Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft rued a critical three-goal second period after his side went 4-0 down to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Thursday.
Nazem Kadri had three assists within the space of 2:04 as the Avalanche broke the game open and took a commanding 2-0 series lead, in a departure from Game 1's 14 goals and 84 shots.
The free-scoring Oilers were reduced to 24 shots for the night, with the two points leaders for this year's Stanley Cup playoffs in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl kept quiet by the Avalanche.
Despite the second period, Woodcroft believes there is still cause for encouragement as the series heads to Canada.
"I thought it was a really competitive first period," he said post-game. "I thought we laid it on the line, especially finding ourselves down short-handed six minutes or so into the first period.
"We pushed back, we generated some offence, and that little span in the second period really hurt us. It took the wind out of our sails and we weren't able to generate what we wanted to as the game wore on.
"I think we've had some chances – not as much as we'd like – but we're in the final four and the other team does some good stuff too. There's more to be had there. We can do a better job of shooting the puck and shooting through structure."
Kadri tied GM Joe Sakic's franchise record from 1996 for most assists in a period, setting up Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson in the space of 15 seconds, before providing the pass for Mikko Rantanen.
Nathan McKinnon scored his sixth goal of the playoffs late in the third period, moving to a team-high 16 points over the Avalanche's three series.
The Boston Celtics won Game 1 of the NBA Finals 120-105 on the road against the Golden State Warriors, with the teams combining for the most made three-pointers ever in a Finals game.
Early on it looked like it was going to be the Stephen Curry show, as he finished the first quarter with 21 points – hitting an NBA Finals record six threes in a quarter, from eight attempts – as the Warriors led 32-28 at the first break.
Boston's adjustments at quarter-time had an immediate effect, holding Curry scoreless in the second period while winning the quarter 28-22, heading into half-time leading 56-54.
Jayson Tatum struggled with his shooting, but made up for it with his playmaking, with seven assists in the first half, while Jaylen Brown had 12 points and Marcus Smart had 10 to pick up the slack.
A consistent theme with the great Warriors teams of recent years, their ability to explode in the third quarter in front of their home fans was on full display, hitting six-of-11 threes coming out of half-time.
Andrew Wiggins had 12 points in the quarter, Curry had nine, and Jordan Poole had seven, as that trio combined for 28 to carry the Warriors to a 38-24 period, earning a 92-80 lead heading into the last.
As impressive as the third quarter was for the Warriors, the fourth was even more so for the Celtics, as their red-hot shooting coincided with their best defensive stretch of the game.
The Celtics shot nine-of-12 from long range in the fourth, and 15-of-22 from the field, while holding the Warriors to just seven made field goals, turning the last period into a 40-16 rout.
It was a historic game from beyond the arc as the two sides combined to hit an NBA Finals record of 40 threes, with the Celtics shooting a blistering 51 per cent (21-of-41) while the Warriors were also terrific at 42 per cent (19-of-45).
Boston's Al Horford hit a career-high from long range, going six-of-eight on his way to 26 points, while Derrick White set a new season-high from deep, hitting five-of-eight for his crucial 21 points off the bench.
Tatum finished three-of-17 from the field, scoring 12 points, but he was the architect of the Celtics' hot shooting night as he dished a career-high 13 assists, punishing Warriors defensive collapses after his initial dribble penetration.
Jaylen Brown finished with 24 points (10-of-23 shooting) with seven rebounds and five assists, while Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart had 18 points (seven-of-11 shooting, four-of-seven from deep) to go with five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
For the Warriors, Curry finished with 34 points (12-of-25 shooting), five rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Andrew Wiggins had 20 points (eight-of-15 shooting) with three steals and one block.
Game 2 will remain in San Francisco, before they head to Boston for Game 3 and Game 4.
Shohei Ohtani had a bad time in the Bronx on Thursday, as the New York Yankees took the first of two games in a double-header against the Los Angeles Angels.
Matt Carpenter continued his solid form since signing as a free agent, seeing his way through an 11-pitch at-bat to score a lead-off home run off Ohtani in the 6-1 win.
