With opportunities at certain levels of motorsport only coming far and few in between, Zane Maloney could not pass up the chance to participate in Formula E.
As such, the Barbados racing sensation made the decision to cut short his Formula 2 campaign after securing a seat to represent team Lola Yamaha ABT in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The event, is an open-wheel single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The racing series is the highest class of competition for electrically powered single-seater racing cars.
Though he currently occupies third position in the F2 drivers’ championship with two rounds remaining, Maloney, who recently inked a deal with Lola, is well aware of the significance of the Formula E opportunity presented to him and, as such, is eager to make the most of it at the expense of his F2 ambitions.
“In one way, I wanted to win Formula 2 this year. I wanted to give myself the best chance to do that, but I live my life by the day and I understand the opportunity that I have for next year, and when I think about that opportunity, everything in the present moment kind of gets forgotten about to some extent,” the 20-year-old said.
“So, of course, I know that coming to Formula E is a big opportunity for me and something amazing to show my skills in a world championship. I don’t really focus too much on the negative side of certain things. I try to focus on the positives, and I only see a positive thing coming into next year,” he added.
Maloney, who won the opening two races of the Formula 2 season, believes Formula E has gained traction as a top-notch championship, which made his decision a no-brainer.
“In F1, IndyCar, Formula E, and WEC as well, there’s not many seats that become available every year. There are a lot more drivers than there are seats, which makes it very difficult, and I think Formula E has always been a series that has amazing drivers, amazing manufacturers, and amazing teams. And of course, the media sees different motorsport genres a bit differently,” Maloney explained.
“But within the group of motorsports, Formula E is very well recognized, and every driver that goes into it knows how difficult it is to perform, so from that side of things, I don’t really focus too much on anything other than driving a race car as fast as I can with the opportunity that I’m given,” he noted.
The Miami Dolphins will start with Tyler Huntley at quarterback when they face the Tennessee Titans on Monday, with Tua Tagovailoa out and Skylar Thompson only fit enough to be an emergency backup.
Miami were forced to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve when he suffered a concussion – his third in the last two years – against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2.
Thompson replaced Tagovailoa for their Week 3 loss at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, but he was forced out of that game after sustaining a rib injury.
The Dolphins moved to address their QB crisis by signing Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad last week, and he will start on Monday with Tim Boyle their primary backup.
"I think one thing that was supremely obvious to the team since he got here and even more so this practice week, is Snoop [Huntley] has started multiple big games," head coach Mike McDaniel said on Saturday.
"His understanding as a quarterback, of what is required to win over team-mates and take the place of somebody else and assert their own personality, their own skill set, their own traits within the offense and lead people...
"We've been very high on Snoop. His maturation has been expedited by him and he's done an excellent job assimilating into the locker room."
Huntley, who has started nine games in four years and thrown for 1,957 yards and eight touchdowns, is confident he will not need much time to adapt.
"It's like riding a bike. The first time, you're a little iffy, you didn't know how to pedal," Huntley said.
"Then you just start putting it all together, pedalling, going in a straight line, then after a while, you're going to start standing up."
With the inaugural Carifta Gymnastics Championships fast approaching, Barbados head coach Alison Jackson expressed cautious optimism about her team’s chances of topping rivals at the event, which will be held at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Jamaica.
Jackson, a long-time coach of Flip Gym, shared her views shortly after a 15-member team was named to represent the Barbados Gymnastics Association (BAGA) at the November 29-30 event.
She believes that despite Barbados being represented internationally at various levels over the years, the island is still yet to reach its full potential, and that scope for growth is again evident where team selection is concerned.
"Well, I have to say that we are at a disadvantage in terms of athlete selection. I’m the only one that offers a competitive programme at the moment, so all of the gymnasts have been selected from my gym through my staff. We sat and discussed and looked at results for the season to make our recommendations to the association about who we think our top athletes are going to be at each level,” Jackson said.
