Alexander Zverev had "no answers" as he lamented a dismal display in his US Open loss to Taylor Fritz.
Fritz downed Zverev 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in the last eight on Wednesday.
In the process, Fritz reached his maiden grand slam semi-final, and will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe for a place in the showpiece match at Flushing Meadows.
World number four Zverev, meanwhile, had to lick his wounds after what he labelled a "terrible" performance.
“I played terrible," said Zverev.
"I just have no answers right now. He played quite a good match. I did nothing to deserve to win."
Matters could have not been more different for 12th seed Fritz, however.
"I feel amazing," he said. "I've had a lot of looks at quarter-finals in the past couple of years, and today just felt different.
"I really feel that it was my time to take a step further and it;s only fitting I'm doing it here on this court at the [US] Open in front of this crowd.
"Today just felt different. I really felt like it was my time to go a step further. It's only fitting I'm doing it here on this court, at the Open, in front of this crowd."
With Tiafoe also progressing to the last four, it will be the first time two Americans have played each other in the US Open semi-finals since 2005.
The last time an American man reached the final at Flushing Meadows was in 2006, when Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer in 2006.
Frances Tiafoe will face Taylor Fritz in the semi-final of the US Open, where there will be an American in the men's final for the first time in 18 years.
After Fritz overcame Alexander Zverev, Tiafoe faced Grigor Dimitrov in a bid to tee-up an all-American semi-final in New York.
And Tiafoe was 2-1 up in sets and 4-1 up in the fourth when Dimitrov was forced to retire due to injury.
That means there is guaranteed to be an American in the final at Flushing Meadows for the first time since Andy Roddick faced Roger Federer in 2006.
"I didn't want to end it like that, for me or the crowd. But Friday is going to be one hell of a day," said Tiafoe.
"It's the biggest match of mine and Taylor's life.
"Obviously, it's not the way I wanted to get through but being in another semi-final here is incredible."
Data Debrief: Fortunate sons
This is the first time two Americans have reached, and will face each other, in the last four of a grand slam since Andre Agassi went up against Robby Ginepri in 2005, at Flushing Meadows.
Indeed, the United States has not had a men's singles major champion since Roddick triumphed at the US Open in 2003.
Aryna Sabalenka quipped the drinks would be on her to get the Flushing Meadows crowd onside for her US Open semi-final against Emma Navarro.
Home favourite Navarro will go up against a player in form in the last four, after last year's runner-up Sabalenka put on a show of force against Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng in the quarters.
Sabalenka claimed a statement 6-1 6-2 victory on Tuesday, in what was a rematch of this year's Australian Open final, which the Belarusian also won.
There was little let up for Zheng, as Sabalenka conceded fewer than five games against a WTA top-10 opponent for only the third time in her career, after wins over Coco Gauff in Indian Wells and Maria Sakkari at the WTA Finals last year.
Though Sabalenka knows that American Navarro, who followed up her win over defending champion Gauff by beating Paula Badosa, will have the crowd on her side.
"OK guys, drinks on me - and please give me some support in the next match," she laughed.
"She [Navarro] is a really good player. We had two battles, they were really close."
Sabalenka had more than just nerves to deal with against Zheng, given the great Roger Federer was watching on from the stands,
"I saw him there, saw him on the big screen," Sabalenka said regarding Federer, a five-time US Open champion.
"I was like, OK, I have to play my best tennis so he enjoys it. I have to show my skills, you know, slice skills, come to the net and all that stuff."
Data Debrief: Four on the spin for Sabalenka
Sabalenka has now reached four successive US Open semi-finals, as she takes her tally of last four appearances at grand slams to nine.
At the age of 26, she is the youngest woman to reach four straight semi-finals at Flushing Meadows since 2002.
She is the also first player to reach the women's singles semis at both the Australian Open and US Open in back-to-back years since Serena Williams (2015-16).
