Jayson Tatum would not be drawn on talk that the Boston Celtics are the new NBA title favourites after clinching their first-round playoffs series against the Atlanta Hawks with Thursday's 118-110 win.
The Celtics clinched the series 4-2, setting up a date in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with the Philadelphia 76ers who swept the Brooklyn Nets 4-0.
The shock exit of the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who boasted the league's best regular-season record at 58-24, to the Miami Heat has opened up the playoffs.
Boston made last year's NBA Finals and finished second in this regular season in the East behind the Bucks with the second-best record in the NBA at 57-25.
"Not looking past nobody," Tatum told reporters when asked about the Celtics being title favourites. "Taking it one game, one series at a time.
"We just had six tough games against the Hawks. Closed it out tonight, now it's time to get some rest and get ready for Philly.
"Not looking past them. It's going to be tough. They've had some time off. It starts with Game 1."
The 76ers benefitted from their sweep, having closed that series out on Sunday, allowing time for MVP candidate Joel Embiid to rest a sprained knee that kept him out of Game 4 against the Nets. The 76ers-Celtics series is due to commence on Monday.
Jaylen Brown, who scored 32 points against the Hawks in Game 6 alongside Tatum's 30, expected a tough test against their old rivals.
"We know they're going to bring the fight," he said. "Philly is a tough environment to win. Their crowd gets involved in the game. It's going to be fun.
"We already know they've got some great players, Joel Embiid, James Harden and company. It's going to be a test again. We've got to be ready to fight and I can't wait for it."
The Celtics were pushed all the way by the Hawks in not only Game 6, but the whole series. Boston needed a final-quarter 11-0 run, which Brown called "winning time", to pull away and punch their ticket into the next round.
"Winning time, I guess," Brown said. "Adrenaline, just that will and perseverance to finish the game. It was close and both teams was exchanging blows, we were both tired.
"And we didn't want to be the team going back home with an 'L.' So we just found a way to win."
Meanwhile, Hawks guard Trae Young was enthused by his side's end to their season after Nate McMillan was axed in February, before an admirable recovery under new coach Quin Snyder.
"Quin is the future," Young said. "I believe with him here, this city's going to win a championship."
New York Rangers coach Gerrard Gallant had no complaints with his side's effort in their 4-0 Game 5 loss to the New Jersey Devils who he said "played their best game of the series".
The Devils have flipped the script in their Stanley Cup first-round series after trailing 2-0 following back-to-back losses in Newark, taking a 3-2 lead with Thursday's triumph at Prudential Center.
Gallant blasted his side after their 3-1 home loss in Game 4 where they surrendered their advantage in the series, but he conceded the Devils were just too good on Thursday led by Erik Haula with two goals and an assist.
"I got no problem with their effort tonight. They competed," Gallant told reporters.
"Jersey played a hell of a game. You've got to give them a lot of credit. They played their best game in the series I thought tonight."
The defeat leaves the Rangers in danger of elimination on their home ice in Game 6. The Rangers rallied back from a 3-1 first-round series deficit last year against the Pittsburgh Penguins as well as when trailing 3-2 in the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes offering Gallant hope.
"The effort is there, we've been in this position before," he said. "We'll see what we can do, go back home on Saturday and rally the troops and get it going."
Rangers winger Chris Kreider also reflected on last year's playoffs after the game, demanding a response from his team.
"We've had a terrific fan base all year. We let them down, we let ourselves down at home," he said. "So it's up to us to show up and play the way we want to play from puck drop.
"All the cliches and euphemisms I throw at you guys all year, it's time to step up and do those things, right? It's time to play for a full 60 minutes. It's time to win a hockey game."
Beyond Haula's outstanding display, Devils goaltender Akira Schmid stopped 23 shots and Dawson Mercer had a goal and an assist. New Jersey captain Nico Hischier praised their approach.
"Tonight we did a lot of good things and that's exactly how we got to play," Hischier said.
"We knew if we use our speed, that's our strength. That's what makes us a dangerous team — if we play with our speed."
Game 6 is on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Will Levis was expected to hear his name called on day one of the 2023 NFL Draft. That did not happen as both he and Hendon Hooker missed out on being taken as first-round quarterbacks.
