Cheltenham’s cross-country course will have to pass an 8am inspection on Wednesday if the Glenfarclas Chase is to go ahead that afternoon.
Overnight rain has resulted in further easing of the going ahead of the start of the 2024 Festival, with the ground currently described as soft, heavy in places on the main course while the cross-country track is waterlogged in places.
A statement from Cheltenham said: “Following six millimetres of rainfall overnight, which is a significant change from the 2mm-4mm initially forecast, and with a further 4mm-6mm forecast today, there will now be an inspection on the cross-country course at 8am tomorrow. The cross-country course is currently waterlogged in places.
“In the unfortunate event that the cross-country course fails tomorrow’s inspection, we are working alongside the British Horseracing Authority on a contingency plan for the Glenfarclas Chase to be run on Friday, Gold Cup Day.
“We will keep everyone informed as and when decisions have been made.”
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama shrugged off Trayce Jackson-Davis' dunk after the Golden State Warriors ran out winners on Monday.
Jackson-Davis got the better of Wembanyama with just over a minute left of the fourth quarter, spinning the NBA draft's number one overall pick before finishing in style.
Wembanyama was left tumbling to the deck, and the Warriors went on to win 112-102.
But Wembanyama, who missed the Spurs' win over the Warriors at the weekend due to an ankle problem, is not overly concerned.
"Getting dunked on is nothing. It's part of the game," said the French youngster, fresh from finishing with 27 points and 14 rebounds.
"I dunk on a lot of people and a lot of people dunk on me too. But I think I block more often than I get dunked on, so that's positive."
Reflecting on the Spurs' performance, Wembanyama added: "Consistency is always [important], but today I think it's also responding to the physicality that they put [out]. We didn’t have a strong enough response."
Explaining his thought process behind the dunk, Warriors rookie Jackson-Davis said: "I saw that he overplayed it, and he overplayed it to my right.
"I'm left-handed. So, I think I spun or got to my left hand and then I had to step on him. I just tried him.
"I told Kevon [Looney] before the game that if I got the chance to try him, I would. At the end of the day, sometimes you dunk on people, sometimes you get dunked on. It's just a basketball play."
Monday's win saw the Warriors, who were without Stephen Curry, bounce back from back-to-back losses, with Golden State limiting the Spurs to just one point in the final stages of the fourth quarter.
"We weren't doing anything differently, just the effort and the connection," said coach Steve Kerr.
"If one guy is out of place and everybody's giving great effort, it still results in two points. I just felt we were better connected in the second half and as that went, we picked up some momentum."
Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors with 22 points, with Klay Thompson adding 21, to go with a contribution of 19 from Chris Paul.
David Rittich stopped all 26 shots he faced as the Los Angeles Kings put an end to the New York Islanders' six-game winning streak with Monday's 3-0 victory.
Adrian Kempe, Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore all had goals to back Rittich's second shutout of the season as the Kings bounced back from Saturday's 4-1 home defeat to the Dallas Stars. Moore added an assist on Danault's goal, which gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead 6:07 into the third period.
After an eventful opening period, Kempe put the Kings ahead 7:14 into the second by rifling a shot over the glove of New York goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
Moore set up Danault's close-range goal that gave Los Angeles some more breathing room, then sealed the outcome with an empty-netter with 2:22 left to play.
Rittch polished off his sixth career shutout by making 13 saves in the final period.
Sorokin stopped 22 of 24 shots for New York, which had totalled 13 goals in winning the first two games of its current four-game road trip.
Kapanen, Hofer lead Blues over Bruins
Kasperi Kapanen had a goal and two assists to support a 36-save effort from Joel Hofer that sparked the St. Louis Blues to a needed 5-1 victory over the Boston Bruins.
Kevin Hayes and Brandon Saad added a goal and an assist each to help the Blues end a three-game losing streak and gain some ground in the Western Conference play-off race. St. Louis is six points back of the current holders of the West's final wild-card spot, the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights.
Despite the Bruins owning a 24-17 shot advantage through the first two periods, the Blues built a 4-0 lead as Hofer outperformed counterpart Jeremy Swayman.
