With summer's main events about to begin, no one on the WTA tour is hotter than Danielle Collins.
Two weeks after winning her maiden title in Palermo, Collins claimed the Silicon Valley Classic crown in San Jose, California by defeating Daria Kasatkina 6-3 6-7 (10-12) 6-1 on Sunday.
It was the 10th successive match victory for the American, who is ranked 36th in the world and poised to move up as the hard-court season intensifies with WTA 1000 events at Montreal and Cincinnati ahead of the U.S. Open.
While it appeared for a while that Collins would cruise to another easy win, Kasatkina made it a fight in the 73-minute second set.
The Russian had prevailed in the two previous meetings between the players, and she saved two championship points down 4-5 in the second and three more in winning the tiebreak.
That marked only the second set Collins has dropped during her 10-match run, the other coming against Sloane Stephens in the second round earlier this week.
Kasatkina's momentum was short-lived, however, as Collins broke her serve early in the third and never looked back.
Before her clay-court title run at Palermo, Collins had been 0-6 in semi-finals in her career.
Italian teenager Jannik Sinner has claimed his third career ATP Tour title with a three-set victory over Mackenzie McDonald in the Citi Open final on Sunday.
The sixth seed triumphed in two hours and 52 minutes, winning 7-5 4-6 7-5 over the unseeded American, who was competing in his first ATP Tour final.
The Washington, D.C. victory was 19-year-old Sinner's first ATP 500 title and his third on tour, having triumphed in Sofia late last year and Melbourne earlier this year.
Home favourite McDonald put plenty of pressure on Sinner, forcing the Italian to save seven break points for the match.
McDonald also staved off 16 break points in an enthralling contest where the Italian sent down nine aces to the American's five.
Sinner lost his serve twice in the opening set and needed 11 set points but still won 7-5, before the American hit back, dropping further behind the baseline to good effect in the second, levelling it with a 6-4 win.
The Italian claimed an early break in the last to open up a 3-0 lead, before failing to convert two championship points at 5-2.
McDonald brought it back to 5-5, with numerous dramatic rallies throughout, before the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion broke in the 12th game to triumph in the third set.
Abraham Ancer thought he had blown his shot at his first PGA Tour win the first time he played the 18th hole on Sunday. Turns out he just needed two more chances on the hole to make it happen.
Ancer birdied the second playoff hole from six feet and watched as Sam Burns missed almost the same putt to give him the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational title as the third man in the playoff, Hideki Matsuyama, also made par.
After finishing as runner-up four times in his previous 120 Tour starts, Ancer finally prevailed in Memphis to become the ninth first-time winner this season and the fourth player from Mexico to win on Tour.
"This is surreal," he told CBS. "I thought I left so many shots out there on the back nine, but you never know. Golf is crazy.
"There's been some times that I felt like I made enough birdies to win and I didn't win. This is kind of how it goes and I'm happy that I got lucky."
A significant portion of that luck came on the first playoff hole, when Matsuyama had a chance to win it but saw his long putt for birdie on 18 lip out, sending the trio back to the 18th tee for another go.
The 2021 Masters champion turned in the round of the day just to make the playoff, firing a bogey-free seven-under 63 to fly up the leaderboard on the final day.
Burns was close behind with a 64, a double bogey on 13 his only blemish.
Harris English, who held a two-stroke lead after each of the first three rounds, watched those three fly by him as he slumped to a three-over 73 and finished fourth after opening the tournament with rounds of 62, 65 and 65.
English bogeyed the opening hole before regaining his stride with three birdies, but he did not make another after the eighth hole, posting double bogeys at 11 and 14 and a bogey at the par-five 16th.
The American said afterward that a warning for slow play on the front nine knocked him out of rhythm and he felt like he was rushing the rest of the day.
His playing partner Bryson DeChambeau had an even more difficult time after working himself into contention with a 63 on Saturday.
DeChambeau carded a triple-bogey six on the 11th and also did not manage a birdie on the back nine on the way to a 74 that left him tied for eighth at 12 under for the tournament.
Rough as that triple was for DeChambeau, honours for worst hole of the day went to Kim Si-woo.
The South Korean hit five successive shots in the water at the 11th on the way to a 13 – the worst score on a par-three hole on the PGA Tour since 1983, not including majors.
Among other notables, Dustin Johnson (70) tied for 10th at 11 under, one stroke better than Rory McIlroy (66) and Jordan Spieth (67).
Phil Mickelson (68) finished at seven under along with Louis Oosthuizen, who floundered to a 74 in the final round.
Sergio Garcia (72), Collin Morikawa (69) and defending champion Justin Thomas (72) were at five under, with Patrick Reed (70) and Lee Westwood (71) one back of them.
Olympic champion Xander Schauffele (68) was at even par and Brooks Koepka (76) at two over.
