty stands, but then came an announcement that the late-night curfew would be lifted for one night only.
"In agreement with the national authorities, the match will be allowed to continue to its end in your presence," the crowd were told. They began booing as the statement began, before realising the anticipated bad news was not coming.
Nadal broke serve in game one of the fourth set, but double faults were beginning to drip from his racket and his seventh of the match helped Djokovic soon get back on terms at 2-2.
And Djokovic broke again to lead 4-2, landing a service return on the baseline, with Nadal only able to dab the ball back into the net. He held in double quick time, and another double fault from Nadal set the tone for the final game. It was Djokovic's day and he completed a streak of six successive games to earn that final berth.
Data Slam: One step closer to 20 for Djokovic
If Nadal had seen off Djokovic here and followed up by beating Tsitsipas in the title match, he would have moved to 21 grand slam titles, going above Roger Federer and into the all-time lead for most singles majors in the men's game.
Instead the result opens the door for Djokovic to land his 19th slam this weekend, and very soon the Big Three could be tied together on 20. Perhaps they will finish their careers that way, but the way Djokovic fought here was a telling sign he believes he will finish his career top of the pile.
He is the first man to beat the Spaniard in a French Open semi-final, and he richly deserved this success.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 50/37
Nadal – 48/55
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 6/3
Nadal – 6/8
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 8/22
Nadal – 6/16
Top seed Denis Shapovalov failed to reach the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open as his busy Friday ended with defeat to Marin Cilic.
Shapovalov had earlier completed a rain-delayed match with Feliciano Lopez, winning in three sets.
However, the Canadian was beaten in two tight sets by former US Open champion Cilic, who prevailed 7-5 7-6 (7-3).
"I felt I was applying a little more pressure during that first set and I capitalised on the couple of break points, which was definitely big, just to give me a bit of extra momentum," Cilic said.
"I also had the two match points at the end of the second set, didn't convert them, but played a really good tie-break. You always have to expect tough battles against top guys like Denis and it was like that today."
Cilic will face Jurij Rodionov after the Austrian came from behind to stun fourth seed Alex de Minaur, a player ranked 120 places above him, 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Shapovalov's Canadian compatriot Felix Auger Aliassime remains in the draw, though, going through to the last four with a 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8) win over Ugo Humbert in which he hit 17 aces.
Auger Aliassime, the lone seed left in the tournament, is hoping to repeat his run to the final in 2019. Standing in his way will be the sizeable figure of Sam Querrey, who ended wild card Dominic Stephan Stricker's superb tournament.
Teenager Stricker had match point at 5-4 in the second set but Querrey fought back to progress 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-3. Querrey won all 14 of his first-serve points in the final set.
Barbora Krejcikova insists she belongs at the highest level of women's tennis as the surprise singles finalist attempts to achieve a French Open feat last accomplished 21 years ago.
France's own Mary Pierce was the most recent player to clinch singles and doubles titles in the same year at Roland Garros, beating Conchita Martinez in the 2000 singles final and teaming up with Martina Hingis to make it a twin trophy success.
On Saturday, Krejcikova can complete the first leg of her weekend's objective as she battles to become only the second woman playing under a Czech flag to triumph in singles at the Paris clay-court grand slam in the Open Era, after Hana Mandlikova's 1981 victory.
Martina Navratilova won the French Open title twice, in 1982 and 1984, but by that stage she was representing the United States, having previously been a runner-up for Czechoslovakia in 1975.
A world-class doubles star, Krejcikova has rocketed up the singles rankings in the past 18 months, having ended 2019 at 135th on the WTA list. Now up to a career-high 33rd, victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Court Philippe Chatrier would lift her to 15th.
Speaking on Friday, Krejcikova suggested the pandemic, and the enforced deceleration of the tennis tours, had given her the time to mix up her singles and doubles schedules when previously her diary was overly packed.
The 25-year-old had been playing lower-tier ITF singles events but main-tour WTA doubles, and it had been a difficult juggling act.
"I hope there will be no more ITFs in singles for me," Krejcikova said. "I want to stay on this level. I want to really work hard just to stay here, to be able to play such matches like this. It was really tough playing ITFs because the schedule, the WTA in doubles, the schedule was tough. It was tight.
"Sometimes we played well, then I missed the tournament, then I wasn't ready to play. It was difficult. But I really think that the pandemic really helped me.
"Right now I just want to keep the level. I don't want to go backwards."
Should she and Katerina Siniakova win the doubles on Sunday, when last year's singles champion Iga Swiatek and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands should provide tough opposition, it would mean Krejcikova goes back to number one in those rankings.
Krejcikova has a 14-3 singles record on clay this season, with only two WTA players winning more matches on the surface (Paula Badosa 17-3, Coco Gauff 16-4)
She will hope to become just the third unseeded women's singles champion in French Open history, after Swiatek (2020) and Jelena Ostapenko (2017).
After teaming up with Siniakova to scuttle Magda Linette and Bernarda Perra 6-1 6-2 in their doubles semi-final on Friday, Krejcikova said: "I hope we saved some power for the finals.