Carpenter now has three home runs from 16 at-bats for the Yankees, while the reigning American League MVP gave up eight hits and four runs on the way to being pulled after three innings.
Jameson Taillon took a perfect game into the eighth inning as the Pinstripes won Thursday's second game 2-1, moving their record for the season to 36-15.
Further misfortune was dealt to Ohtani in the second game, with Wandy Peralta striking him out to confirm the save.
Rookie Ashcraft leads Reds in Nationals win
Rookie starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft continued his impressive start in the major leagues, as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Washington Nationals 8-1.
The 24-year-old secured his first win last Friday, throwing six scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants, and did not have to wait long for his second in another dominant performance.
The right-hander struck out five and gave up four hits over 92 pitches in seven innings, setting up what was only the Reds' 18th win of the season.
Alcantara assumes control against Giants
Sandy Alcantara allowed only three hits in an assured display, leading the Miami Marlins to a 3-0 win over the San Francisco Giants.
The 26-year-old walked two and struck out eight, while extending his run of at least seven innings pitched to five starts, and lowering his ERA to 1.81.
The Marlins scored early via a Jacob Stallings single, and that was all the run-support Alcantara needed, moving them to 21-28 for the season.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revealed the league was exploring alterations to the rules on All-NBA team selections.
The NBA's tactical transformation since the implementation of the defensive three-second rule has created a recruiting need for skill over true size, translating into a more fluid style of basketball.
Meanwhile, with Joel Embiid finishing second in MVP voting but missing out on All-NBA First Team selection, due to both being centers.
In his annual news conference before the start of the NBA Finals, Silver said the league was looking at adapting to transforming circumstances.
"I think we're a league that has moved increasingly towards positionless basketball," Silver said Thursday in San Francisco, in his annual press conference at the start of the NBA Finals. "The current system may result in some inequities just based on the happenstance of what your position is.
"It's something that we will discuss with the players' association because it has an impact on incentives in players’ contracts."
The NBA allowed 100 media members to vote for Jokic or Embiid as forwards, but it failed to remedy given neither could be considered as such in the traditional sense.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has been ruled out of Thursday's primetime matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers after reportedly jamming his finger while closing a door.
Lindor is the Mets' hottest batter, driving in a run in a career-high 10 consecutive games, hitting .365 during that stretch.
The Mets (35-17) are currently one game behind crosstown rivals the New York Yankees (35-15) in the race for the best record in baseball, while the Dodgers (33-17) are third, one game behind the Mets.
Lindor's absence puts the Mets' six-game winning streak in danger, and he told reporters he is disappointed to miss out after his finger quickly swelled up and his nail turned black.
"The last time I pinched a finger, I was 12 years old," he said.
"I ran around the room for like three minutes. I didn't want to look at it. I felt like I had my heart in that finger.
"It's frustrating to not be out there with the boys – I want to be out there every day and do whatever it takes to help the team win."
Lindor is not expected to miss more than a day or two.
American Mina Harigae is the outright leader after the first round of the U.S. Women's Open with a seven-under 64, but she was arguably outshone by Swedish amateur Ingrid Lindblad.
Harigae had nine birdies with two bogeys – becoming the sixth player to shoot 64 in tournament history – but leads by just one stroke from Lindblad, who shot the best score by an amateur in U.S. Women's Open history with her 65.
Lindblad was spectacular, particularly on the front-nine, where she birdied the first three holes, as well as the eigthth and ninth, before finally registering her only bogey of the round on the 10th. She responded to that adversity in fine fashion, collecting birdies on 12 and 13.
The chasing pack sits two back from Lindblad, with Swedish compatriot Anna Nordqvist tied at four under with Australia's Minjee Lee and America's Ryann O'Toole.
Keeping with the Swedish theme, Lindblad was partnered with legendary three-time U.S. Women's Open champion Annika Sorenstam, who gave the 22-year-old some glowing praise after their round.
"She's authentic," she said. "She's got a special look, but she's a fearless player.
"She's confident in her own game. I know she doesn't shy away from the limelight that maybe I did as a young girl."
