Jannik Sinner breezed into the Wimbledon quarter-finals after easing past Ben Shelton in straight sets on Sunday.
The world number one produced arguably his best performance at the grass-court major this year, cruising to a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (11-9) victory on a jam-packed No.1 Court.
Sinner did not have to wait long for his first break against America's Shelton, winning on his opponent's serve to go 3-2 up and then repeating the trick to snatch a 5-2 lead before sealing the first set.
The 22-year-old needed just 29 minutes for that opening-set triumph against the 14th seed, who again struggled to hold his serve in the next set as Sinner reeled off seven games without response.
Shelton eventually ended that imperious Sinner streak by triumphing on his own serve, though the Italian remained perfect with the ball in hand to move within one set of victory.
Sinner lost the first three games of the third set, however, after an early Shelton break, only for the top seed to battle back in his usual fighting fashion.
Having squandered a set-point opportunity, Shelton collapsed to tee up a chaotic tie-break, where both players relinquished multiple chances during an eye-catching duel.
Shelton failed to take any of his three set-point chances, with Sinner also not grasping a match-point opening, though the latter eventually triumphed at the second time of asking.
Sinner's reward will be a last-eight meeting with either Grigor Dimitrov or world number five Daniil Medvedev.
Data Debrief: Super Sinner flying
Since 2000, Sinner is only the fourth player to win 42 or more of their opening 45 ATP matches of a season, along with Roger Federer (2005-06), Novak Djokovic (2011, 2015-16) and Rafael Nadal (2013, 2018).
He is also the fifth male aged under 23 in the past four decades to reach three consecutive quarter-finals at Wimbledon, along with Boris Becker (1988-90), Pete Sampras (1992-94), Andy Roddick (2003-05) and Nadal (2006-08).
The world number one is yet to lose any of his three round-of-16 clashes in SW19, reaching the last eight in 2022, the semi-finals a year later and recording this triumph on Sunday.
Carlos Alcaraz continued his defence of the Wimbledon crown with a hard-fought win over Ugo Humbert in the last 16, picking out his "unbelievable" set point in the second set as the highlight.
Alcaraz withstood a late push from Humbert to win 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 and book his place in the last eight, where he will play Tommy Paul or Roberto Bautista Agut.
He was made to work for his two-set advantage on Centre Court, saving four break points in the fifth game of the second then breaking Humbert's resistance.
He showed remarkable athleticism on set point, recovering from a fall to sprint back to mid-court and tee up Humbert for a missed volley.
Alcaraz later found a second wind in the fourth set, smashing 17 winners to Humbert's 10 to get over the line.
Asked how he would describe his efforts on that earlier set point, Alcaraz said: "Unbelievable, I guess! I just try to fight for every ball.
"It doesn't matter which part of the court I am at, I just try to run to whichever part of the court I am on, giving myself the chance to stay alive in the point.
"Set point was a really important point for me so I had to show the opponent that whatever shot he hits, I will be there.
"That's me, I will be there, fighting until the last ball and sometimes it is a good point like this one and sometimes I lose it, but the main thing is just to fight."
Data Debrief: Alcaraz continues grand slam love story
Alcaraz's triumph saw him reach a ninth men's singles quarter-final from 14 grand slam draws entered - the most of any player who began their career in the Open Era through their first 14 participations.
The Spaniard also maintained his winning streak at grand slams, having now won 11 matches in a row following his French Open triumph last month.
But there will be room for improvement for Alcaraz, who uncharacteristically served six double faults throughout the contest, compared to Hubert's one.
Lewis Hamilton found comfort in digging deep from "the bottom of the barrel" after doubting his ability before his historic British Grand Prix victory on Sunday.
The seven-time world champion had not triumphed in Formula One since December 2021 at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but ended a 945-day wait for success with a record-extending win at Silverstone.
Mercedes driver Hamilton held off a late charge from championship leader Max Verstappen, clinching his ninth win at this event and breaking the record for the most F1 victories at a single race.
Having struggled throughout the last three years, an emotional Hamilton acknowledged the challenging period had taken its toll.