Kapanen opened the scoring midway through the first period and Robert Thomas made it 2-0 with a power-play goal later on in the frame. Hayes then extended the margin by burying a feed from Kapanen on a 3-on-1 rush with 4:31 elapsed in the second period.
Saad scored St. Louis' fourth goal later in the second period before the Bruins finally got on the board early in the third on David Pastrnak's team-leading 41st goal of the season.
Boston later pulled Swayman with still nearly nine minutes remaining, a decision that enabled St. Louis' Alexey Toropchenko to score into an empty net with 8:33 left to play.
Swayman stopped just 17 of 21 shots as the Bruins had a four-game point streak snapped (3-0-1).
Rangers extend Devils' struggles, pad lead in Metropolitan Division
Jonathan Quick made 20 saves and the New York Rangers scored twice in the second period en route to a 3-1 win over the still-slumping New Jersey Devils.
Mika Zibanejad and Erik Gustafsson accounted for the second-period goals that helped New York extend its lead over the second-place Carolina Hurricanes to four points in the Metropolitan Division.
Quick yielded only Simon Nemec's goal with 2:34 remaining to record his 389th career victory, two shy of tying Ryan Miller for the most by an American-born goaltender in NHL history.
Vincent Trocheck tacked on an empty-net goal with 1:13 left that sealed New Jersey's eighth loss in 11 games, and third in four outings since Travis Green replaced the fired Lindy Ruff as head coach last week.
Kaapo Kahknonen stopped 23 of 25 shots in his Devils' debut. The goaltender was acquired by New Jersey from the San Jose Sharks at Friday's trade deadline.
Kevin Durant scored 24 of his 37 points in the second half to help rally the Phoenix Suns to a 117-111 win over the hobbled Cleveland Cavaliers in a key inter-conference clash on Monday.
Durant added eight rebounds and six assists for Phoenix, which overcame a 19-point deficit in the second quarter while being boosted by All-Star Devin Booker's return from a sprained ankle.
Booker contributed 27 points on 11-of-22 shooting along with seven rebounds in 38 minutes after missing the Suns' last four games.
Darius Garland went 7 of 10 from 3-point range and finished with 30 points for the Cavaliers, who were again without three injured starters in All-Star Donovan Mitchell, forward Evan Mobley and guard Max Strus. Caris LeVert recorded 17 points and 11 assists in the loss.
Cleveland has lost two straight and dropped a game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the Central Division.
Garland and the Cavs came out hot, as the standout guard put up 21 first-quarter points and Cleveland shot 66.7 per cent for the period to build a 41-32 lead. The margin grew in the second quarter, as Garland buried a 3-pointer to cap an 11-2 run that put the hosts up 63-44 with 4:50 left before half-time.
Phoenix closed the gap to 70-63 at the intermission before outscoring the Cavaliers by a 34-21 margin in the third quarter to pull ahead. Durant led the way with 19 points for the period on 6-of-8 shooting.
Cleveland fought back to tie the game at 104-104 with under eight minutes left, but Booker and Durant led the Suns on a 9-3 flurry that the latter finished with a 3-pointer that gave the Suns a 113-107 lead with 3:43 remaining.
Doncic extends triple-doubles streak, but 30-point run ends
Luka Dončić posted his seventh consecutive triple-double, though his record run of six straight games of at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists came to an end in the Dallas Mavericks' 127-92 rout of the Chicago Bulls.
Doncic recorded 14 assists and 12 rebounds but failed to hit the 30-point mark after being removed from the blowout win midway through the fourth quarter. He finished with 27 points.
Dallas also dominated inside en route to its third consecutive victory, as post players Derrick Lively and Daniel Gafford combined for 44 points on 20-of-21 shooting. Lively missed just one of his 12 attempts while compiling a career-high 22 points, while Gafford was 9 of 9 from the field to end with 20 points.
Gafford is now a perfect 28 of 28 on field goal attempts over his last four games.
The Mavericks set the tone right from the start, as they outscored Chicago by a whopping 44-16 margin in the first quarter while shooting 64.3 per cent as a team. Doncic had 15 points and seven assists for the period and Lively chipped in 10 points in just six minutes.