American duo Lexi Thompson and Ally Ewing are tied for sixth at three under, and there is an 11-woman logjam sitting inside the top-10, tied for eighth at two under.
World number three Cameron Smith headlines a six-way tie atop the Memorial Tournament leaderboard after Thursday's first round at Muirfield Village.
Smith is joined by American trio Luke List, Cameron Young and Davis Riley, as well as Canada's Mackenzie Hughes and South Korea's Lee Kyoung-hoon.
It is the largest leading group after the first round in tournament history, but they all got to their five-under 67 in different ways.
Young finished the day second in average driving distance (316.8 yards), behind only Jon Rahm, while Lee, Hughes and Smith finished top-six in putts-per-green-in-regulation.
List was the only member of the leading group to finish with less than two bogeys, and Riley played an all-round game; top-15 in driving distance while being dialled in with his putter down the back-nine, going five-under from the 11th hole to the 17th.
US PGA Championship runner-up Will Zalatoris is part of the three-man group one stroke off the lead, while Max Homa and Canada's Corey Conners are in the logjam at three under.
A star-studded group finished with a two-under 70, including Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele and Im Sung-jae, while Chile's Joaquin Neimann is with Collin Morikawa and Jason Day at one under.
Patrick Cantlay and Rahm were even-par, Mito Pereira will need a solid second round to make the cut after a one-over finish, and Hideki Matsuyama was handed his first career disqualification for using a wood with paint on its face – deemed illegal. He was three over at the time of the incident.
Coco Gauff sees Iga Swiatek as the favourite in the French Open final but promised to play with freedom as the outcome at Roland Garros will not change her life either way.
The teenager breezed past Martina Trevisan in straight sets in Paris on Thursday, with the 18-year-old reaching the showpiece on Saturday without dropping a set.
In the Open era, she is just the sixth American to reach the final two at Roland Garros without losing a set, while she also became the third-youngest grand slam finalist this century.
The achievements continued to come in for Gauff, who is the youngest American female finalist in Paris since Monica Seles in 1991 and the youngest overall since Kim Clijsters in 2001.
However, the in-form Swiatek stands in her way of a first major title, with the world number one heading into the contest on a remarkable 34-match winning run.
The Pole is the first player to reach six or more finals on the WTA Tour in the first six months of the year since Serena Williams in 2013 (seven), and Gauff feels she has nothing to lose against Swiatek.
"It definitely means a lot. I'm so happy, and definitely – I wasn't expecting it," she said after defeating Trevisan.
"I'm going to be honest. This year I hadn't had the best results going into this. So it wasn't expected at all, really.
"Playing Iga, she's on a streak right now obviously, and I think going in I have nothing to lose and she's definitely the favourite going into the match on paper.
"But I think that going in, I'm just going to play free and play my best tennis. I think in a grand slam final anything can happen. If I do lift the trophy, honestly, I don't think my life is going to change really.
"I know it sounds kind of bad to say that, but the people who love me are still going to love me regardless if I lift the trophy or not.
"It will probably get me more attention from the people around the world. But in general, I'm not worried about how my life is going to change because I really don't think it's going to change."
Victory for Gauff would make her the seventh player to win the girls' and women's singles titles in Paris, after lifting the junior title just four years ago.
Swiatek subsequently won the Wimbledon junior title the same season, and Gauff is delighted the pair's paths will cross again at senior level.
"I knew her from juniors, but we never spoke really until we both got on tour," she added. "I remember here specifically I was actually preparing to play her in the final, and then she had a match point against my – well, not my doubles partner this tournament, but normally Caty McNally, and Caty saved a match point against her and I ended up playing Caty in the final.
"I just remember that from the juniors. Obviously going on the tour, we spoke and she's super nice. I think that's something I really admire about her.
"I have known Iga – I don't know her well-well, but I have known her since she was probably ranked lower, and now that she's [world] number one, and I will say that nothing has really changed other than her tennis.
"But behind the scenes, she's as nice as I think you guys see in the press conferences. I think that's really important and rare to see, so I definitely congratulate her on that aspect."
