Rafael Nadal has confirmed his impending retirement from tennis.
The Spanish superstar will end his remarkable playing career after the Davis Cup Finals, which take place in Malaga in November.
Only Margaret Court, Novak Djokovic (24 each) and Serena Williams (23) have won more Singles Grand Slam titles than Nadal (22), but he has been plagued by injury in recent seasons.
In a message released on his official social media channels on Thursday, Nadal said: "I am here to let you know I am retiring from professional tennis.
"The reality is that it has been some difficult years, the last two especially.
"I don't think I have been able to play without limitations."
Nadal confirmed previously that 2024 would likely be his final year on ATP Tour circuit and he has featured in just seven tournaments this season.
He remarkably reached the Swedish Open final in Bastad, only to lose to Nuno Borges, after competing at the French Open for the final time.
Nadal has won a record 14 titles at Roland-Garros, with the last of those coming in 2022.
He will retire as a four-time US Open champion and a two-time winner at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Nadal has not featured in a singles match since he lost to old foe Djokovic at the Paris Olympics in August.
Along with Djokovic and Roger Federer, Nadal is one of only three players in the Open Era to have played and won over 300 men's singles Grand Slam matches. Nadal bows out with a major record of 314 wins from 358 matches.
His retirement, which comes on the back of Andy Murray calling it a day earlier this year, means that, of the "big four" that dominated men's tennis for over a decade, only Djokovic now remains.
Jannik Sinner marched into the last four of the Shanghai Masters by defeating Daniil Medvedev on Thursday.
Sinner beat the Russian 6-1 6-4 and could now face a reunion with Carlos Alcaraz, who he lost to in the final of the China Open last week, in the semi-final.
The world number one has now won six of his last seven encounters with Medvedev.
"Obviously, I'm very happy how I handled today and this match," said Sinner.
"It felt like he had a bit of shoulder pain and couldn’t hit his forehand as well as he wished to.
"Hopefully he can recover as fast as possible, but from my side it was a great match, a great battle, and let’s see what I can do now in the semi-final."
Sinner has clocked up 63 wins on the ATP Tour this season.
Data Debrief: Master Sinner
Sinner has now made five ATP 1000 semi-finals in 2024, which is the most of any player this year.
The Italian has also become only the second player since 2020 to reach as many semi-finals in the format since Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2022.
Since the format's inception in 1990, Sinner (77.3%, 51-15) only trails three players for win percentage on hard court at ATP 1000 events: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andre Agassi.
Coco Gauff won an eighth successive match in emphatic fashion as she dispatched Marta Kostyuk 6-4 6-1 at the Wuhan Open.
Fresh from her triumph in Beijing last week, Gauff needed only 61 minutes to get the job done on Thursday.
Gauff, who is aiming to become only the second player to win in Beijing and Wuhan in the same year, will face Magda Linette in the quarter-finals.
"I'm really happy with how I played today," said Gauff.
"It was a pretty straightforward match. Marta and I always have some good battles. Today I was able to get through in straight sets."
Gauff's compatriot Jessica Pegula, meanwhile, was beaten by Wang Xinyu, who is the second Chinese player to reach the quarter-finals of the Wuhan Open since the inception of the tournament in 2014 after Qiang Wang in 2018.
Data Debrief: Gauff brings up 70 WTA 1000 wins
Gauff has registered her 17th win in hard-court WTA 1000 events during 2024, with only Caroline Wozniacki in 2010 (25) and Bianca Andreescu in 2019 (19) managing more wins in such events before turning 21 since 2009.
The 20-year-old is also the youngest player to hit 70 match wins since the WTA 1000 formate started in 2009. She is only the fourth player to reach that milestone before turning 23, joining Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek.
Gauff's next opponent, Linette, is into her first WTA 1000 quarter-final.
Francisco Lindor’s latest huge hit was a sixth-inning grand slam that sent the New York Mets to the National League Championship Series with a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
Edwin Díaz struck out Kyle Schwarber with two runners aboard to end it as New York finished off the rival Phillies in Game 4 of their best-of-five Division Series, winning 3-1 to wrap up a postseason series at home for the first time in 24 years.
New York will open the best-of-seven NLCS on Sunday against either the San Diego Padres or Los Angeles Dodgers.
For the NL East champion Phillies, who won 95 games and finished six ahead of the wild-card Mets during the regular season, it was a bitter exit early in the playoffs and a disappointing step backward after they advanced to the 2022 World Series and then lost Games 6 and 7 of the 2023 NLCS at home to Arizona.