Kyle Schwarber’s third home run of the game was a go-ahead, three-run shot in the ninth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies rallied from a five-run deficit for a 10-9 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
Schwarber hit his 12th leadoff homer of the season and went deep again in the fourth before his blast with no outs in the ninth on the ninth pitch he saw from Chad Green, a 96 mph fastball. Right fielder George Springer barely moved in reaction to Schwarber's 426-foot line drive that reached the second deck for his 31st homer of the season.
Schwarber became the first Phillies player to have two three-homer games in a season and has three such games in his career. He finished 5 for 6 with six RBIs and came within a triple of the cycle, adding a double in the third and an RBI single in the seventh.
Vladimir Guerrero went 4 for 5 with a two-run homer for Toronto, which led 6-1 after one and knocked Phillies starter Tyler Phillips out of the game after two-thirds of an inning. Phillips gave up six runs on eight hits, including two-run homers by Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger.
Matt Strahm, the seventh Phillies pitcher, gave up Leo Jiménez's homer in the ninth but closed it out for his second save.
NL East-leading Philadelphia matched a season high with 18 hits and won its third straight.
Green blew a save for the second straight game after doing so on Sunday at Minnesota. He converted 16 consecutive save opportunities to begin the season.
Peterson powers streaking Mets
David Peterson struck out a career-high 11 on his 29th birthday and was backed by home runs from Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos and Pete Alonso as the New York Mets won their sixth straight, 7-2 over the slumping Boston Red Sox.
Peterson won his fourth straight decision, allowing one run and six hits – all singles - with one walk.
Early in the game, he threw a career-best 16 consecutive strikes as the first four innings zipped by in 59 minutes. New York improved to 14-3 in Peterson's starts since he made his season debut May 29 after recovering from hip surgery.
Lindor launched his 30th homer in the third inning and added an RBI double to spark a four-run eighth, drawing another chorus of “MVP! MVP!” chants from the Citi Field crowd. New York, which has won 13 of 18, remained a half-game behind Atlanta for the final NL wild card.
Vientos greeted Justin Slaten with a leadoff homer in the seventh after Lindor's blast was the lone Mets hit off starter Kutter Crawford, who fanned eight in six innings.
Nick Sogard had an RBI single for the Red Sox, who have dropped four in a row and five of six. They totalled five runs in those defeats.
Sale wins 16th, hits milestone
Chris Sale tied for the major league lead with his 16th win and reached 200 strikeouts for the first time since 2019 to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Sale (16-3) earned his sixth straight win and has gone 15 straight starts allowing no more than three earned runs.
He gave up six hits and fanned nine to push his season total to 206, his most since he had 219 with the Red Sox before a series of injuries derailed his career. He became the first left-hander in Braves franchise history to post 200 strikeouts.
Sale tied Detroit’s Tarik Skubal for the major league lead in wins.
Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his 29th save in 31 chances, extending his scoreless streak to 22 1/3 innings.
Home hopeful Taylor Fritz reached his first ever grand slam semi-final at the US Open, beating world number four Alexander Zverev in four sets at Flushing Meadows.
Fritz, who had lost his previous four grand slam quarter-finals, came through tie-breaks in the first and fourth set to emerge a 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victor.
Both players traded blows in the opening set, with Fritz squandering the opportunity to take the opener in the 12th game after missing three set points, only to go on and win the tie-break.
Zverev continued to match his American opponent stride for stride, but struck the decisive blow in the second set with a break point in the eighth game to level the encounter.
But backed by a raucous crowd inside Flushing Meadows, Fritz raced into a 3-0 lead in the third and despite Zverev finding a break of his own, he was unable to stop the world number 12 going within touching distance of victory.
With the atmosphere intensifying, a second tie-break of the game would decide whether the encounter went the distance, with Zverev pulling the final ball wide to claim a famous win for Fritz at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fritz could play fellow American Frances Tiafoe for a place in a first grand slam final, with Tiafoe squaring off against Grigor Dimitrov in Tuesday's night session.