Andrea Petkovic claimed her first singles title on the WTA Tour in over six years thanks to an emphatic victory over Mayar Sherif at the Winners Open.
Petkovic was far too strong for her Egyptian opponent in Sunday's final, easing to a 6-1 6-1 triumph after just over an hour on court in Cluj-Napoca.
The impressive result sealed the German a seventh tournament win in her career, though she had not reigned at an event since her success in Antwerp back in February 2015.
Sherif had become the first Egyptian to reach a singles final on the WTA Tour and received praise from her opponent during the presentation ceremony.
"This has been a great week, but not only that, what's really important is you're paving the ground for all the girls in a part of the world which doesn't appreciate tennis as much as we do here in Europe," Petkovic said to the 25-year-old.
"It's so much more important than winning every title every week, though I'm sure you will get there as well.
"Just being out there competing, being the first Egyptian woman to make a WTA final, to break into the top 100, I think that's incredible. I want to congratulate you on that – keep going."
Petkovic raced into a 5-0 lead in the opening set before Sherif held serve; she also survived two break points to move ahead at the start of the second.
However, the second seed reeled off the next six games in a row, clinching the result with a forehand winner.
MotoGP championship leader Fabio Quartararo enjoyed a "good day" at the Styrian Grand Prix, as his podium finish and Jorge Martin's win extended his lead at the top of the standings.
Quartararo finished third in a race that was suspended for half an hour due to an early crash, which saw two bikes engulfed in flames.
Both riders – Dani Pedrosa and Lorenzo Savadori – escaped relatively unscathed, though the latter was unable to restart the race.
The restart benefited Martin, who had set a record time at the Red Bull Ring to take pole position in Saturday's qualifying session.
Francesco Bagnaia had overtaken the Pramac Racing rider but, despite an early attack from Jack Miller after the restart, Martin recovered to cruise to his maiden MotoGP triumph.
Behind Martin, Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) claimed second, with Quartararo nipping into third – Miller's hopes fading when he skidded off the track at Turn 7 with 10 laps remaining.
Quartararo (172) now has a 40-point lead over Johann Zarco, who finished sixth, in the championship standings, with Mir further behind on 121.
"It feels so good because when there is a red flag it is always tough," said Quartararo.
"I was extremely good on the braking on Turn 3. I knew that there was a possibility to overtake and did it.
"I don't really know the position of the other guys apart from Joan and Jorge finishing in front. I am so happy. The best goal was to finish on the podium and we did it. So happy for Jorge, he took some points off Joan, so a good day."
Martin, meanwhile, was ecstatic after achieving what he labelled the first step on his path to pushing for world championship glory.
"I can't believe it, I don't believe it, that's why I'm not so excited! I think the ride was amazing. I kept a really constant pace. I was super focused," said the 23-year-old.
"Even if I did some mistakes, my target was to win the race. Joan was impressive today, he was behind me almost all the race but then in the last laps I tried a bit more and I took a gap for the lead.
"The last laps I was thinking about things – everyone who has helped me to be here – that's why I did worse in the last laps but I had this gap to manage. Thanks to all my family, this is one big step towards my big area to be world champion."
Reigning world champion Mir said: "Today was close. I'm happy because all weekend we have been there, overall.
"I needed a couple of faster laps to fight with Jorge, he did a great job. We must push a bit more, find something more for next weekend if we want to be on the top of the podium.
"I am proud of the team, they have done a great job and finally, the performance is higher, so happy and proud of them."
Roger Federer turned 40 on Sunday amid uncertainty over whether he will grace the stage of a grand slam again.
Both he and Serena Williams, who reaches the same birthday landmark in September, have kept their future plans under wraps.
However, it would come as no surprise now if one, or both, were to retire by the end of the year.
Injuries are taking their toll, and even the greatest champions cannot go on forever.
Stats Perform looked at both Federer and Williams, considering what they may still want to achieve, and their prospects of attaining those remaining goals.
Federer's final fling?
Ahead of his 30th birthday, Federer was asked what it felt like to hit such a milestone.
"Birthdays happen. They're part of life," Federer said. "I'm happy I'm getting older. I'd rather be 30 than 20, to be honest. To me it's a nice time."
A decade on, Federer has good reason to be satisfied with life as he chalks up another decade. Family life is good, he'll never need to borrow a dollar, and he has advanced from 16 grand slams to 20.
But the knees would sooner be 30 than 40, and Federer, remarkable sportsman though he is, looks to have entered the lap of honour stage of his career – if he can even complete such a lap.
Two knee operations in 2020 were followed by a setback that ruled him out of the Olympics and will also keep him sidelined for the Toronto and Cincinnati tournaments before the US Open.
Will Federer make it to Flushing Meadows, where he won five successive titles at the height of his career? There has to be doubt over that, and should he indeed be an absentee in New York, what is there left to target? The Laver Cup, perhaps, a tournament in which he is financially invested and which is due to be played in Boston in late September.
