Two of the Indian Wells Masters' top-three seeds have failed to reach the final 16 after Casper Ruud fell 6-4 7-6 (7-2) at the hands of Cristian Garin on Sunday.

Ruud, the third seed, joined second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas with an early exit after a timid display, with just 17 winners to go with 17 unforced errors against Chile's Garin.

Meanwhile, Garin took his opportunity against the world number four with both hands, rattling off 39 winners with 24 unforced errors as he made the decision to take the match on and not die wondering.

Garin, who already defeated 29th seed Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round, will meet his third seeded opponent in a row in the quarter-final when he takes on Spain's 23rd seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

Davidovich Fokina eliminated 13th seed Karen Khachanov 6-3 1-6 6-4, but it was still a strong day for the Russians as top hopefuls Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev advanced.

Medvedev, the fifth seed, was tested in his 6-2 3-6 6-1 victory over Belarus' Ilya Ivashka, while sixth seed Rublev saw off France's Ugo Humbert 7-5 6-3 without much issue.

Waiting for Rublev in the quarter-final is Briton Cameron Norrie after his 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-2 battle against Taro Daniel, while Alexander Zverev beat Emil Ruusuvuori 7-5 1-6 7-5 to book a tantalising clash with Medvedev.

In a poor day for the Australians, Jason Kubler went down 6-3 6-2 against 14th seed Frances Tiafoe, and Jordan Thompson could not follow up his incredible upset against Tsitsipas, falling 6-3 7-6 (8-6) to Chile's Alejandro Tabilo.

Mikal Bridges' incredible start to his career as a Brooklyn Net continued on Sunday as he led his team to a 122-120 road upset against the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets despite Nikola Jokic's massive triple-double.

Bridges, 26, arrived from Phoenix as the central piece heading to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant trade, and he has lived up to even the most lofty expectations about what he could produce as the focal point of an offense.

Playing in a supporting role during his time with the Suns, Bridges was averaging a career-high 17.2 points per game this season. It is the fifth season in a row he has improved his points per game, all with career shooting splits of 49.9 per cent from the field, 37.6 per cent from deep and 85.2 per cent from the free throw line.

In his 12 games since joining the Nets, Bridges has shown he is indeed capable of filling a featured role, averaging 25.8 points while maintaining elite efficiency at 51.4 per cent from the field, 49.2 per cent from deep and 90 per cent at the line.

Against the Nuggets, Bridges again led his team in scoring with 25 points on seven-of-16 shooting, while fellow trade deadline acquisition Spencer Dinwiddie posted a career-high 16 assists to go with his 15 points (five-of-15) and six rebounds.

After starting the season a perfect 25-0 in games when reigning back-to-back MVP Jokic has tallied a triple-double, Denver have now dropped two in a row, with his 35 points (14-of-23), 20 rebounds and 11 assists proving not enough to make up for Jamal Murray's ice-cold five-of-19 shooting night.

The Nets have now won five of their past six to improve to 39-29, sitting 3.5 games clear of the play-in tournament placings, while the 46-22 Nuggets are still five games clear atop the West.

Murphy's big night carries the Pelicans

Second-year wing Trey Murphy III dropped a career-high 41 points as the New Orleans Pelicans defended their home court 127-110 against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers.

With Damian Lillard out of action for Portland, they did not have a single player exceed 17 points, while Murphy caught fire.

The 22-year-old hit 13-of-20 shots and nine-of-14 three-pointers, eclipsing his previous high score by nine points as he reached the 30-point mark for the third time. 

Much like Bridges, Murphy has excelled when given an expanded opportunity, providing a silver lining to the absences of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

Embiid too big, too strong for the Wizards

Philadelphia 76ers MVP candidate Joel Embiid was once again the most dominant player on the floor during Sunday's 112-93 manhandling of the Washington Wizards.

Embiid, who leads the race for the scoring title at 33.4 points per game, raised his average ever so slightly with 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting, adding eight rebounds, four assists, four blocks and a steal.

James Harden, who is leading the league in assists at 10.8 per game, made his center's life easier with another 14 dimes to go with 18 points (six-of-11).

The win is the 76ers' fifth in a row, and they are now only 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics (47-21) as they both try to chase down the conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks (48-19).

Scottie Scheffler says it is "very special" to join golf greats Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to hold the Masters and Players Championship titles at the same time.