Data Debrief: Fritz hits the heights
Defeating Zverev at the age of 26y 310d, Fritz has become the oldest American in the Open Era to reach their maiden men's singles SF at the US Open.
It was the 12th-seeded Fritz's fourth win over an ATP top-10 player in a major this season, the most by an American man in one year since Andre Agassi had five in 1999.
Home hopeful Taylor Fritz reached his first ever grand slam semi-final at the US Open, beating world number four Alexander Zverev in four sets at Flushing Meadows.
Fritz, who had lost his previous four grand slam quarter-finals, came through tie-breaks in the first and fourth set to emerge a 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victor.
Both players traded blows in the opening set, with Fritz squandering the opportunity to take the opener in the 12th game after missing three set points, only to go on and win the tie-break.
Zverev continued to match his American opponent stride for stride, but struck the decisive blow in the second set with a break point in the eighth game to level the encounter.
But backed by a raucous crowd inside Flushing Meadows, Fritz raced into a 3-0 lead in the third and despite Zverev finding a break of his own, he was unable to stop the world number 12 going within touching distance of victory.
With the atmosphere intensifying, a second tie-break of the game would decide whether the encounter went the distance, with Zverev pulling the final ball wide to claim a famous win for Fritz at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fritz could play fellow American Frances Tiafoe for a place in a first grand slam final, with Tiafoe squaring off against Grigor Dimitrov in Tuesday's night session.
Data Debrief: Fritz hits the heights
Defeating Zverev at the age of 26y 310d, Fritz has become the oldest American in the Open Era to reach their maiden men's singles SF at the US Open.
It was the 12th-seeded Fritz's fourth win over an ATP top-10 player in a major this season, the most by an American man in one year since Andre Agassi had five in 1999.
Home hopeful Taylor Fritz reached his first ever grand slam semi-final at the US Open, beating world number four Alexander Zverev in four sets at Flushing Meadows.
Fritz, who had lost his previous four grand slam quarter-finals, came through tie-breaks in the first and fourth set to emerge a 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victor.
Both players traded blows in the opening set, with Fritz squandering the opportunity to take the opener in the 12th game after missing three set points, only to go on and win the tie-break.
Zverev continued to match his American opponent stride for stride, but struck the decisive blow in the second set with a break point in the eighth game to level the encounter.
But backed by a raucous crowd inside the Flushing Meadows, Fritz raced into a 3-0 lead in the third and despite Zverev finding a break of his own, he was unable to stop the world number 12 going within touching distance of victory.
With the atmosphere intensifying, a second tie-break of the game would decide whether the ecnounter went the distance, with Zverev pulling the final ball wide to claim a famous win for Fritz at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Fritz could play fellow American Frances Tiafoe for a place in a first grand slam final, with Tiafoe squaring off against Grigor Dimitrov in Tuesday's night session.
Data Debrief: Fritz hits the heights
Defeating Zverev at the age of 26y 310d, Fritz has become the oldest American in the Open Era to reach their maiden men's singles SF at the US Open.
It was the 12th-seeded Fritz's fourth win over an ATP top-10 player in a major this season, the most by an American man in one year since Andre Agassi had five in 1999.
Emma Navarro is ready for the challenge of either Aryna Sabalenka or Zheng Qinwen as she bids for US Open glory at Flushing Meadows.
Navarro, who had never made it past the first round in her previous appearances at New York, put on an impressive display to win in straight sets against Paula Badosa.
The American found herself 5-1 down in the second set, only to win the next six games in a row to reach her maiden grand slam semi-final.
She also became the second American player since 2000 to make their first grand slam women's singles semi-final at the US Open, after Jennifer Brady did so in 2020.
But waiting in the next round is last year's runner-up, Sabalenka, or the recently crowned Olympic champion Zheng, a challenge Navarro is not shying away from.
"I've played both of them a couple of times,” said Navarro. “They are great players, I think we will have a great battle. But I'll be up for the challenge of either of them.
"Both big servers, big hitters and I think they will come aggressively at me whichever one it is - but yeah I'll be ready."
