Down Royal racegoers are in for a rare treat on Friday with Frankie Dettori set to make his first ever appearance at the Lisburn circuit.
The 52-year-old might be preparing to bring his glittering career in the saddle to an end later this year but he has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down, riding a whole host of big-race winners both at home and abroad in 2023 so far.
His farewell tour made an unlikely stop in Hungary last weekend, with Dettori performing his trademark flying dismount twice after riding a double at Kincsem Park in Budapest, and next on his agenda is a first competitive outing in Northern Ireland.
Down Royal’s chief executive Emma Meehan has been working on getting the legendary Italian to the track since the spring and is delighted those efforts have paid off.
She said: “We’ve been trying to get him in before his swansong as it will be the first time he’s ridden in the north of Ireland.
“In April of this year I reached out and we got confirmation that he’d welcome the visit and thankfully the interest from his camp hasn’t waned.
“It’s lovely for punters in the north to have him here at their local track and it’s great for us at Down Royal to have him here as part of our history.”
The first of Dettori’s two mounts at Down Royal is the Matthew Smith-trained No Thanks, who contests the two-and-a-quarter-mile Grant Thornton Ulster Cesarewitch Handicap.
In the following Children’s Heartbeat Trust Handicap he will partner Evening’s Empire for the father-son team of Eddie and Patrick Harty before sitting down for ‘An Evening with Frankie Dettori’ event in one of the track’s suites.
Meehan added: “He’s riding in two races and then after racing from 7.30pm we’re having an event which Kevin O’Ryan and Fran Berry are hosting. They’ll catch up with him about his career and there’ll be an audience, with tickets pre-sold.
“Sales are going well and we’re hoping to get a few more people through the doors as the weather looks like being on our side.
“It will be a great evening and it’s a special day for us. We’re just delighted he could attend.”
Topsy Ojo has backed under-pressure England head coach Steve Borthwick to turn his side’s poor form around at the World Cup in France.
England have won just two of their nine fixtures in 2023 and will look to ignite their World Cup bid in their crucial opening Pool D fixture against Argentina on Saturday.
Former London Irish and England player Ojo acknowledged Borthwick’s side have not won enough games of late but insists they have the tools to create an upturn in form.
“There’s definitely a lot of pressure on him (Borthwick) at the minute,” Ojo told the PA news agency.
“He’ll know that he’s not won enough games and the pressure comes down to how well this World Cup goes for him.
“If England don’t get out of the group then the pressure will increase tenfold and people will ask questions.
“I do (have faith in Borthwick and England), especially when I look at what he’s done as a coach and the playing group.
“I think the players will turn up and, having watched them every week in the Premiership, I know what they’re capable of.
“You can see what’s starting to gel on the pitch and as a group under Steve and as they get used to playing with each other over a long period of time, they’ll become more efficient, accurate and will start to take more of what they are creating”.
The former winger earmarked the number eight position as pivotal and called for improved defensive performances after England shipped 53 points to France in March and lost 30-22 to Fiji in their final warm-up game last month.
The ITV pundit highlighted the responsibility of Ben Earl and Lewis Ludlam in England’s opener as Steve Borthwick will be without Billy Vunipola, who picked up a suspension in England’s 29-10 defeat to Ireland in August.
“I think it will be Ben Earl initially or maybe Lewis Ludlam but whoever plays as eight has a huge responsibility in this team,” Ojo added.
“The power and physicality game in rugby is huge and you need your ball carriers to carry 10-15 times a game and make three to five metres every time to put your team on the front foot and gain momentum.
“If England can do that then they have the players and capability to run away with things but if they don’t get parity or dominance in that area then it could be a long day for them.”
“Defensively they need to be doing way better, they’re shipping far too many points and they’ll know that.
“If they are able to defend well and efficiently by ideally turning the ball over early then the momentum they’ll get from that will mean they can go and score points.”
The 38-year-old hailed England’s travelling supporters who will be eager to see them lift their first World Cup since 2003.
“It’s going to be great to see them,” he said.
“We’ll see support in numbers as the energy builds and I think England are very well supported and they are lucky in that regard.”
Rory McIlroy has pledged to take a “sensible” approach to a friend’s stag do just days before the start of the Ryder Cup.
And the world number two has also assured captain Luke Donald that he is close to full fitness after the back injury which almost forced him to withdraw from the Tour Championship in Atlanta.
McIlroy had previously joked that he would need “a few days to dry out” from his trip to Mykonos before travelling to Rome, where Europe will attempt to regain the Ryder Cup following their record 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits.
“I’m sensible when I need to be,” McIlroy said with a smile in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Horizon Irish Open.