Kentucky star Levis had been in the conversation to potentially go as high as the second overall pick, but will now need to decide if he wants to continue waiting in the green room on day two.
Levis battled injuries in his second and final season at Kentucky but, with an extremely strong arm and the athleticism to make plays with his legs, he entered the draft seemingly firmly in the top-10 mix.
Yet no team was even willing to take him in the top 31 picks, a surprising turn of events even considering Levis' often inconsistent deep accuracy and his struggles when his process was sped up.
Hooker was seen as more of a fringe first-rounder despite helping Tennessee lead the FBS in points and yards per game in 2022.
He suffered an ACL tear in November but has made good progress in his recovery and this week posted a video on Twitter of him dropping back to pass for the first time since his injury.
Despite Hooker's encouraging recovery, the NFL did not deem him worthy of a day-one selection, the pre-draft conversation around the 25-year-old the Virginia Tech transfer having been dominated by discussion about his age compared to his quarterback contemporaries in the class and the offense he played in at Tennessee, which asks players to do very little of what they will be tasked with at the highest level.
Both Levis and Hooker will be anticipated to go early on day two and eyebrows will be raised if their respective waits go on much longer.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the first wide receiver off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft, getting the chance to join a formidable group at the position with the Seattle Seahawks and prompting on a run on picks at the position.
Five wide receivers had gone in the top 10 over the course of the previous two drafts, but it wasn't until pick number 20 that the Seahawks finally selected Smith-Njigba.
He links up with a receiver group that already features two Pro Bowlers in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, giving more ammunition to quarterback Geno Smith.
Smith-Njigba missed all but three games for Ohio State last season owing to a hamstring injury.
However, he was outstanding in 2021, racking up 1,606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns, his success coming in large part through his tremendously smooth route-running, excellent ball tracking skills and elusiveness after the catch.
The Seahawks, who earlier took cornerback Devon Witherspoon fifth overall, will look for Smith-Njigba to help lift them to the top of the NFC West. Seattle reached the playoffs last season with a 9-8 record, finishing second in their division to the San Francisco 49ers, whom they lost to in the Wild Card round.
Another wide receiver went with the next pick after Smith-Njigba as the Los Angeles Chargers selected TCU star Quentin Johnston and the run continued as the Baltimore Ravens took Zay Flowers from Boston College on the day that saw them finally agree to terms on a new deal with former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.
USC's Jordan Addison, maligned by many because of his 5ft 11in and 178-pound frame, was the next to go off the board as the Minnesota Vikings put those concerns to one side, betting on his route-running prowess and yards after catch upside.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both produced 30-point games as the Boston Celtics secured their spot in the Conference Semifinals with a 128-120 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
The Celtics clinched the series 4-2 with Thursday's road win at State Farm Arena, booking a date with the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Game 1 scheduled for Monday.
Boston will be relieved to have closed out the series in six after Trae Young's buzzer-beater in Game 5, with the 76ers having had time to rest after sweeping the Brooklyn Nets 4-0.
But it was not easy for the Celtics, who trailed 100-98 at three-quarter time but raced ahead in the blink of an eye with an 11-0 run on three straight three-pointers before Tatum's dunk with 2:07 left.
Dejounte Murray snapped that run with a triple to cut the score to 121-116 but the Celtics never surrendered that lead with Marcus Smart scoring their final seven points to close it out.
Tatum scored 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting with 14 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. Brown posted a team-high 32 points, making six-of-eight from three-point range.
Smart added 22 points, while Al Horford scored 10 points including two three-pointers with 12 rebounds and three blocks.
Atlanta's Game 5 hero Young top scored with 30 points with 10 assists but went cold after half-time, shooting one-of-12 from the field in the second half. Murray went scoreless in the first half but finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.
The Tampa Bay Rays re-discovered their free-scoring ways as Isaac Paredes managed a career-high five RBIs in a 14-5 victory over the slumping Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
The Sox fall to their eighth straight loss, even with Dylan Cease on the mound, pounded for seven runs from nine hits across four innings, with only three strikeouts.