Navarro had only won one match at the main stage of a grand slam before this year, but has got better and better throughout her breakout year of 2024.
She reached the third round of the Australian Open, the last 16 at the French Open, the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and now the semi-finals of her home slam.
"After I got it back to 5-2, I had a bit of an inkling that it might be two sets," added Navarro.
"I just wanted to stay really tough and stick in there and even if I did lose the second set, I wanted to set the tone for the third set.
"Just really happy with my performance today. Crazy to be moving on to the semi-finals. US Open baby."
Emma Navarro is ready for the challenge of either Aryna Sabalenka or Zheng Qinwen as she bids for US Open glory at Flushing Meadows.
Navarro, who had never made it past the first round in her previous appearances at New York, put on an impressive display to win in straight sets against Paula Badosa.
The American found herself 5-1 down in the second set, only to win the next six games in a row to reach her maiden grand slam semi-final.
She also became the second American player since 2000 to make their first grand slam women's singles semi-final at the US Open, after Jennifer Brady did so in 2020.
But waiting in the next round is last year's runner-up, Sabalenka, or the recently crowned Olympic champion Zheng, a challenge Navarro is not shying away from.
"I've played both of them a couple of times,” said Navarro. “They are great players, I think we will have a great battle. But I'll be up for the challenge of either of them.
"Both big servers, big hitters and I think they will come aggressively at me whichever one it is - but yeah I'll be ready."
Navarro had only won one match at the main stage of a grand slam before this year, but has got better and better throughout her breakout year of 2024.
She reached the third round of the Australian Open, the last 16 at the French Open, the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and now the semi-finals of her home slam.
"After I got it back to 5-2, I had a bit of an inkling that it might be two sets," added Navarro.
"I just wanted to stay really tough and stick in there and even if I did lose the second set, I wanted to set the tone for the third set.
"Just really happy with my performance today. Crazy to be moving on to the semi-finals. US Open baby."
Fernando Alonso insisted that Aston Martin are "doing something really wrong" after missing out on the top 10 at Monza despite Kevin Magnussen's penalty.
Alonso, who ended up outside the points for only the sixth time this season at the Italian Grand Prix, finished less than two tenths of a second behind the Dane's Haas.
Magnussen was handed a 10-second penalty after a collision with Alpine's Pierre Gasly, with the Spaniard and Williams' Alex Albon chasing hard to get within that margin.
However, Alonso's two-stop strategy saw him playing catch up after being jumped by the one-stopping Albon, with the 28-year-old finishing the race in ninth.
Alonso has scored in the past two races, while Aston Martin look assured of fifth in the constructors’ standings this season, being 40 points ahead of RB.
But Alonso couldn’t hide his frustration after the race at battling with cars lower down the field, having been fighting at the top end of the grid only 12 months ago.
“I hope we understand things that we are doing wrong, as definitely we are doing something really wrong and we get better for Baku,” Alonso said.
Alonso's team-mate, Lance Stroll, propped up the field after taking a third pit stop in an optimistic bid to deny anyone in the top 10 the fastest lap bonus point.
But their attention will now turn to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and should both Aston Martin's drivers score at least 14 points in Baku, they will become the 14th team to reach the 500-point mark in the history of Formula 1 (currently 486), also equalling Toro Rosso's record (500).
After Aston Martin's recent struggles, both Alonso and Stroll have hope that the team can entice former Red Bull designer Adrian Newey to the team after emerging as one of the front runners to claim his signature in recent weeks.
From September 6 to September 8, Jamaica’s top table tennis players will descend upon the National Indoor Sports Center in Kingston for the 2024 Jamaica Table Tennis Association (JTTA) National Senior and Junior Table Tennis Championships.
In what promises to be an unforgettable weekend of table tennis excitement, players will be competing in categories ranging from Under-9 Girls and Boys all the way up to the Men’s and Women’s Open categories.
“This will be the largest participation in over 20 years,” according to JTTA President Ingrid Graham.
