Belinda Bencic made a winning return to action as the Olympic champion defeated Zarina Diyas to seal a quarter-final spot at the Luxembourg Open.
Bencic, the unlikely successor in Tokyo, triumphed in straight sets 6-1 6-3 on Thursday to tee up a last-eight encounter with Liudmila Samsonova, who the Swiss lost to in Berlin earlier this year.
It was a welcome return to form for world number 12 Bencic after her defeat to eventual champion Emma Raducanu in the US Open quarter-finals last week.
Joining the top seed in the quarters is defending Luxembourg Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who needed three sets to overcome Arianne Hartono.
Second seed Elise Mertens also progressed, though she had to come from behind to beat Aliaksandra Sasnovich 3-6 6-2 7-5.
In Thursday's other last-16 tie, Marie Bouzkova beat Greet Minnen to round off the quarter-finals line up.
Meanwhile, Sorana Cirstea and Jasmine Paolini will meet in the Zavarovalnica Sava Portoroz quarter-finals after respective victories over Tereza Martincova and Anna Kalinskaya.
South Africa will attempt to spoil Michael Hooper's record-breaking Australia appearance when the Springboks go on a Rugby Championship revenge mission on Saturday.
Hooper will captain the Wallabies for a 60th time at Suncorp Stadium, surpassing the number of times George Gregan led Australia out.
A special occasion for the skipper will come six days after Quade Cooper marked his international return by kicking a dramatic winning penalty against the Boks on the Gold Coast.
Holders South Africa were consigned to a stunning 28-26 defeat in Queensland and trail leaders New Zealand by five points.
Australia are unbeaten in six Tests against the Springboks on home soil ahead of the round-four showdown, after achieving their first win of this year's tournament last weekend.
The All Blacks have maximum points from three matches and can take another stride towards regaining the title by beating Argentina.
Here, Stats Perform uses Opta facts to preview the Rugby Championship double-header in Brisbane.
AUSTRALIA V SOUTH AFRICA
Form
South Africa will be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats in men's Tests for the first time since November 2018.
Australia have not won back-to-back Tests since October 2019 and may need to show their staying power once again to get their hands on the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate.
Dave Rennie's side have scored 27 points in the final quarter of games in this tournament, more than any other quarter of a match.
Nic White, James Slipper and Taniela Tupou come into the Australia team. Jacques Nienaber makes three changes to South Africa's matchday squad, with Marvin Orie and Trevor Nyakane starting. Cheslin Kolbe is not ready to return from injury.
Ones to watch
Andrew Kellaway scored Australia's only try in last week's win over the world champions.
The wing is the joint-leading try-scorer in the tournament with three, alongside David Havili and Malcolm Marx.
With Lood de Jager absent due to concussion, Orie takes over at lock for South Africa.
De Jager has won a competition-high 22 lineouts, including three steals, so Orie has big shoes to fill.
ARGENTINA V NEW ZEALAND
Form
The All Blacks dished out a 39-0 thrashing to Argentina in round three, Luke Jacobson scoring two of their five tries.
New Zealand have kept the Pumas scoreless in each of their past two meetings and have only failed to beat them in two of 32 previous encounters.
Argentina have lost three consecutive Tests, having lost only twice in their 10 prior to that run.
Joe Moody comes into a much-changed All Blacks side and Ardie Savea returns as captain, while Samisoni Taukei'aho makes his first Test start. Patrick Tuipulotu and Ofa Tuungafasi are also among the starters.
Santiago Carreras starts for Argentina at fly-half, while Pablo Matera takes the number eight shirt as Mario Ledesma makes six changes.
Ones to watch
The versatile Damian McKenzie gets the chance to start a second Test at fly-half for the All Blacks.
Playmaker McKenzie can put on a show at number 10 and pull the strings in tandem with scrum-half TJ Perenara.
Pumas captain Julian Montoya won three turnovers in the defeat to the All Blacks last weekend and his tally of four is twice as many as any other player in the tournament.
Montoya has not missed any of his 40 tackles in the competition.
The Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) is brimming with pride over the advances made in the discipline of artistic swimming.
Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll will remain with Aston Martin for the 2022 Formula One season, the team have announced.
Four-time world champion Vettel joined Aston Martin after leaving Ferrari at the end of last year.