Paredes started it off with a second-inning RBI single, grounded out to third to score Randy Arozarena in the fifth, before a three-run double in the sixth opened up an 11-2 lead.
Brandon Lowe maintained his excellent early season hitting with a 358-foot third inning homer along with a two-run single in the fifth. Lowe's solo shot took his season tally to seven homers.
Shane McClanahan (5-0) allowed two runs and struck out five across five innings, while Luke Raley went three-for-five with three RBIs including a ninth-inning homer, and moved from the outfield to the mound in the ninth.
The Rays, who started the season 13-0, had been beaten and shut out in consecutive games by the Houston Astros, 1-0 and 5-0 on Wednesday and Tuesday respectively.
Tampa Bay delivered 16 hits for the game and ended their scoreless run at 20 innings.
Ohtani's mixed game as Angels edge home
Shohei Ohtani responded after a shaky start on the mound to lead the Los Angeles Angels past the Oakland Athletics 8-7.
Ohtani (4-0) earned the win, although he gave up five runs in a rough fourth inning, with three-run blasts to Brent Rooker and a two-run homer to Shea Langeliers. He had thrown three perfect innings to that point and finished with eight strikeouts, allowing three hits across six innings.
The Japanese two-way star went three-for-five with the bat, including a triple, double and single, scoring two runs, with an eighth-inning shot caught by Esteury Ruiz on the warning track in center field.
Brandon Drury delivered a 409-foot three-run home run over left-center field in the first inning, with Ohtani scoring after his prior double.
Keller fans 10 as Pirates continue fine form
Mitch Keller matched his career-high 10 strikeouts as the Pittsburgh Pirates downed the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2.
Keller improved to 3-0, giving up two runs on five hits across six innings, as the Pirates continued their excellent run having won nine of their past 10, moving to an 18-8 record.
Pittsburgh rallied from an early 2-0 deficit, with three runs at the bottom of the first inning, before Connor Joe's two-run blast followed by Rodolfo Castro's 414-foot homer in the sixth.
In an NFL draft full of early surprises and trades, the Detroit Lions turned some heads Thursday by trading down in the first round and selecting Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the number 12 pick.
The Lions chose to double down on a team strength as Gibbs lands in a run-focused offense under coach Dan Campbell and joins a backfield that already features D’Andre Swift and former Chicago Bear David Montgomery.
Gibbs was the second running back taken Thursday after Texas' Bijan Robinson went to the Atlanta Falcons in the number eight slot.
The last time two running backs were selected that high in the draft was in 2017, when Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey were both taken in the draft’s first eight picks.
Gibbs began his college career with two seasons at Georgia Tech but broke out as a big-play threat for Alabama in 2022. His draft stock rose after the scouting combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds.
At 5-foot-9 and 199 pounds, Gibbs will likely continue to split time in the backfield after having only 383 total carries in three college seasons.
Detroit started the night with the number six pick – acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the Matthew Stafford trade – and their own number 18 pick. They continued to defy conventional positional value with pick 18, selecting off-ball linebacker Jack Campbell out of Iowa.
Bijan Robinson did not have to wait long to have a team take a chance on him in the 2023 NFL Draft, as he was selected eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons.
First-round running backs have grown increasingly rare in recent years, with the days of the position being viewed as a premium one long gone.
But Robinson's talent is such that he has long since been seen as an exception to the rule, and the Falcons made him the first top-10 running back since Saquon Barkley went second overall to the New York Giants in 2018.
There can be little doubt he has earned his selection with such a high pick.
Robinson racked up 1,580 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground in his final season with Texas in 2022. On top of that, he had 314 receiving yards and two further scores through the air. His 1,894 yards from scrimmage were second most in the FBS.
As a runner, Robinson wins with his scarcely believable change of direction quickness that allows him to evade defenders almost at will, along with contact balance to slip through tackles and field-flipping speed.
His X-factor is what he can do as a receiver. Robinson runs routes like a wideout and has shown the ability to go up and make outstanding grabs and the catch point.