“48 hours, nice little trip, and probably needed as well. (I go) from here to practise in Rome next week, to Wentworth.
“I get back into London on Wednesday evening and then four good days in London to practise and get myself ready to go to Rome on the Monday.”
Donald also laughed off any concerns, adding: “It’s not like Rory is 22 or 21. He understands.
“There’s nothing wrong in going out and having some fun with your friends. But I think he’s got wise enough shoulders to know that he won’t go crazy, so no concerns there.”
McIlroy hit just 20 balls before his first round of the Tour Championship after suffering a muscle spasm two days earlier which left him unable to move.
The 34-year-old struggled to an opening round of 70 at East Lake but the injury gradually improved throughout the week and he closed with a 65 to finish in a tie for 11th.
“I would say it’s at 90 per cent, 95 per cent,” McIlroy said. “I just have to take care of it a little bit but it’s not preventing me from doing anything I want to do. Just being a little mindful, I guess.
“I’ve had much worse. I had much worse back issues when I was 21. This is a bit of tightness, a bit of a muscle spasm. I’ve had a herniated disc and I’ve had stuff that would be a lot more worrying than this is. It’s fine. It’s totally fine.”
McIlroy produced a sensational finish to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat the last time The K Club staged the Irish Open in 2016, having seen a three-shot lead turn into a one-shot deficit in the final round.
A stunning approach from 270 yards set up a two-putt birdie on the par-five 16th and McIlroy produced an even better shot to the last, his five-wood from 252 yards finishing within three feet of the hole for a tap-in eagle.
“The two shots I hit on 16 then the two on 18, that’s the way you want to try to close out a golf tournament. It was amazing,” McIlroy recalled.
“They had set up a sort of bar on the right side of 16 and when my ball hit the green I just remember the roar from over there was pretty cool.
“It was a great finish and for as long as I can remember the only tournament my mum ever wanted to see me win was The Irish Open. So for her to be there and for me to win it, it means a lot to her obviously and a lot to us as a family.”
McIlroy has a lead of more than 2,000 points over Jon Rahm at the top of the Race to Dubai, but will take six weeks off between the Ryder Cup and the season-finale in Dubai.
Strong performances in Ireland and next week’s BMW PGA Championship would therefore go a long way to securing a fifth money list title, three behind the record of Colin Montgomerie.
“I’ve got a nice little cushion at the minute but these two weeks are important,” McIlroy said.
“I want to play well for a number of reasons. I want to feel like I’m confident and in good form going into the Ryder Cup obviously.
“But yeah, I think it would be a pretty cool achievement to win The Race to Dubai for a fifth time and start creeping up on Monty.”
Soprano gets another opportunity to break her Group-race duck in the Ire-Incentive, It Pays To Buy Irish Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes at Salisbury on Thursday.
An impressive winner on her introduction at Newmarket in early May, the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned filly has since been placed in the Albany at Royal Ascot in June, the Star Stakes at Sandown in July and the Sweet Solera on the July Course last month.
Having seen the George Boughey-trained daughter of Starspangledbanner knock on the door on a few occasions now, Highclere’s managing director Harry Herbert is hoping she can finally enjoy her day in the big-race sun in Wiltshire.
“She seems in great shape after Newmarket. She ran a very good race that day and was just beaten by a better filly (Fallen Angel) on the day,” said Herbert.
“She’s working very well and Ryan Moore can ride her so it’s all systems go.
“I think a stiff six furlongs will really suit her and she’s got a wonderful action the filly, so she should really lap up the ground.
“All these races are pretty hot, but we go there thinking that she’ll be pretty competitive.”
Miaharris puts her unbeaten record on the line for trainer Owen Burrows and jockey Oisin Murphy.
Having supplemented her debut success at Sandown with a narrow victory in Listed company at Newbury last month, the Zoustar filly steps up to six furlongs as she goes in search of the hat-trick.
Burrows said: “We’re very happy with her and it looked as though she would appreciate the step up to six from her last run, so we’ll see.
“I wouldn’t mind to have been drawn in a little bit more, but it is what it is (stall 15).
“I’m not concerned about the ground really. She handled ground on the easy side of good at Newbury and it was similar at Sandown I think. It’s going to be a bit quicker at Salisbury, but I don’t have any worries about that.
“She’s always looked a talented filly. She was bought with Royal Ascot in mind, but as a typical breeze-up filly she just fell apart a bit and fair to play to the owner (Olly Harris) who has been very patient. Fingers crossed he’s going to reap the benefits now.”
Clive Cox is triple-handed, with the well fancied Symbology joined by a pair of bigger priced stablemates in Onthemoneyhoney and Unbreak My Heart.
