Nick Kyrgios took the opportunity to discuss the low points of his career after his victory over Daniil Medvedev, admitting he never thought he would have the chance to return to his best form.
Kyrgios conceded just one set to Medvedev in the 7-6 (13-11) 3-6 6-3 6-2 triumph at the US Open on Sunday.
It appeared during the first set tiebreaker that he was on the verge of one of his famous meltdowns, with a couple of racket slams and plenty of abuse towards his own box, but he steadied and fought back after a poor second frame.
Speaking to the media after the match, Kyrgios admitted the tiebreaker was do-or-die, saying: "I feel like if he'd got that first set, it was going to be pretty much an impossible task for me to come back and win."
This year's Wimbledon runner-up was humble and respectful when discussing the talent of Medvedev, and despite his muted celebration, highlighted what a big deal it is for him to perform well under the bright lights in New York.
"I didn't over-celebrate. It's only the fourth round, I've got quarter-finals [next]," Kyrgios said. "But it was an amazing experience obviously taking down the number one player in the world on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"I don't really like to celebrate too much after that because I know that if I played him nine more times, he's probably getting on top of me the majority of the time.
"I hadn't won a match on Ashe before this week, now I've won two against two quality opponents, and I feel like I've been able to showcase [my talent].
"There's a lot of celebrities here, a lot of important people here watching. I wanted to get on that court and show them I am able to put my head down and play and win these big matches.
"For the tennis world I think it's important as well. People were really starting to doubt my ability to pull out matches like this at majors. I'm really proud of myself honestly because it hasn't been easy dealing with all the criticism."
Kyrgios continued to discuss how he feels he is perceived by the public and the media, saying it was more a feeling of relief than ecstasy when he finished the job.
"I feel like I'm more just proud of the way that I've bounced back after everything, honestly," he said. "I've been in some really tough situations mentally, and in some really scary places.
"Obviously if you look at it on paper, I probably wasn't expected to win that match. Maybe take a set or two if I'm lucky, give the people a show.
"It's a great win, but I come off the court and I'm just almost relieved that it's over because there's just so much pressure every time I go out on court, so much expectation, so much unpredictability of what I can do.
"I just sit there in the locker room after and I'm just super proud of the performance, because there was really a time where I didn't think I was capable of producing and doing this any more.
"I guess I'm just more relieved, and I'm super proud."
Nick Kyrgios is through to the quarter-final after a terrific 7-6 (11-13) 3-6 6-3 6-2 win over world number one and reigning US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.
It was a match that had all of the usual Kyrgios antics as he seemed to lose his cool during the first set tiebreaker, slamming his racket multiple times while repeatedly yelling at members of his entourage.
But he was able to work his way through it, saving three set points, before sealing the opening frame in 64 minutes with his fourth set point. Kyrgios relied on his dominant serve and limiting his errors, with just one double fault and 11 unforced errors with 21 winners.
The momentum from winning the set kept Kyrgios from spiralling mentally, but he became sloppy in the second, committing four double faults with only three aces, and he had 12 unforced errors with seven winners. It was the only set he had more than one double fault and more unforced errors than winners.
Zverev's ability to return in the second set was the difference, lifting his return point success rate from 33 per cent in the opener to 48 per cent to break twice and even up the match.
It had all the makings of a Kyrgios meltdown, but where he would usually begin to unravel and force desperate power shots to shorten points, he instead settled into the battle and refocused on getting into the net.
After only going to the net five times in the second set, he tripled that in the third, winning nine-of-15 attempts while not allowing a single break point opportunity. Kyrgios only created one break point chance for himself, and he took it with both hands to go up two sets to one.
In the fourth, Kyrgios was able to break again with his first opportunity early on, and with his serve switched on and firing he would only allow one chance for Zverev to break back, but he snuffed it out before going on to secure a second break and the victory.
Of their five career meetings, Kyrgios has now won four, and he will now get the benefit of the number one seed's path through the tournament. Next up, he will face 27th seed Karen Khachanov in the quarter-final as he searches for his first career grand slam title.
Data Slam: Kyrgios accomplishes feat not seen since 1987
Kyrgios is the first player since 1987 to defeat the world number one twice in the same year, with Australian compatriot Pat Cash the last to do it.
