Jamaica’s Malone Bird successfully made it through to the second stage of the Boys’ U11 Singles competition at the Pan American Under 11 and Under 13 Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Wednesday.
Bird made it through the group phase after securing one win and one loss in his two matches on Wednesday.
After suffering a straight-set loss at the hands of Canada’s Daniel Liang (11-4, 11-9, 11-7) in his first game, he rebounded with a four-set win over Guatemala’s Omar Ixcaragua.
Bird won the first two sets 11-7 and 11-8 before Ixcaragua tried to mount a comeback with an 11-4 third set victory before the Jamaican shut the door with an 11-6 win in the fourth set.
Unfortunately, the second half of the Bird brothers, Shacoil, didn’t have the same success and failed to advance to the next phase after suffering a pair of straight set losses to Brazil’s Joao Ribeiro (11-7, 11-3, 11-7) and Ecuador’s Juan Gonzalez (11-9, 11-6, 11-1).
The draw for the second phase of the singles will be held on Friday. The Bird brothers will also take on Argentina in doubles on Friday.
George Russell believes this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix may be decided by the finest of margins after going quickest during Friday's practice in Zandvoort.
Russell, who was denied a third career win at Spa for his car being underweight last time out, finished the session 0.061 seconds quicker than McLaren's Oscar Piastri.
Mercedes' recent improvements were on show once more, with Russell's team-mate Lewis Hamilton finishing 0.111 behind him as Lando Norris ended up in fourth.
Defending world champion Max Verstappen endured another difficult time out on track, ending up in fifth ahead of tomorrow's qualifying sessions.
But despite the Dutchman's underwhelming display on the track, Russell did not rule out the threat of Verstappen, who has won the race on the last three ocassions.
“Really difficult out there because it was so windy. But the car was performing really well. It looks to be quite a close battle with the McLarens and Max.”
Hamilton, meanwhile, saw room for improvement in his own performance as he looks to continue his impressive form before the mid-season break.
The seven-time world champion has reached four podiums in the last five Formula 1 races, while also scoring the most points (95) than anyone else in the last five races.
But should he record four consecutive podiums for the first time since 2022, Hamilton acknowledged that his set-up must be spot, starting in qualifying.
“It was OK today. A big, big difference compared to last year so the car is feeling more alive and we’re right up there at the front," Hamilton said.
“I didn’t get the most out of it (on the single lap), there is still performance, left. I just have to work on set-up.
"I don’t know if I looked particularly quick (on the long run) but the set-up I had for a single lap was hindering the long run.”
Norris will also be looking to close the gap in the drivers' championship, currently sitting 78 points behind Verstappen with 10 races of the season remaining.
And after a promising session on Friday, the Briton is confident that McLaren can continue to push and challenge the Silver Arrows this weekend.
“Mercedes look a bit quicker but it is close. I don't think there is a quickest. It depends on different factors.
“We have been in good form since Miami but not brought any updates since Miami. This weekend’s our first time trying to make a bit more progress with the car.
“(I’m) optimistic, but have no idea whether it’s working or not how it’s performing at the minute.
“Today was a reasonable day and we are there or thereabouts. A little bit more to find tonight hopefully and we can challenge the Mercedes.”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insisted Max Verstappen is not available to fill Mercedes' vacant seat for 2025, having watched the world champion finish second to Lando Norris in first practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Verstappen has dominated Formula One since beating Lewis Hamilton to his maiden drivers' championship in 2021, winning a further two titles and topping the standings again this year.
However, the Dutchman has struggled of late amid rumours his future could lie elsewhere, failing to win any of his last four races – his longest drought since an 11-race run in 2020.
With Hamilton agreeing to join Ferrari for 2025, Mercedes are one of just three teams yet to finalise their driver pairings for next season.
They were strongly linked with a move for Carlos Sainz, but he will join Williams next year after being displaced by Hamilton at Ferrari.
Mercedes have repeatedly refused to rule out an ambitious move for Verstappen, and ahead of taking part in his 200th race this weekend, the Dutchman suggested he will not remain in F1 for another 200 outings.
Horner, though, says there is no chance of Verstappen joining the Silver Arrows next year.
"It's just like we've been stating all the way through the year: we know what our agreement is with Max and Max knows what his agreement with us is," he told Sky Sports.
"He's certainly not available to Mercedes for 2025, he never was.
"I'm sure whatever options they choose to take, they've thought carefully about. If they choose to give [Kimi] Antonelli the seat, you have to commend them for taking a risk with a youngster."
Verstappen fell narrowly short of topping the timesheets in FP1 on Friday, as high winds and rain produced difficult conditions upon his Zandvoort homecoming.