Scheffler won the Players' Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday by five strokes, re-claiming the world number one ranking in the process.

The 26-year-old American's dominant victory comes after winning last month's Phoenix Open, along with last season's PGA Player of the Year after collecting his first four tour titles.

Scheffler has won six of his past 27 events, but joining Woods and Nicklaus in a rare group meant a lot to him.

"It's quite a special group of people," Scheffler told reporters, before joking: "We could add all our majors and Players together and I have two now and they have a lot more than that.

"But any time you can get mentioned in the same breath as Tiger and Jack it's very special. I'm very grateful for that."

Scheffler's career-best form comes with his Masters' defence a month away, and he described how his game has matured over the past 18 months.

"I'm just comfortable with where my game is," Scheffler said. "I feel like I'm improving. I'm definitely learning more and the more you can get into contention and be in the moments. I would say that's probably the most valuable thing is knowing what you feel like and being able to prepare for it.

"I am a bit more comfortable knowing what I need to do. I think before Phoenix [in 2022] I had this idea that I had to play perfect on Sundays and hit nothing but good shots and that's not necessarily how golf is played. Very rarely do I hit it exactly how I want to and maybe only a couple times a tournament. Most of it is just managing your way around a golf course.

"Going into the Masters, it's going to be a fun week… but by the time we tee it up Thursday everybody starts at even par so it probably doesn't have much of an effect."

The American went on a run of five birdies around the turn at Sawgrass, picking up shots at each hole from eight to 12, on the way to a 69 that took him to 17 under, finishing five shots clear of Tyrrell Hatton. Scheffler broke 70 in all four of his rounds.

"I played really well the whole week, really solid," Scheffler said. "I had some times throughout week where I didn't feel like I was swinging my best or playing at a 100 per cent, and then I would just kind of wait and pick my moments, and fortunately, I got kind of hot in spurts in each of my rounds, whether it was the back nine on the first round or eight-through-12 this afternoon.

"I just found a way to choose my moments and get hot here and there and had four just really solid rounds."

Scheffler's dominance at the notoriously challenging Sawgrass was an ominous sign for the Masters at Augusta National.

"I get excited for a good hard test," he said. "I feel like that I can find a way to make pars and hang in there.

"This week I think I had five bogeys for the whole week. Around this place that's really, really hard to do and that's probably what I'm most proud of is just playing so solid. I think I just like the challenge of kind of harder golf courses."

Scottie Scheffler earned a huge confidence bump ahead of his Masters title defence by triumphing at The Players Championship on Sunday.

The American went on a run of five birdies around the turn at Sawgrass, picking up shots at each hole from eight to 12, on the way to a 69 that took him to 17 under, enough for a five-shot victory.

Scheffler, 26, hops up one spot and returns to number one in the world rankings thanks to this big win. He has won all six of his PGA Tour titles since the beginning of last year, with a hot streak leading up to Augusta last year followed in 2023 by a Phoenix Open victory and now this commanding success.

He was two clear of nearest rival Min Woo Lee coming into the final round, but as the Australian's challenge fell away, Scheffler pulled further clear of the field. He broke 70 in all four of his rounds.

Tyrrell Hatton matched the back-nine course record on his way to second place outright, with the Englishman coming home in 29 for a seven-under-par 65 to finish at 12 under.

Hatton made birdies at 10, 12 and then at every hole from the 14th onwards, producing what he described as a "pretty mad" final flourish to scorch to 12 under.

Viktor Hovland had a closing 68 to finish in a tie for third with Tom Hoge, whose 70 on Sunday was the final act in a dramatic week that began for him with a 78. Hoge narrowly made the cut after a 68 in round two, before shooting a course-record 62 on Saturday.

He cancelled flights home on Friday, when bad weather caused a delay to the second round, and again on Saturday, after making it through on the cut line, with Hoge reaping the rewards of his persistence.

American Alex Smalley had a hole-in-one at the 17th, the famous par-three island hole, early on Sunday, but windy conditions later on made it treacherous and a host of players sent balls into the water. Scheffler reached that penultimate hole with a five-shot lead and an excellent tee shot meant he had cleared the last real obstacle in his path.

Hideki Matsuyama was in with a shout at one stage after reaching 12 under with five holes to play, but the 2021 Masters champion played those holes in three over par, signing for a 68 and sliding to fifth place.