York maiden winner Symbology has since finished third in the Princess Margaret at Ascot and the Lowther Stakes at York, while Onthemoneyhoney faces a rise in grade following a debut win at Windsor.
Unbreak My Heart won a minor heat at Bath on her second start before finishing a distant third in the Listed Empress Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket.
Cox said: “I was really pleased with Symbology in the Lowther and I think she’s still progressing.
“It was a very pleasing effort at York and she’s come back well from there, hence the reason she’s turning out again on Thursday, and she’ll appreciate the dry conditions.
“Onthemoneyhoney won her only start and from a ratings perspective she’s got a lot to find, but she’s in excellent form and with the way the ground is I think she deserves a chance to run.
“Unbreak My Heart won on quick ground at Bath, they’re all in good order and a lack of alternative choices mean we’re going to give it a kick here.”
Kevin Philippart De Foy’s unbeaten Alshinfarah will bid to enhance her growing reputation at ParisLongchamp on Thursday when she lines up in the Prix d’Aumale.
The youngster created a taking impression against her own sex at Doncaster on debut and remained unbeaten with another facile triumph when taking on the colts at Haydock last month.
The form of that victory has been given a timely boost by the runner-up and the Shadwell-owned daughter of Noble Mission now takes the leap up to Group Three company in a race won last season by dual French Classic winner Blue Rose Cen.
“It’s a logical next step and the filly won nicely first time out before confirming that against the colts a couple of weeks later,” said Philippart De Foy.
“The form of that race got boosted by William Haggas’ horse (Remaadd) when winning at Goodwood a week ago.
“The filly is in good form and obviously she is well bred so the next target is to get some black type with her which is the reason we are going to Longchamp.”
Christopher Head will saddle Freville in his quest for back-to-back victories in the contest, while Andre Fabre’s Mlle Moliere, Didier Guillemin’s Beatrix Kiddo and Philippe Sogorb’s Itsy Bitsy all arrive in the French capital with a similar profile to Alshinfarah and are unbeaten in two starts.
Gavin Hernon’s Dare To Dream made a winning debut at Deauville recently and Joseph O’Brien’s Kalispera adds further spice to an intriguing contest and Philippart De Foy is respectful of the opposition as his raider moves up to a mile for the first time.
Philippart De Foy added: “It is a competitive little race and Andre Fabre’s filly seems pretty good and Gavin Hernon’s filly won first time out as well. Joseph O’Brien is also sending a filly so it is a competitive race for the next step in her career.
“The family stayed much further and her half-sister ran over a mile and a half in the Arc. Noble Mission her sire stayed further as well so I’m not worried about running over a mile and the ground should suit her. She travelled over there well and it will be interesting to see her against a stronger field.”
Earlier on the card, John and Thady Gosden’s Ghara, Charlie Appleby’s Chalice Stakes runner-up Sunset Point and William Haggas’ two-time scorer Truthful will all head to post for the Listed Darley Prix Joubert over a mile and six furlongs.
Meanwhile Patrice Cottier will seek to add to his Group One success in Sunday’s Prix du Moulin de Longchamp with Grey Man, who lines up in the Group Three Prix des Chenes looking for his fourth win in five starts.
Argentina’s scrum may lack of the potency of old but Dan Cole insists it remains a significant threat to England’s goal of making a triumphant start to their World Cup.
Two sides who take pride in their forward dominance collide in Pool D’s highest-profile fixture in Marseille on Saturday, with the winners placing one foot into the quarter-finals.
Argentina’s last great scrum was 2015 when feared props Marcos Ayerza and Ramiro Herrera helped them reach the World Cup semi-finals, but more strings have now been added to the Pumas’ bow.
But tighthead prop Cole insists that with his Leicester-mate Julian Montoya present in their front row at hooker, they are still a formidable set-piece unit.
“It’s a force. Whether it’s the force of your (Martin) Scelzos, (Rodrigo) Ronceros and (Mario) Ledesmas….. But you still have Montoya, who I know brilliantly well,” Cole said.
“You look at their team in the Rugby Championship, they’re dangerous. If you have one scrummage where you are not fully focused they will do you damage and get stuck into you.
“They’re a dangerous team and they’ve grown their game in other areas. We know what’s coming up front.
“They love the physical contest. You speak to some of their front five – Tomas Lavanini when he was at Leicester and Montoya – and they relish the physical part of the game.
“Marcos Ayerza could talk for days about the scrum, both the physical and mental aspect of it.
“That’s the tradition of their game, we respect that and we look forward to playing them because that’s the game.”