McLaren's Norris beat Verstappen by two tenths of a second with a fastest time of 1:12:322, after the inclement weather resulted in limited running for the first 30 minutes.
Hamilton was third ahead of Sainz, with Mercedes' George Russell fifth-fastest and Williams' Alex Albon sixth.
The United States' Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley built a one-shot lead in the first round of the BMW Championship, before a thunderstorm halted play near Denver.
Bradley was named USA captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup in a surprise selection last month, after Tiger Woods had been touted for the role.
He shot a six-under 66 in his first round at Castle Pines, Colorado, on Thursday, finishing his round just before inclement weather halted play for three hours.
When play finally resumed, Hideki Matsuyama missed a birdie putt on the final hole, which would have given him a share of the lead alongside Bradley.
Alexander Noren, Adam Scott and Corey Conners all finished one stroke further back at four under, with Xander Schauffele at three under and Rory McIlroy shooting a two-under 70.
Bradley only just scraped into the 50-player field and is aware of the importance of playing the big events ahead of next year's tournament in New York.
"I want to be out there with the guys and the Ryder Cup team," Bradley said after completing his first round.
"I want to be playing with them, on the range with them, in the locker room, in the tournament. It was really important for me to be in this top 50."
Lando Norris believes the Drivers' Championship is "still in reach" as McLaren introduces upgrades for the Dutch Grand Prix.
Ahead of the Formula One campaign resuming this weekend, Norris sits 78 points behind Max Verstappen in the individual standings, with 10 races remaining in the season.
Red Bull will also be feeling the pressure in the Constructors' Championship, as McLaren sit just 42 points behind.
And Norris remains confident that both he and McLaren remain in sight of titles this season.
"For the teams' championship, of course. For the drivers' championship, it's still in reach but it's a lot of points and it's Max, so I want to be optimistic and say there's still chances," he said.
"I know it's a lot and it's going to be a very difficult challenge performing, but how we are performing and how I know I can perform when things click, I still want to believe."
Both Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri have achieved their maiden race victories this season.
They have 12 podium finishes between them so far, with McLaren represented in the top three for the last 10 races.
Norris, however, has registered some disappointing finishes. Most recently he failed to take advantage of Verstappen's grid penalty with a fifth-placed finish in Belgium.
"I'm fighting for a championship, so I'm not going to be happy if I'm not performing at the level that I need to, to beat Max, Red Bull and other drivers," he reflected.
"I'm still happy with how the season has gone, just one or two too many mistakes and too many points given away, which is not the level I need to be at if I want to fight for a championship and fight against a driver like Max."
McLaren will be hoping to make up for any mistakes with their new upgrades for the back half of the season.
While Red Bull and Ferrari have both struggled after the introduction of big upgrades, Norris believes his team's decision to wait longer to implement theirs will pay off.
"We haven't had an upgrade since Miami. We have added little things to the car but nothing that we call an 'upgrade'," he explained.
"A lot of other teams have done, especially our main competitors. In a good sense, we have taken our time to understand things.
"We have seen teams put things on the car and it hasn't worked. We wanted to make sure we avoided that, so we have been patient."
Ons Jabeur has withdrawn from the US Open with a shoulder injury just days before the season's final grand slam gets under way.
Most recently, she featured at the Canadian Open in Toronto where she lost in straight sets to Naomi Osaka in the first round.
The Tunisian has been struggling with injuries all season, seeing her miss the Paris Olympics and tournaments in Washington and Cincinnati.
And, just hours after the draw for the US Open was made, the world number 17 decided that her shoulder injury will not allow her to compete at Flushing Meadows.
"I am truly sad to announce that my shoulder won’t recover in time for the US Open. I feel I need to give 100 % and today it's not possible yet," Jabeur wrote on Instagram.
"Life has ups and downs, but sometimes in the very negative moments we all need to find the positive in it. This year has been very tough for me, but I know somewhere the light is there.
"Always grateful for the unconditional support you all bring to me."
The 29-year-old will be replaced in the draw by Elise Mertens, who will become the number 33 seed.
Jabeur achieved her best grand slam result at the US Open, reaching the final in 2022, but lost in straight sets to Iga Swiatek.
She also came agonisingly close to a major title in two further final appearances at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023.
Aaron Judge continued his torrid home run pace with his major league-leading 48th and Gerrit Cole allowed one hit over six innings as the New York Yankees rolled to a 6-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.
Judge homered for the third straight game and is on pace to finish with 61, two years after hitting 62 to break Roger Maris’ single-season AL record. Judge homered for the sixth time in seven games, seventh time in 10 games and 13th time in 23 games.
