Novak Djokovic admits he needs to "lower the expectations" as he prepares to defend his French Open title.
The Serbian has failed to reach a final so far in 2024, having fallen at the semi-final hurdle in Australia, Monte-Carlo, and most recently Geneva with a defeat to Tomas Machac.
Djokovic also suffered shock defeats to Alejandro Tabilo in Rome and world number 123 Luca Nardi at Indian Wells in the round of 32.
Despite questions surrounding his recent form, the 24-time Grand Slam winner is looking to draw on his vast experience to end his trophy drought this season.
"I would say that I know what I'm capable of, and particularly in the Grand Slams I normally play the best tennis, at least I aim always to play the best tennis, and I was most of my career able to do that, so that's the goal," said Djokovic on his arrival in France.
"I have been saying, you know, for quite a while that in terms of clay, I want to peak here in Paris, in Roland Garros. Last year I had an amazing year, and particularly here in Roland Garros, and hopefully, I can have a great tournament.
"My hopes and goals are always the same, but I have to lower the expectations. When I say that I mean, you know, maybe not thinking too much ahead in advance in terms of the tournament and who I might face in the later rounds, but really taking it day by day, step by step, and really building my game.
"Because that's what I have really been struggling with, not really playing in a consistently good level."
Djokovic will play French wildcard Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the first round on Tuesday.
Charles Leclerc secured his first win at the Monaco Grand Prix, cruising to victory on home soil despite a first-lap red flag.
A huge crash between Kevin Magnussen and Sergio Perez seconds into the race saw the early red flag come out after the Dane tried to squeeze through a narrow gap but flipped the Red Bull instead. Both drivers were unharmed but unable to continue.
Having claimed his third pole in Monaco on Saturday, Leclerc followed that up with his first podium finish here, crossing the line seven seconds ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri.
Leclerc's Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz held off a charging Lando Norris to claim third, even after a tangle with Piastri during the initial start, though it did not affect his restart position.
George Russell rounded out the top five, holding off Max Verstappen – who was not able to improve on his sixth-place start – capping a disappointing weekend for Red Bull.
Data Debrief: Curse-breaker
Leclerc is the 35th driver to win at his home Grand Prix. He has claimed pole three times in Monaco (2021, 2022, 2024), and has finished on the podium for the first time in his sixth Formula 1 race there.
The Monegasque had already created history in qualifying, earning Ferrari's 250th pole in Formula 1 history, while claiming his 24th for the Italian team in the process.
Carlos Alcaraz put any concerns over an arm injury to one side after easing into the French Open second round on Sunday.
The world number three cruised to a straight-sets victory over J.J. Wolf on Court Philippe-Chatrier, dropping just four games en route to a convincing triumph.
Spain's Alcaraz had worries over featuring at Roland-Garros, where he was defeated in the semi-final last year, due to a troublesome arm injury.
The 21-year-old played through his first-round victory with a supportive sleeve on his right arm, though that issue did not cause Alcaraz any problems on his emphatic return.
"I would have loved to have played more matches," Alcaraz said after his dominant performance in Paris.
"I don't need too many matches to get to 100 per cent. I think I prepared well these past two weeks before coming to Paris.
"I felt well moving. My forearm is getting better and better. That is something good for me.
"I think I don't need too many matches to play my best."
Alcaraz claimed a 12th win from his opening 15 matches at Roland-Garros. Since 2000, only two players have claimed more from that opening span of matches – Rafael Nadal (15) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (13).
The powerful Alcaraz also boasts a record of 21-1 against players ranked outside the top 50 at major events, with his only such defeat inflicted by Mikael Ymer at the 2021 Australian Open.
"I am really happy to be back here and back here in Paris," Alcaraz added. "To compete again has been a difficult month for me. I love competing and playing tennis. To stay away from that was hurting for me.
"I tried everything I could do to be here at 100 per cent. I think I showed my best tennis today. I'm really, really happy to show my best tennis again.