Cole will be in the front line of resistance to Argentina’s forward assault at the Stade Velodrome as he prepares to take part in his fourth World Cup, either in the number three jersey or as a replacement.
The 36-year-old’s Test career appeared to be over until Steve Borthwick’s arrival as head coach offered a route back and he made his first appearance since the 2019 final in the recent Six Nations.
England’s scrum was overwhelmed by South Africa in Yokohama four years ago and Cole appeared to have paid the price.
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“I didn’t think this would happen but now I’m here and I’m very happy and grateful to be part of it,” Cole said.
“It was a surprise to get the call from Steve because I hadn’t played for England for three years. I’d worked with him at Leicester but he didn’t give anything away.
“After 2019 and what happened in the final, I wouldn’t say it would have been easy to have packed it in, but it would have been easy to just drift.”
Borthwick names his starting XV on Thursday afternoon, with either Will Stuart or Kyle Sinckler joining Cole in the 23.
England’s head coach faces a difficult decision at scrum-half with no clear pick emerging from the trio of Ben Youngs, Danny Care and Alex Mitchell.
Manu Tuilagi is expected to be joined in the centres by either Ollie Lawrence or Joe Marchant, while two of Elliot Daly, Jonny May, Max Malins and Henry Arundell will fill the wing slots.
The Honourable Olivia Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, has unveiled a significant token of appreciation for the remarkable achievements of Jamaica's Sunshine Girls netball team at the recent Netball World Cup held in South Africa.
Minister Grange announced on Tuesday that the Ministry will provide direct payments totaling more than JMD$6 million to the players and coaches who represented Jamaica with distinction on the international stage.
During a heartwarming courtesy call held at her New Kingston offices, Minister Grange welcomed the triumphant Sunshine Girls, who secured a bronze medal at the World Cup. She expressed the Ministry's profound gratitude and admiration for their outstanding performance.
"The Sunshine Girls will each receive a direct payment of JMD$300,000, which will be promptly credited to their accounts. This gesture reflects our deep appreciation for your dedication and accomplishments," the minister proudly declared.
In addition to acknowledging the players, Minister Grange extended her gratitude to the coaching staff, who played an instrumental role in the team's success. Coaches will receive JMD$200,000 each, and members of the management team will be rewarded with JMD$100,000 each.
Minister Grange emphasized the significance of the support team and encouraged the Sunshine Girls to recognize their invaluable contributions. Highlighting the Ministry's unwavering commitment to sports development, Minister Grange revealed that a sum of J$20 million was allocated to Netball Jamaica by the Ministry to facilitate Jamaica's participation in the Netball World Cup. This investment underscores the government's dedication to promoting excellence in sports.
Further, Minister Grange disclosed plans for an upcoming celebratory event dedicated to honoring the exceptional achievements of the Sunshine Girls and other national representatives in various sporting disciplines throughout the year.
The event will bring together the Sunshine Girls, the Reggae Girls, and the successful female volleyball team that excelled at the CAZOVA championships. Minister Grange emphasized the importance of celebrating the accomplishments of Jamaican women in sports.
Regarding the celebratory function, Minister Grange stated, "I am pleased to announce that I will be hosting a special congratulatory function that will encompass the Sunshine Girls, the Reggae Girls, and the female volleyball team. As women, it's time to come together and celebrate our remarkable achievements."
Details regarding the format and date of this celebration will be unveiled at a later date. The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport remains committed to uplifting and supporting Jamaica's athletes and recognizing their exceptional contributions on the global stage.
Jonathan Humphreys wants the Wales forwards to be remembered for accuracy and a relentless approach at the Rugby World Cup.
The Wales pack can expect an immediate test of its capability against opening Pool C opponents Fiji in Bordeaux on Sunday.
While Fiji are renowned for players with dazzling skills, their set-piece game has improved considerably under head coach Simon Raiwalui.
Georgia’s revered forward power awaits Wales in their final group game, with Australia also likely to pose plenty of questions during what will be a fiercely-contested pool.
“We have been working for 16 weeks towards a goal, which is this game,” Wales assistant coach and forwards specialist Humphreys said.
“We’ve tried lots of combinations out and a few different things. Those three (warm-up) games allowed us to do that.
“We are well aware this is the judgement time for us. We feel we are pretty well-prepared and we know what’s coming.
“Two words would be accurate and relentless in everything you do, on the field and off the field.”
Humphreys and his fellow Wales coaches were at Twickenham last month when Fiji claimed a famous 30-22 victory over England.
He added: “I was really impressed with them. They went behind early, came back at them (England) and they have got some incredibly powerful runners who are tough to stop.
“Physically, they are in incredible shape and they are going to be a tough, tough challenge for us.