Judge had 49 homers through his first 128 games in 2022 and is the only Yankee with at least 48 through that point in multiple seasons. He joined Sammy Sosa (1998, 1999, 2001) and Mark McGwire (1998, 1999) as the third player in baseball history with at least 48 homers through 128 games in multiple seasons.
Cole allowed a single to Steven Kwan on his second pitch and tied a career worst with five walks. He struck out two and got eight outs on the ground, including a double play by rookie Jhonkensy Noel to end the sixth.
Cole became the fourth active pitcher to reach 150 wins, joining Justin Verlander (260), Max Scherzer (216) and Clayton Kershaw (212).
Giancarlo Stanton added a three-run homer for the Yankees, who moved 1 ½ games ahead of Baltimore for the AL East lead.
Cleveland lost for the fifth time in six games. The Guardians scored once and had five hits in the final two games of the series after scoring six times in the 12th in a 9-5 win on Tuesday.
Braves take series from Phillies
Rookie Spencer Schwellenbach retired 19 straight batters and Adam Duvall went 3 for 3 with a home run as the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 to take two of three in the series.
After Schwellenbach surrendered a one-out single to Bryce Harper in the first, he didn't allow another hitter to reach safely until Bryson Stott's infield hit off the pitcher's glove with two outs in the seventh.
J.T. Realmuto followed with a run-scoring double to the gap in right-center, cutting into Atlanta's 3-1 lead and ending Schwellenbach’s night. Pierce Johnson struck out Brandon Marsh to end the threat and worked around two walks in the eighth, retiring Trea Turner on an inning-ending double play.
Raisel Iglesias struck out the side in the ninth for his 28th save in 30 chances.
Schwellenbach gave up two runs and three hits over 6 2/3 innings with one walk and nine strikeouts – all swinging.
Duvall hit his 11th home run leading off the sixth to extend Atlanta’s lead to 3-1. His three-hit night came after he entered the game mired in a 1-for-29 slump.
Arrighetti pitches Astros to 9th straight road win
Spencer Arrighetti pitched three-hit ball over six scoreless innings and the Houston Astros extended their lead in the AL West to a season-high 5 ½ games with a 6-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Arrighetti walked one and struck out six before departing after throwing 94 pitches. He outpitched Orioles ace Corbin Burnes, who allowed five earned runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Ben Gamel drove in two runs in his Astros debut as they won their ninth straight road game, Houston’s longest run since an 11-game streak in 2018.
Gamel, acquired off waivers from the New York Mets, delivered RBI singles in the fourth and sixth, when Houston did all its scoring. The Astros are 62-39 since their 7-19 start, and they've opened a comfortable lead over second-place Seattle in the AL West. Houston was 10 games behind after losing to the Chicago White Sox on June 18.
The Orioles have lost five of seven to fall 1 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading Yankees.
The slumping Seattle Mariners are firing manager Scott Servais following a disastrous 1-8 road trip that has seen the club fall back in the American League West race, The Athletic reported Thursday.
According to the report, former Mariners' catcher Dan WIlson will take over the team for the remainder of the season, with an official announcement to come later Thursday.
Servais was in his ninth season with Seattle and led the Mariners to their first postseason appearance in 21 years in 2022, but the team has been mired in an extended slump as its once-sizeable lead atop the AL West has evaporated over the last two months.
The Mariners owned a 10-game advantage atop the division on June 18 but have gone 20-33 since, and now trail the resurgent Houston Astros by five games for first place.
A lack of offence has been the root cause of Seattle's downfall. The Mariners rank 27th in Major League Baseball in runs scored, last in batting average (.216) and 29th out of 30 teams in slugging percentage (.365).
Servais compiled a 680-642 record since taking over the Mariners in 2016, including a 64-64 mark this season, and ended the franchise's lengthy postseason drought by guiding the 2022 team to a 90-72 record and an AL wild-card berth. Seattle then swept the Toronto Blue Jays in the best-of-three Wild Card Round before being swept by the eventual World Series champion Astros in the AL Division Series.
The Mariners fell one game short of a playoff spot after going 88-74 last season, however, and this year's team has gone 12-21 since July 12 to seal Servais' fate.
Seattle will now attempt to salvage its season under Wilson, a popular former player with no managerial or coaching experience at the major league level. The 55-year-old had been serving as a special assignment coordinator with the Mariners after previously working as the organisation's minor league catching coordinator.
Wilson played 12 seasons for the Mariners from 1994-2005 and was named an All-Star in 1996. He was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2012.