“Trinidad is ahead of us in terms of how long they’ve had organised gymnastics classes going. So Trinidad alone has 17 clubs to choose from. So our group is very small, we only have 15 girls going, but we’ve picked the best of our 15 girls. So I expect to definitely be coming back with some medals for Barbados,” she added.
The Carifta Gymnastics Championships, which has been under consideration for years now, will now come to fruition, with teams from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands set to take part.
“It’s finally happening. Jamaica is hosting the first one, and we are going to be having most of the countries in our region follow the USA’s developmental programme, which is level-based,” Jackson, a former vice president of BAGA, shared.
“So there’s 10 levels, so they’re going to have that, as well as elite level gymnastics, which is the International Gymnastics Federation or FIG level gymnastics. So there’ll be two streams, which is great because not all of the islands have elite level gymnasts as yet. So we’ll give all the kids who are eligible an opportunity to compete and represent their country at the Carifta Games at whatever level they’re at,” she explained.
That said, Jackson expressed hope that the advent of a regional competition for gymnastics will show people that Caribbean kids have other possible pathways to excel on the international stage.
“We’re hoping that it will broaden everybody’s horizons and bring more awareness to gymnastics generally within our own island and across the Caribbean. I’ve been coaching kids in Barbados for years. I’ve taken kids to the USA; I’ve taken them to training camps with the US national team coaches. I mean, we’ve done lots of stuff, but everyone’s just thinking this is only starting now. But it’s been going on for a long time, so it’s just getting it out there and getting more recognition,” Jackson noted.
Barbados team: Jazara Lavine, Ciara Freeman, Za’Nyah Bostic-White, Daniella Small, Juliette Sonny, Mariah Gill, Cyrina Walcott-Lloyd, Oyinda Buluro, Amber Haynes, Dominique Thompson, Khaleesi Marshall, Sya Franklyn, Freya-Rose Smith, Thaliyah Dowrich, Mishka Mapp.
South Africa secured their first Rugby Championship title in five years with a dominant 48-7 victory over Argentina in Nelspruit.
The Springboks dominated from the off, with first-half tries from Aphelele Fassi (two), Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cheslin Kolbe handing Rassie Erasmus' side a comfortable advantage.
But an ill-disciplined Pumas display proved to be their downfall, with replacement Pablo Matera seeing his yellow card upgraded to a red on 20 minutes for making needless head contact during his challenge on Vincent Koch.
The fixture was then firmly ended as a contest after a competitive first period when full-back Santiago Carreras joined Matera in the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on, reducing the visitors to 13 players while allowing the Springboks to hammer home their advantage.
Malcolm Marx was the first to capitalise, with Du Toit quickly notching his second try of the encounter, before Jesse Kriel sealed a memorable triumph after latching onto the end of Handre Pollard's kick.
Tomas Albornoz scored the Pumas' only try in the contest, with the Springboks avenging last weekend's one-point defeat in Argentina, which briefly delayed their coronation.
Data Debrief: Etzebeth makes history as Springboks seal title
South Africa sealed just a second Rugby Championship triumph in the competition's full format since 2009, while adding to last year's World Cup success.
There was also an historic 128th Springbok appearance for lock Eben Etzebeth, who surpassed Victor Matfield as his county’s most-capped player.
The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment, and Sport, Olivia Grange, extended her heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Alf Remekie, a dedicated basketball administrator and former national player in Jamaica.
Remekie, who was national coordinator for the Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA) up to the time of his passing, died on Friday morning at the age of 68. He became ill and was hospitalized on Wednesday.
Grange reflected on Remekie's journey and dedication to community building through basketball.
"Alf represented Jamaica in the inaugural CARICOM tournament held in Guyana in 1981, both as a player and a physical trainer, contributing to Jamaica's victory in the tournament. His unwavering commitment to the sport and efforts in fostering talent have made a significant impact on our community," she said.
