Marin Cilic cited his experience as the key to sealing a first ATP Tour title in three years against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Stuttgart Open on Sunday.
The Croatian, who did not drop a set all week, hit seven aces on his way to a 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 win in one hour and 50 minutes.
At 32, Cilic is the third-oldest Stuttgart champion in the Open Era (since April 1968) behind Roger Federer, 36, and Barry Phillips-Moore, 33.
It brought up his 19th ATP Tour title and he believes the knowledge he has amassed in his career was crucial to overcoming an opponent 12 years his junior.
"Experience plays a big part, especially on grass," he said in quotes reported on the ATP website.
"The conditions can be difficult; the court plays quite quickly. I felt this was a good chance for me to give it my all, keep my intensity.
"Even though some games were up and others down, that was a big part of my victory today.
"It was a very important win. I played two semi-finals and did not win a title since 2018, also on grass at Queen’s.
"Winning here brings out joy for me, good confidence and a good feeling.
"I felt like I was playing good tennis these last few weeks. Winning here is a great way for me to continue my form and it gives me a good sign for Queen's and Wimbledon.
"It is a joy to win my first title with my family here for the first time at any tournament."
Auger-Aliassime, who has now lost all eight ATP Tour finals he has contested, had no complaints with the result.
"Today, I am not facing a final, I am facing Marin Cilic; it is two different things," he said.
"There have been times when I have not played my best then I felt I was not playing well, but this time around, I felt like it was close.
"Overall, though, I think he was the better player."
Johanna Konta says she will not take her first WTA singles title in four years for granted after beating Zhang Shuai in Sunday's Nottingham Open final.
The top seed made it third time lucky by avenging her 2017 and 2018 final defeats to Donna Vekic and Ashleigh Barty with a straight-sets win against Zhang.
Konta prevailed 6-2 6-1 for her fourth singles title – and a first on grass – as she became the first British woman to win a WTA singles title on home soil since Sue Barker at the Daihatsu Challenge event in Brighton in 1981.
It is her first trophy since winning the Miami Open in 2017 and leaves the world number 20, who last week split with coach Dimitri Zavialoff, in good shape ahead of Wimbledon in two weeks' time.
"I didn't take this win for granted. I've lost quite a few finals and it's hard to win a tournament so I know how lucky and fortunate I am to be standing here winning trophies," she said in her post-match interview.
"I'm grateful I've been able to put five matches together and I'm proud of myself and my team. I'm enjoying my tennis and doing the best I can.
"I've not done a winning speech in a long time and it's very nice. I love Nottingham and this centre court is a beautiful court to play on."
Konta made light work of seeing off world number 46 Zhang in a little under an hour.
The British number one held her serve throughout the contest, faced just a single break point and finished with 25 winners to four unforced errors.
Konta has now won six of the pair's seven previous meetings, including the past five in a row.
Barbora Krejcikova became the first woman for 21 years to win both singles and doubles titles at the same French Open as the Czech completed her staggering fortnight in Paris.
"We will have a little glass of champagne," said Krejcikova, the breakout star of Roland Garros this year, after she and Katerina Siniakova fended off Iga Swiatek and Bethanie Mattek-Sands in Sunday's doubles final.
A 6-4 6-2 victory for the Czech duo gave them a third women's grand slam title as a pair, and a second in Paris after their 2018 triumph.
Krejcikova was already established as a world-class doubles player, but it has been as a singles player that she has emerged in recent times, having only entered the WTA top 100 rankings for the first time last October.
A three-set victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Saturday's singles final gave the world number 33 a first major title without a team-mate at her side.
The doubles triumph means the French Open women's title double has been achieved for the first time since Mary Pierce cleaned up in 2000, when the Frenchwoman beat Conchita Martinez in singles and paired up with Martina Hingis to beat Paola Suarez and Virginia Ruano Pascual.
The 25-year-old Krejcikova becomes just the seventh woman to clinch the double, after Billie Jean King, Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Virginia Ruzici, Martina Navratilova and Pierce.
Pierce wrote on Twitter: "Well done @BKrejcikova! Welcome to a very special club."
Krejcikova said she had not slept well after her singles triumph, and she felt not only tired but complained of "having some pains in my leg" after the doubles.
It has been a strenuous fortnight, and she was determined to finally unwind on Sunday evening.
"I think we going to have a dinner together this evening. We will have a little glass of champagne," she said.
"I already said I don't really drink but I think it's a time to actually celebrate it. I think we going to really enjoy ourselves.
"The rest, I just want to go back home. I just really have to relax. I have to spend some time with my family. After that, just start to work again."
Krejcikova will be a marked player at Wimbledon after her rapid rise in the rankings was capped by the slam success.
"I hope I'm going to have some chances on the grass, but I don't really know because I'm not that experienced on it," she said. "We will see.
"I just know from now on I can really enjoy because I have pretty much achieved everything I really wanted.