It is also the first time an Australian has defeated a world number one in a grand slam since Kyrgios himself, back in 2014 as a 19-year-old against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Kyrgios – 21/7
Medvedev – 22/2
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Kyrgios – 53/38
Medvedev – 49/19
BREAK POINTS WON
Kyrgios – 5/7
Medvedev – 3/8
Fan favourite Coco Gauff said the reception she has received in New York is different to anything she has experienced before after defeating Zhang Shuai 7-5 7-5 on Sunday.
In a closely contested battle, Gauff was just a little too good, winning 52 per cent (91-of-176) of the total points, while creating 11 break point opportunities compared to nine for Zhang.
It continues a terrific run of form for the 18-year-old, who will break into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time when it updates this coming week.
Speaking to the media after advancing to the quarter-finals, Gauff compared the atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium – where she has played every match this tournament – to an NBA game.
"It's way different [to a normal tennis crowd]," she said. "On the 6-5 changeover, people were saying 'let's go, Coco' – I was literally trying not to smile.
"I was, like, I've got to stay in the zone. Inside I was trying my hardest not to smile. This is a surreal moment for me – on Arthur Ashe Stadium and people are chanting my game. I feel like I'm at an NBA game.
"That's a special thing about tennis. When you go to a football game or an NBA game, people are chanting the team's name. That's great as a player.
"For you to have the whole crowd chanting your name specifically is something I won't take for granted."
When asked if the incredible attention she has received this week has been a distraction, she said it only helps her in the heat of the contest.
"I think it depends on the player – for me though, I just feed off of it," she said. "I think it helps me more.
"I mean, for some players, they prefer a more chill, relaxed environment. For me, if anyone has seen me play, I like to get pumped up. The New York crowd seems to like it too."
A meeting with the in-form Caroline Garcia is scheduled for the quarter-final, and she said it is no secret that she is one of the hottest players on tour right now.
"I think she's playing the best tennis she's played in a long time," she said. "It's going to be a challenge.
"When you play these players that are hot, I think it's more of a mental challenge. You just gotta accept she's going to hit some great shots, because I know she will.
"I think my mentality has been great. I played I feel like two similar opponents, Maddie Keys, who can hit some unbelievable shots from the wings. Same with Shuai today. She was hitting some great shots.
"I think I was doing a good job of accepting it, clapping my hands, moving on to the next point. I think I'm going to have to do that for the next match."
Gauff and Garcia have played twice before, with the American winning both matches against the Frenchwoman.
Another day, another Aaron Judge home run as the New York Yankees slugger wasted no time extending his league-lead in Sunday's 2-1 win away from home against the Tampa Bay Rays.
As the very first batter of the game, on the second pitch, Judge connected on a 450-foot bomb deep over the left-field wall.
It was his 53rd home run of the season – and his fourth from his past six games – setting a new career-high after totalling 52 in 2017. He is now eight home runs away from Roger Maris' Yankees record of 61 – set 61 years ago, in 1961.
The AL MVP favourite is also now 17 home runs clear of second-placed Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies, who has 36.
Judge's shot would be the only score from the first six innings against the Rays as Yankees starting pitcher Frankie Montas continued to find some form following a rough start to his time in New York since being traded at the deadline from the Oakland Athletics.
Montas pitched five near-perfect innings, giving up one hit and no walks to go with seven strikeouts.
The Yankees were able to add an insurance run in the seventh frame thanks to a sacrifice-fly from Oswaldo Cabrera, and although closing pitcher Clay Holmes did give up a run, he was able to complete the save for his 18th of the season.
With the win, the Yankees now hold a five-game lead over the Rays for the AL East lead, and they are six games behind the Houston Astros in the race for the best record in the American League.
Gallen extends historic scoreless streak
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen is in the midst of the eighth-longest scoreless streak in MLB history as he pitched another seven shutout innings in a 5-1 win against the Milwaukee Brewers.
It has been 41-and-a-third innings since Gallen has allowed a run, and in the process he has become the fourth pitcher in the modern era to pitch six consecutive games with at least six scoreless innings – joining Don Drysdale (Dodgers, 1968), Orel Hershiser (Dodgers, 1988) and Zack Greinke (Dodgers, 2015). With one more scoreless inning, he will break the Diamondbacks' franchise record.
The 27-year-old now sports an 11-2 record this season with a 2.42 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP, establishing himself as one of the top arms in the league.