Would he play on in 2022? Could he tolerate more long road trips without his family, living in a tennis bubble?
Target: Federer has never settled for second best, and it may have dawned on him at Wimbledon that in all probability he no longer can win a grand slam. Losing a 6-0 set to Hubert Hurkacz on the way to a quarter-final exit would have hurt. The hunger does not go away after 20 grand slams, but Federer's battle-weary body is sending him messages. He will want to go out on his own terms, which means getting fully fit.
Prospects: Assuming the knee issue is not a major problem, and more of a niggle, then Federer could still play the US Open, Laver Cup, Indian Wells and Paris Masters this year. If the mind is willing but the body does not comply, however, then it would not be a shock to see him call time before the Australian Open comes around in January.
Serena still one short of Court
From precocious teenager to queen of the tour, Williams' tennis journey has been a 25-year odyssey and there is nobody more driven to succeed than the great American.
It is an intense frustration that she remains rooted on 23 grand slams, one short of Margaret Court's record haul, and the four grand slam final losses she has suffered while on that mark have been cruel blows.
As her 40th birthday approaches on September 26, prospects of matching Court are fading. The leg injury that cruelly forced her out of Wimbledon in the first round was a harrowing turn of events, given she looked primed to be a big title challenger in London.
She is becoming less of a factor when looking at title favourites, but Williams is still capable of beating top players, still a threat wherever she shows up. It comes down to whether the body lets her chase her goals, and whether the pain of so many near-misses in recent years persuades this great champion the exertion is no longer worth prolonging.
Target: The 24th slam has been the must-have for Williams. Tour titles feel like an irrelevance, and Williams has won just one of those since January 2017, her calendar built around peaking for the majors since returning from giving birth to daughter Olympia.
Prospects: Beating Aryna Sabalenka and Simona Halep at the Australian Open demonstrated Williams still has the game for the big stage, and a semi-final defeat to Naomi Osaka, to whom she has now lost in three of four encounters, should not particularly detract from that. Wimbledon felt like a golden opportunity, with a host of major rivals absent and others struggling for form. There is no doubt she felt that way. Getting to 24 – and beyond – has shifted from feeling like an inevitability to being an odds-against chance now.
Novak Djokovic led the ATP Tour's birthday message to Roger Federer, as the Swiss star celebrated his 40th on Sunday.
Federer, ranked ninth in the world, made his professional debut in 1998. He has gone on to win 20 grand slam titles, a feat matched by only Rafael Nadal and Djokovic, who tied his rivals with his triumph at Wimbledon in July.
His first grand slam title arrived at Wimbledon in 2003, when Federer was aged just 21. In 2004, 2006 and 2007, he won three out of the four majors on offer.
Federer has six Australian Open titles, eight Wimbledon triumphs, five US Open wins and one French Open success to his name, while he has also won six ATP Tour Finals.
Djokovic and Federer have met 50 times on the ATP circuit, with the Serbian shading their head-to-head record with 27 wins – their most recent encounter coming in the semi-finals of the 2020 Australian Open.
Yet it was he who led the tributes to a true great.
"Hey Roger, happy 40th birthday – 40th, wow, what a milestone! You still keep on inspiring and thriving on the court, off the court, inspiring all of us," Djokovic said in a video posted to the ATP Tour's official Twitter account.
"It's been a huge honour to share the tennis court and the tennis circuit with you in the last 15 years.
"Hopefully you can still keep on playing. The sport needs you, of course, and thanks for everything you have done and thanks for showing us that even at that age we can play at a very high level.
"All the best, I wish you health and love and happiness with your close ones and thanks again for everything."
Kei Nishikori, who has beaten Federer three times and suffered eight defeats to the Swiss, was next up.
"Roger, happy 40th birthday!" Nishikori said.
"You are still my idol, I always looked up to you and I hope we can play a couple more times and I hope you can still keep going and win grand slams."
World number 15 Felix Auger Aliassime shares his birthday with Federer, though the Canadian is some 19 years junior.
"Hey Roger, the big 40, while I'm just turning 21," he said. "It's amazing for the sport that I'm playing and you're still playing at the same time.
"I hope I'll still be playing when I'm 40 as well. Thank you for everything you've been doing for tennis, it's so good to still have you around, I hope you have a great birthday."
The San Francisco Giants needed seven runs in extras and some Jake McGee heroics to win 9-6 over the Milwaukee Brewers in MLB on Saturday.
Scores were locked at 2-2 after nine innings, before both sides managed three runs in the 10th.
The Giants got the edge at the top of the 11th, with LaMonte Wade Jr driving in Austin Slater with a right-field base hit before Brandon Belt hit his second home run of the game.
With Wade on first, Belt homered over right field to give the Giants an 8-5 lead, before Kris Bryant's big hit allowed Buster Posey to get home.