The German has picked up 35 points in his first season with the team to sit 12th in the driver standings.
Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer had rubbished reports that Vettel's future was in doubt following talks and it was confirmed on Thursday that the 34-year-old is going nowhere.
Vettel said: "I am really looking forward to racing the new generation of Formula One cars.
"Their look is very different and the new technical regulations should give us cars that can race much more closely than recently.
"More exciting racing will be great for the drivers as well as for the fans. The changes are so big that every team will be starting from a new beginning, so it will be a great opportunity for us."
He added: "I believe in the strength of our new growing team, so I am already looking forward to 2022."
Stroll, who has secured 24 points this season, will also keep his seat as F1 moves into a new era of regulations next year.
The Canadian said: "We have not achieved what we set out to do this year, but that has only amplified our hunger and drive for success next season."
Paul Azinger says Brooks Koepka should relinquish his place on the United States Ryder Cup team if he does not want to play at Whistling Straits.
Four-time major winner Koepka raised eyebrows when stating in an interview with Golf Digest that he finds the prestigious event "a bit odd" and "hectic".
The former world number one revealed he finds playing in a team event difficult to adapt to, as he is unable to get into a usual routine that he would have during a major tournament.
Azinger, who captained the USA to victory over Europe in 2008, says Koepka ought to give someone else the chance to play in Wisconsin if he is not fully committed.
"I'm not sure he loves the Ryder Cup that much," Azinger said during a conference call for NBC Sports.
"If he doesn't love it, he should relinquish his spot and get people there who do love the Ryder Cup."
Azinger added of Koepka, who has been troubled by a wrist injury: "Not everybody embraces it.
"But if you don't love and you're not sold out, then I think Brooks - especially being hurt - should consider whether or not he really wants to be there."
Azinger continued: "Brooks is one of the most candid, most honest guys there is, and if he's blatantly honest with himself and doesn't want to be there, he should come out and say it."
The United States start their bid to regain the Ryder Cup a week on Friday.
Bo Bichette and Robbie Ray led the way as the playoff-chasing Toronto Blue Jays took down the American League (AL) East-leading Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 in MLB.
Bichette homered and matched his career high with five RBIs, becoming the second Blue Jays shortstop to hit 25-plus home runs in a season after Tony Batista in 1999 on Wednesday.
Blue Jays ace Ray struck out 13 batters over seven innings in a dominant display to claim the strike-out lead in MLB.
Ray allowed one run and four hits for his fourth successive decision – the starting pitcher is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 91 strikeouts since July 21.
He is also just the second Blue Jays pitcher to have double-digit 10-plus strike-out games in a season after Roger Clemens in 1997 and 1998.
Ray leads AL starters in ERA (2.64), strikeouts (223), innings (177.2) and quality starts (22).
The Blue Jays (82-64) – who have won six straight series, New York Yankees (82-64) and Boston Red Sox (83-65) are in a three-team tie in the AL Wild Card race.
Yankees win… again
The Yankees topped the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 to clinch their 29th consecutive winning season – the second longest streak in MLB history, behind their own 39-year run from 1926-64.
Jonathan India of the Cincinnati Reds became the first rookie in MLB history with at least 20 homers, 20 hits by pitch and 10 stolen bases in a season, according to Stats Perform. The Reds lost 5-4 to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Kansas City Royals lost a wild clash with the Oakland Athletics 12-10, but it was a memorable outing for Andrew Benintendi. Over his last seven games, Benintendi has 19 hits and 17 RBI. According to Stats Perform, he is the first MLB player to reach both of those numbers over a seven-game span since Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr in 1950.
Megill struggles in Mets sweep
It was a rough outing for rookie Tylor Megill as his New York Mets were crushed 11-4 by the St Louis Cardinals in a series sweep. In three innings, Megill gave up six runs, a homer and two walks on nine hits.
The Minnesota Twins suffered a 12-3 defeat to the Cleveland Indians as Jovani Moran allowed four hits and four runs in just 1.2 innings of work. Twins team-mate Andrew Albers gave up three runs, two homers and two walks on three hits in 2.2 innings. It came after starter Griffin Jax pitched 4.2 innings, which included seven hits, five runs, a home run and a walk.
The high-flying San Francisco Giants had their nine-game winning streak snapped following a 9-6 defeat to Wild Card hopefuls the San Diego Padres.