Junior memories aside, Gauff believes she is more than ready to win a grand slam but insists she will not put pressure on herself.
"I think that version was ready to win a slam, but I think she almost wanted it too much, that she put way too much pressure on herself," she said of her comments previously about winning a major.
"Now I'm definitely ready to win one but I'm not putting pressure on myself to win one. I think there's a fine line between believing in yourself and almost pushing yourself too much.
"I think at that moment I was pushing myself too much to do the results, whereas when I was in the quarter-final, I didn't even enjoy the moment. I didn't even care really.
"Now, being in the final, I'm enjoying it. I think there is definitely a difference between [being] ready and almost wanting it too much. I think at that moment I wanted it too much, whereas now I definitely want it.
"But also, it's not going to be the end of the world if it doesn't happen for me."
French Open director Amelie Mauresmo has apologised for suggesting women's tennis lacks the "appeal" of the men's game after drawing the ire of world number one Iga Swiatek.
Mauresmo – herself a former two-time grand slam winner who made the French Open quarter-finals on two occasions – made the comments while discussing the lack of women's matches played during the night sessions at Roland Garros.
This is the first edition of the French Open to feature night sessions – but women's matches under the floodlights have been few and far between to date.
On Wednesday, Mauresmo suggested this was down to the men's game being more popular with spectators, saying: "In this era that we are in right now, I don't feel – and as a woman and former player, I don't feel bad or unfair saying that right now you have more attraction. Can you say that? Appeal? For the men's matches."
Those comments were labelled "disappointing and surprising" by top seed Swiatek, who will play teenager Coco Gauff in Saturday's final.
But Mauresmo has now apologised for the comment, telling the Tennis Channel: "I want to say sorry to the players that really felt bad about what I said.
"The comments that I made were taken out of the wider picture, out of the context. Because we have one match only, I feel that it's really tougher to schedule a women's match because we have to take into consideration the length [of the match]. I feel it's the fair kind of thing to do for the ticket holders.
"I think the people who know me, who've known me on and off the court, throughout my career, throughout everything that I've done, know that I'm a big fighter for equal rights and women's tennis, women in general."
The scheduling of night matches in the French capital has attracted other criticisms since the tournament began, with 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal claiming "it is too late, without a doubt" after his five-set quarter-final win over Novak Djokovic ended at 1:15am local time on Wednesday.
While the sessions will stay on the agenda at future editions, Mauresmo insists concerns over late finishing times, as well as the balance between men's and women's matches being showcased at favourable broadcast times, must be reviewed after the tournament.
"I feel that next year, in order to be able to be more fair to the women players, as well as to both categories actually, it would be good to maybe have the possibility to put two matches or maybe a women's match plus a doubles match," Mauresmo added.
"[We will] try to find a better solution to be fair to everyone. We tried to modernise the event. We tried to move forward, and I can see that there are some adjustments to be made, that's for sure. We're going to talk about it after the tournament."
Coco Gauff cited LeBron James, Serena Williams, Colin Kaepernick and Naomi Osaka as her inspirations after the tennis star wrote "Peace, end gun violence" on a camera at the French Open.
The 18-year-old overcame Martina Trevisan in the semi-final at Roland Garros with ease, recording a 6-3 6-1 victory to book her maiden single's grand slam final appearance.
That made the world number 23 the youngest American female finalist in Paris since Monica Seles in 1991 and the youngest overall since Kim Clijsters in 2001.
Gauff has not dropped a set en route to the final, where she faces the in-form Iga Swiatek on Saturday, but much of her post-match focus was on the ongoings back in the United States.
The USA is still reeling from a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas just over a week ago in which 19 children and two teachers were killed.
In the wake of the tragedy, multiple high-profile sportspeople, including Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, have called for changes to gun laws in the USA, and Gauff joined that list on Thursday.
"It's important, just as a person in the world, regardless of tennis player or not," the teenage tennis star said. "I think for me it was just especially important just being in Europe and being where I know people globally around the world are for sure watching.