McGee, who was expected to rest for this game, came in to close out the win in the 11th, allowing only one run and getting one strikeout to seal it.
"They told me I'd be down today so I came in, got treatment, but didn't do my stretches," McGee said. "I didn't have my brace down there [in the bullpen] or even my cup. They had to run it out to me in extra innings."
Bellinger HR as Dodgers down Angels
Trailing 3-2 in the seventh inning, Cody Bellinger homered to turn the tide as the Los Angeles Dodgers won 5-3 over the Los Angeles Angels.
In the eighth inning, Chris Taylor hit a two-run double which proved enough for the world champions.
Alex Verdugo landed a sole home run and Jonathan Arauz hit a go-ahead single as the Boston Red Sox came from behind to win 2-1 over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The in-form New York Yankees claimed five consecutive victories with a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariners. The Yankees improved to 61-49 with the win.
The Philadelphia Phillies have also hit form, securing their seventh straight win with a 5-3 triumph over the New York Mets. The streak is the Phillies' longest since 2012.
Rebuilding Cubs shut out
The rebuilding Chicago Cubs were humbled at Wrigley Field by cross-towners Chicago White Sox 4-0. The result leaves the Cubs in a slump with two wins from their past 10 games, including three straight defeats. The White Sox shut-out makes matters worse as the opposition pitchers notched 17 strikeouts.
Winker on song for hot Reds
Jesse Winker had a day out as the Cincinnati Reds stayed hot with an 11-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Winker's form has been crucial to the Reds' run and he displayed that against the Pirates, with two runs, three hits and six RBI.
Saturday's results
New York Yankees 5-4 Seattle Mariners
Chicago White Sox 4-0 Chicago Cubs
Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 Boston Red Sox
Philadelphia Phillies 5-3 New York Mets
Oakland Athletic 12-3 Texas Rangers
Tampa Bay Rays 12-3 Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox 2-1 Toronto Blue Jays
San Francisco Giants 9-6 Milwaukee Brewers
Detroit Tigers 2-1 Cleveland Indians
Cincinnati Reds 11-3 Pittsburgh Pirates
Houston Astros 4-0 Minnesota Twins
St Louis Cardinals 5-2 Kansas City Royals
Washington Nationals 3-2 Atlanta Braves
Colorado Rockies 7-4 Miami Marlins
San Diego Padres 6-2 Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers 5-3 Los Angeles Angels
Angels at Dodgers
Shohei Ohtani's Los Angeles Angels will head across town again to take on the world champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, for the third and final time in their series.
Ciryl Gane is the new interim heavyweight UFC champion after dominating Derrick Lewis winning with a third round TKO in Houston on Saturday.
The referee intervened in the third round after Gane hurt Lewis numerous times before finishing the American with a series of hammerfists while he lay on the ground.
The Frenchman, who boasted an undefeated 9-0 record coming into the fight, dominated throughout, with Lewis' corner asking him to be more active to combat Gane.
Gane switched between jabs and leg kicks in a cagey first round, before asserting his dominance with a 34-2 advantage in significant strikes, controlling range and proving evasive for Lewis.
Lewis could not land any big hits before a series of strikes from Gane floored the 36-year-old American.
Gane's victory means he now has former teammate and heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in his sights.
"The fight is gonna go up, so let's go, just let's go," Gane said during the post-game interview in the octagon.
STILL PLENTY OF FIGHT IN ALDO
Jose Aldo defeated Pedro Munhoz by unanimous decision to defend his men's bantamweight crown for the second time.
The 34-year-old Brazilian, who was formerly a champion in the featherweight division, was shrewd and sharp against Munhoz.
Aldo beat Munhoz in total strikes 75-56 across to UFC Stats and appeared a class above.
"I've been working a lot," Aldo said via a translator after the bout. "I want to be a champ in this division. I've been dedicating myself a lot in Brazil. That's why I'm here."
LUQUE WINS AND CALLS OUT USMAN
American-born Brazilian Vicente Luque won his pivotal welterweight fight with a choke submission against Michael Chiesa.
Luque is lining up a bout with champion Kamaru Usman and called him out following the fight.
"I think it's our time," Luque said. "I'm the only guy up there you haven't fought yet. Let's go." Usman, who is due to face Colby Covington in November, responded on Twitter, indicating he was up for it.
Tecia Torres made it two-for-two against Angela Hill as she won by decision in the women's strawweight.
Veteran jockey Shane Ellis spectacularly captured his sixth Jamaica Derby on Saturday, rallying the St Leger winner Calculus to a narrow come-from-behind win in the JA$7.5 Million (US$48,900) Classic at Caymanas Park.
The 3-5 favourite Calculus looked beaten as the front runners quickened away from him coming off the final turn, but Ellis strikingly drove Chevan Maharaj’s colt back into contention and scored by a neck for trainer Gary Subratie’s first Derby triumph.