Scheffler's playing partner Lee was one of seven players tied for sixth after having two sevens on his card. Lee finished with a miserable 76 that a brilliant birdie at 17 could not salvage, albeit he revelled in the moment after hitting his tee shot to just five feet from the pin. A bogey at the last summed up his rotten day.

Taylor Montgomery went from 10 under after 14 holes to three under three holes later, twice finding water at the 17th, going 5-7-7 in that stretch to tumble off the leaderboard and into the ranks of the also-rans. He parred the last for a 76 and a tie for 44th place, having been firmly in contention for top three just an hour earlier.

Scheffler avoid any such chaos, and after an emotional celebration with family he told the Golf Channel: "It's a lot of fun. A long day, a tough day. I knew the conditions were going to get really hard late, and I did a really good job of staying patient and not trying to force things. I got hot in the middle of the round and tried to put things away as quickly as I could."

His game is in great shape ahead of his Augusta title defence next month, and Scheffler said: "I'm just hoping to improve. I'm just trying to get a little bit better, not over-think things. I'm so fortunate to be able to see some results and enjoy some wins and I'm very thankful."

The Washington Commanders placed the franchise tag on Daron Payne in late February with the hope they could work out a long-term contract with the defensive tackle.

Less than two weeks later, the two sides have finalised a massive deal.

Payne, 25, agreed to terms with the Commanders on Sunday for a four-year contract worth $90million, with $60m guaranteed.

The deal, which was first reported on Sunday, makes Payne the second-highest paid defensive tackle, trailing only the $95m contract seven-time All-Pro Aaron Donald signed with the Los Angeles Rams last year.

Payne was initially due to make $18.94m in 2023 under the franchise tag he agreed to on February 28.

The 25-year-old Payne has emerged as one of the league’s best defensive tackles and was named to his first Pro Bowl last year after leading Washington with a career-high 11.5 sacks, while also recording 18 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.

The 13th overall pick of the 2018 draft, Payne has 26 career sacks, 40 tackles for loss and four fumble recoveries in 81 games over five seasons for Washington.

The next time star cornerback Jalen Ramsey suits up in the NFL it will be for the Miami Dolphins.

The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to trade Ramsey to the Dolphins in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2023 draft, as well as tight end Hunter Long.

The trade was agreed to on Sunday but cannot be made official until the new league year begins on Wednesday.

As part of the deal, Ramsey's salary will be guaranteed at $36.9million over the next two seasons.

The 28-year-old just completed his seventh season in the NFL and is still considered one of the top cornerbacks in the league.

The fifth overall pick of the 2016 draft, Ramsey was named to his sixth Pro Bowl in 2022 as he compiled four interceptions, two sacks, three forced fumbles and 18 passes defensed while playing in all 17 games.

An instrumental part to the Rams' Super Bowl championship in 2021, Ramsey now joins a Dolphins team who went 9-8 to make the playoffs last season but had the sixth-worst passing defense, yielding an average of 234.8 pass yards per game.

In his career, the three-time All-Pro has 19 interceptions, seven forced fumbles and 92 passes defensed.

Andy Farrell joked Ireland may have to borrow players from a local side's Under-12s to face England after losing five more to injury in their Six Nations victory over Scotland.

Ireland claimed a well-earned 22-7 victory at Murrayfield on Sunday to take their Grand Slam hopes down to next weekend's final game against England.

Farrell's men have now won seven matches in a row in the competition – their joint-best ever run – but their latest victory may have come at a cost.

The visitors lost three of their starting forward pack inside the first 25 minutes, with Caelan Doris, Dan Sheehan and Iain Henderson making way.

Replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher was next to exit the field, leaving prop Cian Healy at hooker and flanker Josh van der Flier the lineout thrower

Garry Ringrose then sustained a serious-looking head injury late on, potentially leaving Farrell with a major selection problem for the visit of England in six days' time.

"We'll go again. We'll have a good squad," Farrell told BBC Sport. "If we get any more injuries in the week we might have to have a look at Old Belvedere Under-12s! 

"We'll lick our wounds and go again. England will be dangerous, but it'll be one hell of a weekend on St Patrick's Day."

 

There was little between the sides after a tense first half in which Mack Hansen cancelled out Huw Jones' try, with that the Scotland centre's tournament-high fourth of 2023.

Ireland's quality eventually told, though, as James Lowe crossed over with 56 minutes played and Jack Conan powered over to put the game out of the home side's reach.

