Lewis Hamilton acknowledged he felt "emotional" and "surreal" after Kimi Antonelli was announced as his Mercedes replacement for the 2025 Formula 1 season.

The 18-year-old will join George Russell on the grid next year after a signing a one-year contract to fill the void left by Hamilton, who agreed a move to Ferrari at the start of the year.

Antonelli will become the third youngest F1 driver of all-time when he makes his competitive debut at the season-opener in Australia next March at 18 years and 203 days old, with only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll younger in their first starts.

Hamilton had long been aware of the impending announcement, but admitted the reality of the situation still feels strange.

"I've known for ages, but I knew it would be announced [on Saturday]," he said. "I definitely woke up, and it was very surreal, just to have it officially confirmed my seat is going and that I've held onto it for so long," Hamilton said.

"I was quite emotional [on Saturday morning], but really happy for Kimi and for this team. I know Kimi is going to do a great job."

Hamilton will start this weekend's Italian Grand Prix sixth on the grid, while he also occupies sixth place in the Drivers' Championship having won the British Grand Prix and finished second at the Belgian Grand Prix this term.

And the seven-time world champion says he has felt a great deal of emotion heading into every race during the campaign.

"It's been there all year. Every single race, we have turned up," he added. "I love my team so much, and we have been through a hell of a lot together.

"So, it will be emotional every single race, because every race we do is the last time at that particular race and, every race, we get closer and closer to the last time I'll be in a Mercedes, and that is tough, it's definitely going to be tough.

"My focus now is to try and do the best job I can for the team and finish on a high."

Scottie Scheffler is in the driving seat as he targets a first FedEx Cup title, taking a five-shot lead into the final day at the Tour Championship.

The world number one made a slow start on Saturday but recovered to finish strongly with four birdies on the final five holes to maintain his lead, as he carded 66, moving his total to 26-under.

Scheffler is aiming to win his seventh PGA Tour event of the season at East Lake, with Collin Morikawa closest to him in second having carded a 67 in the third round.

"I've had my chances here to win some tournaments, and I'll have no better opportunity than Sunday," said Scheffler.

"I've been mentally at my best this year, and I'm looking forward to doing more of that in the last round."

Morikawa played himself into contention on Friday and was able to keep the pace with birdies on three of the last four holes on Saturday, while Xander Schaffuele slipped down to fourth, 10 shots off the top, with Sahith Theegala above him on 17-under.

After Morikawa's strong finish on Saturday, he remains hopeful that he will get a stroke of luck on Sunday to pip his compatriot to the title.

"It's going to be very hard, but I believe in myself that I can do it," Morikawa said.

"Five shots is a lot, but two-shot swings happen. I think I've seen a couple over the past few days.

"I've just got to play my game. I've got to go low. I've got 18 holes left in the season - I'm going to put everything I have into these next 24 hours."

Joe Schmidt admitted he was on edge before Australia ended their eight-match Rugby Championship losing streak with a last-gasp 20-19 win over Argentina.

Ben Donaldson slotted over from close range with the last play of the game, much to the Pumas' frustration when the referee blew the full whistle.

Argentina held healthy leads twice, going 10-0 and 16-7 up. Jake Gordon and Rob Valetini crossed for Australia before Noah Lolesio's three kicks left the game on a knife edge before Donaldson sealed the win.

It is the first time the Wallabies have won in the competition since beating South Africa in 2022, and Schmidt was overjoyed that they were able to get the result over the line.

"It was heart in mouth," said Schmidt. "I'm really delighted for the boys, they found a way to win. I'm just really proud.

"We made a few things hard for ourselves, giving them a big start at home, a big crowd and difficult conditions.

"We put ourselves straight back under pressure by dropping restarts, but we fought, scored tries and created some other chances that would have been great.

"It'll be back to the drawing board a little bit, but I think we might even enjoy this one, just because we really had to fight to get it."

Argentina host Australia again in Sante Fe next week, while South Africa and New Zealand will meet in Cape Town in round four. 