She also noted that this will be the largest number of participants ever in both the Men’s Open and Under-19 sections.
These championships will also see Jamaican citizens overseas coming to the island to compete for the top spot in their respective categories.
“We have over 10 Jamaican citizens living in London, Canada and the USA coming over to participate,” Graham said.
Sponsors for the championships include OSIL, Western Sports, Graham International Consulting, SDF, JOA, Insport, Virginia Deer, Mother’s, Altamont Court Hotel, Auto Channel, Jamaica Post and GEWO Jamaica.
Doors open at 9:00 am Jamaica Time each day.
Sergio Perez insists Max Verstappen is now "in the same boat" as himself after Red Bull's recent struggles continued at the Italian Grand Prix.
Perez, who finished in eighth at Monza last Sunday, complained about the balance of the RB20 along with his team-mate, who ended the race in sixth and 37 seconds behind eventual winner Charles Leclerc.
The Mexican also found tyre wear higher than expected and failed to make a two-stop strategy work in his favour and is now without a podium since the Chinese Grand Prix.
Perez has also gone 10 consecutive Grand Prix's without finishing in the top five of the standings, the same number of times as in his previous 41 races in Formula 1.
He has struggled with his car numerous times this season, but now his difficulties have been matched by his team-mate and three-time world champion.
“I really feel like I’m in the same boat as I’ve been in for the last eight, 10 races but now all of a sudden Max has come into similar issues so yeah," Perez said.
"There is a little bit of a confusion there but it is clear in the data where the problem is.
“I am very confident the team here at track and back at home have the solution, we have produced great cars in the past and there is no reason why we cannot get back on track.
“We have no questions now, we know the problem. Given it is all related to balance, if we can find a fix then we can switch it around but for now, it’s head down until we find the answer."
The good news for Perez is that the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is next up on the race calendar, a track he won at last season and in 2021.
Perez is also the driver who has scored the most points at Baku (100), with only a Lewis Hamilton victory and fastest lap being enough to overtake the Mexican if he fails to score points this time around (75 points for Hamilton).
Emma Navarro staged a stunning second-set comeback against Paula Badosa to reach her first career grand slam semi-final at the US Open on Tuesday.
The American looked to be heading to a decider but put together an incredible run to win 6-2 7-5 on Arthur Ashe Stadium in 74 minutes.
Navarro had never made it past the first round in her previous appearances at Flushing Meadows but has followed up her Wimbledon quarter-final run with another impressive showing.
Badosa, who has been on a recent resurgence with her title in Washington last month, struggled to gain a foothold, losing her serve twice in the first set and failing to get a break in the penultimate game.
She looked back to her usual self in the second though, racing into a commanding 5-1 lead, only to see it slip away from her.
Buoyed by her home crowd, Navarro won the next six games in a row to set up a meeting with either Qinwen Zheng or Aryna Sabalenka in the next round.
Data Debrief: Breaking new ground
It has already been quite the year for Navarro, winning her first WTA Tour title in Hobart in January before reaching her first grand slam quarter-final in Wimbledon.
But her performance in her home tournament has the potential to be the pick of the year. Into her first major semis, she is also now guaranteed a top-10 debut next week.
Navarro is the sixth player in the last 40 years to make the women's singles semi-finals at the US Open without a win at the event entering the tournament, after Steffi Graf (1985), Venus Williams (1997), Yanana Wickmayer (2009), Bianca Andreescu (2019) & Emma Raducanu (2021).
In a glowing endorsement of the vital role played by Latin American travel advisors, Gary Sadler, Executive Vice President of Sales and Industry Relations at Unique Vacations, lauded their unwavering efforts in driving tourism to Jamaica and other Caribbean destinations, particularly where Sandals Resorts are located.
Sadler expressed his heartfelt appreciation for their continued dedication to promoting the Sandals brand and the broader Caribbean region, as he acknowledged the crucial role they play in not only attracting visitors but also in strengthening the tourism sectors of the countries they serve, with a special emphasis on Jamaica, the home of Sandals Resorts.
