Both the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks have had to wait a while to get back to the NBA Finals.
Milwaukee have not made it this far since 1974, when a team containing Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lost out to the Boston Celtics in Game 7.
The Bucks had been champions three years earlier, but Phoenix have never been crowned. The franchise fell at the last hurdle in both 1976 and 1993, when their campaign ended in a 4-2 series defeat to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
So, will it be third time lucky for the Suns, or can the Bucks reign once again?
Ahead of the best-of-seven battle getting underway, Stats Perform looks at the players who have risen to the occasion during the playoffs this year for both franchises, as well as a candidate from each who could make a greater impact.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS
Khris Middleton
Milwaukee made it out of the Eastern Conference despite being without Giannis Antetokounmpo for the end of the series against the Atlanta Hawks. His hyperextended knee remains the biggest talking point ahead of Game 1 on Tuesday, but at least his colleagues have demonstrated they can prosper without him.
Middleton certainly stepped up. After 26 points in Game 5 at home, he followed up with 32 on the road in Atlanta to help his team seal a 4-2 series triumph. The two-time All-Star lifted his playoff average to 23.4 points per game, in comparison to 20.4 during the regular season. He has also upped his rebounds (8.0 from 6.0) and is landing 2.6 three-pointers per outing.
Brook Lopez
While not perhaps too surprising for a center, Lopez came up big for the Bucks in Game 5 last week. His 33-point haul saw him successful with 77.8 per cent of his shots, as well as deliver four blocks and two steals. He is the only NBA player to reach all of those numbers in a playoff game since blocks and steals became official stats in 1973-74 (Milwaukee's last trip to the NBA Finals, of course).
Lopez's extended minutes helped the 10th overall pick in the 2008 draft rise to 13.5 points per game in these playoffs (he finished at 12.3 in the regular season), as well as seeing him claim a greater number of rebounds (6.0 per game). His upcoming battle with Deandre Ayton should be fascinating, too, as they both aim to make a sizeable impact.
Bryn Forbes
A useful contributor on the roster, Forbes averaged 10.0 points while shooting 45.2 per cent from deep during a regular season that saw the Bucks finish as the third seeds in the East, behind the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets, who they then knocked out in the second round of the playoffs.
However, the guard – who previously played for the San Antonio Spurs after going undrafted – has not had the same impact in limited opportunities of late, landing 30 of his 80 attempts from deep for a shooting percentage of 37.5 from beyond the arc. Forbes twice had 22-point outings during the first-round series against the Miami Heat, but he has reached double figures in just two outings since.
PHOENIX SUNS
Deandre Ayton
It has been quite the first playoff experience for Deandre Ayton, the center selected by the Suns with the top pick in 2018. His dramatic dunk in the last second to beat the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 2 will be replayed for years to come, as he slammed the ball in from an inbound pass right at the death to clinch victory.
Ayton heads into the Milwaukee series on a 10-game streak of reaching double figures for points, while he had double-double outings in four of the six games against the Clippers. He averaged 10.5 rebounds in the regular season but has raised the bar in the postseason, going up to 11.8 per outing.
Chris Paul
Devin Booker leads the way in terms of scoring for the Suns – he is averaging 27.0 points a game in the postseason – but Paul is unquestionably the leader of this Phoenix team. The veteran point guard finally gets to play in an NBA Finals at the age of 36. Father Time is not slowing him down, though health and safety protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic did briefly pause his efforts.
However, the 11-time All-Star made up for lost time after missing the opening two games of the Clippers series, scoring a combined total of 96 points in the next four outings, including 41 in Game 6 as Phoenix were crowned in the West.
Dario Saric
Saric played a part in helping the Suns rise to the top of the conference in the regular season, finishing it with an average of 8.7 points per game. The Croatian's impact on the offensive end has been reduced since, as have his minutes. Having attempted 342 shots prior to the playoffs, he has managed just 44 in his past 13 outings, while he did not feature at all in three games.
Yet the need to give valuable rest to Ayton – and the possibility of Giannis returning at some stage during the series – could increase the need to play Saric, who is averaging 4.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in the postseason so far.
Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks has passed away at the age of 24.
A statement on the Jackets' official website on Monday confirmed that the Latvian died after suffering a head injury in a fall on July 4.
According to reports, local emergency services were called to a residence in Novi, Michigan around 22:00 local time.
Jason Meier of the Novi Police Department told ESPN: "There appears to have been a fireworks malfunction, which caused a group of people to flee from the hot tub, including the deceased, who slipped and hit his head on the concrete."