Robinson can be a substantial weapon from anywhere in the offensive formation and, by adding him to a backfield that already included Tyler Allgeier - who went for over 1,000 yards in his rookie season -- the Falcons now arguably have one of the most dynamic running back rooms in the NFL.
The Philadelphia 76ers are still not declaring Joel Embiid will be available for Game 1 of their Conference Semifinals starting on Monday due to a sprained right knee.
Embiid missed Game 4 on Saturday as the 76ers completed a 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, offering the MVP candidate an opportunity for rest ahead of their next series against either the Boston Celtics or the Atlanta Hawks.
The 76ers center is yet to practice ahead of Game 1 and head coach Doc Rivers said he was undergoing doctor's examination on Thursday.
"I'm just going to wait," Rivers told reporters after Thursday's team practice. "They'll call me later and we'll see where he's at."
Embiid appeared banged up during Game 3 against the Nets, taking a series of falls, before missing Game 4 which the 76ers won 96-88.
Trae Young's game-winning three-pointer clinched Atlanta's 119-117 win on Tuesday, extending the Hawks-Celtics series to a sixth game, allowing the 76ers more time to recover after their sweep.
That Conference Semifinals series would have started on Saturday if it had concluded on Tuesday, with Rivers offering an insight into Embiid's status when asked about that factor.
"If we played on Saturday, I don't know how realistic it would have been, so that's a good thing," Rivers said.
The 76ers went 11-5 in Embiid's absence during the regular season, providing Rivers hope that they could triumph without him.
"Just look at our record all year," Rivers said. "Look at our record last year and the year before. Each year we’ve gotten better when guys are injured.
"Last year we were better. This year, we were way better. That's what gives me confidence."
Embiid averaged a league-high 33.1 points across 66 games in the regular season but was down at 20.0 points during the first round series.
He also averaged 10.2 rebounds and matched a career-high 4.2 assists per game during the regular season.
The Philadelphia Eagles gave up a 2024 fourth-round pick to move up one spot from 10th to ninth overall, selecting Georgia's standout defensive lineman Jalen Carter.
Carter, 22, led a historically great Bulldogs defense to consecutive National Championships in 2021 and 2022, earning unanimous selection as an All-American as a junior this past season.
He finished his three-year career at Georgia with 83 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and six sacks in 35 total games, and has been called arguably the most talented defensive tackle prospect since Aaron Donald.
Viewed as one of the draft's premier talents, his stock took a tumble after he was involved in a street race that resulted in the death of his Georgia team-mate Devin Willock in January.
Carter pleaded no contest to a misdemeanour and will face no jail time, although it was enough to cross his name off some teams' boards atop the draft.
The trade saw the Chicago Bears move back one spot to 10 after their anticipated pick Paris Johnson Jr was taken by the Arizona Cardinals at six, and they stayed with their plan to take an offensive lineman, selecting Darnell Wright.
Anthony Richardson vowed to make his own legacy in the NFL after he was selected fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts.
The most exciting prospect at any position in this draft, Richardson has the highest ceiling of all the quarterbacks in the class, but saw two go before him in Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud.
Indianapolis, however, did not hesitate to pull the trigger and select Richardson, making him their quarterback of the future despite concerns over a lack of experience in college.
Richardson started only 13 games for Florida, but those games were an exhibition of his remarkable potential, which is illustrated by his incredible arm and ability to blend elusiveness, power and speed as a runner.
He improved his standing as a potential top-five pick with a stunning workout at last month's Scouting Combine, which saw him run the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds at 244 pounds.
With his frame and his talent on the ground in the open field, Richardson embraced comparisons to both Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson, dubbing himself 'Cam Jackson'.
But speaking on stage after being selected, he said: "It's time to make my own legacy now."
The Colts will hope he quickly starts writing it in Indianapolis as they look for a return to prominence after a 4-12 season in 2022.
The Houston Texans have struggled to find an identity since the departure of Deshaun Watson. On Thursday, the franchise's rebuilding effort got a new face on each side of the ball.
With the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Texans selected Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.
In a stunning move, the Texans then acquired the third overall selection from the Arizona Cardinals to draft pass-rushing linebacker Will Anderson Jr. out of Alabama.