Carlos Alcaraz will begin his bid for a third straight grand slam success against a qualifier at the US Open, while top seed Jannik Sinner will face Mackenzie McDonald in the first round.
Alcaraz won his fourth major title at Wimbledon in July, dominating Novak Djokovic in the final after also triumphing at the 2022 US Open, Wimbledon in 2023 and the French Open earlier this year.
Should the Spaniard progress through his first-round match, he could take on Botic van de Zandschulp in round two and Britain's Jack Draper in the third round.
Seeded third, Alcaraz could face world number one Sinner in the semi-finals, with the Italian starting his campaign against a home favourite in McDonald.
Sinner recently avoided a ban after twice testing positive for banned substance clostebol, with an independent tribunal finding he was inadvertently given the steroid in an over-the-counter spray by his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi.
On the other side of the men's draw, Djokovic will also start against a qualifier as he bids to finally surpass Margaret Court's overall record of 24 grand slam titles.
Djokovic won his 24th major crown at the 2023 tournament at Flushing Meadows, beating Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the final.
He has struggled to find top gear at this year's grand slams, though he did claim his first Olympic gold medal by beating Alcaraz in the showpiece match at Roland-Garros.
In the women's draw, top seed Iga Swiatek will start against a qualifier while Coco Gauff will open her title defence by taking on Varvara Gracheva, with a testing third-round date with Elina Svitolina potentially on the cards for the third-seeded American.
Aryna Sabalenka joins Swiatek in facing a qualifier first, while there is a tricky draw for 2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu, who is set for her first Flushing Meadows appearance since 2022.
She will take on the United States' 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, with the victor set to face another American in round two, in either Shelby Rogers or sixth seed Jessica Pegula.
The first round of the US Open begins on Monday, with the women's singles final set for September 7 and the men's showpiece match taking place one day later.
Max Verstappen failed to confirm whether his long-term future remained with Red Bull ahead of this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix.
Verstappen, who leads the Formula One drivers' championship by 78 points to McLaren's Lando Norris, joined the team in 2016 and has since won three world titles.
This weekend's race in Zandvoort will be Verstappen's 200th in the competition, becoming the 23rd driver to reach that tally while also surpassing Alain Prost (199).
During that time, the 26-year-old has won 61 times, reaching 107 podiums while also amassing 2863.5 points in the process.
But when asked if he would compete in another 200 races, Verstappen said: "No. We are past halfway for sure but it's been already an incredible ride.
"It doesn't feel like 200 races, but we do a lot of races in the year, so you add them quite quickly."
The three-time world champion put pen to paper on a new deal with the Austrian-based team in 2022, keeping him with them until at least the end of 2028.
But the Dutchman has been touted as a possible replacement for Lewis Hamilton, who will join Ferrari in 2025, at Mercedes.
"2028 is far away," said Verstappen on whether he could be persuaded to stay in F1 beyond his current contract.
"In my mind at the moment, I'm not thinking about a new contract. I want to see how it goes and see the new regulations to see if it's fun or not," he said.
"Then even in 2026 and 2027, there's a lot of time to decide what happens. I keep everything open and am quite easy-going about it."
Verstappen has struggled since his win at the Spanish Grand Prix five races ago, with the field the most competitive it has been in recent years.
However, he did come from 11th on the grid to beat championship rival Norris to fourth place last time out at the Belgian Grand Prix, but he isn't thinking about his points advantage ahead of this weekend's home race.
"If you look at the championship, Lando is the closest challenger, but lately you can see there are a lot of cars winning races," said Verstappen.
"It's very unknown, very close and attention to detail, getting the car in the right operating window, can really make a difference."
DRIVERS TO WATCH
Max Verstappen - Red Bull
While his future may not be certain, one thing is for sure. Verstappen is out to reclaim his place back on the top step on home turf.
The championship leader has won each of the last three races in Zandvoort, all three from pole position. If he repeats that on Sunday, he will equal Jim Clark as the driver with the most wins at this grand prix.
However, Verstappen has not won any of the last four races. He hasn't gone five without a win since the 2020 season, enduring an 11-race drought from Spain to Sakhir.
He has only one pole position in the last seven F1 races. If he fails to qualify fastest in the Netherlands, he will have gone as many grands prix without a pole position as in his previous 24 races.
Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
The seven-time world champion has shown signs of promise in recent weeks, picking up the most points in the last five races (95).
During that time, he has accumulated the biggest average points difference in those races compared to the first nine races of the 2024 season (12.9 - 19 from the Spanish GP to 6.1 until the Canadian GP).
The Brit has four podiums in the last five races (3rd in Spain, 1st in Great Britain, 3rd in Hungary and 1st in Belgium), one fewer than in the previous 28.