"I love playing here in Paris. The energy from the crowd here is something special. Seeing the full stadium in the first round is amazing. It's great for tennis to have a lot of people come into the tournament. I'm trying to make the people enjoy as well."
Carlos Alcaraz breezed into the French Open second round after easing to a straight-sets victory against J.J. Wolf on Sunday.
The Spaniard reached the last four at Roland-Garros last year, losing to eventual winner Novak Djokovic, and started his 2024 campaign in impressive fashion after 6-1 6-2 6-1 triumph.
Jack Draper or Jesper de Jong await in the next round for Alcaraz, who headed into this tournament as the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the round of 16 at seven consecutive majors.
The world number three hammered America's Wolf in the first set on Court Philippe-Chatrier, securing a 1-0 lead after just 37 minutes of action in Paris.
Wolf held his serve for the first time in the second set but soon fell 5-1 behind, with a comeback never seeming likely against the dominant 21-year-old.
A string of eye-catching winners helped Alcaraz twice break the struggling Wolf in the thrid set as the two-time major winner made light work under the roof with rain pouring in the French capital.
Data Debrief: Alcaraz remains perfect in first rounds at majors
Lucky loser Wolf was aiming for the first top-10 win of his career but came unstuck against Alcaraz, who has triumphed in all 13 of his first-round clashes at grand slam tournaments.
The imperious Alcaraz also boasts a record of 21-1 against players ranked outside the top 50 at major events, with his only loss coming to Mikael Ymer at the 2021 Australian Open.
Andrey Rublev booked his place in the French Open second round after battling past Taro Daniel in four sets at Roland Garros.
The sixth seed, who is a two-time quarter-finalist at the season's second major, prevailed 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 7-5 in just over three hours on Court Simonne-Mathieu.
Rublev triumphed on clay at the Madrid Open earlier this month and dominated the opening set, though his Japanse opponent pegged him back in a second-set tie-break.
However, the 26-year-old was not to be denied, taking the next two sets to book a showdown with either Pedro Martinez or Thiago Agustin Tirante in the second round.
Data debrief
It is now 10 years since Rublev was crowned the boys' singles champion at Roland Garros, while he reached the first of his two men's quarter-finals in 2020.
One of the most consistent players in recent years, he has now won 223 ATP matches since the start of the 2020 season, with only Daniil Medvedev (225) registering more during that time.
Naomi Osaka returned to the French Open with a bang after overcoming Lucia Bronzetti to set up a potential meeting with Iga Swiatek.
Former world number one Osaka made her Paris comeback after a 15-month maternity break, battling to a 6-1 4-6 7-5 first-round victory over Bronzetti on Sunday.
Now ranked 134th in the women's standings after her long lay-off, the four-time major winner had little trouble in finding her feet and did not face a break point during a dominant first set.
World number 48 Bronzetti responded by holding three consecutive serving games in the second set on Court Philippe-Chatrier, staving off two break points to clinch a 4-3 lead.
Osaka managed back-to-back breaks to seize a 4-0 advantage after the Italian forced a deciding set, though was forced to hold off a late comeback to triumph in the French capital.
Returning to Roland-Garros for the first time in two years, Osaka could now meet Swiatek in the second round if the defending champion overcomes Leolia Jeanjean on Monday.
Data Debrief: Osaka hot on Swiatek's tail
Among active players, Osaka (75.3%, 58-19) now only trails her potential next opponent, Swiatek (81.4%, 70-16), for winning percentage in women’s singles matches at major events.
Now 5-3 on clay at WTA events in 2024, Osaka has claimed five seasonal match wins on clay for the first time since 2019, when she held the WTA's number-one ranking.
In a highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash, the previously unbeaten West Coast Fever succumbed to their first loss of the season, falling 76-65 to the Melbourne Vixens at RAC Arena on Sunday.