"I think that this is a problem in other parts of the world, but especially in America it's a problem that's, frankly, been happening over some years but obviously now it's getting more attention.
"But it's been an issue for years. For me, it's kind of close to home. I had some friends that were a part of the Parkland shooting [in 2018].
"I remember watching that whole experience like pretty much firsthand, seeing and having friends go through that whole experience. Luckily they were able to make it out of it. I just think it's crazy, I think I was maybe 14 or 13 when that happened, and still nothing has changed.
"I think that was just a message for the people back at home to watch and for people who are all around the world to watch. I know that it's probably not [going to] – hopefully it gets into the heads of people in office to change things."
Gauff suggested her post-match scribble on the television camera was not pre-meditated and instead came after seeing reports of four people being shot by a gunman in an Oklahoma hospital on Wednesday.
"I really didn't know what I was going to write even moments walking to the camera, and it just felt right in that moment and to write that," she added. "I woke up this morning and I saw there was another shooting, and I think it's just crazy.
"I know that it's getting more attention now. I definitely think there needs to be some reform put into place. I think now especially being 18 I've really been trying to educate myself around certain situations, because now I have the right to vote and I want to use that wisely."
Gauff joins a long list of athletes that are proactively using their platform and audiences to speak on matters they feel passionately about.
As for her inspirations, Gauff listed the likes of NBA star James, fellow tennis players Williams and Osaka, and NFL's Kaepernick, who popularised taking the knee to stand against police brutality and racism.
"I would say LeBron James, Serena, Billie Jean, Colin, the list goes on, Naomi, it goes on really about those issues," Gauff continued. "I think now athletes are more fine with speaking out about stuff like this.
"I feel like a lot of times we're put in a box that people always say, 'Oh, sports and politics should stay separate' and all this. And I say yes, but also at the same time I'm a human first before I'm a tennis player.
"If I'm interested in this, I wouldn't even consider gun violence politics; I think that's just life in general. I don't think that's political at all.
"So of course I'm going to care about these issues and speak out about these issues. When people make those comments, I'm not going to be an athlete forever.
"There is going to be a time when I retire and all this, and I'm still going to be a human. So of course I care about these topics. Sport gives you the platform to maybe make that message reach more people."
Hideki Matsuyama was disqualified from the Memorial Tournament midway through his first round on Thursday after breaching PGA Tour equipment regulations – the first disqualification of his career.
The 2021 Masters champion had just finished the ninth hole of a thus-far disappointing outing in Ohio, and would have made the turn at three-over after making three early bogeys.
But Matsuyama, who won his first PGA Tour title at the 2014 edition of the tournament, was informed on the 10th tee that markings on the face of his three-wood breached equipment regulations.
Images showed what appeared to be white paint on the club face, which he used throughout his short outing on the course, leading chief referee Steve Rintoul to describe the club as "non-conforming".
Rintoul grouped with other officials to deem the three-wood in breach of equipment rule 4.1a, which states "a substance or any treatment can't be applied to the face of a club which could influence the flight of the ball, the spin, the loft or anything on the ball, how the ball performs".
The 30-year-old, who had never previously been disqualified in his nine-year professional career, refused to comment after being barred from completing his round.
Matsuyama tied for 14th in his unsuccessful defence of hi Masters title, having recovered from a neck injury to feature in Augusta, and will look to bounce back at the Canadian Open, which starts next Tuesday.
United-Kingdom-based Formula Woman Driver Sara Misir has been signed as NCB Capital Market's newest brand ambassador.
Misir, 24, is Jamaica's first and only Formula Woman driver, after successfully earning a seat in the GT Cup Championships by winning the Formula Woman qualifying competition in March from a field of over 10,000 applicants.
"It's official. I'm NCB's newest Brand Ambassador!" Misir posted on Instagram Thursday.
"I'd like to thank NCB Capital Markets for choosing me to represent such an iconic brand with such a long history in Jamaica. As I pursue my passions and continue to race towards my dreams, I'm happy to be on the journey with NCB Capital Markets,”
NCB Capital Markets expressed delight about having Sara on board in a statement.