Perhaps overanxious at the plate with so much on the table, the Mets left the bases loaded in the first and second and stranded eight runners overall through the first five innings.
They put three runners on again in the sixth, this time with nobody out, before No. 9 batter Francisco Alvarez grounded into a force at the plate against All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman.
With the season on the line, Phillies manager Rob Thomson then summoned closer Carlos Estévez to face Lindor, who drove a 2-1 fastball clocked at 99 mph into Philadelphia’s bullpen in right-center, sending the sold-out crowd of 44,103 into a delirious, bouncing, throbbing frenzy.
With his first homer of these playoffs, Lindor joined Shane Victorino and Hall of Fame slugger Jim Thome as the only major leaguers with two postseason grand slams. The star shortstop also connected for Cleveland at Yankee Stadium in Game 2 of a 2017 AL Division Series.
Dodgers rout Padres to force Game 5
Mookie Betts, Will Smith and Gavin Lux homered to back an eight-pitcher shutout as the Los Angeles Dodgers staved off elimination with an 8-0 rout of the San Diego Padres in their NL Division Series.
The Dodgers snapped a two-game losing streak and now return home for a deciding Game 5 between the NL West rivals on Friday night.
The winner will have home-field advantage in the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets, who eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies in their NLDS.
The Dodgers got a superb effort by opener Ryan Brasier and seven fellow relievers in a bullpen game, holding the Padres to seven hits and extending their scoreless streak to 15 innings. Evan Phillips, who got the win, retired Jurickson Profar, Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill on five pitches in the sixth.
With All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman sidelined by a troublesome right ankle sprain, Betts and Shohei Ohtani needed to produce to keep LA's season alive. They did just that, with Betts driving in two runs on two hits and Ohtani bringing in one run and reaching three times.
The Padres started Dylan Cease on short rest and gave up Betts’ home run in the first inning and put two runners on with one out in the second and was chased by Ohtani’s RBI single to right.
Smith followed Max Muncy’s leadoff double in the third with a home run to extend the lead to 5-0.
Lux’s two-run shot off Wandy Peralta in the seventh capped a three-run inning for the Dodgers.
Stanton’s home run gives Yankees 2-1 lead
Giancarlo Stanton snapped a tie in the eighth inning with a solo home run and New York’s bullpen pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings as the Yankees edged the Kansas City Royals 3-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their AL Division Series.
Stanton finished with three hits, drove in two runs and stole a base for the first time in four years for the Yankees, who will turn to six-time All-Star pitcher Gerrit Cole on Thursday night with a chance to reach the American League Championship Series.
The Royals used four relievers before Kris Bubic took over for the eighth. The left-hander struck out Austin Wells before Stanton hit his 3-1 pitch nearly 420 feet to left to give New York the lead.
The Royals tried to answer off Luke Weaver in the bottom half, getting Bobby Witt Jr.'s first hit of the series and a two-out single by Salvador Perez. Weaver recovered to get Yuli Gurriel to fly out to end the threat, and he also handled the ninth to earn the save and cap a stellar performance by the New York bullpen.
The Yankees won despite another frustrating night in the postseason for MVP front-runner Aaron Judge. He went 0 for 4 with a walk and is now 1 for 11 with only an infield single through three games against the Royals.
It helped that the powerful Yankees drew nine walks Wednesday night, giving them 22 for the series.
Tigers get second straight shutout
Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson each drove in a run, and the Detroit Tigers used six pitchers in a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians for a 2-1 lead in their AL Division Series.
The Tigers will have a chance to advance to their first ALCS since 2013 on Thursday night in Game 4 at Comerica Park.
Cleveland has gone 20 straight innings without scoring since opening the series with a five-run first and a two-run sixth in its 7-0 win.
After AL Cy Young Award favourite Tarik Skubal helped Detroit shut out Cleveland in Game 2, manager A.J. Hinch put a stream of pitchers on the mound and kept the Guardians quiet at the plate.
Detroit reliever Will Vest entered with two on and two outs in the seventh and got David Fry to line out to Matt Vierling at third.
Keider Montero retired the side in order in the first, and the previously slumping Greene hit a two-out RBI single in the home half.
Brant Hurter gave up five hits in 3 1/3 innings, Beau Brieske pitched two innings, and Sean Guenther got one out before Vest threw 1 1/3 innings. Tyler Holton handled the ninth for the save.