Despite an impressive performance from Jhanielle Fowler-Nembhard, who scored 41 goals from 43 attempts, the Fever were unable to overcome the combined efforts of the Vixens’ Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin, who scored 45 and 22 goals respectively. The Fever’s defeat came before their largest ever home crowd of more than 11,000 fans.
The Melbourne Vixens arrived in Perth determined to bounce back from their tough loss to the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Round Six. Their hunger to dethrone the undefeated Fever was evident from the opening whistle.
The Vixens executed a flawless game plan, capitalizing on uncharacteristic errors from the Fever. Defensive stars Emily Mannix and Rudi Ellis were instrumental in shutting down Fowler-Nembhard, while Kiera Austin’s exceptional performance in the GA position proved pivotal in securing the victory. Austin’s impressive stats—104.5 Nissan Net Points, 16 goal assists, 17 center pass receives, 22 feeds, and shooting at an impressive 95 per cent, underscored her critical role in the triumph.
“We worked really hard in training this week. I think we were all a bit disappointed in what we wanted to put out there (last week against the Lightning), and when you do the work, the results come,” said MVP Austin post-match.
From the start, the Vixens set the tone with clever play and speedy ball movement. Emily Mannix made a statement early with a spectacular intercept and multiple deflections, while Kiera Austin was strong against Sunday Aryang, scoring nine from 10 in the opening quarter. Despite Fran Williams’ electric defense for the Fever, which initially helped them to a 22-19 lead at quarter time, the Vixens’ resilience shone through.
A terrific second-quarter surge saw the Vixens seize control, with Austin continuing her dominant performance, amassing 44.5 Nissan Net Points for the quarter. Austin and Garbin executed flawless screens and rotations, keeping the Fever defenders on their toes. Emily Mannix and Rudi Ellis were clinical in defense, forcing turnovers and ultimately sending Shanice Beckford to the bench. By half-time, the Vixens held a six-goal lead (42-36).
In the second half, the Fever showed renewed vigor, lifting their pressure and chipping away at the scoreboard. However, the Vixens remained composed, sticking to their game plan and gradually widening their lead. Garbin’s seamless play and Austin’s consistent feeding under the post left the Fever’s defense in disarray. The Vixens’ defensive pressure disrupted the Fever's attacking flow, and despite intense collisions and physical play, they maintained their lead, heading into the final quarter with an 11-point advantage.
The Fever made several changes in a bid to orchestrate a comeback in the final quarter, but the Vixens' starting lineup remained steadfast. The Fever managed to narrow the gap with clutch Super Shots from Fowler-Nembhard, but the Vixens’ composure and Garbin’s offensive rebounds extended their lead.
PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray has died aged 30 after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge.
The two-time Tour champion withdrew from the tournament in Fort Worth, Texas during his second round on Friday due to illness.
Murray, who won his second title at this year's Sony Open in Hawaii, passed away on Saturday as the Tour confirmed the news through an organisational statement.
"We were devastated to learn – and are heartbroken to share – that Grayson Murray passed away this morning. I am at a loss for words," wrote Tour commissioner Jay Monahan.
Jofra Archer may not immediately return with the crashing impact he previously had on England, but Jos Buttler is looking forward to utilising the fast bowler after his lengthy injury lay-off.
Rapid pacer Archer capped his first England performance in over a year with two wickets as England secured a 23-run victory over Pakistan in their T20I at Edgbaston.
With the upcoming T20 World Cup on the horizon, England captain Buttler was delighted to have Archer back in the fold – but warned his workload must be managed.
"I thought he was brilliant; you can see the emotion, taking wickets again, is fantastic," said Buttler, who plundered 84 off just 54 deliveries in the first innings to set the tone.
"He's not just going to be the Jofra Archer of old straight away, but a really positive performance.
"It's absolutely trying to get overs into Jofra but looking after him as well. I thought the whole bowling group was brilliant."