“They have had five or six warm-up games, and the set-piece is a strength of theirs at the moment.
“We are well aware of what’s coming, we know hopefully what they are about and we have prepared for it.”
Wales boss Warren Gatland has reported a clean bill of health among the 33-strong World Cup squad after a number of players had been sidelined due to knocks.
That list included hookers Dewi Lake (knee) and Ryan Elias (hamstring), while star number eight Taulupe Faletau took no part in the warm-up schedule because of a calf muscle issue.
“In fairness to our medical staff, when they did pick up the injuries the return dates were spot-on really,” Humphreys said. “It has been good to have everyone available for selection.
“We are pretty confident in our ability and what we can achieve. It’s about going out there and doing it, and that is the point we are at right now.
“We are in a good spot. Everybody is a bit on edge, but in a good way, and training this morning was like that. It has been a long time getting here.”
The hot weather in France continues to be a major talking point, with tournament bosses understood to be considering implementing player drinks breaks during games.
Temperatures at Wales’ training base in Versailles have not dipped below 32 degrees this week, while Bordeaux is set to be even warmer.
Wales, though, feel ready for any eventuality, having prepared at punishing training camps in Switzerland and Turkey for the competition.
Prop Dillon Lewis said: “We spent a bit of time in Turkey where it was a fair bit warmer than here.
“It was quite good we got that in the bank early and it allows us to adapt to this a bit quicker, and not affect us as much as it could have done.”
Charlie Hills’ classy two-year-old Iberian is on track to line up in the Betfred Champagne Stakes during Doncaster’s St Leger Festival.
Owned by Teme Valley and Ballylinch Stud, the son of Lope De Vega created a taking impression when winning a Newbury novice event earlier in the summer and immediately had his sights raised to bigger and better things.
Although deteriorating ground ruled him out of a Superlative Stakes clash with Aidan O’Brien’s Classic hope City Of Troy, Iberian did get the chance to advertise his talents in Group Two company when second in the Vintage Stakes during the Qatar Goodwood Festival.
Inexperience took its toll as he chased home Richard Hannon’s Haatem for the silver medal on the Sussex Downs, but his handler is hopeful the exposure to a higher calibre contest will tee him up nicely for his next outing at that level on Town Moor.
“He’s been really good since Goodwood,” said Hills.
“He was probably just a little bit green on that ground and around that track. He just ran a bit in snatches but I’m sure that experience will bring him on a good bit.
“His work has been great since and he’s due to do a nice piece this week. Hopefully that will put him spot on for Doncaster next week.
“That race should suit him and better ground will help as well.”
Jose Altuve hit home runs in each of his first three plate appearances, Framber Valdez threw seven strong innings and the Houston Astros routed the Texas Rangers 14-1 Tuesday.
With the win and Seattle Mariners’ loss, the Astros pulled into sole possession of first place in the AL West for the first time this season.
Altuve hit all three of his homers in the first three innings, one-upping the two home runs he hit in Monday’s series opener. The 2017 AL MVP has five deep balls in the last two games after hitting just one in his previous 21 games.
Altuve’s first two round-trippers came against Nathan Eovaldi, who lasted just 1 1/3 innings in his return from a six-week stint on the injured list.
Martin Maldonado added two home runs for the Astros, and Yordan Alvarez hit one.
Valdez kept the Rangers’ bats quiet most of the night, allowing one run and six hits over seven innings.
Houston (79-61) have a two-game lead over Texas (76-62) in baseball’s closest division race. Seattle (77-61) sits between, one game back of the Astros.
Wednesday’s series finale features a matchup of three-time Cy Young Award winners when the Astros send Justin Verlander to the mound to face the Rangers’ Max Scherzer.
Stanton hits 400th HR, Yankees back to .500
Giancarlo Stanton scorched a line-drive for his 400th career home run and the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 5-1 for their seventh win in their last eight games.
Stanton’s two-run blast off Jose Ciserno in the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and made him the 58th slugger to reach 400 home runs in a career.
Gerrit Cole produced another quality start, allowing one run and eight hits over six innings. Cole has bolstered his case for the AL Cy Young Award by winning each of his last three starts and dropping his season ERA to 2.90.
New York (69-69) got back to .500 with the win but remains in last place in the AL East and are 7 ½ games back of a wild card spot.
Reds rally late to edge Mariners
Nick Martini hit a game-tying three-run homer in the eighth inning, Christian Encarnacion-Strand delivered the winning RBI in the ninth and the Cincinnati Reds rallied for a 7-6 walk-off win over the Seattle Mariners.