Perez extends homer rally in milestone appearance
While the Royals lost, star Salvador Perez hit his 44th home run of the season in the fifth inning, moving into a tie with Shohei Ohtani and within one of MLB leader Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Perez's 196th career home run came in his 1,000th start behind the plate.
Wednesday's results
Miami Marlins 8-6 Washington Nationals
Detroit Tigers 4-1 Milwaukee Brewers
Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 Tampa Bay Rays
Boston Red Sox 9-4 Seattle Mariners
Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 Cincinnati Reds
Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 Chicago Cubs
New York Yankees 4-3 Baltimore Orioles
St Louis Cardinals 11-4 New York Mets
Colorado Rockies 3-2 Atlanta Braves
Cleveland Indians 12-3 Minnesota Twins
Houston Astros 7-2 Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels 3-2 Chicago White Sox
Oakland Athletics 12-10 Kansas City Royals
San Diego Padres 9-6 San Francisco Giants
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 Arizona Diamondbacks
Yankees at Orioles
The Yankees (82-64) will be out to extend their winning streak when they lock horns against with the Orioles (46-99) on Thursday. Jordan Montgomery is set to start for the Yankees, while the Orioles counter with Chris Ellis.
Damian McKenzie will start at fly-half in a Test for the first time in three years as New Zealand overhauled their XV for the Rugby Championship clash against Argentina.
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has made wholesale changes after last week's 39-0 rout of the Pumas on the Gold Coast, with McKenzie to start at number 10 in Brisbane on Saturday having been introduced off the bench.
New Zealand's backline at Suncorp Stadium will feature only four players who started against Argentina last time out as the All Blacks look to maintain their 100 per cent record in the competition – Ardie Savea returning to captain the side.
"With five Tests in a row and a six-day turnaround between these two Argentinian Tests, we were always going to make some selection changes," Foster said. "Five Tests in a row demanded that.
"But the good thing is that we have a group that has been focussing on the same opposition for the last two weeks, so our preparation time hasn’t been compromised.
"We are expecting a huge response from Argentina and we have to make sure we are prepared for that because we know what a wounded beast is like. The key is not so much how they respond, but how we respond. If we go into this Test match thinking it's just going to happen for us like last week without earning the right to have the scoreboard in our favour, then we are in trouble."
New Zealand have won 30 of their 32 previous men's Tests against Argentina (D1, L1), including their last two in succession. They have also won three of their four meetings on neutral territory in that time (L1).
The All Blacks have kept Argentina scoreless in each of their last two meetings – only twice since 1900 has any Tier 1 nation kept another Tier 1 nation scoreless for more consecutive games (England – four games against Ireland from 1956 to 1959; France – three games against Italy from 1959 to 1961).
New Zealand have won their last eight consecutive Tests by an average margin of 40 points. A ninth straight victory would equal their longest winning streak since a run of 18 victories from August 2015 to October 2016.
New Zealand: Jordie Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Quinn Tupaea, George Bridge, Damian McKenzie, TJ Perenara; Joe Moody, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Tyrel Lomax, Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa'I, Ethan Blackadder, Ardie Savea, Hoskins Sotutu.
Replacements: Codie Taylor, George Bower, Ofa Tuungafasi, Scott Barrett, Luke Jacobson, Finlay Christie, Beauden Barrett, Braydon Ennor.
Michael Hooper will become the Wallabies' most-capped captain when he leads Australia out against world champions South Africa.
The Wallabies announced their side for Saturday's clash with the Springboks as Hooper prepares to make history in the Rugby Championship showdown at Suncorp Stadium.
Hooper – who debuted in 2012 – will captain Australia for the 60th time in Brisbane, surpassing George Gregan after equalling the record in last week's dramatic victory over South Africa.
"It's an incredible milestone for Hoops on Saturday evening in Brisbane and it's a testament to him as a person and a player," Wallabies head coach Dave Rennie said on Thursday.
"I've been so impressed with his leadership both on and off the field and his drive to be better every day.
"We were really proud of the effort from our men last Sunday and we're well aware of the ferocity that a wounded Springboks outfit will bring to Suncorp Stadium."
Rennie has elevated Nic White and Taniela Tupou to the starting side for the second Test against the Springboks.