Buttler's knock, which included eight fours and three sixes, marked the second-highest score by an England captain in a T20I, behind Eoin Morgan's 91 against New Zealand in 2019.
On his own performance, Buttler added: "You always want to be playing well. I feel like I'm hitting the ball well, which is great."
Pakistan appeared to be setting their chase of 184 up well as Babar Azam crafted a fine 32, along with Fakhar Zaman's quickfire 45 off just 21 balls.
Yet the Pakistan captain fell lbw to Moeen Ali, with Fakhar then holing out off Liam Livingstone to Harry Brook in the deep as the visitors unfurled in Birmingham.
"Mostly we are flexible and everyone knows their role," Babar said after the defeat. "Before the series, we decided to go with these roles, so we're clear.
"The way Fakhar dominated after the early wickets fell. I think if me and Fakhar had batted for four or five more overs, then we could have won."
Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek are the favourites in their respective draws to triumph at the French Open.
That is according to Stats Perform's Win Probability Model, which saw Swiatek regain her Roland-Garros crown in 20 per cent of simulations, ahead of nearest challenger Elena Rybakina (nine per cent).
The Pole is aiming to become the third player in the Open Era to win the women's singles title at Roland-Garros for three consecutive years, after Monica Seles (1990-92) and Justine Henin (2005-07).
Swiatek claimed a third women’s singles title at Roland-Garros from five appearances in the main draw at the event. In the Open Era, only Margaret Court (three out of four, 75 per cent) holds a better title win rate from main draws entered at the tournament.
In the men's competition, Sinner is the narrow favourite in Stats Perform's predictions, with his 13 per cent chance just clear of Novak Djokovic's 10.
Sinner has the highest winning percentage of any player so far in 2024 (93.3 per cent, 28-2), though third-favourite Carlos Alcaraz still has a six per cent likelihood of winning in Paris.
World number three Alcaraz has yet to reach a French Open final, but is the youngest player in the Open Era to reach the round of 16 at seven consecutive majors.
Meanwhile, Djokovic is out to overtake Court's record of 24 majors and become the outright leader for grand slam titles across men's and women's singles events.
Aged 36 years and 20 days, Djokovic became the oldest winner of the men's singles at Roland-Garros in the Open Era when he triumphed last year.
The Boston Celtics were indebted to Jrue Holiday after they moved one win away from reaching the NBA Finals with Saturday's victory against the Indiana Pacers.
Holiday converted a three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, then made a game-saving steal as the Celtics overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Pacers 114-111 for a 3-0 Eastern Conference finals lead.
Indiana's Andrew Nembhard seemed set to claw the Pacers back into Game 3 late on, yet Holiday stepped across for a "trademark steal" to guide his side over the line.
"That's a trademark steal that he always gets with the inside hand," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said of Holiday.
"He gets that a lot usually when a guy is coming down the sideline, but he got it in transition. He made a big-time play."
As Nembhard looked to cut inside the court, Holiday suggested he always knew what was coming.
"He's a right-hand driver," the Celtics hero said after the game, "and he'd been very, very aggressive all night."
Nembhard managed 32 points and nine assists but even that brilliance was not enough to outsmart one of NBA's best defensive players.
"I was trying to get a shot up," said Nembhard. "He got in front of me. I lost the ball, slipped. Turnover."
Jayson Tatum impressed for Boston with 36 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists and no turnovers in 44 minutes, yet he put all the focus on the match-winning Holiday.
"I mean, can't speak highly enough about Jrue," said Tatum. "The ultimate teammate competitor, obviously a champion, wasn't at shootaround today, he was sick.
"Dealing with chills and stuff like that. And we've all been there, how tough that is, to fight through it, and for him to come out there and lay it all on the line for us, make the game-winning play essentially, especially on the defensive end.
"Jrue is just a big-time player, and he made a tremendous play."
The Celtics can clinch their second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons with a win in Game 4 on Monday in Indianapolis.