"Now I can just improve, that's the only thing I can do, just improving. All the guys and the ladies are doing. That's what I think."
Paul George earned the praise of his coach Tyronn Lue as the Los Angeles Clippers hit back to beat the Utah Jazz in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals.
Having lost the opening two games in Utah – with George, the subject of vitriol from the Jazz supporters, struggling to find his best form, although he did score 27 points in Game 2 – the Clippers struck back on their home court on Saturday in a 132-106 victory.
George was decisive, scoring 31 points, converting six three-pointers, while tallying five assists and three rebounds.
His 20 points in the first half set the standard for the Clippers, who also had fellow talisman Kawhi Leonard firing on all cylinders, putting up 34 points in 38 minutes.
"Oh, we're a different team," Lue said when asked to explain the impact of George getting into his stride early on.
"We know that. It's been like that all season long. He's been great. You know, he had one bad game, whatever, but people are going to have bad games."
The Clippers will aim to level the series in Game 4 on Monday, which again takes place at Staples Center, and with Leonard and George at their best, Lue was in a bullish mood.
"With our two guys, we know that they are two of the best in the league," Lue said.
"I don't go to Mastro's [restaurant] to order the ketchup. I go to order the steak. And tonight, our guys were steak. That's what we need."
While the Clippers' stars thrived, Utah guard Donovan Mitchell endured a difficult game, with an apparent recurrence of an ankle injury that kept him out for the final 16 games of the regular season forcing an early exit from the court, though he expects to be fighting fit for Game 4.
The Philadelphia Phillies keep finding ways to win, taking victory in their final at-bat for the third consecutive game with an 8-7 triumph over the New York Yankees.
It did not appear late heroics would be necessary in MLB on Saturday as the Phillies earned a commanding 7-2 lead against the visiting Yankees after five innings to back a solid start by Vince Velasquez.
But the Yankees scored a run in the sixth inning and another in the eighth before tying the game on DJ LeMahieu's three-run homer off Hector Neris in the ninth.
After Archie Bradley held the Yankees scoreless in the 10th, Jean Segura hit a ground ball to third to score Ronald Torreyes from third base with the winning run as Gio Urshela's throw home was off the mark.
It was the second successive walk-off hit for Segura after his two-run 10th-inning single beat rivals the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
Philadelphia last had three consecutive walk-off wins from August 21-23 in 2013.
Rangers hammer Dodgers to snap skid
In one of the more unexpected results, the lowly Texas Rangers pounded the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-1, with the visitors limiting the World Series champions to six hits and beating up on Trevor Bauer and their bullpen. The victory snapped a 16-game road losing streak for the Rangers.
Marcus Stroman and the New York Mets shut down the San Diego Padres' attack in a 4-1 win at Citi Field as Francisco Lindor and Jonathan Villar homered.
The Cincinnati Reds crushed the Colorado Rockies 10-3 to improve to 31-31 for the season after nine wins in their last 12 games.
Brian Goodwin made a memorable first impression after driving in five runs in the Chicago White Sox's 15-2 rout of the Detroit Tigers. In his debut, Goodwin doubled in a run and hit a homer in his first two at-bats. In 357 games with the Washington Nationals, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels and Reds, he never had a five-plus RBI game. According to Stats Perform, the only other player with that many career games to have his first five-RBI game in his team debut was Todd Cruz in 1983.
White Sox crush Urena, Tigers
Tigers starter Jose Urena did not make it out of the second inning against the high-flying White Sox, allowing eight runs (seven earned) among the 15 batters he faced. The game got so bad the Tigers used catcher Jake Rogers and infielder Harold Castro to pitch the final two innings.
The Seattle Mariners took a 4-1 lead into the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians, then saw the latter tie it up and eventually win it in the 10th on a throwing error by pitcher Paul Sewald.
Vladdy, Blue Jays rough up Red Sox
The Toronto Blue Jays bashed five home runs, including the MLB-leading 20th of the season for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a career-long 468-foot shot for Bo Bichette, in a 7-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Saturday's results
Chicago Cubs 7-2 St Louis Cardinals
Washington Nationals 2-0 San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants 2-1 Washington Nationals
Philadelphia Phillies 8-7 New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 Boston Red Sox
Cincinnati Reds 10-3 Colorado Rockies
Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 Baltimore Orioles
Miami Marlins 4-2 Atlanta Braves
Chicago White Sox 15-2 Detroit Tigers
New York Mets 4-1 San Diego Padres
Cleveland Indians 5-4 Seattle Mariners
Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 Pittsburgh Pirates
Minnesota Twins 5-2 Houston Astros
Los Angeles Angels 8-7 Arizona Diamondbacks
Oakland Athletics 11-2 Kansas City Royals
Texas Rangers 12-1 Los Angeles Dodgers
Padres at Mets
The Padres (37-29) will send Chris Paddack to the mound as they try to avoid being swept by the Mets (32-24) on Sunday.
Israel Adesanya successfully defended his middleweight title once again, beating Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision in their rematch at UFC 263 in Arizona.