“Jamaica and Sandals continue to be a very strong product for Latin America. You have seen just a part of Jamaica, the Ocho Rios region, but as we continue to invest in Latin America, you'll find that the Caribbean, such as Barbados, with flights four times a week from Panama with Copa Airlines, and Bahamas Nassau, again with Copa Airlines flying from Panama, will continue to grow. We are throughout the Caribbean, hence the reason that we can provide the diversity that you need,” Sadler said after another successful staging of the Sandals Latin America Travel Advisors Golf Tournament on Monday.
“Your commitment to showcasing the beauty, culture, and luxury that Jamaica and the Caribbean have to offer is nothing short of extraordinary. Each year, your efforts bring more and more visitors to our shores, allowing them to experience the unparalleled service and hospitality that Sandals is known for,” he added.
Gary Sadler shares a light moment with Arlenes Garcia.
The 10th edition of the Sandals Latin America Travel Advisors tournament brought together travel advisors from 11 Latin American countries—Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Mexico—for a few days of networking, education, and friendly competition at Sandals Golf and Country Club in Upton Estate.
Two teams from Argentina were crowned joint champions, as both teams finished tied on 68 after the two days.
One team, comprising Gabriel Miguens, Pablo Moioni, Gaston Serra, and Ulises Chiappe scored 34 across both days, while the other team of Maria Luisa Rodriquez, Fernando Rafael Quintes, Pablo Wolinsky, and Cesar Suarez scored 36 on day one and 32 on day two.
Peru’s team of Cesar Ruiz, Denitza Almeyda, Diego Sorni, and Micaela Oslcese, was third with 72, following scores of 39 and 33 across both days.
Beyond the competition, the advisors, many of whom were visiting the island for the very first time, were given a firsthand experience of the luxurious accommodations, world-class amenities, and vibrant culture that they market to their clients.
The tournament not only served as a platform for professional development but also as a testament to the strong partnerships that Sandals has built with the Latin American travel industry over the years.
Gaston Serra, a member of the winning Argentina team, makes a put.
Sadler highlighted the importance of these partnerships, noting that the continued success of Sandals Resorts in Latin America is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of the travel advisors.
He also encouraged the advisors to keep pushing for sales in their regions, emphasizing that their efforts have a direct impact on the growth of tourism in the Caribbean.
“What that means is that you have the ability to sell the Caribbean, especially the English-speaking Caribbean. Every time a visitor from Latin America visits the Turks and Caicos Islands, it's the quality vacation that you sell that makes a huge difference. My own experience visiting Brazil for carnival, visiting Christ the Redeemer in Rio, tells me that everyone must travel to experience the world,” Sadler declared.
"Your influence in the Latin American market is undeniable, and so I urge you to continue your relentless pursuit of excellence. Together, we can further strengthen the Sandals brand and ensure that Jamaica and the Caribbean remain top-of-mind destinations for travelers from Latin America,” he stated.
“We're grateful that you can make it Sandals and you can make it Jamaica, and I sincerely hope that everyone had a wonderful, wonderful experience. Thank you for your commitment to Jamaica, and thank you for your commitment to Sandals,” he ended.
Fred Vasseur has predicted a "huge fight" for the constructors' title this season after Ferrari's success at the Italian Grand Prix last week.
Charles Leclerc led McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in Monza, claiming his second victory of the season and the team's second win on home soil in the last six years.
Leclerc has now already scored 11 more points than in the entire previous season (206), and closed the gap to second-placed Norris in the drivers' championship to 24 points.
Having also secured a long-awaited triumph in Monaco in May, Vasseur believes Leclerc's win in Monza was among his best experiences as Ferrari team principal.
“For Ferrari and for Charles to win in Monaco, to win in Monza – I think it’s probably, with Imola, the two or three that you want to take in the season," Vasseur said.
"But, at the end of the day, you are not scoring more points in Monza than in Baku.