It's the first time Detroit has recorded two shutouts in a postseason series. It's also the first time since the 1905 World Series that the first three games of a postseason series were all shutouts.
The Guardians had a chance to score in the third. Steven Kwan reached on a one-out infield single and advanced on shortstop Tyler Sweeney's throwing error. José Ramírez was intentionally walked with two outs, but Josh Naylor hit an inning-ending groundout.
New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen has selected rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler to make his first regular-season NFL start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Allen confirmed Rattler as the starter on Wednesday with usual starter Derek Carr to miss at least one game because of a left oblique injury that occurred in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 26-13 loss in Kansas City on Monday night.
The decision means that Rattler, for the time being, moves ahead of second-year pro Jake Haener on the depth chart.
Haener replaced Carr after his injury in Kansas City and also played late in a pair of lopsided victories to start the season.
“We just internally talked a lot about it and felt like in this particular game he was going to give us the best chance to win,” Allen said of Rattler. “He’s a rookie so we’re going to have some challenges that go along with that, but I think we’ll have a good plan for him.”
Rattler was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of last spring’s NFL draft out of South Carolina.
He will become the fifth rookie quarterback to start his season, joining Caleb Williams (Bears), Jayden Daniels (Commanders), Bo Nix (Broncos) and Drake Maye, who is scheduled to also make his first career start Sunday for the Patriots against Houston.
Jamaica has called up a 20-man squad to prepare for their international clash with world number 17 Wales, at the The Lextan Gnoll in Neath, on Tuesday, October 15 (kick-off 7.30pm).
Most players called up play in English competitions, the lone exception, Alex Young, is currently signed to the Sydney Roosters in Australia. Included are veterans such as Ben Jones-Bishop, James Woodburn Hall, Mo Agoro, Jordan Andrade, Keenen Tomlinson, and Ross Peltier. However, there are also plenty new faces with possible debutants coming from Darius Carter, Delaine Gittens-Bedwards, Jaden Dayes, Leo Skerritt-Evans, Aaron Smalls, Keenan Ramsden and Joshua Hudson-Lett.
Injury has forced the withdrawal of inspirational captain Ashton Golding (Huddersfield), Jerome Yates (West Warriors) and Greg Johnson (Moldgreen), whilst Michael Lawrence (Bradford) and AJ Wallace (Huddersfield) are unavailable due to club duties. Resulting, former captains Joe Brown and Jy-Mel Coleman, both instrumental in Jamaica’s qualification to the 2021 World Cup, have made themselves available if required, with Coleman doubling as an assistant coach.
Jamaica will be coached by Rhys Lovegrove, who is Academy Head Coach at Super League club Hull KR. He commented, “I’m really honoured and privileged to be part of the coaching set and excited to see some new faces pull on the jersey to face Wales”.
Director of Rugby and Head of Jamaica’s men’s programme Romeo Monteith added, “As an organisation we are happy to face Wales at their home. They are a good team with a proud history in rugby league. Jamaica remains committed to playing at least one international in Europe annually and we hope to collaborate more often with Wales in the future. The game helps them prepare for their European World Cup qualifiers, and it helps us in our preparation for the World Series in 2025 as it’s vital our professional players get a chance to play together as often as possible.”
The Reggae Warriors played their last men’s international against the USA on December 3, 2024, going down 26-30. After Wales, Jamaica faces Canada in Toronto on October 19.
JAMAICA SQUAD:
Delaine Gittens-Bedward (Barrow Raiders), Joshua Hudson-Lett (Bedford Tigers), Leo Skerrett-Evans (Castleford Tigers), Aaron Small (Cornwall), Keenen Tomlinson (Featherstone Rovers), James Woodburn-Hall (Halifax), Darius Carter, Kieran Rush (Huddersfield Giants), Chris Ball (London Broncos), Alex Brown (Moldgreen ARLFC), Mo Agoro (Oldham), Jaden Dayes, Jordan Andrade (Rochdale), Ben Jones-Bishop (Sheffield), Keenan Ramsden (Siddal), Alex Young (Sydney Roosters), Isaac Coleman (York Acorn), Joe Brown, Jy-Mel Coleman, Ross Peltier (Unattached)
Novak Djokovic believed his straight-set triumph against Roman Safiullin at the Shanghai Masters was almost perfect, while reiterating his desire to compete at the very top.