Should he find himself in the top three this time around, it will be the first time he has managed four consecutive podiums since 2022 between Canada and Hungary (five).
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 277
Lando Norris (McLaren) - 199
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 177
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 167
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 162
Constructors
Red Bull - 408
McLaren - 366
Ferrari - 345
Mercedes - 266
Aston Martin - 73
Carlos Sainz says he trusted his gut feeling telling him to sign for Williams for the 2025 season after signing a multi-year contract with them.
The Spaniard's deal ended months of speculation around his future after it was confirmed Lewis Hamilton would replace him at Ferrari.
Williams have found themselves as consistent backmarkers in recent years, but under team principal James Vowles, they look to be making strides towards becoming more competitive, helped by Sainz's arrival.
Sainz said he buys into Vowles' vision and sees it as a similar project to the one McLaren were starting when he left them in 2020.
"I've always had the feeling during all those negotiations, I always had Williams in the back of my head as I always had that good feeling with James [Vowles] and the investment group Dorilton," Sainz said.
"I've learned over the years in Formula 1 to trust in my feeling about people also. I remember when I left McLaren in 2020, I felt like the team was moving forward and was going to be successful in the future, having spent time working with Zak Brown and Andrea Stella.
"When I left McLaren, I said they might not be winning next year or the following year but this team with these people are going to be winning soon, four years later they're performing at an incredibly high level.
"I had this feeling at that time and now I have this feeling about the people and the culture in Williams, I need to trust that feeling, and this is what I committed to."
Sainz is currently fifth in the drivers' championship, while Ferrari are third in the constructors' championship, over 300 points above ninth-place Williams, who have just four points.
After the move was made public, Vowles admitted he had first approached the 29-year-old at the end of last season, making it a top priority to sign him, something that the driver appreciated.
"It was very important, obviously he's the leader of the project, and he has the vision, and he shared that vision, and he convinced me," Sainz added.
"He did a very good job in that sense into convincing me and into sharing the vision he has and the project he has in mind with me.
"I think we are relatively similar characters in that we are both very analytical, very fair and open, and he convinced me, as simple as that."
Jamaica’s team of brothers Malone and Shacoil Bird got as far as the Round of 16 stage of the Boys’ Under 11 Team category at the ongoing 2024 Pan American Under 11 and Under 13 Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
The boys first advanced from Group 2 of the preliminary phase on Tuesday with a win 3-1 win over the Dominican Republic after suffering a 0-3 loss at the hands of the USA B.
They were then defeated 3-0 in the Round of 16 by Guatemala B on Wednesday.
Malone Bird and Gustavo Borrayo opened proceedings in the tie with a thrilling five-set battle which the Guatemalan eventually won.
Borrayo took the first set 11-8 before Bird won the second in a similar score line to tie the match at one-set all.
Borrayo then re-established a lead with a dominant 11-5 third set win before Bird rallied once again to win the fourth 11-6.
The deciding set was the least competitive as Borrayo ran away with an 11-3 win.
The second singles match between Shacoil Bird and Omar Ixcaragua was far less competitive with the latter winning in straight-sets (11-9, 11-6, 11-4).
The doubles encounter was next which the Guatemalans won in another five-set contest.
Borrayo and Ixcaragua took the first set 11-7 before Jamaica’s Bird brothers made it 1-1 with an 11-9 second set win.
Guatemala took the third in a similar score line as the first before the Jamaicans set up a decisive fifth set with an 11-3 fourth set win.
The deciding set was competitive with both pairs battling to an eventual 11-8 win by Guatemala.
Guatemala B got all the way to the semi-finals of the Boys’ U11 Team category where they lost 3-0 to USA B.
The category was won by USA A who beat USA B 3-2 in the final on Wednesday.
The Bird brothers will open their singles campaigns in the first phase on Thursday.
Malone Bird will take on Guatemala’s Omar Ixcaragua and Canada’s Daniel Liang in Group 3 while Shacoil Bird will face Brazil’s Joao Ribeiro and Ecuador’s Juan Gonzalez in Group 4.
They play Argentina’s Luca Marcial and Valentino Villegas in doubles on Friday.
Daniel Ricciardo admitted he thought there was a possibility he could replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Before the mid-season break, there was a lot of speculation over the Mexican's future after a difficult first half of the campaign despite him recently signing a two-year contract.
After four podium finishes across the first five races, Perez failed to finish above fourth across the next nine.
During the break, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner released a statement to confirm Perez would continue alongside Max Verstappen from this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix.