Giants walk-off after duelling home runs late
The San Francisco Giants treated their fans to one of the most enjoyable spectacles in sport as they ended their 5-3 win against the Philadelphia Phillies with a walk-off home run.
With the Giants leading 3-0 in the eighth inning – thanks in large part to a terrific 10-strikeout performance from ace Carlos Rodon – Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto erased the deficit with one swing as he connected on a three-run home run.
Needing a run in the bottom of the ninth to win, after Bryce Johnson got on base, Wilmer Flores was the hero for the night as he launched the game-winner hard and flat over the left-field wall to send the fans home happy.
The New York Yankees will likely be without Andrew Benintendi for several weeks – and possibly the remainder of the season – after manager Aaron Boone revealed that the outfielder suffered a broken bone in his right wrist that will require surgery.
Benintendi was hurt taking a swing Friday, but the extent of the injury wasn’t known until Boone reported that he broke the hook hamate bone following the Yankees’ 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
An appointment with doctors on Monday will help the Yankees get a better idea of how long he’ll be sidelined and when he could possibly return.
''It's all too early to say right now, obviously,'' Benintendi said. ''We're still trying to learn some more things. That's what it is right now. Just take it day by day at this point right now, I guess.''
Acquired from the Kansas City Royals just before the trade deadline, Benintendi got off to a slow start with the Yankees – going 1 for 20 in his first seven games – but is slashing .298/.337/.479 with 12 extra-base hits and 12 runs in 26 games since then.
He was selected to his first All-Star Game in July and is batting .304 with 51 RBIs and 54 runs in 126 total games this season.
With Sunday’s win, the first-place Yankees avoided a three-game sweep to the second-place Rays to move five games ahead of them atop the AL East.
Red Bull are attempting to secure a Formula One licence for IndyCar driver Colton Herta, to allow him to succeed Pierre Gasly in their AlphaTauri team next year.
The Austrian motorsport giants, who boast Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez as the main drivers for their eponymous F1 lead team, face a battle to gain an exemption as the 22-year-old Herta does not have enough points to qualify under the FIA's system.
Gasly, who took AlphaTauri's first win at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, is wanted by Alpine to succeed Aston Martin-bound Fernando Alonso.
Herta is the preferred replacement, though the task of convincing the FIA – motorsport's world governing body – to allow his move may be a tough challenge
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko is hopeful of securing a licence, telling SpeedCity Broadcasting on SiriusXM he believes there should be an answer before the Italian Grand Prix next weekend.
"We looked at the regulations, we discussed it with the FIA," Marko said. "So it's nothing unreasonable. He won seven IndyCar races and that's comparable to a grand prix I think, so it would be a shame if he wouldn't get a super-licence."
Herta enjoyed a two-day testing session with McLaren in July, when he said: "It was different from anything I have ever driven before, but it felt pretty seamless."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said no departure for Gasly would be sanctioned unless AlphaTauri could secure Herta for next year.
"We just need clarity which will hopefully come sooner rather than later, because it holds a key role in the driver merry-go-round," Horner said, quoted by the BBC.
"If the option is not there, the other triggers will not come into play. He is an exciting talent, a young American guy who has been a stand-out talent in the US.
"It will be very interesting to see how he performs in F1. To have a successful US driver could be very interesting.
"Pierre is doing a good job in AlphaTauri. There would not be a desire to change if there was not an interesting option available."
Dustin Johnson sunk a long-range eagle putt on the first playoff hole in LIV Golf history to secure a victory in Boston on Sunday, defeating Anirban Lahiri and Joaquin Niemann on the extra hole.
Lahiri had the best third round of the playoff participants, posting a six-under 64 to work his way to 15 under, while Johnson shot 65 and Neimann a 66. Neimann came into the day one stroke off Talor Gooch's lead, while Johnson was alone in third place one further back.
In the playoff, which took place on the par-five 18th hole, Lahiri sailed over the back of the green, and Niemann found a fairway bunker, leaving Johnson as the only player to make the green in three and leave himself an eagle putt.
The two-time major winner made sure a second playoff hole was not necessary, bashing in the eagle, which would have sailed at least 10 feet past the hole if it did not hit it dead in the middle.