Jose Ramirez capped a four-run fourth with a two-run homer and the Cleveland Guardians extended their winning streak to eight, 4-3 over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
Cleveland did all its scoring in the fourth against Jose Soriano, who walked Estevan Florial to open the inning. After Bo Naylor struck out, Bryan Rocchio and Tyler Freeman singled to make it 1-0. After another strikeout and a wild pitch added another run, Ramirez connected for his 15th home run of the season and sixth in eight games.
He’s tied for fourth in the majors in home runs and has an MLB-leading 51 RBIs.
Taylor Ward’s three-run homer in the bottom of the inning would be the end of the scoring.
Tanner Bibee allowed those three runs and six hits in six innings with six strikeouts. Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis each pitched one inning before Emmanuel Clase struck out two in the ninth for his 16th save.
The Guardians’ eight-game streak is their longest since a 22-game run in 2017 - the second-longest in major league history.
The last-place Angels lost for the 18th time in 24 home games.
Streaking Royals outlast Rays
Nelson Velazquez homered and delivered a tiebreaking RBI double to ignite a three-run 11th as the Kansas City Royals won their eighth straight game, 7-4 over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Velazquez doubled home automatic runner Freddy Fermin to put the Royals on top and scored on Adam Frazier’s infield single. Maikel Garcia added a run-scoring single for a 7-4 advantage.
Four Kansas City relievers combined to allow one unearned run over the final 4 2/3 innings with former Tampa Bay pitcher Nick Anderson pitching the 11th for his first save of the season.
The Royals moved a season-high 15 games over .500 with their first eight-game winning streak since capturing nine in a row in July 2017.
Jonathan Aranda homered for Tampa Bay, which went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position and lost its season-high sixth straight.
Red-hot Judge homers again as Yankees continue roll
Aaron Judge went deep for the fourth straight game and Marcus Stroman pitched six scoreless innings to lead the scorching New York Yankees to a 4-1 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Judge took Dylan Cease deep in the first inning with one out after Anthony Volpe led off with a single for his 17th home run, tied for the major league lead.
Over his last 19 games, Judge is batting .422 (27 for 64) with 11 home runs, 20 RBIs and 22 runs to help the Yankees win 15.
Stroman gave up just three hits with one walk and five strikeouts and Clay Holmes worked a perfect ninth for his 15th save.
For the first time in franchise history, Yankees starters have thrown at least five innings and allowed two or fewer runs in 13 straight games.
Fernando Tatis Jr. homered for the Padres, who dropped their fifth straight at home.
Jrue Holiday converted a three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, then made a game-saving steal as the Boston Celtics overcame an 18-point deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 114-111 for a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night.
The Celtics can clinch their second NBA Finals appearance in three seasons with a win in Game 4 on Monday in Indianapolis.
Jayson Tatum matched his playoff career high with 36 points to go with 10 rebounds and eight assists. Jaylen Brown added 24 points and Al Horford had 23 points with seven 3-pointers to help Boston win its sixth straight playoff game and improve to 5-0 on the road.
Andrew Nembhard scored a career-high 32 points, but Holiday, who was questionable before the game due to an illness, stole the ball from him with 3.3 seconds remaining and Indiana down 112-111.
Indiana had a chance to tie the game but Aaron Nesmith's 3-pointer was off the mark.
T.J. McConnell had 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam added 22 points apiece for the Pacers, who played without All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton (left hamstring).
His presence was sorely missed as the Celtics closed the game on a 13-2 run to send Indiana to its first loss in seven postseason home games.
The teams combined to make six 3s in the fourth quarter, with Horford’s seventh of the night drawing Boston within 111-109 with 1:12 to play. Holiday then converted his 3-point play to give the Celtics their first lead since early in the second quarter.
Mason Marchment scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Jake Oettinger made it stand up with 28 saves as the Dallas Stars defeated the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 to even the Western Conference final at a game apiece on Saturday night.