"Sara has made an indelible mark in the world of motorsport, becoming the first Caribbean Formula Woman driver. Together we will go further, go faster, chart new roads and shatter expectations".
French Open semi-finalist Casper Ruud has refuted Holger Rune's claim he yelled in his face after winning the duo's feisty quarter-final clash, accusing the teenager of telling "a big lie".
Ruud beat Rune 6-1 4-6 7-5 (7-2) 6-3 on Wednesday to set up a final-four clash with the resurgent Marin Cilic, scheduled for Friday.
After his defeat, Rune told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet that his opponent had shouted at him.
"The team is really nice and sweet, but then he [Ruud] goes straight to me and shouts 'Ja!' straight up in my face," he said.
Rune also accused Ruud of showing "a lack of class", moving the Norwegian to respond in an interview with Eurosport.
Ruud, who is enjoying the best grand slam campaign of his career, has accused Rune of lying in the aftermath of the contest, although he acknowledged emotions were running high at the end of their three-hour encounter.
"No, what he says is wrong," Ruud said. "What he says is really not what happened. We both were in the dressing room after the match, and it's obviously a huge dressing room. There are many players, so we were just in our own part of the room all the time.
"I took an ice bath, ate some pizza and listened to music before we went home. Holger sat in his part of the dressing room.
"How he creates the story of me shouting 'yes' straight into his face is just a lie. It never happened. It's a big lie. It's disappointing that he creates lies about me.
"For me it doesn't matter if he thinks I am a player who doesn't follow the fair play rules, that's not really what matters.
"That's his personal opinion, but to put out lies about me like this is not right. I really wish this is the last time he will do something like this.
"I understand that some players are more emotional than others, and I am as well sometimes. He is obviously someone who plays with many emotions involved.
"I am not surprised about that, but it's a shame that he comes up with all these lies against me and my family."
Martina Trevisan vowed to continue fighting and enjoying every match ahead of her imminent rise up the world rankings after a strong French Open campaign.
Trevisan ultimately ran out of steam at Roland Garros, where she fell to a 6-3 6-1 defeat in the semi-finals against Coco Gauff on Thursday.
That ended a 10-match winning run for the Italian, while Gauff became the youngest player to reach the final in Paris since Kim Clijsters in 2001.
Trevisan defeated world number 18 Leylah Fernandez en route to the semi-final, having also beaten Garbine Muguruza during her title quest in Rabat last week.
The 28-year-old is on course to climb into the top 30 in the world after her success in recent weeks, leaping up from her 59th position currently.
But Trevisan assures that will not change her plans on how she approaches matches in future.
"These two weeks, as I said, I have grown a lot," she told reporters. "Of course my ranking will change. But I don't think that I need to change something.
"I have to keep focus in my game, to keep fighting in every match. Enjoy the moment, because at this moment I would like to enjoy this result, that is very important for me.
"Still enjoy on the court and nothing else."
Iga Swiatek awaits Gauff in Saturday's final and, despite Trevisan losing to the Pole at the 2020 French Open, the Italian was unable to draw comparisons between the pair.
"I played with Iga two years ago, so I think it's different," she added. "It's not easy to compare them right now, because, I mean, they are young, they are very impressive.
"You can always feel the pressure on the court. Maybe they are similar on the forehand, that it's very heavy. It's difficult to play against them, of course."
Ryan Fitzpatrick has retired, former Buffalo Bills team-mate Fred Jackson revealed on Thursday.
The 39-year-old quarterback played on nine teams in 17 seasons, although his 2021 campaign was ended by a Week 1 hip injury that ruled him out for the year.
Fitzpatrick had only signed a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders – then the Washington Football Team – and he will not return.
Jackson, a team-mate in Buffalo for four seasons, shared a text from Fitzpatrick, who said: "Forever grateful for the magical ride."
That message was posted on Twitter, with Jackson adding: "Congrats on a helluva career, Fitzy!! Loved sharing the field with you!! The gratitude is all mine!!"