As well as the $4million prize for winning the event, Johnson and each of his 4 Aces GC teammates – Gooch (13 under), Pat Perez (seven under) and Patrick Reed (three under) –will also take home an extra $750,000 for topping the team standings for the third tournament in a row
It was a packed leaderboard down the home stretch, with Lee Westwood and LIV debutant Cameron Smith also holding a share of the lead with two holes remaining, before late bogeys took them out of the playoff and into a tie for fourth at 14 under.
Gooch, after entering the round in the outright lead, could only muster a one-under 69 as he watched the field race past him on a day with friendly scoring conditions.
Jason Kokrak finished seventh at 12 under, Mexico's Abraham Ancer was alone in eighth at 11 under, and rounding out the top-10 was a three-man tie for ninth at 10 under consisting of Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen and Sergio Garcia.
Phil Mickelson finished tied for 40th at two over, and the last-placed Sihwan Kim will take home $120,000 after finishing 16 over, posting rounds of 87, 63 and 76.
Margaret Court does not believe Serena Williams has ever "admired" her and claims the modern game is significantly easier than it was in her own era.
Williams, widely considered one of the greatest sportspeople of all time, stepped away from top-level tennis following defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the US Open.
Although her time on tour now looks to be over, the 40-year-old admitted "you never know" when asked about future appearances, but a U-turn is widely considered to be highly improbable.
Williams is bowing out with 23 grand slam singles wins – one fewer than record holder Court.
Court, 80, is a Pentecostal church pastor now and has been criticised in recent years for comments about race, homosexuality and the transgender community.
She was blunt when asked about her feelings on Williams, telling the Telegraph: "Serena, I've admired her as a player. But I don't think she has ever admired me."
Court won her grand slam singles titles between 1960 and 1973, and the Australian believes players in the modern era have it much easier than she did during her remarkable career.
"I would love to have played in this era; I think it's so much easier," she said. "How I would love to have taken family or friends along with me. But I couldn't, I had to go on my own or with the national team.
"People don't see all that. As amateurs, we had to play every week, because we didn't have any money. Now, they can take off whenever they want, fly back whenever they want.
"We would be away for 10 months. That's why I first retired in 1965, because I used to get homesick. You might be with the odd other person, but it's not like having your family there.
"We didn't have psychologists or coaches with us. It's a whole different world. That's what disappoints me; that players today don't honour the past of the game."
Margaret Court does not believe Serena Williams has ever "admired" her and claims the modern game is significantly easier than it was in her own era.
Williams, widely considered one of the greatest sportspeople of all time, stepped away from top-level tennis following defeat to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the US Open.
Although her time on tour now looks to be over, the 40-year-old admitted "you never know" when asked about future appearances, but a U-turn is widely considered to be highly improbable.
Williams is bowing out with 23 grand slam singles wins – one fewer than record holder Court.
Court, 80, is a Pentecostal church pastor now and has been criticised in recent years for comments about race, homosexuality and the transgender community.
She was blunt when asked about her feelings on Williams, telling the Telegraph: "Serena, I've admired her as a player. But I don't think she has ever admired me."
Court won her grand slam singles titles between 1960 and 1973, and the Australian believes players in the modern era have it much easier than she did during her remarkable career.
"I would love to have played in this era; I think it's so much easier," she said. "How I would love to have taken family or friends along with me. But I couldn't, I had to go on my own or with the national team.
"People don't see all that. As amateurs, we had to play every week, because we didn't have any money. Now, they can take off whenever they want, fly back whenever they want.
"We would be away for 10 months. That's why I first retired in 1965, because I used to get homesick. You might be with the odd other person, but it's not like having your family there.
"We didn't have psychologists or coaches with us. It's a whole different world. That's what disappoints me; that players today don't honour the past of the game."
Caroline Garcia has dialled up the aggression and is reaping the rewards as the Frenchwoman emerges as a serious title contender at the US Open.
On Sunday, Garcia moved through to the quarter-finals by beating Alison Riske-Amritraj 6-4 6-1 on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
She has won four matches without dropping a set in the first week of the grand slam in Queens, New York, but that is just the continuation of a sensational hot streak.
Garcia, now 28, has won 30 of her last 34 matches, landing titles in Bad Homburg, Warsaw and Cincinnati along the way.
At the 2011 French Open, ATP superstar Andy Murray was so taken by the 17-year-old Garcia's performance against Maria Sharapova that he predicted: "The girl Sharapova is playing is going to be number one in the world one day."