"It was an amazing Test match," Farrell said. "There was a bit of organised chaos at half-time, but everyone had a smile on their face. 

"We didn't get the try early on, then lost Caelan. It's a monumental effort, but that's what these boys expect of each other. They've earned the right to take it to the last weekend.

"The lads can do anything at this moment in time. How we looked after each other was the most impressive thing."

Scotland would have had a second try in the first period if not for a superb Hugo Keenan challenge to stop Duhan van der Merwe from reaching the line.

Just one point separated Scotland and Ireland at half-time for the seventh time in nine Tests at Murrayfield, but Ireland found a way to make it six wins in a row in this fixture.

Johnny Sexton, who kicked seven points to draw level with compatriot Ronan O'Gara in the all-time list of Six Nations points scorers, is proud of the way his side dug in.

"It was an incredibly tough game," he told BBC Sport. "Anytime you come to Murrayfield you know you're in a Test match. That was one of the toughest first halves I've played.

"We knew it would be tough, and we're delighted to come away with the win. Now we've got to get the bodies back together. 

"We'll be playing against an English team that are hurting and one that we have huge respect for. The Irish people will get behind us next week, so we're looking forward to that."

A second defeat in a row for Scotland brings and end to their campaign, and head coach Gregor Townsend accepts Ireland were the better side over the 80 minutes.

"I'd rather talk about the first half than the second half, because the second half was disappointing," he said. "We created chances in that first half.

"It was a real high energy performance – what you'd call a proper Test match. Both teams were a little fatigued at the start of the second half, it was there for us to lift the energy.

"We didn't; we weren't accurate enough. Ireland grew in confidence and were clearly the better team in the second half. We're disappointed with the fact we didn't kick on.

"What we wanted today was a complete, 80-minute performance. We only got it for 40. We know we'll have to play well next week. Italy come here with nothing to lose."

Owen Farrell conceded England could never have anticipated their humbling 53-10 loss against France in the Six Nations.

Steve Borthwick's side suffered their record home defeat as Les Bleus ran in seven tries during a comprehensive display at Twickenham.

England were simply no match for the reigning champions, who dominated proceedings and overpowered their opponents in all departments on the way to a first away win over the Red Rose in the competition since 2005.

Farrell, who was dropped to the bench before replacing Marcus Smith in the 46th minute, admitted the hosts' performance levels were unacceptable.

"As an England player, you never expect to be in this situation," the captain said.

"I don't think you ever expect to lose like that at home as an England team. You don't expect to lose like that anywhere as an England team.

"The result and the scoreline are hugely disappointing for us. It's never nice. Most of the people in the changing room have been through it at some stage. Not normally with England – definitely not normally with England.

"I'm gutted. Everybody in the changing room is disappointed to lose in the fashion that we did.

"I'm not sure it's a true reflection of our team, but credit to France for the way they played, they were clinical. They got away early on, and it was hard for us to get back into the game."

England conclude a difficult Six Nations campaign against Grand Slam-chasing Ireland – coached by Farrell's father Andy – next weekend.

The skipper said he and his team-mates are desperate to put the disappointment behind them as they seek a positive response.

"The end goal is not any different for us because we've got to improve, and we knew that before this game," he added. "We definitely know it after. We have to improve together.

"This will make us have a good look at ourselves and I imagine that after this, everybody is chomping at the bit to get going again."

Owen Farrell conceded England could never have anticipated their humbling 53-10 loss against France in the Six Nations.

Steve Borthwick's side suffered their record home defeat as Les Bleus ran in seven tries during a comprehensive display at Twickenham.

England were simply no match for the reigning champions, who dominated proceedings and overpowered their opponents in all departments on the way to a first away win over the Red Rose in the competition since 2005.

Farrell, who was dropped to the bench before replacing Marcus Smith in the 46th minute, admitted the hosts' performance levels were unacceptable.

"As an England player, you never expect to be in this situation," the captain said.

"I don't think you ever expect to lose like that at home as an England team. You don't expect to lose like that anywhere as an England team.

"The result and the scoreline are hugely disappointing for us. It's never nice. Most of the people in the changing room have been through it at some stage. Not normally with England – definitely not normally with England.

"I'm gutted. Everybody in the changing room is disappointed to lose in the fashion that we did.

"I'm not sure it's a true reflection of our team, but credit to France for the way they played, they were clinical. They got away early on, and it was hard for us to get back into the game."