UFC star Adesanya – who defeated Vettori by split decision in April 2018 – navigated five rounds with minimal difficulty, prevailing 50-45 on all three judges' scorecards in his third title defence since taking the belt with a knockout of Robert Whittaker in October 2019.
Adesanya's only potential trouble spot came early in the third round on Saturday when Vettori knocked down the Nigeria-born New Zealander, but he weathered that challenge and handled everything else the Italian threw at him.
A rematch with Whittaker seems on the cards as Adesanya (21-0) called out the Australian following his win, demanding a showdown in Auckland, New Zealand.
"You don't get to decide -- I get to decide," Adesanya said. "Because I'm the mother****** king, b****!"
Whittaker responded with a tweet that read "rest up, see you soon."
Moreno first Mexican-born champ
In the co-headline bout, Brandon Moreno dominated Deiveson Figueiredo to take the Brazilian's flyweight strap and become the first Mexican-born UFC champion.
Saturday's fight was in sharp contrast to the pair's draw at UFC 256 in December, as Moreno (19-5-2) had his way with the titleholder from the beginning.
The 27-year-old from Tijuana submitted Figueiredo with a rear naked choke at 2:26 of the third round and exulted in his victory.
"UFC released me," Moreno said. "I wasn't that proud of my life but watch me holding this belt. I feel so amazing."
Figueiredo (20-2-1) was gracious in defeat, saying Moreno was "the better man tonight."
Edwards holds off late Diaz flurry
Leon Edwards and Nate Diaz made UFC history with the first non-main event, non-title bout to be scheduled for five rounds, and Diaz nearly made the extended term pay off.
Edwards had his way for most of the fight but had to survive a furious flurry from the bloodied 36-year-old American in the fifth to win by unanimous decision, 49-46 on all cards.
The pair had been scheduled to face off at UFC 262 last month, but the bout was pushed back when Diaz got cut in training.
Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell insisted he will be "fine" for Game 4 after exiting the team's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers due to ankle pain.
Mitchell left Saturday's 132-106 defeat against the Clippers because of pain in his right ankle as the top-seeded Jazz had their lead reduced to 2-1 in the Western Conference semi-finals.
Jazz star Mitchell finished with 30 points in Game 3 on the road in Los Angeles, where he exited with less than eight minutes remaining and did not return.
Mitchell missed the final 16 games of the NBA's regular season and Utah's playoff opener due to an ankle sprain, but he allayed concerns afterwards.
"I feel like I was able to go back, but no need to risk it down 16, 18 at that point," Mitchell said. "I'll be fine."
"It's when I land," Mitchell said. "It's been just trying to manage it. I don't really know what else to tell you; I don't want to say too much.
"It was just the landing, but I'm good. I'll be ready for Game 4."
Prior to Saturday's matchup, Mitchell scored 37 points in Game 2 and was averaging 1.00 points per minute this postseason (32.7 per game in 32.7 minutes per game). In his career, the Jazz guard has averaged 0.78 points per minute in the playoffs, just behind the all-time record of 0.80 by Michael Jordan (minimum 1000 minutes).
Mitchell added: "Obviously, it's not going to be 100 per cent, but you go out there and you try to compete. Things like this are going to happen.
"You just got to find ways to manage it and get out there and get ready. It's not going to be perfect, but it is what it is."
"He's in good shape," Jazz head coach Quin Snyder said. "He could have gone back in the game, but at that point, the lead had stretched. In fact, while we were talking, I think [Clippers star] Kawhi [Leonard] hit a 3.
"That was my decision not to put him back in at that point. The game had gotten away from us at that point, but he's fine."
According to Stats Perform, the Clippers became the first team to score 130-plus points in a Game 3 win after trailing a series 2-0 since the Jazz in the 1985 Western Conference semis.
Shakur Stevenson remains unbeaten as a professional boxer, defeating Jeremiah Nakathila by unanimous decision but even the victor was unhappy with the quality of the fight.
Stevenson – the 2016 Olympic silver medallist – improved to 16-0 after the American claimed the WBO interim junior lightweight title in Las Vegas on Saturday.
A former WBO featherweight champion, Stevenson won 120-107 on all three judges' scorecards, though he acknowledged he was far from his best.
"I apologise to all my fans I didn’t feel good tonight but I did what I had to do to win," Stevenson – who scored a knockdown of Nakathila (21-2) in the fourth round – tweeted after the bout.
"Thank you for all da support I promise better for further fights to come."
The crowd in Las Vegas showered the fighters in boos in the 11th round as the 23-year-old Stevenson and his Namibian opponent Nakathila wrapped up an uninspiring affair.
"To be honest, I didn't really like my performance. I felt I could've performed a lot better," Stevenson said. "You had an awkward fighter throwing hard punches, and he knows how to grab and get away. He was a real awkward fighter.