"Alf’s passion for the game and his leadership inspired many, leaving a lasting impression on players and fans alike. As we mourn his passing, we celebrate his contributions and the legacy he leaves behind. Rest in peace, Alf. You will be missed," Grange added.
Meanwhile, JABA president Paulton Gordon was also saddened by the passing of the veteran basketball administrator. He explained that Remekie has been one of the main contributors to local basketball.
“He was integral to all our technical areas in terms of how we position basketball and how the technical side of basketball has been going,” Gordon shared.
Remekie did two stints totalling 20 years as a coach and lecturer at GC Foster College before retiring from the institution in 2019.
The Jamaica Squash Association has been seeing increased action on the courts at the Jamaica Liguanea Club in New Kingston and the Senior Common Room (SNR) at the University of the West Indies campus in Papine with varying activities to attract new players and to provide continuing competition for the members.
First there was the Women’s Squash Week which ran from September 16 to 22 which focused on attracting female players to the sport. There were several females who heeded the call to be introduced to the sport under the guidance of Karen Anderson who is a former national player, long time national coach and current president of Jamaica Squash.
The training sessions were conducted at the SNR while the final session which included actual games which were scored was held last Saturday at the Liguanea Club. That session was dubbed Ladies Lyme and Round Robin Games. Anderson was pleased with the response to the week.
The second set of activities took place this week at the Liguanea Club with ongoing competitions and will culminate on Friday night with the finals of the Liguanea Club Open Handicap competition. That will see three finals starting with Nabeel Jawad and Leigh Dwyer, then Jemel Sterling and Handel Emery and ending with Joey Levy and Mario O’Connor.
The open handicap tournament is opened to all the members of the club and has seen a high level of participation among the membership of Jamaica Squash.
Jannik Sinner found it "mentally tough" to come from behind and defeat Roman Safiullin at the China Open.
Sinner forged a second straight comeback to prevail 3-6 6-2 6-3 on Saturday.
The world number one, who equalled Alexander Zverev by picking up his 57th win of 2024, ensured he kept up his run of reaching at least the quarter-finals in every ATP Tour-level tournament he has reached this season.
But he certainly did not find it easy against the world number 69.
"A tough match. He’s an incredible player and we always have tough battles," said Sinner.
"This was our third encounter, so we know each other a bit. He returns very well, and he was serving well at important moments. So I tried to keep up mentally, which today was very tough.
"Especially on these kinds of days, when maybe you don’t feel at your 100%, to find a way through means so much to me.
"He's an incredible player, so I knew I had to raise my level when it counted."
While Sinner was on court, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced it would be appealing against the decision to clear the Italian of blame after he twice tested positive for a banned substance.
WADA claimed last month's ruling, which was made by an independent tribunal, which found Sinner had no case to answer was "not correct", and the organisation has now appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking a ban of between one and two years for the 23-year-old.
Sinner "Obviously I'm very disappointed and also surprised of this appeal because we had three hearings. All three hearings came out very positively for me.
"I knew it a couple of days ago, that they were going to appeal, that today it's going to go official."
Aryna Sabalenka moved to within two wins of equalling the best winning run of her career after crushing qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew at the China Open.
In her first appearance since her US Open triumph, the top seed overcame a slow start in Beijing to win 6-4 6-1 in an hour and 16 minutes against her Thai opponent.
Sawangkaew did not make life easy for the Belarusian in the opener, breaking back to level the contest heading into the ninth game before Sabalenka took control.
The world number two then clicked into gear, winning five games in a row in the second set to roar to a 13th straight victory, though she acknowledged the difficulties she faced on Saturday.
"She's playing great tennis. The first set she played incredible tennis. It was really difficult playing against her," Sabalenka said.
"Especially on this surface in these conditions. I'm happy I was able to manage that set. In the second set, everything started coming together.
"Thank you so much for the support. It’s really amazing to be back here. I'm happy with this win."