White replaces Tate McDermott and Tupou comes in for Allan Alaalatoa, while James Slipper returns to the starting line-up, though James O'Connor remains on the sidelines.
Australia will be looking to claim consecutive Test wins in men's international rugby for the first time since October 2019 after a two-point win over South Africa – that was also the last time the Wallabies won a Test by more than three points.
The Wallabies are undefeated in their last six men's Tests against South Africa on home soil (W5, D1); although, none of their five wins in that span have come by a margin of seven points or more on the day.
Australia: Tom Banks, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Quade Cooper, Nic White; James Slipper, Folau Fainga'a, Taniela Tupou, Izack Rodda, Matt Philip, Lachlan Swinton, Michael Hooper, Rob Valetini.
Replacements: Feleti Kaitu'u, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia
There was a sense of deja vu as Clara Tauson upset fourth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova at the Luxembourg Open.
The 18-year-old defeated the same opponent en route to claiming a maiden WTA Tour title in Lyon in March and repeated the feat here, again on an indoor court.
On this occasion, Tauson needed to come back from a break down in the deciding set to clinch a 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-1) triumph and book her spot in the quarter-finals.
Fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova had no such trouble, the Czech a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victor over Jana Fett. Alize Cornet (8) also made the last eight with a 6-3 6-3 win over Mandy Minella, while Ludmilla Samsonova (7) needed a pair of tie-breaks to overcome Oceane Dodin.
In the first round, Zhang Shuai (6) lost in three sets to Marie Bouzkova.
At the Zavarovalnica Sava Portoroz in Slovenia, second seed Yulia Putintseva was a 6-3 6-1 winner over Katie Boulter. Alison Riske, Kristina Mladenovic and Lucia Bronzetti also made it through.
Emma Raducanu still has the hunger to continue improving following her record-breaking US Open triumph and is targeting a possible return to action at Indian Wells.
The 18-year-old became the first qualifier in history to win a grand slam when defeating Leylah Fernandez in straight sets in Saturday's final at Flushing Meadows.
Raducanu, ranked 150 by the WTA before beginning her three-week long tournament, did not drop a single set across her 10 matches.
That victory in New York capped a life-changing couple of months for Raducanu, who also reached the last 16 of Wimbledon in her only other grand slam appearance before withdrawing due to medical reasons.
After spending a few days away from the court and taking in some of the sights the Big Apple has to offer, the Briton is ready to start preparing for her next tournament.
"I have a few days' rest and recovery," Raducanu, who became the first British female to win a major tournament since Virginia Wade on home soil at Wimbledon 44 years ago, told CNBC's Closing Bell programme.
"I think it was needed after the last seven weeks but then I am straight back to training and hungry to get better and come back out and play some more tournaments."
Raducanu was originally due to take part in qualifying for the Chicago Fall Tennis Classic later this month, but she may instead wait for next month's delayed Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where a wildcard entry is likely.
"After the US Open I wanted to give myself this week to completely switch off from tennis because it's been an extremely intense but rewarding seven weeks," she told the WTA's official website.
"But I've worked very hard to finish on such a high with the US Open, a whole week off was needed.
"I know I'll get back to work probably Monday or early next week to get back to training again. Schedule-wise, I'm not sure. Maybe Indian Wells, I don't know. I'm going back to London before my next tournament for sure."
Henrik Stenson has been named as Europe's fifth and final vice-captain for the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.
Padraig Harrington has turned to the vast experience of Swede Stenson to complete his backroom team for a showdown with the United States that starts in Wisconsin next Friday.
The 2016 Open champion has played in the prestigious biennial competition five times, lifting the famous trophy on three occasions.
Stenson, 45, has won 11 points from 19 Ryder Cup matches and came out on top in all three in the last edition at Le Golf National in 2018.
"It's a great honour to get the call and to be involved with Team Europe. I've been part of five Ryder Cup teams in the past and to be given the opportunity as a vice-captain to help Europe's quest to retain the Ryder Cup is exciting," said Stenson.
"Padraig called me on Monday morning and it was not a long conversation. I accepted straight away and I assured him that myself, along with the other vice-captains, are there to help and assist him and the team in any way we can.
"We have a very strong team. It's a mix of huge experience along with three guys who will take on their first Ryder Cup – and that's a great combination. We have strength in depth so I'm looking forward to getting out there and seeing the boys perform.