In return, the Cardinals received the 12th overall pick, as well as the number 33 pick in the second round, and a first- and third-round pick in 2024.
Houston is the first team with two of the top three picks in a single draft since Washington back in 2000.
The Texans' picks came after the Panthers drafted Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the top overall pick, acquired from the Chicago Bears.
Stroud was a two-year starter for the Buckeyes, tallying 85 touchdown passes to just 12 interceptions. He was a 2022 Heisman Trophy finalist and cemented himself as a top-tier pro prospect by throwing for 348 yards and four touchdowns in a College Football Playoff loss against Georgia – the eventual national champions.
At six-foot-three and 214 pounds, he projects as a traditional pocket-based quarterback who has been hesitant to create opportunities with his legs.
Anderson led the Alabama defense for three seasons, making 34.5 sacks in 41 career games. After landing on the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2020, Anderson followed with 17.5 sacks in a decorated sophomore season.
Anderson lacks the elite size and athleticism of the very best pass-rushers, but he was consistently disruptive over an impressive career at Alabama.
Bryce Young was the heavy favourite to go first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, and there were no surprises as the Carolina Panthers selected the Alabama quarterback with the opening pick.
The Panthers traded up from the ninth pick in a deal with the Chicago Bears last month to have their choice of the top four quarterbacks in the class.
In recent weeks it became apparent Young had emerged as the frontrunner, and he will now be tasked with elevating a talented Panthers team back to playoff contention.
The Panthers have not had a winning season since the 2017 campaign.
Young experienced little other than winning during his time with Alabama, going 23-4 in two seasons as a starter with the Crimson Tide.
He finished his collegiate career with 8,356 passing yards, 80 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Young thrived primarily because of his ability to navigate often chaotic pockets with consummate ease, also showing the ability to create throwing windows by moving defenders with his eyes.
A tremendous off-schedule playmaker, Young can make dynamic plays as a runner and throwing on the move, yet his improvisational playing style will have been a concern to some teams given he is undersized at 5ft 10in and 204 pounds.
Young's size arguably makes him a substantially increased injury risk, but the Panthers are betting on him to stay healthy and turn them into perennial contenders in the NFC South.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will continue to lead the Los Angeles Clippers next season.
That is according to Clippers president Lawrence Frank after their elimination from the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Phoenix Suns, going down 4-1 in the first round.
During his end of season address, Frank insisted Leonard and George remain important to the organisation's ambitions, with both averaging 23.8 points per game in the regular season, though only made 52 and 56 appearances respectively.
"When we traded for Paul and signed Kawhi as a free agent in 2019, it wasn't for one or two years, wasn't three or four," Frank said. "Every year you have those guys, they give you a chance. And so it's about surrounding those guys to continue to improve your chances.
"Kawhi's a ceiling raiser. When you study past NBA champions, they have a top-five guy on their team, and Kawhi has shown that when healthy he can be the best player in the world. Paul is an eight-time All-Star now. So we're going to continue to build around those guys and look for every which way [to improve around them]."
Frank also said Leonard will be ready to go next season despite a torn meniscus, which meant he could not play in any of their last three games against the Suns, all defeats, while George has not played since March 21 after suffering a knee injury.
"Regardless of the treatment [for the meniscus], Kawhi will be ready for next year," Frank said. "The really encouraging thing is the ACL's firmly intact, which is great. So this is a meniscus tear. And then over the whatever next couple weeks, figure out what's going to be the best source of treatment."
Both Leonard and George are entering their fifth season with the Clippers, and have $48million player options for the 2024-25 campaign.
"Those guys are great players and they're great partners and we want to keep them as Clippers for a long time," Frank added. "And so we'll look forward to those [extension] conversations.
"And the No. 1 goal is 'How can we build a sustainable championship team?' And those guys have been great partners, so at the appropriate time, we look forward to sitting down with them."
Aryna Sabalenka is through to the round of 32 at the Madrid Open after beating Sorana Cirstea 6-4 6-3 on Thursday.
It was an ominous start for Cirstea, being broken to love in the opening game, but she stuck with second seed Sabalenka and broke back, before ultimately being pipped to the first set by the impressive Belarusian.