Sabalenka will face Ashlyn Krueger in the next round after the American beat Wimbledon quarter-finalist Lulu Sun in straight sets.
Data Debrief: Sabalenka continues China love story
Sabalenka has won 18 of her first 21 matches in WTA-1000 tournaments in China, the most of any player since the format's introduction in 2009.
Since Tianjin 2017, when she made her debut at a tournament in China, no women's player has won more matches at WTA events in this country than Sabalenka (38).
Jannik Sinner came from a set down once again to reach the quarter-finals of the China Open, beating Roman Safiullin in three sets on Saturday.
After coming from behind in the last round against Nicolas Jarry, the Italian showed his powers of recovery once more, emerging a 3-6 6-2 6-3 victor in just over two hours.
The world number one immediately found himself on the back foot, with Safiullin breaking his opening service game before grasping the early advantage with both hands.
But as he did against Jarry, Sinner responded emphatically in the second, serving three of his four aces during the contest, including two love games, to send the encounter to a decider.
From then on, the Italian never looked back. An early break set the tone, and despite missing one match point, the world number one booked his place in the last eight at the second time of asking against his plucky opponent.
Sinner's next assignment will be Jiri Lehecka, who overcame qualifier Roberto Bautista Agut in three sets.
Data Debrief: Comeback King
Sinner is now 9-2 on the ATP Tour in 2024 after losing the first set, with one loss coming in Monte Carlo to Stefanos Tsitsipas, who went on to win the tournament, and the other against Andrey Rublev in Montreal.
But the Italian was far from his free-flowing best. He served up three double faults compared to Safiullin's two but did convert four of the break points he was presented with.
New Zealand staged an impressive first-half comeback before sweeping Australia aside 33-13 to secure a sweep in the Bledisloe Cup.
The teams traded blows in the first half, but the All Blacks soon found their groove after the break, as the Wallabies failed to find a way back into the contest.
Australia made a slow start last week, but they came out flying in Wellington with Fraser McReight getting an early try after seven minutes.
Anton Lienert-Brown soon crossed to get the All Blacks up and running, but Scott Barrett's missed conversion meant they could not draw level.
Noah Lolesio's two penalties on either side of Tupou Vaa'i's try kept Australia in control, at least until the stroke of half-time.
Caleb Clarke exploited a gap to cross under the posts, and Barrett kept his cool, adding the extras after the half-time siren to send New Zealand into the break 19-13 up.
Australia had no answers after that, with Tamaiti Williams and Clarke extending New Zealand's advantage as the Wallabies' fight fizzled out.
Data Debrief: New Zealand take Wellington by storm
Despite their shaky start, New Zealand were able to continue their impressive run against Australia in Wellington. They have now gone six games (W5 D1) without defeat against Australia in the capital, having won only one of the five meetings before that (L4).
The All Blacks have also won their last nine in a row against the Wallabies, but bettered their previous two victories in which they only won by a three-point margin.
It has been a sorry Rugby Championship for Australia, meanwhile, winning just one of their six matches, giving up 213 points and scoring just 107.
The red-hot Detroit Tigers earned an AL wild card berth on Friday night, ending a decade-long postseason drought with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
The Tigers have been on a tear, winning six straight and 10 of 11 to surge into the playoffs and eliminate the defending AL Central champion Minnesota Twins from the race.
Since Aug. 11, when Detroit was eight games under .500 and counted out of contention, it has been the hottest team in the majors with 31 wins in 42 games with the lowest ERA in baseball and the largest run differential.
The Tigers will play AL Central champion Houston or Baltimore next week in a best-of-three Wild Card Series, most likely on the road.
The White Sox, meanwhile, set a modern major league record with their 121st loss. They broke the post-1900 record of 120 losses set by the New York Mets in 1962 during their first season. The overall record was set in 1899 by the Cleveland Spiders with a 20-134 record.