President of hockey operations John Davidson said: "We are shocked and saddened by the loss of Matiss Kivlenieks, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his mother, Astrida, his family and friends during this devastating time.
"Kivi was an outstanding young man who greeted every day and everyone with a smile and the impact he had during his four years with our organization will not be forgotten."
Kivlenieks had played eight games since signing for Columbus as a free agent in May 2017, but was expected to challenge for more game time in the coming season.
He had also represented his native Latvia, including as they hosted the 2021 edition of the IIHF World Championships.
Rising stars Justin Burrowes and Emily Mayne have been named among a 12-member team that will represent Jamaica at the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships, scheduled for August 8-13 in Puerto Rico, where they will compete for the Hoerman Cup and George Teale Trophy, for men and women, respectively.
Novak Djokovic cruised into the quarter-finals of Wimbledon with a routine straight-sets win over Cristian Garin.
Djokovic is bidding to tie Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with a record 20th grand slam championship by defending his 2019 title.
Since losing the opening set of the tournament to Jack Draper, Djokovic has been imperious form and he eased past Garin on Centre Court on Monday.
This was not vintage Djokovic, but his consistency on serve, strength on the return and remarkable movement skills helped him secure a 6-2 6-4 6-2 triumph to set up a last-eight meeting with Andrey Rublev or Marton Fucsovics.
Djokovic raced into a commanding position in the first set, winning the opening eight points of the match.
Indeed, Garin, aiming to reach the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the first time, appeared overmatched, winning only 10 points on serve as Djokovic took the first set with ease.
But the Chilean warmed to the occasion and displayed his resilience by saving three break points to hold for a 4-3 lead in a game that lasted over 10 minutes.
Garin's resistance was broken in his next service game through some deft Djokovic touch at the net and, after serving out the second, he broke in style in the first game of the third and raced through to a 50th grand slam quarter-final.
Data Slam: First serve fires Djokovic to half-century
Djokovic faced two break points in a one-sided contest, with Garin rarely able to threaten his first serve.
Indeed, Garin won 13 points on return and only three of those came against the Serbian's first serve in a performance he will surely want to forget.
By contrast, Djokovic won 48 per cent of points on Garin's serve and, save for the second set, rarely had to expend much energy in bringing up his half-century.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 28/23
Garin – 14/26
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 9/1
Garin – 2/5
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 5/12
Garin – 0/2
Unseeded Sebastian Korda agonisingly missed out on a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals after a crazy fifth set against Karen Khachanov.
Korda has attracted headlines with his run to the last 16 given his family's sporting success - his sister Nelly recently won the Women's PGA Championship while his father Petr is a former Australian Open champion.
The American had seen off seeds in Alex de Minaur and Dan Evans to reach this stage, almost repeating the trick on his 21st birthday against Khachanov on Monday.
However, he ultimately fell to defeat as Khachanov won 3-6 6-4 6-3 5-7 10-8 in a classic clash that lasted just short of four hours.
After Korda had forced a decider, there were 13 breaks of serve in a remarkable final set on Court 18.
Khachanov had a break advantage at 5-4, 6-5 and 7-6 but Korda – who racked up 56 winners - denied him from serving it out for victory on each occasion.
The Russian finally was able to get over the line after breaking his American opponent at 8-8 and finally holding serve.
Following his gruelling win, Khachanov will play Denis Shapovalov next after the Canadian - conqueror of Andy Murray in the previous round - saw off Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets.
Shapovalov won 6-1 6-3 7-5 to eliminate the eighth seed and reach his second grand slam quarter-final.
Elsewhere, seventh seed Matteo Berrettini continued his serene progress at Wimbledon, thrashing Ilya Ivashka 6-4 6-3 6-1.
Champion at Queen's prior to the tournament, Berrettini lost serve just once in the contest and has not dropped a set since doing so in his first-round win over Guido Pella.
He will face Alexander Zverev or Felix Auger Aliassime for a place in the semi-finals.
Top seed Ash Barty ended Barbora Krejcikova's long winning run to reach her first Wimbledon singles quarter-final.
Krejcikova had reeled off 15 consecutive singles victories but the French Open champion was beaten 7-5 6-3 in an entertaining contest on No.1 Court.
World number one Barty came from a break down to take the opening set and was pushed hard by the 14th seed in the second on 'Manic Monday', but sealed her spot in the last eight at the All England Club.
The 2019 Roland Garros champion will face either British teenager Emma Raducanu or fellow Australian Ajla Tomljanovic for a place in the semi-finals.
Krejcikova, making her main draw debut in singles at SW19, held to love in a commanding first service game and went a break up at 2-1 when Barty pushed a cross-court shot long.