Djokovic, featuring in his first tournament since his shock US Open exit, was largely untroubled in a 6-3 6-2 win against the Russian on Wednesday.
The world number four's triumph also saw him become the first player to reach 10 quarter-finals at the tournament in Shanghai, claiming his 37th victory in the process.
Djokovic is on a quest to claim his 100th ATP tour title, hoping to join the elite club that includes only Jimmy Connor and Roger Federer who have reached that milestone.
The Serbian had already beaten Alex Michelsen and Flavio Cobolli to reach the round of 16, and will face Czech teenager Jakub Mensik for a place in the final four.
And the 24-time grand slam champion said his tennis at the tournament so far is bringing him "a lot of joy".
"Very close to 10. The [past two matches] are some of the best matches I've played in a while," Djokovic said.
"I'm enjoying myself on the court and when you play well you are feeling good, there is a lot of joy in striking a tennis ball.
"These matches and sensations are the reasons why I still play.
"I believe I can play at a high level and it's about keeping that consistency.”
When the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty played for the Commissioner’s Cup Championship in June, it seemed a foregone conclusion the teams would meet further down the road with much more at stake.
That time has come, as the Liberty will host the Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday in a matchup of teams that posted the top two records during the regular season.
New York went 5-0 in Commissioner’s Cup play while Minnesota posted a 4-1 record en route to a meeting on June 25 in the championship game of the in-season competition that started in 2021.
The Liberty entered as the defending champions of the Commissioner's Cup and with a 15-3 overall record, while the Lynx came in with a 13-3 mark.
Minnesota went on to win its first Commissioner's Cup championship with a 94-89 victory at New York.
The Lynx also took two of three meetings in the regular season, but the Liberty (32-8) managed to finish two games ahead of Minnesota (30-10) in the final standings.
“I think the regular season doesn’t mean anything, they are an amazing team,” Minnesota forward Napheesa Collier said.
“It’s going to be a great series, great basketball. Two teams with great players competing.”
Collier was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and was runner-up to Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson for the WNBA MVP award.
Collier finished in the top five in the league in scoring (20.4 points per game), rebounds (9.7), steals (1.9), double-doubles (18) and player efficiency (25.7), but she’s been even more dominant in the play-offs.
The sixth overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft is averaging a league-high 27.1 points and tops all post-season players with a 32.9 efficiency rating to go along with 9.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game.
“She’s improved every season. She’s just been incredible,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said.
“Every game, it’s more than scoring how she helps our team. When she plays like the MVP, we're tough to beat.”
The Lynx booked their ticket to the WNBA Finals with an 88-77 win over the Connecticut Sun in the decisive Game 5 of the semifinals on Tuesday.
New York has been idle since eliminating the two-time defending champion Aces in Game 4 of the semis on Sunday.
“Talk about the schedule, who cares. Nobody’s going to feel bad for us,” Reeve said.
“Got to go hooping right away and we’ll do that.”
The Liberty exacted a measure of revenge on Las Vegas after losing to the Aces in four games in last season’s WNBA Finals, but star point guard Sabrina Ionescu said New York needs to remain focused.
“We haven’t done anything yet, I think we all understand that,” Ionescu said. “We want to come out and continue to be the best team like we have been all year.
“We’re three wins away, and that’s really important to understand. We’ve got to come out and we’ve got to punch because nothing has been given to us yet.”
Ionescu and forward Breanna Stewart form an imposing 1-2 punch for the Liberty.
Stewart averaged 20.4 points (fourth in the league) during the regular season and Ionescu added 18.2 per game. Ionescu ranked fifth in the WNBA in both assists per game (6.2) and 3-pointers made (107).
In the play-offs, Ionescu is averaging 20.7 points and Stewart is pouring in 20.0 per game.
Minnesota is playing in its record seventh WNBA Finals and looking to break a tie with the Houston Comets and Seattle Storm for the most titles in WNBA history with its fifth championship.
New York, meanwhile, has lost in each of its previous five WNBA Finals appearances.
“We're going to the Finals and we're hosting Game 1 and Game 2,” Stewart said.
“We're ready to go. Just the feeling of not (being) satisfied."
Game 2 is Sunday before the series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3, and if necessary, Game 4. A winner-take-all Game 5 would be in New York on October 20.
Nico Collins, the NFL's leader in receiving yards this season, will miss at least the Houston Texans' next four games after the team placed him on injured reserve Wednesday.