Daniil Medvedev restored order by beating Flavio Cobolli in the US Open evening session, avoiding the same fates as former champions Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.

The Russian, who is now the only former champion remaining in the men's field at Flushing Meadows, won 6-3 6-4 6-3 in two hours and 18 minutes.

Though Cobolli fought well, getting the first break in the match early on and valiantly defending set point six times in the first two sets, he could not stage another upset.

Medvedev struck 33 winners as he asserted his dominance and will meet Nuno Borges in the fourth round in New York.

"I said it before the match that for me the upsets don't really matter," Medvedev said.

"The only thing [is when] the conditions are a bit tricky, the favourites maybe have less margin than the other guys. Just have to be more cautious.

"It was a tough match. It was just a little bit up and down, and at one moment I started playing much better on my serve than on his.

"If I play good tennis I can win the whole thing. If I don't play good, I can lose against anyone."

Data Debrief: No upsets here

With two of the favourites for the title already out of the race, Medvedev will feel good about his chances of winning a second US Open title.

This victory was his 138th combined match win on hard court (grand slams and ATP Masters 1000 events), equalling Roger Federer for the second-most of any player on the surface in the past decade, trailing only Novak Djokovic (227). 

Medvedev is into the fourth round for the 11th time in the men's singles event at grand slams on hard court - he is the only Russian in the Open era to reach this stage 10+ times. 

Iga Swiatek cruised into the fourth round of the US Open, crediting a chat with Serena Williams for her straight-sets win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

The world number one prevailed 6-4 6-2, without facing a break point in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday.

Swiatek needed just 95 minutes to get into the next round, setting up a meeting with Liudmila Samsonova.

A four-game winning streak in the second set put the game beyond doubt, earning her a third straight-sets victory of the tournament so far.

"It was nice that Serena [Williams] approached me [in the players' gym], because I wouldn't, for sure, find courage to do that," Swiatek said.

"Even though we met before and for a couple of years we have been on the same sides and on tour together, she's still star-striking for me.

"It inspired me, and it gave me a positive kick.

"It's not like my tennis is perfect, but it is weird because I have been number one and winning tournaments, I feel I need to work on some stuff."

Data Debrief: Total dominance

Swiatek, who won at Flushing Meadows in 2022, is into the fourth round at a grand slam for just the second time this year, having failed to reach it at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

It is the 16th time she has reached that stage in her 23rd main draw appearance - only Coco Gauff has also reached the fourth round in over half of her main draws at grand slams among active players.

The Pole looks to be in fine form though, with this victory lifting her winning percentage to 82.8% (82-17) in women's singles matches at grand slam events - she is now up to 11th on the all-time list in the Open Era, surpassing Martina Hingis.

Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman began the game with consecutive home runs, an unprecedented feat in Los Angeles Dodgers' history, and the National League leaders scored twice in the ninth inning to come through with an 8-6 victory over the rival Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.

Tommy Edman's two-run single in the top of the ninth snapped a 6-6 tie and helped Los Angeles expand its lead over Arizona and the San Diego Padres to six games in the division standings.

Ohtani added a sacrifice fly in addition to his NL-leading 44th homer of the season, which came on Arizona starter Merrill Kelly's eighth pitch of the night. Freeman finished 3 for 5 and also knocked in two runs to lead a 16-hit attack which propelled the Dodgers to a fourth straight victory and 10th in 12 games.

Betts followed Ohtani's game-opening blast with a shot over the left field wall, and Freeman connected on Kelly's very next pitch to give Los Angeles a quick 3-0 lead and mark the first time in the franchise's 141-year history it has started a game with three consecutive home runs.

The Diamondbacks answered with four runs in the bottom of the first, however, with Corbin Carroll beginning the rally with a lead-off inside-the-park homer off Gavin Stone.

Jake McCarthy and Joc Pederson then singled before Lourdes Gurriel drove in both with a double to tie the contest. Gurriel later scored on Eugenio Suarez's sac fly for a 4–3 Diamondbacks' advantage.