Perhaps Murray will turn out to be right after all, with that forecast having long hung over Garcia, as well intended as it was at the time.
She reached a peak of number four in 2018 but was down at 79th on the WTA list in late May of this year.
Now she sits 17th and will keep climbing after reaching the last eight at the US Open for the first time.
On a 12-match winning streak at present, Garcia said after sinking the hopes of American Riske-Amritraj: "I'm so excited to be in the quarters of the US Open. It's been a great couple of weeks for me."
She came through qualifying to win the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, beating Petra Kvitova in that final after felling three seeds along the way.
Recent wins over Iga Swiatek in Poland and Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon, beating home favourites, have showed Garcia is suddenly fearless.
"I'm really trying to play aggressive, go for my shots, even when I'm tight or even when I don't feel it," she said.
"It's how I improved so much in the last couple of months and I really enjoy playing like that, moving forward, and I'm having fun."
Garcia was not at her most fluent in the first set of Sunday's fourth-round match but improved and finished the contest having hit 30 winners.
She has only played one grand slam quarter-final before, losing to Karolina Pliskova at that stage in the 2017 French Open.
Suddenly, though, she is playing top-five standard tennis again, and Garcia will take some stopping.
"I want to enjoy every single win I have," Garcia said in an on-court interview.
"When you don't have them, you miss them, so I want to enjoy this one and recover and get ready for the big match in the quarter.
"I'm really having fun here in the US. I got a lot of confidence from Cincinnati, really enjoy the good energy in New York."
Max Verstappen has paid credit to his Red Bull team while suggesting his victories should also be attributed to him being an "exceptional driver" after Lewis Hamilton's recent comments.
The Red Bull man claimed another home triumph at the Dutch Grand Prix to move closer to a second successive world drivers' championship after last year's victory over the Briton.
The Dutchman has been the dominant driver in F1 this season with a superb car, and Mercedes racer Hamilton previously paid tribute to the technical staff, led by Adrian Newey, at the rival team.
The latter's praise notably omitted credit for Verstappen, who edged him for the title in controversial circumstances last year, and whose partner's father, former driver Nelson Piquet, was involved in a racism storm over the seven-time world champion earlier this year.
Asked on Hamilton's comments after victory at Circuit Zandvoort, Verstappen acknowledged the efforts of his team to aid his quest, but also reinforced that he plays just as much of a crucial part in his own success.
"A lot of that is down to the team, of course, as it's also how Lewis won his championships," he stated. "That's how it goes in Formula 1.
"Your car is super important, but I think when you're an exceptional driver like Lewis is as well, you make a difference over your team-mate at the time, in very crucial races as well.
"You end up winning a race like that and that is, at the end of the day, what good drivers do. They do make the difference compared to other fast drivers.
"The car is very dominant in Formula 1 but of course between team-mates, only one can win, and that's where you have to make the difference."
An emotional Oliver Wilson fought back tears after securing a one-stroke Made in Denmark victory to secure his second DP World Tour title eight years after his first.
The 41-year-old finished on 21 under to edge out Scotsman Ewen Ferguson and finally add to his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship triumph in 2014.
Wilson carded a closing 67 in Farso on Sunday to keep his rivals at bay in a tense finale.
He holed a brilliant long putts at the 13th and 17th holes to take a one-shot advantage to the final hole and was emotional after finishing off the job.
"I knew I could get the job done," he stated. "Everything I've done to this point to rebuild my game, I knew I could do it. I was so in control, and I said I wasn't going to cry!
"I was so calm there. I almost enjoyed the last hole. It's pretty special. I'm so proud of myself. I feel like there's a lot ahead of me and I'm so pleased to get win number two.
"I love this place. I've done well here before. I guess 18 years' experience gets you to hang in there. And to get over the line, it feels good. It feels so good."
Ferguson was runner-up following a final round of 66, while Norway's Kristian Krogh Johannessen was third on 18 under.
Thymen Arensman climbed to his first Grand Tour stage win on the Hoya de la Mora as Remco Evenepoel retained the Vuelta a Espana lead on a gruelling Sunday.
Arensman powered his way up to the highest summit of La Vuelta to claim a brilliant victory on a lung-busting stage 15.
It was only a second professional stage win for the Team DSM rider and the biggest of his career, with the Dutchman powering up the road in the Sierra Nevada mountains to cross the line a minute and 23 seconds before Enric Mas.