Fitzpatrick finishes with 34,990 passing yards, ranking 32nd all time, although he never appeared in a single playoff game.
Tom Brady admitted he felt some pressure to end his brief retirement from the NFL and return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the time he did due to the start of free agency.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion on TNT on Wednesday, Brady implied he did not want the new league year to begin and the Buccaneers to make free agency decisions based on the assumption that the future Hall of Fame quarterback was retired and not coming back.
Brady's retirement lasted 40 days before he announced he would return on March 13 – three days before the start of free agency.
"At this stage, it's like 55 per cent yes and 45 per cent no. It's not 100-0. That's just the reality," Brady said. "It's not that I'm not 100 per cent committed, it's just as soon as I make the commitment to do it, it's like 'Ugh. All right, here we go.'
"It's like running a marathon. You can't decide two weeks before the marathon, 'Hey, I'm going to start running.' We got right to free agency and I felt some pressure to do it and talked to the team and organisation and it all worked out."
In speaking publicly for the first time since ending his retirement, Brady was asked if he had been ready to retire.
"Partly, you know, yes," the seven-time Super Bowl champion said. "And I think when you're their (Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen's) age, if you were to ask me 'Are you going to play football next year?' I would say there's a 100 per cent chance I'm playing. And I think as I've gotten older, that's changed because I have other responsibilities."
Brady is returning for his third season with Tampa Bay and 23rd in pro football after leading the league with a career-high 5,316 passing yards in 2021, while also ranking first in passing touchdowns with 43.
The soon-to-be 45-year-old led the Buccaneers to a 13-4 regular-season record and NFC South crown last year, but their season ended with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Teenage sensation Coco Gauff achieved numerous feats by reaching her maiden grand slam single's final at the French Open on Thursday.
Gauff has still not dropped a set at Roland Garros this year after cruising to a 6-3 6-1 semi-final victory over Martina Trevisan, ending the Italian's 10-match winning streak.
The 18-year-old became the youngest American female finalist in Paris since Monica Seles in 1991 and the youngest overall since Kim Clijsters in 2001.
The world number 23 is also the third-youngest grand slam finalist this century, with only Maria Sharapova at Wimbledon in 2004 and Clijsters at Roland Garros in 2001 doing so at a younger age.
Gauff has lifted the French Open trophy before, though, after succeeding in the junior competition four years ago.
But the in-form Iga Swiatek will be standing in her way on Saturday.
Swiatek is the first player to reach six or more finals on the WTA Tour in the first six months of the year since Serena Williams in 2013 (seven), with the Pole on a remarkable 34-match winning run.
However, the patience and precision of Gauff could test Swiatek after she became just the sixth American player in the Open era to reach the showpiece at Roland Garros without dropping a single set.
Victory for Gauff would make her the seventh player to win the girls' and women's singles titles in Paris.
Rafael Nadal has declared he does not want this to be his final French Open.
The announcement from Nadal seems to put to bed the theory that he could announce an immediate retirement if he wins the title for a 14th time at Roland Garros on Sunday.
Nadal, who takes on Alexander Zverev in Friday's semi-finals, is battling a long-troubling foot problem in Paris and remarkably saw off Novak Djokovic in an electrifying showdown on Tuesday night.
His pain threshold appears to be far beyond that of the average human, and Nadal has brought a doctor with him to France to further improve his prospects of lasting the distance.
Friday also marks Nadal's 36th birthday, and he has dropped heavy hints that this might be his final fling.
However, if that proves to be the case, it will be with heavy reluctance on Nadal's part, as he made clear on Thursday.
Speaking to Spanish broadcaster TVE, Nadal said: "I have always had things clear. I accept things as they come. At no time do I intend for it to seem like a farewell.
"What happens is that there is a reality that today is what it is. We will continue working to find solutions to what is happening down here.
"I trust and hope to be able to return. What happens is that there is a year to go, and it is evident that these last months, not these last three, I would say that since last year they are being difficult.
"The day-to-day with everything that entails is being difficult, not because of the effort that it entails for me, but also to maintain competitiveness. I play to be competitive, which is what really makes me happy.