"I'm looking forward that I'm going to play two more times on Chatrier. It's always perfect to play this court because it's a beautiful court. I think it's going to be a lot of fun playing these two finals."
Pavlyuchenkova is three weeks away from turning 30 and would become the third-oldest first-time grand slam winner on the women's tour, after Flavia Pennetta (33 years 200 days, 2015 US Open) and Ann Jones (30 years 261 days, 1969 Wimbledon).
She would also become the oldest Russian woman to win a singles major, taking that statistic away from Maria Sharapova who was 27 when she scooped her fifth and final slam in 2014 at Roland Garros.
Sitting 32nd in the rankings, she would jump to 14th by taking the title but is guaranteed to jump back into the top 20, for the first time since January 2018.
Pavlyuchenkova banished her grand slam quarter-final jinx this week, having lost all six of her previous last-eight singles matches at that stage in grand slams, including a 2011 loss to Francesca Schiavone at Roland Garros. She will hope her first trek beyond the quarters is not her last.
"It's been a long road. It's been a lot of ups and downs. It's been a tough one," said Pavlyuchenkova, who is playing in her 52nd grand slam.
"I definitely didn't expect this year being in the final. I guess you can't expect those things. I was just there working hard, doing everything possible. I just said to myself, 'You know what, this year let's do whatever it takes, anything you can do to improve your game, your mentality'.
"I started working with a sports psychologist, everything. I wanted to give it a try so I have no regrets after. That's it."
One thing is for sure: a new grand slam champion is about to be crowned, and Paris is used to that. The past five Roland Garros champions have all been new to the slam-winning experience, with Garbine Muguruza's maiden major in 2016 followed by breakthroughs for Ostapenko, Simona Halep, Ash Barty and Swiatek.
Johanna Konta emerged triumphant from a tough test against Alison Van Uytvanck to move within two matches of Nottingham Open glory.
Home hope Konta has made the final of this event on two previous occasions but is yet to win it and she will face Nina Stojanovic in the last four as part of her latest attempt at glory.
Number one seed Konta won 6-3 7-6 (8-6) against Belgium's Van Uytvanck, who was seeded eighth for the tournament, on Friday.
Konta served well, winning 80 per cent of her first-serve points and conceding only two break points over the course of the 96-minute contest.
There were no breaks from either player in a tense second set and the Briton must have been concerned after letting three match points slip away in the tie-break before ultimately converting her fourth.
Konta split from her coach after a dreadful first-round loss at the French Open but now meets Stojanovic - who beat Tereza Martincova 6-2 6-4 - with a ninth WTA final in her sights.
On the other side of the draw, Kristina Mladenovic saw her campaign come to an end after losing an entertaining battle with Zhang Shuai that lasted two hours and 22 minutes.
Chinese fourth seed Zhang came from behind to win 3-6 6-2 7-6 (7-4), forcing 17 break points in the match as she never let Mladenovic settle.
Zhang will face Lauren Davis in the semi-finals, after the American's British opponent Katie Boulter retired early in the second set of their early-evening clash.
Boulter had edged the opener 7-6 (8-6) and was a break down at 0-2 in the next when she pulled out due to an injury worry.
Davis had earlier reached that quarter-final match by finishing off a three-set win over second seed Alison Riske, winning the decider 6-4 as the match was completed.
Stefanos Tsitsipas fended off a fightback from Alexander Zverev at the French Open to become the first Greek to reach a grand slam singles final.
The two men left standing from a wide-open bottom half of the draw delivered a fascinating encounter, which Tsitsipas appeared to be dominating after claiming the first two sets.
However, Zverev came from two sets down against Pablo Carreno Busta to reach the final of the US Open last year and threatened to repeat the feat by storming back to send this last-four clash to a decisive set.
Yet the levels Zverev reached across the third and fourth sets largely deserted him in the fifth and Tsitsipas took advantage to prevail 6-3 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-3 and set up a meeting with 13-time champion Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic in the final.
A poor start from Zverev gave Tsitsipas the early impetus as he broke for a 2-0 lead, thanks in part to a pair of double faults in the German's opening service game.
He consolidated for a 3-0 cushion and that edge was all Tsitsipas needed to take the opening set. The tide looked to be turning when Zverev surged 3-0 up in the second, only for Tsitsipas to rattle off the next six games and take command.
But Zverev did not let his advantage slip after an early break in the third and, if he needed any further fire to fuel a comeback, it came in the ninth game as he launched a tirade at the umpire after an incorrect call went Tsitsipas' way.
Zverev subsequently served out the third with little difficulty and maintained his momentum to strike in the opening game of the fourth set, the break of serve prompting a furious reaction from Tsitsipas this time.
No further breaks were required for Zverev to send the match to a fifth, which he did with an unreturned serve after an exquisite lob brought up two set points.
However, the fourth set had been an engrossing battle between the aggressiveness of Zverev and the superb defence and accuracy of Tsitsipas, and it was those traits that helped the latter get ahead in the decider.