There was a gasp from the crowd when Krejcikova showed great skill and agility to put away a winner at her feet, but they were back on serve at 4-4 following an error-strewn game from the Czech.
Barty missed a chance to wrap up the set when she sent a forehand long but the 25-year-old pumped her fist after breaking to love, avoiding a tie-break after making an uncertain start.
Both players stood firm when they faced early break points in the second set but Barty was scenting the quarter-finals when her opponent sprayed a forehand wide to go 4-2 down.
Krejcikova – who also won a doubles title in Paris last month – took that setback in her stride, working Barty from side to side before putting away a backhand winner in the next game as she broke back immediately.
Yet Barty ground Krejcikova down again to restore her two-game advantage and fended off a break point before serving out the match to move into new territory at the grass-court grand slam.
Data Slam: Krejcikova's hot streak ends
Krejcikova had not suffered a singles defeat since May, winning a title in Strasbourg before her maiden grand slam triumph at Roland Garros.
Her magnificent winning streak came to an end in London, but the Brno native looks set to make further major strides.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Barty – 22/24
Krejcikova – 19/22
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Barty –7/5
Krejcikova – 4/4
BREAK POINTS WON
Barty – 4/7
Krejcikova – 2/10
Former French Open champion Iga Swiatek has been knocked out of Wimbledon after losing an entertaining fourth-round battle with Ons Jabeur.
Jabeur had never been past the second round at Wimbledon before the 2021 tournament but will now face second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals.
The Tunisian stormed back from behind on Court 2 to defeat seventh seed Swiatek 5-7 6-1 6-1 on Monday.
Jabeur sealed her victory with a ninth ace of the match and let out a passionate roar.
She was fantastic at key moments, converting all seven of the break-point opportunities she created and firing 30 winners to 23 unforced errors.
Swiatek, by contrast, racked up 15 break-point chances but could only take three of them. The Pole only had a first-serve percentage of 46 and struggled to find her rhythm.
Jabeur, seeded 21st, also impressively saw off Garbine Muguruza in a comeback victory in the previous round.
She has now matched her best grand slam result, achieved when she reached the last eight at the Australian Open last year.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, survived a scare but ultimately prevailed in three tough sets against Elena Rybakina.
A 6-3 4-6 6-3 win in just under two hours gave Sabalenka her first-ever appearance at a slam quarter-final.
Tom Curry, Josh Navidi and Adam Beard will make their British and Irish Lions debuts against the Sharks on Wednesday.
The Lions will be captained by Iain Henderson for the first time, as Conor Murray has been named among the replacements for the midweek game at Ellis Park.
England flanker Curry and Wales duo Navidi and Beard will refresh the pack along with Sam Simmonds, who is set to make his first international start for over three years.
Josh Adams will play no part after the wing scored four tries against the tourists' South African namesakes the Lions on Saturday, playing a starring role in a 56-14 rout.
Lions head coach Warren Gatland said: "Wednesday night is another chance for us to have a look at a few more combinations.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how the back row goes; it's an exciting mixture and one that we hope will offer something a bit different.
"We expect another physical test against a side who are known for their power play and ambition.
"My congratulations to Tom, Josh and Adam ahead of their first starts in a Lions jersey."
Lions team to face the Sharks:
Liam Williams, Anthony Watson, Elliot Daly, Bundee Aki, Duhan van der Merwe, Dan Biggar, Gareth Davies; Mako Vunipola, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Zander Fagerson, Iain Henderson, Adam Beard, Josh Navidi, Tom Curry, Sam Simmonds.
Replacements: Ken Owens, Rory Sutherland, Tadhg Furlong, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Stuart Hogg, Chris Harris.
Former Australia international Israel Folau has switched codes again to join Japanese Top League side NTT Communications.
Folau was released from the remainder of his contract with Catalans Dragons in June so he could remain in Australia due to a personal family situation.
The 32-year-old joined the Super League club last year and had signed a new deal to continue in France for the 2021 season.
Folau was registered to play for the Southport Tigers in the Rugby League Gold Coast competition last week following his release by Catalans.
Catalans chairman Bernard Guasch said: "Israel has been great with us in 2020 both on and off the field and we wanted to facilitate the negotiations to reach an agreement.
"He told us his desire to play alongside his two brothers [for the Tigers] and we didn't want to prevent him. We wish him all the best in the next chapter of his career."
Folau is on the move again, however, after NTT Communications confirmed his return to rugby union on Monday.
He will play under Rob Penney, who has been appointed as director of rugby after being sacked by the Waratahs in March.