Taking advantage of playing a historically bad team, Detroit broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Jake Rogers scored when Jared Shuster was charged with a wild pitch even though the ball didn’t hit the dirt just below catcher Korey Lee’s glove.
Riley Greene put Detroit ahead 3-1 with a double in the seventh, and Chicago helped the home team’s cause again later in the inning when Fraser Ellard threw the team’s third wild pitch of the night.
Royals clinch playoff berth despite loss
Max Fried pitched three-hit ball over 8 2/3 innings to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 3-0 victory over Kansas City, but the Royals still got a chance to celebrate their first postseason berth since 2015.
Sean Murphy hit a two-run homer and Marcell Ozuna trotted home on a throwing error after his first stolen base since 2022 for the Braves, who won their fourth straight and sixth in seven games.
Atlanta moved into a tie with the Mets in the NL wild-card race when New York lost 8-4 at Milwaukee.
Despite the loss, the Royals, who matched a franchise record with 106 losses last season, clinched a wild card when Baltimore beat Minnesota 7-2. This is their first playoff appearance since winning the 2015 World Series.
Fried came within one out of a shutout, giving way to Raisel Iglesias when the Royals put runners at second and third. Iglesias retired Salvador Perez on a flyout for his 33rd save.
Fried threw 98 pitches, 63 for strikes. He walked two and struck out nine.
Padres beat Diamondbacks to secure top wild card
Luis Arraez hit two doubles and a triple, Yu Darvish pitched 5 1/3 gritty innings and the San Diego Padres used a four-run first inning to beat the sliding Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3.
The Padres secured the No. 4 spot in the National League bracket, meaning they'll host a best-of-three Wild Card Series next week in San Diego.
As for the Diamondbacks (88-72), they sit just behind the Mets (87-71) and Braves (87-71) in a tight race for the final two NL wild cards. The D-backs - who have lost four of five - have a slightly lower winning percentage.
Atlanta and New York have played two fewer games because Hurricane Helene washed out two games of their crucial series earlier this week. The teams would play a doubleheader Monday in Atlanta if playoff positioning is still undecided.
The Mets and Braves hold tiebreakers over the Diamondbacks should they finish with the same record. Arizona lost the season series to both teams.
The Padres never trailed, jumping to a 4-0 lead in the first inning after Merrill Kelly gave up four hits, one walk and a hit by pitch.
In a franchise-altering trade, the New York Knicks are close to acquiring four-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package centered around Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, according to reports on Friday night.
Minnesota would also get a protected first-round pick from the Knicks that originally belonged to the Detroit Pistons.
The deal is expected to be finalised Friday night, sources said.
Because the Knicks and Timberwolves are both operating over the luxury tax apron, more players and possibly a third team must be involved.
Towns previously played under current Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau from 2016-2019 and has been linked to New York ever since Leon Rose took over the front office in March 2020.
Towns, who grew up in nearby New Jersey, will pair with star guard Jalen Brunson to give New York one of the best inside-outside combinations in the league.
This would be the second major addition this offseason for the Knicks, who acquired forward Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets in July.
Towns has spent all nine of his NBA seasons with Minnesota and helped the Wolves reach the Western Conference finals this past season following a 56-26 regular season.
He averaged 21.8 points and 8.3 rebounds this past season and has averaged 22.9 points and 10.8 rebounds for his career.
Randle was a three-time All-Star with the Knicks as their starting power forward, a Most Improved Player winner and a two-time All-NBA selection.
He did not play in the playoffs after dislocating his shoulder on January 27, and after two months of rehab, opted to undergo season-ending right shoulder surgery in April.
DiVincenzo averaged a career-best 15.5 points last season for the Knicks and ranked third with 283 3-pointers made, trailing only Stephen Curry and Luka Dončić.