England conclude a difficult Six Nations campaign against Grand Slam-chasing Ireland – coached by Farrell's father Andy – next weekend.

The skipper said he and his team-mates are desperate to put the disappointment behind them as they seek a positive response.

"The end goal is not any different for us because we've got to improve, and we knew that before this game," he added. "We definitely know it after. We have to improve together.

"This will make us have a good look at ourselves and I imagine that after this, everybody is chomping at the bit to get going again."

Ireland defeated Scotland 22-7 in an entertaining Six Nations contest at Murrayfield to move to within one victory of landing a first Grand Slam since 2018.

Andy Farrell's side had defeated Wales, France and Italy in the opening three rounds and were a point better off than Scotland at the end of a gripping first half in Edinburgh.

Mack Hansen cancelled out Huw Jones' try to help give the visitors their slender advantage, which James Lowe added to shortly before the hour in a crucial moment in the match.

Jack Conan gave Ireland breathing space soon after to ensure they sit four points clear of France ahead of hosting England in the final round of fixtures.

 

Iain Henderson grounded early on for Ireland, only for the officials to rule out the try on a technicality as the line-out that Caelan Doris intercepted was taken with a different ball.

Ireland dominated but only had Johnny Sexton's penalty to show for it, and it was Scotland who opened the try count when Sione Tuipulotu played in Jones to dive over.

Finn Russell added the extras, but Ireland responded 10 minutes later through Hansen, who raced in down the right to ground despite Duhan van der Merwe's best efforts.

Hugo Keenan's fine challenge stopped Van der Merwe from racing through, but Ireland's problems mounted when Ronan Kelleher – a replacement for Dan Sheehan – limped off.

It remained a one-point contest until, after a few near-misses, Ireland worked the ball to the left and Lowe dotted down with 56 minutes played.

Conan showed good pace and power to score a third Irish try following good work from Hansen, with Sexton making it two successful conversions out of three.

That drew Sexton level with Ronan O'Gara for the most Six Nations points scored, but he did not have any further opportunities to edge in front as Ireland missed out on a bonus point.

Tadej Pogacar achieved a "dream" victory in the Paris-Nice as the two-time Tour de France champion powered to a final-stage win on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Slovenian produced a thrilling solo surge on the 117.2-kilometre eighth stage, chiefly contested in the hills surrounding Nice.

His race-winning move came on the final climb, the Col d'Eze, as the UAE Team Emirates man left his rivals to scrap it out for second place before tearing away to the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais.

Pogacar took the stage by 33 seconds. Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma) was second to cross the line on the sea front, with Pogacar taking the overall tour victory by 53 seconds from France's David Gaudu (Groupama–FDJ).

Vingegaard, the reigning Tour de France champion, picked up third place on this occasion in the general classification standings.

Pogacar won the one-day Clasica Jaen Paraiso Interior in Spain early last month, and then went on to dominate the five-day Vuelta a Andalucia.

The latest success is a further step towards the grand tours that await later in the year, with Pogacar electing to race at this event, on the roads where he does much of his training, rather than head to the Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy. That race, running concurrently, was won on Sunday by Primoz Roglic after Pogacar's victories there in 2021 and 2022.

"It was always my goal, my dream, to win Paris-Nice as well and now that I did it, it's incredible," Pogacar said on Eurosport.

"They say attack is the best defence and I really know these roads. A lot of training is done here, so I knew exactly how my legs were and on the final climb how much I could spend to come to the top and I calculated great."

Pogacar will turn his attention to next Saturday's Milan-San Remo one-day classic, satisfied to have got the better of a strong field.

"The competition here was really, really huge and to be alongside David Gaudu and Jonas Vingegaard on the podium is special because they are really top-class riders," Pogacar said. "If I don't win anything until the end of the season it's still not bad, so I can be more relaxed."

Jorge Campillo secured victory at the Kenya Open with a smooth final round of 66 on Sunday, his first DP World Tour win since the 2020 Qatar Masters.

The overnight leader following his impressive 63 on Saturday started well again, carding five birdies over his first 10 holes.

A bogey at the 11th was the Spaniard's first dropped shot in 38 holes, but six pars and a birdie from his final seven allowed Campillo to claim the title by two shots, finishing on 18 under par.

"[I feel] very good, it's always nice to win. To be able to close it off is a nice feeling," he said after sealing victory.

The 36-year-old follows the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam and Trevor Immelman in winning the Kenya Open, and he was typically humble when asked how it felt to be among those figures.