"I tried to get him out of there a little bit, but I started getting hit with some solid shots. I ain't really like it, but next time I'm going to work on moving my head a little bit more and step it up a little more."
Stevenson is now set to face fellow WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel Herring (23-2) later this year.
"If I had the choice, I'd take Oscar Valdez, but if I have to beat up Jamel to get to it, I'll do that, too," Stevenson said. "Jamel can't beat me. He knows what it is."
The Los Angeles Clippers' stars came through on their return home to drive a needed 132-106 win over the Utah Jazz in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals on Saturday.
Paul George posted 20 points in the first half and finished with 31, while Kawhi Leonard top-scored with 34 of his own as the Clippers led throughout and cut Utah's series lead to 2-1 in the NBA playoffs.
Donovan Mitchell had 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting from the field to lead the top-seeded Jazz, but by the time he found his offensive rhythm the game was largely out of hand in Los Angeles.
Mitchell did not score his first point until almost halfway through the second quarter. The last time he went scoreless in any quarter of a playoff game was April 14, 2019 against the Houston Rockets – a 32-point Utah loss.
Utah kept this one a bit closer, cutting the Clippers' lead to eight points late in the third quarter, but George answered with a three-pointer and the Jazz could not get the margin below 10 from that point on.
Among the key issues for Utah was Bojan Bogdanovic's worst performance in months. The Croatian made just two of 10 shots from the field and had nine points in the game – the first time he has been held to single digits since scoring seven in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 26.
Meanwhile, the Clippers' supporting cast turned in an impressive showing, with Nicolas Batum and Reggie Jackson combining to make nine of their 12 three-point attempts and scoring 17 points each.
Game 4 is scheduled for Monday in Los Angeles.
Nets at Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks can level their Eastern Conference semi-final series with the star-studded Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 on Sunday.
Philadelphia 76ers veteran Danny Green will miss at least the rest of the Eastern Conference semi-final series against the Atlanta Hawks with a calf injury.
An MRI exam confirmed a right calf strain and Green will be re-evaluated in two weeks, the top-seeded 76ers said on Saturday.
Green left the court early in the first quarter of Friday's 127-111 victory over the Hawks, which gave the Sixers a 2-1 lead in the second-round series.
The 33-year-old has started all eight playoff games for Philadelphia and is averaging 7.0 points in 24.9 minutes per game in the postseason.
Green has played for the NBA champions the last two seasons, winning the title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
He spent the first eight seasons of his NBA career with the San Antonio Spurs, who he helped take the championship in 2014.
While the timetable announced by the team leaves open a potential return should the Sixers advance, Philadelphia will have to a find a way to do so without one of their leaders in pursuit of a first champion since 1983.
"The next guy has to step up," head coach Doc Rivers said Friday. "Not sure who that is going to be yet."
The 76ers face the Hawks in Atlanta in Game 4 on Monday.
Marin Cilic is relishing the chance to win a 19th career title when he takes on Felix Auger-Aliassime in Sunday's Stuttgart Open final.
The world number 47 was 6-3 1-0 up against Jurij Rodionov in Saturday's semi-final when his opponent retired due to injury.
Cilic eliminated top seed Denis Shapovalov in the quarter-finals and now faces a tough test against world number 21 Auger-Aliassime, who beat Sam Querrey in the other semi.
"I'm feeling really good and very excited to be in the final after a period that I didn't reach a final," said Cilic, who lost to Roger Federer in the second round of the French Open.
"I think this has been a very positive week. I have played good tennis and served really well.
"Considering it is a shorter season, with one week less, for me, it was great to play this week. Losing in Paris to Roger Federer gave me more time to prepare for the grass."
The former Wimbledon runner-up and 2014 US Open champion added: "I haven't enjoyed being at a tournament this much in a long period of time, because it is the first time my son, wife and I are together at one tournament.
"The set-up in Stuttgart is really nice. There is a lot of grass and open space around the hotel for my son to play and it is so much fun having them around."
Auger-Aliassime did not face a single break point and hit seven aces in his 6-4 7-5 victory over Querrey, which lasted an hour and 19 minutes.
The Canadian third seed won 16 of his 18 first-service points in the second set and has yet to drop a set in this week's tournament.
It is the second time Auger-Aliassime has reached the Stuttgart final, having finished runner-up to Matteo Berrettini two years ago.
The 20-year-old has lost all seven of his ATP Tour singles finals to date so is longing to be a champion for the first time, even as he tries to stay cool about the prospect.
"You have to be focused all the time," Auger-Aliassime said. "Things can turn around quickly but I was able to do well today.
"There are no expectations. There will be the final tomorrow and other tournaments are coming up and I will try to keep my level as much as I can."
Johanna Konta has returned to the Nottingham Open final, where she will aim to finally earn a first grass-court WTA Tour title against Zhang Shuai.
Home hopeful Konta has twice previously lost the final of this event, beaten by Donna Vekic in 2017 and Ash Barty in 2018.