Craig Allison and Katherine Wynter emerged as winners of the Division A Men’s and Women’s Singles Badminton titles, respectively, at week two of the Jamaica Badminton Academy (JBA) Shuttle Showdown at the YMCA in Kingston from September 21-22.
Allison secured the Men’s title with a 2-0 (21-18, 21-17) win over Joel Angus while on the Women’s side, Wynter dominated Alexandra Beckford 2-0 (21-9, 21-12).
The Men’s Singles crown in Division B was taken by Odray Sealy who came from a set down to defeat Jamie Lee Vernon in three sets (18-21, 21-14, 21-12).
Brianna Burke defeated Sue-Ann Ogle in straight sets (21-16, 21-18) to win the Women’s Singles Division C title.
In Doubles, Anthony McNee and Kemar Valentine defeated Kenneth Anglin and beaten singles finalist Joel Angus 21-12, 21-18 to take the Men’s Division A title while singles champion Katherine Wynter combined with Stefani Brown to add the doubles crown with a 21-14, 23-21 win over Alexandra Beckford and Breanna Bisnott.
Stephen Lue Yen and Aaliyah Walker took the Division A Mixed Doubles crown with a 19-21, 26-24, 23-21 win over Kenneth Anglin and Stefani Brown.
In Division C, Jorie McBean and Samuel Smith took the Men’s Doubles title with a 21-18, 21-11 win over Jhevado Ross and Matheus Smith.
Brianna Burke added to her singles title with doubles success alongside Zoelle Jamel as they defeated Dadrian Lewis and Davina Scott 21-19, 19-21, 21-10.
Burke added her third title of the weekend in Mixed Doubles when she combined with Chavaughn Schleifer to defeat Joseph Morrison and Zoelle Jamel 21-17, 21-18.
The age-group were as follows: U9 Boys Singles- Zamani Allen, U9 Girls Singles- Jillian Yap, U11 Boys Singles- Justin Dillon, U11 Girls Singles- Brea Grant, U13 Boys Singles- Ethan Grant, U13 Girls Singles- Ella Bella Palmer, U13 Mixed Doubles- Ethan Grant and Savannah Watson, Boys U15 Singles- Amir McBean, Girls U15 Singles- Leeya Dileep, U15 Mixed Doubles- Matheus Smith and Sue-Ann Ogle, U15 Boys Doubles-Amir McBean and Matheus Smith.
Jockey Dane Dawkins is brimming with confidence and ready to showcase his improved form at Caymanas Park on Saturday, following a successful stint in Canada that saw him rack up 25 wins.
The former champion rider, known for his tenacity and skill in the saddle, started slowly at the North American track, but he eventually found his rhythm and returned with more victories under his belt than in his previous overseas campaign in 2019.
Dawkins, who competed primarily at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, admitted that the transition was initially challenging. However, his determination to make a mark and improve on his past performances pushed him through the difficult period.
With every race, he adjusted to the nuances of the track and the competition, and by the end of the season there, Dawkins had established himself as a force to be reckoned with. His 25 wins were complemented by 24 second-place finishes and 28 third-place finishes from 169 mounts, amassing an impressive CAD$288,149 (about $33.5 million Jamaican) in earnings.
“It was a tough start because it took a while for me to get comfortable and get to know the horses, but once I got into my groove after my first two months, everything started to click. Winning 25 races this time around was a big deal for me because I only won seven the last time I was there. It shows I’m learning and improving and once I started winning races, the trainers saw my true potential and started giving me more rides,” Dawkins told SportsMax.Tv.
Dawkins’ performances in Canada weren’t just about accumulating wins, the experience also sharpened his skills. With the renewed confidence, he is eager to bring that momentum back to Jamaica, where he now hopes to continue his winning streak at Caymanas Park, as he has secured four rides on Saturday’s card and another six for Sunday.
“I’m excited to be back at Caymanas. Riding in Canada helped me fine-tune my techniques and decision-making, and I want to use that to get more wins here. The goal is to build on what I’ve achieved and show that I’m a better rider than before,” the soft-spoken rider noted.