Rugby Australia terminated Folau's contract in 2019 for a "high-level breach" after he posted hell awaits "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters" on Instagram.
Jake Gordon will return from a knee injury scare to start for the Wallabies against France in the first Test in Brisbane on Wednesday.
The Waratahs captain is set to line up alongside Noah Lolesio in the halves with Nic White and James O'Connor ruled out due to injury.
Few would have predicted Gordon would don the Australia number nine jersey so soon after he left late in a defeat to the Highlanders last month with what was initially feared to be an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Yet he was able to make a quick recovery after scans revealed only minor damage to his medial collateral ligament, opening the door for his first Wallabies start since his debut against Italy back in 2018.
Up front, Lolesio's Brumbies team-mates James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa are the starting props and Brandon Paenga-Amosa was named at hooker by head coach Dave Rennie.
Matt Philip and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto are in the second row, with Rob Valetini to make his first start for the Wallabies at blindside flanker, captain Michael Hooper in the number seven shirt and Harry Wilson at number eight.
Veteran Matt Toomua is at number 12 alongside Hunter Paisami.
The back three features Marika Koroibete and the Brumbies pairing of Tom Wright and Tom Banks.
"The whole squad has been training really hard over the past three weeks to prepare for what’s going to be an exciting, tough series against the French," Rennie said.
"We’ve always selected a side based on earning the right to wear the jersey and this team is no different.
"The whole group is excited to be back playing Test rugby in front of our families and supporters and we’re looking to start the year with a positive result at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday night.”
Australia have won their past 11 at home against France dating back to a 1990 loss in Brisbane.
Australia: Tom Banks Tom Wright, Hunter Paisami, Matt Toomua, Marika Koroibete, Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Allan Alaalatoa, Matt Philip, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Rob Valenti, Michael Hooper, Harry Wilson.
Replacements: Lachlan Lonergan, Angus Bell, Taniela Tupou, Darcy Swain, Isi Naisarani, Tate McDermott, Len Ikitau, Andrew Kellaway.
The New York Yankees salvaged the final game of their abbreviated Subway Series against the New York Mets, holding on to split the doubleheader with a 4-2 victory after dropping the opening game 10-5 on Sunday.
Languishing in fourth place in the American League (AL) East, the Yankees appeared in serious danger of being swept after closer Aroldis Chapman imploded again in the first MLB game.
Holding a 5-4 lead entering the decisive seventh inning, Chapman served up a game-tying home run to Pete Alonso to open the frame, then put the next two Mets batters on base before manager Aaron Boone pulled the plug, hoping to avoid a repeat of the stunning meltdown his All-Star reliever had earlier in the week against the Los Angeles Angels.
His move did not help, as Jose Peraza, Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor produced run-scoring hits to blow the game open against Lucas Luetge.
The Yankees' bullpen came through in the nightcap, though, as Chad Green came on to hold what was then a 3-2 lead in the fifth inning and did not allow the Mets to reach base the rest of the way.
Green finished the game in style with an "immaculate inning" – three strikeouts on the minimum nine pitches – in the seventh.
According to Stats Perform, Green is the first pitcher in the modern era to pitch at least three perfect innings, strike out at least six batters and have an immaculate inning all in the same game.
Fried caps Braves' shock comeback against Marlins
Down 7-3 to the Miami Marlins in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Atlanta Braves scored four times to tie the game, then got a walk-off single from pitcher Max Fried in the 10th to prevail 8-7.
Austin Meadows had three doubles, Wander Franco hit his second MLB home run, and the Tampa Bay Rays' pitching staff shut down the dangerous Toronto Blue Jays line-up in a 5-1 victory, the team's first road win since June 14 after 10 straight defeats.
The Pittsburgh Pirates scored two runs for the fifth consecutive game but came out on top this time, winning 2-0 in a brilliant pitching effort by Tyler Anderson to snap the Milwaukee Brewers' 11-game winning streak.
Slumping Cubs drop ninth in a row
The Chicago Cubs fell 3-2 to the Cincinnati Reds for the second consecutive day, giving them nine losses in a row and dropping them back to .500 at 42-42 for the first time since they were 21-21 on May 19.
A 10th-inning fielding error by Cleveland pitcher Emmanuel Clase allowed the eventual winning run to score as the Indians dropped their sixth in a row, 4-3 to the Houston Astros.
Another Ohtani bomb
Shohei Ohtani did it again, extending his MLB lead with his 31st home run of the season, a 459-foot blast that gave the Angels a 3-0 lead on the way to a 6-5 walk-off win against the Baltimore Orioles.