Miguel Angel Lopez and Jay Vine finished third and fourth respectively, ahead of defending champion Primoz Roglic who was able to chip a further 15 seconds off Evenepoel's advantage courtesy of a late attack.
Evenepoel will start the final week in La Roja following a rest day on Monday, after the Belgian finished what was billed as the 'queen stage' in 10th place on the road.
A strong ride from Mas left him just over two minutes adrift of race leader Evenepoel in the general classification standings.
Jay Vine kept the polka dot jersey in the battle to be crowned king of the mountains in a brutal 153-kilometre route that started in Martos.
Arensman the king of the Sierra Nevada
Arensman reeled in Marc Soler with 7km to go and had enough in the tank to go solo for the victory.
Spaniard Soler had gone on his own from a breakaway group of 12 riders, taking on the challenge at the front up the steepest section of the Alto de Hazallanas, and opened up a lead of around 40 seconds.
He was unable to see it through, though, as Arensman passed him and the 22-year-old stage winner looked in disbelief as he crossed the finishing line.
STAGE RESULT
1. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) 4:17:17
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +1:23
3. Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) +1:25
4. Jay Vine (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +1:30
5. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +1:44
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 56:40:49
2. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) +1:34
3. Enric Mas (Movistar) +2:01
Points Classification
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 284
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) 111
3. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 107
King of the Mountains
1. Jay Vine (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 59
2. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Greandiers) 30
3. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) 22
Fabio Quartararo was left "more than angry" after Francesco Bagnaia closed the gap in the battle for the MotoGP title by winning the San Marino Grand Prix,
Bagnaia became the first Ducati rider to win four successive races with victory in Misano after holding off the pressure from future team-mate Enea Bastianini.
Championship leader Quartararo had to settle for fifth on Sunday after starting the race in eighth before two riders crashed out in front of him.
Quartararo battled with Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro, who the Frenchman managed to overtake by lap six.
He could not make any further progress, though, and was left frustrated after Bagnaia cut his advantage to 30 points in the championship standings.
"That was the limit," said Quartararo, who finished over five seconds behind Bagnaia. "More than angry, I was really frustrated, because I gave my 100 per cent and could not fight for more.
"Any more than that and I think I would be on the floor… we arrived really on the limit of our bike today.
"There was no problem, that's the thing. If you check the pace, I had the same pace as practice. I felt quite good on the bike.
"I made a really good race today, but it's only P5 and five seconds from the top. So we are not in a great position."
Quartararo heads into the final six rounds of the 2022 season with mixed feelings as he battles with Bagnaia and third-placed A;eix Espargaro, who has 33 points to make up.
"No, I will not say I'm worried [about the championship], but I'm also not calm," he said. "I have just been more consistent than Pecco [Bagnaia], but in the speed we are so slow."
Bagnaia says he will only begin dreaming of the championship when within touching distance of the Yamaha rider.
"I've already made too many mistakes [this season] thinking about the championship," Bagnaia said.
"My objective is to now be always competitive, always fast, always in front and try to win.
"I don't want to think about the championship, just to be more focused on my objective and to remain focused on the schedule during the weekend. I prefer to think like that."
Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes had "a car to win" the Dutch Grand Prix and apologised to his team for an outburst after he missed out on a podium finish.
The seven-time world champion looked to be in with a shout of claiming his first win of a difficult season, one which has seen him off the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari.
But after a late safety car that saw the team decide to keep him on existing old tyres, the Briton was swiftly deposed from the lead of the race by eventual winner and incumbent world champion Max Verstappen.
Team-mate George Russell and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc passed Hamilton in the closing stages to lock out the podium with fresh rubber, and the 37-year-old subsequently turned his fire on the team with his radio messages.
Hamilton said: "I can't believe you guys screwed me like that, I can't tell you how p****d I am right now."
Speaking afterwards, however, a more composed Hamilton offered apologies to his pit crew and team, and vowed to take the positives from an improved race performance, if not ultimately the final result, as he took fourth place.
"I think we had a car to win," he said. "Given the circumstance, we were challenged with lots of things, the safety car, the virtual safety car.
"The strategy and car have been so good today, the pit stops were the best. I was really hopeful we'd get a one-two together as a team, but the safety car really didn't help.