"It's so tough, I think for anyone, but the important thing is how you continue to get up and you've got to continue to dig deep even when you feel like you're at the bottom of the barrel," Hamilton told Sky Sports.
"There have definitely been days between 2021 and here where I didn't feel like I was good enough or I was going to get back to where I am today.
"But the important thing is I had great people around me, continuing to support me. My team, every time I turned up and saw them putting in the effort really encouraged me to do the same thing.
"Otherwise, my fans, when I see them around the world, they have been so supportive. So a big, big thank you to everybody."
This victory marked Hamilton's final home race as a Mercedes driver, as he prepares to join Ferrari at the end of the season.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff cut another emotional figure after a fitting farewell at Silverstone.
"Fantastic. You couldn't have written it better for our farewell at the British Grand Prix. That was great," Wolff said on Sky Sports.
"He had some difficult times recently. Then, some faultless driving in various conditions.
"I really enjoyed us bouncing back. We were one and two for a long time in the dry. Performance-wise, it looks like we are coming back."
Mercedes' improvements have been impressive in recent weeks, and the team have now won back-to-back races for the first time since 2021 between Sao Paulo and Saudi Arabia (all three won by Hamilton).
That pair of victories are their only two this season, however, as Mercedes remain fourth in the championship, behind leaders Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton ended his three-year wait for a Formula One victory after claiming a record-extending ninth British Grand Prix triumph on Sunday.
The seven-time world champion rolled back the years as he fended off a late challenge from Max Verstappen to emerge victorious.
Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate George Russell started on pole before Lando Norris snatched the lead, but pitstops proved pivotal in challenging conditions at Silverstone.
Russell's hopes of claiming back-to-back victories were dashed when a water system issue forced him to retire on lap 34.
Verstappen, who had struggled for pace through much of a race that was hit by two separate periods of rain, came on strong in the closing stages but it proved too little, too late for the defending world champion.
It marked Hamilton's 104th victory of his glittering career, and his first triumph since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix back in December 2021, ending a 945-day period without success.
Norris continued his pursuit of Verstappen in the driver's championship as he claimed the final podium place, with his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in fourth.
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz finished in fifth as Nico Hulkenburg impressed again for Haas, finishing a place behind.
Data Debrief: Hamilton silver patch at Silverstone continued
Hamilton achieved a remarkable feat with this victory, surpassing his own eight-win record in Hungary and Michael Schumacher (also eight) in France for the most victories at a single event in F1 history.
Mercedes' improvements have been impressive in recent weeks, and the team have now won back-to-back races for the first time since 2021 between Sao Paulo and Saudi Arabia (all three won by Hamilton).
Both Russell and Norris will have to wait another year to become the 36th driver to win a home Grand Prix, however, as Hamilton's silver patch at Silverstone continued.
Though not successful for Verstappen, the championship leader still overtook Alain Prost and Fernando Alonso (both 106) for the fourth-most podium individual finishes in F1 history.
Top 10
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
7. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 255 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 171
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 150
Constructors
1. Red Bull – 373
2. Ferrari – 302
3. McLaren – 295
Jasmine Paolini advanced to her first Wimbledon quarter-final after an entertaining clash with Madison Keys was cut short when the 12th seed retired injured on Sunday.
French Open finalist Paolini progressed to the last eight with a 6-3 6-7 (6-7) 5-5 victory, though the Italian was on the brink of an exit before that.
The seventh seed trailed 5-2 in the deciding set before dragging back into the contest by winning two games, with Keys then calling for the physio and a medical time-out due to a thigh issue.
American Keys was visibly distraught after leaving the court for treatment, returning to concede another game and struggling to serve before retiring with the game finely poised.
Paolini will now face either Emma Navarro or Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals at SW19.
Data Debrief: Paolini's Italian pride
Paolini became the first Italian in the Open Era to reach the women's singles quarter-final at Wimbledon and Roland-Garros in the same season, having fallen in the French Open final to Iga Swiatek.
Having never won a match at Wimbledon before this year, Paolini has now won four straight, though this triumph came in unwanted circumstances.