Sunday's results
New York Mets 10-5 New York Yankees
New York Yankees 4-2 New York Mets
San Diego Padres 11-1 Philadelphia Phillies
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 Washington Nationals
Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 Milwaukee Brewers
Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 Toronto Blue Jays
Detroit Tigers 6-5 Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds 3-2 Chicago Cubs
Houston Astros 4-3 Cleveland Indians
Atlanta Braves 8-7 Miami Marlins
Minnesota Twins 6-2 Kansas City Royals
Colorado Rockies 3-2 St Louis Cardinals
Boston Red Sox 1-0 Oakland Athletics
Los Angeles Angels 6-5 Baltimore Orioles
Seattle Mariners 4-1 Texas Rangers
San Francisco Giants 5-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Dodgers at Marlins
The most appealing pitching matchup of the day will take place in Miami, where newly minted All-Star Trevor Rogers (7-5, 2.14 ERA) and the Marlins host a prominent All-Star snub in Walker Buehler (8-1, 2.35 ERA) and the Dodgers.
Reigning NHL champions the Tampa Bay Lightning are focused on closing out their Stanley Cup Final series against the Montreal Canadiens in Monday's Game 4.
The Lightning moved to the brink of a sweep with their 6-3 win in Montreal on Friday, but have been confined to their hotel rooms for most of their stay in Canada due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Tampa Bay know they will be heading home after Monday's game regardless, either for Game 5 on Tuesday or as back-to-back Stanley Cup winners, but the Lightning have left no doubt which option they prefer.
"I think for us, we've been in this position before," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos told reporters on Sunday. "We understand the magnitude of the game and we understand that we really are, as much as it's cliché to say, we're focussed on the start of next game.
"All those other things work themselves out. You never know what's going to happen in the course of a game or a series. We're focussed on our start next game. We want to come out extremely hard. We realise, both teams understand the situation that they're in. We're excited for the challenge."
In last season's Final, the Lightning had a chance to clinch at home in Game 5 as they held a 2-1 lead in the third period but saw the Dallas Stars tie the contest, then win it in double overtime on a goal by Corey Perry, who is now with the Canadiens.
Tampa Bay would emerge victorious in Game 6 to take the Cup and would love nothing more than to do so again this year without all the drama.
"It's a learning process to go through that," said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper. "By no means does that guarantee the results of what's going to happen in [Monday's] game, but I know our mindset's different going into these closeout games. ...
"It's about winning, it's not about where you win. And that's all we care about."
Sweeps are rare in the Stanley Cup Final, as the Detroit Red Wings were the last to do it in 1998 against the Washington Capitals, but history is on Tampa Bay's side.
The only NHL team to blow a 3-0 lead in the Finals are the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, who ultimately fell to the Red Wings in seven.
On the verge of a second straight Cup, the Lightning do not need to be reminded of the stakes.
"You're in the Stanley Cup Final. You're playing against a great team over there," Stamkos said. "We've said it from whether it's the first round or the Stanley Cup Final, the fourth game is always the hardest to win. And that's the mentality we've had.
"Sometimes it takes four games. Sometimes seven. We expect that this group is going to be ready to play, and we expect that their group is going to be ready to play. No games are easy at this time of the year.
"I think for us, it's easy not to look past that. We know the difficulty of the Montreal Canadiens and what they bring to the table, and for us, it's another game."
Shohei Ohtani has chalked up yet another first in his historic 2021 season, as the Los Angeles Angels star is the first player ever to be named to the MLB All-Star Game as a position player and a pitcher.
Already named as the American League's starting designated hitter earlier this week, Ohtani was named to the AL's pitching staff on Sunday as the full rosters for the July 13 game in Denver were unveiled.
The 26-year-old from Japan leads MLB with 31 home runs and is 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 12 starts on the mound, with 83 strikeouts in 60 innings.
Ohtani is also set to feature in the Home Run Derby the night before the All-Star Game, guaranteeing he will be the biggest attraction of the festivities at Coors Field.
While Ohtani figures to be the star of the show, the Boston Red Sox will have the most representatives, with designated hitter J.D. Martinez, starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi and relief pitcher Matt Barnes making the AL squad along with starting shortstop Xander Bogaerts and third baseman Rafael Devers.
The Houston Astros will send four players to the game, with infield reserves Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa joining outfield reserve Michael Brantley and reliever Ryan Pressly.
The Toronto Blue Jays also will have four players in the game, as shortstop Bo Bichette joins AL starting first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., second baseman Marcus Semien and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.
On the National League side, the San Diego Padres also have four representatives, as pitcher Yu Darvish made the team along with reliever Mark Melancon and infielder Jake Cronenworth to join starting shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.