The Reds trailed 6-3 with one out in the eighth before Martini came off the bench to tie the game with one swing. An inning later, Encarnacion-Strand’s single drove in Elly De La Cruz from second base.
Cincinnati survived a big night from Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez, who had two home runs and four RBIs. Teoscar Hernandez also went deep for the Mariners, giving him six homers in his last 10 games.
The dramatic win kept the Reds (73-68) slotted for the NL’s final wild card spot, remaining half a game ahead of the Miami Marlins.
Ireland star Josh van der Flier feels his team-mates have “long forgotten” about his status as World Player of the Year.
The Leinster flanker goes into the Rugby World Cup as the holder of the sport’s ultimate individual prize following a string of stellar performances across 2022.
Van der Flier was on the receiving end of some good-natured jibes in the aftermath of claiming the award ahead of Ireland captain Johnny Sexton, France skipper Antoine Dupont and South Africa’s Lukhanyo Am.
View this post on InstagramThe unassuming 30-year-old admits the recognition gives him further confidence to perform on the biggest stage but says the in-house references and ribbing have ceased.
“It’s long forgotten about now,” he said. “It’s kind of back to normal, I think.
“It was funny for the first while because I couldn’t do anything wrong because I’d just be slated for it.
“It’s normal enough now.
“I suppose if anything it (the award) gives you a bit of confidence, for me anyway, that I can play well at this level. That’s all I get from it now at this stage, I suppose.
“It was a great honour but it feels like a long time ago now.”
Van der Flier was only the third Irishman to receive the award following Keith Wood (2001) and Sexton (2018).
He backed it up by helping Ireland win the Guinness Six Nations grand slam and retain their spot at the top of the world rankings.
View this post on Instagram“It’s a team sport and looking back it’s the success of the team that makes the individuals in a team look good or better,” he said.
“But it’s obviously nice to be in that position coming into a World Cup. You want to be playing your best rugby and hopefully I can try and do that now over the next few weeks.
“I am definitely incredibly excited to get going.”
Ireland begin their campaign on Saturday afternoon against Romania in Bordeaux ahead of further Pool B clashes with Tonga, reigning champions South Africa and Scotland.
Novak Djokovic broke yet another record as he reached the last four at the US Open.
The 36-year-old’s straight-sets win over Taylor Fritz saw him into the last four of a grand slam for the 47th time, overtaking Roger Federer’s tally.
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff became the first American teenager since Serena Williams in 2001 to reach the semi-finals.
Here, the PA news agency looks back at day eight at Flushing Meadows:
Pic of the dayPerformance of the day
Gauff dropped just two games as she blitzed Jelena Ostapenko 6-0 6-2 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 19-year-old handed out a New York bagel in the first set to Latvian Ostapenko in only 20 minutes.
Quote of the dayStat of the daySong of the dayBrit watch
Defending champions Joe Salisbury and American partner Rajeev Ram are into the semi-finals of the men’s doubles.
Salisbury and Ram won the opening set against Argentinian duo Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4 and came from 3-0 behind in the second by winning six games in a row.
Wimbledon boys’ champion Henry Searle lost in three sets to American Trevor Svajda in the second round of the juniors.
Fallen seeds
Women: Jelena Ostapenko (20), Sorana Cirstea (30).
Men: Taylor Fritz (9).
Who’s up next
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz takes on Alexander Zverev for a place in the semi-finals.
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka faces surprise package Qinwen Zheng of China.
Kevin Sinfield has revealed Marcus Smith is still an option at full-back as England look to ignite their attack.
Harlequins fly-half Smith injected energy and creativity into England’s game when appearing as a second-half replacement in the World Cup warm-up fixtures against Ireland and Fiji.
Head coach Steve Borthwick on Thursday names his team to face Argentina in their crucial Pool D opener, with Smith under consideration as support for starting 15 Freddie Steward.
“Marcus is a magician with the ball – step off both feet, quick, can beat the opposition for fun,” defence coach Sinfield said.
“So why not try to give him a bit more time and space than he would typically get at 10, try to get him a little bit wider?
“We have been working on it for some weeks now with him in training. He’s been incredible at the back.
“He embraced it straight away. It was a question that was posed to him. Have you ever played 15? His first answer was ‘No, but I would love to’.
“It would be crazy of us to put Marcus in the team and not try to put the ball in his hands, and give him space to attack. He’s a different attacking threat to Fred.
“Fred is 6ft 4in and 105kg, so he brings a different threat to Marcus when he carries the ball.”
Jonny May has revealed that he confronted Steve Borthwick after his initial omission from England’s World Cup squad drew his “monkey out”.
May was told he would not be part of the 33 travelling to France in advance of the opening warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff yet would need to stay in camp for the three remaining fixtures.