The Dodgers went back ahead in the second, though. After loading the bases on singles by Max Muncy and Miguel Rojas and a fielding error by Kelly, Ohtani plated Muncy with a sac fly and Freeman got Rojas home with a single for a 5-4 edge.

Gurriel's solo homer in the third knotted the score again, but the Dodgers retook the lead when Gavin Lux doubled in the fifth and crossed the plate on Muncy's single.

Arizona pulled back even by manufacturing a run in the seventh. Luis Guillorme drew a walk before advancing to third on a sacrifice and a wild pitch by reliever Brent Honeywell, then came home on Carroll's sacrifice fly.

It remained a 6-6 game into the ninth, which Will Smith and Lux opened with singles off Ryan Thompson (7-4) before both Dodger runners were moved up a base on a bunt. Two batters later, Edman delivered a two-out single off Justin Martinez to bring home each.

Evan Phillips then retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to give Ben Casparius a win in his MLB debut after the rookie threw a scoreless eighth inning.

Phillies' Wheeler dominates Braves for 100th win

Zack Wheeler earned his 100th career win with seven superb innings as the Philadelphia Phillies extended their lead atop the NL East with a 3-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Wheeler (13-6) yielded just four singles and struck out seven to put the Phillies in position for a sixth win in eight games. Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez finished off the shutout with an inning each as Philadelphia increased its margin over the second-place Braves to six games in the division standings.

Edmundo Sosa knocked in two runs for the Phillies on a double and a homer, a solo shot off Max Fried in the third inning that broke a scoreless tie.

Trea Turner made it 2-0 with a solo homer off Fried in the sixth. One inning later, Weston Wilson drew a walk in front of Sosa's RBI double that gave Wheeler more breathing room.

The Phillies nearly had another home run after Austin Hays drove a pitch deep to center field to start the bottom of the seventh, but Atlanta's Michael Harris climbed the wall to make a leaping catch and prevent the ball from landing in the Philadelphia bullpen.

Fried (8-8) allowed all three Philadelphia runs while permitting five hits and four walks in seven innings.

Atlanta has now lost two of the first three matchups of this key four-game set after entering the series having won nine of its previous 11 games.

Kukuchi fans 12 as Astros continue Royals' struggles

Yusei Kikuchi racked up 12 strikeouts over seven outstanding innings to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the suddenly slumping Kansas City Royals in a matchup of American League playoff contenders.

Kikuchi (7-9) allowed just one run on five hits to improve to 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in six starts since being acquired by the Astros from the Toronto Blue Jays in late July.

The left-hander duelled with Kansas City starter Cole Ragans through 5 1/2 scoreless innings before the Astros broke out with five runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Ragans was cruising along before giving up a single to Ben Gamel to begin the big inning. He then hit Jose Altuve with a pitch and walked Yordan Alvarez as Houston loaded the bases with none out.

Yainer Diaz then delivered a two-run single to break the scoreless tie, and Jeremy Pena followed with a triple to knock in two more runs for a 4-0 lead. Pena scored the Astros' final run on a wild pitch thrown by reliever Steven Cruz.

Pena finished 2 for 4 in Houston's fourth consecutive victory, which moved the Astros five games clear of second-place Seattle in the AL West after the Mariners lost to the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday.

The Royals finally got on the board when Freddy Fermin singled in the seventh, advanced to third on MJ Melendez's base hit and scored on Nick Loftin's fielder's choice groundout.

Bobby Witt's 29th homer of the season got Kansas City within 5-2 in the eighth, but Ryan Pressly kept the Royals scoreless in the ninth to record his third save of the season.

Kansas City has now dropped four straight following a stretch of 10 wins in 13 games.

Ragans (10-9) struck out 10 in five-plus innings but was charged with five runs despite permitting just four hits.

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi warned his team the job is far from done despite them rallying for a thrilling victory over New Zealand in the Rugby Championship on Saturday.