The key was on break points, with Sabalenka claiming all five that she won against the Cirstea serve, while saving six of eight on her own as she ultimately eased to victory.
Sabalenka now has 26 wins on clay in the WTA since 2021, with only Ons Jabeur (37), Iga Swiatek (34), Paula Badosa (31) and Coco Gauff (28) having more during this time.
Gauff also advanced after a routine 6-4 6-1 win over Irene Burillo Escorihuela, making the sixth seed in Madrid the first player to win 35 WTA-1000 main draw matches as a teenager since 2009.
Ninth seed Maria Sakkari defeated Arantxa Rus 6-4 6-4 and fifth seed Caroline Garcia also had few problems against Yulia Putintseva, winning 6-3 6-4.
However, it was not a good day for 10th seed Petra Kvitova, who was beaten 7-6 (11-9) 6-1 by Jule Niemeier, while 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia also lost, 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 to Mirra Andreeva and 20th seed Donna Vekic was eliminated in straight-sets by Rebeka Masarova.
Jelena Ostapenko took just 61 minutes to get past Linda Fruhvirtova 6-0 6-3, and will face 14th seed Liudmila Samsonova next, who did not take much longer to see off Maryna Zanevska 6-2 6-3.
There were also wins for Elise Mertens, Badosa, Camila Osorio, Shelby Rogers, Mayar Sherif, Magda Linette and Irina-Camelia Begu.
Lamar Jackson will remain with the Baltimore Ravens after all.
After months of negotiating and public posturing, the Ravens and Jackson agreed to a five-year contract extension on Thursday.
The Ravens' official Twitter account confirmed the news by posting a video of the 2019 NFL MVP celebrating the next five years in Baltimore.
Jackson's new deal makes him the highest-paid player in the league with a total contract value of $260million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, reportedly including $185m in guarantees.
Announced just hours before the start of the 2023 NFL Draft, the contract ends a months-long negotiation process that at times was portrayed as tense and adversarial.
While the details of the contract have not been publicly confirmed, both sides reportedly used Jalen Hurts' new deal with the Philadelphia Eagles as a starting point.
After leading the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance, Hurts received a five-year extension worth up to $255m, with $179m in guaranteed money.
Jackson had reportedly been seeking a fully guaranteed contract – a demand that had, until this week, caused an impasse in negotiations.
On March 7, Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, allowing other teams an opportunity to sign Jackson to an offer sheet in exchange for two first-round draft picks.
Three weeks later, Jackson announced on Twitter he had requested a trade earlier this offseason.
Jackson is 45-16 as a starter in the regular season and was voted the 2019 MVP after leading the league with 36 touchdown passes and rushing for a quarterback-record 1,206 yards.
In 70 career games, Jackson has completed 63.7 per cent of his passes for 12,209 yards, 101 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. He has added 4,437 rushing yards and 24 scores on the ground.
Emma Hayes felt her team deserved more after a 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the Nou Camp was not enough to send them through to the Champions League final.
With Barca leading 1-0 from the first leg, Caroline Graham Hansen’s second goal of the tie proved enough despite Guro Reiten quickly equalising on the night and Chelsea pushing for more.
Hayes said on chelseafc.com: “I can’t ask any more of our players. I said to them at the end that they should all be proud to be Chelsea, because the better team lost tonight.
“Coming into the tie, with 72,000 fans here, we knew it wouldn’t be easy but, by not conceding early, we gave ourselves a chance to build. We grew into the game, we got more aggressive and we created some good chances.
“It wasn’t quite enough and I’m stood here now just absolutely gutted to be totally honest.”
Barcelona will take on either Arsenal or Wolfsburg in their third-straight Champions League final having won their only title with a 4-0 success against Chelsea in 2021.
Hayes’ side showed they have grown in stature since then and the aim will be to keep improving as they bid to turn domestic supremacy into a continental title.
“I want more in terms of the result but I can’t ask for more in terms of effort and heart,” said Hayes. “The girls gave everything and executed everything we asked for in terms of a game plan.