"We are going to enjoy the moment and after this we will continue thinking about the things that need to be improved, and the hope is to continue."
There would seem a strong chance that Nadal elects to miss the grass-court season in order to rest up, but he continues to defy expectations, so nothing can be ruled out.
Should he triumph in a grand slam for a 22nd time on Sunday, it would take him two clear of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer on the all-time list.
Nadal's record at this tournament is quite extraordinary, surpassing the achievement of any other player in tennis history at a single grand slam.
Alongside his 13 French Open titles, he has won 330 of the 364 sets he has contested at the event and owns a 110-3 win-loss match record.
Some 88 of those wins at the French Open have come in straight sets, and from 2010 to 2015 he reeled off 39 victories in succession, until Djokovic beat him in the quarter-finals.
Nadal has won 23 6-0 sets at his favourite major, including subjecting Federer and Djokovic to such torture in the 2008 and 2020 finals respectively.
Zverev has only been to one grand slam final, losing at the US Open to Dominic Thiem in 2020, but may think his time is coming after an impressive quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz, the 19-year-old widely acclaimed as the next clay-court king.
It might help the German that the spotlight will be fixed on Nadal, too, as it invariably is on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
There has been no collective chasing away of Nadal amid the talk that his career could be on the rocks, and no media agenda involved. This is a thrilling late-career resurgence from the Spaniard that many, albeit perhaps not Djokovic supporters, would like to see continue.
This time he has laid his injury situation quite bare, and magical nights such as the four-set epic against Djokovic this week are becoming increasingly loaded with poignancy.
As Nadal said in a news conference after that match, regardless of his intentions, this could well be his French Open farewell.
"Yes, I can't say another thing, no?" Nadal said. "I am very clear about that, no?
"I am old enough to not hide things or come here and say a thing that I don't believe. I don't know what can happen. I think, as I said before, I'm gonna be playing this tournament because we are doing the things to be ready to play this tournament, but I don't know what's gonna happen after here.
"I mean, I have what I have there in the foot, so if we are not able to find an improvement or a small solution on that, then it's becoming super difficult for me.
"I am just enjoying every day that I have the chance to be here, and without thinking much about what can happen in the future.
"Of course I'm gonna keep fighting to find a solution for that, but for the moment, we haven't. So to just give myself a chance to play another semi-final here in Roland Garros is a lot of energy for me."
Coco Gauff secured a maiden grand slam final appearance with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Martina Trevisan at the French Open on Thursday.
Gauff had not dropped a set in Paris en route to the last four, but Trevisan had only surrendered one to Leylah Fernandez in her last match, teeing up a mouthwatering clash on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Neither player could maintain control in the first set, with the pair exchanging four consecutive breaks, but Gauff seized things from that point onwards.
The world number 23 profited from creating some smart angles to avert the danger of the heavy hitting Trevisan, who had powered 113 winners through the first five rounds at the tournament.
The 18-year-old Gauff eventually claimed the first set after Trevisan sent the ball long, with the American in clinical form as she converted four of six break points.
Gauff was not as ruthless in the second set but still gained the early advantage, breaking the Italian at the fourth time of asking to go 3-1 up after a mammoth 19-point game that lasted 14 minutes.
Trevisan, struggling with a right thigh issue sustained earlier in the match, was buoyed on by the vociferous crowd but ultimately failed to fight back as Gauff eased to victory in just an hour and 26 minutes.
The in-form number one seed Iga Swiatek, who has remarkably won her last 34 matches after defeating Daria Kasatkina in the semi-final earlier on Thursday, awaits Gauff in the final on Saturday.
Data slam: Trevisan streak ends
Trevisan became the first Italian player to win 10 matches in a row since Flavia Pennetta in 2009, but Gauff proved a step too far. The American was a junior champion at Roland Garros just four years ago, and will now look to add the women's title to her name.
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Trevisan – 13/36
Gauff – 14/20
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Trevisan – 0/4
Gauff – 1/2
BREAK POINTS WON
Trevisan – 2/5
Gauff – 6/11
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