“It was almost a miracle that he got back to the horses there to win this race,” Trinidad and Tobago’s Maharaj said in the winners’ enclosure.
Calculus clocked two minutes 37 and 4/5ths of a second in the 12-furlong trip for the win over the 6-1 bet Billy Whizz. The 2-1 second favourite Further and Beyond was another length and a half back in third.
The 41-1 outsider Iannai Links led the field for the first three furlongs, tracked by a cluster of horses including Calculus on the rail, 30-1 bet Regal and Royal, Billy Whizz and the stablemates Santorini (20-1), and Further and Beyond.
After opening splits of 24.2 and 48.4, a tightly bunched half of the field cruised past the midway point in the race at a six-furlong split of 1:16 and 4/5ths with Further and Beyond, the 2020 Champion two-year-old, edging into the lead ahead of Iannai Links, Calculus, Billy Whizz and a smooth moving 4-1 shot Big Jule in fifth within two lengths of the lead. Santorini and Regal and Royal were also within striking distance as the pace quickened.
Leaving the three-furlong marker, reigning co-champion jockey Dane Nelson whipped up Further and Beyond and shot into a clear lead while Big Jule went in chase. Billy Whizz also made a sharp move toward the lead and the three appeared to have the seemingly one-paced Calculus beaten.
Early in the homestretch, Big Jule failed to quicken and Panama-born jockey Dick Cardenas presented Billy Whizz with a surging outside challenge approaching the eighth pole that sliced into Further and Beyond’s lead. But Ellis – shifting from the inside rail -- suddenly flipped Calculus’s initial mild recovery into a jetting move between the new leader Billy Whizz and Nelson’s tiring colt. A quick change from left to right hand whipping by Ellis finished the job as Calculus swept through a tight space for the win.
“Dick was there on my outside, I had to shake my horse and let him know that the job is not done. I had to bustle my way through and show them that ‘big man a big man,” a smiling Ellis said after adding to previous Derby wins he had with Awesome Power (2011), Typewriter (2012), Relampago (2014), Orpheus (2016) and Supreme Soul two years ago.
Calculus only arrived in Subratie’s barn two months ago from champion trainer Anthony Nunes’s stables after Maharaj purchased the colt from another T&T owner Shivam Maharaj, and the season’s leading trainer in wins praised Ellis’s job in the saddle.
“The passage was getting tight but Shane did his job and that’s what we wanted,” said Subratie, whose 9-5 Derby favourite last year Wow Wow was beaten into sixth position while his other two entries Nipster and Another Affair narrowly lost in second and third to upset winner King Arthur.
Maharaj, who had a T&T Derby win in 2017 with the Jamaica-bred filly Leading Lady, also acclaimed Ellis’s ride that landed the 47-year-old jockey his 22nd Classic triumph.
“At the top of the lane, honestly I thought he was beaten I could not imagine that Shane was able to get some extra out of him to get back to the horses in front. All credit to him for a fantastic ride” said Maharaj, who was winning his second Jamaica Derby in three years, having scored with Triple Crown winner Supreme Soul in 2019.
In the co-feature, Jamaica Oaks, Fillies Guineas winner She’s a Wonder galloped to a predictable win in the JA$3.75 Million (US$24,460) event to give 21-year-old jockey Reyan Lewis and trainer Ian Parsard their first win in the 10-furlong Classic.
She’s a Wonder scored by three lengths as the 1-5 favourite ahead of Amy the Butcher (5-1) and clocked 2:13.3/5ths for her sixth win in 12 lifetime starts.
Top seed Elise Mertens was knocked out as Daria Kasatkina won through to the Silicon Valley Classic final where she will meet Danielle Collins.
Fourth seed Kasatkina swept aside world number 17 Mertens in one hour and 21 minutes, winning 6-3 6-2 in San Jose.
The 24-year-old Russian progresses to her fourth final of the WTA season, claiming her third win from four meetings against the Belgian.
The win was former top 10 player Kasatkina's fourth triumph over a top 20 player this year.
Kasatkina broke Mertens three times throughout the match, never dropping her own serve, sending down 4-2 aces.
Mertens was not helped by seven double faults throughout the match, with Kasatkina saving the Belgian's only break point.
Kasatkina will face American seventh seed Danielle Collins who was too good for Ana Konjuh. Collins only needed 52 minutes to win 6-0 6-2 over the Croatian qualifier.
Konjuh struggled on serve throughout, with Collins breaking her six times, while she only won one from 17 points on her second serve.
American Mackenzie McDonald toppled former champion Kei Nishikori in three sets to claim a spot in the Citi Open final on Sunday against fifth seed Jannik Sinner.
McDonald triumphed over unseeded Japanese Nishikori 6-4 3-6 7-5 in two hours and 45 minutes in Washington DC.
The 26-year-old American's win qualifies him for his maiden ATP Tour final, sending down 4-1 aces while getting a slight edge with his return.