Keys is only the second player in the Open Era to retire in the third set of a women's singles round-of-16 clash at a major, after Julie Heldman progressed past Billie Jean King via retirement at the US Open in 1973.
In a thrilling encounter at John Cain Arena, the West Coast Fever edged out the Melbourne Vixens with a 68-67 victory, setting up a three-way tie atop the Suncorp Super Netball. This dramatic win, spearheaded by Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, has the Fever, Adelaide Thunderbirds, and Melbourne Vixens all tied in the standings heading into the final week of the regular season.
Fowler-Nembhard, the highest-rated player on the court, was exceptional, scoring 60 of her 61 attempts and keeping her cool in the dying moments to secure the victory. "My team came out here with one goal in mind and that was to fight really hard. Super proud of how we played in defence through to attack,” she said. “We want a top-two finish because we’ve been fighting so hard throughout the season. It would mean a lot for us. That’s what we’re gunning for.”
The Fever were impressive in their efficiency, making 74 shots from 76 feeds. Alice Teague-Neeld was outstanding with 25 goal assists and 29 feeds, combining strongly with centre Jess Anstiss, whose defensive efforts were crucial. Wing defence Sunday Aryang also stood out with a match-high three intercepts, matching the total intercepts of the entire Vixens side.
Despite several late super shot attempts by the Vixens, the Fever's solid defence, particularly from Fran Williams and Kadie-Ann Dehaney, proved too much. The Vixens' shooting pair, Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin, struggled under the pressure, committing five turnovers each, leading to a second straight defeat for the Vixens against top contenders.
Meanwhile, the Adelaide Thunderbirds secured a decisive 60-48 victory over the NSW Swifts in Sydney, propelling them to the top of the Super Netball ladder. The Swifts, who have now lost seven consecutive matches, put up a strong fight but could not overcome the Thunderbirds' relentless defence.
Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, named MVP, was a defensive powerhouse, blocking multiple attempts and restricting the Swifts to just 62 per cent shooting accuracy early on. Despite some strong individual performances, including Romelda Aiken-George’s 43/46 scoring, the Swifts could not match the Thunderbirds' intensity.
Looking ahead, the final round of the regular season promises high stakes as teams jostle for the top two spots, which guarantees a crucial finals double chance. The Vixens will face the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane, while the Fever will host the Melbourne Mavericks. All eyes will then turn to the Adelaide Thunderbirds, who will take on the Sunshine Coast Lightning at home, to determine the final ladder positions.
Ben Rice became the first Yankees rookie to hit three home runs in a game and had a career-high seven RBIs in New York’s 14-4 drubbing of the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Rice led off the bottom of the first with a long homer off Josh Winckowski, added a three-run shot off Chase Anderson during a seven-run fifth and took Anderson deep again in the seventh for another three-run blast.
Rice entered the game with one home run in his first 46 major league at-bats.
The Yankees snapped a four-game losing streak and won for just the fourth time in 16 games.
The 14-hit attack bailed out Gerrit Cole, who allowed seven hits and four runs over 4 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Rafael Devers homered off Cole and had an RBI single in the third for his 1,000th career hit.
Boston was bidding for a season-high sixth straight win.
Twins’ Miranda ties record with hits in 12 straight at-bats
Jose Miranda tied a major league record with hits in 12 consecutive plate appearances and the Minnesota Twins got home runs from Byron Buxton and Brooks Lee in a 9-3 victory over the Houston Astros.
Miranda entered with the team record of hits in 10 straight at-bats and was hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance. He then singled in his first two official at-bats to match the MLB record set by the Chicago Cubs’ Johnny King (1902) and matched by Boston’s Pinky Higgins (1938) and Detroit’s Walt Dropo (1952).
Miranda’s streak ended in the sixth inning on a routine flyout to left field.
Willi Castro added three hits for the Twins, who have won seven of 10.
Every Minnesota starter had at least one hit by the fourth inning. Lee hit a two-run homer for the first of his major league career in the third to put the Twins up 7-1.
Jon Singleton belted a three-run homer for Houston, which lost for only the third time in 16 games.