Ricciardo, who races for RB, was one of the names linked with Perez's seat if he was let go, and he says he would not have turned down the move if it was a possibility.
"I didn't rule it out," he said. "I thought maybe something could happen, but I also didn't expect it or get my hopes up.
"I was aware 'maybe something changes', but I just thought: 'Do what I'm doing and if I get a call, I get a call.' I didn't get a call, but that's what I mentally prepared myself for."
Ricciardo's contract is up at the end of the year, and with Liam Lawson "certain" of being in one of the Red Bull or RB cars next year, according to team advisor Helmut Marko, the Australian could find himself without a seat in 2025.
Lawson has been on the sidelines as a reserve driver so far this season, though impressed when he filled in for Ricciardo for five race weekends last year.
The 35-year-old believes Lawson deserves his place on the team next year, but is relaxed about his own future, which is still up in the air.
"I have every opportunity in front of me and that's the beauty, it's up to me," Ricciardo told Sky Sports F1. "Yes, there is always pressure from myself and that of the Red Bull system, but I know if I do a job, I will have a seat and somewhere to race.
"I got to see Liam drive the car last year and I think he did a great job and is worthy of a seat on the grid," said Ricciardo.
"In a way, I'm happy for him. If he's guaranteed a seat on the grid next year, that's good because he is a deserving driver.
"What that means for me is probably a bit unknown, but if I perform, they will find a spot for me somewhere!"
Kimi Antonelli has credited Mercedes boss Toto Wolff with giving him confidence in his ability during difficult moments at the start of his Formula 2 career.
Antonelli, who currently sits seventh in the F2 standings, has enjoyed a rapid rise through the motorsport ranks, bypassing F3 to compete in the category, although it hasn't all been smooth sailing.
Antonelli endured a difficult start to the campaign with PREMA racing, but finally finished on the podium as he claimed his maiden F2 victory at Silverstone in July.
He has since gone on to claim a win in Hungary, explaining that after a tough qualifying session at Silverstone, Wolff was on hand to deliver him some guidance.
"I am also very happy with the relationship I have [with Wolff],” said Antonelli. “In difficult moments I ask him for advice and he always looks for a way to give me confidence.
"I'll give you an example. After the disappointing qualifying in Silverstone I called him because it was a bit of a tough time.
"We talked a lot and that conversation gave me back my confidence, and the next day I won and it was really nice to see him under the podium.
"When you go through difficult times, I think you come out stronger in the end, also in terms of attitude. Silverstone and Budapest confirmed it."
While Antonelli's focus has been on his F2 campaign, as well as taking part in several test sessions with Mercedes, he has remained at the centre of speculation.
The Italian is among the favourites to replace the departing Lewis Hamilton, who is joining Ferrari for the 2025 season having spent 11 years with the team.
But with no confirmation yet on who will join George Russell at the squad, Antonelli is keeping his feet on the ground.
"I'm very happy to be considered [for F1], but I'm not asking for anything," he commented. "At the moment my goal is to do well in Formula 2, then we'll see.
"I still see it as a dream. I did happen to think about it, but it is a passing thought. In all honesty, I can tell you that for me today it is still a dream. We'll see if it comes true."
The Atlanta Falcons are making A.J. Terrell the second highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, handing him a four-year contract extension worth $81million.
Terrell will receive $65.8m in guaranteed money, according to a report from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The Green Bay Packers' Jaire Alexander, who signed a four-year, $84m extension in 2022, is the only cornerback to earn more than Terrell will make on his new deal.
Terrell was selected 16th overall by Atlanta in the 2020 NFL draft and has only missed seven games through his first four seasons with the team.
He was set to play on his fifth-year rookie option, worth $12.3m, in 2024, but the team have moved to tie him down for the long-term with his bumper new deal.
Terrell was voted into the second All-Pro team in 2021 and has compiled 247 tackles, 43 passes defensed, four interceptions and one sack for the Falcons to date.
He was an ever-present as they went 7-10 for a third straight season under Arthur Smith in 2023, prompting them to fire the head coach and bring in Raheem Morris as his replacement.
Atlanta have been busy revitalising their offense during the offseason, completing a huge free agency move for former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins before drafting Michael Pinix Jr. eighth overall as his long-term successor.
Tying Terrell down was seen as a key requirement on the defensive side of the ledger, and news of his extension comes as a major boost ahead of their season opener versus the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 8.
Jamaican netball star Shanice Beckford has re-signed with West Coast Fever for the 2025 season of the Suncorp Super Netball League, following a standout debut season with the club. Beckford's re-signing solidifies her place in the Fever's roster, where she has quickly become a vital asset, particularly with her strong connection to fellow Jamaican and star shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard.