The Gloucester wing was eventually offered his ticket over The Channel when Anthony Watson was ruled out of the tournament by a calf injury and he celebrated his return by touching down against Fiji.
It ended a rollercoaster month for England’s second highest try-scorer that began with him taking refuge in the gym when he had been given the bad news.
“The truth is that on the Monday before Wales, Steve spoke to me and said ‘as it currently stands you’re not playing at the weekend and aren’t in the 33’,” said the 33-year-old, whose son Jaxon was born in May.
“That got my monkey out, I’ll be honest. I was like ‘well what the hell am I doing here this week’. I felt like that in that moment. I’m not going and I’m not playing at the weekend, so why the hell am I here?
“I went to the gym for 10 minutes and then stomped back to him and said I need another chat.
“I said ‘I’m running this by you because maybe I don’t want to be here this week because why am I here? I’ve got my son at home’.
“He said he didn’t want me to go home because I’m next in and it doesn’t look good if you quit now and then have to be called back in.
“So I was like ‘fair enough, that was a good point’. And I’d done this much time now, just calm down and plough on with it. But that was my initial response.
“I was disappointed because I expressed in week one I wanted a game and an opportunity to play.
“It looked like I wasn’t going to get that and I felt like I’d worked hard and played well and trained well. I really wanted it.
“There’s no right or wrong way to tell somebody they’re not in the team and I understand that from Steve’s part. I reacted angrily but rationally.
“I didn’t scream and shout at him, but I’m glad I stayed and then the opportunity came to stay and train and then I calmed down.
“Then I looked at the bigger picture – I’ve done eight weeks away from home, what’s the harm in three more, trying to get a game and hang on in there?
“Then I’d have felt better than if I hadn’t, knowing I’d given it every possible chance.”
May has returned at a troubled time for England as they enter their pivotal World Cup opener against Argentina on the back of a dismal run of form that has produced five defeats in six Tests.
It means the Pumas are rated marginal favourites to triumph in Marseille on Saturday – a position May insists is being embraced by Borthwick’s squad.
“This time, we’re definitely underdogs. We’re still finding our way, we’re still finding our team, we’re still discovering ourselves,” May said.
“People would think Argentina are favourites for the game. People look at us as underdogs and I think people have written us off a little bit.
“We’re embracing that within this group and paying it as much attention as each person wants to, but ultimately focussing on what we’ve got to do, getting tighter as a group and believing a bit more each day.”
Novak Djokovic kept his cool in the New York heat to reach the semi-finals of the US Open and break yet another record.
The ice-cold Serbian is through to the last four of a grand slam for the 47th time, moving him one ahead of Roger Federer’s tally, after a 6-1 6-4 6-4 win over Taylor Fritz.
The roof was half-closed on Arthur Ashe to shield the players from the 90 degree temperatures amid energy-sapping humidity at Flushing Meadows.
American Fritz has been red hot all fortnight, not dropping a single set on his way to the last 16, but he was ruthlessly extinguished by the 23-time grand slam champion.
A demoralised Fritz has now lost all eight matches he has played against Djokovic.
The ninth seed hit more winners – 33 to Djokovic’s 25 – but he was simply ground down by the 36-year-old with a grand total of 51 unforced errors telling its own story.
He also forced 12 break points but converted only two of them, the second of which levelled the third set at 4-4 and prompted Djokovic to shoo some of his own supporters out of one of the executive suites.
But Djokovic immediately hit back, the three-time winner then saving another break point before completing the victory in two hours and 35 minutes to silence a partisan American crowd.
Djokovic said: “It’s expected that people are backing the home player, there’s nothing wrong with that. I like the atmosphere here, I’m fine with that and I thrive on that energy.
“I’ve been playing on this court for many years, played many epic matches, and I’m looking forward to another one in a few days.
“It’s a huge opportunity every time I step out on the court and at my age I don’t know how many more opportunities I’ll get.”
The defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs open the 2023 NFL season against the Detroit Lions on Thursday, and it's uncertain if All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce will be able to play.
Kelce hyperextended his knee during Tuesday's practice, putting his status in doubt for Week 1.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid did not provide any details about how the injury occurred during Kansas City's final practice ahead of the season opener.
Kelce has not missed a game to injury since his 2013 rookie season and has been indispensable to Kansas City's offense as Patrick Mahomes' favourite target.
Near the goal line, he is Mahomes' go-to receiver, as no player was targeted more in the red zone last season than Kelce with 30.
Widely considered the top tight end in the NFL, the 33-year-old caught a career-high 110 passes for 1,338 yards in 2022, his seventh straight season eclipsing 1,000 yards receiving. He also caught a career-best 12 touchdowns last season, giving him 69 in his career.