Wood’s big day powers Nationals to rout
Top prospect James Wood hit his first major league home run and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Washington Nationals to a 14-6 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Wood hit a 383-foot, three-run opposite field homer in the second inning to put the Nationals ahead 7-0. He added a two-run double in the third for his fifth RBI, tied for second all-time for a Washington rookie. Danny Espinosa had six RBIs on Sept. 6, 201.
Wood has reached based in all six games as a National, tied with Ian Desmond (2009) for second overall in club history.
The homer and double were his first extra-base hits at the major league level.
Keibert Ruiz and CJ Abrams also homered for Washington, which scored a season high in runs on 15 hits with three homers and four doubles to win for the third time in four games.
Lance Lynn was rocked for a career worst 11 runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings.
The Sacramento Kings have agreed on a sign-and-trade that will land them free agent guard DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls on a three-year, $74 million contract.
The Kings will send forward Harrison Barnes and an unprotected 2031 pick swap to the San Antonio Spurs and guard Chris Duarte, two second-round picks and cash to the Bulls, according to sources.
The first two seasons of DeRozan’s contract are fully guaranteed with a partial guarantee for the final year and includes $59 million in guaranteed money.
With the addition of DeRozan, the Kings have forged a formidable nucleus that includes All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, All-Star center Domantas Sabonis and promising young forward Keegan Murray.
DeRozan is a six-time All-Star and is coming off an impressive three-year run with the Bulls and averaged 24 points on 48 percent shooting along with 4.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 2023-24.
He is a three-time All-NBA selection and has played for Toronto, San Antonio and Chicago across his 15 NBA seasons. He’s averaged 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 1,110 career NBA games.
The 34-year-old may not be a No. 1 option anymore, but he won’t need to be on a Sacramento team loaded with weapons. DeRozan should flourish in a secondary scoring role with the Kings.
Sacramento was looking to do something after finishing ninth in the Western Conference last season with a 46-36 record.
DeRozan travelled to Sacramento on Saturday to meet with team officials and Kings coach Mike Brown, who signed an offseason contract extension. Brown led the franchise to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2006.
Pep Guardiola enjoyed the Centre Court action at Wimbledon as Alexander Zverev sought an opportunity to entice the Manchester City manager to Bayern Munich.
Premier League title-winning coach Guardiola turned his attention away from football on Saturday, watching on as Zverev overcame Cameron Norrie in straight sets.
The Man City boss was joined by Arsenal Women and England captain Leah Williamson, as well as cricketing stars Jos Buttler and Joe Root in a star-studded lineup.
Yet Zverev was most interested in pointing out former Bayern boss Guardiola as the fourth seed urged the Spaniard back to Bavaria.
"For me and for all tennis players it's an honour to play on this beautiful Centre Court and in front of the Royal Box, we had so many sporting legends today," Zverev said.
"For me, Pep Guardiola, when I saw Pep I got so nervous for a few games. Thanks a lot for coming, it's a privilege to play.
"Last thing – Bayern Munich needs a coach. If you're tired of football you can coach me on a tennis court any time."
Zverev was not the only one to notice the football, though, as Novak Djokovic acknowledged the Centre Court crowd were following England's Euro 2024 penalty shoot-out victory over Switzerland.
Having lost the first set 6-4, seven-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic was leading 4-1 in the second when fans burst into applause, leaving both players briefly puzzled.
Yet the pair soon realised the crowd were celebrating England's quarter-final win over Switzerland, before Djokovic mimicked a penalty effort towards Alexei Popyrin.
"I assumed it was a penalty shoot-out between England and Switzerland," Djokovic explained after his 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) win.
"It felt like for a set and a half the crowd really wanted to understand what the score was in the football match. Did England win in the end? That's why you guys stayed. Congrats to England.
"I tried to shoot a penalty, I'm left-footed, but Alexei defended it well!"
Lewis Hamilton said it was "incredible" to see home drivers take the top three places in British Grand Prix qualifying as he and George Russell led McLaren's Lando Norris.
Russell beat fellow Mercedes driver Hamilton to pole position by 0.171 seconds at Silverstone, with Norris 0.211 seconds off.