Chicago never mounted a serious threat the rest of the way, as Dallas took a 62-42 lead into half-time and went ahead by as many as 34 points in the third quarter.
Onuralp Bitim led the Bulls with a career-high 17 points off the bench. Chicago has now lost two straight following a three-game winning streak on the road from March 4-7.
Jokic, Nuggets overcome 22-point deficit to top Raptors
Nikola Jokić compiled a 35-point, 17-rebound, 12-assist triple-double that helped spark a big second-half comeback which lifted the Denver Nuggets to a hard-earned 125-119 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Denver trailed by 21 points in the third quarter and as many as 22 in the game before rallying behind Jokic and Jamal Murray, who recorded 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and scored the go-ahead bucket with 6:48 left to play.
Jokic also had a season-high six steals in addition to his 21st triple-double of the season.
The Nuggets moved to 9-1 since the All-Star break, though the underdog Raptors gave the defending NBA champions all they could handle for much of the night.
Toronto opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run to build a 45-32 lead and extended the margin to 68-51 at the break behind 15 points from RJ Barrett and 13 from rookie Gradey Dick.
The Nuggets began chipping away late in the third quarter, as they closed out the period on a 16-5 spurt to trim the deficit to 98-93 entering the fourth. Jokic had 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting for the quarter.
Murray's floater midway through the fourth quarter gave Denver a 108-107 lead, though the Raptors continued to keep it close until Michael Porter Jr.'s 3-pointer with 1:02 left to play proved to be too much to overcome as the Nuggets took a 124-119 edge into the final minute.
Barrett finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Toronto, which also received 24 points from Kelly Olynyk but lost for a fourth consecutive time.
World number one Novak Djokovic has been dumped out of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells by lucky loser Luca Nardi.
Nardi, 20, booked a last-16 meeting with American Tommy Paul as he won 6-4 3-6 6-3.
Currently 123 in the world, the Italian is the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic at ATP Masters 1000 or Grand Slam level.
“I don’t know [how I held my nerve],” he said. “I think it is a miracle, because I am a 20-year-old guy, 100 in the world, and beating Novak. It’s crazy.”
Sealing his victory with his sixth ace, Nardi hit 16 winners in the final set against just two from the five-times Indian Wells champion.
“It’s fine. You know, it’s part of the sport,” said Djokovic. “You just have to accept it. Some you win; some you lose. Hopefully I’ll win some more and still keep going.
“I guess every trophy that eventually comes my way is going to be great, obviously to break the kind of negative cycle a little bit I’m having in the last three, four tournaments where I haven’t really been close to my best.”
Paul reached the last 16 with a 6-4 6-4 win over France’s Ugo Humbert while seventh seed Holger Rune, ninth seed Casper Ruud, Taylor Fritz and Grigor Dimitrov all moved through in straight sets.
But British number one Cameron Norrie went out after a dramatic 6-7 (5) 7-6 (5) 6-3 defeat to French veteran Gael Monfils.
The British number one led by a set and 3-0 before falling victim to a stirring comeback from the 37-year-old.
Monfils clawed back to level in an extraordinary second set tie-break in which he won a point with an underarm serve before clinching the set at the end of a stunning 31-stroke rally.
The Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Gardner Minshew have agreed to a two-year, $25million contract, multiple media outlets reported Monday.
Minshew, whose contract will reportedly include $15million fully guaranteed, is expected to compete with second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell for the starting job.
The NFL’s free agency negotiating period began Monday, with deals not to be finalised until the league year begins on Wednesday.
A sixth-round pick in 2019, Minshew became the Indianapolis Colts’ starter last season once Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 5.
Minshew kept the Colts afloat in the AFC South and led them to a 9-8 record.
Formerly with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles, Minshew has played 49 career games, throwing for 9,937 yards, 59 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
The Raiders entered last season with Jimmy Garoppolo starting under center, but then-interim coach Antonio Pierce benched the veteran for O’Connell, who won three of his final four starts.
The Raiders hired Pierce as a full-time head coach earlier this offseason and are hoping he can help the franchise win its first play-off game since the 2002 season.
Earlier Monday, former Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs agreed to a contract with the Green Bay Packers.