"It's no secret that winning on away soil is always a little bit harder, but the boys are ready for that challenge. It's all going to come down to how well we play during the week, but I have every faith in our team."
Robert Karlsson, Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell are Harrington's other vice-captains.
Aaron Smith will play no further part in the Rugby Championship as the New Zealand scrum-half awaits the birth of his second child.
Smith started both victories over Australia at Eden Park last month but did not travel to face them in Perth at the start of September and was absent for last weekend's 39-0 win over Argentina.
The playmaker will also miss the upcoming clash with the Pumas and back-to-back showdowns with world champions South Africa, as he did not want to risk missing the arrival of his second child, which is due in November.
Smith will stay at home, with no guarantees he would secure a managed isolation space if he had to fly home earlier than expected.
The 32-year-old will instead play for Manawatu in the Bunnings Cup.
Smith could also miss the All Blacks' tour of the United States and Europe.
He said: "The door isn't completely closed to me joining the team for the Northern Tour if our baby comes early.
"In this environment anything can happen, so I've got an open mind. At the moment though, I just want to focus on being here with my family and enjoying that time and playing for Manawatu. I can't wait to get the boots on again."
TJ Perenara and Brad Weber will battle it out for New Zealand's number nine shirt in the absence of Smith.
Buster Posey's 18th home run of the season helped the San Francisco Giants to their ninth consecutive win in MLB, a 6-1 rout of the San Diego Padres.
Posey starred for the Giants after homering in the opening inning before scoring the go-ahead run in the third on Tuesday.
Anthony DeSclafani tossed 6.2 innings of one-run ball for the Giants in San Francisco.
The National League (NL) West-leading Giants are enjoying their longest winning streak since a 10-game run in 2004, while they have scored at least six runs in each game over the nine-game stretch – a San Francisco-era record.
Opponents have not scored six runs once amid the winning streak. The Giants are the first team to score six-plus runs while allowing fewer than six in nine straight games since the New York Yankees in 1939, per Stats Perform.
Dodgers playoff-bound again
World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched a postseason berth for the ninth successive year – their longest streak in franchise history – after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-4.
The Tampa Bay Rays became the first American League (AL) team to reach 90 victories by trumping the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays 2-0. Brandon Lowe and Ji-Man Choi homered to stop the Blue Jays, who had won 15 of their previous 17 games while scoring 128 runs during that stretch.
The Detroit Tigers were 1-0 walk-off winners against the Milwaukee Brewers. Detroit also walked off against the Rays in their last game. According to Stats Perform, the Tigers are the first team in MLB history to have back-to-back walk-off victories against two different teams 30-plus games over .500.
Aaron Judge fuelled a five-homer onslaught as the Yankees crushed the Baltimore Orioles 7-2. Giancarlo Stanton, Luke Voit, Joey Gallo and DJ LeMahieu also hit home runs.
Greinke's return doesn't go according to plan
Zack Greinke was roughed up in his return from COVID-19. The Houston Astros ace allowed eight runs on five hits and three walks in five innings as the AL West leaders were swept aside 8-1 by the Texas Rangers.
The Cincinnati Reds lost for the sixth time in eight games with a 6-5 defeat against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Perez adds to homer tally
Salvador Perez tied Javy Lopez for the second-most home runs (43) by a catcher in a season. Perez led the Kansas City Royals past the Oakland Athletics 10-7.
Tuesday's results
San Francisco Giants 6-1 San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Boston Red Sox 8-4 Seattle Mariners
Cleveland Indians 3-1 Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Indians 6-3 Minnesota Twins
Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 Cincinnati Reds
Detroit Tigers 1-0 Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs 6-3 Philadelphia Phillies
Washington Nationals 8-2 Miami Marlins
New York Yankees 7-2 Baltimore Orioles
Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 Toronto Blue Jays
St Louis Cardinals 7-6 New York Mets
Colorado Rockies 5-4 Atlanta Braves
Texas Rangers 8-1 Houston Astros
Chicago White Sox 9-3 Los Angeles Angels
Kansas City Royals 10-7 Oakland Athletics
Padres at Giants
The Giants (95-50) will put their winning streak on the line when they look to clinch their series with the Padres (74-70) on Wednesday.