During the 2024 season, Beckford played in every game, showcasing her skills on the international stage and seamlessly transferring her chemistry with Fowler-Nembhard onto the SSN court. She finished the season with 94 goals, including 26 Super Shots, highlighting her impact as a dynamic and reliable Goal Attack.
Fever General Manager Sue Gaudion expressed her excitement about Beckford's return, emphasizing the significant role she plays within the team. “We are really excited to have Shanice Beckford back in Green for 2025 and we cannot wait to see her take her game to the next level as she becomes more familiar with the Fever environment and system," Gaudion said. "Shanice has shown she has what it takes to compete, and her blistering start to her SSN career in 2024 is a prime example of what she can deliver."
Gaudion also highlighted Beckford's transition into a full-time, professional environment for the first time in her career, noting the positive impact it has had on her development. "This year saw Shanice step into a full-time, professional environment for the first time in her career, and we know she will continue to thrive as she benefits from the experiences she has at West Coast Fever. Her team-first attitude, drive to improve, and her strong connection with Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard make her a vital component of our contracted 10 for 2025.”
Beckford, equally thrilled to be returning to the Fever, reflected on her incredible debut experience and her eagerness for the upcoming season. “I had the most incredible debut experience in the Suncorp Super Netball League with West Coast Fever," Beckford said. "Being part of the West Coast Fever environment was truly amazing. I had a fantastic time building long-lasting relationships with my teammates and the coaching staff, while simultaneously learning and growing in my netball skills."
She added, "The whole experience of being in Western Australia has been absolutely extraordinary. I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming 2025 season and can't wait to see what it has in store, especially playing alongside my teammates in front of the passionate and supportive Green Army. I am genuinely thrilled to be back and looking forward to the exciting journey ahead.”
Beckford's re-signing completes West Coast Fever’s contracted 10 for the 2025 season, which includes key players such as Jess Anstiss (Captain), Ruth Aryang, Sunday Aryang, Jordan Cransberg, Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, Alice Teague-Neeld, Olivia Wilkinson, and Fran Williams.
As Beckford prepares to take her game to new heights in 2025, fans of West Coast Fever and the Green Army can look forward to another thrilling season with their star Goal Attack leading the charge.
Team Takeover delivered a dominant performance to clinch the championship title at the inaugural JamRockerz Basketball Classic, steamrolling Team Kingston 62-21 in the finals held on Sunday at the Montego Bay Community College. The victory capped off an undefeated run for Takeover, solidifying their status as the best team in the six-team, three-day competition.
From the opening whistle, Takeover set the tone for the match, establishing a commanding 17-7 lead by the end of the first quarter. They continued to assert their dominance in the second quarter, extending their lead to 35-13. By the third quarter, the score had ballooned to 53-19, effectively sealing Kingston's fate. Takeover eased off slightly in the final quarter, closing out the game with a 9-2 run to secure the emphatic win.
Cole Riley was the standout performer for Takeover, contributing 15 points, three rebounds, and four steals. Kingston’s Lebron Lewinson, despite his team's struggles, managed to score nine points, including a three-pointer, and added five rebounds and a steal.
Takeover's assistant coach Marvin Riley praised his players for their outstanding effort throughout the tournament. “The kids played exceptionally well. They did what they were supposed to do—come to Jamaica and take over,” he said, highlighting the team's focus and determination.
Riley also offered high praise for the Jamaican players, acknowledging their hard work and athleticism. “You guys have great players. More than anything, you play hard. You play exceptionally hard. You have good athletes. You need skill development, better facilities, and you need to really pour into the kids and have them believe they can play at an exceptionally high level because you have the talent,” Riley added.
In the third-place play-off, Team International edged out Hardwood Kings from Ontario, Canada, in a close 49-46 victory. International’s Dwain Cummings posted an impressive double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Hardwood Kings’ Elijah Deyon contributed 16 points.
Earlier in the day, Kingston earned their place in the final by defeating International 49-44 in their semifinal match-up. Lewinson again led Kingston with 12 points, five rebounds, two steals, and three assists, while Cummings was International’s top performer with eight points and five rebounds.
Takeover’s path to the final was marked by a commanding 70-22 victory over Hardwood Kings in the other semifinal. Liberty Fusire led Takeover with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Elijah Brown of Hardwood Kings managed nine points.