Nishikori, who triumphed in DC in 2015, fought back when trailing a set and a break in the second with four straight games to send it to a third.
The 31-year-old Japanese appeared to have the momentum but McDonald responded to outlast him.
McDonald will face 19-year-old Sinner who overcame another emerging talent, American 20-year-old Jenson Brooksby, 7-6 (7-2) 6-1.
Sinner becomes the first Italian to reach the final in DC and also progresses to his first ATP 500 decider.
The Italian continued his fine run in DC, having not yet dropped a set all tournament, marking a return to form after being on a four-match losing run.
Sinner saved three set points at 5-6 in the first to fight back to take the lead in a tiebreaker before a dominant second.
Harris English maintained his two-shot cushion at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational leaderboard as Bryson DeChambeau climbed up the leaderboard.
Aided by three birdies during his final six holes, English carded a second successive score of 65 at TPC Southwind to sit at 18 under par.
The four-time winner on the PGA Tour endured a bogey-free round on Saturday, pulling clear in the closing stages having at one stage seen both Abraham Ancer and DeChambeau join him in top spot.
After a four at the par-five 16th, English produced an outstanding approach into the green at the next hole before rolling in a birdie putt, boosting his hopes of a wire-to-wire triumph in the tournament.
However, he is well aware that there is still plenty of work to do yet.
"There's a lot of good players behind me and my goal is just stick to my strategy and execute and whatever happens, happens," English said.
DeChambeau is not too far behind after a stunning 63 that saw him come home in just 30 shots. His seven-under score leaves him tied for second with Australian Cameron Smith, who signed for a 65.
"It was awesome being able to strike it that close to the hole all day," DeChambeau, who missed out on playing at the Tokyo Olympics due to contracting coronavirus, said.
"I didn't feel as comfortable as I would have liked with the swing, but the results were there so I was very pleased with the results. And honestly, if I can do that again tomorrow, I give myself a great chance to win."
Ancer is a further two strokes back following a three-under 67, the same score Scottie Scheffler and Ian Poulter both managed to sit just behind the Mexican on 13 under.
Dustin Johnson may still hold out hope of triumphing, with a round of 65 enough to be one of four players on 11 under par. He is joined by Paul Casey, Will Zalatoris and Louis Oosthuizen.
Defending champion Justin Thomas already faced a battle to retain his crown, and the American was only able to shoot 69 on day three.
At seven under for the event, a repeat of his 2020 triumph appears almost impossible, considering he is so far back and the number of players ahead of him.
Warren Gatland says the British and Irish Lions gave it everything but came up just short in their agonising Test series defeat to South Africa.
The Lions suffered last-minute heartbreak in Cape Town as Morne Steyn's penalty secured a 19-16 win for the Springboks, who take the series by a 2-1 scoreline having lost the opening match.
Gatland's side had taken early control of the decider, Ken Owens' try helping them claim a 10-3 lead before half-time.
However, the Lions were made to rue missed opportunities as the reigning world champions fought back, with veteran fly-half Steyn coming off the bench to land the knockout blow – just as he had done in the 2009 series between the same teams.
Nevertheless, Gatland was unable to fault the efforts of his players.
"I'm disappointed, but really proud of the guys," Gatland told Sky Sports. "We spoke beforehand about winning these Test matches being about big moments.
"We had a two-on-one when maybe Josh Adams should have scored and a couple of times we were held up across the line.
"I thought we were bold in terms of the tactics and what we wanted to do and tried to play rugby.
"We had a couple of calls which didn't go our way and bounces of the ball, particularly the try they scored, but I'm really proud of the effort.
"I can't ask the guys more than the guys giving 100 per cent and they definitely did that."
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi hailed team-mate Morne Steyn after his late penalty sealed a series victory for the Springboks over the British and Irish Lions.
Steyn came off the bench and proved the difference in Cape Town – his last-gasp kick securing a 19-16 win.
It was a first Test appearance in five years for the 37-year-old fly-half, who also landed the crucial blow in the 2009 series against the Lions.
The Lions were unbeaten in the final Test in each of their last three tours, but in a tightly contested tussle the Springboks produced a turnaround from 10-3 down to snatch a dramatic victory.
"As soon as he went for the kick, I thought 'no way!' It was beautiful to see him stay strong," Kolisi told Sky Sports.
"We didn't think he would come back and play. In his wildest dreams, he didn't think he'd get this opportunity again, so I'm very happy for him and the team.
"It was really challenging for both teams because there was a lot happening. But we focused as much as we could on what we had to do on the field, and that was most important.
"This is huge, 12 years – I will never get this opportunity again. I'm really honoured and proud of the team that we were able to achieve this. We can't compare it to anything else."
It was a heart-breaking end for the Lions and Alun Wyn Jones, who joined Mike Gibson and Graham Price as the fourth most-capped player in their history with 12.