Three-time world champion Max Verstappen was fourth, damaging the floor of his Red Bull in a rain-affected first session and struggling from then on.
Coming just one week after Russell won the Austrian Grand Prix, the result provided further evidence of a Mercedes upturn following their miserable start to the year.
The Silver Arrows have seen both of their drivers finish inside the top four places at each of the last three races, and Hamilton believes improvements to the team's car have given them a great chance of holding off Norris in Sunday's race.
"Three Brits in the top three is incredible. George did such a great job. We didn't expect to be on the front row this weekend," he told Sky Sports.
"This is huge for our team. The car felt great, it was just about getting tyre temperatures in the right place.
"There was still time left on the table, which George managed to find. I feel really confident about the car tomorrow and I think with the conditions, we can work together to keep Lando behind."
Norris, who has seven podium finishes in the last nine races, was full of praise for Mercedes but admitted he had failed to hit the heights of recent weeks.
"It's tough. I think George and Lewis did a great job. For two cars to get there shows the team were also doing an amazing job," he said.
"It was super close. I think if I'd put in a good enough lap it was close and could've been a bit of a fight.
"But this team have been very quick all weekend, since FP1. We're there or thereabouts, but I just didn't deliver it today."
Novak Djokovic claimed his fourth-set tie-break against Alexei Popyrin was the best he has played this year after defeating the Australian at Wimbledon.
Djokovic came from a set down to beat Popyrin in four, confirming his place in the last 16 with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-3) triumph. He will face Holger Rune next.
The world number two continued his record of having never lost to Popyrin in what was their third meeting, the previous one coming at the Australian Open earlier this year.
The Serbian praised Popyrin for his valiant effort, going on to admit the tie-break in the fourth saw him produce his highest level this year.
"It was another tough match. I didn’t expect anything less than what we experienced on the court today from Alexei," Djokovic said.
"I knew he was going to come to the match with confidence, a lot of self-belief. He was close to winning [when we played] in Australia earlier this year.
"With that serve and powerful forehand, he’s dangerous on any surface.
"I knew he was in form and he was going to come out believing he could win. He was the better player in the first set.
"I think I played a good second and third and the fourth was anybody’s game. He was serving very well. It was very difficult to read his serve.
"It was just a very challenging match, mentally as well, to hang in there. I'm not allowed to have big concentration lapses.
"I think I’ve done well in that regard in one of the best tie-breaks I’ve played this year, that’s for sure."
Data Debrief: Resilient Djokovic shows his class
While Djokovic was far from vintage in the first set, he showed the kind of resilience that we've seen throughout his career.
Djokovic became only the third player in the Open Era to achieve 50 Grand Slam match wins after turning 35, along with Ken Rosewall (64) and Roger Federer (62).
Iga Swiatek suffered a shock third-round exit at Wimbledon as the top seed fell to world number 35 Yulia Putintseva on Saturday.
Despite taking the first set, Swiatek was outclassed by the world number 35, falling to a 3-6 6-1 6-2 defeat on No. 1 Court.
The world number one had to wait until the eighth game to undo Putintseva, earning her first break point before closing out the set in dominant fashion.
Though many predicted Swiatek to hammer home her advantage, the Kazakh had other ideas.
Putintseva responded emphatically, cutting through Swiatek to battle into her first round of 16 at Wimbledon and first at any major since making the 2020 US Open quarter-finals.
Jelena Ostapenko awaits in the clash for a last-eight position on Monday after the Latvian needed just 59 minutes to win 6-1 6-3 against Bernarda Pera earlier in the day.
Data Debrief: Swiatek's Wimbledon hoodoo continues
Putintseva is the first women's player since Alison Riske against Ashleigh Barty in 2019 to win against the world number one at Wimbledon after losing the first set.
In stark contrast between the pair, Putintseva extended her win streak to eight matches after ending Swiatek's own run of 21 straight wins.
Swiatek still leaves the third major of the year with an outstanding 45-5 record on the season, yet grass-court tennis and Wimbledon remain a troublesome issue for the Pole.
George Russell said he could have only dreamt of securing pole position at the Silverstone but realised his fantasy on Saturday afternoon.