But she will hope it is third time lucky after scraping past Nina Stojanovic 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 in the last four.
Konta last played a final in May 2019, losing on clay at the Italian Open. That was a fourth straight final defeat as her three prior titles have all come on hard courts.
"It's a final and it's a privilege to play one," said Konta, who failed to make the most of a match point in the second set.
"But it is just another tennis match and my job is to just go out there and win. I'm just going to enjoy it."
Zhang was slightly more comfortable as she defeated Lauren Davis 6-4 6-3.
Konta has won five of the pair's six previous meetings, including the past four in a row.
A look to the sky, a wide smile, and a kiss. I did it, Jana. We did it.
Barbora Krejcikova is a grand slam singles champion, barely eight months after she first cracked the world's top 100, and the first instinct is to suggest this will be a one-off.
Ladies and gentlemen, a pandemic champion, an asterisk champion.
Jana Novotna, her former coach and mentor, who died in November 2017, won just one singles slam too, but she was a long-time force in the women's game. Indeed, Krejcikova left no doubt about her influence on Saturday's success.
But for those doubting Krejcikova's credentials, a little pause for thought.
Novotna won 14 of her 16 grand slam doubles titles before landing that elusive singles crown in 1998 at Wimbledon, and Krejcikova landed five doubles majors ahead of her own remarkable singles breakthrough.
Martina Navratilova, who handed Krejcikova the trophy, also won doubles titles at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open before she ever landed a singles major.
This is, to some extent, a well-worn path by Czech players. So there is more nuance here. And stuff first instincts. Perhaps, like Novotna and Navratilova before her, this Czech player might he here to stay at the highest level.
The 25-year-old from Brno has joined the ranks of those few champions who have won grand slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles, and she will be up to 15th in the WTA rankings on Monday.
Krejcikova might be back at number one in the doubles rankings too, as she and partner Katerina Siniakova have a Roland Garros final on Sunday against Iga Swiatek – last year's singles champion – and Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Win that, and Krejcikova will be on top of the world once more in the discipline where she has honed the tools that brought her glory at Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's expense in what proved a thoroughly absorbing singles final.
The slices, the drop shots, the lobs and the net approaches, and the double-handed backhand that flits between being weapon and weakness: all those shots were honed in doubles, mostly alongside Siniakova.
Krejcikova spoke at the trophy presentation of her giddy amazement that Justine Henin, the four-time French Open winner, knew who she was when they bumped into each other behind the scenes in Paris.
Navratilova chipped in.
"In 2014, when you found out Jana moved back to Brno, you had the courage to go knock on her door and ask her for help. What gave you that courage?" asked the player who won 59 majors, including 18 singles slams.
Krejcikova's reply? "My mum."
Bravo Mrs Krejcikova.
Krejcikova has spoken often about Novotna but here she opened up to explain how she had spent so much time with the great champion before her death.
Novotna had kept news of her cancer out of the public consciousness, but Krejcikova not only knew, she felt she owed her driving force to stay by her side throughout the illness.
"I was going through a really hard time when Jana was passing away," Krejcikova told the crowd.
"I was most of the time with her and I really wanted to experience this, because I thought this was going to make me really strong.
"And pretty much her last words were just, 'Enjoy and just try to win a grand slam'.
"I know that from somewhere she's looking after me and all of this, this two weeks, is pretty much because she's looking after me from up there.
"I just want to thank her. It was amazing I had a chance to meet her and she was such an inspiration to me. I just really miss her. I hope she's happy right now. I'm extremely happy."
Three mixed doubles titles – one with Nikola Mektic and two with Rajeev Ram – plus two women's doubles with Siniakova, and now a singles triumph.
Except we know Krejcikova does not feel alone on the court. She senses Novotna's guiding hand. This is a doubles partnership dressed up as a singles player.
Novotna, weeks after winning Wimbledon, her destiny ever since she wept on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after losing to Steffi Graf in the 1993 final, shed some light on what it meant for her.
"I felt enormous relief and I felt that now it seems like this would be a new beginning for me," Novotna said.
This is a new beginning for Krejcikova too. Never a factor in singles previously, she has properly arrived now. Like you always had to with Novotna, watch out for her at Wimbledon.
Jacob deGrom starred again but exited the game early injured as the New York Mets edged the San Diego Padres 3-2 in the MLB on Friday.
DeGrom entered the game having not allowed more than one earned run in any of his previous nine starts this season, holding the best ERA in MLB at 0.62. The marked the lowest run since ERA became official more than 100 years ago.
The Mets pitcher maintained that form too, striking out Padres home-run machine Fernando Tatis Jr with the 95 mph slider in the first inning.
DeGrom struck out Tatis again in the fourth inning with a slider, while he also pinch hitted with the bat, driving in two runs in the fifth inning.
But the right-hander left the game early after six innings with tightness in his left elbow, after 10 strikeouts, although he was hopeful post-game that it was only minor.