Nevertheless, the skipper – who initially seemed set to miss the tour due to injury – revealed his sense of pride in the efforts of Warren Gatland's side.
"We are hugely disappointed – we were in it until the death. We had an opportunity at the end," he said.
"I am very proud of the boys and very conscious of who we represent but as I said, hugely disappointed at the same time.
"We wanted to come out for the second half with more of the same, we did that probably after the early exchanges, then the to-ing and fro-ing with the penalties broke up the game.
"It was probably similar to what we have seen in patches in previous games, we wanted to kick on but we could not do that."
Morne Steyn was the hero for South Africa as, just like in 2009, his penalty proved decisive in a 19-16 series-clinching win over the British and Irish Lions.
Steyn had last made a Test appearance for the Springboks back in 2016 but the 37-year-old came on from the bench to prove the difference in Cape Town.
Having replaced Handre Pollard, whose kicking was off in the second half, Steyn converted two penalties to secure a hard-fought victory from a tense tussle.
After Steyn's first effort, Finn Russell's penalty seemed to have sent the series to a draw, only for Steyn’s boot to once again prove the Lions' downfall with a 79th-minute three-pointer.
The Lions seemed to have been handed an early blow when Dan Biggar was forced off injured after attempting to tackle Lukhanyo Am, wth Pollard converting South Africa's resulting penalty.
However, Biggar's replacement Russell kicked a penalty five minutes after his introduction to restore parity as he asserted himself on proceedings.
Russell was kicking again soon after, this time adding the extras after Ken Owens marked his maiden Lions Test start by bundling over at the back of the maul for the first try.
A second Pollard penalty reduced the deficit, while Russell had a fortunate escape when he made direct contact with Cheslin Kolbe's head, a slip from the South Africa winger helping the Lions remain at full strength.
Pollard's penalty dropped just short, yet the Springboks finally found the breakthrough moments later, Kolbe holding off Luke Cowan-Dickie's challenge to race over in the corner after a loose ball had broken in South Africa's favour – the try standing after a long TMO review for a possible knock-on from Jasper Wiese.
An Ali Price error handed South Africa a chance to extend their lead, though the Lions held firm and Russell kept his cool at the other end to arrow a three-pointer through the posts after Eben Etzebeth's mistake.
Steyn, South Africa's hero in the 2009 series, entered the fray with 16 minutes remaining, and his first act was to nose the hosts back ahead.
Am's foul on Conor Murray handed Russell the chance to level the scores, an opportunity which the Scot took coolly, but it was Steyn who had the final say.
Herschel Jantjies tried to run the ball after the Boks were awarded a penalty 40 metres out, though fortunately the referee called it back, with Steyn holding his nerve to down the Lions.
OLD NEMESIS STEYN BACK TO HAUNT THE LIONS
Steyn kicked the penalty which settled the 2009 Lions tour in South Africa's favour, and history repeated itself on Saturday.
His 67th Test cap will last long in the memory for South Africa – two penalty opportunities, two successful attempts and a series win. He made four kicks in total in his 18 minutes on the field, including the final one out of play to signal full time and the end of the series.
South Africa's triumph also means all three matches in this year's Test series were won by the side trailing at half-time.
RUSSELL'S EFFORTS NOT ENOUGH
Like his fellow substitute Steyn, Russell ended the match with a perfect record from the boot – all three of his penalties and his conversion finding the target as he collected 11 points.
It was all in vain, however, and Warren Gatland will be left to lament the indiscipline his team showed in the second half after getting themselves into a strong position. Six Lions tours have gone to a deciding game since they became three-Test series in 1989, with the tourists losing on three occasions, winning twice and drawing once.
Jorge Martin made history as he claimed his second pole of the MotoGP season, which resumed at the Styrian Grand Prix on Saturday.
The Pramac Racing rider's winning time of 1:22.994 was the fastest recorded at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, as he finished 0.044s ahead of Francesco Bagnaia.
There was drama as Martin's effort was almost eclipsed by Fabio Quartararo, only for the runaway championship leader to exceed track limits by drifting into the green at the vital moment.
MotoGP debutant Martin made a strong start to his maiden campaign; taking pole in Doha in round two on the way to an impressive third-place finish.
However, injury during qualifying at the Portuguese Grand Prix two weeks later ruled him out of four races, while he was also forced to retire at the Dutch TT last time out.
Nevertheless, the 23-year-old has demonstrated brilliant determination to bounce back and finish fastest in qualifying, which he dedicated to his currently hospitalised grandfather.
"It wasn't the perfect lap," he said. "I started quite well in the first sector.
"I kept pushing and saw I was coming in hot, but then I made a mistake with the gearbox in corners four and five.
"In the last two corners, I tried my best not to go to the green because with the wind, it was difficult. When I finished the lap and saw the time on my screen, I thought: 'that's a good time.'