Emma Raducanu went down fighting as she was beaten in straight sets by world number two Aryna Sabalenka in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
Raducanu pushed the Belarusian to the limit, battling back from a break down to level at 5-5 in the second set before ultimately falling to a 6-3 7-5 defeat.
Despite her loss, the 21-year-old Briton will take confidence from the way she consistently pressured her opponent before Sabalenka finally claimed victory on her fourth match point.
Raducanu had booked her third-round berth after winning back-to-back matches for the first time since her run to the last 16 of the same tournament last year.
Cameron Norrie also went out after a dramatic 6-7 (5) 7-6 (5) 6-3 defeat to French veteran Gael Monfils.
The British number one led by a set and 3-0 before falling victim to a stirring comeback from the 37-year-old, who revelled in the support of the majority of the crowd.
Monfils clawed back to level in an extraordinary second set tie-break in which he won a point with an underarm serve before clinching the set at the end of a stunning 31-stroke rally.
Monfils said in an on-court interview: “I’ve been working hard. Cam was playing very good tactically. He was better than me at the beginning.
“I had to change and think about it. I had to improve a couple things in my game to give him trouble and at the end I was happy that physically I could stay with him.”
The KPMG Jamaica Squash League kicked off its much-anticipated season with defending champions, Advantage General Insurance (AGI), securing comfortable victories in their first-round matches at the Liguanea Club. The 16-team league, sponsored by KPMG and organized by the Jamaica Squash Association (JSA), witnessed AGI's strong start, reaffirming their status as the team to beat.
AGI made strategic changes to its four-member lineup for the opening night, introducing Fitzroy Smith and Darren Latchman in place of Julian Morrison and Stephan Morrison. The core team members, Dave Morrison and Tahjia Lumley, remained from the previous year, displaying the squad's versatility.
The lineup adjustments proved inconsequential as AGI dominated their opening round matches. All-Jamaica champion, Tahjia Lumley, showcased his prowess in a thrilling battle against Robert Chin of Squashbucklers. Despite the handicap challenges, Lumley emerged victorious in three sets with scores of 21/18, 21/18, and 21/19, setting the tone for AGI's success.
Reflecting on his performance, Lumley expressed satisfaction with the match and acknowledged the added challenge of handicapped scoring. "It was good. I haven't played a handicapped scoring match since last year's finals, so it's obviously different. My handicapped has dropped significantly to minus three points, so everybody that I play this year is gonna be even harder to compete against them," said Lumley.
Dave Morrison continued AGI's winning streak by defeating Alexis Robinson in a hard-fought contest, securing the match with scores of 15/21, 21/17, 23/21, and 21/17. Fitzroy Smith followed suit with a straight-sets victory over Peter Walker with scores of 21/17, 21/15, and 21/19.
Looking ahead, AGI is poised for the next stage of group matches, with Lumley emphasizing the team's focus on navigating each match strategically. The second round matches are set to commence on Tuesday, March 12, at the Liguanea Club and UWI's Senior Common Room, promising more exciting squash action in the ongoing KPMG Jamaica Squash League.
The NFL free agency negotiating period began Monday, and five top running backs have already found new homes.
The Philadelphia Eagles brought in Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs will sign with the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with Tony Pollard, the Chicago Bears added D’Andre Swift and the New York Giants landed Devin Singletary.
Barkley's agreement is reportedly for three years and $37.75million, while Pollard and Swift will both reportedly earn $24million over three years. The terms of Jacobs’ and Singletary's contracts are unknown.
Barkley stays in the NFC East after spending his first six NFL seasons with the New York Giants.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft has run for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns in 74 career games while adding 288 receptions for 2,100 yards and 12 TDs.
The Giants added Singletary after losing Barkley. Singletary played one season with the Houston Texans in 2023 and established a career high with 898 rushing yards after totalling 3,151 yards on the ground with the Buffalo Bills from 2019-22.
Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns in 73 games since the Raiders drafted him with the 24th overall pick in 2019. After agreeing to terms with Jacobs, the Packers informed Aaron Jones that he would be released.
Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee brings him aboard with Derrick Henry being a free agent.
Henry’s 9,502 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns are the most in the NFL since the Titans selected the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner in the second round of the 2016 draft.