DeGrom's ERA drops to 0.56 which is the lowest ever in MLB history across the first 10 starts of a season, pipping Juan Marichal's 1966 mark of 0.59, with records dating back to 1913. He also has more RBI (five) than earned runs allowed (four) this season.
Rizzo's memorable moment, Ohtani shakes off injury
With Wrigley Field back at full capacity on a sunny afternoon, Anthony Rizzo had a moment to cherish with a home run in the Chicago Cubs' 8-5 win over the St Louis Cardinals.
Rizzo homered in the sixth inning after 14 pitches, ushering in wild celebrations, to square the game at 5-5.
"It was one of my most memorable bats," Rizzo said. "It was a really good moment."
Joc Pederson almost homered in the seventh, but his outfield hit brought in two runs for the Cubs.
Shohei Ohtani had an injury scare, painfully fouling into his right knee, as the Los Angeles Angels won 6-5 over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ohtani played on after the early concern, tossing down eight strikeouts across five innings, and bringing in one after lacing a hit out to center field.
With Arizona down 5-4 at the bottom of the ninth inning, Eduardo Escobar homered for the 15th time this season to send the game to extras, but the Angels got up.
After denying Albert Pujols last week, Mike Tauchman plucked another catch on the wall to deny Juan Soto a home run in the San Francisco Giants' 1-0 win over the Washington Nationals.
Nats pitcher Max Scherzer left the game early after feeling discomfort in his groin, while Buster Posey scored the game's only run, a fourth-inning home run.
With the game on the line, Tauchman made his crucial intervention to deny Soto and the Nats.
Rough Rangers
The Texas Rangers are having a tough time lately and they conceded six runs in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers, eventually losing 12-1. Max Munsy and Gavin Lux both homered early, with pitcher Mike Foltynewicz unable to come up with any answers. The Rangers rotated five pitchers on the hill.
Red-hot Reds
The Cincinnati Reds made franchise history by hitting home runs in the first, second, third, fourth and fifth inning for the first time. The Reds cruised to an 11-5 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Friday's results
Chicago Cubs 8-5 St Louis Cardinals
San Francisco Giants 1-0 Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox 6-5 Toronto Blue Jays
Cincinnati Reds 11-5 Colorado Rockies
Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 Baltimore Orioles
Miami Marlins 4-3 Atlanta Braves
Chicago White Sox 5-4 Detroit Tigers
New York Mets 3-2 San Diego Padres
Cleveland Indians 7-0 Seattle Mariners
Milwaukee Brewers 7-4 Pittsburgh Pirates
Houston Astros 6-4 Minnesota Twins
Los Angeles Angels 6-5 Arizona Diamondbacks
Oakland Athletics 4-3 Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Dodgers 12-1 Texas Rangers
Cardinals at Cubs
The Chicago Cubs have won three in a row and are currently 36-27, having won the first game of their series against the 32-31 St Louis Cardinals who need a victory after winning one of their past eight. They resume their National League Central series on Saturday.
MVP Nikola Jokic became the third player in playoffs history with a 30-20-10 performance but says he was not even at the top of his game as the Denver Nuggets lost 116-102 to the Phoenix Suns.
Jokic joined elite company with his performance in the defeat, scoring 32 points, with 20 rebounds and 10 assists.
Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970 for the Milwaukee Bucks and Wilt Chamberlain in 1967 for the Philadelphia 76ers had achieved the feat before in a playoffs game.
Jokic, who received his MVP award pre-game, was downbeat about the result which leaves the Nuggets trailing 3-0 in the series but also his own display, paying credit to Deandre Ayton's defense.
"I'm frustrated with myself because I missed shots and I think I didn’t play on top of my game, especially shooting wise," Jokic said at his post-game video conference.
"I think it'll be much easier for us if I start making shots. Of course, they're making it tough to make those shots."
The Nuggets need to create history to reach the Western Conference final, with no team in NBA history having overcome a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs. Denver hosts Game 4 on Sunday.
"We need try to leave everything out there," he said. "The fourth game if we lose we're out, we go home. We need to go there and fight. That's the mindset."
Jokic added: "Just focus on Sunday. We need to do a much better job, shooting 50 per cent [from the field] and 40 from three.
"Getting to the free-throw line, they're making theirs. We're not getting there enough and we're not even making those."
The Nuggets shot at 41.1 per cent from the field and 34.1 per cent from three-point range in Friday's defeat.
Jokic also said accepting his MVP award pre-game was special moment but paid tribute to others.
"It was a special moment," he said. "This is my trophy but it's because of all of them. I have to thank them. My family, coaches, players, medical staff and the front office."
The Phoenix Suns moved 3-0 up in their Conference semi-final series with a 116-102 victory over the Denver Nuggets despite MVP Nikola Jokic's triple-double on Friday.
Veteran Suns guard Chris Paul was exceptional with 27 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals to spark Monty Williams' side.
Young shooting guard Devin Booker scored a team-high 28 points, while center Deandre Ayton had 15 rebounds along with his 10 points.