In Kansas City's march to the Super Bowl, he caught 27 passes for 257 yards with four touchdowns in three playoff games. He had six receptions for 81 yards with a TD in the Super Bowl.
Should he be forced to sit out, that could spell trouble for Kansas City given his familiarity with Mahomes and the fact the Chiefs are introducing several new receivers this year.
Noah Gray, who is listed as Kelce's backup on the depth chart, had 28 catches for 299 yards with a TD for the Chiefs last season.
The Chiefs are hopeful of having Kadarius Toney available for the opener after the wide receiver missed nearly all of training camp with a torn meniscus in his knee.
The Kansas City defense, however, will likely be without Chris Jones as the All-Pro defensive tackle has been holding out while trying to get a long-term contract.
Coco Gauff became the first American teenager since Serena Williams in 2001 to reach the semi-finals of the US Open.
The 19-year-old dropped just two games as she blitzed Jelena Ostapenko 6-0 6-2 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Latvian Ostapenko, the 20th seed, had blown the women’s draw wide open when she knocked out defending champion and world number one Iga Swiatek in round four.
But she was unable to take advantage of her own handiwork as Gauff raced away with the first set in only 20 minutes.
Ostapenko made more of a contest of it in the second set, finally managing to hold serve at the fifth attempt.
But Gauff completed the job in an hour and eight minutes to reach the last four of her home grand slam for the first time.
“It feels great, I’m so happy,” she said. “Last year I lost in the quarter-finals and I wanted to do better. There’s a long way to go but I’m happy and ready to go back to work.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel comfortable the whole match, even on match point. I know the game she plays. It’s really tough against her – you can’t really be aggressive. She’s a top player and she’s had a great tournament.
“There’s a saying in basketball that ‘defence wins games’. It doesn’t always work in tennis but today that was the case.”
Gauff will face the winner of Tuesday night’s match between Sorana Cirstea and Karolina Muchova in the last four.
Ireland scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park is determined to make the most of his maiden World Cup following his unconventional late rise to Test-level rugby.
New Zealand-born star Gibson-Park was barely on the international radar at the time of the 2019 tournament in Japan, having only just qualified for his adopted nation on residency grounds.
The 31-year-old Leinster player, who represented the Maori All Blacks eight times between 2012 and 2015, had to wait a further year to be handed his debut by head coach Andy Farrell.
He immediately set his sights on a World Cup spot and quickly surpassed Conor Murray as Ireland’s first-choice number nine.
“It will be pretty awesome to get out there and have a run,” said Gibson-Park.
“Obviously a bit of a late bloomer – 31 at my first World Cup. It’s the pinnacle of rugby and you like to test yourself in the toughest environments. I’m looking forward to it.
“As soon as I was in the squad (I was thinking about the World Cup). As a player it’s always something you’re going to target.”
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Gibson-Park gained traction on social media this week by landing an audacious basketball shot from the roof of the team hotel, which was recorded and posted by team-mate Mack Hansen.
Asked how many takes it took, he replied: “The first one, obviously!
“We were there for a while, to be fair. Just messing on Sunday, trying to come up with stuff to do in the hotel and stay out of the heat. A bit of craic.”
Ireland begin their Pool B campaign on Saturday afternoon against Romania in Bordeaux, where Gibson-Park is expected to partner returning captain Johnny Sexton.
Veteran fly-half Sexton is poised for his first competitive appearance in almost six months, having missed Ireland’s three warm-up games through suspension on the back of a groin injury.
“He’s buzzing as you can imagine,” Gibson-Park said of his provincial team-mate.
“He’s been great. Seamlessly back into training like he always does. It will be good to see him back out there.”
German Alexander Zverev had a spectator thrown out of his US Open match against Jannik Sinner for shouting “the most famous Hitler phrase”.
A man could clearly be heard yelling “Deutschland uber alles” inside Arthur Ashe Stadium as Zverev prepared to serve.
Zverev, the 12th seed, approached English umpire James Keothovang and said: “He just said the most famous Hitler phrase there is in the world. It’s unacceptable. This is unbelievable.”
Keothovang turned to the crowd and asked: “Who was the smart guy who said that? Who said that? Put your hand up. We’re going to get him out.”
He then announced to the crowd: “Please be fair and respect the players.”
The man suspected of yelling the slur was ejected by security at the end of the game.
Zverev went on to win the match in five sets and afterwards, the 26-year-old told reporters: “He started singing the anthem of Hitler that was back in the day. It was ‘Deutschland uber alles’ and it was a bit too much.”
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