The Springboks secured a 31-27 win over the All Blacks at Ellis Park, coming from behind with two late tries from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Grant Williams.

The victory hauled South Africa onto 14 points in the Championship standings as they bid to end New Zealand's four-year stranglehold on the title, but Kolisi says there is still work to be done.

Addressing the capacity crowd in his post-match interview, Kolisi said: "We play for a lot but you people are our number one motivation. 

"We appreciate you every single day. Please don't stop. When times are tough, please keep supporting us. We cannot do it without you.

"We respect the All Blacks. No matter what people say about them, when they need to turn up, they turn up. We believed in ourselves, we didn't panic, and we did what we wanted.

"They were catching us on the exit. After the first try in the second half, we picked it up. I'm really proud of the boys but the job is not done."

All Blacks captain Scott Barrett, meanwhile, was proud of his team-mates' efforts but admitted they had just fallen short of putting together a complete performance.

"Well done to the Springboks, it showed the class team they are," he said. "We weren't quite good enough. We were good for 62 minutes and it's an 80-minute game.

"There were two key moments after kick-offs where we couldn't quite get out of our half and they punished us. It was a huge effort, we're certainly proud, but it was just not quite to be.

"We'll regroup pretty quickly. Some guys have played here for the first time. It's intense and we'll have to be better next week."

South Africa host New Zealand again in Cape Town next week, while Australia go to Argentina for their round-three matchup. 

Jannik Sinner beat Australia's Christopher O'Connell in straight sets to reach the fourth round of the US Open on Saturday, avoiding a similar fate to Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.

The men's draw at Flushing Meadows has been blown wide open by early exits for Alcaraz and Djokovic, but the top seed remains in the hunt after a composed performance.

He reached the fourth round for a fourth consecutive year with a routine 6-1 6-4 6-2 victory, setting the tone with several huge groundstrokes in the opening set.

O'Connell never looked likely to fight back as Sinner smashed 46 winners in a ruthless performance, wrapping up his win in one hour and 56 minutes.

The Australian Open champion will face either Tommy Paul or Gabriel Diallo for a place in the last eight, and he was relieved to survive an opening week full of surprises.

"Everything can happen in this sport, so I try to stay on my side of the net and I'm trying to take the tournament day by day," Sinner said in his on-court interview after the win. 

"Each opponent is a very tough challenge and [I am] also enjoying every moment on the court. There have been already a couple of upsets, so let's see what's coming.

"But I'm very happy to still be here and hopefully I can play as many matches as possible. But as I said, we go day by day and then we'll see how it goes."

Data Debrief: Sinner heating up

Sinner lost his first set of the tournament to Mackenzie McDonald but has been largely untouchable since then.

He has only lost 18 games across his last nine sets of tennis, an average of two per set.

The Italian's winning streak now stands at seven straight matches, meanwhile, following his triumphant Cincinnati Open run.

Lando Norris admitted his pole position at the Italian Grand Prix was "a surprise" after McLaren secured a second qualifying one-two of the season at Monza. 

Norris, who is aiming to become the first McLaren driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2010 to win consecutive races, looks good to close the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen, who finished in seventh. 

The Briton was just 0.109 seconds ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri, with Mercedes' George Russell 0.113s off the pace in third after an incredibly tight Saturday session.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were fourth and fifth for Ferrari at the team's home event, with Hamilton in sixth. 

Sergio Perez enjoyed a better qualifying session this time around and will start the race in eighth, while Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. 

Norris pipped Piastri by just 0.035s on his first lap in the top-10 shootout, before improving his time on his second attempt despite not being happy with his lap.

"To have a first and second when the field is as tight as it has been all weekend is a little bit of a surprise, but a nice one," Norris said.

"My lap, it hurts me to say it, was not a great lap. My first one was. But still good enough for pole and still very happy.

"There are a lot of quick drivers behind in quick cars, so I am not expecting an easy race. Plenty of question marks but a lot of excitement, I'm sure."