“There’s plenty of learnings we can take, especially from the first leg, but there’s also so many things to take heart from.
“It’s really gutting and we have to deal with the disappointment, learn from it and grow.”
Chelsea’s focus now returns to domestic matters and their bid to hold off Manchester United and win the league and cup double for a third-straight season.
Simona Halep has hit out at the delay in her doping case.
The former world number one and Wimbledon champion has been provisionally suspended since last October after testing positive for the blood-boosting drug Roxadustat at the US Open.
In her first interview since the news broke, Halep, one of the most high-profile players to fall foul of anti-doping rules, said the hearing that she hopes will clear her name has twice been pushed back and is now scheduled for the end of next month.
She told tennismajors.com: “The next step is a hearing at the end of May, the 28th, but it is very fragile because the ITF (International Tennis Federation) said that they might cancel it as well.
“If they do that, it will be almost eight months since I’ve been provisionally suspended for the first time and I believe that it’s not fair to spend eight months without even being judged by the tribunal.
“Emotionally, the whole period has not been easy and I just felt the need to speak out loud to my fans, to my supporters, and actually to the whole public.
“I’m sure they really want to know what’s going on and why it’s taking so long. I wanted to remain silent until the case was solved but it’s too heavy.
“It’s been seven months since I’ve been originally suspended even though I’ve had all the evidence since December. I’m not asking for special treatment. I just ask to be judged. How much longer is this going to take?”
Halep claims that analysis by experts has pinpointed a contaminated supplement as the cause of the positive test.
“After a lot of work, they found out that there was a contamination, a supplement contamination and that’s why the quantity was so, so low in my body,” said the Romanian.
Halep, who won the French Open in 2018 and Wimbledon the following year, has not played a match since losing in the opening round of the US Open last August.
Andy Murray insists he still believes he can win another Wimbledon title despite his losing run continuing with defeat by Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori in the opening round of the Madrid Open.
The frustrated Scot’s 6-2 7-6 (7) loss to a player ranked 164 made it four consecutive defeats, equalling the worst run of his professional career.
Murray was so disillusioned by his performance against Alex De Minaur in Monte Carlo two weeks ago that he indicated he might sit out the rest of the clay season.
He decided against that but this was another demoralising result, with the only positive being how Murray found a way into the match in the second set.
He told reporters in the Spanish capital: “It wasn’t great. I started to play a bit better towards the end but the start was slow. He played very well at the beginning, and he’s serving huge. Some of the errors are hard to explain.”
Murray lost the first four games and went an early break down in the second set against 27-year-old qualifier Vavassori, who is at his highest career ranking.
The Italian was certainly playing well but Murray was making too many unforced errors and was unable to make any headway on his opponent’s serve.
He changed that in the eighth game, breaking Vavassori for the first time, and he took advantage of nerves from his opponent to save four match points in the tie-break only to twice net straightforward volleys.
The one he missed from on top of the net at 6-6 defied belief, and Murray said: “Obviously everyone misses bad shots throughout their career, but I don’t have too many like that.”
It is the first time since 2019, when his hip problems were at their worst, that Murray has lost four matches in a row and, having reached the third round in the Spanish capital last year, the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon champion is set to drop back out of the top 60.
Given one of the main objectives for the 35-year-old playing on clay was to improve his ranking in a bid to be seeded for Wimbledon, things are clearly not going the way he would have hoped.
Murray is still intending to play at the French Open, adding: “Whilst I feel fit and healthy, I would like to give it a go.
“But I also have ambitions of competing for Wimbledon titles and that sort of stuff and, I know that sitting here today that probably doesn’t sound realistic, but I do believe that that’s a possibility.”
Murray’s defeat followed Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal and another loss for Kyle Edmund.
Edmund is trying to tread the difficult road back to the top of the game after a long spell out with knee problems but has not won a tour-level match this year.
The former British number one’s latest loss was a 6-4 6-1 defeat by former US Open champion Dominic Thiem, who is at last showing more encouraging signs nearly two years after suffering a wrist injury.
British number one Cameron Norrie was handed a first-round bye and will start his campaign against Yosuke Watanuki after the Japanese qualifier beat Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-3.
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