Swift set a career high with 1,049 yards on the ground in 2023 during his only season with the Eagles.
Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a four-year contract, Cousins’ agent Mike McCartney posted on social media Monday.
The deal is worth up to $180million, according to multiple media reports, and includes $100million in guaranteed money.
Cousins, who will turn 36 before the start of this season, is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon that he sustained in Week 8 last year.
The move ends Cousins’ six-year tenure in Minnesota and leaves the Vikings with serious questions at the quarterback position. Minnesota lost six of their final seven games last season with Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs and Jaren Hall each getting their turn to start under centre.
"After significant and positive dialogue with Kirk and his representatives, we were unable to reach agreement on a contract that fits the short and long-term visions for both Kirk and the Minnesota Vikings," general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said in a statement Monday.
"Our approach heading into free agency always included layers of contingencies regarding the quarterback position. We are moving forward with plans that allow us to continue building a roster that can compete for a championship."
Cousins was selected to three Pro Bowls while in Minnesota, leading the Vikings to a 50-37-1 record and two play-off appearances.
While the Vikings face uncertainty, the Falcons have found stability at quarterback for the first time since Matt Ryan retired, assuming Cousins makes a full recovery.
Atlanta went 7-10 last season while riding the pendulum between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.
With bright, young talents like Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London, the Falcons are hopeful Cousins can lift their offence and help end a six-year play-off drought.
In 150 career games, Cousins has completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 39,471 yards, 270 touchdowns and 110 interceptions.
Castleford head coach Craig Lingard will take the Super League strugglers to his old club Batley in the sixth round of the Betfred Challenge Cup.
Lingard, who lamented his side’s “embarrassing” display in Friday’s 50-8 home mauling by Huddersfield, left the Championship outfit to take over at Wheldon Road last year.
And he will be all too aware of the potential to be on the wrong end of another night to forget on the famous sloping pitch at Mount Pleasant.
Elsewhere, Wigan host Sheffield Eagles in a repeat of the 1998 final which saw the Eagles record one of the tournament’s biggest upsets with a 17-8 win.
Super League giants Leeds and St Helens will clash at Headingley, while holders Leigh start their defence against Championship Featherstone.
Last year’s losing finalists Hull KR play Salford, Warrington meet London Broncos, Huddersfield take on Hull FC and the fourth surviving second-tier side, Halifax, are at home to Catalans Dragons.
Anthony Davis brushed off injury concerns and confidently declared the Los Angeles Lakers are "hitting our stride" after his record-breaking NBA showing against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Lakers man Davis was the star of the show as Los Angeles powered from a fourth-quarter tie to win 120-109 and secure their ninth victory in 13 games.
Davis finished with 27 points, 25 rebounds, five assists, seven steals and three blocks on Sunday, a feat that has never previously been matched.
No other player in NBA history has tallied 25-plus points, 25-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and five-plus steals in a single game.
"I think we're hitting our stride right now," Davis said after a roaring finish to a week that also saw the Lakers defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Milwaukee Bucks.
"We're just trying to keep going, keep pushing, knowing that just like last year, all we got to do is get in. We feel like it's tough for anybody to beat us in a seven-game series.
"We like our chances against anybody at that point."
Davis was a doubt for the Minnesota meeting after reporting left-shoulder soreness from a collision with the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo on Friday.
"I felt it at times out there," added Davis, who was in constant dialogue with the Lakers' medical staff whenever not on the court. "I still kind of feel it."
Such was the magnitude of Davis' dominance, LeBron James returning from a sore left ankle to put up 29 points, nine assists and eight rebounds was somewhat ignored.
A taming of the Timberwolves, alongside a piece of NBA history, also marked a birthday treat for Davis, who turns 31 on Monday.
"It was before my birthday, so I guess we can [count it]," he continued. "It's actually the first time I'm able to celebrate my birthday in my entire career at home, on my actual birthday."
The Lakers are ninth in the Western Conference with 16 games remaining, but are just two behind sixth-placed Phoenix Suns, as Austin Reeves insisted Los Angeles will back themselves.
"I think if you go ask anybody in our locker room, we're super confident with what we have," Reeves said.