Collins, who has amassed 567 receiving yards during Houston's 4-1 start, injured his hamstring on a 67-yard touchdown catch during the first quarter of the Texans' 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The standout wide receiver will be eligible to return for the Texans' Week 10 clash against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 10.
After recording 80 catches, 1,297 receiving yards and eight touchdowns during a breakout 2023 campaign, Collins was on pace for an even better season in 2024. His 32 catches are tied for third in the NFL, while his seven receptions of 25 or more yards are tied with Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson for the most in the league.
Collins also tops the AFC South-leading Texans with three touchdown catches through five games.
“Nico has been the best receiver in the NFL this year," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said when updating Collins' injury on Monday. "So, do you replace him? No, everybody just steps up and whatever role you’re asked to do, just step up and play your role the proper way."
The Texans still have proven options at wide receiver despite Collins likely out for the next month.
Stefon Diggs is a four-time Pro Bowl selection who led the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) with Buffalo in 2020, while Tank Dell produced 709 yards and seven touchdowns on 47 catches as a rookie in 2023 before having his season cut short after 11 games by a fractured fibula.
Diggs led the Texans with 82 yards on six catches last week in his first meeting with the Bills since being traded by Buffalo to Houston in the off-season.
"Nobody has to be Nico," Ryans said. "There is one Nico. He’s done a great job of that. Now, whoever is next, when your number is called, make the plays that you are supposed to make.”
David Goffin produced a vintage display to down second seed Alexander Zverev and book his place in the quarter-finals at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.
Goffin, who has now reached the last eight of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time since 2021, emerged a 6-4 7-5 victor in just under two hours.
The Belgian was the first to take an early grip of the contest, finally managing a break point at the third time of asking in the third game, only for Zverev to respond straight after.
But Goffin was able to find another break of serve, with the world number 66 closing out the first set with a love game to take a surprise lead.
Despite Zverev starting with a love game of his own in the second, the German quickly found himself 3-1 down as Goffin threatened to run away with the tie.
However, the second seed clawed his way back into the contest, levelling the score, but Goffin remained composed, sealing the victory with another love game.
Goffin will face seventh seed Taylor Fritz for a spot in the final four in Shanghai after the American swept aside Holger Rune 6-1 6-2 in just 55 minutes earlier in the day.
Data Debrief: Goffin joins elite club
Goffin has become only the second player to defeat Zverev head-to-head on hard, grass and clay courts at ATP level, along with Roger Federer.
With the Belgian, who is the 66th ranked player in the world, and Jakub Mensik, who is one place above, now through, it is the first time multiple players ranked outside the ATP's top 50 have made the quarter-finals at the Shanghai Masters since the event's inauguration in 2009.
Novak Djokovic saw off Roman Safiullin to reach his 10th Shanghai Masters quarter-final with a straight-sets win on Wednesday.
The Serb, a four-time champion in the tournament, rallied to a 6-3 6-2 victory in just 74 minutes.
Djokovic made a lightning-quick start, serving to love to win the opening game, but had to remain patient as he waited for an opening, which he found with a three-game winning streak at the end of the first set.
Any hopes Safiullin had of a comeback were then squashed as he saw his serve broken first in the second.
Djokovic was clinical from that point, defending a break point – his third in the match – before claiming another break on his way to a comfortable victory.
As his hunt for a 100th tour-level title goes on, Jakub Mensik now stands between Djokovic and a place in the last four.
Data Debrief: Djokovic continues Shanghai dominance
At his 95th at ATP Masters 1000 events overall, Djokovic has become the first player to reach 10 quarter-finals at the Shanghai Masters, since its inauguration in 2009.
It was also his 37th win at the tournament, extending his own record as he keeps the title in his sights.
If he can get his hands on the trophy, he would be just the third man to win 100 tour-level titles in the Open Era (after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer).
Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve says she is "overwhelmingly proud" of her team after reaching the WNBA Finals for the first time in seven years.
The Lynx capitalised on a strong start, claiming an 88-77 win over Connecticut Sun in Game 5 of the semi-finals.
It will be Minnesota's seventh WNBA Finals, a record for a team in the league. They have previously won four titles, the joint-most in the competition's history, and a win over the New York Liberty would move them outright top of the list.
Reeve, who has led the Lynx to all four of those previous titles, was full of praise for how the team saw out the win.
"I'm so proud. I can't tell you how badly our staff wanted it for them," she told reporters.