Three injured players were selected for the game and will be replaced on their teams' rosters: Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Shane Bieber and outfielders Mike Trout of the Angels and Kyle Schwarber of the Washington Nationals.
2021 All-Star Game rosters
American League
Elected starters:
C: Salvador Perez (Kansas City Royals)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays)
2B: Marcus Semien (Toronto Blue Jays)
3B: Rafael Devers (Boston Red Sox)
SS: Xander Bogaerts (Boston Red Sox)
OF: Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels)
OF: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees)
OF: Teoscar Hernandez (Toronto Blue Jays)
DH: Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels)
Starting pitchers:
Ohtani
Shane Bieber (Cleveland Indians)
Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees)
Nathan Eovaldi (Boston Red Sox)
Kyle Gibson (Texas Rangers)
Yusei Kikuchi (Seattle Mariners)
Lance Lynn (Chicago White Sox)
Carlos Rodón (Chicago White Sox)
Relievers:
Matt Barnes (Boston Red Sox)
Aroldis Chapman (New York Yankees)
Liam Hendriks (Chicago White Sox)
Ryan Pressly (Houston Astros)
Gregory Soto (Detroit Tigers)
Reserve infield:
Mike Zunino (Tampa Bay Rays)
Jose Altuve (Houston Astros)
Bo Bichette (Toronto Blue Jays)
Carlos Correa (Houston Astros)
Matt Olson (Oakland Athletics)
José Ramírez (Cleveland Indians)
Jared Walsh (Los Angeles Angels)
Designated hitter:
J.D. Martinez (BOS)
Nelson Cruz (MIN)
Reserve outfield:
Michael Brantley (Houston Astros)
Joey Gallo (Texas Rangers)
Adolis García (Texas Rangers)
Cedric Mullins (Baltimore Orioles)
National League
Elected starters:
C: Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants)
1B: Freddie Freeman (Atlanta Braves)
2B: Adam Frazier (Pittsburgh Pirates)
3B: Nolan Arenado (St Louis Cardinals)
SS: Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres)
OF: Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves)
OF: Nick Castellanos (Cincinnati Reds)
OF: Jesse Winker (Cincinnati Reds)
Reserve infield:
J.T. Realmuto (Philadelphia Phillies)
Ozzie Albies (Atlanta Braves)
Kris Bryant (Chicago Cubs)
Brandon Crawford (San Francisco Giants)
Jake Cronenworth (San Diego Padres)
Eduardo Escobar (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Max Muncy (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Trea Turner (Washington Nationals)
Reserve outfield:
Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Bryan Reynolds (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Kyle Schwarber (Washington Nationals)
Juan Soto (Washington Nationals)
Chris Taylor (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Starting pitchers:
Corbin Burnes (Milwaukee Brewers)
Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres)
Jacob deGrom (New York Mets)
Kevin Gausman (San Francisco Giants)
Germán Márquez (Colorado Rockies)
Trevor Rogers (Miami Marlins)
Zack Wheeler (Philadelphia Phillies)
Brandon Woodruff (Milwaukee Brewers)
Relievers:
Josh Hader (Milwaukee Brewers)
Craig Kimbrel (Chicago Cubs)
Mark Melancon (San Diego Padres)
Alex Reyes (St Louis Cardinals)
Toto Wolff believes assessments of Mercedes' season to date have been overly negative, even as Max Verstappen and Red Bull have control of the title race.
The Silver Arrows had Valtteri Bottas second and defending champion Lewis Hamilton fourth at the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Hamilton is now five races without a win for only third time over a single season since 2014. Red Bull have won all five of those, with Verstappen triumphing in four.
Damage to his car apparently sustained over a kerb at Turn 10 saw Hamilton fall behind both team-mate Bottas and third-placed McLaren man Lando Norris.
But Wolff, despite describing himself as "a sceptical person, cup is half empty rather than half full", tried to look at the positives.
"First of all, the result looked worse than it was in terms of pace," he told Sky Sports. "We were stuck behind the McLaren.
"In terms of pace, we probably could have been there, maybe not enough to win the race but right there, which is a step forward.
"The damage occurred at Turn 10, over the kerb; I don't think he was particularly running too hard over the kerb – it was just the part that fell away.
"We looked at the loads and they were the same as in the laps before, so we need to find out why that happened.
"So, overall, damage limitation? Maybe. I think we're going to go to Silverstone, blow everybody away, finish one-two, 30 seconds in advance of everyone else."
He added: "We're one DNF away from being right there in the constructors' and in the drivers' championship, so this is far from over."