"It's hard to put my name under those names, you know," Campillo said. "I am from the little town I am from. I'm very proud, it's always nice to win a golf tournament but to have the name on the same trophy as Seve is obviously more special for Spain."

Masahiro Kawamura secured outright second with a birdie at the 18th to finish on 16 under, also following a trend among the leading pack by recording a final round of 66, with five of the top six doing so.

Santiago Tarrio and Ryo Hisatsune claimed joint-third on 15 under, while Lukas Nemecz and Borja Virto finished tied for fifth one shot further back.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre fell away from contention with his round of 70, starting the day in second place but ultimately having to settle for joint-seventh on 13 under.

The best rounds on Sunday came from Dutchman Darius van Driel and South Africa's Shaun Norris, who both carded eight-under rounds of 63 to finish tied for 11th and 20th respectively.

Andy Murray acknowledged he produced a nervous performance against Radu Albot on Saturday but suggested it was due to the pressure of a kind Indian Wells Masters draw.

Murray had been due to play Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round in California, only for the 15th seed to pull out with injury.

The three-time major champion instead defeated Albot in 6-4 6-3 for his first straight-sets victory of the season.

That sets Murray up to play fellow Briton Jack Draper in round three ahead of a potential round-four meeting with top seed Carlos Alcaraz, the best player in the draw after Novak Djokovic was unable to enter.

Murray was in complete control against Albot but played with nerves, explaining: "I didn't know if it was because of [the change of opponent].

"I was trying to give reasons for why I may have felt that way. I felt nervous on the court.

"A lot of the way that Radu plays and Carreno Busta plays is not too dissimilar, in terms of the way they like to play points and maybe where and how they like to serve.

"Obviously there are differences in their games, but it wasn't a huge change in terms of my game plan or what I was expecting going into the match.

"But maybe I felt like it was a good opportunity for me and that the draw had opened up slightly. I obviously wanted to try to finish the match quickly."

Yet those nerves are not a problem for Murray, who says he would rather play under that pressure.

"I generally much prefer feeling nervous when I play matches and feeling pressure," he said. "It just felt a bit out of sync with the situation. I was in, I guess, pretty decent control of the match.

"I was serving well, I was hitting the ball pretty well, but there was just more tension than probably there should have been out there on the court.

"But usually I prefer to feel nerves, providing they are in check. And maybe they weren't, for whatever reason.

"I would way rather feel more tension than feel flat, which is really never a good sign for me. If I wake up and I don't feel any of the butterflies or anything like that, it's generally a bad sign."

Emma Raducanu recognises her young career has been dogged by "back luck", but it is all worthwhile having experienced the "good fortune" of her US Open title win.

Raducanu, who is still only 20, won at Flushing Meadows as a qualifier in 2021 – a grand slam first in the Open Era.

However, the British number one has not been past the second round of a major since, with that victory over Leylah Fernandez in New York remaining her only final appearance at any WTA Tour event.

A succession of injuries have hampered Raducanu, who played only 34 matches in 2022 and had been restricted to just four this year ahead of the Indian Wells Open.

Raducanu has beaten Danka Kovinic and Magda Linette in straight sets in California, however, for her first back-to-back wins since the Korea Open in September – the last of those also coming against Linette.

Even in winning on Saturday, Raducanu required treatment for an apparent wrist injury, although she described the problem as "manageable".

It was put to the luckless Raducanu afterwards that she might be well served employing "somebody to sweep the whole area around you for black cats and stray ladders", yet she has come to terms with her misfortune.

She said with a smile: "Sometimes you wonder, like, how is this possible? But then very quickly I think you create your own luck.

"It works both ways. I won the US Open as well, and I think I also have to take the bad luck sometimes, because also good fortune has also come upon me.

"I think that I wouldn't trade that title for the world. I'm just prepared to take whatever it takes, knowing that I have that in the bank."

Asked about her mood after winning consecutive matches, Raducanu said: "I just feel good with the way I'm working with my team, not getting too overly pleased or too down.

"I'm just plodding away. I feel pretty good about how things are going."

Raducanu faces Beatriz Haddad Maia, the 13th seed, in round three.

Returning to world number one will not be on Scottie Scheffler's mind on Sunday when he sets about adding The Players Championship to his already glowing resume.