"It's a really special group. The number of people who have reached out to tell me how much they enjoy watching them play and that they're rooting for them is incredible.
"I feel overwhelmingly proud. We played Lynx basketball, and it was good to get back to it."
Napheesa Collier led the team, tallying 27 points and 11 rebounds, with Courtney Williams also contributing 24 points to help them to the win.
Reeve was impressed by both players, but in particular by the work that Collier has put in this season.
"What makes [Collier] special is her consistency and the way she shows up every single day," Reeve added.
"She's always the same, her work ethic, her demeanour, her passion for improving. She's just been incredible.
"It's more than scoring how she helps this team. When she plays like the MVP, our team is where it needs to be."
The Lynx, who finished second in the league and two games behind the Liberty during the regular season, have won three of four matchups with New York this year. That includes the WNBA Commissioner's Cup on June 25 to take the in-season tournament title.
The Finals begin with Game 1 on October 10.
Jamaica has selected a youthful squad to compete in the 2024 Fast5 Netball World Series, which will take place from November 9-10 at the Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch, New Zealand. The team, led by a mix of emerging talent, is eager to make its mark in this high-intensity, fast-paced tournament format.
The squad includes Tiffany Langley, Amanda Pinkney, Simone Gordon, Kimone Shaw, Cornelia Walters, Paula Ann Burton, Kestina Sturridge, Roxana McLean, Zaudie Green, and Shadene Bartley. These players will represent Jamaica in the two-day competition, where the unique Fast5 rules – such as power plays and shortened quarters – bring an added level of excitement to the game.
The tournament format features a round-robin stage, where each team plays each other once. The top four teams will advance to the finals on the second day. The 1st-ranked team will face the 4th-placed team, while second will play third, with the winners progressing to the Grand Final. The remaining teams will contest third- and fifth-place playoffs.
Jamaica has a proud history in the Fast5 series, finishing as runners-up in 2009, 2017, and 2018, and securing third place in 2010 and 2013. Currently ranked fourth in the world, Jamaica will be looking to improve on their past performances and push for a podium finish.
This young team represents the next generation of Jamaican netball talent, and although relatively inexperienced, they are determined to bring their flair and skill to the competition and make their country proud on the global stage.
As the tournament approaches, fans of Jamaican netball will be eagerly awaiting the team's performance, hoping that this new-look squad can continue the nation’s strong tradition in Fast5 netball and perhaps bring home their first-ever title in the tournament.
Coco Gauff cruised through her first-ever match at the Wuhan Open with a comfortable straight-sets win over Viktoriya Tomova.
Fresh from winning the China Open on Sunday, Gauff returned to action with a 6-1 6-2 victory in 76 minutes.
The American was given an early scare as her serve was broken in the first game, but she recovered brilliantly, storming through the next six in a row to take the first set.
She picked up where she left off in the second, winning 10 games on the bounce. Despite Tomova showing some late fight after Gauff was 4-0 up, the world number three had already done enough.
Gauff won 15 of 32 first return points (47%), and dominated on her own serve after the early blip, hitting five aces, and winning 83% of her first serve points (24/29).
She will face Magda Linette or Daria Kasatkina in the round of 16.
Data Debrief: Gauff defies age once again
Only Caroline Wozniacki in 2010 (27) has won more WTA-1000 matches in a year than Gauff in 2024 (22) before turning 21, since the format was introduced in 2009. She has equalled Iga Swiatek's record from 2022 (also 22 wins).
In fact, only Swiatek (30) and Aryna Sabalenka (24) have won more WTA-1000 matches than her in 2024, as she extended her winning streak to seven matches.
Among players to have played 10 or more matches in China in the 21st century, Gauff has the highest winning percentage in events played in the country (91.7%, 11-1).
Jamaica's Owen Samuda made a triumphant return to competitive golf, clinching the Brooklyn Open title at the Marine Park Golf Course in Brooklyn, USA. After an eight-year hiatus from the event, Samuda won the championship division with a stellar performance, shooting a four-under-par 68 on the par-72 course. His victory came by the narrowest of margins, finishing just one stroke ahead of Gabe Lee, who shot a 69. Andrew Giuliani and fellow Jamaican Luke Watson both tied for third, with scores of one-under-par 71.
The championship division featured 29 highly competitive players, including professional golfers like 40-year-old Gabe Lee, a Korean golfer based in Queens, and 38-year-old Andrew Giuliani, a former professional who competed for seven years.