Marchment deflected a shot that went through the legs of Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais and bounced on the ice past Stuart Skinner at 3:41 of the final period. It was Marchment’s first goal since the playoff opener on April 22.
Jamie Benn opened the scoring for Dallas 3:39 into the game and Connor Brown answered for Edmonton just 44 seconds later.
Esa Lindell tallied into an empty net with 2:03 remaining.
The series shifts to Edmonton for Game 3 on Monday night.
Stuart Skinner stopped 22 shots as the Oilers were held to fewer than two goals for just the second time in 14 playoff games. The other was a 1-0 win over Los Angeles in Game 4 of the first round.
Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl was held pointless, ending his playoff-opening point streak at 13 games. That was one short of matching Mark Messier’s franchise record set in 1988.
Dallas failed to capitalise on its only power play of the game after going 0 for 5 in Game 1. That extended the Oilers’ streak of 20 penalties killed over six-plus games since giving up a power-play goal in Game 3 of its second-round series against Vancouver.
Casper Ruud played twice on Saturday to win the Geneva Open, as he heads into Roland-Garros in fine form.
With his semi-final against Flavio Cobolli having been postponed on Friday due to rain, Ruud returned to the court to seal a 1-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4) victory.
The Norwegian was swiftly back in action in Switzerland, taking on Tomas Machac, who stunned Novak Djokovic on Friday, in the final.
And the world number seven made light work of Mahac, winning 7-5 6-3 to become the first three-time champion at the Geneva Open, which he also won in 2021 and 2022.
Data Debrief: Clay court specialist
Ruud has now claimed an 11th ATP event title on clay since the start of the 2020 season.
He is the only player to win 10+ titles over that span on the surface, with Carlos Alcaraz (seven) the next best.
The Indiana Pacers reportedly won't have star Tyrese Haliburton for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics on Saturday.
Haliburton exited in the third quarter of Thursday's 126-110 loss at Boston due to a left hamstring injury, and won't be able to play in the first game in Indianapolis, according to Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Thursday's defeat dropped the Pacers to 0-2 in the series.
Haliburton experienced pain in the same hamstring earlier this season, missing 10 games in January.
The two-time All-Star had 25 points, 10 assists and made six 3-pointers in 40 minutes in the series opener before playing only 28 minutes in Game 2. He had 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting and eight assists before departing.
With Haliburton out, the Pacers will likely again rely on Pascal Siakam for offence and need Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell to step up.
Charles Leclerc ensured pole position for this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen could only manage sixth place after crashing into a wall during qualifying.
Leclerc beat Oscar Piastri by 0.154 seconds for his third pole in the last four races in Monaco, where Ferrari have excelled on the narrow track layout, high kerbs and slow-speed corners.
Verstappen was seeking history by surpassing Ayrton Senna for an eighth successive pole in Qualifying, while maintaining his perfect record at the start of the season.
However, the runaway Drivers' Championship leader hit the wall at Sainte Devote on his final lap, and had to settle for sixth on a track where overtaking is regarded as the most difficult on the calendar.
Leclerc now hopes he and Ferrari can now convert their position at the head of the grid into victory, having failed to do so in each of the last two years.
"It was nice. The feeling after a qualifying lap is always very special here," he said. "[I am] really, really happy about the lap, the excitement is so high, but it feels really good.
"But now, I know more often than not, qualifying is not everything. As much as it counts, we need to put everything together on the Sunday. In past years, we did not manage to do it, but we are a stronger team now, and I am sure we can achieve the target."
His Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz was third, though he faces an investigation for impeding Williams' Alex Albon in the first session, ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell.
Zandre Roye and Mattea Issa both had a three-point lead over their nearest competitors at the end of the first round of the Jamaica Golf Association's National Amateur Golf Championship being played at the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine.
Roye scored even par 72 for the round to lead former national champion and club mate Oshae Haye and Jack Stein by three strokes after they both scored three over par 75.