Jae Crowder shot four-from-six beyond the arc, adding 14 points for the Suns, who opened up a 10-point lead at quarter-time and were never headed.
Denver center Jokic finished with 32 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, while Monte Morris came off the bench to add 21 points. But they lacked support with Jamal Murray out with long-term injury.
Michael Porter Jr was below his best with 15 points for the game, shooting at 38.3 per cent from the field.
The Suns are one win away from securing their spot in the Western Conference finals where they will face either the Utah Jazz or the Los Angeles Clippers.
Joel Embiid starred as the Philadelphia 76ers claimed a 2-1 lead in their Conference semi-final series with a road win over the Atlanta Hawks 127-111.
Embiid finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, helping the Sixers run away with the game in the third quarter when they outscored the Hawks by 15.
Atlanta's Trae Young scored 28 points and had eight assists but was quelled by the Philadelphia defence led by Ben Simmons, with the Hawks guard shooting at 52.9 per cent from the field.
Simmons scored 18 points, with four rebounds, one steal and seven assists - including a spectacular lobbed pass for an Embiid dunk - while Tobias Harris added 22 points shooting at 62.5 per cent from the field, with eight rebounds and five assists.
The 76ers led by five points at half-time but blew away the Hawks with a 34-19 third quarter and controlled the better part of the second half.
Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers admitted Joel Embiid is playing through pain after leading his side to a 127-111 Game 3 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in their Conference semi-final series.
Embiid scored 27 points, with nine rebounds and eight assists for the 76ers who claimed a 2-1 lead in the series with a crucial road win.
The 2021 NBA MVP runner-up has been battling knee soreness for the latter part of the season and suffered a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee in Game 4 of the series against the Washington Wizards, missing Game 5.
"He's playing hard. He's giving us everything," Rivers said during his post-game video conference.
"What he's doing is incredible. He is going through a lot, I'll tell you that. It's been great to watch."
Rivers added praise for the 27-year-old Cameroonian, who defensively also had three blocks and a steal, to go with his 27 points in Game 3 against Hawks center Clint Capela.
"He was great. He was patient," Rivers said. "They were going to send two-three guys on him all night.
"I thought overall he kept his patience. We've got to do a little better job on our spacing so he can see guys better but overall I thought our movement, 10 turnovers for the game, told the story."
The Sixers lost starting forward Danny Green after only four minutes to injury and Rivers said the outlook was not positive for the 33-year-old who won NBA titles in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors and 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I have no idea [of the extent]. It's a calf injury," Rivers said. "My doctors will tell you calf injuries aren't great."
Rivers also offered praise to Australian guard Ben Simmons for his role in nullifying Hawks guard Trae Young who scored 28 points, shooting at 52.9 per cent from the field.
"It's been big. It's exhausting when you think about what we're asking Ben to do, follow Trae around and push the ball up the floor with pace," Rivers said.
"It's tough, he's young, he has endurance, he's been good for us."
Novak Djokovic described the thrilling four-set win over Rafael Nadal that took him through to the French Open final as "the best match I was ever part of in Roland Garros".
A magnificent contest between two of the all-time greats saw 13-time French Open winner and reigning champion Nadal beaten 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The match, which ran to four hours and 11 minutes, was of such a level that tournament organisers sought and were awarded special dispensation to bypass the curfew which had been due to take effect at 23:00 local time.
It appeared, at the end of the third set, that spectators were about to be asked to leave the grounds, and the beginning of an announcement was booed as fans feared the worst.
But the message turned out to be as uplifting as the tennis, which was remarkable, Djokovic avenging his straight-sets loss in last year's title match.
"It was definitely the best match that I was ever part of in Roland Garros for me, and top three matches that I ever played in my entire career," Djokovic said.
"Considering the quality of tennis, playing my biggest rival on the court where he has had so much success and has been the dominant force in the last 15-plus years, and the atmosphere which was completely electric. For both players there was a lot of support. Just amazing.
"I was very happy that there was no curfew. I heard there was a special waiver, so they allowed the crowd to stay. Just one of these nights and matches that you will remember forever.
"It's hard to find words bigger than all the superlatives you can think of for Rafa's achievements in Roland Garros. He has been the most dominant player of Roland Garros history.
"He lost two, now three times, in his entire career. He's been playing here almost 20 years. That achievement speaks for itself."
Nadal raced into a 5-0 lead, but momentum was turning Djokovic's way by the time the Spaniard crept over the finish line in that opening set.
Djokovic becomes the first player to beat Nadal twice at Roland Garros, having done so previously in the 2015 quarter-finals, and the first man to defeat him in a semi-final at the clay-court grand slam. He now leads their all-courts career head-to-head by 30 wins to 28.
"Each time you step on the court with him, you know that you have to kind of climb Mount Everest to win against this guy here," Djokovic, the 2016 champion, said. "I had won only once in I think our eight matches that we ever played in Chatrier here in Roland Garros.