The Milwaukee Brewers' all-time home-run leader Ryan Braun has called time on his MLB career.
Braun announced his retirement from baseball on Tuesday – the 37-year-old left fielder had not played since becoming a free agent when the Brewers declined a mutual option in his contract at the end of last season.
The six-time All-Star and the 2011 National League (ML) MVP, who spent his entire career in Milwaukee, holds the Brewers record for most home runs with 352.
Braun is fourth in franchise history with 1,766 games played and second to Robin Yount in doubles (408) and RBIs (1,154).
Among players who have logged at least 2,500 Brewers plate appearances, Braun is second to Prince Fielder with a .532 slugging percentage and an .891 OPS.
"I have decided to officially retire as an active player," Braun said in a video released by the Brewers.
"I have weighed this decision for many months. While I still love this game very much, the time is right for me to retire from my playing days.
"It's difficult to describe my emotions today, but it starts with overwhelming gratitude to those who have shared this experience with me while offering their unconditional support at every turn. ... I will forever appreciate the best fans in the game and the countless people who came out to the ballpark night after night, making Milwaukee the greatest city to play the game."
Braun made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2007 and he was part of the Milwaukee teams that won the NL Central division titles in 2011 and 2018.
The NL home run leader in 2012, Braun – Rookie of the Year in 2007 – also earned five Silver Slugger Awards.
"Ryan brought us many unforgettable moments on the field; from playoff-clinching dramatic home runs to nearly 2,000 career hits, he is unquestionably one of the greatest players in Brewers history," Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said.
"Moreover, Ryan has become a good friend to our family, and his commitment of countless service hours and more than $1million to community causes over the years has impacted many lives.
"Ryan was the first player drafted after I took ownership of the Brewers, and I remember that day very well. Today, we reflect on the impact that Ryan had during his 14 seasons wearing the Brewers uniform. Ryan is our all-time franchise home run leader and one of the great clutch hitters in the game.
"We were fortunate to have a front-row seat for many of these moments that defined some of the organisation's greatest achievements to date. We wish Ryan, his wife, Larisa, and their family the very best, and look forward to continuing our friendship as they move into the next chapter of their lives."
LeBron James and the possibility of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader excites current recordholder Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Abdul-Jabbar sits atop the throne for most points in the NBA with 38,387 following a Hall of Fame career that featured six championships, six MVP awards and 19 All-Star selections among other honours during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers.
James (35,367) is third on the all-time list entering his 19th season, behind Karl Malone (36,928) and Abdul-Jabbar – the four-time champion and four-time MVP still needs 3,020 points to break the record.
Abdul-Jabbar, who spent 14 years with the Lakers from 1975 to 1989 before returning as an assistant coach between 2005 and 2011, was asked about James' pursuit of history.
"I'm excited to see it happen," Abdul-Jabbar, 74, told Marc Stein in his substack newsletter. "I don't see records as personal accomplishments, but more as human achievements.
"If one person can do something that's never been done, that means we all have a shot at doing it. It's a source of hope and inspiration.
"Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile back in 1954. Since then, not only have 1,400 runners beaten that time, but the new record is 17 seconds less.
"We all win when a record is broken and if LeBron breaks mine, I will be right there to cheer him on."
James and the Lakers were unable to defend their NBA title in 2020-21 as they crashed out in the first round of the playoffs.
The 36-year-old James averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game last season.
James' field-goal (51.3) and three-point (36.5) percentages were his best since 2017-18.
Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon has agreed a four-year, $92million contract extension with the NBA franchise.
Gordon's agent Calvin Andrews confirmed the lucrative new deal to the Undefeated on Tuesday.
The contract reportedly includes a player option for the fourth year in 2025-26, with the Nuggets already locking up MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to new contracts.
Gordon arrived in Denver in March after being dealt to the Nuggets from the struggling Orlando Magic.
The 25-year-old forward averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists overall last season, spread across 25 games with the Nuggets and 25 for the Magic.
Gordon's 46.3 field-goal percentage was his best since the 2015-16 campaign.
In the playoffs, Gordon averaged 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds as the Nuggets were eventually swept by the Phoenix Suns in the second round.
Defending champion Jelena Ostapenko booked her place in the last 16 of the Luxembourg Open with a comfortable straight-sets win over Jule Niemeier.