"I was on the edge of breaking point with emotions, so my apologies to the team. I just lost it for a second, but I think they know there's just so much passion.
"I want to look at it as a glass half full. Without the safety car, I think we'd have been challenging at the end for the win. If this can be the same in the future races, we can breathe down their necks and get a win.
"Last race, we were miles away and we couldn't even understand how we could be so far away. Yesterday, I was pole up until the last corner.
"There's a huge positive to take from that and our race pace seems to be better or as good as everyone else, so let's not give up."
Toto Wolff declared "it was worth taking the risk" for both Mercedes drivers to pit with Lewis Hamilton leading the Dutch Grand Prix, despite the Briton fuming on the team radio after the race.
Hamilton was pushing towards a first race victory of the season on Sunday at Zandvoort, where he was embroiled in a gripping battle with reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
Seven-time champion Hamilton seemed to seize the initiative after Verstappen pitted following a second safety car deployment due to apparent engine issues for Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas.
While Hamilton surged into the lead, Mercedes decided the 37-year-old should pit and also called in team-mate George Russell, losing the buffer advantage over Verstappen.
That was to allow both Hamilton and Russell to compete for the win in the closing stages, but that plan came unstuck as Verstappen surged into the lead on lap 61 before easing to victory.
As Verstappen embarked on his victory lap in front of a boisterous home crowd, Hamilton furiously questioned the call over the team radio – a decision that Mercedes team principal Wolff later defended.
"First of all, Lewis is ahead. So, we're always having a problem with the call," Wolff told Sky Sports when asked about the decision.
"You can do two things. You can either pit Lewis, lose track position against Verstappen, and leave George out – screwed. You can pit both – screwed. So, it was worth taking the risk."
While Wolff defended the decision in his post-race interview, he admitted on the team radio to Hamilton that the gamble did not pay dividends, adding: "Yeah Lewis, sorry it didn't work out.
"We did what we discussed in the morning, we took a risk. It didn't work. Let's discuss it between us in the office."
Having squandered the lead to Verstappen, Hamilton slipped down to fourth after being overtaken by second-placed Russell and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Max Verstappen expressed his pride after a far from straightforward victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, where the Red Bull driver overcame the pursuit of Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton seemed set to push for his first victory of 2022 at Zandvoort on Sunday but was stifled by pitting decisions and safety car deployments.
A virtual safety car was deployed after AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda was forced to stop following tyre concerns, offering Verstappen a fortuitous pit stop when embroiled in a battle at the front with Hamilton.
Another safety car followed after Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas stopped citing engine concerns, with Verstappen again pitting – arguably a surprising decision that seemed to hand Hamilton the initiative.
But Verstappen roared back in typically aggressive fashion to overtake the seven-time world champion on the main straight of lap 61, before easing to victory ahead of George Russell in second.
That marked a 10th victory of the season for Verstappen, his joint-best return in a single year, while he became the first driver since James Hunt in 1975 and 1976 to win back-to-back F1 races at Zandvoort.
After delivering in front of a largely partisan crowd in the Netherlands, Verstappen credited Red Bull's decisions that ensured he held off Hamilton through the latter stages of the race.
"It was not a straightforward race but we had to push, of course with safety car, virtual safety car, making the right calls," he said on Sky Sports during his post-race interview.
"Always a bit of question mark but it worked out really well. Once we got back to the soft tyres we had great pace again."
Asked whether he harboured any doubts over decisions as Hamilton pressed on, Verstappen added: "We timed it really well out of that last corner into the banking.
"You could see the draft was quite strong and we got ahead. It's incredible to win again.
"It's always special to win your home GP. This year I had to work for it even more. An incredible weekend and I'm really happy we got the Dutch GP."
Charles Leclerc started second on the grid after being edged out by Verstappen in Saturday's qualifying session, though the Ferrari driver had to settle for third on race day despite promising early signs of pace.
The Monegasque racer may have finished on the podium but sits 109 points behind championship leader Verstappen, and Leclerc conceded the Red Bull driver was a class above at the Dutch Grand Prix.
"To be honest, it was difficult to do much better," Leclerc said. "We were a little unlucky with the [virtual safety car]. I don't know if this would have changed anything – Max was too quick today.
"Then there was Mercedes, which were flying on the hard tyres. We struggled to find the feeling on the hard tyres, so we'll analyse that."