This was not the result Hamilton – still two victories shy of a landmark 100 – would have wanted to celebrate his new two-year contract.
But Wolff said: "The morale is good, but we have to be working on these feelings actively.
"If you come from a run of seven world championship titles, everything looks like a defeat, whatever result you have. I think this is a switch in mindset we have to achieve now.
"Today we finished second and fourth, it's not the end of the world. You see how happy the McLaren guys are about their position [P3] and I think we have to just recognise this is a tough, tough championship.
"This is the Formula One world championship and you can't expect every year to cruise away in the sunset.
"We will make everything that's needed to not make Red Bull do exactly that."
Perhaps Hamilton himself could use a more optimistic outlook, rueing "a lot of damage" despite insisting he "wasn't going over the kerb any more than anyone else".
"There were a lot of points lost today," Hamilton said, adding: "I would have been second. I was in second when all of a sudden it obviously broke.
"It would have been an easy second generally, but obviously not able to catch up with the guys ahead."
A home race for the seven-time champion at Silverstone is up next, but Hamilton said: "We're miles away from [Red Bull], so we've got a lot of work to do.
"We need all hands on deck, which I know there already are. They brought a lot of upgrades, clearly, over these last few races, and we haven't brought any.
"We've got to find as much performance as possible, otherwise this will be the result most often."
Max Verstappen relished being able to deliver another win at the Red Bull Ring in front of his 'orange army' in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix.
The Formula One drivers' championship leader secured a third straight victory and second at Spielberg in two weeks.
As at the Styrian GP, Verstappen led from start to finish having taken pole position on Saturday.
The Dutchman now has two poles, four wins, six podiums and 139 points at the Red Bull Ring, reserving his best returns at any circuit for Red Bull's home race.
"It was incredible, to be honest," Verstappen said. "The car was unreal, every tyre set we put on was really enjoyable to drive.
"It's pretty insane. I'm a bit amazed myself how it went – I didn't expect it to be like this.
"Incredible job by everyone to deliver something like this. Of course, when you go into the weekend, everyone sees you as the favourite, but it's never easy to actually always deliver what we did.
"It's a great effort by the whole team and also by Honda, I think the whole package...
"These two weeks, especially here, it's been incredible."
Verstappen had the support of a large, loud crowd, dressed in orange and cheering their man home.
"It was insane to see all the fans here," he added. "There's so much orange, it's incredible. A great motivation as well.
"Especially the last lap, there was a lot of orange all over the track. Thank you very much for coming."
Lando Norris, who recovered from a controversial five-second penalty, also earned encouragement from the fans, though, finishing third ahead of Verstappen's title rival Lewis Hamilton.
His run of 14 straight races in the points is the best of his career and the best ongoing streak in F1.
"It was a lot of fun," Norris said, before giving his take on the incident involving Sergio Perez. "It was a good race, exciting, but I'm disappointed because it should have been second place.
"I thought lap one was just racing really – he tried to go around the outside of me, which was a bit stupid. He ran off the track himself, I didn't even push him. I don't know.
"I was frustrated, but I'm also happy with P3. We had very good pace and I'm happy."
Valtteri Bottas clung to second in front of Norris, but the Briton was confident his McLaren could tussle with the best.
"I could keep up with him a lot, even in the dirty air – just not enough to get into the DRS," he said. "As soon as I got close to within one second, I started struggling too much.
"Shoulda, woulda, coulda, in the end.
"It's nice to know that we could be there and we could race them. It's probably the first race in many years I'm actually racing the Mercedes and the Red Bulls.
"Hopefully we can keep it up next time."
Max Verstappen eased to yet another victory at the Red Bull Ring in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix, completing a triumphant triple-header in front of home support.
The Red Bull superstar and Formula One season leader won for the third week running to stretch his drivers' championship advantage to 32 points over Lewis Hamilton.
Verstappen had become the first F1 driver to win three times at this circuit in the previous week's Styrian Grand Prix and led from start to finish again after claiming pole.
Hamilton's hopes of reeling in Verstappen – dismissed as "out of the question" after qualifying – were hindered by another fine drive from Lando Norris, with the Mercedes great starting where he finished in fourth.
Valtteri Bottas was the big mover, up from fifth to second, benefiting from keeping clear of controversy as numerous drivers – notably including Norris and Sergio Perez – tangled in costly fashion.
Verstappen displayed his superior straight-line speed from the outset to disappear into the distance, only to find his early progress checked by Esteban Ocon's crash that prompted a safety car.
The Dutchman – backed by swathes of orange-clad supporters – pulled clear again from the restart but team-mate Perez had more difficulty as he doggedly pursued Norris.