Scheffler is in position to triumph at TPC Sawgrass, last year's Masters champion heading into the final day at 14 under par, giving him a two-stroke lead over Australia's Min Woo Lee.

In a turbulent era for golf, Scheffler, along with Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, have provided continuity. Since Rahm took the number one spot for the fourth time in July 2021, he, Scheffler and McIlroy have shared the ranking between themselves.

Rahm deposed Scheffler as world number one last month but, with the Spaniard pulling out of the Players through illness and McIlroy missing the cut, Scheffler will return to the summit with a top-five finish at Sawgrass.

But asked about that potential achievement, Scheffler told a press conference after his third round: "I think the ranking is just an algorithm.

"For me, I would much rather win the tournament than get back to number one in the world.

"So that will be my focus going into Sunday is just going out and having a solid round of golf, and the rankings will be the rankings.

"It's tough to rank professional golf, and the OWGR has done a good job of that over long period of time, but at the end of the day for me, it's just an algorithm, and I'm going to go out there to try and win the golf tournament."

Looking ahead to the final round, Scheffler said: "I think the conditions are going to be pretty tough.

"From what I saw, it's going to be pretty gusty winds in the afternoon, so it should be a good challenge."

His main competition may come from Lee, who does not have a PGA Tour win since joining in 2019, his sole two professional triumphs coming on the European Tour.

Lee has made only five major appearances but finished in the top 30, including a tied-14th finish at The Masters, in three of the four last year.

"He's very, very talented," Scheffler said of Lee. 

"I don't know how much y'all may know about Min Woo, but I've heard about him for a long time and he's a very talented player."

There have not been too many championship performances from the Golden State Warriors as they have produced an unconvincing defence of their NBA title so far this season.

On Saturday, they delivered a reminder of their ability to rise to the occasion against the most vaunted of opponents, and typically it was Steph Curry who inspired them as the Warriors saw off the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime.

Curry was at his brilliant best in the clutch in a 125-116 victory, with 22 of his 36 points coming in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Eleven of his 13 fourth-quarter points came in the final two minutes of regulation, including a three-pointer over Jevon Carter with 19 seconds left to tie the game.

A more important contribution was to follow with 2.2 seconds left when Curry rose to block a potential game-winning shot from Jrue Holiday.

In his regular-season career, that was the first time Curry had blocked a shot in the final 10 seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime.

"When you [make] a couple of big shots down the stretch and then find yourself in a position to make a play on the other side, I think that gives everybody a good boost," Curry said. "I think I got more compliments on that in the locker room than any shot I made."

Curry re-entered the game in the fourth after a spell on the bench with the Warriors trailing by eight points to a Bucks team that leads the Eastern Conference having compiled 48 wins this campaign. Golden State had led by 13 in the third.

"It's the challenge of bringing execution and focus," Curry said. "Even when things aren't going your way -- that fourth quarter when they take an eight-point lead -- and you slowly walk them down, that's the belief you have to have that we can do."

Coach Steve Kerr was in awe of Curry's all-round display, which lifted the Warriors to 35-33, still in the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

"Steph was incredible, and he did it against one of the great defenders in Jrue Holiday," Kerr said. "It's amazing watching those two guys battle. Steph is fearless. It doesn't matter if there is a slow start or if he hasn't had much going, he can ignite at any time."

"Championship stuff," he added of the Warriors finishing the game off. "That is the team that won four titles. They know how to do it. They got it done against probably the best team in the league."

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz and reigning champion Taylor Fritz both overcame challenges to progress into the third round of the Indian Wells Open on Saturday.

Alcaraz won 6-3 6-3 over Thanasi Kokkinakis in one hour and 18 minutes in his opening match of the event, which also marked his return from a fortnight out with a hamstring injury.

The Spaniard, who reached the semi-finals at Indian Wells last year, could return to the number one ranking with victory at this year's event in the absence of Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz hit 21 winners against the 94th-ranked Australian, dropping only one point on serve in the opening frame.

Fritz went a set down against 2023 Australian Open quarter-finalist Ben Shelton but eventually prevailed 4-6 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 53 minutes.

Both players were excellent on serve throughout the contest, with Fritz earning a break in the 10th game of the second set to tie up the match, before swooping again in the sixth game of the decisive frame.

Veteran Andy Murray moved into the third round with a 6-4 6-3 win over Radu Albot, with the Briton to take on countryman Jack Draper next. Draper won 6-4 6-2 over 24th seed Daniel Evans.