Verstappen, however, struggled with balance in the final qualifying session, having been expected to battle the two McLarens after a strong showing in Q2. 

The three-time champion described the car as "shocking" at one point, and will have to come from midfield to claim a first win since the Spanish Grand Prix. 

Should the Dutchman fail to win at Monza, it will be the first time since the 2020 season he has gone six races without a victory. He had a run of 11 winless races in a row that year from Spain to Sakhir.

"Q3 was very bad on both of my tyre sets. I just picked up a lot of understeer so I couldn't attack any corners any more," Verstappen said. 

"I had to back it out a lot mid-corner and you lose a lot of lap time like that.

"Somehow in Q2 it wasn’t that bad. I did a 1:19.6 at that point and we were almost the quickest. We know our limitations and problems but at that point I think we had it fairly under control.

"But I went into Q3 and the balance was completely out, and I don't really understand how that happened."

Qualifying results

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
7. Max Versappen (Red Bull)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

Scottie Scheffler insists his swing is "in a good spot" despite seeing his lead at the top of the Tour Championship standings cut to four shots on the second day.

Scheffler, who is aiming to win his first FedEx Cup title, carded 65 in his opening round and entered the second round with a 10-shot lead.

However, the world number one saw American duo Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele close the gap during a weather-disrupted second round on Friday.

Scheffler carded a round of 66 to take himself to 21 under par, aided by two birdies in the final three holes to keep the chasing back at bay. 

"I feel like my swing is in a good spot, and I've hit it nice the last couple of days," he said. "A lot of quality stuff out there, and in a good spot going into the weekend."

Morikawa is four shots off the pace after producing a superb eight-under 63, which was the best round of the day, and has surged up the standings to second place.

In an impressive round, he dropped just one shot on the 11th hole, but made amends on the back nine before closing with back-to-back birdies. 

"He's going to continue to make birdies," Morikawa said about the possibility of catching Scheffler. "He's driving it really, really well here, and you're giving yourself enough wedges to make some scoring opportunities out there.

"For me, it's just about bringing energy and just staying alive out there."

Schauffele is in third, one shot behind compatriot Morikawa, after shooting an impressive second-round 64 to remain in the hunt for the $25million prize money. 

There is then a four-shot gap until a group of three players, including Adam Scott, are tied for fourth place at 12 under, while Rory McIlroy is tied for 10th place on eight under.

Mercedes have confirmed that 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Formula 1 season. 

Antonelli, who made his debut in practice at the Italian Grand Prix on Friday, will join George Russell on the grid next year and has signed a one-year contract.

The teenager's first appearance on track, however, was overshadowed after a crash in the early stages of the session halted a positive start at Monza.

He will become the third youngest F1 driver of all-time when he makes his competitive debut at the season-opener in Australia next March at 18 years and 203 days old, with only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll younger in their first starts.

Antonelli was linked with a potential move to Williams to replace Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the 2024 season, but will continue the rest of his Formula 2 campaign with Prema racing. 

“It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025,” said Antonelli.

“Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me.

"I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed.

"We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership.

“Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme and our belief in home-grown talent.

“George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader.

“Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport.

"We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way."

Mercedes have confirmed that 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Formula 1 season. 

Antonelli, who made his debut in practice at the Italian Grand Prix on Friday, will join George Russell on the grid next year and has signed a one-year contract.

The teenager's first appearance on track, however, was overshadowed after a crash in the early stages of the session halted a positive start at Monza.

He will become the third youngest F1 driver of all-time when he makes his competitive debut at the season-opener in Australia next March at 18 years and 203 days old, with only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll younger in their first starts.

Antonelli was linked with a potential move to Williams to replace Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the 2024 season, but will continue the rest of his Formula 2 campaign with Prema racing. 

“It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025,” said Antonelli.

“Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me.

"I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed.

"We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership.

“Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme and our belief in home-grown talent.

“George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader.

“Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport.

"We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way."