“Mathematically speaking it’s a win, emotionally speaking for sure it’s something very important because we have a huge support from the beginning of the week from the Tifosi, starting on Monday at the factory in Maranello.
“We had already lots of people in front of the entrance, and the best way to pay them back is to win.
"But it’s not easy, it’s not always under our control, but for sure for the team it was a good way to pay them back for their support.”
With eight races remaining, Ferrari are now only 39 points away from Red Bull at the head of the constructors’ standings ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix next week.
But Baku has proved a difficult track to navigate for the Italian team in recent years, with Ferrari having taken the most pole positions without ever winning the race (four with Sebastian Vettel in 2018, and Leclerc from 2021 to 2023).
Should Leclerc achieve pole position, it will be the best pole streak for a Ferrari driver in a Grand Prix since Michael Schumacher in Spain from 2000 to 2004 (five).
However, in terms of his expectations for the remainder of the campaign, Vasseur believes that the team will be part of a “huge fight” given how close the pack is.
“I think it would be a huge mistake to try to draw any conclusions or to change the plan [after winning at Monza],” Vasseur said.
“There is a very long way to go until Abu Dhabi, there is something like 450 points on the table.
“It’s so tight, the fight – honestly, I spent a couple of years on the pit wall but it’s the first time I think in F1 we have this situation where eight drivers can win the race, without an accident or crash.
"Four teams are able to win or be on the podium, and it’s changing from session to session.
“For me the most impressive was probably Spa where you had a McLaren in FP1, Red Bull in FP2, we started from pole and Mercedes won the race, and we have the feeling that it is almost like this everywhere, except Lando dominating last weekend in Zandvoort.
“But you can expect that, I think until the end of the season, it will be like this, that it will be a huge fight, and it’s true that with eight cars with this kind of competitiveness that one team can do a one-two and also a seven-eight.
"I don’t want to speak about DNF, but this can make a huge difference in terms of points. Let’s be focused on Baku first. Step by step we will see.”
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has spoken of his desire to draw legendary designer Adrian Newey to his team.
Red Bull announced in May that Newey would leave in early 2025 after 19 years at the core of the team.
Aston Martin are reportedly set to announce a deal with the 65-year-old in the coming weeks, having emerged as the most likely destination for him, despite initial interest from Ferrari.
While Aston Martin had not previously spoken publicly about their talks with Newey, Stroll has made his admiration of him known.
"I certainly hope so. Adrian and I have been talking not only for months but actually for years," Stroll told Bloomberg.
"Adrian is clearly the most talented and gifted individual in Formula One, based on his track record and history.
"So, I'd be very excited for Adrian to join our team, as I think every other Formula One team on the grid would feel exactly the same.
"You can definitely assume that [I would pull out all the stops]."
Newey's decision to leave Red Bull was influenced by the tumultuous period behind the scenes for the reigning F1 constructors' champions.
Controversy surrounded team principal Christian Horner at the start of the season as he was accused of engaging in inappropriate controlling behaviour towards a female member of staff, accusations he denied and was cleared of following an independent investigation.
Newey will not have to serve a period of gardening leave and will be able to oversee the development of a 2026 car.
Jamaica's pride in motorsport, Fraser McConnell, is set to embark on his third season in Nitrocross.
Rounds 1 and 2 will take place at the new venue of Richmond Raceway in Virginia on September 7-8, 2024.
McConnell was impressive from the start in the 2023-24 season by winning the first round. He repeated his feat in round 5 in Phoenix and round 9 in Las Vegas while also making the podium in second place in round 6.
His exceptional performance culminated in the runner-up spot behind Robin Larsson, who claimed his second consecutive title, an improvement from his third-place finish in the 2022-23 season.
As McConnell enters his third season, the stakes are higher, and the determination is unwavering for Jamaica's current Motorsport Athlete of the Year.