Russell edged Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton and McLaren's Lando Norris to claim pole position at the British Grand Prix.
For the first-time ever at Silverstone, and the first time anywhere in F1 since 1968, the front three positions on Sunday's grid will be taken up by a trio of British drivers.
Russell beat Hamilton to pole position by 0.171 seconds with Norris, second to Russell after the first laps in the final session, 0.211secs off the pace after failing to complete his second lap.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start in fourth, with Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri making up the top five.
“What a feeling, at the start of this year I don’t think we could of even dreamt of being on pole here, one-two for me and Lewis, and Lando it’s just mega," Russell said.
"It’s down to these fans as well they give us so much energy so thank you for that.
“The car at the moment is feeling so good, it really came alive in quali and what a joy to drive around this circuit.
"We are riding this wave at the moment and I’m absolutely buzzing, but eyes on tomorrow, we’ve got a race to win and it’s going to be tight with Lando, Max is going to be fast as well but I’m so excited right now.”
It was an afternoon to forget for Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz finishing seventh-fastest behind Haas' Nico Hulkenberg, with team-mate Charles Leclerc starting in 11th.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll finished in eighth, with Williams driver Alex Albon and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso completing the top 10.
Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez will start at the back of the grid in 19th after spinning out in the first qualifying session.
Top 10
1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Lando Norris (McLaren)
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
6. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
7. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
8. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
Jamaican Shimona Jok was again on song for Melbourne Mavericks, as they edged GIANTS 55-54 in a nail-biting Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League affair in Sydney on Saturday.
Not only did the win propel Mavericks into the top four, but it also marked an historic feat as it was their first time securing back-to-back victories in the First Nations Round opener.
Jok, with 34 goals from 35 attempts, and Eleanor Cardwell, with 21 goals from 24 attempts, got the job done for the Mavericks, while Jo Harten (14 goals from 18 attempts), Sophie Dwyer (24 goals from 28 attempts) and Matisse Letherbarrow (16 goals from 16 attempts) fought gallantly for GIANTS, the team of another Jamaican Jodi-Ann Ward.
The Mavericks, who pulled off a thrilling 72-71 last-minute win over the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Hobart last week, somewhat repeated the feat on this occasion as it was a crucial intercept from Player of the Match Kim Jenner that paved the way for Cardwell to score the winning goal in the final minute.
Earlier, the GIANTS got off to a brisk start, scoring three unanswered goals, before the Mavericks responded. In fact, it was end-to-end action for much of the first quarter before a pair of late goals pushed the Mavericks ahead 14-12.
It was another action-packed second quarter, as the GIANTS lifted their intensity and again scored the first three goals. Jodi-Ann Ward made a crucial intercept, which was converted, but a misplaced pass allowed the Mavericks to regain possession.
Melbourne Mavericks and GIANTS players tussle for possession.
Despite being dominant in possession, the Mavericks conversion rate was low. They struggled to advance the ball down the court efficiently, often taking wide drives and long passes, instead of tightening up their play and improve their second-phase transitions.
That, along with the fact that both teams also demonstrated strong defensive efforts, saw the score locked at 25-25 at the half-time interval.
The Mavericks tried to explode at the top of the third quarter, but the GIANTS applied pressure to keep their opponents in check. However, the game finally opened up for the Mavericks with five minutes remaining at the backend of the quarter, as they opened up a five-goal lead at 44-39 heading into the final quarter.
The GIANTS needed to make an early impact to close the deficit, and they did just that with two unanswered goals.
Ward, who had been dominant throughout, grabbed a defensive rebound and sent the ball down the court. However, the GIANTS struggled with composure, allowing the Mavericks to regain possession.
With the scores locked at 51-51 heading into the Power Five, a missed shot by Cardwell saw Ward again recover the rebound, but the GIANTS again failed to capitalise as the Mavericks won back possession.
Letherbarrow then delivered a crucial Super Shot, putting the GIANTS ahead with 90 seconds left, but Cardwell responded with a Super Shot of her own, leveling the score once more.
With the GIANTS looking to score the winning goal, Jenner made a critical intercept, and the Mavericks scored the winning goal to keep their final hopes alive.