"I tried to take some positives and some cues from that match in 2015 that I won against him to implement tonight, which worked out very nicely. But it's just one of these matches that I really will remember for a very long time, not just because I won the match but because of the atmosphere and just the occasion was very special."
Nadal saw his hopes of a record 21st grand slam title this weekend slip away. That would have taken him past Roger Federer and into the outright all-time lead, but should Djokovic now carry off the trophy by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas, that will put the world number one on 19 slams, ahead of a Wimbledon championship for which he will start as many people's clear favourite.
The Big Three could all be on 20 slams in a matter of weeks.
Assessing a rare loss at his favourite tournament, Nadal said: "That's sport, you know. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I tried to give my best. Probably it was not my best day out there. Even if I fought and put in a lot of effort, the position on the shots haven't been that effective.
"Against a player like him that takes the ball early, you are not able to take him out of his positions, then it is very difficult, no?"
Nadal served eight double faults and perhaps the key error was a straightforward volley that he sent long in the tie-break, but the 35-year-old put in a typically warrior-like performance.
"These kind of mistakes can happen. But if you want to win, you can't make these mistakes," Nadal said. "So that's it. Well done for him. It has been a good fight out there. I tried my best, and today was not my day."
Novak Djokovic became the first player to beat Rafael Nadal twice at the French Open as he slowly picked apart the 13-time champion in a semi-final for the ages.
The world number one won 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in four hours and 11 minutes, setting up a shot at Stefanos Tsitsipas in Sunday's final.
Djokovic got the better of Nadal in the quarter-finals in 2015, winning that one in straight sets, but this was an epic.
It even saw tournament organisers seek and receive permission to delay the event's curfew to allow spectators inside Court Philippe Chatrier to see it through to the end.
Nadal burst into a 5-0 lead in the opening set, evoking memories of his bagel that began last October's straight-sets dismantling of Serbian Djokovic in the final.
This match would not follow a similar plotline, however, and when Djokovic broke Nadal's serve on the way to getting back to 5-3, it was game on again.
Six set points came and went for Nadal, but the seventh went the Spaniard's way when Djokovic netted. It was already enthralling but there was better to come.
Djokovic sped 2-0 ahead in the second set but Nadal snatched back the break immediately and to love, sealing the game with a whipped forehand down the line.
This was a battle and Nadal was wobbling, especially when Djokovic had 0-40 against the Spaniard's serve in game six. Nadal saved two but not the third as Djokovic went 4-2 ahead. The rallies were glorious, the tension hard to bear, yet this was just the second set.
Djokovic's level dipped in the ninth game and Nadal had two break-back points but could take neither. When Djokovic survived that test, he had both a set and the momentum in his favour.
The greatest clay-court player in history was the first man to crack in the third set, Nadal broken despite saving two break points. Amid astonishing scenes of sporting theatre, Djokovic then saved two break points himself, windmilling his arms as the crowd – Nadal's crowd – chanted "Novak, Novak".
But Nadal kept coming, earning another break point, and this one he converted with a forehand down the line. They traded breaks again, Djokovic first and then, just when he was looking floored, a revived Nadal. One set all, five games all, three hours in. Nadal had a set point at 6-5 but an audacious drop shot rescued Djokovic.
Nerve failed Nadal with a volley at 4-3 in the tie-break, putting a relatively easy putaway over the baseline, and that proved costly, Djokovic seeing it out with an ace followed by a perfectly placed shot into his lunging opponent's forehand corner.
It seemed the contest was destined to finish in front of empty stands, but then came an announcement that the late-night curfew would be lifted for one night only.
"In agreement with the national authorities, the match will be allowed to continue to its end in your presence," the crowd were told. They began booing as the statement began, before realising the anticipated bad news was not coming.
Nadal broke serve in game one of the fourth set, but double faults were beginning to drip from his racket and his seventh of the match helped Djokovic soon get back on terms at 2-2.
And Djokovic broke again to lead 4-2, landing a service return on the baseline, with Nadal only able to dab the ball back into the net. He held in double quick time, and another double fault from Nadal set the tone for the final game. It was Djokovic's day and he completed a streak of six successive games to earn that final berth.
Data Slam: One step closer to 20 for Djokovic
If Nadal had seen off Djokovic here and followed up by beating Tsitsipas in the title match, he would have moved to 21 grand slam titles, going above Roger Federer and into the all-time lead for most singles majors in the men's game.
Instead the result opens the door for Djokovic to land his 19th slam this weekend, and very soon the Big Three could be tied together on 20. Perhaps they will finish their careers that way, but the way Djokovic fought here was a telling sign he believes he will finish his career top of the pile.
He is the first man to beat the Spaniard in a French Open semi-final, and he richly deserved this success.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Djokovic – 50/37
Nadal – 48/55
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Djokovic – 6/3
Nadal – 6/8
BREAK POINTS WON
Djokovic – 8/22
Nadal – 6/16
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