"Last season was a thrilling experience, and I’m proud of what we achieved as a team. This year, I’m even more motivated to give it my absolute everything to put the black green and gold on the top spot," said McConnell. "The support from Jamaica and motorsport fans worldwide has been incredible, and I’m excited to give them more to cheer about this season while we plan to make every opportunity count and show the world what we can do."
The Richmond Raceway will be a new venue for the talented Jamaican, who's looking forward to the challenge.
"Racing at a new track to start the season is always an exciting challenge. It levels the playing field and pushes every driver to adapt quickly, and learning new tracks quickly is something that I am very comfortable with. I'm looking forward to testing my skills in Richmond and setting the pace for what I'm hoping will be another incredible season."
Nitrocross, known for its high-octane, adrenaline-pumping races, will feature 10 rounds over six venues from September 7 to March 2, with stops in Richmond, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Miami and Las Vegas.
Aryna Sabalenka "doesn't want to leave" the US Open as she bids to reach a fourth consecutive semi-final at Flushing Meadows.
The Belarusian beat Elise Mertens to reach the quarter-finals, with Olympic gold medallist Qinwen Zheng standing between her and a place in the final four.
It is the second time the pair will meet in 2024 after Sabalenka overcame Zheng in straight sets to win her second consecutive Australian Open title in January.
Sabalenka reached the final of the US Open last year, losing out to Coco Gauff, who was knocked out in the fourth round, leaving the 26-year-old as one of the favourites to clinch the title this year.
"I really enjoy playing on these big stadiums," Sabalenka said.
"I feel all the support. I just don't want to leave early here.
"I just want to stay as long as I can and enjoy this beautiful court and beautiful atmosphere."
Sabalenka is the first player to make the quarter-finals at the US Open in women's singles for 4+ consecutive years since Serena Williams (six in a row between 2011 and 2016).
And she will be looking to emulate the American's record of reaching the semi-finals in 4+ consecutive years on Tuesday.
Jannik Sinner is anticipating a gruelling US Open quarter-final clash with Daniil Medvedev after producing some of his best tennis of the year to beat Tommy Paul in the fourth round.
Sinner made a slow start against the home favourite in front of a raucous crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, swiftly going two breaks down before recovering his composure.
He needed tie-breaks to take the first two sets but produced a mesmerising display in the third, wrapping up a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 victory to ensure he has reached at least the quarter-finals of all four grand slams in 2024.
Sinner has also made the last eight at his first 12 ATP-level events this year. At the age of 23 years and 17 days, he is the second-youngest man to achieve that feat in the Open Era, after Jimmy Connors in 1974 (21 years, 290 days).
While early exits for Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have seen the opposite side of the draw open up, things do not get any easier for the world number one as he faces Medvedev next.
The Russian, who won the 2021 edition of the US Open, trounced Nuno Borges 6-0 6-1 6-3 in his own fourth-round matchup and has won 11 straight sets of tennis.
Sinner, meanwhile, has struggled with hip problems throughout the season and was seen clutching the area after stumbling during one long rally versus Paul.
He is hopeful of overcoming that concern ahead of Wednesday's quarter-final but knows he will be pushed all the way by Medvedev.
"For sure mentally I didn't start very well. I was a double break down in the first set. I tried to stay there mentally and for sure this was one of the keys to win this match," Sinner said.
"I served very well in the beginning of the match. There are some ups and downs obviously in best of five, it's normal to have that.
"But finding my rhythm in the end of the match hopefully helps for the next match, so let's see.
"There's going to be a lot of rallies so hopefully I'll be ready physically. We'll try to do our best on court and hopefully you guys enjoy it."
The winner of Sinner's clash with Medvedev will face either Jack Draper or Alex de Minaur for a spot in the final, with the former reaching his maiden grand slam quarter-final by beating Tomas Machac 6-3 6-1 6-2.
Draper, who is the first British man to make the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows since Andy Murray in 2016, told Sky Sports after his win: "I feel amazing being in the last eight.
"My first quarter-final, it means the absolute world to me. I've definitely felt more and more confident in myself."
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