Norris' determination forced Perez off the track in an incident that was subsequently investigated.
Even Red Bull team principal Christian Horner dismissed the clash as "one of those things", but a five-second penalty for Norris was confirmed just as Hamilton passed him, having been held up for 20 laps – already around 10 seconds shy of Verstappen.
Perez's attempts to recover from his early setback saw the Mexican twice earn five-second penalties of his own for nudging Charles Leclerc out of his path.
However, Norris regained his composure in far more impressive fashion, serving his penalty and falling behind Bottas but then attacking Hamilton, getting ahead of the seven-time champion amid Mercedes tyre trouble for a third podium of the year.
MAX MAKING MOST OF HOME COMFORTS
Verstappen now has four wins, six podiums and 139 points at the Red Bull Ring, his best returns at any circuit.
Saturday's pole had seen him make Spielberg – Red Bull's home grand prix – the first track at which he has qualified first twice, following on from last week's effort.
Five victories and four poles have made this is his best season to date, but Verstappen has bigger fish to fry with the title in his sights.
UNLUCKY LANDO STILL THE BREAKOUT STAR
It was hard not to feel for Norris, who so bravely battled against Hamilton and then learned of his penalty for essentially holding his line.
Informed of the punishment, he first replied: "What for?"
Norris added: "What did the guy expect running around the outside?"
Regardless, he had built enough of a buffer to only fall to fourth and recovered to make the podium, meaning the McLaren man has now collected points in 14 consecutive races – his longest streak and the best ongoing run in the series.
Fernando Alonso, in the first 14 races of 2007, was the last McLaren driver to enjoy such a stretch of points returns.
IN THE POINTS
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) +17.973s
3. Lando Norris (McLaren) +20.019s
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +46.452s
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +57.144s
6. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +57.915s
7. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +60.395s
8. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +61.195s
9. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) +61.844s
10. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +1 lap
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 182
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) – 150
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – 104
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 101
5. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) – 92
Constructors
1. Red Bull – 286
2. Mercedes – 242
3. McLaren – 141
4. Ferrari – 122
5. AlphaTauri – 48
Wimbledon will open up to full-capacity crowds on Centre Court and Court One from Tuesday, after being given the go-ahead by the UK government.
The tournament operated at 50 per cent capacity on its main show courts during the first week of the championships, with it being designated a pandemic era pilot event.
Now Wimbledon is poised to welcome a full house on its two biggest stadiums from the start of the quarter-finals. The women's last-eight matches are due to take place on Tuesday.
It had previously been stated that Centre Court would function at full capacity on finals weekend, July 10-11, but the plan has been brought forward.
It means there will be full outdoor stadiums at a major sporting event in the UK for the first time since COVID-19 triggered a lockdown in March 2020.
The World Snooker Championship, an indoor event, welcomed a capacity crowd for its two-day final in May at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield.
In a statement, Wimbledon hosts the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) said: "Following the successful staging of the first week of the championships, as agreed with the government's events research programme and in consultation with our local authority in Merton, the AELTC is pleased to confirm that Centre and Number One Court will feature 100 per cent capacity crowds for the quarter-finals, with Centre Court also at 100 per cent for the semi-finals and finals.
"This marks the first full outdoor stadiums at a sporting event in the UK since the pandemic began. The capacity of Centre Court is 14,979, and the capacity of Number One Court is 12,345. Capacity across the rest of the grounds will be reduced according to the number of courts in play.
"Ticket-holders will continue to be required to show proof of their COVID status on arrival, and are asked to observe the guidance around wearing face coverings on the move and supporting any additional mitigation measures in place."
Primoz Roglic has elected to abandon the Tour de France after a brutal first week.
The 2020 runner up – a pre-race favourite to take the famous yellow jersey – endured an opening eight stages marred by crashes and injuries.
He fell twice during the first three stages, badly bruising and grazing almost the entirety of his left side during an incident on stage three.
In a gruelling first Alpine stage on Saturday, Jumbo-Visma rider Roglic crossed in 175th, third to last, having dropped 35 minutes on the leaders, and on Sunday he decided to call time on his campaign.
"We took the decision altogether with the team. It doesn't make sense to continue the way it was going at the end," Roglic said in a statement from his team.
"Now we'll definitely try to recover and focus on the new goals."
Roglic came across the finish line on Saturday alongside 2018 winner Geraint Thomas, who has also seen his general classification hopes dashed after finishing 33 minutes off the pace.
Tadej Pogacar is now the clear favourite for the yellow jersey, following a remarkable ride from the 22-year-old defending champion on Saturday.
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