Wales head coach Warren Gatland said there were positives to take from his side's 25-16 defeat against Australia in the first match of their summer series.
The Dragons slipped to their eighth straight test defeat in Sydney, giving Joe Schmidt an opening victory in his first match in charge of Australia.
Tries from Taniela Tupou, Filipo Daugunu and Tom Wright set up the victory, while Wales managed a penalty try and nine points from new fly-half Ben Thomas.
Wales' winless run is now their worst losing sequence since a run of eight in 2012 and 2013.
Gatland was impressed with his team's performance, but questioned why James Botham's second-half try was disallowed for obstruction.
"I just need to get some clarity on the disallowed try in terms of the decision which was made, I'm not 100% sure," Gatland said.
"We know where we are at the moment. We're developing this team, and we're going to have to learn from these experiences.
"There were some real positives out of there in terms of what we are trying to do."
It was a 14th loss in 20 matches for Gatland in his second stint in charge after returning as head coach at the end of 2022.
"Unfortunately, resilience doesn't win games. Credit to the heart and the dig-in the boys showed - that's going to get us far," captain Dewi Lake said.
"But a young team, we've got to learn how to win games, put points on the board, and see games out.
"Credit to Australia, they put points on the board and made us chase the game.
"There were a couple of opportunities we missed and that's probably the difference on the scoreboard."
Australia will now look to wrap up the two-Test series in Melbourne next Saturday.
Data Debrief: Wales' losing rut continues
The latest loss for Wales means they drop to their lowest position in World Rugby's rankings, slipping to 11th and falling outside the top 10 for the first time.
It was also a 12th successive defeat against the Wallabies in Australia in an away losing streak that stretches back to 1969.
Andy Murray's Wimbledon career came to an early end after Emma Raducanu pulled out of their planned appearance in the mixed doubles.
The pair were due to team up on Saturday in what would have been Murray's final event appearance at Wimbledon ahead of his retirement.
However, Raducanu has withdrawn from the event due to stiffness in her right wrist.
The 21-year-old booked her place in the women’s singles fourth round on Friday with another commanding win, beating Maria Sakkart in straight sets.
"I have decided to make the very tough decision to withdraw from the mixed doubles," Raducanu said.
"I’m disappointed as I was really looking forward to playing with Andy, but I've got to take care."
Murray, a two-time singles champion at Wimbledon, had already pulled out of the men's event after having minor surgery on his back in the build-up to the tournament.
It means the 37-year-old played his last game at All England Club on Thursday when he and older brother Jamie were knocked out of the men's doubles in the first round.
Murray is set to finish his career at the Paris Olympics later this month, competing in both the singles and the doubles, alongside Dan Evans.
England will have to wait at least another week to end their 21-year run without a victory in New Zealand after a 16-15 defeat on Saturday.
The All Blacks, in their first Test under new coach Scott Robertson, held on in Dunedin to start the series with a victory.
England's last win against the All Blacks in New Zealand came in 2003, but Immanuel Feyi-Waboso's try early in the second half gave them a fantastic chance of ending that run.
Sevu Reece and Ardie Savea had scored either side of a Maro Itoje try in the first half, with the teams level at the interval.
But it was not to be, with Marcus Smith's misses with the boot compounded by the accuracy of New Zealand kicker Damian McKenzie, who nailed two penalties to complete the turnaround.
"I am proud of the group to come together in 10 days and play a sharp England side," New Zealand captain Scott Barrett told Sky Sports after his team's first Test since they lost the 2023 World Cup final to South Africa.
"That was a reminder of what Test rugby is all about. There were arm wrestles everywhere and different levels of pressure.
"We adapted pretty well to drive back into it and just get our noses in front."
Itoje says while England can be proud of their efforts, they simply need to be better in the next Test.
"It was a good effort but we need to be better," he said.
"We raised the intensity at the start of the second half but a few inaccuracies slipped into our game and allowed the All Blacks back into it.
"Every game is something to learn from. We'll lick our wounds and learn from our mistakes. This will be an invaluable experience. We'll relish the opportunity to go again next week."