They were being tracked closely by young guns Rocco Lopez and Trey Williams who are just two strokes back on five over par 77.
Roye had a good front nine and was up by two between holes six to eight after copping two birdies on holes two and six but bogeyed number eight to close on one under par 35.
He started the back nine by dropping a shot on hole number 10 but recovered on holes 11 and 12 to be up by two shots between 12 to 15 but dropped a shot on 16 and 17, then parred 18 to close the back nine on one over par 37.
His four birdies were cancelled out by the four bogeys which he scored in the round. That makes him the only golfer to go into day two with a clean sheet to build on.
Junior player Mattea Issa scored nine over par 81 to take the lead over many time national champion Jodi Munn-Barrow who ended the first round on twelve over par 84. Alessandra Coe, another junior player was just two shots behind on 14 over par 86.
Both Roye and Issa were happy with their first round performance under hot and windy conditions on the course, while looking forward to extending their lead at the end of the second round of the three-round championship.
The second round will get under way at 8:30 am on Saturday morning.
There will be a new male and female champion this year as William Knibbs and Michelle McCreath who are the 2023 champions did not tee off on Friday and will not feature in the championship this year.
Jamaican defender Latanya Wilson, produced a Player of the Match performance in her 50th national league game to assist Adelaide Thunderbirds to a comfortable 58-33 win over New South Wales Swifts in a lopsided affair at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday.
The contest, which was a repeat of last year’s grand final, was expected to be just a fierce, but Wilson and her Thunderbirds teammates were in a no-nonsense mood, as they won all but one quarter of the encounter to bounce back from last week's nail-biting one-goal loss to West Coast Fever.
Wilson, 23, notched up 118.5 Nissan Net Points thanks to four intercepts, seven deflections and nine pick-ups in a performance that matches her milestone.
“It feels so amazing. What a milestone. It is such a great feeling and I am so happy we got the win. We are evolving and we are hunting something new, whatever that looks like, I am so happy that I am a part of this great team,” a beaming Wilson said in a post-game interview.
While the wing defence did her part along with compatriot and goalkeeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, who had five deflections and three intercepts, another Jamaican Romelda Aiken-George led the Thunderbirds attack with 30 goals from 32 attempts.
Lucy Austin (12 goals from 12 attempts), Georgie Horjus (nine goals from 10 attempts), and Lauren Frew (seven goals from nine attempts), contributed the others.
Wilson was on song in the Thunderbirds defence.
Meanwhile, the Swifts, who were off beat all-around, got most goals from Sophie Fawns (16 goals from 19 attempts). Helen Housby (10 goals from 14 attempts), Trinidad and Tobago’s Samantha Wallace-Joseph (five goals from seven attempts) and Grace Whyte (two goals from four attempts), got the others.
Aside from the opening quarter in which they came out strong and secured a 13-12 lead over the Thunderbirds, the Swifts struggled to maintain momentum throughout.
In fact, they made a number of errors in the second quarter that shifted things in favour of the Thunderbirds, who capitalised and won the quarter 11-7 to overtake the lead at 23-20 at the half-time interval.
Wallace-Joseph finally entered the court for the Swifts to start the third quarter which meant Housby moved back into her preferred position of goal attack, but the move proved futile.
While both teams made some uncharacteristic errors, the Thunderbirds recovered best and later asserted their authority on the contest in what turned out to be a match-winning third quarter.
Sterling-Humphrey made her presence felt and picked up a flying intercept, after which, Wilson took the mantle to shut out the Swifts, as they ended the quarter 13 goals up at 41-28.
Faced with the huge deficit, it was crucial for the Swifts to come out firing in the fourth quarter - and they did for the most part, but another intercept from Sterling-Humphrey prevented them from scoring.
From there, the Swifts racked up penalties and turnovers, while missing six of their 11 attempts, as Thunderbirds effortlessly took the quarter 17-5 to complete the 25-goal rout.
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