Max Verstappen held off a spirited push from Lewis Hamilton to secure a second consecutive Dutch Grand Prix victory and extend his championship lead to 109 points.
The reigning Formula One champion edged out Charles Leclerc in qualifying to put himself in pole position ahead of Sunday's eventful race, where George Russell finished second and Charles Leclerc took third. Hamilton eventually faded to fourth.
AlphiTauri's Yuki Tsunoda and Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas both stopped midway through the race, with Verstappen's pit stop after the second safety car allowing Hamilton to take the lead.
Yet Verstappen recovered and regained the lead by going past Hamilton down the main straight on lap 61 to claim a fourth consecutive victory and 10th of the season, his joint-best return in a single year after also hitting double figures last year.
The top five retained their positions during an eventful start where Hamilton and Carlos Sainz touched cars through turn one, while Haas' Kevin Magnussen slipped off the track and hit the barrier.
Verstappen continued to keep Leclerc at bay through the opening 10 laps, responding to the Ferrari driver's early signs of pace by pressing forward to move out of DRS range.
A problematic pit stop for Sainz in which no rear-left tyre appeared available saw the Ferrari drop from third to 11th on lap 15, with Hamilton displacing the Spaniard as Verstappen stretched his lead over Leclerc.
Sainz recovered into sixth as Verstappen pitted for the first time on lap 19, with Hamilton – still winless in 2022 – taking the lead as Mercedes ran a one-two with Russell in second.
Verstappen roared back before a pit stop for Hamilton, who then got the better of Sergio Perez as the Mexican aimed to protect his Red Bull team-mate's lead.
A virtual safety car deployed after issues for Tsunoda offered a glorious chance to pit on lap 48 for Verstappen, who led Hamilton by almost 16 seconds with 23 laps to go after the Mercedes driver pitted.
Verstappen squandered his advantage by pitting after another safety car deployment, but he recovered to surge back into the lead with 11 laps to go to race to victory.
Russell and Hamilton almost collided as the former looked to overtake into second, with the seven-time world champion slipping down to fourth after Leclerc eased past him.
Francesco Bagnaia claimed a dramatic victory at the San Marino Grand Prix after holding off future team-mate Enea Bastianini in Misano.
The 14th race of the MotoGP World Championship went right down to the wire between the two Italians, who will team up at Ducati for the 2023 season.
But despite intense pressure from his compatriot over the final few laps, Bagnaia held his nerve to prevail by a mere 0.034 seconds.
In closing the gap on championship leader Fabio Quartararo, who finished fifth, to 30 points Bagnaia becomes the first Ducati rider to win four successive races.
Maverick Vinales completed the podium, while Andrea Dovizioso finished 12th in the final race of his MotoGP career.
Following a three-place grid penalty in qualifying, Bagnaia started in P5 with Jack Miller having ensured his first pole in four years.
However, the Australian fell in just the second lap after slipping at turn four, while Marco Bezzecchi followed a few turns later.
Bagnaia first led in lap three with Bastianini, Vinales and Luca Marini for company, and Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro further back.
As Marini fell away, a couple of untidy corners saw Vinales also lose ground with eight laps to go; setting up a straight race between Bagnaia and Bastianini for the chequered flag.
Though Bastianini gradually closed the gap over the final four laps, he missed a couple of opportunities to pass as a stubborn Bagnaia held out to maintain his winning streak by the finest of margins.
"I struggled at the start because the grip was not so high," he said. "I was struggling to find some traction. But my feeling with the tyres was getting better lap by lap.
"In the last laps, I was trying to push to open a gap, but Enea was too fast. I'm very happy to win today. It wasn't the best start from P5, but we did it."
TOP 10
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati)
2. Enea Bastianini (Gresini) +0.034
3. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +4.212
4. Luca Marini (Ducati) +5.283
5. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +5.771
6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +10.230
7. Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar) +12.496
8. Brad Binder (KTM) +14.661
9. Jorge Martin (Ducati) +17.732
10. Alex Marquez (Honda) +21.986
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Riders
1. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) - 211
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) - 181
3. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) - 178
4. Enea Bastianini (Gresini) - 138
5. Johann Zarco (Ducati) - 125
Teams
1. Ducati - 279
2. Aprilia Racing - 253
3. Monster Energy Yamaha - 226
4. Pramac Racing - 212
5. Red Bull KTM - 192
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