"Regardless of where we stand, if we go put our best foot forward and play the basketball that we know we can play."
The NFL free agency negotiating period began Monday, and four top running backs have already found new homes.
The Philadelphia Eagles have brought in Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs will sign with the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with Tony Pollard and the Chicago Bears added D’Andre Swift.
Barkley's agreement is reportedly for three years and $37.75million, while Pollard and Swift will both reportedly earn $24million over three years. The terms of Jacobs’ contract are unknown.
Barkley stays in the NFC East after spending his first six NFL seasons with the New York Giants.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft has run for 5,211 yards and 35 touchdowns in 74 career games while adding 288 receptions for 2,100 yards and 12 TDs.
Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns in 73 games since the Raiders drafted him with the 24th overall pick in 2019.
Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee brings him aboard with Derrick Henry being a free agent.
Henry’s 9,502 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns are the most in the NFL since the Titans selected the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner in the second round of the 2016 draft.
Swift set a career high with 1,049 yards on the ground in 2023 during his only season with the Eagles.
One of the top defensive free agents is no longer on the market.
The Las Vegas Raiders are signing Christian Wilkins to a four-year, $110million contract, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The deal, which was reported on Monday, includes $84.75million in guaranteed money.
Wilkins had spent his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins after being selected 13th overall in the 2019 NFL draft.
The 28-year-old is coming off a career year, tallying nine sacks and 23 quarterback hits while forcing one fumble.
Among all defensive tackles, Wilkins' 59 QB pressures were fifth most in the NFL.
He has proven to be quite durable, playing in all 17 games in each of the last three seasons and has only missed two games in his career.
With Las Vegas, he'll help bolster a defensive front that is led by Maxx Crosby, who registered a team-high 14 1/2 sacks in 2023.
The NFL free agency negotiating period began Monday, and three running backs are already off the market as Josh Jacobs will sign with the Green Bay Packers, the Tennessee Titans agreed to terms with Tony Pollard and the Chicago Bears added D’Andre Swift.
The terms of Jacobs’ contract are unknown, while Pollard and Swift will both reportedly earn $24million over three years.
Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns in 73 games since the Raiders drafted him with the 24th overall pick in 2019.
Pollard is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, and Tennessee brings him aboard with Derrick Henry being a free agent.
Henry’s 9,502 rushing yards and 90 rushing touchdowns are the most in the NFL since the Titans selected the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner in the second round of the 2016 draft.
Swift set a career high with 1,049 yards on the ground in 2023 during his only season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Simona Halep's four-year ban being overturned comes as a "relief", though the decision to reinstate her WTA Tour position may be "bittersweet" due to time already missed on the court.
That was the message from Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) representative Ahmad Nassar, who discussed the damage that the initial decision could have on Halep's career.
The two-time grand slam champion was handed a long ban by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for "intentional" doping offences.
Halep, who won the 2018 French Open and Wimbledon in 2019, repeatedly defended her innocence.
The 32-year-old's appeal was eventually successful earlier this week as the ban that was initially set to last until 2026 was reduced to a nine-month suspension, which was backdated, meaning Halep can return to the court immediately.
"Bittersweet is a good word," Nassar told Stats Perform after the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) ruling.
"Relief is another word I would use. It's just a relief after a year and a half. The ups and downs of waiting, and then having this initial decision with the four-year ban, and the resulting 116-page decision.
"I worked in US federal court for a year after law school and a lot of times people write decisions to try to bulletproof it on appeal. Other times, it's kind of a pro forma thing, because there's zero chance that's going to get overturned on appeal.
"So when I saw that my first reaction was this is intended to try to bulletproof, throw the proverbial book at her and her team.
"So that on appeal, exactly what ended up happening didn't happen. That's such a sign of how broken the system is, because that shouldn't really be the motivation, the motivation should be what's the right answer?
"I represent all the players, not just Simona. And we go out of our way to say, all the players deserve a clean sport, first and foremost.
"Nobody's more affected by potential doping, especially in tennis, where it's one on one or two on two, than the players.