But Dawkins isn’t just focused on immediate success. The talented jockey has his eyes set on a long-term goal—winning more Classic races to cement his legacy in the sport.
For Dawkins, these prestigious events, such as the Jamaica Derby, the Jamaica Oaks, the 1000 Guineas, 2000 Guineas, Jamaica Cup, Gold Cup and Mouttet Mile, are the pinnacle achievements for any Jamaican jockey, and he’s determined to consistently etch his name in the annals of the sport’s history.
With the season at Caymanas Park nearing its end, Dawkins return at this point in time will only allow him to challenge for the Gold Cup in October, the Jamaica Cup in November, and the lucrative Mouttet Mile in December.
“I want to consistently win those big races, the Classic races. That’s what every jockey targets in their career. Yes, I’ve won a few already, but you can’t get complacent at any time. You always have to keep pushing and putting in the work to continue getting those rides in the big races to make your mark in the sport,” he shared.
However, success on the track is only part of Dawkins’ motivation. A dedicated family man, he revealed that his greatest ambition is to ensure that his loved ones are well taken care of.
For him, the sacrifices he makes and the risks he takes are all in service of providing a better future for his family.
“At the end of the day, I ride to win and make a name for myself, but my family comes first. Every win, every achievement is for them. I just want to make my family proud and happy, and that’s what drives me to keep pushing myself and that’s what it’s all about,” Dawkins ended.
Coco Gauff prevailed in her opening match at the China Open, beating Clara Burel in straight sets on Friday to reach the third round.
Playing in her first match since her US Open fourth-round exit, Gauff held off the Frenchwoman's challenge, winning 7-5 6-3 in 102 minutes.
The pair traded breaks early in the contest before Burel pulled in front and looked sure to take the first set.
Gauff pushed back though, saving a set point at 5-4 before eventually edging in front with her fourth break of the set.
It was slightly more straightforward in the second, with Gauff's patience eventually rewarded as a three-game winning streak at the end of the match sealed the victory, setting up a meeting with Katie Boulter in the next round.
Data Debrief: Hard court advantage
With this victory, Gauff has now won 46 matches at WTA-1000 hard-court events, equalling Caroline Wozniacki for the most such wins before turning 21 since the format was introduced in 2009 (46).
It also marks Gauff's 30th straight win over a player ranked outside the top 50, with her last such defeat coming 15 months ago in the first round of Wimbledon 2023 against Sofia Kenin.
Naomi Osaka rallied to beat Yulia Putintseva in the second round of the China Open on Friday, ending a wait of over two years for a comeback victory.
Osaka came from a set down to win 3-6 6-4 6-2 and tee up a third-round meeting with Katie Volynets, extending her winning streak at the Beijing event to eight matches.
She had failed to win any of her previous 22 matches when going a set down, a streak she was mightily relieved to snap.
"I heard that stat from my agent," Osaka told reporters after her win.
"I wanted to break it really badly because I knew that I also had a stat about three-setters before I took my break, so that was really important to me.
"I also wanted to show myself that I could win a match and fight without playing as perfectly as I wanted to."
Data Debrief: Back-to-back for Osaka
This is the first time Osaka has won back-to-back matches since June at 's-Hertogenbosch, where she reached the quarter-finals before falling to Bianca Andreescu.
The last time she won from a set down, meanwhile, was in the Miami Open semi-finals in 2022, when she beat Belinda Bencic before losing to Iga Swiatek in the final.
World number 595 Zhang Shuai stunned US Open semi-finalist Emma Navarro at the China Open on Friday, just two days after ending a 603-day winless streak.
Zhang ended a 24-match losing run – which began after the Lyon Open in 2023 – by beating American McCartney Kessler 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-1) in her Beijing opener on Wednesday.