The second Test takes place in Auckland on July 13.
Data Debrief: New Zealand's home comforts
New Zealand were winless across their previous two Test matches against England (D1 L1) after winning six in a row against them before that.
But the All Blacks kept up their run of never going three successive Tests against England without a win, and made it eight in a row against the Red Rose on home soil.
Indeed, New Zealand have now won each of their last five home Test matches.
Masataka Yoshida hit a game-tying, two-run home run with two outs in the ninth, Ceddane Rafaela went deep to open the 10th inning and the Boston Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit to stun the New York Yankees 5-3 on Friday.
The Boston victory kept the two AL East rivals on their recent paths, with the Red Sox winning 15 of their last 20 games and the Yankees falling to 3-12 in their last 15.
New York’s Clay Holmes was one out away from a save in the ninth before pinch-hitter Dominic Smith singled. Yoshida fought back from an 0-2 hole before driving a full-count pitch over Yankee Stadium’s famous right field wall.
Tommy Kahle pitched the 10th for the Yankees, with Rafaela taking him deep on his second pitch and driving in automatic runner David Hamilton.
The bullpen collapse spoilt a strong start from Nestor Cortes, who allowed three hits and one run in six innings with eight strikeouts.
New York’s big bats remained mostly quiet, with AL MVP favourite Aaron Judge going 0 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
Dodgers C Smith bashes trio of homers in win
Will Smith went deep three times, including a game-tying shot in the 7th inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-5 in a matchup of NL division leaders.
Smith, who walked in his other two plate appearances, became just the fourth Dodgers catcher to hit three home runs in a game, joining Yasmani Grandal (2016), Mike Piazza (1996) and Roy Campanella (1950).
On a night when Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 5, the Los Angeles offence was powered by Smith and Miguel Vargas, who was 2 for 3 with a walk and a two-run home run. Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez had clutch RBIs in the eighth to give the Dodgers the late lead.
Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow cruised through the first three innings but gave up two singles and two walks in the fourth before Rhys Hoskins put the Brewers ahead with a grand slam.
Glasnow allowed three hits and five runs over six innings in the no-decision.
Pirates’ 7 HRs back Skenes in blowout of Mets
Rookie sensation Paul Skenes threw seven strong innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates tied a club record by hitting seven home runs in a 14-2 rout of the New York Mets.
Skenes, last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick, continued the dominant start to his career. The 6-foot-6 flamethrower improved to 5-0 after allowing four hits and two runs over seven innings while striking out eight.
Bryan Reynold and Rowdy Tellez each had two home runs, including a grand slam each, as the pair combined for 11 RBIs.
Jack Suwinski, Yasmani Grandal and Michael A. Taylor also went yard for the Pirates in front of a sell-out crowd at PNC Park.
The Mets’ Luis Severino was tagged for seven runs in six innings, while Ty Adcock gave up six runs in 1 2/3 innings as the Mets lost their third straight game.
World number two Coco Gauff proved far too strong for qualifier Sonay Kartal as she eased into the last 16 at Wimbledon on Friday.
Kartal, the first female British qualifier to reach the third round at the All England Club since 1997, had eliminated Sorana Cirstea and Clara Burel to reach this stage.
But Gauff represented a clear step up and, after a slightly testing first set, accelerated to a 6-4 6-0 win.
The US Open champion has never been beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon but will get the opportunity to do so against Emma Navarro on Sunday.
"I've never come out with someone like Coco before," said 298th-ranked Kartal. "There's a reason why she is where she is, number two in the world.
"She played some unbelievable tennis in that second set."
Data Debrief: Gauff's glass ceiling?
Gauff's breakout main-draw run at a major came at Wimbledon in 2019 when she reached the fourth round, but she has since surpassed that performance at each of the other three grand slams, most notably triumphing at Flushing Meadows.
Crucially, however, the 20-year-old has plenty of time on her side as she seeks to make strides at the grass-court major.
Indeed, not since Agnieszka Radwanska, in 2009, has a younger women's player reached the fourth round at Wimbledon for a third time. Gauff will hope it is third time lucky.
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