"It's a win in a fairly technical sense. They sought to take it from four to six years, which to me is just a jaw-dropper. If you think about that, neither side was happy with the four-year ban, which makes it all the more remarkable that CAS ruled the way they did."
Halep, the former world number one, will make her return at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, where action starts on March 17.
Whether she will be able to get back into her stride after a prolonged absence remains to be seen, a sticking point for Nassar.
He added: "Nobody won because you don't get to go back in time. Even if you went back to exactly the day after the nine-month suspension ended, which would have been last summer and let her resume play.
"Still, she went through nine months of assuming the worst, reading the worst, seeing the worst, hearing the worst. It's not only time but also opportunity, it's reputation.
"You take years and years and a whole career, decades to build up your name and you can lose it and your credibility and trust. You can lose it in an instant, and it's hard from that standpoint.
"That really frustrates me. This is not one of those things where you say, 'It's just professional sports, it comes with the territory', because when I look at other sports, this same dynamic does not exist.
"We don't want to call this a real win. She's a former number one, a major champion, with resources and wherewithal and ability, and later in her career, to be able to push back against this real machine that was mobilised against her.
"Most players, 99 per cent of them do not have that and so they take it on the chin, and either retire, or just take the four years and hope that they cut some terrible deal, if that's even in the offing, to settle and move on with their lives.
"That's why the players created the PTPA. It just highlights a huge gap in the system that is going to take years to fill, even on the anti-doping side. It's going to take years.
"I think there's some incremental reforms that hopefully can occur because of this situation that are better for everybody, not just the players. But it's going to be a long-term process."
Carlos Alcaraz must ignore the comparisons to fellow Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal otherwise it will "hinder his career".
That was the message from former Dutch player Richard Krajicek, who won the Wimbledon men's singles title back in 1996.
Alcaraz triumphed at Wimbledon last year as well, his second major title after winning the US Open in 2022.
Though veteran Nadal has some 22 grand slam titles to his name, two behind the ever-reliant and ruthless Novak Djokovic, comparisons continue to be drawn between the two Spaniards.
"If he starts to think about it or live up to it or try to beat it, then it will hinder his career," Krajicek said of the similarities between Nadal and Alcaraz.
"His name is Carlos Alcaraz, he said it himself and he's not the new Nadal. Nadal is a legend and he's going to do what he has to do.
"I think by winning two grand slams, being number one, I don't think he feels any pressure or like, 'I have to do this or this'. He's improved already so much.
"I don't think he has too much to prove and he's just playing for the love of the game and he's going to win many more Grand Slams and he will be number one for many weeks also."
An athletic, bustling right-hander Alcaraz has the pure power, mixed with delicate control, to trouble major-title contenders for the next decade or so.
However, Krajicek says it is Alcaraz's passion for the sport that is most impressive.
"I like everything about this game. I mean, he's physically good, he's fast, I love his mentality on the court. Also like Rafa, very humble person, and he can do it all," he added.
"He can play, he plays from the base, and he's got a big forehand, he's got a very good touch on the drop shot. He can volley. Yeah, and he really loves the game.
"When he played the US Open and it was a really important point, and they were playing for number one in the world. It was one set all, Alcaraz loses the point, but the point was unbelievable, and Alcaraz smiled to his box 'Wow, I just played a great point and I love this game'.
"So for me, then I became a fan. I'm like, 'Wow, you really love this game'. So that's so great to see."
Lewis Hamilton’s first Formula One world championship is the subject of legal action after Felipe Massa filed a lawsuit against Formula One, its governing body the FIA and the sport’s former supremo Bernie Ecclestone in London’s High Court on Monday.
Massa, 42, believes he is the rightful winner of the 2008 title he lost to Hamilton by just a single point following the ‘Crashgate’ scandal at that year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Renault staged a win for Fernando Alonso by ordering Nelson Piquet Jr to crash in the other car.
Ferrari’s Massa, leading at the time of Piquet’s smash, finished 13th, before losing the championship at the final round in Brazil.
Piquet revealed the following season that he was under instruction by his bosses to deliberately crash.
However, Ecclestone, who bossed F1 for four decades before he was deposed in 2017, revealed last year the sport’s executives were aware of the cover-up before the 2008 campaign concluded.