Samuda, at 54 years old, is a caddy at Pine Valley Golf Course in New Jersey, a course often ranked among the best in the world. Reflecting on his victory, Samuda expressed his joy, especially after such a long break from the tournament.
“It’s been about eight years since I last played the Brooklyn Open,” Samuda shared. “When I heard about the tournament, I decided to enter and played a practice round just to get familiar with the course again. The day before the tournament, it rained heavily for two days, so the course was soft, but in great condition. The greens were rolling fast, so controlling the speed of my putts was crucial."
He added that his strong start on the front nine helped him maintain momentum. "By the 13th hole, I was five under par but made bogeys on holes eight and nine before birdying hole ten to finish at four under. I started on hole twelve because of the shotgun start and finished on hole eleven. I didn’t realize how close the competition was, so winning by one stroke was a great surprise. It feels amazing to win the Brooklyn Open for the first time.”
Carlos Alcaraz battled past Gael Monfils, becoming the first Spaniard to reach the Shanghai Masters quarter-final since 2017 as he kept his winning streak alive.
Having lost to the Frenchman in Cincinnati earlier this year, Alcaraz won 6-4 7-5 on Wednesday, which was his 12th victory on the bounce.
Monfils was bidding to become the second-oldest ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finalist in history at 38 years old and matched Alcaraz through the early stages, almost forcing a break.
But he could not hold onto a lead in the ninth game of the first set, and the 21-year-old took advantage.
Alcaraz did not have it all his own way in the second set despite an assured performance, which saw him serve three games to love overall.
Monfils could only defend two of three break points in the penultimate game as Alcaraz pressed home his advantage. He will meet Tomas Machac on Thursday.
"The main thing I tried in this match was to stay calm, to control my emotions and wait for my chances," said Alcaraz.
"That helped me a lot to show my best tennis during the match. I am feeling the ball really well, much more than I was during the American swing. So, I am happy to be able to do it and keep going."
Data Debrief: No stopping Alcaraz
Alcaraz has improved his record to 51-9 for the season with this win over Monfils and is into his 14th ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.
Since the format's inception in 1990, Alcaraz (76.5%, 62-19) only trails three players for win percentage at ATP Masters 1000 events: Novak Djokovic (82.02%), Rafael Nadal (82.00%) and Roger Federer (77.9%).
Aryna Sabalenka maintained her perfect record at the Wuhan Open and clinched her 50th tour-level win of the year as she beat Katerina Siniakova in straight sets on Wednesday.
The Belarusian returned to winning ways after her shock exit at the China Open, with the score 6-4 6-4 after 94 minutes to reach the third round.
Sabalenka weathered an early storm as Siniakova pushed her at the start before the pair traded breaks just when it looked like she had gained an edge.
However, the world number two broke her serve again in the final game to take the set, and it was a similar story in the second.
The Czech valiantly defended her serve as the pair traded blows, but Sabalenka showed her edge by winning the final two games to set up a meeting with Yulia Putintseva in the next round.
"I missed Wuhan a lot," Sabalenka said. "I just have really good memories of winning, two times, the title here. Just Wuhan brings me a lot of great memories, good vibes.
"Siniakova, who is fighting for every point, it's really good that I was able to finish this match in two sets."
Data Debrief: Posting big numbers
The Wuhan Open has been out of the calendar for the last five years, but Sabalenka has settled back in quickly.
She has won all 13 of her matches played at the tournament (winning the title in both 2018 and 2019) and is the first player to win their first 13 matches in a single city hosting a WTA event since Maria Sharapova in Stuttgart (13-0 between 2012 and 2014).
The victory over Siniakova is her 50th of the WTA Tour in 2024, a number she will be pleased to reach after having her 15-match winning streak snapped in Beijing last week.
Jannik Sinner avenged last year's Shanghai Masters exit to Ben Shelton, beating him in straight sets to progress to the quarter-final on Wednesday.
The American was hoping for another upset to mark his 22nd birthday, but Sinner triumphed 6-4 7-6 (7-1) in 88 minutes.
Shelton started strongly, showing off a 95% first serve accuracy in the first set, as he matched the Italian in the opening games but could not force a vital break before Sinner's three-game winning run took the set away from him.
Sinner then had to dig deep as Shelton went on the attack once more, but he successfully defended all seven break points, five of which came in the second set.
He ramped up the pressure in the tie-break, cruising through to reach his 14th ATP Tour quarter-final of 2024.