The world number 30 came out on top 6-2 6-2 in a little under an hour to set up a meeting with Arianne Hartono, who earlier beat Anna-Lena Friedsam 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 7-6 (7-4).
Fifth seed Marketa Vondrousova also shuffled through to the next round thanks to a 6-2 6-3 triumph against Alison Van Uytvanck, while Zarina Diyas will face tournament favourite and Olympic champion Belinda Bencic next after beating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in three sets.
Aliaksandra Sasnovich was made to work harder for her 7-5 7-6 (8-6) win against Lesia Tsurenko, with that the longest straight-sets match of 2021 so far at two hours and 30 minutes, according to the WTA.
Greet Minnen and Mandy Minella were also victorious on Tuesday, overcoming Nuria Parrizas-Diaz and Varvara Gracheva respectively.
At Zavarovalnica Sava Portoroz in Slovenia, meanwhile, home favourite Kaja Juvan eliminated top seed Petra Martic with a 6-3 6-4 win. Sweden's Rebecca Peterson was another seed to fall, going down in straight sets to Lucia Bronzetti.
The New York Yankees produced their biggest comeback of the season fueled by Aaron Judge's three-run homer as they eclipsed the Minnesota Twins 6-5 in extra innings in MLB on Monday.
The Yankees trailed 5-0 in the sixth before a rally capped by Judge crushing a game-tying home run, which was his 33rd homer of the season.
The win came with an ounce of luck in the eighth inning with Brett Gardner fortunate to be walked on a close call with two strikes, two outs and the Yankees 5-2 down before Judge stepped up to the plate.
In the 10th inning, Gary Sanchez ripped a single down the line to get Gleyber Torres home for the walk-off win.
Earlier, Miguel Sano hit a two-run homer for the Twins, who led 4-0 after the first inning, while Max Kepler made a super catch on DJ LeMahieu in the sixth.
The win improves the Yankees to 80-64 and they are hanging on for the second Wild Card spot in the American League (AL) despite having lost eight of their last 10 games.
Giants book playoff spot, Guerrero tops charts
The San Francisco Giants locked in their first playoff spot since 2016 with an impressive 9-1 win over the San Diego Padres, set up after a five-run opening inning.
Home runs by Evan Longoria, Mike Yastrzemski and Brandon Belt highlighted the Giants win as Yu Darvish struggled again on the mound for the Padres, conceding eight earned runs, three walks and six hits in four innings.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr leapfrogged Shohei Ohtani into top spot on the MLB home run charts as the in-form Toronto Blue Jays won 8-1 over the Tampa Bay Rays.
Guerrero laced his 45th homer of the season with a liner into the left-field corner as the Jays won their 12th game from their past 13 in their battle for a Wild Card spot in the American League.
Clayton Kershaw returned to the hill for the first time since July 3 due to forearm tightness, tossing down five strikeouts in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 5-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Mitch Haniger hit a home run for the third consecutive game to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 and keep alive their Wild Card aspirations.
Rangers hammered as Siri makes history
It has been a tough season for the Texas Rangers and a 15-1 hammering from the Houston Astros added to that as Jose Siri made history in his first start with five RBIs and two homers. The Rangers allowed 16 hits, trailing 9-0 after three innings. Spencer Howard surrendered six hits and six runs early, while AJ Alexy conceded four walks, four hits and six earned runs.
Wainwright proves age no barrier
Adam Wainwright may be 40 years old but the St Louis Cardinals right-hander is not slowing up, pitching six shutout innings in their 7-0 win over the New York Mets. The veteran only allowed four hits while recording four strikeouts, helping the Cardinals stay firmly in the National League Wild Card race. Wainwright improved to 16-7 and lowered his ERA to 2.88.
Monday's results
New York Yankees 6-5 Minnesota Twins
Miami Marlins 3-0 Washington Nationals
Toronto Blue Jays 8-1 Tampa Bay Rays
St Louis Cardinals 7-0 New York Mets
Houston Astros 15-1 Texas Rangers
San Francisco Giants 9-1 San Diego Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 Arizona Diamondbacks
Seattle Mariners 5-4 Boston Red Sox
Rays at Blue Jays
The in-form Blue Jays (81-63) have piled on 42 runs in their past four games and take on the Rays (89-55) for the second time in their three-game series in a crunch AL East clash.
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