"I want to dedicate this pole position to my grandfather. He's in hospital and he's battling a lot."
Despite missing out on a sixth pole of the season, Quartararo will begin Sunday's Grand Prix on the front row of the grid for Monster Energy Yamaha.
"It's a shame because of the track limit. I did the maximum with what I had," said the Frenchman, who is currently 34 points clear at the top of the riders' standings.
"Sunday, it looks like it's going to rain, so it's good to have a great position on the grid.
"I pushed my bike to the limit. I will not say it's my best lap because I made many mistakes, but it's the first time that I've pushed that much on a bike."
It was a good day for Ducati with Martin and Bagnaia first and second with Jack Miller and Johann Zarco, who finished fourth and sixth respectively, not far behind.
World champion Joan Mir will start fifth for Suzuki Ecstar.
Meanwhile, seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi, who announced earlier this week that he would retire at the end of this season, was 17th.
Provisional classification
1. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) 1:22.994
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) +0.044s
3. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +0.081s
4. Jack Miller (Ducati) +0.306s
5. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) +0.328s
6. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +0.382s
7. Alex Espargaro (Aprilia) +0.454s
8. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +0.495s
9. Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha) +0.514s
10. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) +0.542s
11. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda) +0.847s
12. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) +0.950s
Noah Lolesio's wayward kicking cost Australia at Eden Park on Saturday, but the Wallabies plan to keep faith with their young fly-half.
Lolesio, 21, entered the Bledisloe Cup opener against New Zealand with 52 Test points in 2021, trailing only Johnny Sexton (65) among players for tier one nations.
But he added just five in a 33-25 All Blacks victory, missing two of three penalties and three of four conversions.
Windy conditions did not help Lolesio, yet his profligacy proved the difference between the sides as Australia's run of defeats in Auckland – where Lolesio was born – extended to 21 Tests.
Coach Dave Rennie was in forgiving mood, though, with the number 10 having contributed 23 points in a series decider against France just last month.
"He was sensational in the French series and you don't go from an ace goal kicker to a novice overnight," Rennie said. "Tough conditions – we saw Richie [Mo'unga] miss as well.
"He kicked penalties in the French series to win the first and third Test and one that should have won us the second one. Yes, he'll be disappointed.
"We've got a lot of faith in the kid. He's going to get better and better, he's 21 and there are a lot of young men around him as well.
"He's growing and he's an impressive kid, too, very confident, great work ethic, he's spending a lot of time sitting around with Quade [Cooper] and talking about the generic parts of his game.
"He played pretty well tonight, but he had a rough night with the boot."
Captain Michael Hooper added: "We pick each other up. As Dave said, his boot guided us through a series win.
"In a goal kicker's career, there's going to be nights like that. He'll be better from it. He'll learn from that for sure."
New Zealand's Eden Park fortress remained unbreached as they took the Bledisloe Cup opener 33-25 against Australia following a clinical second-half spell.
The All Blacks have not lost to the Wallabies in Auckland since 1986 and have momentum to take into next week's Rugby Championship encounter at the same venue again.
Australia were in this contest throughout but allowed the scoreline to get away from them as Richie Mo'unga, David Havili and Damian McKenzie crossed in a 14-minute period.
That left a mountain to climb, with a double from Tom Banks and Jordan Uelese's try not enough, largely due to a poor kicking game from Noah Lolesio in tricky winds.
Those gusts played in Mo'unga's favour as he dispatched two early penalties and then stretched the All Blacks' lead to nine after Lolesio's kick faded right, one of several wayward Wallabies efforts.
Lolesio did get on the board with his next attempt before Andrew Kellaway burst through for the first try, but New Zealand finished the half firmly on top and Sevu Reece forced the ball over heading into the break.
Reece thought he had a second soon after the restart, finishing off one of the great Test moves from his team's own try line only for the score to be pulled back for a forward pass from Aaron Smith.
However, another sensational break brought the All Blacks joy as Mo'unga intercepted inside his own half and raced through, with the hosts really hitting their stride as Havili and McKenzie each touched down in the corner.
Australia finally got the response their pressure merited through Banks on the left and he toed the ball away to score again following Lolesio's incisive kick.
But repeated misses from the tee meant Uelese's try in the final seconds counted for little.
Not Noah's day
Johnny Sexton (65) is the sole player from a Tier One country with more Test points this year than Lolesio, but his tally only improved to 57 on a testing day.
Just one of his three penalties found the target, while he also missed three conversions in a row before belatedly hitting the mark when Uelese went over.
Out of touch
Australia had lost just one of their previous six Tests, including a victory over New Zealand in November 2020. However, each of those six matches had been decided by margins of no more than three points.
When the Wallabies were picked apart at the start of the second half and the lead reached 25 points, any hopes of back-to-back wins over the All Blacks for the first time since 2001 were all but over.
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