"It was very tough. He played only first serves, except one second serve," Sinner said.
"But if I look at the positive picture, how I ended the match, I tried to stay a bit more aggressive, which I've done, and this hopefully can give me confidence for the next round."
He will face Daniil Medvedev in the final eight after the Russian saw off Stefanos Tsitsipas with a commanding performance.
Medvedev triumphed 7-6 (7-3) 6-3, hitting 28 winners and making just 20 unforced errors to the Greek's 34 as he came from 2-0 down in the second set, winning six of the last seven games to progress.
Data Debrief: Staying perfect
Sinner has made a 14th quarter-final from 14 ATP events in 2024, becoming only the fourth player aged 23 or under to do so in a single season after Jimmy Connors (1974), Guillermo Vilas (1976) and John McEnroe (1982).
Stefanos Tsitsipas (10) is now the second opponent Daniil Medvedev has defeated 10+ times head-to-head at ATP level, along with Alexander Zverev (12), while he will be searching for an eighth win against Sinner in the next round, having also beaten him at Wimbledon earlier this year.
Fernando Tatis Jr.'s two-run home run capped a six-run second inning, and the San Diego Padres held on for a 6-5 victory over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in a tense NL Division Series.
The Padres moved within one victory of eliminating the Dodgers in the NLDS for the second time in three seasons. Game 4 is Wednesday night at Petco Park, which was packed with a rally towel-waving record crowd of 47,744.
Tatis' impressive homer gave the Padres a 6-1 lead, but Teoscar Hernández hit a grand slam with one out in the third off Michael King to bring the Dodgers within a run.
Mookie Betts also homered for the Dodgers to break an 0-for-22 playoff slump, but apparently thought left fielder Jurickson Profar had robbed him like he did in Sunday night's 10-2 Padres win at Dodger Stadium, when tempers flared on the field and in the stands. Betts rounded first and headed toward the dugout before teammates and even King motioned that it was a homer.
Tatis' shot into the left-field seats was his third of the series, leaving him one shy of the NLDS record held by Carlos Beltran (2004, Houston) and Nick Castellanos (2023, Philadelphia). Tatis had two of San Diego's six homers Sunday night. The flamboyant Tatis stood for a few seconds and watched the ball sail out of the yard, flipped his bat and gestured toward the dugout before beginning his trot.
King got his second win in as many playoff starts after allowing five runs and five hits in five innings, with three strikeouts and one walk.
Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Tanner Scott pitched one-hit ball over the next 2 2/3 innings and Robert Suarez got the final four outs for his first save.
David Peralta delivered a two-run double during San Diego’s big second inning and Kyle Higashioka lofted a sacrifice fly before Tatis homered off Walker Buehler with two outs.
Manaea stifles Phillies to put Mets up
Pete Alonso homered again off Aaron Nola, and Sean Manaea pitched brilliantly into the eighth inning as the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-2 in Game 3 of their NL Division Series.
Jesse Winker also went deep and Starling Marte added a pivotal two-run single to help the wild-card Mets, playing their first home game in 16 days, grab a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
Game 4 is Wednesday at Citi Field, with All-Star Ranger Suárez scheduled to start for Philadelphia against fellow lefty Jose Quintana.
A win would send New York to the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres.
Manaea was lifted after allowing a leadoff single to start the eighth. The left-hander received hearty pats on the chest from teammates and a standing ovation from the towel-waving sellout crowd of 44,093 as he strolled off the mound.
Manaea allowed just two hits, struck out six and walked two for his first playoff win after entering 0-3 with a 10.66 ERA in his postseason career.
Clinging to a 2-0 lead, Manaea escaped major trouble in the sixth. After issuing consecutive walks to start the inning, he received a mound visit from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and struck out star slugger Bryce Harper on three off-speed pitches.
Nick Castellanos then lined into an inning-ending double play, as the Mets' middle infield doubled off Kyle Schwarber at second base.
Alonso led off the bottom of the second by sending Nola's first pitch deep to right field. He flipped his bat high in the air on his way to first base when the ball reached the front row of the second deck.
It was Alonso's second home run of the series and third in New York's past four playoff games.
Nola and Alonso have been squaring off since their college days in the Southeastern Conference, but the matchup has been one-sided in the majors. It was Alonso's sixth career homer off the right-hander, after entering with a .320 batting average and 1.050 OPS in 54 career plate appearances against him.
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