Murray had been set to face 15th seed Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round, but he withdrew due to a muscle injury, allowing Albot into the draw as a lucky loser. Murray's win was his first in straight sets since October.

Seventh seed Holger Rune won 7-5 6-3 over American Mackenzie McDonald, progressing to face Stanislas Wawrinka after he toppled 26th seed Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 (10-8) 6-4.

Ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz got past Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-3 6-3, setting up a third-round clash with 17th seed Tommy Paul who won 6-3 6-3 over Jan-Lennard Struff.

Eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime won 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 over Pedro Martinez, while 11th seed Jannik Sinner got past veteran Richard Gasquet 6-3 7-6 (7-2).

Last week's Mexican Open champion and 16th seed Alex de Minaur was the highest seed to be knocked out on Saturday after a 6-4 6-2 loss to Martin Fucsovics.

Stephen Curry came alight down the stretch with 22 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Golden State Warriors showed they are not a spent force beating the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Warriors won 125-116 in overtime after Draymond Green's three-point attempt in the final seconds of regulation rimmed out, before Golden State went on a 9-0 run led by Curry at the Chase Center on Saturday.

Curry shot poorly in the first three quarters but knocked down several crucial three-pointers in the latter periods, finishing with 13-of-27 shooting from the field including six-of-15 from beyond the arc in his first home game since returning from a leg injury.

The result meant the Warriors have won seven straight at home, while it ended the Bucks' nine-game road streak. Golden State are 11-1 in their last 12 games at the Chase Center.

NBA-leading Milwaukee were without Giannis Antetokounmpo (sore hand) but could have won it in regulation with Jrue Holiday driving to the basket with scores locked, only to be blocked by Curry with 1.9 seconds left.

That was Curry's 16th block of the season and came after the reigning NBA Finals MVP landed a tying three-pointer.

Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez top scored for the Bucks with 19 points, with the latter having seven rebounds and five blocks. Holiday scored 18 points with nine rebounds and eight assists.

Klay Thompson and Donte DiVincenzo supported Curry with 22 and 20 points respectively, with the latter adding 10 rebounds.

Kawhi shines as Clippers keep winning

Kawhi Leonard continued his resurgent form with 38 points as the Los Angeles Clippers downed the New York Knicks 106-95.

Leonard shot 14-of-22 from the field and is now averaging 31 points across his past seven games, including four 30-point games during that span.

Paul George contributed 22 points for the Clippers, who have won three in a row, while the Knicks have now lost three straight after a nine-game winning run.

Smart ejected as Celtics clip Hawks

Jayson Tatum led the way with 34 points and 15 rebounds after Marcus Smart was ejected for a tussle with Trae Young as the Boston Celtics won 134-125 over the Atlanta Hawks.

Tatum added 11 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter as the Hawks tried to launch a comeback, while Jaylen Brown had 24 points with five rebounds and seven assists.

Hawks guard Young scored a game-high 35 points with 13 assists, but had to be separated from Smart with 1:25 remaining, with the latter ejected for his part in their confrontation.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault hailed goaltender Jonathan Quick after recording his first shutout for his new side in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Quick only joined VGK earlier this month via trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, making 33 saves in the win where they scored in every period from Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Paul Cotter and Brett Howden goals.

The veteran goaltender is 3-0-0 since joining the Golden Knights, playing his part as the Hurricanes were shut out for the first time since November 23.

"Quick was unbelievable tonight," Marchessault told reporters. "We're able to get him the shutout. That's something the team should be really proud to do for him.

"It's easy to get a guy like that going in your locker room. He's such a good veteran. He's been around for a long time and we're lucky to have him."

The win was 40-20-6 Vegas' fifth from their past six games, while it snapped the Hurricanes' four-game winning streak, leaving them 43-13-8.

Marchessault added: "I thought we were pretty good. They had a strong first period but I thought we kept a lot of their chances to the outside. Definitely a lot of positives today."

The result sees VGK improve their record to 40-20-6 to remain top of the Pacific Division, clinching their second win in the third game of their five-game road trip.

The Golden Knights won 4-3 in overtime at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, having lost 2-1 to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, with games against the St Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers to come.

"That's a pretty tough road trip," Marchessault said. "To get two wins out of those three teams is really good for our group.

"We've got a few guys down so we need guys to step up which is what we're doing now.

"We've got to be ready to go back out there tomorrow and do the same thing."

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