The JamRockerz Basketball Classic, which also featured teams from Montego Bay and Trelawny, was deemed a resounding success by event organizer and coach of Kingston, Wayne Dawkins of P.H.A.S.E. 1 Academy. “I think that it is amazing. The support, you saw the energy, the kids on the floor, they understood what this was about. It doesn’t matter that Team Takeover is the number one club in America, they came out and they fought, and that’s what we want to see,” Dawkins said. He also expressed gratitude to the event's sponsors and partners, including Dr. Carey Wallace of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), NBA Houston Rockets player Tari Eason, and Kingston Marley, the grandson of Bob Marley.
Cole Riley was named MVP of the tournament, receiving his award from Dr. Wallace. Liberty Fusire was recognized as the Defensive Player of the Tournament, with his award presented by Kingston Marley.
The tournament’s All-Star team featured six standout players: D’Aire Patterson (Montego Bay), Daniel Clarke (Trelawny), Elijah Deyon (Hardwood Kings), Dwain Cummings (International), Lebron Lewinson (Kingston), and Doran Clausell (Takeover).
The JamRockerz Basketball Classic successfully showcased top-tier talent and competition, setting the stage for what promises to be a highly anticipated annual event in Jamaica's basketball calendar.
Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 46th and 47th home runs and Juan Soto also went deep and drove in five runs as the New York Yankees snapped a three-game skid with an 8-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night.
Judge hit a two-run homer in the third and added a solo shot in the seventh to give him six home runs in his last nine games and 12 in his last 23. He is on pace to hit 60 home runs.
Soto hit his career-high 36th homer on rookie Joey Cantillo’s sixth pitch, a 2-2 offering he sent onto the netting above Monument Park in center field. He eclipsed his career best set last season with San Diego.
Soto homered for the eighth time in nine games, a stretch that began with his three-homer game last week in Chicago against the White Sox.
Judge and Soto homered in the same contest for the second straight game and 11th time overall. The Yankees improved to 9-2 this season when the powerful duo go deep in the same game.
Nestor Cortes pitched three-hit ball over seven scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Rookie Jhonkensy Noel homered for the AL Central-leading Guardians, who have lost four of five.
Mets walk-off Orioles again
Pinch-hitter Jesse Winker opened the ninth inning with his first home run for the New York Mets to give them a 4-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
After Francisco Alvarez took Seranthony Dominguez deep for a walk-off 4-3 win on Monday, Winker fought back from an 0-2 count to a full count against the Baltimore reliever and drove a 98 mph fastball the other way to left-center for his second walk-off homer in the majors.
His 12th home run of the season was his second as a pinch hitter and the sixth of his career.
Mets starter Sean Manaea retired his first 17 batters and Mark Vientos put New York ahead 3-2 with a solo homer in the seventh.
Francisco Lindor also went deep and J.D. Martinez drove in a run with a grounder to help the Mets take two of three in the series.
The Orioles managed just three hits, including a tying two-run homer by Austin Slater.
Arenado’s walk-off slam cools Brewers
Nolan Arenado hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning and the St. Louis Cardinals scored six unanswered runs to end the Milwaukee Brewers’ six-game winning streak, 10-6.
Arenado’s fifth career walk-off homer and sixth career grand slam gave the Cardinals their second win in their last eight games.
The Brewers led 6-4 after Joey Ortiz’s two-run double in the eighth inning, but St. Louis scored twice in the ninth against Devin Williams, who issued bases-loaded walks to Matt Carpenter and Tommy Pham.
Jackson Chourio had a career-high four hits and Ortiz finished with three RBIs for NL Central-leading Milwaukee, which still has an 11-game lead in the division.
Lamar Jackson is not using outside criticism as motivation as he looks to go one step further in 2024 and lead the Baltimore Ravens to the Super Bowl.
Jackson was named NFL MVP for the second time in the 2023 season, having previously claimed the award in 2019.
He recorded career-high figures for passes attempted (457), completed (307) and passing yards (3,678), also throwing for 24 touchdowns and totalling 821 rushing yards.
However, he was unable to lead Baltimore to Super Bowl LVIII as John Harbaugh's team were beaten by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Jackson was criticised for his performance in that contest and has a 2-4 postseason record, but he is shutting out any noise surrounding his big-game displays ahead of the new season.
"I mean, I'm motivating myself because I know what I want to do, at the end of the day," he told reporters.
"Those guys have their time. I really don't care what the criticism is or what the critics say because at the end of the day, I just came off a season-ending injury the year before and we made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game in a new system.
"So, it's nothing to be down on myself, my team-mates or anything like that because we made it far, further than other years. We haven't been to the AFC in a long time…
"We've just got to keep going. We criticise ourselves more than anyone else. So, what people say on the outside, that's just their take.
"They can believe what they want to believe, but we know what we want, we know what we're striving for."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