Zverev ripped a backhand into the net to give Tsitsipas a 3-1 lead that he refused to relinquish, clinching victory on his fifth match point with a history-making ace out wide.
The Hurricanes made it four wins from five in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman as they defeated a luckless Reds 43-14 in Wellington on Friday.
There were just three points separating the sides approaching the hour mark before the Hurricanes made the most of clinical scoring and good fortune to ease to victory.
The Reds had nearly 60 per cent of the possession and 637 carries to their opponents' 564 but saw crucial moments go against them as they suffered a fourth defeat in five games.
Hurricanes centre Ngani Laumape's try opened the scoring but Tate McDermott's converted score levelled the contest after Tyrel Lomax had been sin-binned for a high tackle.
Jordie Barrett's penalty gave the 14-man Hurricanes a 10-7 lead at half-time before the Reds lost Filipo Daugunu to a contentious yellow card, with Ruben Love touching down soon after.
Brandon Paenga-Amosa powered over after some intense forward pressure but Dane Cole's try following a soft lineout began the Hurricanes' late surge.
Laumape was awarded a penalty try after he and Bryce Hegarty chased a kick, the referee showing the latter yellow after ruling he had deliberately hit the ball over the line to prevent a score.
Replacement Devan Flanders and a second from Coles in the final nine minutes further punished the men from Queensland.
The Highlanders secured what could be an important 33-12 bonus-point win over the Brumbies that boosted their play-off hopes.
Aaron Smith scored two tries and assisted two more in a match in which the Highlanders scored 19 unanswered points in the second half.
Len Ikitau broke the deadlock for the Brumbies but Smith, Ash Dixon and Billy Harmon put the visitors in control in Canberra, despite Lachlan Lonergan also going over.
Patelesio Tomkinson got the crucial fifth try as the Highlanders held off some late pressure to make it five wins from five ahead of the final day of home-and-away matches.
Kawhi Leonard insisted the Los Angeles Clippers "have a lot of fight left" after they fell into a 0-2 hole in the Western Conference semi-finals series with the Utah Jazz.
The top-seeded Jazz took a two-game lead on Thursday with a 117-111 victory, Donovan Mitchell racking up 37 points to inspire Utah to triumph.
Leonard was held to 21 points in 39 minutes but is confident the Clippers can overturn the deficit, having come back from 2-0 and 3-2 down in their first-round series with the Dallas Mavericks.
"We all got to put our will out on the floor," the two-time NBA Finals MVP said.
"You know, see what we did in the first two games and try to limit our mistakes and just keep going on from there pretty much.
"We'll see [on Friday] what we got to do, and we've got a lot of fight left. So you know, we're up for the challenge."
Reggie Jackson top-scored for the Clippers with 29 points while Paul George produced a double-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
There was a significant disparity between the two teams in three-point shooting, with the Clippers going 11 for 30 from beyond the arc while the Jazz hit on 20 of their 39 attempts from deep.
"We've got to give them credit," said George. "This is a tough opponent. They weren't number one in the West for no reason.
"But, you know, we are approaching this the same way Dallas was, we still feel we have a lot of possessions that we can clean up, a lot of possessions that are hurting us that's our fault.
"As good as they are playing, as tough as this matchup is, we still feel like there's moments throughout this game, this series, that, you know, we are making plays that are self-inflicted.
"It's a lot of uphill. But we're optimistic that we can get this under control and go back home, one game at a time, and try to tie this series up."
Donovan Mitchell praised the Utah Jazz for taking the pressure off his shoulders in an outstanding team performance that earned a 117-111 victory at home to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Jazz moved 2-0 ahead in their Western Conference semi-finals series, with All-Star Mitchell posting 37 points in a stellar display.
But he was not alone in producing the goods, with newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert contributing 13 points, 20 rebounds, three blocks and two steals in Utah.
"I don't feel like I have to go out there and do everything," said Mitchell, who is averaging 28.4 points in his playoff career, only behind LeBron James (28.7), Jerry West (29.1), Kevin Durant (29.2), Allen Iverson (29.7) and Michael Jordan (33.4).
"I think that's a credit to the guys we have on this team because they can go out there and make plays.
"Everybody's elevated their game."
Having played a leading role himself, Mitchell was keen to laud the impact of Bojan Bogdanovic, whose defensive efforts proved telling.
"Bojan's defense was superb," he said. "He's been taking that role and taking that challenge.
"We make jokes with him all the time and we look at Bojan and say, 'Hey, we pay you to shoot'."
Mitchell seemed to suffer a leg injury late in the contest that left him hobbling, although he dispelled any fitness concerns.
"I'm fine now," he said. "I walked in here and if you want me to sprint for you, I can. I'm good."
The result extended the Jazz's winning streak to six games – the team's longest unbeaten run in the playoffs since celebrating seven consecutive victories in 1998.
Kawhi Leonard and the fourth-ranked Clippers were looking to even the series by splitting Utah's homestand, but the visitors fell short in Game 2.
Reggie Jackson had a team-best 29 points on 11-for-19 shooting as Paul George (27 points and 10 rebounds) and Leonard (21 points) contributed.
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