That long-awaited victory teed up a clash with world number eight Navarro, who Zhang beat 6-4 6-2 in a major upset in front of a jubilant crowd in the Chinese capital.
Zhang, who is the lowest-ranked player to ever compete in the main draw at the WTA 1000 event, got to the net on her second match point to smash a forehand winner past Navarro, teeing up a meeting with Belgium's Greet Minnen for Sunday.
Data Debrief: Beijing witnesses historic upset
Ranked a lowly 595th in the world, Zhang has become the lowest-ranked player to defeat a top-10 player at the China Open since the tournament's 2004 inception.
She had also won her most recent meeting with a top-10 player, beating Caroline Garcia in Tokyo back in 2022.
Carlos Alcaraz beat big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in straight sets to advance to the second round of the China Open on Friday.
Breaks in the opening games of each set put Alcaraz on course for a 6-4 6-4 win in his opening match at the ATP 500-level event in Beijing, where he was on court for 81 minutes.
Perricard won 81% of points behind his first serve, displaying impressive firepower after those early wobbles, but Alcaraz was never unduly threatened after surviving some early pressure on his own serve.
The Spaniard only dropped one point through his final three service games as he cruised to victory, teeing up a second-round match against Tallon Griekspoor.
Meanwhile, last year's runner-up Daniil Medvedev also made a confident start in the Chinese capital, downing Gael Monfils 6-3 6-4 in 92 minutes.
Medvedev converted five of his 10 opportunities to break, taking advantage of an inconsistent performance from Monfils as the Frenchman committed 46 unforced errors.
The Russian, who lost to Jannik Sinner in last year's China Open final, will face Adrian Mannarino in the second round.
Data Debrief: Medvedev's slow pace
Medvedev's victory over Monfils was his 40th in 56 matches in 2024. Only in 2018 (61 matches) did he require more outings to bring up his first 40 wins of a season.
But back at an event where he went agonisingly close to glory last year, Medvedev produced a composed performance, offering up just 22 unforced errors.
Dak Prescott has called on the Dallas Cowboys to remain grounded following Thursday's victory over the New York Giants, saying their offense can improve after a poor second half.
The Cowboys were under pressure ahead of their trip to MetLife Stadium after back-to-back losses to the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens, but they got back to winning ways.
Two touchdown passes from Prescott in the first two quarters set them on their way to a 20-15 success, with the Dallas quarterback finishing 22 of 27 for 221 passing yards.
CeeDee Lamb and Rico Dowdle took in touchdown passes from Prescott, who has now won on 13 successive starts against the Giants.
But with another tough test awaiting Dallas next time out versus the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers, Prescott is refusing to get carried away.
"At the end of the day, as I said even after those two losses the past two weeks, it's a process," Prescott said.
"So, we're not going to get complacent, we're not going to get overexcited about what we've done tonight.
"It's about building and it's about figuring out what we can do better in all phases, but it's a lot easier to do that after a win."
A pair of Brandon Aubrey field goals were the only points the Cowboys managed after halftime, with Amani Oruwariye intercepting a Daniel Jones pass to seal the victory in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys' average of 330.8 yards per game this season is only the 11th-best figure in the league, while seven teams have bettered their 24.3 points per game.
Prescott was frustrated that the Dallas offense was unable to see things out in comfort, saying: "It didn't finish the way we wanted to, not to our standard.
"We left it in the hands of our defense. Credit to those guys for finishing getting it done, not allowing any touchdowns.
"But we're an offense that can finish better and score more touchdowns than we did tonight. So, we've got to look at ourselves in the mirror and go get that done."
Meanwhile, the Cowboys saw rusher Micah Parsons exit the game with an ankle injury in the closing stages, and he will now undergo an MRI to ascertain the full extent of the problem.
"Right now, I just iced it," Parsons said, sitting in the locker room after the win. "I know very little. I've got an MRI Friday, and I'm going to try to get back next week."
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