Lawyers acting on Massa’s behalf want the FIA to acknowledge it “breached its regulations by failing to promptly investigate” Piquet’s crash as well as seeking compensation for the former Ferrari driver.
A statement from Brazilian law firm Vieira Rezende Advogados read: “On March 11, 2024, Felipe Massa filed a lawsuit in the High Court in London, England against Formula One Management Limited (FOM), Bernard Charles Ecclestone and the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA).
“Mr Massa is seeking declarations that the FIA breached its regulations by failing to promptly investigate Nelson Piquet Junior’s crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, and that had it acted properly, Mr Massa would have won the drivers’ championship that year.
“Mr Massa also seeks damages for the significant financial loss he has suffered due to the FIA’s failure, in which Mr Ecclestone and FOM were also complicit.
“Attempts to find an amicable resolution have been unsuccessful, leaving Mr Massa with no choice but to initiate legal proceedings.”
Hamilton, who has won a record-equalling seven titles, said last September: “If that’s the direction that Felipe wants to go, that’s his decision. I prefer not to focus on the past.
“Whether it’s 15 years ago, two years ago, or three days ago, I’m only interested in the present and my focus is on helping my team this week.”
Ecclestone, 93, told the PA news agency on Monday: “If he had asked me, I would have said it was the complete right thing to do, to sue, and to let an English judge decide what is right and wrong.
“I cannot say anything about the outcome and what will happen. I have not got a clue, I don’t think anyone has, but from his point of view, it is better that an English judge comes up with a verdict. It will be of more help for him.”
An FIA spokesperson told PA: “We will not be providing any comment on the matter.”
F1 declined to comment.
Adam Beard says there can be no “ifs or buts” for Wales when it comes to dealing with the pressure of a Guinness Six Nations wooden-spoon showdown against Italy.
Wales are one defeat away from their worst Six Nations campaign in terms of results since 2003, when they lost all five games.
Narrow reversals against Scotland and England were followed by more comprehensive setbacks at the hands of Ireland and France, leaving Wales four points adrift at the basement.
And they will face an Italy team next Saturday buoyed by a stirring victory over Scotland, which underlined impressive strides being made under new head coach Gonzalo Quesada.
Beard was part of Six Nations title-winning teams in 2019 – when Wales also secured a Grand Slam – and 2021, but he now finds himself trying to help his country stave off receiving the tournament’s most unwanted tag.
“We’ve got to deal with it, there are no ifs or buts now,” said Beard.
“We have got to deal with it, and we’ve got to deal with it pretty quickly. Hopefully, when it comes to it, we will be right on point and we will deal with that pressure well and get the win.
“It’s huge. There is nothing we can do but win that game, otherwise you know what is going to happen.
“It is a must-win game, so we are going to be hungry and willing to go to the well for 80 minutes.”
Italy’s win against Scotland was their first Six Nations success on home soil for 11 years, while they head to Cardiff having triumphed there two years ago thanks to Edoardo Padovani’s try that Paolo Garbisi converted with the game’s final kick.
Away from the Test arena, further improvement has been underlined by leading Italian team Benetton’s bid to reach the United Rugby Championship title-play-offs, having lost only three league games this season.
And Beard added: “It was an unbelievable win for them (against Scotland), and they are probably going to be on a massive high coming to the Principality Stadium.
“Over the last (number of) years I have played against them, it has been a tough Test match every single time.
“Their game-management, how structured they are – it is not a loose game from them any more – and they have got exciting players.
“They have got a very good team on paper and they are putting in some good performances, and we have got to be on point to get the win.
“Hopefully, everyone who is watching Welsh rugby can see that (while) we haven’t got a win yet, there are lots of positives that have come out of these games and we are not far off being an unbelievable side.
“We like to pride ourselves on being a tough team to beat. We want to get those results and we want them now.
“We are not happy with just being a young side getting good exposure, we do want to get those wins now. International rugby is about winning, so it would be nice to put in an 80-minute performance next Saturday.
“Look, we can’t put too much pressure on ourselves because sometimes that goes the other way then, and it might spiral backwards.
“If we get our stuff right and put in that 80-minute performance, I have no doubt this squad will get the win.”
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